Bharata's Nightmare Foreshadows Calamity

Bharata's haunting dream foretells tragedy for his father and kingdom. Visions of cosmic disorder and the king's disturbing fate leave the prince deeply troubled. 

Bharata's Distressing Dream (Shlokas 2.69.1 - 2.69.10)

On the very night the messengers entered the city, Bharata, son of the king of kings, had a distressing dream. As dawn broke, Bharata felt extremely troubled by this unpleasant vision.

The Attempt to Comfort Bharata (Shlokas 2.69.3 - 2.69.6)

Observing Bharata's distress, his companions tried to lift his spirits:

• Some played soothing music on stringed instruments

• Others performed dramatic scenes and danced

• Many told various kinds of jokes

Despite these efforts, Bharata remained unaffected.

Concerned, one close friend approached Bharata and asked:

"O friend, why are you not pleased despite being surrounded by your companions?"

Bharata Reveals His Dream (Shlokas 2.69.7 - 2.69.10)

Responding to his friend's concern, Bharata began to describe his troubling dream. The vision was vivid and unsettling:

First, Bharata saw his father falling from a mountain peak into a dirty pool filled with cow dung. In this dream, his father appeared pale and disheveled.

Next, Bharata observed his father floating in the cow dung pool. Strangely, his father was drinking oil with cupped palms and laughing repeatedly.

The disturbing vision continued with more bizarre scenes. Bharata's father ate rice cooked with sesame seeds, then repeatedly plunged headfirst into the pool. His body was besmeared with oil throughout these actions.

This series of troubling images left Bharata deeply disturbed. He feared the dream might be an ill omen (durnimitta).

The Vision of Cosmic Disorder (Shlokas 2.69.11 - 2.69.13)

In his dream, Bharata witnessed the following scenes:

• The sea had dried up

• The moon had fallen to the ground

• The earth was enveloped in darkness

• The tusk of a royal elephant was broken into pieces

• A blazing fire was suddenly extinguished

• The earth had split open

• Trees had dried up

• Mountains were crumbling and covered in smoke

The King's Disturbing Appearance (Shlokas 2.69.14 - 2.69.16)

The dream then shifted focus back to Bharata's father, the king:

1. He was seated on an iron throne, dressed in black clothes

2. Women with dark and brownish complexions were laughing at him

3. The king wore garlands of red flowers and his body was covered with red sandalwood paste

4. He was hurrying southward on a chariot pulled by donkeys

5. A demoness (rakshasi) with an ugly appearance, dressed in red, was seen dragging the king away while mocking him

Bharata's Interpretation and Anxiety (Shlokas 2.69.17 - 2.69.21)

Bharata shared his concerns:

"After seeing such frightful dreams last night, I fear that either I, Rama, the king, or Lakshmana might die."

Bharata then recalled a belief:

"If one dreams of a person riding in a donkey-drawn carriage, soon the smoke from that person's funeral pyre will be seen."

The prince described his current state:

• His throat felt parched

• His mind was uneasy

• He felt a sense of dread without a clear cause

• His voice had weakened

• His appearance had become haggard

• He felt an inexplicable self-loathing

Bharata concluded:

"Having perceived the course of this nightmare with its many unprecedented images, and thinking of the king's incomprehensible appearance, a great fear has gripped my heart and will not leave me."

This concludes the Sixty niinth chapter (sarga) of Ayodhyakanda, the second book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.