Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 71: Bharata Reaches Ayodhyā
Text 2.71.27
नाद्यापि श्रूयते शब्दो मत्तानां मृगपक्षिणाम्।
संरक्तां मधुरां वाणीं कलं व्याहरतां बहु॥
nādyāpi śrūyate śabdo mattānāṁ mṛga-pakṣiṇām
saṁraktāṁ madhurāṁ vāṇīṁ kalaṁ vyāharatāṁ bahu
na = cannot; adya api = even now; śrūyate = be heard; śabdaḥ = the sound; mattānām = of the excited; mṛga-pakṣiṇām = deer and birds; saṁraktām = passionate; madhurām = and sweet; vāṇīm kalam = cooing notes; vyāharatām = uttering; bahu = many.
The sound of the excited deer and birds uttering many passionate and sweet cooing notes cannot be heard even now.
1 Not the wild deer in the forest.
“Even now” refers to the time of sunrise. The deer and birds [used to be] excited by eating the fruits they cherished. Therefore their sounds were passionate and pleasant. The deer referred to here were those kept for sport [at home].1 The birds referred to here were male and female parrots and so on.
GLOSS. [The verse can be understood to mean:] “The many sounds uttered by the excited birds in various musical melodies and the many pleasant sounds uttered by the excited deer cannot be heard even now.”