Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 77: Bharata and Śatrughna Lament About Daśaratha’s DepartureText 2.77.22
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 77: Bharata and Śatrughna Lament About Daśaratha’s Departure
Text 2.77.22
त्रयोदशोऽयं दिवसः पितुर्वृत्तस्य ते विभो।
सावशेषास्थिनिचये किमिह त्वं विलम्बसे।।
trayodaśo ’yaṁ divasaḥ pitur vṛttasya te vibho
sāvaśeṣāsthi-nicaye kim iha tvaṁ vilambase
trayodaśaḥ = the thirteenth; ayam = today is; divasaḥ = day; pituḥ = of father; vṛttasya = since the cremation; te = Your; vibho = O ruler; sāvaśeṣa-asthi-nicaye = in collecting the remaining bones; kim = why; iha = now; tvam = do You; vilambase = delay.
O ruler, today is the thirteenth day since the cremation of Your father. Why do You now delay in collecting the remaining bones?
Vasiṣṭha asked Bharata why He delayed in conducting the ceremony of collecting the remaining bones.
[Some] explain this as follows: The bones of the primary parts [of Daśaratha’s body] had already been collected on the tenth day [since the cremation]. It was the conduct of the civilized in that region to clean up the place [of the funeral] on the thirteenth day. Thus this does not conflict with the Smṛti in this regard.