Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The first challenge of the forest, namely, the demon virAdha was bravely met and conquered by the mighty rAma and lakshmaNa. They made him bite the dust and having vanquished him realized how treacherous the forest could be and understood the need for guidance. Accordingly and as suggested by virAdha they went to the hermitage of sage Sarabhanga. As they were about to enter the hermitage, they beheld a wondrous scene – the ethereal personality, lord of the gods, indra was visiting the sage! The glorious chariot of indra along with its wonderful horses was levitating in the air. Looking at the horses, they recognized it to be indra’s as per what they have read and heard earlier! rAma hastens to the hermitage to quench his curiosity! Watching him approach the hermitage, indra leaves at once after conferring with the sage as the time was not yet ripe for the meeting between indra and rAma! The sage had an open invitation to dwell in the higher worlds of lord brahma! He was still in this world only in anticipation of rAma, the special guest. After meeting the special guest and offering hospitality, the sage asked him to seek the guidance of sage sutIkshNa and entered fire. His glorious subtle and youthful body emerged and traveled to the exalted higher worlds of brahma where he was welcomed by the grand old sire. Onwards…
As sage Sarabhanga ascended the heavens, scores of the sages in the forest assembled at the hermitage and met the radiant rAma. The sages who assembled there performed their penance in different ways and also had very different ways of living.
They had distinct antecedents as well. Some subsisted on pounded grains and some on leaves, some on water and yet others on just air! Some of them slept on the bare floor, yet others on the tiger skin. Some of them lived in the sky, some of them inhabited the land. Some wore wet clothes all the time. Some stood in water and performed penance while some others were always exposed to the elements and yet others performed penance with fire burning all around them!
All of them were performers of vows and highly self controlled. All these groups of sages practicing different ways of penance, experts in the knowledge and practice of dharma reached the hermitage of Sarabhanga to meet rAma and said –
“O great rAma, hailing from the ikshvAku clan and are the king of the world just like indra. You are well known in the three worlds for your greatness, prowess. You are an embodiment of adherence to truth and implicit obedience to father and thereby are a repository of dharma. O lord, you know dharma and are fond of dharma. Having found you, we needy ones have come to submit our needs. You may please condone this. O dear one, the king who collects the sixth portion from people as tax and does not take care of them as their children suffers unrighteousness.
अधर्मस्सुमहांस्तात भवेत्तस्य महीपतेः।
यो हरेद्बलिषड्भागां न च रक्षति पुत्रवत्।।3.6.11।।
And rAma whichever king cares for his subjects as his very children, dearer than his own life and is always engaged in their welfare and protection, attains the exalted worlds of brahma and remains there for long becoming illustrious. A fourth of the merit accrued by great penance of a sage subsisting on fruits and roots accrues to the king.
यत्करोति परं धर्म मुनिर्मूलफलाशनः।
तत्र राज्ञश्चतुर्भाग प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षितः।।3.6.14।।
And yet, O rAma, look here, we sages, mainly brAhmins, are butchered by the demons at will. We live like orphans while having you as our lord. Look here the scores of carcasses and mortal remains of sages who were slaughtered by the demons. No region from the banks of river pampa to the river mandAkini and chitrakUTa are an exception to this violence against the sages. We can’t bear this barbaric bloodbath against us by the dastardly demons any more. O rAma, in you we seek protection. Kindly save us. You are our refuge.
In this entire world, a warrior greater than you cannot be sighted. Hence please look after us and save us from the demons, O prince”.
परा त्वत्तो गतिर्वीर पृथिव्यां नोपपद्यते।
परिपालय न स्सर्वान्राक्षसेभ्यो नृपात्मज।।3.6.20।।
Having heard these submissions from the sages, the righteous rAma replied thus –
You ascetics ought not submit to me thus. I am fit to be ordered by you. I have not entered the forest on just a personal mission!
नैवमर्हथ मां वक्तुमाज्ञाप्योऽहं तपस्विनाम्।
केवलेनात्मकार्येण प्रवेष्टव्यं मया वनं।।3.6.22।।
In obedience to the command of my father, I entered the forest to crush this violence of the demons against the sages like you. In battle, I wish to slay the demons, the enemies of the ascetics and you all shall witness my prowess along with that of my brother”.
तपस्विनां रणे शत्रून्हन्तुमिच्छामि राक्षसान्।
पश्यन्तु वीर्यमृषयस्सभ्रातुर्मे तपोधनाः।।3.6.25।।
Thus having bestowed his protection on the ascetics, along with lakshmaNa, the great rAma steeped in dharma and worthy of acclaim by the ascetics started for the hermitage of sage sutIkshNa.
दत्त्वाऽभयं चापि तपोधनानां धर्मे धृतात्मा सह लक्ष्मणेन।
तपोधनैश्चापि सभाज्यवृत्तः सुतीक्ष्णमेवाभिजगाम वीरः।।3.6.26।।
Here we conclude the the sixth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.7. Stopping by sage sutIkshNa
Previous: 3.5. Salvation of sage Sarabhanga
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
