Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred fourth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Learning about father’s demise from prince bharata, rAma was disconsolate, he was rendered unconscious by that tragic news. It appears that although both rAma and lakshmaNa (as early as 51st sarga of ayOdhyA kAnDam) speculated that the king might have breathed his last they hoped against hope for his life. And when they learnt it from bharata, they were distraught. Being right and righteous minded they went to the river mandAkinI and performed the ceremony of SrAdha to their father. The ceremony involves offering of water and food in memory of the departed souls and they feel fulfilled upon accepting the same and bless their progeny. Dwelling in the forest rAma had no access to normal food and hence their staple diet of desert date flour was offered in form of balls (called pinDa). Post that the brothers return to the leaf hut and grieve there together. The tumultuous noise of their grief reverberated on the hills of chitrakUTa and all the denizens of ayOdhyA who were camping far ran in the direction of the sound and reached rAma. He received each one of them appropriately, embracing some, acknowledging some and having a sweet word with some. The beeline of the ayOdhyA dwellers seeking rAma swelled. Onwards…
With sage vasisTha leading the way, the women of the late king daSaratha walked, keen to see rAma. As they slowly made their way through the banks of the river mandAkinI, they recognized it to be the place where the trio come often to. Seeing that, mother kausalyA was moved with sadness and said to the co-wives – “O sumitrA and others, look, this is the place frequented by the unfortunate trio of sItA, rAma and lakshmaNa who can accomplish the most arduous of tasks and yet are suffering thus in this forest. O sumitrA, look, for the sake of my son, saumitri (lakshmaNa) draws water from here. Although lakshmaNa is engaged in servility carrying out such heinous and mean errands for rAma, he is not to be looked down upon, for it is his virtue that prompts him to do this service. Now your son, lakshmaNa may be freed from running these errands (rAma will return to ayOdhyA). Oh, look here, the darbha grass with its tip pointing to south and the pinDam made of ingudi fruit pulp! This is the ceremonial offering of rAma to his departed father daSaratha. Having enjoyed all luxuries during his life, ruled over the earth like indra is now offered this ordinary ingudi pulp in the ceremony. Alas, what else can be more devastating to see rAma offer this pinDam to his dear father and the great king? How does my heart doesn’t break into a thousand pieces beholding this terrible sight! What I have heard in the scriptures that a man offers to the gods and forefathers what he eats appears to be very true”!
श्रुतिस्तु खल्वियं सत्या लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मा।
यदन्नः पुरुषो भवति तदन्नास्तस्य देवताः।।2.103.15।।
Lamenting thus, they reached the leaf hut where rAma resided and beheld him who appeared like indra fallen from the heavens! Beholding the rAma who had given up all his comforts, the mothers were moved to utter grief and cried pitiably shedding tears copiously. The best among men, rAma, immediately fell at the feet of the mothers. The mothers, with their tender hands caressed rAma and removed the dust stuck on his body. Following rAma, overcome with emotion, lakshmaNa too fell at the feet of his mothers and received affection from them just like rAma did. Then sItA also fell at the feet of the mothers, overcome with emotion and sorrow. The mother kausalyA, pulled her daughter-in-law, who had emaciated due to her forest dwelling, unto her and caressed her like she would to her own daughter and moved with grief said –
“Alas, how is it that the daughter of king janaka and the daughter-in-law of king daSaratha undergoes such a difficult life in the deserted forest? O sItA, beholding your countenance which is like the lotus bearing scorching sunshine, withered water lily, gold covered with dust and moon covered by clouds, the fire of grief that arises in my heart is scorching me, like the fire consuming its own source”! (araNi is a wooden stick placed on a circular stone plate to and churned in order to produce fire. Such an araNi is consuming the stone plate itself is the example that kausalyA uses here)
पद्ममातपसन्तप्तं परिक्लिष्टमिवोत्पलम्।
काञ्चनं रजसा ध्वस्तं क्लिष्टं चन्द्रमिवाम्बुदैः।।2.103.25।।
मुखं ते प्रेक्ष्य मां शोको दहत्यग्निरिवाऽश्रयम्।
भृशं मनसि वैदेहि व्यसनारणिसम्भवः।।2.103.26।।
As they spoke thus, rAma went and clasped the feet of the effulgent preceptor vasisTha like indra would fall at the feet of the preceptor bRhaspati and sat down by his side. Then prince bharata sat down next to his brother rAma and behind him sat down the ministers, eminent citizens, soldiers and others. The prince bharata like indra offered respects to his elder brother in the form of ascetic glowing majestically like the lord brahma.
The people were watching bharata in eager anticipation wondering what is it that he will now articulately submit to rAma.
किमेष वाक्यं भरतोऽद्य राघवं प्रणम्य सत्कृत्य च साधु वक्ष्यति।
इतीव तस्यार्यजनस्य तत्त्वतो बभूव कौतूहलमुत्तमं तदा।।2.103.31।।
The trio – rAma with the vow of truth, the great lakshmaNa and the righteous bharata verily appeared like the three flames of the yajna with the surrounding companions resembling the officiating priests.
Here we conclude the one hundred fourth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 2.105. bharata submits, rAma responds
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 