Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred fifteenth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Bidding farewell to rAma, determined to rule over ayOdhyA as but rAma’s representative, living in complete austerity outside the city and awaiting rAma’s return most eagerly, bharata returned to ayOdhyA. He got the pair of gold studded sandals blessed by rAma and declared that he shall rule by submitting everything to those sandals that represented rAma for him. In other words he would take care of the kingdom like a trustee and not rule like a king! He entered ayOdhyA beheld the lack luster, joy less, deserted, undecorated and unusual ayOdhyA. Everything that he saw told a tale of how it missed rAma! The epic poet vAlmIki spends as many as 20 verses to describe the examples of how ayOdhyA looked in 2.114. ayOdhyA sans rAma is like… The outstanding poetic flow matched the devastation of the citizens of ayOdhyA who were bereft of their darling prince [ 2.2. rAma reigns in the hearts of people!]. Into such an ayOdhyA, bharata wheeled in on his chariot. Onwards…
Having dropped the three mothers at ayOdhyA, the devastated but determined bharata said to the preceptors –
“Please now permit to leave for nandigrAma. I shall live there and try to bear this sorrow of rAma’s absence. The king has ascended to the heavens and my guru, rAma is in the forest. I shall await the return of rAma for the kingdom living there in the nandigrAma. He alone is the celebrated and illustrious king of ayOdhyA”.
नन्दिग्रामं गमिष्यामि सर्वानामन्त्रयेऽद्य वः।
तत्र दुःखमिदं सर्वं सहिष्ये राघवं विना।।2.115.2।।
गतश्च वा दिवं राजा वनस्थश्च गुरुर्मम।
रामं प्रतीक्षे राज्याय स हि राजा महायशाः।।2.115.3।।
The preceptors were happy at these auspicious pronouncements of prince bharata and replied –
“Excellent! O bharata what you have just said is highly praiseworthy! You alone who are deeply attached to your people and devoted to your brother are capable of saying this. Who would not approve of such a right path that you are treading”?
Prince bharata immediately ordered to the charioteer that his chariot be yoked. With a cheerful disposition he paid his respects to the three mothers and along with brother Satrughna ascended the chariot and started for nandigrAma surrounded by his ministers, preceptors and well wishers. Led by the preceptor vasisTha and others, they traveled eastward. A large army with elephants and horses followed and a large number of citizens followed them uninvited! The benevolent brother bharata deeply devoted to rAma was riding in the chariot carrying the sandals blessed by rAma on his head.
रथस्थः स तु धर्मात्मा भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः।
नन्दिग्रामं ययौ तूर्णं शिरस्यादाय पादुके।।2.115.12।।
Then swiftly entering nandigrAma and alighting the chariot, bharata said to the preceptors –
“This kingdom has been entrusted by my brother. These gold studded sandals blessed by him shall bear the welfare and security of the kingdom”.
एतद्राज्यं मम भ्रात्रा दत्तं सन्नयासवत्स्वयम्।
योगक्षेमवहे चेमे पादुके हेमभूषिते।।2.115.14।।
Then holding those sandals over his head and overcome with emotion he said to the citizens – “these sandals symbolize the venerable elder brother of mine. They shall rule over the kingdom righteously. Let the royal parasol be held over these.
छत्रं धारयत क्षिप्रमार्यपादाविमौ मतौ।
आभ्यां राज्ये स्थितो धर्मः पादुकाभ्यां गुरोर्मम।।2.115.16।।
This kingdom has been entrusted by my brother to me and I shall take care of it as a trust until his return. I wish to soon ensure that these sandals adorn my brother and behold those feet of his thus with sandals.
क्षिप्रं संयोजयित्वातु राघवस्य पुनस्स्वयम्।
चरणौ तौ तु रामस्य द्रक्ष्यामि सहपादुकौ।।2.115.18।।
Once he is back, I shall return this burden of ruling over the kingdom to my elder brother and shall spend my time in his service.
ततो निक्षिप्तभारोऽहं राघवेण समागतः।
निवेद्य गुरवे राज्यं भजिष्ये गुरुवृत्तिताम्।।2.115.19।।
Returning these sandals and the kingdom back to him, I shall be redeemed. Once rAma is anointed as the king, people will rejoice and my own joy and fame will be fourfold of what I can get from ruling the kingdom”.
Thus choked with emotion, bharata declared and true to his word, he stayed in nadigrAma along with the ministers and administered the kingdom. Donning bark robes and matted hair, valiant bharata in the garb of a sage lived in nandigrAma along with the army.
स वल्कलजटाधारी मुनिवेषधरः प्रभुः।
नन्दिग्रामेऽवसद्वीर स्ससैन्यो भरतस्तदा।।2.115.23।।
Eagerly awaiting the return of rAma, deeply attached to rAma and ever obedient to him, bharata kept his vow and crowned the sandals blessed by rAma on the throne. He held the royal parasol to them, fanned them like he would the king and administered the kingdom after submitting everything to those glorious sandals blessed by rAma.
His subordination to the symbol of rAma was complete, any issue howsoever small was first submitted to them and then only acted upon. Any valuable gift that was offered was first submitted to rAma’s sandals before accepting and thus he administered ayOdhyA in complete surrender to rAma.
तदा हि यत्कार्यमुपैति किञ्चिदुपायनं चोपहृतं महार्हम्।
स पादुकाभ्यां प्रथमं निवेद्य चकार पश्चाद्भरतो यथावत्।।2.115.27।।
Here we conclude the one hundred fifteenth 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: 2.116. Sages trigger the mission!
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 