Hari Om.
Let us begin the fortieth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The brothers rAma and lakshmaNa changed over to bark clothes from their fine silks as they set out to the forest. kaikEyi also handed over bark clothes to sItA which evokes strong reactions from the precetpro vasisTha, all the assembled queens of the emperor and the emperor himself. She was roundly censured for this insensitive behavior towards the daughter-in-law of the royal line by everyone and daSaratha himself put his foot down on that count. He ordered the treasurer to fetch finest of garments and ornaments from the treasury for sItA, enough for the fourteen years of stay. Then kausalyA blessed sItA and the brothers and gave some important lessons in conduct of the wife to sItA. Since rAma rejected the idea of going to the forest with an entourage and all the amenities, minister sumantra was asked to fetch the finest of chariots yoked with the best of horses to drop the trio at the borders of the kingdom of kOsala. The trio were all set. Onwards…
The mood in the assembly was sombre. The trio rAma, sItA and lakshmaNa paid their respect to the king daSaratha and mother kausalya and circumambulated them as they sought to depart to the forest. lakshmaNa then touched the feet of his mother sumitrA who was wailing. She picked up the mighty lakshmaNa, her mighty son, kissed him on the forehead as a benediction and said – “O lakshmaNa, you are quite attached to your friends and kin. You have been created to dwell in forest! Never be inattentive towards rAma who is on his way to the forest. In times, both good and bad, he is your refuge. The best and virtuous people in this world always follow their eldest. This befits your lineage where men always prioritize charity, commitment and sacrifice”. Having said these words, sumitrA then exhorted her dear son with words “Go! go! Treat rAma as your father daSaratha. Treat sItA as me. Treat the forests as ayOdhyA and happily proceed“.
रामं दशरथं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम्
अयोध्यामटवीं विद्धि गच्छ तात यथासुखम्
Then the humble sumantra submitted with folded hands to rAma like the charioteer mAtali to lord indra – “O prince rAma, glory be to you, the chariot is ready to take you to wherever you order. The fourteen years that kaikEyi has asked you to stay in the forest can be deemed to have started”.
Gracious sItA who was well decked up with garments and ornaments given by her father-in-law daSaratha boarded the chariot dazzling like the Sun cheerfully. Then the weapons and other shields and leather coverings of the fingers were loaded onto the chariot. The brothers also boarded the chariot and once sumantra was sure that all of them boarded the chariot with their belongings, he hastened the horses to move. Denizens of ayOdhyA lost their senses and were rendered powerless at the sight of rAma leaving for the forests not to return for a long time. As the chariot moved forward, the tinkling bells of the horses triggered the intoxicated elephants of the city and they created chaos.
The people of ayOdhyA, young and old alike ran towards rAma just like a person afflicted by heat pines for water. They were teary-eyed trying to catch a glimpse of rAma from behind or the sides or from the front. They beseeched sumantra to control the horses and let them go slowly so that they can see rAma once for a long time to come. They thought, certainly the heart of the mother of rAma is indeed made of iron, since it is not breaking even at the sight of her son, this god-like-rAma going away to forest.
They were full of praise for sItA who was abiding by her dharma by following her husband like his shadow and like the brilliance on the mEru mountain where the Sun resides. Then they were thrilled at the devotion of lakshmaNa, the worthy brother who was following rAma and serving him. They thought that the path that lakshmaNa chose – of service to his godly elder brother – is surely the way to greatness, prosperity and verily to heaven. As they reflected upon the worthiness and good fortune of both sItA and lakshmaNa, they could not hold back the tears that rolled down their faces copiously and they started following the chariot of rAma!
Back in the palace, the king daSaratha surrounded by his wives was desolate and devastated. He wanted to catch but one glimpse of his son and emerged out of the palace along with the wailing women. The women were forlorn, desolate and helpless like a herd of she elephants when their leader is captured. That king of the hallowed ikshvAku dynasty resembled the bright moon eclipsed by rAhu.
rAma of indomitable courage exhorted sumantra to speed up the chariot. The citizens on the other hand wanted him to slow down. Caught between the order of rAma and the love of people for rAma, the minister could do neither. The huge dust that kicked up due to the movement of the chariot and horses settled down by the copious tears flowing down the faces of the citizens.
निर्गच्छति महाबाहौ रामे पौरजनाश्रुभिः।
पतितैरभ्यवहितं प्रशशाम महीरजः।।2.40.33।।
The city of ayOdhyA was deeply distressed drenched with the tears and cries of alas arising out of rAma’s journey to the forests. The tears rolling down the cheeks of the women of ayOdhyA were reminiscent of the water drops falling off the lotus flower due to movement of fish in the waters.
Beholding the city so single minded absorbed in the thought of rAma, the king daSaratha fainted and collapsed like a tree severed at its root. The citizens were stuck with grief to see the king collapsed thus and cried aloud behind rAma’s chariot – some cried “O rAma”, and yet others cried “O mother of rAma”. The cries of the people made the women in the inner apartments cry as well.
Alerted by the cries when rAma looked behind he saw his father and mother running after his chariot. Bounden by the duty to uphold dharma his vision of them was not clear as the young horse which is fastened cannot see it’s mother. rAma couldn’t bear the sight of his parents who deserved nothing but comfort walking on the way. He urged to sumantra to speed up the chariot. rAma’s mother ran behind the chariot crying aloud like a cow running towards its calf. As rAma looked behind repeatedly to glance at his mother she looked as if she was striking dance poses while running behind the chariot. The king cried ‘stay’ while rAma ordered to go. sumantra was caught between these two contrasting orders like caught between the two wheels.
तिष्ठेति राजा चुक्रोश याहि याहीति राघवः।
सुमन्त्रस्य बभूवात्मा चक्रयोरिव चान्तरा।।2.40.46।।
As sumantra was in a dilemma whether to stop or go, rAma told him to go ahead as prolonging the agony was painful. He also told sumantra if he were admonished later he could tell the king that in the hustle of the wheels of the chariot his command was not heard.
नाश्रौषमिति राजानमुपालब्धोऽपि वक्ष्यसि।
चिरं दुःखस्य पापिष्ठमिति रामस्तमब्रवीत्।।2.40.47।।
Obeying the command of rAma and taking leave of the citizens sumantra hastened the chariot. The ministers convinced daSaratha that it was not wise to follow rAma for long as he was determined to go forward and that they should go back to others in the palace. The members of the royal family stopped and did circumambulation of rAma in their own minds and returned. King daSaratha, perspiring all over, heeding to the advice of the ministers along with his queens stopped following and stood rooted there gazing in the direction in which rAma had gone.
Here we conclude the fortieth 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: 2.41. ayOdhyA in agony
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
