Hari Om.
Let us begin the forty fourth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The royal palace of ayOdhyA wore a deserted look, and so did the entire city. Except for kaikEyI, no one else was thrilled about the exile of rAma. People had interest neither in their chores nor in eating. Even cows and elephants felt the pangs of separation and didn’t attend to their calves or food! A devastated daSartha went into his palace and unable to bear the exile of rAma asked to be helped to the chambers of queen kausalyA where he thought he would get some solace. Lying on the couch, he brooded over the separation from rAma. Queen kausalyA was a very picture of dignity even in her grief. While daSaratha grieved hopelessly, kausalyA was wondering when that day would come when rAma would be welcomed to ayOdhyA. The mother’s heart poured out in grief. But never she did slight the king for following dharma. The fact remained however that she was in grief and needed solace. Onwards…
As kausalyA, the best among women wept inconsolably so, the righteous sumitrA spoke the following righteous words – “O respected one, your son is endowed with the best of qualities. In order to ensure his father stays true to his words, he has renounced the kingdom and gone to forest. The good consequences of his righteous actions last beyond this world. Such a righteous son is not to be shed tears over. The blemishless lakshmaNa, kind and compassionate has done the right thing by following his brother and his presence will be beneficial to rAma. vaidEhI (sItA) who deserves nothing but comfort has also followed rAma, fully aware of the hardships of forest life.
Truth and righteousness are the flagship virtues of your accomplished son and what is it that he did not gain (by adhering to those)? Being aware of the greatness and purity of rAma, the Sun would not scorch his body with his rays. At all times, cold and gentle breeze would blow in the forests causing comfort to rAma. At nights, rAma shall be provided the warmth of a father’s embrace by the moon. Armed by the vast repertoire of the divine weapons conferred generously by viSwAmitra, rAma shall reign in the forest on account of his own might as if it were a palace. The enemies that come in the path of his arrows get destroyed, how then the earth will not be under his control? rAma is endowed with splendour, valour and auspiciousness. As the exile period swiftly gets over, he shall return soon and reign in ayOdhyA.
rAma excels the Sun in brilliance, excels the fire in intensity, is the lord of the lords, prosperity of the prosperous and the forgiveness of the forgiving. He excels the god in divinity and even being so is the best among all beings. Those are his innate qualities and that being so, what demerits do you see whether he is in the forest or in the palace?
सूर्यस्यापि भवेत्सूर्यो ह्यग्नेरग्नि प्रभोः प्रभुः।
श्रियः श्रीश्च भवेदग्र्या कीर्तिः कीर्त्याः क्षमाक्षमा।।2.44.15।।
दैवतं दैवतानां च भूतानां भूतसत्तमः।
तस्य के ह्यगुणा देवि वने वाप्यथवा पुरे।।2.44.16।।
Soon he shall be crowned over the earth along with sItA and good fortune. Remember, how the populace of ayOdhyA grieved inconsolably as rAma left for the forest donning the bark? He shall be back soon and rule over ayOdhyA. What is impossible for the invincible rAma who is followed by sItA like good fortune? What is impossible for that rAma, in front of whom the great lakshmaNa walks wielding the bow and the sword? Believe me, O dEvI, soon rAma will be back and shall rule. Hence give up your grief and delusion.
Soon enough, he shall be emerging like the moon and place his head at these feet of yours and you shall behold his crowning shedding tears of joy. Nothing inauspicious dwells in rAma and so soon you shall see him along with sItA and lakshmaNa. If you grieve like this, how can you give strength to others who depend on you?
Being the mother of that rAghava who is steadfast in the path of truth, you should not grieve like this. Soon you shall see him bowing down to you and then you shall rain the tears of joy. And as he serves your tender feet, you can drench him with those tears of joy”.
Thus the articulate and cheerful sumitrA consoled rAma’s mother kausalyA. And as she did so, kausalyA’s grief disappeared like the autumnal cloud that bears little rain.
Here we conclude the forty 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: 2.45. Endearing rAma, enchanting followers
Previous: 2.43. The mother’s heart
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 