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Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifth sarga of the ayOdhyakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As the news of rAma’s rather immediate crowning spread, ayOdhya was a very picture of festivities. There was none who didn’t look forward to the event. kausalya was thrilled that the much anticipated moment has presented itself at long last! King daSaratha was doubly happy, first as a dutiful king whose wish the populace reciprocated thunderously and then as a father joyous at such an acceptance of his son. ayOdhya was getting ready for the next morning. Onwards…
Having sent off rAma after advising him of the regimen to follow for the crowning next morning, the king daSaratha summoned sage vasisTha, the preceptor supreme of the ikshvAkus and requested him to go to the abode of rAma and advise him of the vows to be undertaken along with sIta in order that he is blessed with prosperity, fame and wealth upon assuming the crown. The knower of vEdas, vasisTha mounted on a chariot befitting his stature and set off for rAma’s abode to advise the prince regent about the fast to be undertaken that night. The sage approached the abode of rAma shining like the brilliant white clouds and crossed the first three chambers on the chariot itself.
Learning about the advent of the preceptor, rAma was excited and hastened towards the chariot and upon meeting the sage, held his hand and personally helped him alight the chariot. vasisTha was gratified and enquired the welfare of rAma. After the pleasantries, he asked him to undertake fast that night along with sItA since king daSaratha was pleased with him and was going to crown him as the heir apparent the next morning. The sage then invoked the appropriate hymns and initiated rAma and sItA into the fast and left for his abode taking leave of rAma after being duly honoured by him. rAma also spent some time along with his well wishers and friends in delight and exchanged pleasant talk and then left for his mansion. The mansion of rAma was filled with delighted men and women and looked like a lake full of lotuses in full blossom flocked by intoxicated birds!
Sage vasisTha emerged out of the palace of rAma and entered the streets of ayOdhya in his chariot. The royal highways of ayOdhya were jampacked with groups and groups of curious people. The tumultuous uproar of rapturous groups of people so present on the royal highway resembled the sound emanating from the clashing of waves in the sea! All the roads in ayOdhya were swept clean, water was sprinkled so that dust is not raised, all the houses sported flags on top. Women, children, men and old people waited with the same anxiety for the sunrise which would herald the beloved prince rAma into the role of prince regent by his grand crowning!
तदा ह्ययोध्यानिलय स्सस्त्रीबालाबलो जनः।
रामाभिषेकमाकाङ्क्षन्नाकाङ्क्षदुदयं रवेः।।2.5.19।।
Beholding such an expectant crowd on the royal highway and wading through them vasisTha’s chariot slowly entered the royal palace where he met the king, much like the preceptor bRhaspati meeting lord indra. The royal assembly stood up in honor of the sage. The king then duly honored the preceptor and was glad to learn that rAma has been initiated into the vow for the crowning ceremony the next morning. The assembly was then dissolved for the day with the permission of the preceptor.
King daSaratha entered his inner chambers replete with well clad, delighted and beautiful women and in the midst of them, he appeared verily like moon shining in a star studded sky!
Here we conclude the fifth sarga of the ayOdhya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Next: 2.6. ayOdhya all set!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 