Hari Om.
Let us begin the eighty second sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
On the command of the prince bharata whom pretty much every one considered as the de facto ruler, the various technicians involved in the laying of roads and creating amenities on high ways swung into action and swiftly laid a royal road to rAma along with every kind of amenity that was needed for the royal family to the common citizens. As the royal attendants began treating bharata like the king, he took offence and shunted them off and sternly declared that he is not the king and doesn’t deserve any of this. With a single minded determination and focus, he wants to bring rAma back to ayOdhyA. In the meanwhile the chief preceptor vasisTha called for the council meeting to chose the course of action. The prince along with Satrughna also reached there. Onwards….
Upon the prodding of the chief preceptor to solve the crisis that presently troubled the ikshvAku clan, that of choosing a king, the council assembled. The ministers, preceptors and key citizens presented themselves in immaculate attire and occupied high seats as per their hierarchy in the royalty. The assembly of stalwarts looked like a brilliant star lit autumnal night presided over by the moon. Beholding the council, sage vasisTha addressed prince bharata gently –
“dear son, the righteous king daSaratha conferred upon you this vast earth replete with granary and wealth. Your brother rAma followed father’s word and went to the forest just like the moonlight doesn’t desert the moon. Therefore, enjoy this kingdom conferred upon you by your brother and father unhindered and crown yourself as the king soon. May the kings from all the directions confer appropriate and expensive gifts upon you marking your coronation”.
At this suggestion of the preceptor, the prince bharata was greatly offended. He broke down in the middle of the royal assembly and with a voice choked with grief and a virtuous mind that immediately went to the righteous rAma, the prince gently upbraided the preceptor – “How do you expect someone like me to snatch the kingdom that rightly belongs to the one of immaculate conduct, an accomplished scholar with a great intellect and the one always striving to uphold dharma? How does a usurper of kingdom be born of the great daSaratha? Both the kingdom as well as I belong to rAma. You should enlighten everyone about the dharma behind this. The kingdom always belonged to the eldest like the kings dilIpa, nahusha and daSaratha himself. Even so, rAma has every right to rule over this kingdom following the traditions of the ikshvAku kings. I will be reviled and looked down with contempt if I act in deference to those traditions. I don’t approve in the slightest the sin committed by my mother. From here itself I salute the righteous one who has chosen to go to the wretched forests. I shall follow him as he deserves to be king of everyone. Not just this world, indeed rAma deserved to rule over the three worlds. Joined by virtuous and valorous people such as yourselves, I shall employ every way that is possible to bring rAma back from the forests. And if he doesn’t accede to my requests, I shall stay put in the forest just like brother lakshmaNa. As you are aware I have already commissioned workers to lay the road that is worthy for our travel to rAma, it is a journey that I shall cherish”.
As bharata said this, those in the assembly had tears in their eyes at his outstanding commitment to his elder brother and to dharma. He had their every support. The prince turned to sumantra and ordered him to go at once and get the four fold armed forces to get ready to undertake the journey to go to the forests and bring rAma with due ceremony. Minister sumantra percolated these orders promptly and anxiously as it is something he wanted to do himself . His orders to to the succeeding levels of hierarchy in the armed forces thrilled the commanders and leaders no end as they all sought to bring rAma back. Their delighted wives hastened them up for the pleasant duty. They marshalled their troops, horses and elephants immediately and prepared for the journey. Gauging the preparedness of the forces, the prince ordered sumantra to get his chariot ready to prepare for the journey. The charioteer was thrilled beyond words to comply with these orders. He got the chariot ready and upon bharata’s orders immediately conveyed the command of the prince to the entourage to begin their journey to rAma in order to bring him back from the forest. Even the citizens from every clan and caste, the farmers, the kingly, the priestly, the traders got ready with their carts pulled by bulls, camels, asses and joined the entourage as ayOdhyA set out to bring its darling rAma back from the forests.
Here we conclude the eighty second 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: 2.83. ayOdhyA moves in eager anticipation
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
