Hari Om.
Let us begin the ninty second sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
By the command of sage bharadwAja the large army contingent of bharata that camped at a distance also came over near the hermitage. The supreme sage who has everything under his control then willed to treat the guests including their elephants, horses and other animals with unprecedented hospitality. He invoked the lord viSwakarma who created palatial dwelling places, gods who created variety of foods, the gandharvas and apsarasas to entertain the guests and also attend on to them. All the gods and demigods showered their grace and in accordance with the wishes of sage bharadwAja extended a seven star (or higher grade!) hospitality to the troops of bharata and pampered them in every way. Every single person in the troop was given oil massages, ablutions, elegant clothes, perfumes and food and drinks in abundance. The troops were inebriated beyond control and even wished that this lasted for ever! The divine bard tumburu sang while the chielf of the apsaras danced elegantly to entertain bharata. The prince on his part had his mind affixed on rAma. He didn’t occupy the throne that was meant for him. Instead, he occupied a seat meant for the rank of ministers and himself entreated the seemingly empty throne as if rAma is seated there. Onwards…
Having spent the night in the ASram of sage bharadwAja along with his contingent and enjoyed the pampering hospitality, when the morning dawned bharata on his own approached the sage bharadwAja and stood with folded palms. The sage was just completing his daily worship and the fire sacrifice and having completed it he emerged from his ASram and enquired affectionately if the night was well spent by bharata and his contingent and if they were taken care of well. To this bharata replied in the affirmative and emphasized that he along with his large army and ministers were extremely well housed, well fed and were looked after well in every manner. He said this hospitality ensured that their fatigue was mitigated. He then sought leave of the sage as he proceeded to meet his elder brother rAma and prayed for the grace of the sage. The prince then sought to know the path that leads to his brother rAma from the sage. The supreme ascetic and the luminous bharadwAja was pleased at this enquiry of the prince who was desirous and anxious to meet his brother and said –
“O bharata, from here at a distance of three and a half yOjanas stands the majestic and scenic mountain chitrakUTa with its forests and waterfalls. On the northern side of the mountain flows the river mandAkini whose banks are replete with dense forests and foliage filled with blooms of a variety of flowers. There on that mount chitrakUTa, your brothers dwell in a hut made of leaves. You may proceed in the southern or southwestern direction from here along with your army and elephants. You are sure to meet your brother there”.
Grasping that journey is on the cards and in order to pay their respect to the sage bharadwAja, the mothers of bharata got out of their vehicles and bowed to the sage. The desolate and weak kausalyA along with sumitrA held the feet of the sage and so did kaikEyI overcome with shame, despised by all and with unfulfilled desire. They circumambulated the sage and stood at a distance. Then bharadwAja asked bharata to apprise him about each of his three mothers. Thus enquired, bharata with folded palms replied –
“Here you see the goddess like kausalyA, forlorn and desolate, the principal queen of my father and who gave birth to the lionlike elder brother rAma like aditi gave birth to dhAtA. Leaning on her left shoulder, the grief stricken lady resembling the branch with withered flowers in a forest is the mother of the two heroes lakshmaNa and Satrughna who are godlike in their appearance and valour. And then because of whom the valorous brothers of mine had their future destroyed and went to forest resulting in the death of the king daSaratha, the angry, undiscerning, arrogant, avaricious, sinful, wicked, ignoble woman in the guise of nobility who is the root cause of this entire tragedy, she, kaikEyI happens to be my mother”.
यस्याः कृते नरव्याघ्रौ जीवनाशमितो गतौ।
राजपुत्रविहीनश्च स्वर्गं दशरथो गतः।।2.92.24।।
क्रोधनामकृतप्रज्ञां दृप्तां सुभगमानिनीम्।
ऐश्वर्यकामां कैकेयीमनार्यामार्यारूपिणीम्।।2.92.25।।
ममैतां मातरं विद्धि नृशंसां पापनिश्चयाम्।
यतोमूलं हि पश्यामि व्यसनं महदात्मनः।।2.92.26।।
And as he said this, bharata’s voice choked, eyes reddened and he hissed like an angry cobra! Hearing this bitter reproach of his mother, the wise and calm sage bharadwAja replied –
“bharata, you ought not find fault with your mother kaikEyI in this regard. The banishment of rAma is going to cause great joy and welfare to the sages, gods, demons and all pristine seekers“.
न दोषेणावगन्तव्या कैकेयी भरत त्वया।
रामप्रव्राजनं ह्येतत्सुखोदर्कं भविष्यति।।2.92.29।।
देवानां दानवानां च ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्।
हितमेव भविष्यद्धि रामप्रव्राजनादिह।।2.92.30।।
Then bharata paid his respects to the sage bharadwAja and having ordered his army to yoke their chariots and mount their horses, he set out in the direction advised by the sage bharadwAja. All the contingent desirous of the journey mounted their golden chariots yoked with horses. The bells tied elephants to the elephants made sound like the thunder at the end of the summer as they moved. Variety of chariots and palanquins, both big and small moved on while the infantry marched on the foot. The women led by kausalyA, excited and eager to see rAma, boarded chariots appropriate to their ranks. Then bharata boarded splendorous palanquin proceeded along with his large retinue southward on the other side of the river gangA resembling a large cloud spreading on the sky. They entered the forests filled with birds and beats scaring them with the din they made. And as they did so, the large contingent looked splendid.
Here we conclude the ninty 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: 2.93. Inching nearer to rAma!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 