Hari Om.
Let us begin the ninty fourth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The troops and citizens led by bharata progressed quite far towards the mountain chitrakUTa after tasting the refreshing hospitality offered by sage bharadwAja and having been advised the way to rAma by him. As they inched closer, the forest became denser and habitation became rarer. There in the sylvan surroundings they could spot from a distance, the majestic mountain chitrakUTa and the ravishing river mandAkini as suggested by sage bharadwAja. Then bharata told vasisTha that it seems like they have arrived at the region suggested by the sage and sent some of his soldiers in to the forest by foot to check if there is any human habitation. They returned soon and reported that spiraling smoke could be spotted in the forest suggesting the presence of rAma or other sages there. Encouraged by this news, bharata ordered his troops to camp there and himself along with Satrughna, vasisTha and sumantra entered the forest in search of rAma. Onwards…
[The spotlight now moves to rAma!]
There in the lovely surroundings of the mountain chitrakUTa, rAma, the lover of mountains, having lived there for sometime now, took sItA around to show her the beauty of nature to enthrall her and to please his own mind, just like indra took his wife SachI. He was so overcome by the beauty of nature that he said –
“Beholding the lovely mountains of chitrakUTa, I don’t feel the pain of either banishment or of not being surrounded by friends. Behold these lofty peaks O sItA, displaying several colours – silver, bronze, crimson red, those of rare gems and crystals, in accordance with the mineral that adorns them. They are piercing the skies. These mountains are replete with flora and fauna, large variety of animals like the tiger, lions and bears sans their cruelty and birds dwell here. Then there are trees of mangoes, berries, Sala, lac, jackfruits, dhava, ankOla, tiniSa, bilva, tinduka, bamboo, apple, arishTa, varuNa, madhuka, tilaka, badarika, nIpa, cane, pomegranate and a variety of other trees in full bloom and laden with fruits. Adorned with all these, the mountain looks splendid. Look at the kinnaris and vidyadharis sporting in the skies flying from branch to branch. Here there is a waterfall and there you have a fountain emanating from the earth – with all this the earth looks like a giant pachyderm salivating in pride! The intoxicating smells of the variety of flowers carried by the breeze from the caves won’t delight whom? Beholding the sylvan surroundings and the natural beauty here I will never come to grief here even if I were to live here for many more autumns to come along with you and lakshmaNa. By virtue of this exile, I have achieved two fold benefits – discharging my debt towards my father and the consequent happiness of bharata. And here relishing this utmost delight of nature beneficial to the mind, body and speech along with you reminds me of the words my forefathers hailing the forest dwelling as the ambrosia for kings to be experienced.
The mountain bedecked with scores of varieties of stones all around, with herbs shining by the night in moon light – some places look like dwelling places while others look like flower gardens. The majestic and delightful chitrakUTa has pierced out of the earth and stands tall enthralling everyone here and causing auspiciousness. Look at the wide variety of flowers that have bloomed everywhere and also the left over used and crushed flower garlands, this mountain is a great repository of flowers and fruits. O graceful woman, by spending time with you and lakshmaNa here virtuously and with self restraint shall enhance the exaltedness of my race and shall confer great felicity upon me.
Here we conclude the ninty fourth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the book for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the bow to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 2.95. rAma doesn’t miss ayOdhyA!
Previous: 2.93. Inching nearer to rAma!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
