2.99. bhakti, thy name is bharata!

Hari Om.

Let us begin the ninty ninth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

Eager to see his brother rAma, bharata embarked into the forest by foot, camping his army at a distance from the chitrakUTa. He was filled with regret and understood that his only chance at redemption was to meet rAma and fall at His feet. He spread out several groups in the forest to search every inch and find out where rAma was. He entered into it himself and climbed a tall tree to find out the where the hermitage of rAma could be. Looking around, following the smoke trails, he finally beheld the holy hermitage and thought it to be rAma’s. Onwards…

Having camped his army at a distance, eager to behold his brother rAma, bharata started along with Satrughna and requested sage vasisTha to follow them along with other elders and especially his mothers. Minister sumantra, equally eager to behold rAma also accompanied bharata and Satrughna. As they kept walking in the forest, at a distance they beheld a leaf hut resembling a cottage. He noticed heaps of dried wood and flowers that have been plucked in the premises of the hut. And then on the way to the hut, he saw on the tall trees, bundles of grass and bark clothes tied at a height, purportedly to serve as sign boards to lead to the hermitage of rAma! There were cakes made of dung of buffaloes there which serve as fuel to lit fire and help protect from cold. Noticing all these arrangements and remembering the directions of sage bharadwAja, bharata said to Satrughna and his accompanying ministers –

“I believe we have reached the region suggested by the sage bharadwAja to be the residing place of rAma; river mandAkinI flows not far from here. I believe those signs of barks and bundles of grass are tied on the trees at a height in order to serve as directions to their hut in this dense forest. Look at the thick smoke arising out of the sacrificial fires of the ascetics in this region. Ah, here I shall behold with great joy, venerable rAghava (rAma), best among men, living like an ascetic”.

अत्राहं पुरुषव्याघ्रं गुरुसत्कारकारिणम्।

आर्यं द्रक्ष्यामि संहृष्टो महर्षिमिव राघवम्।।2.99.13।।

So saying, bharata proceeded further towards mount chitrakUTa and reached the river mandAkinI. He could now see the hut of rAma and said –

“The best among men, rAma, lord of people, for my sake is squatting cross legged on the earth – oh fie upon my life! The resplendent lord of the world has incurred this discomfort on my account and dwelling in the forest having given up all comforts. Detested by the world for this reason, I shall now seek redemption and fall at the feet of rAma, sItA and lakshmaNa”.

Thus bharata choked with untold misery and overcome with grief seeing where the comfort deserving rAma seemed to be dwelling because of him. Feeling a deep sense of despair and lament, bharata beheld an enchanting hut covered with a lot of leaves of sacred trees and in the premises of the hut, a yajna vEdi (sacrificial altar) along with spread of kuSa grass.

Golden bows that resembled the vajra of Indra, that could hurl unerring arrows at the targets and torment enemies were seen along with glittering golden arrows in quivers carrying various warheads and resembling deadly serpents. Pair of swords in their scabbards made of excellent silver and shields of different colors with golden spots, were also seen. Fingerguards made of leather decorated with gold were hanging there. The hut was impregnable to enemy hordes like the cave of a lion is inaccessible to the deer. In the northeast part of the hut, bharata saw a sacrificial altar with sacred fire burning in it! He didn’t rush, but waited for a few moments and then beheld his guru, rAma, sitting there in the hut wearing matted locks of hair!

निरीक्ष्य स मुहूर्तं तु ददर्श भरतो गुरुम्।

उटजे राममासीनं जटामण्डलधारिणम्।।2.99.25।।

He beheld rAma, donning bark, radiant as the blazing fire, broad shouldered, strong armed, eyes gracious like lotus petals, righteous and the lord of the land extending up to the oceans. He was sitting there on the earth along with lakshmaNa and sItA and resembled the eternal lord brahma! Overwhelmed with emotion, bharata ran towards his elder brother in a rush and having reached him, choked, words failed him, grief overpowered him… In utter anguish, he managed to speak…

“My elder brother who deserves to sit on the high seat surrounded by council is sitting on the earth surrounded by wild animals! He who donned varieties of expensive and comfortable clothes earlier is now donned in the bark of leaves following dharma. He, whose head adorned the gem studded crowns, how is he bearing the burden of this matted hair! He who is supposed to earning merit by observing yajnas and conducting sacrifices, he is earning merit by declining bodily comforts. He whose body ought to be smeared with the scented sandal paste is smeared with the dust of the earth!!

य स्संसदि प्रकृतिभिर्भवेद्युक्त उपासितुम्।

वन्यैर्मृगैरुपासीन स्सोऽयमास्ते ममाग्रजः।।2.99.31।।

वासोभिर्बहुसाहस्रैर्यो महात्मा पुरोचितः।

मृगाजिने सोऽयमिह प्रवस्ते धर्ममाचरन्।।2.99.32।।

अधारयद्यो विविधाश्चित्रास्सुमनसस्तदा।

सोऽयं जटाभारमिमं वहते राघवः कथम्।।2.99.33।।

यस्य यज्ञैर्यथादिष्टैर्युक्तो धर्मस्य सञ्चयः।

शरीरक्लेशसम्भूतं स धर्मं परिमार्गते।।2.99.34।।

चन्दनेन महार्हेण यस्याङ्गमुपसेवितम्।

मलेन तस्याङ्गमिदं कथमार्यस्य सेव्यते।।2.99.35।।

Oh, for my sake, rAma is going through all these difficulties. Fie up on my life detested and condemned by the whole world”!!!

bharata and Satrughna meet rAma and lakshmaNa. Pic from here.

Thus devastated beholding the state of his elder brother rAma, bharata fell at his feet and cried inconsolably. He could just muster an address – Arya, O venerable one, and could speak no further, completely choked. He beheld the illustrious rAma with his tear-filled eyes and could not speak! Satrughna also fell down at the feet of rAma and having embraced the duo bharata and Satrughna, rAma also shed tears! They were then joined by sumantra and guha who were following the brothers at some distance. The meeting of rAma, bharata, guha and sumantra was reminiscent of the celestial confluence of the sun, moon, jupiter and venus! Seeing the mighty princes assembled thus in the forest like the leaders of the elephants, the forest dwellers also shed tears.