Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred and fourteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having punished the foe for his wrongdoing, rAma erased all enmity. He instructed vibhIshaNa to treat his deceased brother with due honor and perform his last rites. Reluctant at first on account of the lustful conduct of rAvaNa, vibhIshaNa obeyed rAma implicitly and did so. Then lakshmaNa was sent to lanka to crown vibhIshaNa as the new king. He took charge and having assuaged the anxiety of the subjects, he returned to rAma. Then hanumAn was sent to sItA with the message of conquest and to know what was on her mind. rAma sent her a hearty message. The mighty emissary wanted to punish the ogresses who tormented sItA. But she had forgiven them since they didn’t act on their own volition but on the instructions of rAvaNa. She stayed true to her word [5.27. trijaTA’s soothing and soothsaying dream, last para]. She wanted to meet her lord as soon as possible. With that message, hanumAn returned to rAma. Onwards…
The diligent vAnara returned to the best of archers and the highly intelligent rAma and said –
“For whose sake you had carried out this mission and achieved success, you ought to see that grieving lady maithilI. Shedding copious tears, she turned ecstatic when she heard of your conquest. Based on the trust she has developed in me on account of familiarity, she told me that she want to see her lord along with lakshmaNa”.
Told that by hanumAn, rAma at once became contemplative and tears welled up in his eyes. He sighed deeply, with his head bowed down and instructed vibhIshaNa who resembled a dark cloud –
“Let sItA have her ablutions. Let her be well dressed up, bedecked with glittering jewelry and having applied fragrant unguents and present her here thus quickly”.
Ordered thus by rAma, vibhIshaNa hurried up and conveyed this to sItA through his womenfolk. He went to her with folded hands and requested to board the palanquin after becoming presentable in the manner rAma had suggested. But sItA expressed her desire to meet her lord as soon as possible and even without ablutions. However, vibhIshaNa replied that she should comply with whatever the king, her husband has instructed. The exalted lady, sItA agreed to what vibhIshaNa said on account of her devotion to her husband.
Then young women gave her bath, dressed her up with valuable clothes and bedecked her with great jewelry. She then boarded the palanquin which had curtains and was carried and guarded by many demons. They went to where rAma was. vibhIshaNa approached rAma and even if he was in deep contemplation, he informed him that sItA has arrived.
Learning that the lady who was in captivity for a long time in the abode of the demons, rAma was swept with ecstasy, misery and anger – all at once.
तामागतामुपश्रुत्य रक्षोगृहचिरोषिताम् ।
हर्षो दैन्यं च रोषश्च त्रयं राघवमाविशत् ॥
Then, reflecting on what to do, rAma instructed vibhIshaNa without any trace of joy reflecting in his voice –
“O gentle one, chief of the demons who is invested in my victory, please present vaidEhI in front of me”.
Responding to rAghava, vibhIshaNa tried to clear the crowds that were welling up (for a glimpse of vaidEhI for whom they all had fought. However the guards who wore turban and wielded sticks pushed the surging vAnaras and demons. This led to quite a commotion like a turbulent sea and that angered rAma. He cast a glare at vibhIshaNa as if burning him down with that and angrily said –
“Why are you troubling these people without any regard to my sentiments? Don’t push those people who are my own. Neither houses, nor clothes, nor partitions nor royal treatment protects women. They’re guarded by their own conduct. There is no restriction on their public appearance during crises, difficulties, battles, when they choose their husband (swayamvara), rituals and weddings.
She has battled a lot and has been through great difficulties. There is no restriction on her appearance in public especially when I am nearby. Therefore, let her alight from the palanquin and walk to me so that the vAnaras can get a glimpse of her. Let her see me accompanied by my well-wishers”.
Instructed thus, vibhIshaNa understood the import brought sItA to where rAma was. Then, lakshmaNa, sugrIva and hanumAn heard the tone of rAma and were very troubled. They suspected that the implied indifference towards his consort suggested he was not happy with sItA!
Embarrassed and walking behind vibhIshaNa, sItA came to her husband. With her face covered in the veil, she was abashed and she wailed saying – “Aryaputra”, O noble one! With wonder, ecstasy and love coursing through her, the very gentle sItA, for whom husband was her lord, lifted her face to glance his countenance.
विस्मयाच्च प्रहर्षाच्च स्नेहाच्च पतिदेवता ।
उदैक्षत मुखं भर्तुः सौम्यं सोम्यतरानना ॥
That glance of her beloved after a very long time took away the weariness of her mind. Her face glowed like the bright full moon who had just risen and was casting unblemished rays.
Here we conclude the one hundred and fourteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.115. The king’s dharma brings a twist
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
