Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred and twenty fifth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
During the sojourn to the danDaka forests, after the stop at SrngabErapura where guha worshipped rAma, the next stop after crossing the river gangA was in the hermitage of sage bharadwAja. The sage lovingly receives rAma and offers the stay in his ASram for the fourteen years! However, rAma declines since it is close to ayOdhyA and also on account of him, the routine of the hermitage may go for a toss. The affectionate sage also histed brother bharata on his sojourn when he went to the chitrakUTa to bring rAma back. Given the reputation of the sage as a great host, the touchdown of the pushpaka vimAna happened at his hermitage after the city of ayOdhyA was sighted from the skies. The sage was thrilled to host rAma and his lot. He insisted they stay there that night and proceed to ayOdhyA the next morning. rAma obeyed. Onwards…
rAghava began his contemplation about the situation in ayOdhyA. He thought for a while and casting his glances on the vAnara warriors, he called upon hanumAn, the best among them, and instructed –
“Go and find out if all the inmates of the royal palace in ayOdhyA are keeping well. Goto SRngabErapura where you will meet the forest ranger guha, the chieftain of the nishAdas. Convey my inquiries to him and also the news of my welfare. He is my soulmate and will be ecstatic to note my welfare. He will guide you to ayOdhyA and may also share news about bharata happily.
My inquiries about his welfare are to be conveyed by you to bharata. Convey to him the news of my accomplishments along with sItA and lakshmaNa. Apprise him about the abduction of vaidEhI by rAvaNa, my friendship with sugrIva, routing vAlI, the way you went in quest of maithilI by leaping across the expansive lord of the rivers. Also narrate to him the way we crossed the ocean by building the nala sEtU and vanquished rAvaNa followed by meeting my father daSaratha, earning the grace of mahAdEva and receiving boons from lord indra, brahmA and varuNa. Also mention to him that I have returned and am very close to ayOdhyA along with the king of the demons and sugrIva together with his top warriors.
When bharata listens to all these from you, discern carefully his body language. Upon learning that the accomplished rAma has vanquished his enemy, earned a lot of fame and mighty friends infer the mood of bharata from his facial reactions, firmness of his glances and his voice. Lording over the prosperous kingdom of the forefathers replete with horses and elephants can influence and change anybody’s mind. If by any chance, the illustrious bharata desires the kingdom, let that scion of the raghus rule over the earth.
O vAnara, divine what is going on in the mind of bharata and his enterprise and return before we proceed too far from here”.
Thus ordered, hanumAn, the son of wind god, assumed a human form and rose into the skies. Traveling with the speed of garuDa, he sped in the air and reached the holy place where the rivers gangA and yamunA meet. He descended onto the earth there in SRngabErapuram and met guha. Speaking to him with great delight, hanumAn said –
“O guha, your soulmate, kakutstha (rAma) whose valour is truth along with lakshmaNa and sItA has inquired about your welfare. Today is panchamI (fifth day) and he is residing today at the abode of Rshi bharadwAja. You will soon see rAghava who will take leave of the sage bharadwAja”. Having conveyed this message, without waiting for a moment, hanumAn took to the skies again and headed towards ayOdhyA. On the way, he crossed rAmatIrtha and the river vAlukinI, gOmatI and the expansive forest of sAL trees. He also saw thousands of people and huge countryside.
The best among the kapis approached nandigrAma and beheld the trees in full bloom like in the gardens of the gods. The citizens were beautifully bejewelled. Within a short distance, he sighted the bark-clothed, helpless and emaciated bharata whose matted hair had grown into a big crown, who was not exactly well-kempt and was haunted by the absence of his brother (rAma). He led a disciplined life, with an unsullied soul he glowed with the radiance of a brahmaRshi.
जटिलं मलदिग्धाङ्गम् भ्रातृव्यसनकर्शितम् ।
फलमूलाशिनं दान्तम् तापसं धर्मचारिणम् ॥
He ruled over the earth as a representative of the pAdukas of rAma, extending protection to all the four varnas of people from all afflictions.
समुन्नतजटाभारम् वल्कलाजिनवाससम् ।
नियतं भावितात्मानम् ब्रह्मर्षिसमतेजसम् ॥
He was surrounded by ministers and preceptors who were all clad in saffron not wanting to dress ostentatiously when their prince who was so dedicated to dharma was dressed in bark clothes. They were anxious as well since bharata had vowed to lay down his life if rAma didn’t return upon the completion of the fourteenth year and that time was fast approaching.
Reaching there, hanumAn folded his hands and addressed that embodiment of dharma –
“The kAkutstha you are contemplating upon who was seated in the danDaka forests wearing matted hair and bark clothes has inquired about your welfare! O lord, I shall convey to you the news which will thrill you and by hearing which you will give up the distress in no time! In no time you shall unite with your brother rAma who has vanquished rAvaNa and secured maithilI back. He shall arrive here soon along with his mighty friends, lakshmaNa and the illustrious vaidEhI. sItA has secured rAma and become complete like SachI became after securing indra”.
Listening to these words spoken by hanumAn, bharata who pines for his brother fell in a swoon in great ecstasy. Then, recovering his senses in a moment, gathering his composure, embraced hanumAn in great joy and wetted him with his tears of joy that were shed copiously. He addressed hanumAn who had broken such a great news to him and said –
एवमुक्तो हनुमता भरतः कैकयीसुतः ।
पपात सहसा हृष्टो हर्षान्मोहमुपागमत् ॥
“O gentle one, I am unsure if you are a human or a god. You have come here with great compassion. I shall reward you appropriately for the good news that you have brought. I confer on you aa hundred thousand cows, a hundred villages and sixteen maidens who have a high birth and are dressed and decked very well”.
Learning about the wonderful news of the advent of rAma from hanumAn, the prince was overjoyed and restless to see rAma, he spoke these words with great thrill.
Here we conclude the one hundred and twenty fifth 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: 6.126. bharata’s pining bears fruition
Previous: 6.124. A brief halt before entering ayOdhyA
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 