Bharata - a true hero of Ramayana

I went to Chitrakoot.

After Rama's banishment to the forest, he wanders with Sita and Lakshmana and arrives at Valmiki's ashrama. He requests the sage to suggest a suitable place for his sojourn in the forest. The sage suggests the beautiful, hilly forest of Chitrakoot. And while staying there, Rama receives Bharata and his entourage. The story of Bharata's encounter with Rama, his entreaties for Rama to come back to Ayodhya, Rama's conversations with king Janaka, sage Vasishta, and Rama's unshakeable resolve, are very touching parts of the story. But the most touching and abiding images are those of Bharata's asking and taking the padukas, and later enthroning them in Ayodhya. And Bharata dwells as a hermit in Nandigrama, living on roots and shoots much like Rama, for fourteen years, running the kingdom in trusteeship and devotion.This entire episode is called Bharat Milap.

Rama, after Hanuman returns successfully from Lanka with Sita's Choodamani, embraces him with tears and says "Bharata hi sama Bhayi"!"( a brother as close as Bharata!)

I went to the spot where Rama receives Bharata. Travelling to Chitrakoot and dealing with the priests there is a hassle. But the hill where Rama stayed and the Bharat Milap spot are sacred to devotees, who circumambulate the hill for 5 kilometers. The hill lies on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and both states claim that Bharat Milap is their heritage.

Bharata is the true hero of Ramayana according to me. The epics are full of stories where people like us encounter and deal with life's challenges in a special way,with sacrifice, devotion and courage. Of all such stories, Bharata's story is incomparable. Let me summarise:

1. Bharata did not take shelter in the parental diktat to occupy the throne. He used his buddhi (wisdom).
2. His act of trusteeship was not merely politically astute, preserving Rama's inheritance and the family unity - he did it with love and devotion.
3. He need not have lived as a hermit. He need not have worshipped the sandals of Rama. He need not have gone to such lengths to persuade Rama to return. All this shows how he lived out of his heart, and his righteousness and devotion to truth. 
4. Bharata was singularly handicapped in his situation. His heart said the kingdom belonged to Rama, and the turn of events had to be corrected. He was a prince too, and all princes want to become kings. His mother had extracted a monster gift of Ayodhya for him, at the cost of his father's death. But he did not succumb to political expediency.
5. The way he marched to the forest, with Janaka and Vasishta, and tried to right the historical wrong to Rama shows true statesmanship. There is perhaps no other example of such an act in history. We hear of brothers killing each other, and cousins causing the death of hundreds of thousands for the kingdom. But this man was different.
6. In Mahabharata, when faced with "duty" and devotion to the throne as opposed to fighting for what is right, Bhishma and Drona came up short. They are not heroes. They did not fight for what is right. They went by expediency and convenience. They wanted to preserve their "name".  Bharata did something crazy in comparison.

If Ramayana is about righteousness, sacrifice, love, and steadfastness, its true hero is Bharata.

Let me share with you a link to a great song..Sada Enna Hrudayadalli... by the late Bhimsen Joshi. What music!

Sada Enna Hrudayadalli by Bhimsen Joshi