May 28 - Sargas 76 and 77 of Balakanda - Balakanda concludes.
Sri Rama comprehensively responds to Parashurama and silences him.
How Sri Rama, Sita and the others spend their time in Ayodhya in great happiness.
***
Sri Rama, cognizant of the tense situation, took matters into his own hands. Paying due regard to his father king Dasharatha, he spoke firmly to Parashurama:
श्रुतवानस्मि यत् कर्म कृतवानसि भार्गव ।
अनुरुन्ध्यामहे ब्रह्मन् पितुरानृण्यमास्थितः ॥
वीर्यहीनमिवाशक्तं क्षत्रधर्मेण भार्गव ।
अवजानासि मे तेजः पश्य मेऽद्य पराक्रमम् ॥
इत्युक्त्वा राघवः क्रुद्धो भार्गवस्य शरासनम् ।
शरं च प्रतिजग्राह हस्ताल्लघुपराक्रमः ॥
आरोप्य स धनू रामः शरं सज्यं चकार ह ।
जामदग्न्यं ततो रामं रामः क्रुद्धोऽब्रवीद्वचः ॥
ब्राह्मणोऽसीति मे पूज्यो विश्वामित्रकृतेन च।
तस्माच्छक्तो न ते राम मोक्तुं प्राणहरं शरम् ॥
इमां पादगतिं राम तपोबलसमार्जितान्।
लोकानप्रतिमान् वा ते हनिष्यामि यदिच्छसि ॥
"Oh Brahmin, I have heard of your great deed (Kshatriya-cleansing of the earth) and respect how you have discharged your duty to your father.
" But you err greatly thinking I am a weakling and lacking in Kshatriya prowess. You don't know my strength. Lo witness my valour!"
So saying, Sri Rama with lightning speed snatched the divine bow and arrow from Parashurama's grasp and strung the bow in an instant and set the arrow to it. He then spoke in great anger:
" Sir, you're worthy of my respect as a Brahmin. You are also related to my guru sage Vishwamitra. (Parashurama is the grandson of Vishwamitra's sister who married sage Bhargava Richeeka). Therefore this arrow cannot be deployed to take your life (which it is fully capable of).
"At the same time this divine arrow cannot go in vain. So I give you a choice. Either I will take away your power of locomotion at the speed of thought that you have acquired through tapas. Or I will take away the merits you have accumulated in all the divine lokas through your austerities. Please tell me which one shall it be. "
Parashurama appeared stunned and shorn of all his lustre. (Padma Purana states that all his power was instantly transferred to Sri Rama which was the divine plan behind this episode). He said that since he had vouchsafed all his territory to sage Kashyapa, he could not spend any night on earth. He had thus to go back to the Mahendra parvata before nightfall and needed his power of locomotion. That meant he would give up his spiritual merits acquired in the lokas as the offering to the arrow.
A calm Sri Rama said let it be so and released the arrow. Celestials had assembled to witness this wonderful event. Parashurama at once left for Mahendra parvata. But before leaving he said:
अक्षयं मधुहन्तारं जानामि त्वां सुरोत्तमम्।
धनुषोऽस्य परामर्शात् स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु परन्तप ॥
न चेयं मम काकुत्स्थ व्रीडा भवितुमर्हति ।
त्वया त्रैलोक्यनाथेन यदहं विमुखीकृतः ॥
"Oh Rama, by your handling of this divine bow, I am convinced you're Vishnu himself, the one who killed the asura Madhu. You are the god of gods.
" Rama, I feel no shame as I have been defeated by none other than Vishnu, the lord of the three worlds. May all good and auspiciousness be with you always."
Parashurama left. The cloudy gloom lifted and all nature resumed its splendour. Sri Rama had to shake and wake up Dasharatha from his petrified fear and inform him that Parashurama had been got rid of. They should all be commanded by the king at once to proceed to Ayodhya without delay.
Sri Rama did one more thing. He handed over the divine Vishnu Dhanush and its infallible arrow to the lord of the waters, Varuna. Thereby showing us why we call him the embodiment of Dharma.
***
The wedding party led by the king and sages arrive in Ayodhya to great festivities. Decorations, dances and playing of celebratory music is on. The queens shower their love on the new brides.
There is much rejoicing as the four couples spend their time very happily. Dasharatha then calls Bharata and informs him that it is his maternal uncle king Yudhaajit's wish that Bharata should go and live in Kekaya for a while. Bharata gladly accepts the order and goes with Shatrughna (his inseparable younger brother) (and their brides perhaps) to Kekaya.
How Rama spent his time in Ayodhya is now described.
***
पितरं देवसंकाशं पूजयामासतुस्तदा ।
पितुराज्ञां पुरस्कृत्य पौरकर्माणि सर्वशः ॥
चकार रामो धर्मात्मा प्रियाणि च हितानि च।
मातृभ्यो मातृकार्याणि कृत्वा परमयन्त्रितः ॥
गरूणां गुरुकार्याणि काले कालेऽन्ववैक्षकत ।
एवं दशरथः प्रीतो ब्राह्मणा नैगमास्तदा ॥
रामस्य शीलवृत्तेन सर्वे विषयवासिनः ।
तेषामितियशा लोके रामः सत्यपराक्रमः ॥
स्वयम्भूरिव भूतानां बभूव गुणवत्तरः ।
रामस्तु सीतया सार्धं विजहार बहूनृतून् ॥
मनस्वी तद्गतमना नित्यं हृदि समर्पितः ।
प्रिया तु सीता रामस्य दाराः पितृकृता इति ॥
गुणाद्रूपगुणाच्चापि प्रीतिर्भूयोऽभ्यवर्धत ।
तस्याश्च भर्ता द्विगुणं हृदये परिवर्तते ॥
अन्तरगतमभिव्यक्तमाख्याति हृदयं हृदा ।
तस्य भूयो विशेषेण मैथिली जनकात्मजा ॥
देवताभिः समा रूपे सीता श्रीरिव रूपिणी।
तया स राजर्षिसुतोऽभिरामया
समेयिवानुत्तमराजकन्यया ।
अतीव रामः शुशुभेऽतिकामया
विभुः श्रिया विष्णुरिवामरेश्वरः ॥
Sri Rama, of great valour, and Lakshmana, served their father, who was like a god, with great affection.
Sri Rama righteously undertook all adminsitrative duties as per his father's wishes for the care of the people.
Sri Rama tended to his mothers diligently and dutifully and most lovingly. So did he towards his gurus also. He did this well, time and again. Dasharatha was most pleased with Sri Rama's behaviour and so were the learned sages.
The people of Ayodhya prospered under Sri Rama's administration. His fame spread as a great and righteous ruler, much like Brahma was of the gods.
Sri Rama and Sita spent many seasons in connubial bliss. His heart was solely devoted to her. They were a beautiful couple and they communicated with each other in thought itself. Sita was doubly happy in her divine husband.
Sita was beautiful like goddess Lakshmi herself.
Sri Rama, son of the sagely king Dasharatha, thus lived most happily with the great Janaka's daughter Sita, much like Bhagavan Vishnu, the god of gods, with Devi Lakshmi.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
