June 25 - Sargas 55 and 56 of Ayodhya Kanda.
Sage Bharadwaja gives his benediction to Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita for their safe and successful sojourn in the forest. He also gives detailed directions on how to reach Chitrakuta after crossing the Yamuna river.
The three are quite energised after getting the blessing of the famous sage and proceed in the direction of Yamuna.
There is a description of the way they cross the river, and reach Chitrakuta. There is a quaint description of the forest. Then Lakshmana builds a hermitage. Sri Rama does an elaborate ceremony of griha pravesha before moving in.
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तौ काष्ठसंघाटमथो चक्रतुः सुमहाप्लवम् ।
शुश्कैर्वशैः समाकीर्णमुशीरैश्च समावृतम् ॥
ततो वैतसशाखाश्च जम्बुशाखाश्च वीर्यवान् ।
चकार लक्ष्मणश्च्छित्वा सीतायाः सुखमासनम् ॥
तत्र श्रियमिवाचिन्त्यां रामो दाशरथिः प्रियाम् ।
ईषत्स लज्जमानां तामध्यारोपयत प्लवाम् ॥
The two brothers built a large stable raft with logs of trees bound with strong creepers, with bamboo reeds for the floor, and covered with fragrant Ushira (lamancha/vetiver) grass for comfort. Lakshmana fashioned a fine seat for Sita with jamun wood and reeds. Sri Rama took a bashful Sita's hand as she looked unbelievably like goddess Lakshmi and helped her climb on to the raft. The brothers carefully loaded up their belongings. Lakshmana and then Rama got on to the raft and sailed the swift flowing Kalindi/Yamuna river and crossed to the southern bank.
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Just as she did for river Ganga, Sita also says a prayer to Yamuna to bless them for a safe sojourn and return to Ayodhya after the exile. She vows to make generous offerings on their return.
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They rest under a large banyan tree as advised by sage Bharadwaja. Then they start walking towards Chitrakuta. It is an incredibly beautiful forest filled with sights, sounds, and fragrances.
Sri Rama tells Lakshmana who is walking in the front that whatever fruits and flowers Sita asks for, he should fetch. Sita is also having a great time asking Sri Rama coming behind her about the different flower trees and other creepers and shrubs, some of which she has not seen before. As per Sita's wishes, Lakshmana gathers a wide range of lovely forest flowers for her.
The brothers hunt deer for food and the three appease themselves. Then they proceed to the Chitrakuta hill.
En route they visit the ashrama of sage Valmiki and take his blessings. Interesting that this location is quite far away from his eventual ashrama on the bank of Tamasa river as we saw early in the Balakanda.
They rest for the night.
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Next morning, Sri Rama wakes up Lakshmana from his well-deserved rest. He cheers him up pointing to the pleasant cries of birds. As they walk on towards Chitrakuta, Sri Rama again tells Sita about the wonderful kimshuka trees with a plethora of red flowers that look as if the trees have decorated themselves with garlands. Then the bhallataka trees overladen with flowers and fruits. He points Lakshmana to the very large honeycombs hanging in many trees. Peacocks, song birds, elephants, many other animals seem to be welcoming them. There is plenty of sweet water.
There stands the Chitrakuta mountain amidst all these bounties of nature.
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Sri Rama instructs Lakshmana to build a sturdy hut for their stay. Lakshmana sets about getting the wood, bamboo, grass and so on. Soon he erects a beautiful hut on the flat top.
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तां निष्ठितां बद्धकटां दृश्ट्वा रामस्सुदर्शनाम् ।
शुश्रूषमाणमेकाग्रमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
ऐणेयं मांसमाहृत्य शालां यक्ष्यामहे वयम् ।
कर्तव्यं वास्तुशमनं सौमित्रे चिरजीविभिः ॥
Seeing the completed hut, beautiful in every way, with a sturdy structure of tree-logs, covered with thick and weather-hardy mats, all done so quickly by the ever-efficient Lakshmana, who was now waiting full of attention for further instructions from him, Sri Rama spoke thus:
"Dear Lakshmana, since we intend to live here for long, we should propitiate the guarding deities and purify the vastu of this new hut. We should make offerings as prescribed in rituals of the venison of a black antelope and other materials. Please fetch the needed materials."
There is now an elaborate description of the materials hunted down by Lakshmana and then prepared in the fire and offered by Sri Rama along with Vedic chants and prayers. We see the continuity of tradition here as even today a proper vastu homa is a must for any Hindu home newly constructed or newly occupied.
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We have already read how Sri Rama and even so Lakshmana are adept at many things. Not only are they experts in handing divine weapons, they know royal traditions, Vedic and scriptural rituals, architecture, building boats, finding their way about in the forest. No wonder we have read in our literature how learned young men would master up to 64 different arts and crafts.
There is also some consternation in us as we read how they hunted wild boar and deer and ate meat. This requires just a little bit of thinking. They were warriors of the highest class. They had undertaken a fourteen year exile in the forest. No doubt they would eschew every royal comfort and fancy palatial cuisine. But warriors ate meat. Simple.
Also the Vedic rituals involved sacrifices. It is a testimony to the evolution of our civilisation and culture that Brahminical traditions of prayer and worship without animal offerings and such have evolved over the last millennium.
What we have retained however is the high ethical values of conduct and adherence to truth and pursuit of larger good that has been an unbroken tradition of Sanatana Dharma.
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॥ श्र्रीरामजयम् ॥
