June 27 - Sargas 59 and 60 of Ayodhya Kanda.
Between outbursts of grief, Dasharatha asks Sumantra to continue his report. Sumantra describes how he stayed back unable to leave Guha's place and was hoping that Sri Rama may come back. When that did not happen, he received information about Sri Rama's visit to Bharadwaja's ashrama, crossing of the Yamuna and their proceeding to Chitrakuta. Sumantra then turned back towards Ayodhya.
Sumantra displays his poetic ability also as he paints a picture of all nature and how even his royal horses displayed a marked sorrow. Nothing seemed right. In fact these descriptions remind me of how it is described in the Bhagavatam - the way the gopis and gopas and all nature rued the departure of Sri Krishna, away from Gokula to proceed to Mathura, knowing well that he would never come back to Gokula and the good old days. We have to state that Valmiki has subtly described the effect a divine incarnation has on everyone and everything around, without stating it in so many words.
Sumantra concludes by saying something significant:
नामित्राणां न मित्राणामुदासीनजनस्य च ।
अहमार्ततया कञ्चिद् विशेषं नोपलक्षये ॥
"My lord, I did not see any difference in the extent of grief displayed by either your well-wishers, or your detractors, or those people indifferent to you. "
It is now the turn of Dasharatha to say something significant:
कैकेय्या विनियुक्तेन पापाभिजनभावया ।
मया न मन्त्रकुशलैर्वृद्धैः सह समर्थितम् ॥
न सुहृद्भिर्न चामात्यैर्मन्त्रयित्वा सनैगमैः ।
मयायमर्थः सम्मोहात् स्त्रीहेतोः सहसा कृतः ॥
"Alas, incited by Kaikeyi who harboured only evil intentions, I have acted thus, without getting concurrence from those well-versed in royal strategy, or wise in years. I did not consult near and dear ones, nor my ministers, nor those who know what is adherence to Dharma. I acted in haste, driven by my infatuation and a weakness for the woman."
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Kausalya now gets into a proper tizzy. Just like Dasharatha, she speaks nothing else than Rama's unjust suffering, how she wishes to go and join him in the forest at once, and how she will lose her life otherwise.
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Sumantra means in Sanskrit "one well-versed in good strategy." This name is not accidental for the senior most minister of Dasharatha. Imagine that someone is lamenting how a very dear one is in some far-off place perhaps suffering a lot, imagining the worst, as there is no way to know their dear one's condition. Don't we all cheer them up by mentioning as many credible things as possible to show that the dear one may not be suffering so much, after all? This is what Sumantra does.
त्यज शोकं च मोहं च सम्भ्रमं दुःखजं तथा ।
व्यवधूय च सन्तापं वने वत्स्यति राघवः ॥
लक्ष्मणश्चापि रामस्य पादौ परिचरन्वने ।
आराधयति धर्मज्ञः परलोकं जितेन्द्रियः ॥
विजनेऽपि वने सीता वासं प्राप्य गृहेष्विव ।
विस्रम्भं लभतेऽभीता रामे सन्न्यस्तमानसा ॥
रामं वा लक्ष्मणं वापि दृष्ट्वा जानाति जानकी ।
अयोध्या क्रोशमात्रे तु विहारमिव संश्रिता ॥
"Dear queen Kausalya, please abandon all your dismay. Stop imagining that the worst is happening to Sri Rama. Sri Rama has completely got over his distress and is settling down in the forest.
"Even Lakshmana is at Sri Rama's feet, serving him in the forest. He is single-mindedly devoted to Sri Rama, knowing his Dharma. Lakshmana is one with great control over his senses and is pursuing only the hereafter (salvation).
"And what can I say about Sita!? Even though she is now in an uninhabited forest, she is going about as if it is her own palace. She is full of confidence and displays no fear. She has fully merged her mind in Sri Rama and thinks of nothing else.
"I saw her enjoying the journey very much, asking about trees, flowers, fruits, scenery, and the villages we passed. She was in a very childlike happy, curious, mood.
"When she sees Sri Rama, or Lakshmana, Janaki knows well that they are not too far away from Ayodhya (and can return any time they wish). So she indeed thinks this sojourn in the forest is only like a picnic."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
