July 17 - Sargas 99 and 100 of Ayodhya Kanda.
So far we have read over 4700 shlokas of Valmiki Ramayana. The narrative has not allowed our interest to flag even for a bit. Valmiki has in his quiver quills of every description. He describes nature such that we imagine it in VFX. He describes human emotions such that it wrenches our guts. He reports conversations with a skill that we know from Shakespeare. He tells it all in a simple Anushtubh metre in Shloka format which is easy to recite and easy to understand even for a novice like me.
More than anything else, he always gives us the unexpected twist. He is not in any hurry to finish the book. He knows that the Ramayana rasa is so juicy and captivating that we will delightedly journey at the pace he sets.
Of course, our so-called modern tendencies for instant gratification and our unfamiliarity with the Sanskrit classical idiom may rob us of the required temperament for the study of Ramayana. But it is worth a try, every moment, because we are journeying with Sri Rama!
Bharata is speechless with grief when he meets Sri Rama. Sri Rama on the other hand is full of words. Words that show him as a statesman and an embodiment of Dharma who has uppermost in his mind Bharata's good and Ayodhya's welfare and no thought for himself.
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Bharata tells Shatrughna that this would most likely be the place where they will find Sri Rama as it matches Bharadwaja's description. He sees the Mandakini river, signs of rishis' hermitages, and the forest replete with fauna and flora. Bharata sends Sage Vasishtha to go and bring the royal mothers who are behind at the camp.
As Bharata walks ahead, Sumantra also catches up with Shatrughna. They are unable to hide their eagerness to catch sight of Sri Rama.
Bharata points to many trail marks on trees made by the sagacious Lakshmana thoughtful of the difficulties in finding their way back to the hermitage in the dense forest quickly. These trail marks are little shreds of their bark garments, grass knots, and so on. They find dung cakes set out to dry, made with wild buffalo dung and deer dung.
Soon they come upon the elegant hermitage of Sri Rama. The hermitage itself is well-covered with different forest materials like barks and grass for protection against the cold weather. Their garments are put out to dry. There is the altar with a fire going, for daily worship. The divine weapons that Sri Rama and Lakshmana wield, namely their mighty bows, quivers full of sharp infallible arrows, swords in their scabbards, leather gloves and shoulder pads used by archers, armour and shields, are all set out neatly on the ledge skirting the hermitage.
There he is, seated in Virasana, the posture of a monarch, radiant in all glory. He is clad in antelope skin and barks, with an upper garment of skin. Sri Rama is sitting with Lakshmana and Sita.
Bharata is unable to reconcile himself to seeing Sri Rama amidst wild beasts, clad in hides, sitting on a rock, when he should have been the king sitting on the throne in his palace surrounded by sages and courtiers, in all royal finery, adornments, and wearing flowers and perfume.
Bharata rushes to Sri Rama and breaks down. He manages to say,
मन्निमित्तमिदं दुःखं प्राप्तो रामः सुखोचितः ।
धिग्जीवितं नृशंसस्य मम लोकविगर्हितम् ॥
"Alas, all on my account, has Sri Rama been pushed to this misery, when he deserves to have been in royal comfort. Fie upon me and this life, condemned by all for my causing this calamity!"
Sri Rama embraces, full of tears, Bharata and Shatrughna. Lakshmana is also deeply distressed as he joins them. The four of them look like gods, all come down in a strange way here in the forest.
Sri Rama sees that Bharata is also with matted locks, and wearing bark garments. Bharata looks pale and worn out, hardly his former youthful, royal self. Everyone is reduced to tears.
***
Sri Rama now speaks non-stop. This is a long sarga. First, he enquires after everyone.
क्व नु तेऽभूत् पिता तात यदर्ण्यं त्वमागतः ।
न हि त्वं जीवितस्तस्य वनमागन्तुमर्हसि ॥
क्वच्चिन्नु धरते तात राजा यत् त्वमिहागतः ।
कच्चिन्न दीनः सहसा राजा लोकान्तरं गतः ॥
"My dear Bharata, how come you have come away to this remote forest, leaving our father alone? You ought not to have come.
"I do hope father is well. I am worried about his cheer and wellbeing since you have come away. I hope the worst has not happened that he has left the body and gone to the next world."
Sri Rama enquires after Kausalya, Sumitra, and particularly Kaikeyi. Hope they are all in good health and cheer? He asks if Bharata, being young and inexperienced, has forfeited the kingdom to enemies. He remarks that it has been a long time since he last saw him, as Bharata was away in Kekaya. Now Bharata looks all emaciated and worn out.
Then Sri Rama launches into a series of questions that in turn outline how Ayodhya should be ruled by Bharata. It is a mini-course in statesmanship and administration. I shall glean only a few shlokas but urge you to read the original (some 50 shlokas).
First, is the priest Suyajna (son of Vasishtha), being treated with due respect, and are the prayers and homas being conducted promptly and well?
Is Sudhanva, master of warcraft and sacred weapons, being treated with respect?
कच्चिदात्मसमाः शूराः श्रुतवन्तो जितेन्द्रियाः ।
कुलीनाश्चेङ्गितज्ञाश्च कृतास्ते तात मन्त्रिणः ॥
"Dear Bharata, hope you have appointed ministers equally capable as you, brave, with mastery over their senses, beyond temptations, of noble descent, wise and sensitive in understanding situations, and loyal to you?"
Hope Bharata does not hold counsel with too many people but only a few highly competent and trustworthy ministers who keep state secrets well. One good minister is better than a thousand fools and sycophants.
Hope all projects are decided on outcomes and effort and cost versus benefit and speedily implemented.
Hope rival kings are not privy to leaked information on important projects in the offing.
Hope ministers are above bribery. Ambassadors are sagacious, conscientious, and brave. The army chief is an exemplary warrior.
Hope Bharata is not meting out unduly harsh punishments for crimes, nor collecting excessive taxes.
At the same time, people who are learned yet dishonest and cunning, a warrior who is aggrandising himself with wealth, and a man poisoning the minds of servants and administrators, should all be dealt with without mercy as they can bring about the king's doom.
Hope wages and rations are distributed fairly and always on time. This is ordained in the scriptures.
Hope Bharata is not encouraging 'liberal" thinkers who misinterpret scriptures and cause chaos and unrighteousness. Hope Bharata is fortifying the Ayodhya defences and augmenting the forces continuously.
Hope temples are being run well. Hope people of all professions are gainfully occupied and happy. Especially farmers in remote villages. Also those rearing cattle.
कच्चिद्दर्शयसे नित्यं मनुष्याणां विभूषितम् ।
अत्थायोत्थाय पूर्वार्हे राजपु्त्र महारथे ॥
"Dear prince Bharata, I hope you rise early and show yourself to all citizens in pubic outings dressed up in royal splendour, every day. You are a valiant prince and your appearance will motivate them and keep the state in order."
कच्चिदर्थेन वा धर्ममर्थं धर्मेन वा पुनः ।
उभौ वा प्रतिलोभेन कामेन न विबाधसे ॥
"I hope you are not sacrificing righteousness for prosperity or vice versa. And not sacrificing both righteousness and prosperity for the sake of some quick gain or infatuation."
Sri Rama then lists fourteen failings and faults that kings should avoid at any cost - atheism, anger, inattentiveness, procrastination, evading wise counsel, indolence, sense infatuations, taking decisions without due deliberation with others, trusting the judgement of worthless people, poor implementation of decisions, not keeping state secrets, omission of auspicious practices, and taking on all enemies all at once.
Sri Rama concludes,
या वृत्तिं वर्तते तातो या च नः प्रपितामहः ।
तां वृत्तिं वर्तसे कच्चिद् या च सत्पथगा शुभा ॥
"Dear Bharata, I hope you are treading the path trodden by our father king Dasharatha and our forefathers, the path of truth, righteousness, and the one that augurs well for the kingdom."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
