July 19 - Sargas 103 and 104 of Ayodhya Kanda (Gita Press ed.)
Sri Rama is visibly distraught as the news of Dasharatha's death sinks in.
He goes to the river Mandakini and performs the rites for his father.
Kausalya arrives with sage Vasishtha and other queens.
As they all meet Sri Rama, the entire army and everybody comes to see Sri Rama.
Everyone looks to Bharata for his next move.
***
Sri Rama collapses in grief. The four brothers and Sita are terribly sad about the king's sorrowful death. Sri Rama displays the range of human emotions, uttering words to the effect that Ayodhya holds no charm for him any more. How sad is it to think of his return to Ayodhya after 14 years and being unable to present himself to his father, after having carried out the order of exile!?
Sita, Lakshmana and Sri Rama proceed to Mandakini river. Sri Rama offers his fervent prayer to Dasharatha, cupping the river water in his palms amd pouring in as an oblation, for the king's comfortable journey to the next world. He lays out on darbha grass a few large leaves, and over the leaves, his meagre pinda-daana of mashed fruit and whatever forest fare they eat.
इदं भुङ्क्ष्व महाराज प्रीतो यदशना वयम् ।
यदन्नः पुरुषो भवति तदन्नास्तस्य देवताः ॥
"Dear King, be pleased to accept this food offering from us. This is the fare we eat and we offer you the same. It is said that whatever a man partakes of is what his departed ancestors too should be offered."
They return to the hermitage.
The loud noise of everybody's mourning Dasharatha's death is an unmistakable signal to the army encamped some distance away. They hear the noises and conclude that Bharata has met Sri Rama and told him of Dasharatha's death. They all rush as fast as they can, most of them on foot, some others old and infirm riding horses and so on. They are very happy to see Sri Rama in front of the hermitage.
There is a general babel of voices, all speaking about how that cruel deed of Kaikeyi has precipitated the disastrous sequence of events.
Sri Rama receives the army and the people with the warmth of a mother and father.
स तत्र कांश्चित् परिषस्वजे नरान्
नराश्च केचित् तमभ्यवादयन् ।
चकार सर्वान् सवय्सबान्धवान्
यथार्हमासाद्य तदा नृपात्मजः ॥
"Sri Rama embraced some. Some hailed him and folded their hands in respect. The prince of Ayodhya showed affection and greeted his folks in due order as per their relationship and rank."
***
Sage Vasishtha and the queens, Kausalya and others, hurry as fast as they can towards Sri Rama's hermitage. Kausalya keeps remarking to Sumitra what a terrible irony it is that Sri Rama, and Lakshmana, and the princess of Mithila who is now her daughter-in-law, should be living like this in the forest. They see the Mandakini river. They notice the pinda offerings laid out on the grass on leaves by Sri Rama for his departed father's shraaddha. This naturally draws from Kausalya the remark that the king has to settle for this kind of offering from the prince instead of rituals amd fare fit for royalty.
Soon they arrive at the hermitage and see Sri Rama. Their emotions run high.
तासां रामः समुत्थाय जग्राह चरणाम्बुजान् ।
मातॄणां मनुजव्याघ्रः सर्वासां सत्यसंगरः ॥
"Sri Rama, the tiger among men, promptly rose from his seat and clasped the lotus feet of his mothers. He was truly adherent to his word of honour."
After receving and oaying respects to sage Vaishstha, Sri Rama, Vasishtha, Bharata and everybody else, settle down in whatever seats they deem fit. The assembled crowd is agog with anticipation.
किमेष वाक्यं भरतोऽद्य राघवं
प्रणम्य सत्कृत्य च साधु वक्ष्यति ।
इतीव तस्यार्यजनस्य तत्त्वतो
बभूव कौतूहलमुत्तमं तदा ॥
"What will Bharata here, after bowing down to Sri Rama, and in making his most earnest submission, say to Sri Rama? Those words are sure to be of great appropriateness!", thus thought all the nobility of Ayodhya assembled around them.
Valmiki, the artist, paints the picture that Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Bharata resembled the three sacred fires that burn bright in every sacrificial altar of worship. (The names of the sacred fires are Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshina. The idea of these three sacred fires is at the core of Sanatana Dharma).
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
