July 20 - Sargas 105 and 106 of Ayodhya Kanda.
Bharata argues on behalf of what is needed and sanctioned for the welfare of the state. Therefore the right course for Sri Rama is to return to Ayodhya and rule the kingdom. Sri Rama explains how events like the death of Dasharatha are a normal part of life and the foremost responsibility for everyone is to adhere to truth and word of honour.
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The next morning, the brothers go and perform their morning prayers at the Mandakini river. On their return, everyone stays quiet for some time. Then Bharata speaks to Sri Rama:
सान्त्विता मामिका माता दत्तं राज्यमिदं मम ।
तद्ददामि तवैवाहं भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यमकण्टकम् ॥
"Dear Rama, my mother has been satisfied and pleased by you by handing over the kingdom to me. I now return it to you. Please take over the kingdom and enjoy it without impediments."
Bharata goes on to say that compared to Sri Rama, he is not even remotely qualified for ruling Ayodhya. He compares Sri Rama and himself respectively to horses and donkeys, Garuda and ordinary birds. The honour and merit earned by a competent ruler on whom a whole nation depends are exemplary.
And, after all, we have to see how Dasharatha carefully groomed Sri Rama to step into his shoes. Bharata says, if one plants a sapling and tends it carefully over the years into a mighty tree, he is well within his rights to expect it to flower and bear fruit. He says, एषोपमा महाबाहो तदर्थं वेत्तुमर्हसि - " Oh mighty-armed Rama, I am sure you can understand my analogy."
श्रेणयस्त्वां महाराज पश्यन्त्वग्र्याश्च सर्वशः ।
प्रतपन्तमिवादित्यं राज्यस्थितमरिन्दमम् ॥
"Dear Maharaja, Rama, let the leading citizens of Ayodhya, guilds of traders and others, see you installed on the throne and resplendent like the sun, the supreme lord who will vanquish enemies."
Bharata lists how so many constituents of Ayodhya will rejoice in Rama's installation. All the people gathered there add their clearly voiced support for the noble Bharata's appeal as full of good logic and merit.
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Sri Rama smiles and replies:
नात्मनः कामकारो हि पुरुषोऽयमनीश्वरः ।
इतश्चेतरतश्चैनं कृतान्तः परिकर्षति ॥
"Dear Bharata, no man is indeed powerful enough to choose his actions, because he is no god. Providence will push him hither and thither forcibly and he cannot resist it."
Sri Rama then speaks of how impermanent all life is and whilst man is busy making plans, life ebbs away and death awaits everyone. Life is a series of coming togethers and separations among people. Seasons change, everything decays, like how fruits ripen and finally fall to the ground. Even strong buildings erected on stout pillars will one day come to dust. A night that passes will not return. The Yamuna flows on and nobody can reverse its flow. So Sri Rama extols Bharata to grieve for himself and the ephemerality of his own life and not grieve for Dasharatha who died after living and ruling so well.
वयसः यतमानस्य स्रोतसो वानिवर्तिनः ।
आत्मा सुखे नियोक्तव्यः सुखभाजाः प्रजाः स्मृताः ॥
"Life ebbs away constantly much like a river that never flows back. Therefore man should strive for his happiness by righteous means, and that is how people are expected to live, pursuing happiness."
तद्वचः पितुरेवाहं सम्मतं धर्मचारिणाम् ।
कर्मणा पालयिष्यामि वनवासेन राघव ॥
"Therefore, dear Bharata, I shall adhere to the order of our father and follow the course extolled by those who lead righteous lives. I shall follow his order by living in the forest."
Sri Rama concludes by saying Bharata too should stop grieving and do what their father had ordered for him to do, i.e. to rule the kingdom.
Bharata begins his response by showing respect for Sri Rama's extreme wisdom and equanimity that is impossible for others to emulate. No wonder he is a realised soul and thefore immune to worldly issues and problems. Whereas he quotes the support of wise and righteous men, it is indeed they who look up to Sri Rama for showing them the way.
Bharata then says that what Kaikeyi did was unpardonable. He would have killed her off but for the Dharmic injunction against such an act. And that order of Dasharatha, which Sri Rama is sticking to, was given when the old king was totally under the thumb of Kaikeyi and had lost his wits owing to the infatuation he had for her.
When a dying father does something wrong, it behoves on the son to rectify the matter. Sri Rama should set right the utter wrong perpetrated by Dasharatha when his death was near (owing to his impaired judgement.)
This demand for Sri Rama to return to Ayodhya is going to save Bharata's, Kaikeyi's, and Dasharatha's honour. It will also save the citizens of Ayodhya and everyone else.
क्व चारण्यं क्व च क्षात्रं क्व जटाः क्च च पालनम् ।
ईदृशं व्याहतं कर्म न भवान् कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
"Dear Rama, where is a life in the forest, and where is the life ordained for a kshatriya? Where is the life sporting matted locks fitting into his duties of rulership? This kind of repulsive act does not behove you, oh noble one!"
Bharata pleads fervently that Sri Rama should be crowned then and there, as sage Vasishtha and all nobility and everyone else important had come. That would immensely please everyone and restitute the folly of this exile. He says that if Rama does not oblige, Bharata vows to stay on with him in the forest.
Bharata's appeals are waning in spirit in the face of a resolute and immovable Rama. Dasharatha's queens, the ministers and priests, all the lend their voice to Bharata's pitiable supplication to Sri Rama to return as the king.
The onlookers have mixed feelings.
तदद्भुतं स्थैर्यमवेक्ष्य राघवे
समं जनो हर्षमवाप दुःखितः ।
न यात्ययोध्यामिति दुःखितोऽभवत्
स्थिरप्रतिज्ञत्वमवेक्ष्य हर्षितः ॥
"Every onlooker witnessed this amazing scene of Sri Rama's unshakeable resolve with a mixture of happiness and sorrow. That he was not going back to Ayodhya caused great sorrow, but his firmness of word to his father and resolve to carry it out to the end invoked a joyful respect."
