February 13 - Shlokas 48-55 of Sarga 126 and shlokas 1-22 of Sarga 127 of Yuddha Kanda.
We are approaching the summum bonum, Sri Rama Pattabhisheka!
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Hanuman wraps up his narrative to Bharata in a few succinct passages. It is like listening to someone who narrates his trip to Kailas Mansarovar. You will get much detail in the beginning but they sum up the actual parikrama part rather quickly!
उद्योजयिष्यन्नुद्योगं दध्रे लङ्कावधे मनः ।
जिघांसुरिव लोकान्ते सर्वान्नोकान्विभावासुः ॥
"Sri Rama now spurred on the entire army to undertake the destruction of Lanka, looking as he did like the Samvartaka cataclysmic Fire-god who undertakes to annihilate the entire creation at the time of the final dissolution."
ततः समुद्रमासाद्य नलं सेतुमकारयत् अतरत् कपिवीराणां वाहिनी तेन सेतुना
"Reaching the shore, Sri Rama arranged for the Nalasetu to be built and the huge army crossed over."
"Prahasta was killed by Angada, Kumbhakarna by Sri Rama, Indrajit by Lakshmana, and Ravana himself was killed by Sri Rama."
"Then the gods Indra, Yama, Varuna, Maheshwara, and Brahma, as well as King Dasharatha himself, appeared and congratulated Sri Rama."
तैर्दत्तवरः श्रीमानृषिभिश्च समागतैः सरर्षिभिश्च काकुत्स्थो वराँल्लेभे परन्तपः
"The glorious Sri Rama, the indomitable vanquisher of foes, then received many blessings and boons from the gods, from also the various ascetics who had come, as well as from the devarshis (ascetics who live by their great merit always in heaven)."
पुष्पकेण विमानेन "Then Sri Rama, accompanied by all, flew in the celestial aerial vehicle Pushpaka via Kishnindha to the precincts of the ashrama of Sage Bharadwaja. He halted there as advised by the rishi."
अविघ्नं पुष्ययोगेन श्वो रामं द्रष्टुमर्हसि
"Oh Bharata, by auspicious circumstance, tomorrow, in Pushya Yoga, you shall meet Sri Rama!"
ततः स वाक्यैर्मधुरैर्हनूमतो निशम्य हृष्टो भरतः कृताञ्जलिः ।
उवाच वाणीं मनसः प्रहर्षिणीं चिरस्य पूर्णः खलु मे मनोरथः ॥
"Thereupon, hearing Hanuman's sweet words and his delightful narrative, Bharata bowed down to him, and said these words that delighted Hanuman's mind: "friend, you have given me the great news I have been waiting for, and I have been waiting for it for a very long time indeed!"
***
Bharata at once called Shatrughna and shared this unbelievably great news.
"Let there be worship with flowers, fragrances, and music at every temple in Ayodhya.
Let everyone- the scriptural narrators, the priests, the music ensembles, auspicious women, the queens, ministers, soldiers, their wives, Brahmins, chief members of the traders' and soldiers' groups, and all distinguished citizens, come at once out of Ayodhya here to have the darshan of Sri Rama!"
The exact words he used are: रामस्य द्रष्टुं शशिनिभं मुखम्
Shatrughna set to work at once. He ordered all artisans and masons to flatten and prepare the road well from
Ayodhya to Nandigrama. "Let cool waters be sprinkled to settle the dust and make the passage enjoyable!"
'Let people sprinkle auspicious grains all along the way. Let flags and festoons be flown! By tomorrow morning, every house and mansion should be decorated with flowers and garlands of fragrance in five different colours! Let there be floral rangavallis! Let there be order and decorum on the highway, monitored by many volunteers!" Shartghna's orders were at once taken up for implementation.
"Let the eight ministers Dhrashti, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhartha, Arthasadhaka, Ashoka, Mantrapala and Sumantra, arraigned splendidly, with flags, arrive on great elephants!"
"Let military officers arrive on elephants and horses tied with golden reins."
"Let the cavalrymen arrive in thousands, with flags, and bearing splendid weapons, for the reception."
"Let all the queens of King Dasharatha, led by Devis Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi, arrive in royal palanquins."
All this was carried out precisely.
Prince Bharata now started, holding the padukas on his head, surrounded by Brahmins, noblemen, leaders of commerce, women, all bearing garlands and sweets on trays, accompanied by musical instruments and chants. He was greeted with auspicious benedictions and panygerics. Bharata was looking emaciated and weak and was still attired as an ascetic, but there was the glow of joy in him. Valmiki says that there was an uproar of auspicious sounds from the huge march of elephants, horses, and all the chants and musical instruments as they advanced to receive Sri Rama.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
