Here is another instance. The following words of Sage Bharadwaja were missing in our text (Gita Press) in yesterday's reading. But the IITK supersite quotes this:
मित्राणि धनधान्यानि प्रजानां सम्मतानि वा |
जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी || ६-१२४-१७ ॥
जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी || ६-१२४-१७ ॥
My translation:
One's friends, one's wealth, and the affection one enjoys from one's own people (in Sri Rama's case the citizens of Ayodhya) are highly valuable. Indeed, more valuable and precious than even heaven is one's own mother and one's motherland. "
The reference to this shloka is cited as follows:
This sloka is seen in the edition published by Hindi Prachara Press, Madras in 1930 by T.R. Krishna chary, Editor and T. R. Vemkoba chary the publisher.
Interestingly, this shloka is almost the motto of Bharatiyatva. It is also the official motto of the nation of Nepal!
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February 12 - Sarga 125 and shlokas 1-47 of Sarga 126.
चिन्तयामास राघवः प्रियकामः प्रियं रामस्त्वरितविक्रमः "Hearing about the welfare of Ayodhya, Sri Rama fell into thought about what should be done immediately, as he was always considerate towards the aspirations of others."
Sri Rama looked at all the vanara heroes and Vibhishana. Then he affectionately called Hanuman.
"Oh, Hanuman! Please proceed at once and ascertain the welfare of all in Ayodhya. Please first meet Guha, who is like my alter ego and wishes me well. Find out from him about the whereabouts of Bharata, and go and meet him.
सिद्धार्थं शंस मां तस्मै सभार्यं सहलक्षमणम्
हरणं चापि वैदेह्या रावणेन बलीयसा
सुग्रीवेण च संवादं मैथिल्यान्वेषणं
कारितः सेतू रावणश्च हतः वरदानं
महादेवप्रसादश्च पित्रा मम समागमम्
उपयातं च मां सौम्य भरताय निवेदय
सह राक्षसराजेन हरीणामीश्वरेण च
"Please tell Bharata about my wellbeing along with Sita and Lakshmana. How we were in the Dandaka when Ravana abducted Sita, how I forged an alliance with Sugriva, how you went and discovered Sita in captivity, how we built the bridge over the ocean, how Ravana was killed and the gods came down to bless me including Brahma and Lord Shiva, as well as the meeting I had with our dear departed father."
"Please tell Bharata that we are now back in the vicinity of Prayaga in the company of King Vibhishana and King Sugriva."
भरतस्येङ्गितानि च तत्त्वेन मुखवर्णेन दृष्ट्या व्याभाषितेन च
"Dear Hanuman, kindly closely observe Bharata's reaction by watching his face, his eyes, and his voice, as he listens to all this. "
सर्वकाम समृद्धं हि हस्त्यश्च रथसङ्कुलम्
पितृपैतामहं राज्यं कस्य नावर्तयेन्मनः
प्रशास्तु वसुधां सर्वामखिलां रघुनन्दनः
तस्य बुद्धिं च विज्ञाय क्षिप्रमागन्तुमर्हसि
"Dear Hanuman, during my absence, Bharata has been in charge for fourteen years. Who indeed would not be tempted to rule over a prosperous Ayodhya, full of riches and military strength, including elephants and chariots. It has been handed down by a great lineage of our forefathers. If indeed Bharata (on his own, or on the advice from Kaikeyi, or from the influence of his advisors), wishes to rule Ayodhya himself, he should do so well and unhindered, being also a Raghunandana. Kindly discover his mood about all this diplomatically, as I fully trust in your abilities. Kindly come back quickly after doing this, before we go too far from here."
***
Hanuman understood the mission and left at once, assuming the form of a human. He crossed the Yamuna and Ganga rivers swiftly, flying like Garuda himself. He first went to Sringaverapura and met the chief there, Guha. Coming to know from Hanuman about Sri Rama's welfare and the happenings over the years immensely pleased Guha. Hanuman informed him that Sri Rama had stayed at Sage Bharadwaja's ashrama on his request overnight.
Then, as directed by Guha, Hanuman flew over the region full of lovely cities and settlements, fertile and enchanting lands and forests, seeing many rivers like Gomati, and so on. Then he saw Bharata in Nandigrama.
ददर्श भरतं दीनं कृशमाश्रमवासिनम् जटिलं मलदिग्धाङ्गं भ्रातृव्यसनकर्शितम्
"When Hanuman saw him, Bharata was looking miserable, thin, and living the ascetic life, with matted locks, worn out and soiled by dirt all over, evidently deeply afflicted by grief on account of his elder brother Sri Rama."
There were men and women of obvious prosperity and good looks moving around, in sharp contrast to Bharata's condition. Bharata shone with spiritual radiance gained from great austerities. He was ruling Ayodhya keeping Sri Rama's padukas on the throne as his representative.
Bharata was ruling well, doing justice to all sections of the four varnas. His ministers and administrators had also attired themselves in ochre and were serving Ayodhya under him ably. The residents of Ayodhya also were moderate in their ways, respecting Bharata's feelings.
Hanuman, in his human form, approached Bharata with obeisances and spoke.
"Dear Prince, the one for whom you are pining and living this ascetic life sends you news of his wellbeing! I want to give you the best news ever that you are soon going to meet Sri Rama. Sri Rama killed Ravana, recovered Sita, and is coming here very soon, accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana, and his wellwishers and friends. "
Hearing this, Bharata fainted in ecstasy.
कपिमालिङ्ग्य सम्भ्रमात् सिषेच भरतः श्रीमान्विपुलैरश्रुबिन्दुभिः
"After regaining his consciousness, Bharata tightly embraced Hanuman, sprinkling him in tears of joy."
देवो वा मानुषो वा त्वमनुक्रोशादिहागतः प्रियमाख्यानस्य ते सौम्य ददामि ब्रुवतः प्रियम् "Oh noble sir, I don't know if you are a god or a human, but I would like to give you whatever you ask for, you have come with great compassion and given me the best news ever!"
Bharata offers Hanuman in gratitude one lakh cows, villages, sixteen most beautiful women as wives, and so on. His words display his delight as much as his generosity.
***
Bharata says, "it was so long ago that my brother went into exile. Your news proves true the adage that simply by living long (a hundred years), one is bound to get good news! "
Bharata is full of questions about how Sri Rama met and allied with vanaras, why, and so on.
Hanuman, seated on a kushasana (offered as a mark of respect by Bharata), narrated in detail all the happenings ever since Bharata had taken leave of Sri Rama in Chitrakuta. This is a delightful narrative that again displays Hanuman's mastery in story-telling. I shall quote only a couple of shlokas.
एकेन सहसंगम्य रामेण रणमूर्धनि
अह्नश्चतुर्भागेन निःशेषा राक्षसाः कृताः
लोभयामास वैदेहीं भूत्वा रत्नमयो मृगः
"Bharata, after your departure, the animal life in Chitrakuta had become very disturbed by the invasion of a large human army even though for a short period of time. To let it heal, Sri Rama moved away to Dandaka, killing Viradha, the huge rakshasa who attacked and captured Sita, on the way. In Janasthana, he encountered the attack of fourteen thousand rakshasas, after the rakshasi Shurpanaka was spurned by Sri Rama. Within one-fourth of a day, Sri Rama accounted for all those rakshasas single-handedly, including Khara, Dushana, and Trishiras. Later Mareecha, the rakshasa who was under orders from Ravana, came as a golden deer and tempted Sita Devi. On her insistence, Sri Rama went after the deer and had to kill it. When the rakshasa's deceit was revealed, Lakshmana had already been sent away by Sita to go looking for Sri Rama. Ravana came and violently abducted Sita who was alone and helpless in the hermitage, killing the giant bird King Jatayu who tried to protect her...."
Hanuman mentions how he and other vanaras in Rishyamuka witnessed Sita being carried away by Ravana in the sky,
शुभे महति वेश्मनि प्रवेश्य मैथिलीं वाक्यैः सान्त्वयामास रावणः "Ravana placed Sita in a beautiful, large palatial palace, and entreated her with words designed to placate her."
तृणवद्भाषितं तस्य अचिन्तयन्ती वैदेही "Devi Sita treated Ravana and his overtures to be as insignificant as a blade of grass with her mind totally immersed in Sri Rama."
Kabandha's encounter, meeting Sugriva, Vali's death, Sugriva's kingship, the search for Sita, Sampati's tip-off, Hanuman's crossing the ocean in a giant leap and discovering Sita... His winning her confidence with Sri Rama's mudrika, his bringing back her Choodamani to Sri Rama as a proof of his meeting Sita truly...
श्रुत्वा तां मैथिलीं रामस्त्वाशशंसे च जीवितम् ।
जीवितान्तमनुप्राप्तः पीत्वामृतमिवातुरः ॥
"Sri Rama, on hearing the news of Maithili being alive and holding her spirit intact, regained his interest in life. It was similar to how a man in the throes of death, would, when revived by a drink of the elixir of life, spring back to sanguinity."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
