23. Padhukapattabhishekam
On
hearing that the king had expired overcome with grief, Rama fell on the
ground and gaining consciousness again
lamented piteously and Seetha, Lakshmana and all of them cried. Prompted by
Vasishta Rama did the obsequies of his father and by that time the rest of the royal family arrived there
and Kousalya was pained to see Seetha in that state. Thus the royal family was united again to see which the
people felt happy even under those circumstances. Thus the day ended and the
next day Rama again asked Bharatha the reason for his coming to the forest in
hermit's attire.
Bharatha
said that the king had gone to heaven unable to bear the separation from Rama
and all that Kaikeyi reaped as a result of her evil design was her widowhood
and irrevocable censure of the world. He beseeched Rama to come back and accept
the throne and wipe off the sorrow of all and the injustice done to him.
But
Rama replied that there was no injustice as the king had every right to decide
who should rule the kingdom and whom to send him to forest to observe austere
life. He could not disobey the command of his father and would certainly stay
there for fourteen years. Rama urged Bharatha to go back and assume the
kingship as ordered by their father.
Bharatha
said that he could not accept the kingdom as a donkey cannot imitate the tempo
of a horse or an ordinary bird the sweep of Garuda. He said that Rama should
accept the crown to redress the injustice done by his father to please a woman
which must have been due to the senility of his old age because no man who was well-versed in dharma
as Dasaratha was would have done such a thing.Even if the kingdom was given to
him by his mother's request he was giving
it back to Rama who is the rightful owner. Further Bharatha said that if
Rama would not agree then he himself would stay there in the forest refusing to
go back and accept the throne. He said that vasishta could crown Rama there
itself that very day. Saying thus he fell at the feet of Rama and begged him to
heed his request.
Seeing
that Bharatha, being pure at heart,
blamed himself for what happened , Rama said that he was blemishless as someone
of his calibre could never commit a sin for the sake of kingdom and he should
not abuse his mother also because everything had happened due to divine will.
When
Rama would not budge an inch Bharatha
asked the others to persuade Rama and the people and the queens joined with him
and pleaded with Rama. But they could see that Rama was determined and though
all felt sad they also extolled the brothers for their respective virues.
Then
a Brahmin named Jabali, spoke and pointed out that the body named Dasaratha was
gone and no one is related to any one else in this world.The idea of sin and
hell is as ridiculous as that of merit and heaven.Since the kingdom of Ayodhya
needs a king badly and all wish Rama to be the kn ing there is nothing wrong in
accepting it. Rama was enraged at this and said that as Jabali seemed to have
little respect for truth and virtue he could not understand how an atheist like
Jabalai was placed in the court of Dasaratha. Then Jabali said that he was not
an atheist and had studied Vedas and sasthras but he talked in that manner only
to induce Rama toaccept the kingdom.
Vasishta
on his part tried to persuade Rama by tracing the history of the whole Ikshvaku
race and said that he should follow the tradition of his race that only the
eldest son should inherit the kingdom. Moreover Rama had already followed the
command of Dasaratha but Dasaratha was
no more and there was no violation of dharma in accepting his rightful role for
the sake of the people. As the preceptor
and the morther of a man are his spiritual teachers besides his father Rama
could obey Vasishta and his aged mother Kousalya who wanted him to return to
Ayodhya.
Rama
replied that he could never disobey the command of his father who was no
more.hearing this Bharatha told Sumanthra to spread darbha grass in front of
the hermitage and said that he would fast there until Rama agrees to return to
Ayodhya. Sumanthra , not knowing what to do looked at Rama when Bharatha got
some grass on his own and sat down on it. Rama told him to give up his resolve
and return to Ayodhya when Bharatha looked at the people around and asked them
why were they not joining with him to plead with Rama. They all replied as one
man that they knew Rama and he would not swerve from his decision which he had
taken according to dharma. Rama told Bharatha thet they were right and told him
to give up his resolution and return to Ayodhya.
Then
obeying Rama Bharatha got up and proclaimed that he never asked his father for
the kingdom nor advised his mother to do so nor approved what she had done.
Hence if one of them should remain in the forest he would take Rama's place and
stay there for fourteen years while Rama could return to Ayodhya and become the
king. But Rama said that he could not accede to the idea of Bharatha being the
substitute and said that he would remain in the forest for fourteen years and
then would come back and accept the kingdom.
The
great sages and celestials who were present there invisible in the air felt
delighted to see the nobility of both the brothers and considered themselves
fortunate to witness the scene. Then desirous of the speedy destruction of
Ravana and other demons, they came to Bharatha and spoke to him. They praised
Bharatha for his nobility and great repute and told him that out of reverence
for his departed father he should accept the words of Rama, who was fulfilling
the promise of Dasaratha to Kaikeyi to
make Dasaratha truthful and go to heaven.
Bharatha
again tried to persuade Rama saying that he was incapable of ruling the kingdom
to which Rama assured him that he was fit enough and asked him to return to
Ayodhya and govern the kingdom.
Fianally
Bharatha asked Rama to step on the sandals embellished with gold and said that
the sandals would reign the kingdom in Rama's
place and he would serve them wearing matted locks and bark garment till Rama returned after fourteen years and
if Rama did not return on the day when the fourteen years ended he would enter the fire.
Bharatha
put the sandals on his head and ascended the chariot with Sathrughna. He met
Bharadhvaja on his way back again and the sage hearing what had happened extolled
the virtue of Bharatha and blessed him. Then Bharatha with his retinue reached
Ayodhya. Bharatha noticed that the city had lost its lustre as the star Rohini
when the Moon her master was grasped by Rahu and after leaving the queens and
others there, he said that he would not come back to Ayodhya till Rama came and
would settle down in Nandhigrama. Vasishta praised him for his resolve and
blessed him and Bharatha crowned the wooden sandals embellished with gold on
the throne there and lived here as a servant of the throne. Whenever any thing
transpired in the kingdom Bharatha used to report to the sandals and then only
take action as it were the command of
Rama.
There
would have been some doubt that if Rama had given away his sandals how could he
walk in the forest. But Bharatha asked
Rama to step on the wooden sandals encrusted in gold. So he must have brought
them with him with a plan to crown them as the substitute for Rama in case Rama
refused to come back, because Bharatha knew Rama as well as Rama Knew Bharatha. Thus Bharatha was doing
penance for fourteen years to atone what was a sin to him, committed by his
mother for his sake, thus claiming a status no less than Rama himself by his
sacrifice and selfless devotion.
Dear
bhakthas , I wanted to finish Padukapattabhishekam on the last day of Adi which
is karkata masa and known as Ramayana masa and with the grace of Sri
ramachandra and sri Anjaneya I was able to do it. Jayathu jayathu devo
dasaratha nandhano ayam.
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