Coronation of Lord Rama

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After Rama left, king Dasaratha called for his family

priest Vasista and spoke to him as follows about the

ensuing anointment ceremony of the next

day: "Oh, great sage Vasista! please go to the avowed

Rama and Sitha today to make them perform fasting for

obtaining kingdom, prosperity and glory". Vasista, who

is the best of knowers of Veda, who is expert in

mantras, who is firm in austerities and who is divine,

said to Dasaratha "Let it be done in that way" and

personally went to Rama's house on a chariot which was

ready and quite suitable for the brahmana, to have the

fasting with mantras performed by Rama.

 

That great sage reached Rama's house which was radiant

like a dense white cloud and entered the three

gateways of the house by the chariot itself. To

respect the honourable sage who arrived, Rama came

quickly and eagerly out of the house. Rama quickly got

nearer to Vasista's chariot and personally helped him

to alight from the chariot. That family priest Vasista

saw this loveable and humble Rama, became serene and

happy by his words and spoke as follows: "Oh, Rama!

your father is delighted with you. You will be getting

the princely kingdom. Hence, you and Sitha perform

fasting today. Your father, King Dasaratha is

anointing you affectionately for the princely kingdom

tomorrow at dawn, as king Nahusha has done to Yayati".

Vasista thus spoke to Rama and made him fast together

with Sitha by accompaniment of mantras. Thereafter,

Rama worshipped the Royal priest Vasista properly.

Vasista also got Rama's permission and left his house.

Rama spent some time with delightedly talking friends

and being respected by them, went into his palace

after making them to permit him to do so. Then, Rama's

house was shining so brilliantly with delighted men

and women as a lake with the opened lotus flowers and

intoxicated birds.

 

Vasista, leaving Rama's house which seemed to be equal

to a royal palace, saw the way filled with people. All

the royal roads in the city of Ayodhya were filled

with groups and groups of delighted people and became

congested. Then, on the king's road, the sound created

by the rush of the people moving to and from like

waves and their rejoicing sound joined together and

made resound as the roar of an ocean. On that day, in

the city of Ayodhya, all the roads were cleaned and

sprinkled with water. There were rows of trees on both

sides of the roads and flags hoisted on houses. Then,

the people of Ayodhya including children, women and

the old aged were waiting for sun-rise, wishing the

anointment ceremony of Rama to happen. In Ayodhya,

people were enthusiastic to see the great public

function which is decorative to the community and

brings forward an increased joy. Vasista, thus seeing

the king's way being overcrowded with people, reached

the royal place slowly by seemingly separating that

crowd. He walked up the royal palace, which was akin

to the top of a mountain enclosed by a white cloud and

met king Dasaratha in the manner Bruhaspati met

Devendra.

 

King Dasaratha seeing Vasista come, alighted from his

throne and asked him whether he had done what he was

told. Vasista informed him that it was done. The

members of assembly who were sitting along with the

king till then, raised in obeisance to Vasista from

their seats together with the king. King Dasaratha,

after obtaining permission from Vasista, left that

assembly of men and entered his palace as a lion

enters a mountain cave. That palace with women in top

dress and form was like the palace of Devendra. By the

entering of King Dasaratha, the palace became more

radiant as the moon radiates the beautiful sky with

the stars gathered together.

 

After Vasista left, Rama took bath and meditated on

Lord Narayana with undistracted mind along with his

wide-eyed wife, Sitha. Taking the vessel with

clarified butter on his head as per scriptures, he

offered to Lord Vishnu the clarified butter, by

dropping it into the blazing fire. Rama ate the

remainder of clarified butter after finishing the

sacrifice, which he performed for his own good,

silently meditated on Lord Narayana with controlled

mind and slept along with Sitha on a properly laid bed

of Kusa grass in a splendid temple of Lord Vishnu.

 

Rama woke up three hours before dawn and caused to

complete the entire decoration of the house. Listening

to the pleasing verses of professional reciters, he

worshipped the early sunrise and meditated on Gayatri

with an undistracted mind. He praised Lord Vishnu by

bowing his head before Him. By wearing pure silk

clothes, he got valedictory text recited by brahmanas.

Their deep and sweet chorus of the valedictory, united

with the accompanying musical instruments, filled the

city of Ayodhya then.

 

All the people residing in Ayodhya were delighted when

they heard that Rama and Sitha had observed fast for

the ensuing anointment ceremony. All the citizens

decorated the town for coronation function of Rama,

soon after sun-rise. Banners and colourful flags were

hoisted on temples which looked brilliantly like the

silver lining of cloud, at road junctions, in streets,

on big trees situated in temple compounds, from

watching towers at city gates, on shops of wealthy

merchants, on buildings of rich family persons, on all

assembly halls and all visible trees. From different

sides, actors were showing their talents, dancers were

performing dance. Singers were singing and sweet

voices were heard, pleasing the minds and ears. With

Rama's anointment ceremony approaching, people were

engaged in mutual conversations, about the ceremony in

houses and at road junctions. Even children playing

together before gateways of houses were telling each

other narratives of Rama's anointment ceremony. The

citizens made royal highway splendid, by sprinkling

flowers and by good smell emanating from incense

sticks on the occasion of Rama's anointment ceremony.

On doubt of approach of night on completion of the

ceremony, they arranged lamps in the shape of trees to

illuminate all the streets. All the citizens residing

in Ayodhya, having thus decorated the city, desiring

Rama's anointment for princely kingdom, gathered

together in groups at road junctions and in assembly

halls, mutually talking about this matter there and

praising king Dasaratha: "Oh! This king Dasaratha, who

delights Ikshvaaku dynasty, having known himself that

he became aged, is going to anoint Rama for the

kingdom. What a great man he is ! Rama, who knows

different types of people, is going to become our

protector for long. We have all been blessed by king

Dasaratha. Rama is modest, knowledgeable and

righteous. He is as compassionate to us as to his

brothers. Let the faultless and righteous king

Dasaratha live long! Due to his blessings, we are

going to see Rama as being anointed for the kingdom."

 

The villagers who came from different directions after

hearing the news of coronation ceremony of Rama,

listened to the narration of the citizens of Ayodhya.

The city of Ayodhya was filled with these villagers

who came from different directions to see the

anointment ceremony of Rama. The sound created by the

groups of people moving there was heard like the sound

of a fast moving ocean on full moon days. That city of

Ayodhya equal to the residence of the celestial god

Indra, disturbed with the sound being made all over by

the villagers who came with the desire to see the

ceremony, is like a roaring ocean filled with sea animals.

 

 

 

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