Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban -Ayodhy kanda-22.Bharatha meets Rama

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22. Bharatha meets Rama

 

Rajaji

the first Governor general of the free India, a great national leader, scholar and devout vaishnavite writes in his

commentary on Ramayana that the episode of Bharatha portraying a character of

unrivalled purity and sublime selflessness stands out in the epic as the holy

shrines on the banks of Ganges and jnana and bhakthi will automatically

grow by the contemplation of the

personality of Bharatha.

 

Bharatha

left his retinue behind and entered the hermitage with Vasishta and few elders

and Valmiki says that he went in wearing a simple silk garment and discarded

all his ornaments and weapons. So from this we know that Bharatha went to

forest in his normal attire of a prince but Kamban enahanced the glory of

Bharatha in making him wear bark garments.

 

Bharatha

and Vasishta were welcomed by the sage and after the usual pleasantries and enquiries Bharadhvaja asked Bharatha the

reason for his arrival and said that it was only to clear a doubt in his mind

whether Bharatha meant any harm to Rama. First by Guha, then by the sage, Bharatha was suspected though being pure at

heart and the reaction of Bharatha was indescribable. He said that if even the

sage who should have known better suspected him then he is truly lost. Then he

told the sage his real intention and Bharadhvaja made amends for his error of

judgement by saying that he knew the truth but only wanted to establish and

spread the glory of Bharatha by his revelation.

 

In

Kamban Bharadhvaja never doubted

Bharatha but on seeing his appearance as a hermit with matted hair and bark

garments asked him why did he came to forest giving up the kingdom and hearing

his reply the sage was pleased.

 

Baradhvaja

asked Bharatha to bring his retinue and he created a heaven in the forest with

food and drink and heavenly damsels serving all, through his yogic power, with

palaces and gardens etc. so that the soldiers wanted to stay there and not go

to Dandaka forest or back to Ayodhya without knowing that all would vanish the

next day.Thus a befitting hospitality was rendered to the prince and his

retinue.

 

But

Bharatha of Kamban was in hermit's robes and Kamban says that he ate only roots

and fruits and slept on the floor.

 

The

next morning Bharadhvaja instructed Bharatha the way to chithrakoota where Rama

was staying with Seetha and Lakshmana. At the time of departure the three

queens of Dasaratha came out of their palanquins to pay obeisance to the sage

and he asked the identity of each one. In Kamban it was Guha who asked this and

the reply and the reaction of Guha is worth mentioning and we shall see it

presently as a contrast to the scene in Valmiki.

 

Valmiki

decribes the queens as follows. Kousalya was trembling with trepidation perhaps

about the outcome of the expedition and she was emaciated and piteous, `vepamaanaa krSaa dheenaa,' and she

touched the feet of the sage with Sumithra. Then Kaikeyi, whom Valmiki

describes as `asamRddhena kaamena

sarvalokasya garhithaa,' the one whose desire was thwarted and who has

become despicable to the whole world.

 

Bharatha

introducing the queens said that the one who is emaciated by grief and fasting

and looks like a deity is the one, who gave birth to Rama as Adhithi to Vamana,

was Kousalya and the other standing by her side looking like a branch of

karnikara tree with withered flowers in her grief is the godly Sumithra the

mother of the two heroic princes Lakshmana and Sathrughna. Then pointing to

Kaikeyi he introduced her her as the one

who is the cause of the exile of two tigers among men and the death of her

husband and who is of fierce temper,

indiscriminate, arrogant, high in self esteem,avarice and who appeared as a

noble woman which she was not. And added

that she was his mother Kaikeyi who is the cause of his misfortune, making Kaikeyi miserable and ashamed at his

words. Then Bharadhvaja said that what happened was not the fault of Kaikeyi

but the machinations of the devas and the exile of Rama was going to result in

the welfare of the whole world. Thus we see in Valmiki several instances where

the divinty of Rama is proclaimed by the sages and the devotees.

 

This

incident which Valmiki describes as having taken place in the hermitage of

Bharadhvaja was transferred by Kamban to the place where Guha helped them to

cross the river and they were getting into the boat.

 

Guha

seeing Kousalya revered by all, fell at her feet and asked Bharatha about her

identity. Bharatha said that she was the crowned queen of Dasaratha and inspite

of giving birth to the one who is the creator

of the whole world, lost all her glory because Bharatha was born. When

Guha fell at her feet Kousalya asked Bharatha who he was and Bharatha replied ,

 

In

thuNivan raaghavanukku, ilakkuvaRkum

iLaiyavaRkum

enakkum mootthaan

 

"

He is a close friend of Rama and elder brother to me , Lakshmana and

Sathrughna."

 

Guha

then asked him about Sumthra ans Bharatha said,

`Raaman

pinbu piRandhaanum uLan ennappiriyaan thannai payandha periyaaL'

 

"

She is the one who gave birth to Lakshmana who proved that there is a brother

to Rama and who was inseparable to Him." Bharatha meant that only Lakshmana was fit to

be called a brother to Rama.

 

Then

Guha enquired the identity of Kaikeyi to whom Kamban refers as

the

one who has sent her husband to cremation ground, plunged her son into the sea

of sorrow, exiled the sea of mercy, Rama to the forest and the one who had

pervaded the whole world with her wickedness as the Lord didi with His cosmic

form.

 

Bharatha

replied in more or less in the same manner as in Valmiki and Guha bowed down to

her also, because she was the mother of Bharatha, perhaps thinking that because of her only he

had the good fortune of meeting Rama.

 

Now

to rivert back to Valmiki, Bharatha and his retinue reached chithrakoota and

saw smoke rising up which indicated the residence of Rama. Bharatha leaving the

others behind proceeded on foot to where Rama was accompanied only with Sumanthra

and Vasishta.

 

The

cloud of dust was visible to Rama and others when the army was approaching and

Lakshmana climbed a tree and saw the army of Bharatha advancing. True to his

nature he was stung quick with anger and vowed to destroy Bharatha, who was

obviouslty advancing to kill Rama, and to make Rama the king. But Rama pacified

him and said that Bharatha would be coming only to give him bacjk the kingdom

as he knew Bharatha to be pure-hearted and told Lakshmana that if the anxiety for

kingdom was what made him talk like that he would advise Bharatah to give it to

him. Thia made Lakshmana ashamed and he said that perhaps the King had sent

them to ask Rama to return. Rama seeing his discomfiture pacified him that it

could be so.

 

Bharatha

came near the hermitage of Rama and saw him sitting outside and ran to him and

wishing to fall at his feet fell few feet before he reached Rama in his

agitation and anguish, just uttering the word `Oh noble one.'

 

Commentators

remark about this fact and say that it was the divine will as Rama was seen

throughout as a SaraNagatharkshaka and if Bharatha had fallen on his feet Rama

could not have denied his wish!

 

Rama comforting

Bharatha and Sathrughna who fell

at his feet weeping , asked Bharatha why did he came to the forest leaving the

kingdom and their father, showing his fear for the welfare of Dasaratha and asked him why was he looking emaciated. Bharatha could not answer

and Rama further enquired him on the duties proper to a king. Valmiki devotes a

whole sarga known commonly a `kaschith sarga,' in which Rama, by way of

ensuring that Bhartha was carrying out his responsibility as the king, gae out the complete manual on the duties of a king.

 

Then

Rama again asked Bharatha why had he come to forest in matted lock and wearing

deerskin ,relinquishing his kingdom. In Valmiki, Bharatha said, after hearing

how Rama and Seetha slept on the ground, he would also matt his hair and be clad

in bark garment, would sleep on floor and stay in forest persuading Rama to

accept the kingdom. But Valmiki describes him as being clad in simple silk

garments when he went to the hermitage

of Bharadhvaja. Kamban gives a more

cogent narration as Bharatha was described in kambaramayana arriving in the forest dressed as a hermit.

 

In

Valmiki Ramayana,this chapter in which Rama

asked Bharatha the reason for his coming to forest clad in deerskin and with matted

locks, to which Bharatha replied entreating Rama to accept the throne , comes before that in which the death of

Dasaratha was announced to Rama and describes the grief of Rama , Lakshman and

Seetha. The commentators are of the

opinion that the chapters must have got

mixed up. We will follow the order of Kamban with respect to this episode which is more orderly as far as

the narratve is concerned.