Guest guest Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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