Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban -Ayodhya knada-23. Padukapattabhidshekam

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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.