by Tulsidas
Hearing Bharat’s words, there came from waters of the triveni,
A sweet voice bestowing blessings.
‘Bharat, dear son, you are in every way honourable and good.
And your love for Ram’s feet is fathomless.
You needlessly hold grief and remorse in your heart,
For no one is as dear to Ram as you.’
His body trembled and his heart rejoiced
Upon hearing those gracious words from the sacred confluence.
‘Bharat is blessed, blessed!’ called the gods,
Joyfully raining down flowers.
(205)
All those residing at that king of pilgrimage sites—
Hermits, students, householders, ascetics—were overjoyed.
Gathering in small groups, they said to each other,
‘Bharat’s love and goodness are pure and true.’
Heeding only the charming enumeration of Ram’s virtues,
Bharat came to the great sage, Bharadvaj.
The muni, seeing him prostrate himself in homage,
Felt that his own good fortune had taken bodily form.
He ran and raised Bharat up and clasped him to his bosom,
And by giving him the blessing he desired, fulfilled his wish.
He gave him a seat, and Bharat sat down with bowed head
As though longing to run away to hide in shame’s abode,
Very worried that the muni would ask him a question.
Seeing his goodness and humility, the rishi said,
‘Listen Bharat, I have already heard everything—
We have no control over the way fate works!
So do not hold guilt and remorse in your heart
Thinking about what your mother has done.
Son, it is not Kaikeyi’s fault either,
For Gira deprived her of her good sense.
(206)
Even if I said this, many would not approve of it,
For the wise acknowledge the authority of both the Vedas and the world.
But, son, singing of your clear and untarnished fame,
Both the world and the Vedas will be exalted.
Worldly custom and the Vedas agree, and all declare
That he gets the kingdom upon whom a father bestows it.
The king, true to his promise, would have summoned you
And given you the crown, encouraging happiness, righteousness and fame.
But the root of the calamity was Ram’s exile to the forest,
Hearing of which caused anguish to the whole world.
That was subject to what had been decreed, and the unwise queen
Did wrong, but in the end has regretted her misdeeds.
But anyone who ascribes even the slightest blame to you for it,
Is contemptible, ignorant and vile.
Had you ruled, you would not have been at fault,
And even Ram, hearing of it, would have been content.
But now, Bharat, you have done very well,
And this sentiment is what truly befits you,
For the root of all well-being in this world
Is love for Raghubar’s feet.
(207)
That is your wealth, your life and your very breath—
Who, then, is as fortunate as you?
But, dear son, all this is little wonder for you—
Dasharath’s son and Ram’s beloved brother.
Listen Bharat, in Raghubar’s heart,
No one receives as much love as you.
Lakshman, Ram and Sita love you dearly,
And spent all that night here praising you.
I came to know their inmost feelings when they bathed at Prayag,
For they were immersed in love for you!
Raghubar’s love for you
Is like that of a fool’s for a life of worldly pleasure.
But this is no excessive praise of Raghubir,
For the lord of the Raghus protects a suppliant’s whole family.
And you, Bharat—and this is my belief—
Are the very embodiment of Ram’s love.
What you call disgrace, Bharat,
The rest of us call instruction,
And for the attainment of devotion to Ram,
This time has been propitious, like Ganesh.
(208)
Your renown, son, is a new and different moon, unblemished,
For the lilies and chakors that are Raghubar’s servants.
Forever rising, it does not set,
Nor does it wane, but grows twofold every day in the sky that is this world.
The kok that is the three spheres loves it dearly,
And the sun of Ram’s glory does not steal its brilliance.
Forever giving happiness, night and day, to all,
It is not eclipsed even by the Rahu of Kaikeyi’s actions.
It is full of the nectar of Ram’s love,
And unblemished by the stain of insulting its guru.43
Now Ram’s devotees may drink of this nectar to their satisfaction,
For you have brought it within reach of the earth!
King Bhagirath brought down the divine river, Ganga,
Remembering which is the storehouse of all blessings.
And the multitude of Dasharath’s virtues is beyond description—
How can there be one greater when there is none to even equal him in this world?
He, compelled by whose love and humility,
Ram became manifest in this world—
Ram, whom even Har, with his heart’s eyes,
Never tires of beholding.
(209)
You have created an incomparable moon of glory
Upon which is stamped Ram’s love in the shape of a deer.
Son, you hold sorrow in your heart to no purpose—
Though you have found the philosopher’s stone, you are still afraid of poverty.
Listen Bharat, I utter no untruths—
I am an ascetic, living in the forest, disinterested and detached from the world
And I have already received the best fruit for all spiritual practices
When I beheld Ram, Sita and Lakshman.
But the fruit of that fruit is the sight of you,
And I, with Prayag, am most fortunate.
Blessed are you, Bharat, for you have conquered the world with your renown.’
Saying this, the muni was overcome with love.
Hearing the muni’s words, the whole assembly rejoiced,
And the gods, praising Bharat’s goodness, rained down flowers.
Cries of ‘Blessed, blessed!’ resounded in the sky and Prayag,
And Bharat, listening, was lost in love.
His body trembling, Ram and Sita in his heart,
And his lotus eyes filled with tears,
He made obeisance to the assembly of munis
And spoke in a voice choked with emotion.
(210)
‘In this assembly of sages, in the most holy of sacred places,
To swear even a true oath is the utmost impropriety,
And if, in this sacred place, I were to utter a lie,
There would be no sin or vileness equal to that.
I speak truly—for you are all-knowing
And Raghurai pervades the inmost recesses of one’s heart—
I do not grieve over what my mother has done,
Nor hold any sorrow in my heart if the world thinks I am base and worthless.
I do not fear the ruin of my prospects in the next life,
Nor do I grieve over my father’s death.
His virtue and renown fill the world with splendour—
That he had sons like Lakshman and Ram,
And that, when separated from Ram, he gave up his transient body.
What occasion, then, to mourn the king?
But that Ram, Lakshman and Sita, without shoes on their feet
And clad as ascetics, wander from fores
t to forest,
Wear garments of deerskin, eat only wild fruits,
Sleep on the ground spread with grass and leaves,
Live beneath trees and daily endure
Cold, heat, rain and wind—
(211)
It is the fire of this sorrow that constantly burns my heart,
And I have no appetite by day nor sleep by night.
There is no medicine for this awful disease—
I have searched the whole world with my heart.
My mother’s wickedness, the root of all sins, was the carpenter,
Who used my welfare as his adze
To fashion, out of the vile wood of discord, the evil charm of his exile
Which he buried while chanting the cruel mantra of fourteen years.
It is for me that she devised this evil scheme
And flung the whole world into ruin and confusion.
This calamity will cease only when Ram returns.
Only then will Avadh flourish again—there is no other way.’
The sages were pleased to hear Bharat’s words,
And all praised him in many ways. Muni Bharadvaj said,
‘Son, do not grieve and worry so much—
All sorrow will disappear when you see Ram’s feet.’
Thus consoling him, the great muni said,
‘Now be my beloved guest,
And grant me your grace by accepting
The tubers, roots, fruits and flowers I offer.’
(212)
Hearing the muni’s words, Bharat grew worried,
‘This is a difficult predicament at an unhappy time!’
Then, reflecting on the importance of a guru’s words,
Bharat touched his feet and said, with folded hands,
‘To humbly respect and obey your command,
Is my supreme duty, master.’
Bharat’s words pleased the great muni’s heart,
And summoning his trusted servants and pupils, he said,
‘We must show our hospitality to Bharat,
So go and bring tubers, roots and fruits.’
‘Very well, master,’ they replied, bowing their heads,
And cheerfully left to carry out their respective tasks.
But the muni worried, ‘I have invited an exalted guest,
And a god’s worship must befit the god.’
At this, the Riddhis, Anima and the other Siddhis appeared, saying,44
‘Give us your commands, master, we will fulfil them all.’
Pleased, the great sage replied,
‘Bharat is distraught with grief at separation from Ram,
And so is his young brother, Shatrughna, and all their companions.
Look after them and ease their weariness.’
(213)
The Riddhis and Siddhis bowed their heads to the great muni’s command,
And considered themselves most fortunate.
The gathered magic powers said to each other,
‘Ram’s younger brother is a guest beyond compare.
So bowing at the muni’s feet, let us now do
Whatever will please all the royal party.’
Saying this, they fashioned bright and pleasing abodes of many kinds
At the sight of which even the flying chariots of the gods were put to shame.
They filled them with splendour and luxuries,
Upon which even the immortal gods gazed with longing.
Serving men and women stood by with all that was needed,
Their full attention on the needs of the guests.
The Siddhis organized in an instant
Comforts undreamt of even in the abode of the gods.
First, they gave everyone their quarters,
Beautiful, comfortable, and to each one’s taste.
Then they attended to Bharat and his family,
For such had been the rishi’s orders.
By the strength of his penance, the great muni,
Had produced such magnificence as astonished even the Creator.
(214)
When Bharat beheld the muni’s power,
The dominions of the celestial guardians all appeared small and mean to him.
The luxuries assembled surpassed description—
Upon seeing them, even the wise would forget detachment.
There were couches, beds, curtains and canopies,
Groves, gardens, and deer and birds of many kinds,
Fragrant flowers and fruits like nectar,
Lakes, ponds, streams and many sorts of reservoirs of clear water,
And food and drink, pure and sweeter than amrit,
Seeing which the people were overawed, and hesitated to accept, like ascetics.
The divine cow and tree of plenty belonged to all,
And seeing them, even Indra and Shachi grew envious.
The season was spring, cool, soft and fragrant breezes blew,
And the four rewards of life were available to all.
Seeing the garlands, sandal-paste, women and other sensual delights,
The people were overcome with joy and dismay.45
The grandeur was the chakwi, Bharat the chakwa,
And the muni’s order the facetious fowler
Who held them imprisoned that night
In the cage of the ashram, until it was dawn.
(215)
After bathing in the sacred confluence at that king of sacred sites,
Bharat, with all his company, bowed his head to Muni Bharadvaj,
Reverently received his blessing and permission to depart,
And prostrating himself, paid him homage in many humble words.
Accompanied by skilled guides well-acquainted with the way, and taking everyone with him,
Bharat set out, single-mindedly focused on Chitrakut.
Holding the hand of Ram’s friend, Guha,
He walked like love incarnate,
With no shoes on his feet, no royal umbrella held over his head,
And unfeigned love, self-restraint, austerity and virtue,
Asking his companion for the story of Lakshman, Ram and Sita’s journey,
Which Guha related in gentle tones.
Seeing the places where Ram had rested and the trees under which he had sheltered,
He could not contain his love within his heart.
Seeing his state, the gods rained down flowers,
And the ground grew soft, and the path easy and pleasant.
The clouds followed him, providing shade
And a soft and pleasing breeze blew.
Not even for Ram had that path become
As pleasant as it now became for Bharat as he went.
(216)
Innumerable inanimate and animate beings along the way,
Who had seen the Lord, or whom the Lord had seen,
Had all become worthy of the highest state—
Now, the sight of Bharat cured them of the disease of rebirth.
Yet this was not a great feat for Bharat,
Upon whom Ram himself meditates in his heart.
Those in this world who say ‘Ram’ even once,
Cross over the sea of rebirth, and can take others across as well.
And then Bharat is dear to Ram, his own younger brother,
So how could his path not bring him every blessing?
So said the Siddhas, the sadhus and the great sages,
And, gazing at Bharat, rejoiced in their hearts.
Seeing his effect on everyone, the king of the gods grew worried,
For the world appears good to the good, and vile to the vile.
He said to his guru, Brihaspati, ‘Lord, employ some ruse
So that Ram and Bharat do not meet.
Ram is gentle and won over by love,
And Bharat is an ocean of love.
What has already been accomplished may be undone,
So devise some stratagem to prevent it!’
(217)
Hearing his words, the guru of the gods smiled
To see the thousand-eyed one without eyes,
And said, ‘Give up your needless anxiety and tricks,
Any deception here will cause disaster.
If you practise any maya upon the servant of maya’s master,
It will recoil upon you, king of the gods!
You interfered before, knowing you had Ram’s approval,46
But any misbehaviour now will only do you harm.
Listen, king of the gods, it is Raghunath’s nature—
He is never angered by an offence against himself,
But one who commits an offence against his devotee,
Burns in the fire of Ram’s wrath.
The story is well-known in the world and the Vedas,
Of how Durvasa came to know this glorious trait.47
And who loves Ram like Bharat,
Whose name Ram repeats while the world repeats ‘Ram’?
Do not allow in your mind, lord of immortals, even the thought
Of harming a devotee of Raghubar.
It will bring you infamy in this world, grief in the next,
And an ever-increasing burden of distress.
(218)
Listen, king of gods, to my advice—
His devotee is supremely dear to Ram.
He is pleased by any service rendered to his servants,
But bears great enmity to those who are hostile to them.
Though he is the same to all, with neither love nor anger,
And receives into himself neither sin nor virtue, merit nor flaw,
Though he has set karma as supreme in this world,
So that one’s deeds determine the fruit that one tastes,
Even so, he acts impartial or hostile
Depending on whether one has the heart of a devotee or a sceptic.
Without attributes, unblemished, free from pride, unchanging,
Ram takes on form, yielding to the love of his devotees,
For Ram always honours the wish of his servants,
As the Vedas, the Puranas, the sadhus and gods bear witness.
Understanding this, abandon guile and deception,
And cherish perfect love for Bharat’s feet.
Ram’s devotees are constantly engaged in the good of others—
They are compassionate, and sad in the sadness of others,