by Tulsidas
But I have said too much and been too bold—
Do whatever is fitting and proper, lord.’
‘You are dharma’s bulwark and compassion’s abode,
So how could you have spoken otherwise, Ram?
Our people are distressed; so let them, for a few days more,
Look at you and rest from sorrow.’
(248)
On hearing Ram’s words, the assembly had grown as fearful
As a tossing ship upon the ocean,
But upon hearing the guru’s auspicious speech,
It was though the winds had turned in their favour.
They bathed three times every day in the pure and holy Mandakini,
The sight of which destroys a torrent of sins,
And filled their eyes with sight of Ram, the embodiment of all blessings,
Joyfully prostrating before him again and again.
They went to see Ram’s hill and forest,
Where there is every joy and no sorrow,
Where torrents flow with water as sweet as nectar,
And soft, cool and fragrant breezes blow that put out the triple fires of affliction,
Where grow innumerable varieties of trees, creepers and grasses,
And fruits, flowers and leaves of many kinds,
Where there are cliffs and boulders pleasing to the eye, and the soothing shade of trees.
Who can describe the beauty of that forest?
The lakes were filled with lotuses,
Waterbirds called and black bees hummed,
While colourful birds and beasts of many kinds,
Roamed the forest, abandoning their natural enmity.
(249)
The Kols, Kirats, Bhils and other forest residents,
Brought honey pure and clear, and as delicious as nectar,
In beautifully fashioned leaf-bowls filled to the brim,
As well as bundles of tubers, roots, wild fruits and sprouts,
And offered them to all, saluting humbly,
Naming and describing the taste, variety and virtues of each food.
The people offered them a large price, but they would not accept it,
And returned it in Ram’s name.
In sweet tones steeped in love they said,
‘The good respect love when they see it.
You are virtuous beings, and we are lowly Nishads,
Who have been granted a sight of you only by Ram’s favour.
Being in your presence was otherwise as utterly unattainable for us
As the stream of the divine Ganga is for the desert lands of Maru.
Compassionate Ram has shown his grace to the Nishad chief—
As is the king, so should be his kin and people.
Bearing this in mind, abandon your scruples.
And seeing our love, graciously
Fulfil our wish by accepting
These fruits, herbs and sprouts.
(250)
You beloved guests have come to the forest,
But our fate has not made us worthy of serving you.
What can we offer you, masters?
Kirat friendship is only firewood and leaves,
And our greatest service to you
Is not to steal your clothes and cooking vessels.
We are brutish creatures, slayers of living beings,
Crooked, cruel, ignorant and base-born.
Our days and nights pass in sinful doings,
We wear no cloth around our waist, nor are our bellies ever full.
How can we even dream of knowing dharma?
All this is the effect of having seen Raghunandan—
Ever since we have seen the Lord’s lotus feet,
Our unendurable sorrows and sins have disappeared.’
Hearing their words, the citizens of Avadh were overwhelmed with love,
And began to praise the good fortune of the forest people.
All began to praise their good fortune,
Addressing them in affectionate words,
And noting their speech, their courteous greeting,
And their devotion to the feet of Sita and Ram, rejoiced.
Men and women thought little of their own devotion,
When they heard the words of the Kols and the Bhils.
It was by the grace of the jewel of the Raghu line, says Tulsi,
That a boat laden with iron reached the shore.
Each day, they all roamed the forest in every direction,
Happy and delighted,
Like frogs and peacocks made fat and joyous
By the waters of the first rains.
(251)
The men and women of Avadh were immersed in love
So that their days passed like the blink of an eye.
Sita assumed as many forms as she had mothers-in-law,
And served them reverently, with equal attention,
Yet no one but Ram saw this mystery,
For all illusion is inherent in Sita’s maya.
Sita, by her service, won over her mothers-in-law,
And they, greatly pleased, instructed and blessed her.
Seeing the two brothers and Sita so sincere and simple,
The perverse queen repented to the full.
Kaikeyi implored the earth and Jamraj,
But neither would the ground open up to swallow her, nor did fate give her death.
Tradition, the Vedas and poets all declare—
Even hell does not take in one hostile to Ram.
In everyone’s mind was this uncertainty now—
‘Oh God, will Ram return to Avadh or not?’
With no sleep by night or appetite by day,
Bharat was troubled by this pure thought,
Like a fish stuck in the mud at the bottom of the pond
Worrying about the lack of water.
(252)
‘Using my mother as its excuse, fate wrought this mischief,
Like a ripening crop of rice threatened by calamities.
And now, how will Ram’s coronation be accomplished?
I cannot think of a single way.
He would certainly return in obedience to our guru’s command—
But the guru will order him to return only if he knows it to be Ram’s will.
If his mother asks, then too Raghurao would return—
But will Ram’s mother ever so insist?
And I, who am but his servant, I am of no account,
That too in these evil times and fate hostile to me.
Were I to insist, it would be a grievous sin—
A servant’s dharma is heavier than Mount Kailash!’
Bharat could not settle his mind on a single plan,
And his whole night passed in anxious thought.
At dawn, he bathed and bowed his head to the Lord,
And had just sat down when the Rishi Vasishtha sent for him.
Saluting his guru’s lotus feet
And receiving his permission, Bharat sat down,
While the Brahmans, important citizens, ministers
And all the councillors came and assembled there.
(253)
The great muni spoke in words appropriate to the occasion,
‘Listen to me, councillors and you, wise Bharat.
The upholder of dharma, sun of the solar dynasty,
King Ram, is the Supreme God, dependent on none but himself,
True to his word, and preserver and guardian of the Vedas.
Ram’s birth is the source of well-being to this world.
Obedient to the words of guru, father and mother,
He destroys the armies of the wicked and is the benefactor of the gods.
Duty, love, spiritual and material truth—
No one knows these as perfectly as Ram.
Vidhi, Hari, Har, the moon and the sun, the guardians of the spheres,
Maya, the soul, all karma and time,
The serpent-king, the lords of the earth and wha
tever other powers there may be,
Even the magic powers acquired through yogic practice, praised in the Shastras and Vedas—
Ponder well in your hearts and you will clearly see—
They are all under Ram’s command.
Therefore, it will be to our benefit
To obey and carry out Ram’s command and wish.
Keeping this in mind, all you wise men should
Now do what you unanimously resolve.
(254)
Ram’s coronation will bring happiness to all,
And is the only path to well-being and joy.
But how can Raghurao be persuaded to return to Avadh?
Think about this and propose a plan, and on it we shall act.’
All listened reverently to the great muni’s speech
Steeped in justice, truth and worldly wisdom,
But no one had an answer, for no one could think of a plan.
Then, bowing his head, Bharat said with folded hands,
‘There have been many kings in the dynasty of the sun,
Each one greater than the last.
All owe their birth to their fathers and mothers,
But it is providence that dispenses the good or bad fruit of their actions.
But the whole world knows that it is your blessing alone
That destroys sorrow and bestows all happiness.
It is you, lord, who have altered the course of destiny,
Who, then, can change a decision you have made?
And yet now, you ask me for a plan—
This is all my misfortune.’
Hearing these affectionate words,
The guru’s heart swelled with love.
(255)
‘Son,’ he said, ‘what you say is true, but it is all Ram’s grace.
He who is hostile to Ram cannot achieve success even in dream.
There is one way, my son, though I hesitate to say it,
The wise will sacrifice half when the whole is in danger of being lost—
Do you two brothers go into exile in the forest,
And let Lakshman, Sita and Raghurao be brought back.’
Upon hearing these pleasing words, the two brothers rejoiced,
And their entire bodies were suffused with joy.
Their hearts were as elated and their bodies as radiant with joy
As though the king was alive again and Ram had become king.
For the people, this seemed great gain and little loss,
But the queens wept, for their sorrow was equal to their joy.
Said Bharat, ‘Doing as the muni proposes,
Will yield the fruit of giving to all beings in the world what they desire.
I will live in the forest all my life—
There is no greater happiness than this for me.
Ram and Sita pervade all hearts,
And you are all-knowing and wise.
If you do mean what you say, lord,
Make your words come true.’
(256)
Hearing Bharat’s words and seeing his love,
The muni and the whole assembly lost all awareness of themselves.
Bharat’s immense glory was the ocean,
And the muni’s proposal, a woman standing on its shore,
Longing to cross, and searching for ways to do so,
But finding neither boat, nor ship, nor raft.
Who else, then, can tell of Bharat’s glory?
Can the ocean be contained in a pond-mussel’s shell?
Deeply pleased with Bharat in his heart, the muni
With the whole assembly, came to Ram.
The Lord made obeisance and offered him a seat of honour,
And all sat down on receiving the muni’s permission.
The noble muni then spoke words he had considered well,
And which were appropriate to the place, time and circumstances.
‘Listen, Ram, all-knowing and wise,
You are the abode of dharma, prudence, virtue and wisdom.
You dwell in the hearts of all,
And know all sentiments, good and bad.
The citizens of Avadh, the royal mothers and Bharat—
Give me, then, a solution that will benefit them all.
(257)
The distressed speak without thinking,
And a gambler sees only his own move.’
On hearing the muni’s words, Raghurao replied,
‘Master, the solution is in your own hands,
For it will be beneficial to all to follow your wishes,
And gladly obey your commands, regarding them as the truth.
First, whatever be your command to me,
I will fulfil, reverently carrying out your instruction.
And then, master, whatever command you give, to whoever,
He will carry out fully, devoting himself to your service in every way.’
The muni replied, ‘Ram, you have spoken truly,
But Bharat’s love has deprived me of my ability to think.
That is why I will say again and again,
That my mind is overwhelmed by Bharat’s devotion,
And in my opinion—as Shiv is witness—whatever you do,
Honouring Bharat’s wishes, will be the best.
Listen, first, with attention to Bharat’s prayer,
And reflect upon it,
Then, extracting the wisdom of saints, worldly opinion,
The rules of kingship, and the Vedas, do as they enjoin.’
(258)
Seeing the guru’s love for Bharat,
Ram’s heart was especially glad.
Knowing Bharat to be a staunch upholder of dharma
And his own faithful servant in body, mind and speech,
Ram, in accordance with the guru’s command,
Spoke gentle, soft and pleasing words.
‘Master, I swear by you and by my father’s feet—
There has never been a brother like Bharat in this world.
Those who love their guru’s lotus feet,
Are considered very fortunate in this world and in the Vedas,
So who can describe Bharat’s good fortune,
For whom you hold such love?
Knowing that he is my younger brother, my mind shrinks
From praising Bharat to his face.
But whatever Bharat says will be good for us to do.’
So saying, Ram became silent.
Then the muni said to Bharat,
‘Now abandon all hesitation, son,
And to the ocean of compassion, your own dear brother,
Say what you have in your heart.’
(259)
Hearing the muni’s words and receiving Ram’s consent,
Bharat was gratified to know that his guru and his master were on his side.
But knowing the whole burden to be upon his head,
He could say nothing, and remained lost in thought.
His body trembling, he stood there in the assembly,
His lotus eyes overflowing with tears of love.
‘The king of sages has already spoken for me—
What more shall I say?
I know my own master’s disposition,
He is never angry even with those who do wrong.
He holds especial kindness and love for me,
For even at play I never saw him angry.
From childhood, I have never left his side,
And he has never broken my heart.
I have seen in my heart the Lord’s gracious ways,
Even if I were losing in a game, he would make me win.
And I, constrained by love and diffidence,
Have never opened my mouth in front of him.
And my eyes, thirsting for his love,
Have not yet been sated by his sight.
(260)
But fate could not bear to see me so loved,
And in the form of my vile mother, caused a rift between us.
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To say this does not befit me even today,
For who becomes virtuous and pure by his own estimation?
That my mother is base and I am noble and good—
To even admit this into the heart is equal to a million misdeeds.
Can an ear of kodo yield good rice,
Or a black snail bring forth a pearl?
Not even in dream does the smallest particle of blame attach to anyone,
For it is my bad luck that is a fathomless ocean.
Without understanding the result of my own sins,
I vainly hurt my mother by harsh words.
Searching my heart in every direction, I am defeated,
And in one way only is my good assured—
With the great muni for my guru, and Sita and Ram for my masters,
I feel that all will be well in the end.
In this assembly of good men, in the presence of my guru and my lord,
And in this holy place, I speak what I truly feel,
And whether this is love or deceit, falsehood or truth,
The muni and Raghurao know.
(261)
To the king’s death, honouring his promise of love,
And my mother’s wickedness, the whole world is witness.
The royal mothers are so distraught, I cannot bear to look at them,
The men and women of Avadh burn in intolerable anguish.
It is I who am the cause of all this suffering,
And I endure the pain of hearing and knowing.
When I heard that Raghunath had left for the forest
In the robes of an ascetic, with Lakshman and Sita,
On foot and without shoes—
May Shankar be my witness—I survived this wound.
And again, when I saw the Nishad’s love,
My adamant-hard heart refused to break.
Now, coming here, I have seen all with my own eyes,
But my unfeeling soul continues to live and will make me suffer it all.
Those at the sight of whom even snakes and scorpion on the road
Abandon their deadly venom and fierce anger—
Those same Raghunandan, Lakshman and Sita,
Appeared to Kaikeyi as her enemies.
Upon whom, then, but her son should fate
Inflict intolerable anguish?’
(262)
Hearing Bharat’s greatly distraught but noble speech,