As they found pleasure in Bharadvaja’s hermitage, the night passed. Having taken Bharadvaja’s permission, the rivers, the gandharvas and all the beautiful women went away to wherever they had come from. The men were crazy and intoxicated with liquor, smeared with divine sandalwood paste and aloe. Many kinds of excellent and celestial garlands were strewn around, crushed by the men.
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Bharata was extended hospitality by Bharadvaja. Having spent the night there, with his retinue, he desired to leave. The rishi saw that the tiger among men had arrived, hands joined in salutation. Having offered oblations into the agnihotra fire, Bharadvaja addressed Bharata. ‘O unblemished one! Have you spent the night happily, having arrived in our region? Have your people received hospitality? Tell me.’ The rishi, excellent in his energy, had emerged from his hermitage. Thus addressed, Bharata joined his hands in salutation and bowed down before him. ‘O illustrious one! I, and all the soldiers and mounts, have spent the time happily. Thanks to you, the advisers and the soldiers have been satisfied with every object of desire. We have eaten well. We obtained an excellent abode. All our exhaustion and hardship has been dispelled. Having obtained everything, all our servants have also spent the time happily. O illustrious one! O supreme rishi! I seek your permission to leave and approach my brother now. Please cast a friendly eye towards me. O one who knows about dharma! Where is the hermitage of the great-souled one who is devoted to dharma? Tell me which path I should follow and how far it is from this spot.’ Bharata, desirous of seeing his brother, asked this and the immensely energetic Bharadvaja, great in austerities, replied. ‘O Bharata! Three-and-a-half yojanas from here, there is a desolate forest.327 Mount Chitrakuta is there, with beautiful caverns and groves. If you approach the northern flank, there is the river Mandakinee, shrouded by blossoming trees and beautiful and flowering groves. Mount Chitrakuta is beyond that river. O son!328 It is certain that they are dwelling there, in a cottage made of leaves and twigs. O lord of the army! Make the army full of elephants, horses and chariots follow the southern path, or go left and then south. O immensely fortunate one! You will then be able to directly see Raghava.’
The women of the king of kings329 deserved to be in carriages. However, hearing about the path, they got down from their carriages and surrounded the brahmana. Kousalya was wan, distressed and trembling. With Queen Sumitra, she seized the sage’s feet with her hands. Kaikeyee’s objectives had not been accomplished and she had been censured by all the worlds. Ashamed, she too seized his feet. She then circumambulated the illustrious and great sage and distressed in her mind, stood near Bharata. Bharadvaja, firm in his vows, told Bharata, ‘O Raghava! I wish to know the special characteristics of your mothers.’ Thus addressed by Bharadvaja, Bharata, who was devoted to dharma and accomplished in the use of words, joined his hands in salutation and replied, ‘O illustrious one! This one is distressed and miserable, afflicted through fasting. She is my father’s chief queen. You can see that she is like a goddess. Rama is a tiger among men, with a valorous stride like that of a lion. Kousalya gave birth to him, just as Aditi did to Dhata.330 There is the one who is distressed in her mind and clings to her331 left arm. She is like the branch of a karnikara tree,332 with dried flowers, standing at the end of a forest. This queen’s sons are the two brave princes Lakshmana and Shatrughna, for whom truth is their valour and whose complexion is like that of the gods.333 This is the one because of whom the lives of the two tigers among men have been destroyed and, deprived of his sons, King Dasharatha has gone to heaven. This is Kaikeyee, who desired prosperity and is ignoble, though noble in appearance. Know her to be my cruel mother, wicked in her determination. I discern that she is the root cause behind my great hardship.’
The tiger among men said this, in a voice choking with tears. With his eyes coppery red, he sighed like an irate serpent. The immensely intelligent maharshi Bharadvaja replied to Bharata in words that were full of meaning. ‘O Bharata! Understand that you should not ascribe any wickedness to Kaikeyee. Rama’s exile will lead to the generation of happiness.’334 Content, Bharata honoured him and circumambulated him. He instructed that the soldiers should be yoked. Divine chariots decorated with gold were yoked to steeds. Desiring to leave, many kinds of people ascended these. There were female and male elephants with golden harnesses and flags. They left, trumpeting like clouds at the end of the summer. Many other vehicles, large, small and expensive, departed. The foot soldiers walked on foot. Desiring to see Rama, the women, with Kousalya at the forefront, happily left on their excellent vehicles. The handsome Bharata and his companions left on an auspicious palanquin that had been kept ready and was as radiant as the young moon. Full of elephants, horses and chariots, that great army left in this way, enveloping the southern direction like a gigantic cloud that had arisen. They passed through the forest that was full of animals and birds. The elephants, horses and warriors were delighted, but they terrified the large number of animals and birds. As it penetrated that great forest, Bharata’s army was resplendent.
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As that large army with its flags marched, the residents of the forest, the maddened leaders of the herds335 were frightened and fled, with their herds. In every direction, along forest paths, mountains and rivers, large numbers of bear, spotted dear and ruru antelopes could be seen. Dasharatha’s son, with dharma in his soul, happily marched. He was surrounded by a roaring army with the four kinds of forces. The great-souled Bharata’s army was like the waves of the ocean and covered the earth, like clouds cover the sky before showers. Because of the waves of speedy horses and extremely swift elephants, for a long period of time, the earth could not be seen. Having travelled a great distance, the mounts were extremely exhausted.
The handsome Bharata spoke to Vasishtha, supreme among ministers. ‘Matching the appearance of this place with what I had heard, it is evident that we have reached the region Bharadvaja spoke about. This is Mount Chitrakuta and that river is Mandakinee. From a distance, the forest has the complexion of a blue cloud. This beautiful spot at the foot of Mount Chitrakuta is now being trampled by my elephants, which are themselves like elephants. These trees on the summit of the mountain are showering down flowers, just as at the end of the summer, dark and dense clouds shower down water on the earth. O Shatrughna! Behold the spot on the mountain, frequented by kinnaras. In every direction, it is now covered by horses, like makaras in the ocean. These herds of deer are swift in food. They are being driven away, like a mass of clouds driven away by the wind in the autumn sky. These trees are crested with fragrant flowers and have clumps of fruit that have the complexion of clouds, like men from the south.336 This forest, terrible in form, used to be silent. Filled with people, it now seems like Ayodhya to me. The dust raised by the hooves covers the sky, but is swiftly carried away by the wind, thus causing me pleasure. O Shatrughna! Behold. The chariots are yoked to horses and controlled by the best among charioteers. They are swiftly entering the forest. Look at these beautiful peacocks and birds. Terrified, they are entering their nests in the mountain. To me, this region appears to be extremely pleasant. It is evident that this is the residence of ascetics and the path to heaven. In the forest, there are many male spotted deer, with female deer. Their beautiful forms can be seen, as if they are decorated with flowers. Let the virtuous soldiers explore the forest to see where the two tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana, can be seen.’
Hearing Bharata’s words, the brave men, with weapons in their hands, entered the forest and saw some smoke. On seeing the smoke in front of them, they came and told Bharata, ‘There cannot be a fire without men. It is evident that the two Raghavas are there. If the two princes, tigers among men and scorchers of enemies, are not there, it is evident that other ascetics who are like Rama must be there.’ Hearing their words, which were in conformity with what the virtuous would say, Bharata, the destroyer of the forces of the enemy, spoke to all the soldiers. ‘Remain here. You should not proceed further ahead. I will g
o alone, with Sumantra and the preceptor.’337 Thus addressed, in every direction, they spread themselves out there. Bharata looked towards the smoke and proceeded ahead. Bharata’s army could see the smoke in front, but remained there. Knowing that they would soon meet their beloved Rama, they were delighted.
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Dasharatha’s son, who loved mountains and forests and was like an immortal, had lived near that mountain for a long period of time. He wished to please his own mind and bring pleasure to Vaidehi. He showed his wife the beauty of Chitrakuta, like Purandara to Shachi. ‘O fortunate one! On seeing this beautiful forest, my mind is no longer distressed at being dislodged from the kingdom or from the absence of the well-wishers. O fortunate one! Behold this mountain, populated by many kinds of birds. Decorated with minerals, the summits rise up into the sky. Some places are like silver, others have the complexion of wounds.338 Some places are yellow in hue, others possess the complexion of excellent jewels. Some have the complexion of topaz, crystal and ketaka.339 Others possess the radiance of jyotirasa.340 Decorated by minerals, this spot in this Indra among mountains is dazzling. The place is surrounded by large numbers of many kinds of deer, elephants, hyenas and bears. This spot in the mountain is radiant with many kinds of birds that aren’t injurious. There are mangoes, jamuns, lodhras,341 priyalas,342 jackfruit, dhavas,343 ankola trees, bhavyas,344 tinishas,345 bilvas, tindukas, bamboos, kashmiras,346 arishtas,347 varanas,348 madhukas,349 tilakas,350 badaris, amalakas, neepas,351 cane, dhanvana trees and pomegranates. They are laden with flowers. They are laden with fruit. They provide shade and the spot is beautiful. This place on the mountain is covered with such beautiful flowers. O fortunate one! Behold these spirited kinnara couples, roaming around on the slopes of the mountain, delighted and in the throes of desire. They have slung their swords and their excellent garments from the branches. Behold the beautiful spots where the vidyadharas are sporting with their women. Here and there on the mountain, shining waterfalls are emerging, like musth exuding from crazy elephants. A breeze bearing the fragrances of many flowers wafts through the caverns, pleasing to the nose. Which man will not be delighted? O unblemished one! If I have to reside here, with you and Lakshmana, for many autumns, I will not suffer from any sorrow. It is beautiful with many kinds of flower and fruit. Large numbers of birds populate it. O beautiful one! I am indeed enraptured by this wonderful summit. I have obtained two kinds of fruit through residing in this forest—I have followed dharma in repaying my father’s debt and I have brought Bharata pleasure. O Vaidehi! Are you happy that you are in Chitrakuta with me? Look at these many kinds of things that bring pleasure to the mind, words and the body. The kings and rajarshis, my great grandfathers, have said that for objectives after death, one must reside in the forest, since it is like amrita. In every direction, hundreds of large boulders of this mountain are shining. There are many with many colours—blue, yellow, white and red. In the night, on this Indra among mountains, the radiance of thousands of herbs can be seen, shining with their own resplendence, like the tips of flames from a fire. Some parts have the complexion of mansions. Others possess the complexion of groves. O beautiful one! In other parts of this mountain, a single boulder shines. Chitrakuta seems to have arisen after shattering the earth. In every direction, Chitrakuta’s summit is seen to be auspicious. Behold. Coloured and fragrant white lotuses and leaves of birch provide excellent covers, while mats of kusha grass act as beds for those who wish to indulge in desire. O lady! Behold. Garlands of lotuses can be seen, crushed and cast aside by those who have indulged in desire. There are many kinds of fruits too. With many kinds of roots, fruit and water, Mount Chitrakuta is superior to Vasvoukasara, Nalini and Uttara Kuru.352 O lady! O Sita! With you and Lakshmana, I will roam around here for some time. I will obtain delight from extending the dharma of the lineage. I will engage in supreme rituals and follow the path of the virtuous.’
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Maithilee and the lord of Kosala emerged from the mountain and saw the auspicious and beautiful waters of the river Mandakinee. The lotus-eyed Rama spoke to the daughter of the king of Videha, who possessed a face that was as beautiful as the moon and lovely thighs. ‘Behold the wonderful and beautiful banks of the river Mandakinee, frequented by swans and cranes and with flowers leaning down over it. There are many kinds of trees, with flowers and fruit, which grow along the banks. In every direction, it is resplendent, like Rajaraja’s Nalini.353 Herds of deer are drinking now and dirtying the water. The beautiful descents into the water are creating great pleasure in me. O beloved one! At the right time, rishis who wear matted hair and have upper garments made up of bark and antelope skin immerse themselves in the river Mandakinee. O large-eyed one! There are other sages, rigid in their vows. They follow the rituals, raise up their arms and worship the sun god. On both sides of the river, the crests of trees are stirred by the wind and make leaves and flowers shower down, creating the impression that the mountain is dancing. In some places, the water sparkles like a jewel. In others, there are sand banks. Behold the river Mandakinee. In some places, it is full of siddhas. Behold the heaps of flowers that are shaken down by the wind. Behold the others that are floating away in the water. There are birds, the red ducks,354 with extremely melodious voices. O fortunate one! They are ascending,355 uttering auspicious tones. O beautiful one! I think that this sight of Chitrakuta and Mandakinee and the sight of you are better than residing in a city. The siddhas have cleansed themselves of sin and possess austerities, self-control and restraint. They always stir the waters. You should also have a bath with me. O Sita! Immerse yourself in this Mandakinee, it is like a friend to you. O beautiful one! Immerse yourself amidst the red and white lotuses. O lady! Think of the predatory beasts as citizens, this mountain as Ayodhya and this river as Sarayu. Lakshmana has dharma in his soul and his mind is devoted to commands. O Vaidehi! You are also kindly disposed towards me and this causes me delight. I bathe thrice a day. I subsist on honey, roots and fruit. With you, I don’t desire Ayodhya or the kingdom now. These beautiful waters are agitated by herds of elephants. Elephants, lions and apes drink it. Blossoming flowers adorn the ground. Who is there who will not overcome his exhaustion and be happy here?’ Rama spoke many other appropriate words about the river. Chitrakuta possessed the complexion of collyrium used on the eyes. With his beloved, the extender of the Raghu lineage roamed around in that beautiful spot.
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While they were there, Bharata’s soldiers approached. The noise and dust created by them rose up and touched the sky. At that moment, terrified by the great noise that was created, the crazy leaders of herds were afflicted and, with their herds, fled in different directions. Raghava heard the clamour that was created by the soldiers. He saw that all the herds were running away. Having seen them run away and having heard the noise, Rama spoke to Soumitri Lakshmana, who blazed in his energy. ‘O Lakshmana! Alas! Sumitra has given birth to a good son like you. A tumultuous sound can be heard, like the terrible and deep thunder of a cloud. Is a king or a prince roaming around in the forest in search of a hunt, or is it some predatory beast? O Soumitri! You should find out. You should quickly find out everything about this.’
Lakshmana swiftly ascended a flowering sala tree. He glanced towards all the directions and looked at the eastern direction. He saw a giant army in the northern direction. It had a large number of chariots, horses and elephants and well-trained infantry. There were many horses and elephants. The chariots were adorned with flags. He told Rama about the army and spoke these words. ‘O noble one! Extinguish the fire and let Sita find refuge in a cave. Ready your bow, arrows and armour.’ At this, Rama, tiger among men, replied to Lakshmana. ‘O Soumitri! Look at the signs. Whose army do you think this is?’ Lakshmana was like an enraged fire, wishing to burn down the soldiers. Thus addressed, he replied to Rama in these words. ‘It is evident that having accomplished the objective of obtaining the kingdom and having been crowned, Bharata, Kaikeyee’s son, is coming her
e to kill us. An extremely large and dazzling tree can be seen. On a chariot, a standard with a kovidara, raising up its shining trunk, can be seen.356 As they will, horse riders are prancing around astride their horses. There are resplendent and delighted riders astride the elephants. O brave one! Let us seize our bows and ascend the mountain. Or let us remain here, armoured and with weapons upraised. In a battle, perhaps the kovidara standard will come under our control. O Raghava! Perhaps we will see Bharata, because of whom we—you, Sita and I—have faced this great hardship. O Raghava! You have been dislodged from the eternal kingdom because of him. O brave one! That enemy Bharata is approaching. He should be slain by me. O Raghava! I do not see any sin attached to slaying Bharata. If one abandons a person who has caused an injury earlier, no adharma has been said to be attached to that. When he has been killed, you will rule over the entire earth. Kaikeyee desires the kingdom. In the encounter today, she will see her son slain by me, like a tree by an elephant, and will be extremely miserable. I will also slay Kaikeyee, with all her followers and relatives. Today, I will free the earth from this great taint. O one who grants honours! Because of the slight, my rage has been ignited and I will destroy the soldiers of the enemy, like a fire amidst dry wood. Today, I will mangle the bodies of the enemy with sharp arrows and make the forest of Chitrakuta overflow with the consequent blood. The hearts of elephants and horses will be shattered with arrows. Predatory beasts will drag them away and the bodies of the men who are killed by me. In this great forest, I will repay my debt to my bow and arrows. There is no doubt that I will slay Bharata, with his soldiers.’
The Valmiki Ramayana Page 35