||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -112 – Dhoha

Rama and Devi Sita's journey to the Kingdom of Ayodhya

King Janaka offered Pan/betel leaves with rich fragrant ingredients and sweets, after a sumptuous meal to King Dhasharatha and his people, and they affectionately engaged in conversation and bade-farewell and returned to his fortress. There was a huge celebration on all these days, and the night and days were gone without anyone’s knowledge. On the next day, King Dhashartha got up early in the morning and finished all the morning rites; the King’s men sung the praise of the King.  King Dhashartha felt happy to meet his sons and their brides, he went to meet preceptor Vashishta. He bowed down before preceptor Vashishta and spoke “ Oh! Muniraj, I am fortunate to achieve your perpetual grace, Oh! Mune, kindly invites the twice-born to offer charity of cows decorated in ornaments,” eventually Sage Vashishta called out for all those saints, Maharishi Narada, Vamadeva, Valmiki, Jabali, Vishwamithra, and various illustrious Rishis and Sages assembled. King Dhasharatha prostrated before them, worshiped them, and offered respectable seats to them. King’s men brought four lakhs of good breed cows, resembled Kamadhenu, was adorned in ornaments; those beautiful cows were offered as the charity to the twice-born and sages. King Dhasharatha spoke in soft words “Oh! Mune, I have attained the highest of the piousness in my life today.” And the King who is Ravikulanandhan received the blessings of the Rishis and Sages assembled. King Dharasharatha called for the beggars, and distributed gold, garments, ornaments, horses, elephants, chariots, etc. they cheered ‘Victory to Lord of Surya dynasty!” and returned.  In this way, the celebration of the celestial wedding of the divine couple prolonged was impossible to describe even for the thousand hooded Adishesha.

King Dhasharatha repeatedly prostrated before Sage Vishwamithra “ Oh! Mune, we have attained all these fortunes, with your grace.” King Dhasharatha highly praised the generosity and the compassion of King Janaka, he had to continue to stay in the Mithila due to the constant affectionate requests of King Janaka, and every day King Dhasharatha approached the King Janaka with a request to return to Ayodya was warmly rejected. They have received an abundance of love and respect in the fortress, every day there was a various celebration in the city of Mithila to entertain the guests, in this way, King Dhasharatha and his family were fastened with the chain of the love of Janaka, remained in the city of Mithila for some time. Kaushika and Shathananda met Vidheharaja and advised to give permission to the guests to return to Ayodhya to resume their duties and responsibilities. Thus, they mutually agreed to proceed to the Kingdom of Ayodhya, all the ministers of the King Janaka, the twice-born in the assembly were gathered, the people of Mithila was disappointed, King Janaka made all the arrangements for their safe return to the city of Ayodhya, he sends people to make sure their places of stay and meals, carts were loaded with dry fruits, sweets, snacks, beddings, etc. available in each point of halt, until the place of destination. There were several people followed them with all these materials, he offered one lack horses adorned in jewels and various ornaments, two thousand and five hundred well decorated chariots, ten thousand elephants adorned in various exquisite ornaments and silk, carts full of gold, garments, ornaments, etc. also sent cows and buffalos, and various things as a gift. In this way, King Janaka bade farewell to King Dhasharatha, the gifts offered were unimaginable for the rulers on the Earth.

The queens were extremely saddened to watch leave the groom’s people, they distressed like the fishes out of the water. The queens took Devi Sita on their lap and advised “Oh! child, you should sincerely serve your husband, you should long live with your husband, it is our blessings to you. You have to serve your husband, his parents, and the elderly people in the palace. You should sincerely follow the wishes of your husband always.” The dearest companions of Devi Sita affectionately described the duty of a household woman to her, the three princesses were repeatedly advised by their mothers and embraced, and they have asked questions to themselves “Why did Bhrama create women on this Earth?”

Rama along with his brothers arrived in the palace of Janaka to bid farewell, the woman folks and men in the city rushed to their feet to watch the loveliness of these four handsome youths. They spoke each other in sad tone “These four handsome sons of King Dhasharatha is leaving the city of Mithila, the King of Vidheha made all the arrangements for their departure. Let everyone watch these divine children of King Dhasharatha and take great pleasure in it. These four princes were our dearest guests, we are extremely fortunate to meet them in our lives, it is like the nectar to a person nearing death, a beggar achieved Kalpavriksha, Jeeva attained Paramdhama of Sri Hari, after the hellish torture in the abode Yama, Oh! Ladies and gentlemen, we are extremely fortunate ones; we had the opportunity to witness these four brothers. Let everyone take extreme pleasure in the loveliness of Rama and install his charm on their own hearts like the serpent keep protects the gem on its forehead. Let your hearts take great pleasure in the marvelous form of Rama with intense devotion and faith.”

Rama with his brothers entered inside the palace to meet the family members and woman folks. They were extremely happy to watch these four brothers, young women spread gifts and took Harathi of these four handsome brothers. They repeatedly prostrated before the feet of Rama, they have forgotten shyness, and the queens felt extremely happy and showered an abundance of love to their sons-in-law. They took Rama and brothers, smeared highly fragrant sandalwood paste and saffron mixture on their bodies and gave bath to them, and offered six kinds of meals and made them happy. Rama did not intervene in their happiness, in an appropriate moment he spoke affectionately “King Dhasharatha is all prepared to leave the city of Mithila, he wanted us to bid farewell to you all, therefore Oh! Mothers, kindly let us make a move with happiness and affection, always consider us as your children.” The ladies in the palace were heart-broken hearing the words of Rama, they could not speak due to grief, became too emotional. They embraced their daughters and gave their hands in their husband.

Devi Sunayana offered the hands of Devi Sita to Rama and with hands folded she spoke “Oh! Vathsa, Oh! Sarvajja, Sita is dear as my life, I am giving you my loveliest daughter who is not only promising to the city of Mithila, she is favorite of the people of Mithila and she is dearest as our lives to me and her father. Therefore kindly treat her with kindness and love, Oh! Rama kindly considers her as your sincere attendant. Oh! Rama, you are flawless and wise, you are the abode of love and compassion, and you always take notice of goodness and virtues of your devotees, Oh! Rama, you are the remover of all the impurities of them and you are the ocean of mercy. ” Devi Sunayana prostrated before Rama, her words were soaked in extreme love, he raised her and with folded hands, bow down the head before them, received their blessings and left the palace of King Janaka with his four brothers. The queens were watching at the loveliness of Rama and his pleasant words, they embraced their daughters, they followed the couples, and embraced their daughters again and again, as everyone was watching the mothers and daughters were showering an abundance of love, like the cow shows affection to its newborn calf, the dearest companions of the princesses were separated, the men and women assembled, attendants of the palace, and women in the palace expressed their love for these princesses, it was a mixture of feeling of kindness and separation.