||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

 

Chapter – 55– Ayodhya Kandam

 

 Bharatha, preceptors, King Janaka, and the people of Ayodhya and Mithila leaving the forest 

Bharatha prostrated before Prabhu and bade farewell was tightly embraced. Devendra became immensely pleased watching the scene and played his trick on the people who were already besieged with immense grief of separation from Rama, Lakshmana and Devi Sita.   It gave them hope to wait for Rama’s return after Vanavasa, otherwise they might have died on the spot. It was the grace of Rama, the deities relieved from their qualms. Brothers remained in the embrace of each other, their love and kindness were beyond description, they shed tears of grief, they have lost courage, and the deities became gloomy watching the pain of separation among the brothers. It did not leave the highly intelligent preceptors, and Vairagins, who underwent extreme penances, King Janaka who is extremely valorous, and the Jeevanmukthas who abandoned worldly desires and bondage, lost their words, intellect, and Vairagya, and they too became emotional watching the love and affection between the brothers. King Janaka and preceptors became restless watching the bonding between the brothers, it was beyond description. Rama embraced Bharatha and Shathrughna, the ministers and the attendants immersed in their duties and responsibilities. The people of Ayodhya and Mithila began preparations to leave the woods; they could not control the grief. Thus, Bharatha and Shathrughna, prostrated before Rama and attentively listened to his command, began their journey. They prostrated before preceptors, Vanadevatha and all the sages and Rishis assembled, Bharatha embraced Lakshman.  Shathrughna prostrated before Lakshman. Bharatha and Shathrughna prostrated before Rama and Sita, and adorned the dust from their feet on their forehead; they have received abundant of blessings of Devi Sita, which is the source of all the auspiciousness.

 

Rama with his brothers prostrated before King Janaka and spoke “Oh! Swami, you have been very kind to us and took all the troubles to visit the forest with your people. Kindly bless us and return to Mithila.” King Janaka and the people of Mithila prepared to leave the forest; Rama worshiped the twice-born and illustrious Rishis and Sages, as Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Rama and Lakshmana met their mothers-in-law, and prostrated before them, and received their blessings. Rama, Bharatha, Lakshman, and Shathrughna prostrated before the preceptors, Vamadeva and Vashishta, Kaushika, Jabali, and people of Ayodhya and his ministers and families, and bade farewell to them. Rama spoke compassionately to the males and females of his age, and bade-farewell to them. Prabhu prostrated at the feet of Devi Kausalya, and embraced her; he pacified her and helped her to get seated into the attractive palanquin. Devi Sita bade farewell to her parents and the people of Mithila eventually returned to her dearest husband. She prostrated before her mothers-in-law and embraced them, Devi Sita enthusiastically bade farewell to all of them, and it was beyond description. She listened to her advice and received an abundance of blessings from them; she was soaked in the love with parents and mothers-in-law. Raghupathi helped his mothers to get seated inside the beautiful palanquin kept ready for them. Bharatha and Shathrughna embraced Rama and Lakshmana repeatedly. A huge army of men mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, was followed by Bharatha and King Janaka and the people of Ayodhya and Mithila. All of them left the wood as if in their dreams. The various animals in the forests ox, horses, elephants, were walked away heavy heartedly. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita, prostrated before the preceptors Vashishta and Vamadeva and returned to their hermitage, they were in a state of mixed feelings of grief and happiness which was unexplainable.

 

King Nishadha was highly revered by Rama, Lakshman, and Devi Sita, prepared to take leave from the forest, he moved away from heavy heartedly. The tribes in the forest Kola, Kirtha, and Beela were repeatedly prostrated before them and took a leave. Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana took a seat under a huge Vatavruksha and grieved on the separation of his dearest people. He narrated all those conversations that took place with Bharatha to Devi Sita and Lakshmana, and continuously praised the virtues and love of Bharatha. He was completely drenched in the love of Bharatha, his face revealed his boundless love for Bharatha. It was a difficult time for the creatures in the forest; even for the fishes in the rivers and ponds, birds and animals and non-living things were saddened. The deities showered flowers upon Rama, and they returned to their respective abode in absolute peace.