||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 16– Ayodhya Kandam

Rama leaving the city of Ayodhya

Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana, prepared to leave to the forest and all the arrangements were made, Prabhu, Devi Sita and Lakshman reverentially prostrated before the twice-born and preceptors while the people of Ayodhya watching in awe.  They have arrived in the hermitage of Sage Vashishta and met all those people of Ayodhya who were besieged with the sorrow of separation from Raghuveera, he comforted them and called for the twice-born. Rama requested Maharishi Vashishta to make an immediate arrangement for the remuneration of twice-born for a year, so that it won’t create any hurdles to perform their rites, in this way Rama stolen the hearts of those twice-born with his humility, righteousness, and simplicity. He provided an abundance of charities to the beggars, showered boundless affection towards his companions, and made them satisfied, he called out for the female and male attendants and left them under the protection of preceptor and spoke “Oh! Swami kindly takes good care of these people and consider them as your children.” Rama with folded hands spoke to the people assembled “Oh! My eminent subjects of Ayodhya, whoever works for the welfare of the King, Kingdom, and its subjects are my favorites; you have to take care of my mother’s not to get distressed at the pain of separation from me.” Rama calmed the people surrounded him with the pleasing words and prostrated before Sage Vashishta. Thus, Rama received blessings from the preceptor, begun the journey to forest contemplating upon supreme Lord Ganesha, Gauri and Parameshwara.

Rama felt extremely difficult to move forward listening to the miserable cries of the people of Ayodhya, immediately there were bad omens appeared in the city of Lanka, the city of Ayodhya doomed in grief, the abode of deities drenched in happiness as well as sorrow. King Dhasharatha regained consciousness and enquired Sumanthra “Oh! Sumanthra, Rama must have started the journey to the forest, but my life is still clinging on to this body. What did the Prana expect from this body? Is there any happiness left for this Prana to enjoy? There is no pain could take away my Prana, other than the separation from Rama. Oh! Dear companion, follow Rama in your chariot. These two princes are too young and tender aged, and Sita is too youthful. Take them for a ride in the forest for two or three days, and bring them back to the palace. If the two brothers are not willing to return home, pray with folded hands to send back Maithili to the palace, she would get scared of the wilderness of the forest, advise her to return home, her parents are worried about her safety in the forest, and ask her to live with parents-in-law or her parents home as she desires. Kindly, make all effort to bring them back, if she returns back I may survive, otherwise, I could not live, Oh! Sumanthra, bring back Rama, Lakshman, and Sita,” King Dhasharatha wept bitterly and fallen unconscious.

Sumanthra prostrated before King Dhasharatha, he arranged the fastest chariot to travel to the forest, and in no time arrived at the place where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana settled out of the city. Sumanthra informed the instructions of King Dhasharatha and requested them to get into the chariot. They took a seat on the chariot and heartily prostrated Ayodhya and began their journey. The people of Ayodhya found it difficult to live in Ayodhya without Rama, so they began to follow Rama to the forest. The Supreme Lord who is Kripasindhu advised them several times and to return to their homes and follow their duties and responsibilities, unfortunately, they could not get peace without Rama, so they rushed back to join with Rama.

The darkness in the city of Ayodhya roused terror in its people, and the people looked like wild animals and they were scared to look each other, their homes had the resemblance of funeral ground and people lived in  it had the appearance of the spirit, and their children, parents, and relatives looked like the emissaries of Yama. The gardens and pleasure homes lost their charm, the trees, shrubs, and creepers dried, the well, ponds, and streams were lost its beauty and the purity of the water. All those herds of horses, elephants, and domesticated animals, birds, cuckoo, myna, Chathaka, Chakravaha, parrots, pelican, swan, Chakora were restless and produced anxious cries. The city had the appearance of the dense forest, filled with trees full of fruits, and the male and female of the city had the appearance of animals and birds, as if God has given the role of Kiratha woman to Devi Kaikeyi to burn down the forest like Ayodhya.

The people of Ayodhya could not control their grief, they have taken a collective decision “There is no happiness in the city of Ayodhya, in the absence of Rama, Lakshmana, and Devi Sita. Therefore, we will live together with Rama in the forest, there is no work left for us in Ayodhya in the absence of Rama.” In this way, they have abandoned their beautiful houses and the comforts, even the deities got jealous of watching their beautiful homes and richness, and they followed Rama. Will it be possible for the worldly matters to attack the person who is vested intense faith and devotion at the lotus feet of Rama? These people left the elderly and small children at homes and moved to the forest. On the first day, Rama stayed on the riverbank of Thamasa. He felt extremely sad watching the people of Ayodhya, the troubles they have taken, and their intense love and devotion towards him. The compassionate Lord gets easily emotional watching the troubles of his devotees; he pacified them with lovely words. Rama imparted knowledge in Dharmashasthra and advised them to return to their homes, but they could not follow them due to their intense love and devotion upon Rama, it put Rama in deep grief. That night, the people were tired of grief drown to deep sleep, eventually, the Maya of Lord heaved them to a state of stillness. It was darkest hours in the night; Rama spoke to Sumanthra “Oh! Father, keeps your chariot moving here and there so that no one could trace out the direction of the chariot, otherwise, we cannot proceed to our duties.” Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana contemplated upon Lord Shambhu and seated on the chariot, Sumanthra tactfully moved the chariot into different directions in such a way that it was impossible to locate the direction of the chariot and in this way, they have crossed several miles.