||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 19– Ayodhya Kandam

Rama meets the ferryman

Sumanthra felt disappointed after listening to the emotional speeches of Devi Sita, he became anxious about the safety of Devi Sita in the woods, like a serpent that has lost the gem on its forehead, he could not respond anything to her, Rama pacified Sumanthra, but he could not get peace. Sumanthra made all efforts to follow Raghava, but Rama advised him to return to the palace, he could not refuse the command of Raghunandhana, left everything to destiny, and prepared to leave them. Sumanthra prostrated before Rama, Lakshman, and Sita, and retired like a trader who has become a pauper. Sumanthra got into the chariot, the horses neighed looking at Rama, the Nishadhas wept bitterly and bet their head and spoke “Even the animals cannot bear the separation from the Prabhu, how did the people of Ayodhya and his parents survive in the absence of Rama?” Thus Rama convinced Sumanthra back to palace, he unwillingly drove the chariot to the city of Ayodhya.

Rama along with Lakshman and Sita returned to the riverbank of Ganga and called for a ferryman, but he refused to take him into his ferry, he spoke “Oh! Rama, I know the truth of you, everyone says that the dust particles of your feet make the immovable into living beings, my ferry is not hard as stone, if my ferry turned out a beautiful chaste woman like Ahalya, that would put me into deep trouble, I am earning a livelihood by carrying people on my ferry, I am taking care of my large family with that income and I do not know any other work, hence, Oh! Swami,  if you want to cross the river, first thing let me wash your feet with the water. Kindly give me permission for that. I can let you on the ferry after washing your feet; I do not need any money to carry you all on my ferry, Oh! Rama, I am telling you the truth, let Lakshman gets angry with me and shoots an arrow on me. But one thing is certain, I will not let you inside the ferry, before washing your feet, Oh! Prabhu of Tulsidas kindly gives me your permission to wash your feet otherwise I won’t let you inside my ferry.” Rama smiled looked at the face of Lakshman and Janaki, after listening to the compassionate and innocent words of the ferryman.

The Supreme Lord whose sacred name is enough to save the Jeeva to cross the unfathomable ocean of worldly existence, whose feet measured the three worlds in three strides, that compassionate Lord requested the ferryman “Do whatever you need to protect your ferry, bring water and wash my feet, I have to cross the river at the earliest.” Rama smiled at him with extreme love. The ferryman immediately ran towards the water and brought a wooden vessel full of water, and he affectionately washed the feet of Rama. The deities showered flowers upon the ferryman and praised his fortune and got jealous of him. He washed the feet of Prabhu and consumed that water with his family and they have attained supreme piousness, eventually he dropped Rama, Lakshman and Devi Sita on the other side of the river. The ferryman fell at the feet of Rama, who thought he has nothing to give to the ferryman, immediately Devi Sita handed him with her gem studded ring, Rama gave it to the ferryman.   The ferryman has fallen at the feet of Rama with intense devotion and spoke “Oh! Swami, Oh! Prabhu, Today my grief, miseries, and suffering has ended, I have been working as ferryman for so long, but today I have got the fruitful result of my work. Oh! Dheenadhayala, I do not need anything other than your compassionate grace, when you return from the woods, I will wait here to receive whatever you give to me.” Rama and Lakshmana insisted the ferryman to receive the gem-studded ring of Janaki, but he refused to accept it, instead, he received intense devotion and faith upon Supreme Lord Rama.