||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 21– Ayodhya Kandam

Rama's journey through the banks of river Yamuna

On that night Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Guha spend their night in the hermitage of Sage Bharadhwaja. In the early morning, Rama took bath in Prayag and conducted morning rites after they bade farewell to Sage Bharadhwaja. Rama enquired the Sage about the place where he should conduct austerities, Sage Bharadhwaja smiled in his heart and spoke “Oh! Rama, all the ways to the forest is effortless for you.” Sage Bharadhwaja instructed fifty of his disciple to guide Rama to the forest, they were extremely happy to take Rama to the forest, all of them were highly enthusiastic to go with Rama, and all had intense love and devotion for Rama. Finally, Sage Bharadhwaja instructed four of the Bhramacharis to guide Rama to the forest, those where highly fortunate ones who had performed various piousness in their previous births. Rama prostrated before Sage Bharadhwaja and continued his journey, while they were moving through the villages, the people lived in the villages rushed to meet Rama, leaving all their household chores and felt their life has attained fruitfulness. In this way, they have crossed several miles, Rama advised the four Bhramachari’s to return to their hermitage, they felt they have attained the greatest fortune to follow them.

Rama took a dip in the dark waters of Yamuna, people who lived on the river banks rushed to meet Rama. They kept staring at the loveliness of Rama, Lakshman, and Devi Sita, they forgot their work at home. They were too shy to ask the whereabouts of the three lovely people, but some of the elderly people who were highly intelligent recognized him as Rama. They described the reason Rama left the palace to keep the promise to his father, and the people assembled were extremely unhappy, and they criticized the deeds of King and the Queen. In the meantime a charming youthful ascetic arrived, he was highly devoted to Rama with his mind, words, and deeds, he was attired in saffron robes, saw his beloved Lord Rama, his eyes welled up in tears of joy, he prostrated before Rama, it was difficult to describe the devotion and the state of that youthful ascetic. Rama embraced him, it was like a beggar achieved Parasmani for that ascetic. Rama and the ascetic resembled Paramarththa and devotion. The youthful ascetic fallen at the feet of Lakshmana was raised affectionately, he took dust particles from the feet of Devi Sita and adorned on his head, Devi Sita blessed him, realized his as her son. The King of Nishadha prostrated before the youthful ascetic was embraced by him.  He thirstily drank the nectar-like beauty of Rama with his eyes. The people assembled conversed each other “How did the parents of these youths send their children to the forest?” the people from the village near the river banks of Yamuna kept looking at the loveliness of these youths.

Several days have passed,  Raghuveera advised Guha to return to his village Shrungabheripura, finally, he had to leave them unwillingly. Ram, Lakshman and Sita with the youthful ascetic prostrated before the daughter of Lord Surya/Yamuna, eulogized her splendor and conducted their journey. On their way, they met people who advised affectionately Rama “Oh! Children, you all resemble the royal family, kindly do not walk away through the dense forest. We feel very painful to watch you walking on the harsh pathways, the ways to the forest are extremely harsh, full of mountains, and dense wood. Moreover, you have a beautiful girl with you, this forest is densely inhabited with wild animals like lions, tigers, elephants, foxes, jackals, etc. if you allow us, we will follow you, and will help you to guide inside the forest.” The people assembled were revealed their willingness to serve them, was send back affectionately with pleasing words by Rama.

The deities felt jealous of the pathways and the villages that had attained the fortune to bear the footprints of Rama that excelled the splendor of Amaravathi of Lord Indra. The villagers who met Rama, has the complexion of dark clouds, Devi Sita and Lakshman was highly praised by the deities. The rivers and ponds where Rama took dip were excelled the piousness of the rivers in the abode of deities. The Kalpavruksha in the abode praised those trees where Rama took shelter underneath, the Mother Earth felt highly fortunate to bear the dust particles from the feet of Rama. The deities showered flowers upon them; Rama enthusiastically watched the birds, animals, mountains, and the creatures in the woods, and continued their journey. Whenever they arrive in the villages, the people assembled there watching the loveliness of them leaving all their work at home, in this way they have attained the piousness in their lives. The villagers kept watching at the beauty of them and shed tears of joy, it was beyond description, it was like the beggar attained the treasure of gems. Some of the people followed Rama, they could not take back their eyes from him, and they took great pleasure in the loveliness of Rama through the doors of eyes and locked it in their hearts.

The People assembled under Vatavruksha spread grass mattresses and advised them to take rest for a while; others brought mud pot full of water and offered to them. Rama looked at Devi Sita who was already exhausted, therefore decided to take shelter under the Vatavruksha. The people assembled around him were like Chakora birds fixing its gaze on the moon. Rama, who has the complexion of ‘Thamala’ /dark cloud complexion, excelled in the beauty of crores of Kamadeva. The two charming youths were wielded in bow and arrow, holding an arrow in their hands, they have attractive matted hair locks,  broad chest, long hands, and beautiful eyes resemble lotus flower petals. Their face has the resemblance to the autumn moon was filled in sparkling perspiration, the loveliness of Rama and Lakshman was beyond description. I am not competent to describe their splendor.

The villagers assembled were looking at the loveliness of Rama, Lakshman, and Devi Sita, their mind and intellect was completely wedged in their beauties, and stood like a portrait, fixed their gaze at them, like the male and female deer stares at the brightness. The females of the village approached Devi Sita, and engaged in pleasing conversation with her, they repeatedly prostrated at the feet of Janaki, who was reluctant to speak anything, and they began to speak slowly “Oh! Princess, we are villagers, we are scared to talk to you anything. Kindly forgive us, do not mistake us. These two youths are extremely handsome, resembles emerald and gold, one has the complexion of dark clouds and another one is fair, both are extremely attractive. They have a lustrous face resembles the autumn moon, and the eyes resemble the lotus flower petals. Oh! Devi, Oh! Sumukhi, these handsome youths excel the beauty of crores of Kamadeva, how are you related to them?” Devi Sita became shy and smiled to herself.  Sita looked at their faces and fixed her gaze on the Earth with extreme shyness, Devi Sita who has fair complexion has the voice of cuckoo, and the eyes resemble eyes of antelope, spoke with shyness “ The youth who has fair complexion is Lakshmana, he is the younger brother to my husband.” She covered her lustrous face resembles the moon with the tip of her clothing, and with the flickering movements of eyes, and gestures she introduced Rama as her husband. The females of the village were extremely happy, they prostrated at her feet and blessed her “As long as Adishesha holds the Universe on his hoods, live a  blissful married life.”