||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 24– Ayodhya Kandam

Rama's life in Chitrakoot

Maharishi Valmiki spoke “Oh! Suryakulanayaka, listen to me, there is a beautiful place in the forest, in Chithrakoota, you can settle there for some time. You will have all the facilities in that forest, there are beautiful mountains and forest, it is a dense forest, place of wild animals, deer, elephants, lions, and birds, there is a marvelous stream exists from the past several years now, this sacred stream was created with the divine powers and austerities of Devi Anasooya, wife of Sage Athri was known as river Mandakini which is a tributary of river Ganga. It removes the sins of the worshiper instantly, like the Dakinis kill the infants. It is the place where various illustrious Rishis and Sages, and Athri, engages in extreme penances, Yoga, austerities, and fire sacrifices Japa and Tapa. Oh! Rama, kindly make a visit to the mountain Chitrakoot, and visit this place and thereby, shower your grace upon those sages and ascetics, let them achieve an abundance of piousness.” Maharishi Valmiki described the splendor of Chitrakoot in detail to Rama. Thus, they bade farewell to Rishi Valmiki and proceeds to Chitrakoot and took a holy dip in river Mandakini.

Raghuvara advised Lakshmana to construct a hermitage close to the river Mandakini, Lakshmana took a visit to the northern side of riverbank of Payasvini, and found a small stream that has the shape of a bow; Rama visited the place and felt happy to settle there. The deities understood that the place close to the bow like watercourse attracted Rama, therefore Vishwakarma made a visit to this place.   They took the form of Kiratha and Kola/tribes and constructed a beautiful hermitage with grass, leaves, and creepers and one for Lakshman as well; the beauty of the hermitage was beyond description. Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana entered inside that marvelous hermitage, it was like Kamadeva and Devi Rathi, along with Vasantharithu.

The Nagas, Kinnaras, deities, Ashtadikpalakas made a visit to the hermitage of Rama was received with great reverence, in this way the deities achieved the fortune of their eyes, and they showered flowers upon Prabhu and revealed their happiness and peace, eventually returned to their respective abodes. The Sages and Rishis arrived in several groups to visit Rama in Chithrakoota. Raghukulachandra received them happily and prostrated before them. They embraced Raghuveera, and blessed him, watching the loveliness of Rama, Sita, and Saumithri they have realized that all their piousness and austerities have become fruitful. These Sages and Rishis returned to their hermitage and continued Yoga, Tapas, Japa, Yaga at their own will.

The tribal and Kiratha of the forest were extremely happy like Lord Kubera and Navanidhis settled in the forest. They brought fruits in cane baskets and went to meet Rama like the poor went to steal the gold. They described the splendor of Rama and Devi Sita and Lakshman and arrived in the hermitage. Rama received them heartily and they respectfully kept the fruit basket before Prabhu, they could not take eyes off from Raghurama, they stood like portrait watching the loveliness of Rama, Lakshman and Devi Sita. Their eyes filled in tears of love; Rama conversed pleasantly and received them with great love. They bow before Rama and with folded hands spoke “ Oh! Swami, we feel protected at your lotus feet, Oh! Kosala Raja, we feel our fortune has brought you in this dense forest of Chitrakoot, Oh! Prabho, the land, mountain, forest, and pathways are fortunate to bear your footprints. They have attained the fruitfulness of their lives; we with our families had the opportunity to see you and made our lives fortunate. You have chosen one of the beautiful and most appropriate places to live in the forest. You can live here peacefully in all the seasons. We will do all the service to you, we can keep you protected from the wild animals, elephants, lions, serpents, tigers, etc. Oh! Prabho, this forest has deep caves, colossal mountains, dense forest, and deep foothills. We have seen all those places, we will take you to those places for hunting, we will show you huge watercourses, ponds, and streams, etc. We and our families are your sincere servants, therefore Oh! Swami, do not hesitate to order us.”

The Supreme Lord who is eulogized by Veda and Vedanta, and incompetent to describe his splendor, the illustrious Sage who undertakes extreme penance and austerities to attain that supreme Bhramam, the compassionate Lord Rama listened to those innocents’ words of Kiratha, like a father affectionately listens to his children. The earnest love only can attract Rama, let people understand whoever wants to know the truth. Rama conversed with them in sweet words, and made them happy, they returned to their living places praising the virtues of Rama. In this way Rama, Sita and Lakshmana pleased deities and sages in the woods. The forest achieved all the auspiciousness the day Raghunatha settled in the Chithrakoota, there were numerous auspicious trees burdened with flowers and fruits, there were beautiful flowering creepers appeared as in heaven, it was like all those auspicious trees and creepers left heaven and settle in Chithrakoota, the pack of honey bees was buzzing all around, there was a cool breeze which carries rich fragrances of flowers, there were a large number of blue-necked birds, cuckoos, Chathaka, Chakravaha, Chakora and numerous species of birds sang beautifully, and attracted everyone. The wild animals, elephants, lions, tiger, porcupine, deer, monkeys, lived in complete harmony, they moved in herds, the deer were in the search of food looked at the loveliness of Rama, and forgot their hunger. All the deities and woods got jealous of the magnificence of Chithrakoota where Rama settled.  All those sacred rivers Devanadhi Ganga, Saraswathi, the Yamuna who is the daughter of Surya, the Narmada who is the daughter of Mountain, most contented Godavari, and all the rivers, streams, oceans praised the fortune of river Mandakini. All those mountains, Kailash, Mandhara, Meru, Himalaya which is the abode of deities, praised Chitrakoot, the Mountain Vindhyachala felt extremely fortunate to be a part of Chitrakoot. The deities eulogized the fortune of the birds, animals, trees, creepers, forest, and creatures of Chitrakoot.