||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay
Ram ||
Chapter – 18– Ayodhya
Kandam
Guha continues “The
dull-minded woman Kaikeyi has worked brutally against them. It is the time for
these young couple has to enjoy all the happiness in their lives; she has put
Raghunandan and Sita in the deepest trouble. She has become axe to the illustrious clan
of Raghu and brought endless miseries to the people of Ayodhya.” The king of
Nishadha felt extremely distressed watching Rama and Sita sleeping on the Kusha
grass. Lakshmana imparted the knowledge of Bhakti, Gnana, and Vairagya to Guha,
and spoke affectionately “Oh! Brother, no one could create miseries to others,
none can give happiness or grief to others, and it is the Karma that provides the
fruit of it. The Samyoga, Viyoga, Sukha
and Dukha, friends and enemies are the illusions, in the same manner, death,
birth, wealth, afflictions, destiny, and time; all are delusion in the
Universe. The wealth, properties, kingdom, palace, richness, family, heaven,
hell, and all those happening in this Universe, in addition to that whatever we have seen, heard, and thought, are
the root of ignorance. There is nothing real in this Universe, the living
beings are completely drenched in Maya, like the dream, in which beggar assumes
the role of King, and a King assumes as a beggar, as it lasts only during the hours of sleep, once got out of sleep they
are neither achieving nor losing, we should learn to see the life in this
manner.”
Lakshman continues “Oh!
Brother, we should take life as it is and should not blame or get angry on anyone;
all are soaked in Maya as if while sleeping in the night of Maya are forced to
see various dreams. The Yogis who have
the thorough knowledge of Paramarththa remain awake they are freed from
worldly matters and bondages, Jeeva which has no interest in worldly matters
keeps awake from the Maya, they will not take interest in worldly affairs. The
hallucination of desires causes extreme grief, it can be removed with the
knowledge of goodness and evil, then only that Jeeva attains devotion at the
lotus feet of Rama. Oh! Sakha, the highest of the truth/Paramaththa is the practice
of devotion at the lotus feet of Rama with the mind, words, and action. Rama is
Paramarththa, highly confidential, has no specific forms, has no end or
beginning, he is incomparable and beyond description, he is void of virtues,
and he is supreme Bhramam. The Veda
eulogizes him as ‘Nethi Nethi’. The compassionate Lord incarnates on the Earth,
for his ardent devotees, Mother Earth, twice-born, cows, and deities, for the
welfare of the Jeeva, and he performs various passionate sports, and whoever
listens to him and his glorious legends would get freed from worldly matters
and bondage. Oh! Sakha, get relieved from the worldly matters and practice
intense devotion upon the lotus feet of Rama and Devi Sita. ” In this way,
Lakshman imparted the knowledge of Bhramam to Guha, eventually, the daylight
has arrived.
The Supreme Lord Rama who
is the source of auspicious and happiness to the Universe got up from the
Dharba grass went to perform ablutions and morning rites. Ram and Lakshmana transformed
their hairs into Jata/matted hair locks with the milk of Vatavruksha. Sumanthra’s
eyes soaked in tears, could not control his grief, with folded hands he spoke
“Oh! Swami, King of Kosala instructed me to take you in the chariot to the
woods, after having a bath in the Ganga bring back to palace, he wanted me to
bring back three of you safely to the palace of Ayodhya. Kindly advise me what
should I do?” Sumanthra fallen at the feet of Rama and wept bitterly, like a
child, and spoke “Oh! Dear child, kindly shower your grace and do not let
Ayodhya to become an orphan.” Rama raised him and spoke pleasantly “Oh! Father,
you have the knowledge of righteousness, King Harishchandhra, Dhadheechi and
Shibhi had undertaken a lot of hardships to protect the Dharma. The highly
intelligent, Bali, and Ranthideva had
undergone various troubles and protected their Dharma. The Veda, Agama and
Puranas affirm ‘Truthfulness’ as superior Dharma. If I did not follow that
Dharma I would be blamed in the three worlds, it would bring the grief of
crores of deaths. Oh! Thatha, I have nothing else to talk, kindly convey my
humble salutation to my father and advise him not to worry about me. Oh!
Thatha, you are like my father Dhasharatha, you are most promising to us,
kindly do all possible to keep my father away from distress, kindly remove his
grief, and it is your duty as well.”
King Nishadha and his
people were extremely grieved listening to the conversation of Rama with Sumanthra. Lakshmana was extremely raged and spoke unpleasant words
that were put a pause by Rama, and requested Sumanthra not to inform any of the
unpleasant conversations about his father; Sumanthra promised Rama that he will
not inform anything that would hurt King Dhasharatha. Sumanthra conveyed the
message of King Dhasharatha “Oh! Rama, Sita could not bear the hardships in the
forest, therefore you both should convince and send her back safely to the
palace. Otherwise, I could not live long; I will have to meet my end like a fish
out of water. Sita has all the royal comforts and luxuries in her in-laws and father’s
palace, hence she had to choose to live any of these places to stay comfortably
until the Vanavasa of you.” Rama once again persuaded Sita to return to the palace
and live a comfortable life and advised her that if she returns to the palace all
the difficulties of his parents would go away.
Vaidhehi spoke “ Oh!
Prabho, Oh! Prananatha, you are extremely compassionate and highly intelligent,
could you remove your shadow from you? The brilliance of sunlight cannot be
separated from the sun, and the cool rays of the moon cannot be separated from it.”
she turned to Sumanthra and spoke to him “Oh! Thatha, you are like my
father-in-law to me, I shall answer to you, I am extremely saddened at the
thought of returning to palace, I have no relationship is superior to Rama in
the absence of the lotus feet of my husband. I have seen the prominence of my
father, I have seen the illustrious Kings bow down before him, even though in
the absence of my husband, I do not feel to live in that abode of my father
which is the place of happiness and bliss. My father-in-law is well-known
Emperor of the Kingdom of Ayodhya, his fame is widespread in the fourteen
worlds, Lord Indra receives him with great respect and makes him seated next to
him. The city of Ayodhya is the place for my living, and the people and my
relatives are kind and compassionate, my mother-in-law loves me like her
daughter, in the absence of my husband and the dust from the feet of my
husband, everything seems to be nothing to me, it cannot bring happiness not
even in my dreams. I feel comfortable in the harsh pathways, mountains, hills,
streams, ponds, and forest, I am happy in the company of all those untamed
animals, birds, lions, deer, etc. I am not scared of the demons or hunters or
tribal peoples, in the presence of my husband. Kindly convey my humble salutations
at the feet of my father-in-law and mother-in-law, and advise them not to worry
about me. Kindly inform them that I am extremely happy in the forest. I have my
valorous and fearless husband with me, I have my brother-in-law who is equally
adventurous like my husband, these two are extremely courageous wielded in bow
and arrow, I have no confusions or grief, or exhaustion, therefore kindly
advise them not to worry about me.”