Out of the trance, all started marching towards Chitrakoota, blowing clouds of dust. The sages residing on the mountain were disturbed with the noise being made by the approaching troupe. Fearing for lives they went to Rama asking for help.
At that moment, dressed like sages, Bharata and Shatrughna came down from their chariots. From a distance they could see a hut, Rama sitting at the door. Sita was inside and Lakshmana standing guard outside.
Bharata rushed towards Rama and fell down at his feet. Rama lifted him and embraced him.
Bharata fell down at Rama's feet and asked him why he left Ayodhya. Women could say anything, why listen to them and not to reason. Ayodhya was dark without Rama.
Rama said : You are a learned person, why do you say things like this. I came because of father. I will return after fourteen years. We will talk about that later, first tell me how is our father?
Vashishtha then said it was probably not the right time to say this, but the king was no more.
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita could not believe this. They all started lamenting.
Vashishtha told Rama, as the eldest son he needed to perform the shraddha ceremony for Dashratha. Bharata has given fire to the king, whose body had been preserved in oil.
Rama asked Vashishtha how to proceed.
Listening to the sage, Rama, Lakshmana and Sita went to the nearby Falgu river, Standing in knee deep water, they offered water to the departed king. All the sages living nearby were invited for the shraddha ceremony.
After the ceremony, Rama asked Bharata to take over the kingdom of Ayodhya.
Bharata then said he would not rule Ayodhya. Rama would rule and Bharata would only oversee the proceedings. Bharata asked Rama to give him the wooden slippers he was wearing.
Rama gladly gave away his slippers to Bharata.
They all decided to leave. Kaushalya embraced Rama and Sumitra embraced Lakshmana with teary eyes. They all left then.
Rama stayed for a few days in Chitrakoota after that.
On returning to Ayodhya, Bharata setup residence in Nandigarama. He built a throne, and placed the slippers of Rama on the throne. He then began ruling from there, waiting for Rama to return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thus ends Ayodhya Kanda.
At that moment, dressed like sages, Bharata and Shatrughna came down from their chariots. From a distance they could see a hut, Rama sitting at the door. Sita was inside and Lakshmana standing guard outside.
Bharata rushed towards Rama and fell down at his feet. Rama lifted him and embraced him.
Bharata fell down at Rama's feet and asked him why he left Ayodhya. Women could say anything, why listen to them and not to reason. Ayodhya was dark without Rama.
Rama said : You are a learned person, why do you say things like this. I came because of father. I will return after fourteen years. We will talk about that later, first tell me how is our father?
Vashishtha then said it was probably not the right time to say this, but the king was no more.
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita could not believe this. They all started lamenting.
Vashishtha told Rama, as the eldest son he needed to perform the shraddha ceremony for Dashratha. Bharata has given fire to the king, whose body had been preserved in oil.
Rama asked Vashishtha how to proceed.
Listening to the sage, Rama, Lakshmana and Sita went to the nearby Falgu river, Standing in knee deep water, they offered water to the departed king. All the sages living nearby were invited for the shraddha ceremony.
After the ceremony, Rama asked Bharata to take over the kingdom of Ayodhya.
Bharata then said he would not rule Ayodhya. Rama would rule and Bharata would only oversee the proceedings. Bharata asked Rama to give him the wooden slippers he was wearing.
Rama gladly gave away his slippers to Bharata.
They all decided to leave. Kaushalya embraced Rama and Sumitra embraced Lakshmana with teary eyes. They all left then.
Rama stayed for a few days in Chitrakoota after that.
On returning to Ayodhya, Bharata setup residence in Nandigarama. He built a throne, and placed the slippers of Rama on the throne. He then began ruling from there, waiting for Rama to return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thus ends Ayodhya Kanda.
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