The process of writing Ramayanam starts....4

The process of writing Ramayanam starts....4

continued from the last post

वास्तुकर्मनिवेशं च भरतागमनं तथा।

प्रसादनं च रामस्य पितुश्च सलिलक्रियाम्॥१६

Having reached Chitrakootam as directed by Sage Bharadvaja, Rama and Sita along with Lakshmana, occupied a hut made of leaves.. prepared by Lakshmana.

While Rama Laksmana and Sita were residing in Chitrakoota, the king Dasaratha had passed away..

All the four sons were away from Ayodhya at that moment.. Rama and Lakshmana in Forest and Bharatha and Shatrunghna on a visit to the king of Kekaya.

Under instructions from Vasishta, Bharatha and Shatrughna were summoned back .

Bharatha was shocked to learn about the exile of Rama..

However, he performed the cremation ceremonies of Dasharatha..

When Kaikeyi asked him to take over the kingdom, he was very angry and he simply dismissed any such idea..

Accompanied by Shatrughna, the ministers of Ayodhya, elder ladies of the royal household and all the important citizens of the kingdom, Bharatha went to Chitrakoota and begged Rama to come back to Ayodhya and take over the administration and the kingdom has now been orphaned now by the passing away of Dasaratha..

Learning about the death of his father, Rama was struck with grief and he and Lakshmana performed the rites consequent to the loss of their father..

But Rama was of the view that since it was the order of their deceased father that Rama should adjourn to forest for 14 years and Bharatha should rule, Rama could not go back to Ayodhya.

Bharatha simply refused to take over the kingdom..

Finally Bharatha took the Footwear of Paduka of his elder brother Rama as Rama's representative and returned, with a heavy hear.

पादुकाग्र्याभिषेकं च नन्दिग्रामनिवासनम्।

दण्डकारण्यगमनं विराधस्य वधम् तथा॥१७

Bharatha did not go back to Ayodhya.. He too assumed the life of a recluse wearing matted hair and bark garments, and stayed in the place called Nandigrama.. Shatughna followed suit.

The Padukas of Rama were consecrated in the throne as the soverein of Ayodhya and Bharatha just continued with the affairs of the State as a sevant of Rama and His Paduka

Rama felt that pressures on him to return to Ayodhya would be reinforced, and he did not want to face such a situation..

So he, along with Lakshmana and Sita, travelled further south and entered Dandakaaranaya.

There Rama was confronted by the demon Viradha.. Rama slew the demon.

(May Rama who killed Ravana and came back to Ayodhya in State and was anointed as the King .. protect us)

link to the earlier post

==========

Note.. This was one of the series of posts I made last year covering Ramayanam.. but the series is yet to be concluded.. If I remember right, I had reached only upto the point when Hanuman landed up in Lanka and fought with Lankini..

I have posted all these in facebook.. typing straight into the pages.. and I have no personal drafts..

I am desperately searching to put together the series..