27. THE BROTHERS MEET :

WHILE Bharata was thus engaged in
trying to undo the mischief wrought by
others, in the forest hut at Chitrakuta, life
went on fairly cheerfully. With
Lakshmana and Sita by his side, Rama
lacked nothing. The grandeur of the
mountain scenery and the forest and the
sweet songs and play of the birds pleased
his heart. He forgot the sorrow of his exile
from kinsfolk and city.



"Look, Sita, at those birds playing," he
would say. "Look at that rock on the hill
with the blue, yellow and red veins
shining on it. Look at these plants and
creepers with their flowers. We feared life
in the forest, not knowing how pleasant it
would be. I am so happy here. And I have
in addition to this pleasure the feeling that
I carry out my father's promise. We have
the joy of duty done besides leading a
happy life here. Over and above all this, I
am happy that my brother Bharata is
ruling the kingdom."


Thus Rama, free from sorrow himself,
made Sita happy. Descending from the
hill they would sometimes go to the river
Mandakini and spend time there.



"Look at those sand hillocks," Rama
would say. "Look at the swans playing
among the lotuses. The stream is as lovely
as yourself, beloved. The fords where
animals come to drink are beautifully red
with new earth. Even the river in Kubera's
kingdom cannot be as beautiful as this.
Sea the rishis bathing there and standing
in supplication and offering hymns to the
sun. Look at the flowers falling from the
boughs on the water. Look at that pearlscattering
cascade. We are indeed lucky to
be far away from the crowded city here in
the forest. There, we cannot see rishis and
pure souls such as we see here bathing
everyday. This hill is our Ayodhya. The
birds and beasts are our subjects. The
Mandakini is our Sarayu. With you and
Lakshmana by me, I am so happy and
content. How pleasant it is to see the
animals drinking water in the stream
without any fear! Plunging in the water
here, eating fruits and roots, walking
about in the forest and climbing the hills,
why should I think of kingdom or
power?"


Thus, in the company of Sita and
Lakshmana, Rama was spending happy
days.



One day as they were sitting as usual
on the slope of the hill in utter peace,
suddenly at a distance, they saw a cloud of
dust rise in the sky which seemed moving
towards them. And soon they heard a
great noise as of a big crowd. Rama saw
the forest animals stampeding hither and
thither in fear. It looked as if an army
entered the forest.



"Do you hear that noise?" Rama said to
Lakshmana, "'The elephants, bisons and
deer are running helter skelter. What
could it be? Could it be some king come
here hunting? Or is it that some tiger or
other fierce wild beast has come
rummaging? Just see and tell me."
Lakshmana climbed up a tall tree and
looked all around. He saw a large army
approaching from the north, a complete
force of all limbs, chariots, elephants,
horses and foot soldiers.



He shouted to Rama in warning:
"Listen, brother. A great army is
approaching with flags flying and in
complete formation. Let us be careful. Put
out the fire. Take Sita into the cave for
safety. Let us don our armor and get ready
for battle."



Rama said: "Do not be in such hurry.
Look again at the flag on the chariot and
tell me which king is leading his army
here."



Lakshmana looked and was filled with
anger. "O my brother, it is Bharata. Not
satisfied with getting the kingdom, he is
pursuing us here. I can see the tree on our
flag flying in the breeze. He has come to
slay us. But the son of Kaikeyi shall not
escape with life from me today. What sin
is there in killing this destroyer of
dharma? The only question now is, shall
we wait for them here, or shall we give
them battle on the top of the hill? We will
make him pay for all the harm be has done
us. It is surely no sin to kill one who
comes to slay us. With him will be
destroyed the greed of his mother. You
will soon see the forest paths running with
blood. Like a tree uprooted by an
elephant, Bharata will be felled to the
ground by me. We shall destroy this army.
We shall feed fat the beasts of prey in the
forest. " Lakshmana spoke thus, beside
himself with rage.



Rama proceeded to calm him. "I know
you can destroy the seven worlds if you
are so minded. Listen, you can easily kill
Bharata and his army, but there is a thing
to consider before you set to work.



Disobeying and disgracing our father and
killing our brother and earning infinite
obloquy, what good shall we gain by
battling for and winning the kingdom?
What we gain by killing our kinsfolk will
be like food with which is mixed poison.



Why and for whom do we seek wealth
and kingdom? Is it not for the sake of
others, whose joy is our own? Who would
want to acquire a kingdom by wrong
means? And what joy is there in a
kingdom which you cannot share with
those you love? Truly I tell you, I will
never look at wealth and power that you
and Bharata and Satrughna cannot enjoy
with me. I know why Bharata is coming
here now and I will tell you. He knows the
way of dharma. He is coming here to give
the kingdom to me. If he had been in
Ayodhya instead of in the far-away land
of his uncle he would have dissuaded
Kaikeyi, and saved our father from the
great sorrow which has befallen him. I am
certain he is coming now to take me back
to the city. It is wrong of you to think ill
of Bharata and speak such harsh words
about him. If it is desire for the kingdom
that makes you so cruel in your suspicion,
tell me. I have only to tell Bharata to pass
it on to you, and I have no doubt he will
do it with pleasure."



Rama said this laughing, and
Lakshmana shrank into himself with
shame.
"Perhaps our father, the King,"
Lakshmana said. " Is himself coming to
see us."



After listening to Rama, he was
convinced that his fear was improper. He
wondered then why the army was
marching and thought that perhaps
Dasaratha was coming to visit them in the
forest and a large retinue followed the
King. The commentator remarks that
Lakshmana, realising his folly in having
spoken ill of Bharata, was trying by some
explanations to cover up his shame.
Rama cheered up Lakshmana saying:



"Yes, it may be as you say. Thinking that
life in the forest was hard, the King might
have come to take us, and specially Sita,
back to the city. But then, we do not see
the King's great white umbrella. But
whatever be the case, you should be
calm." Lakshmana stood humbly with
folded hands by Rama.



Halting the army at some distance,
Bharata sent a few men to observe and
report on the place whence the smoke
rose. They brought the news that this was
the very spot described by Bharadwaja
and that the cottage was very probably
Rama's forest abode.




Bharata started forward with
Satrughna, Vasishtha and Sumantra. As
they advanced, they saw indications that
the ashrama was habited. There was a
path that led to the river and the trees were
blazed on either side of it as though to
make it easy to find it in the dusk.
Presently they came to a cottage thatched
with leaves, near which were stacks of
faggots and the dry dung of deer and wild
buffaloes heaped for use in winter.
In the cottage, on the walls were
mighty bows and quivers full of deadly
arrows, swords which seemed to radiate
victory and other weapons all of
superlative excellence. They saw also,
spread out to dry on the branches of trees,
garments of bark. Bharata beheld all these
sure signs of his brothers' residence in the
hermitage with a swelling heart.



From inside came smoke from the
oblations of daily worship. Entering,
Bharata saw the altar with its blazing fire
and Rama himself seated by it with matted
locks, majestic, though in deer-skin and
bark, a ruler of the world, with his mighty
arms, breadth of chest and a countenance
made to command love and obedience. By
him were Sita and Lakshmana. He had
been thinking all the time of the infamy
that had gathered on his head, and
wondering what to say and what to do
when he met Rama.



But now when he saw Rama, he forgot
all this in the great love that surged within
him and submerged all other thoughts and
fears. He sprang forward to the spot where
Rama was seated. He could utter no word,
beyond "Brother," and fell at his feet, and
sobbed. By this time, Sumantra and Guha
joined him.



Rama saw before him lying on the
ground Bharata with hands clasped in
supplication, with matted locks and in
garments of bark. With grief and fasting,
his body had grown lean and he was
tanned with fatigue and exposure. Rama
embraced him, and kissed him on the
head, and said: "Brother beloved, why did
you leave our father's side and come all
this way into the forest? And why have
you grown so thin?"
Bharata was speechless. Rama put to
him the formal questions which members
of the royal family asked each other when
they met after an absence.




After an interval, Bharata gathered
strength and gave answer. "Why do you
question me about the kingdom, brother,
as though I were its ruler? What
connection is there between the kingdom
and myself? When you are the rightful
king, how could I call myself king or rule
over the land? My duty is to do you
humble service. It has not been given to
me to do it. The eldest son should bear the
burden of the kingdom. This is the law
and custom. Come with me to Ayodhya,
wear the crown and shower your grace on
our family and people. The old King's
work in the world is over and he has
entered Swarga. When you had left
Ayodhya for the forest and before I
returned from Kekaya the King gave up
his life, slain by the grief of separation
from you. Do not give way to sorrow.
Perform the obsequies of our father.
Thinking of you, he gave up his life. The
obsequies you perform will alone satisfy
his spirit." Thus Bharata steadied himself
and spoke.



When Rama heard that his father was
dead, he fell down like a tree felled by an
axe. Bharata had no need to repeat before
Rama all the apologies and explanations
which he had to give to Kausalya, Guha
and Bharadwaja. Where was the need for
explanations when Rama set his eyes on
that grief-stricken body and that ravaged
face? Bharata, whose one concern was to
take Rama back to Ayodhya, spoke only
of this and not at all of himself.



The princes, with Sita and Sumantra
went to the river and offered libations for
the peace of the departed soul of the King.
After other customary ceremonies, the
princes returned to the cottage. They held
each other's hands and relieved their
sorrow by loud lamentation.



In this episode, where Bharata meets
Rama, we read in Valmiki a long lecture
on the art of government, delivered by
Rama to his brother. Often in our epics,
we come across such long dissertations on
politics or morality. Modern fiction gives
high priority to narrative vigor, dramatic
suspense and surprise. In old works, in
addition to plenty of these qualities, there
were generous doses of didacticism.



It may be added here that even old
commentators noticed that the chapters of
this episode have got mixed up and
displaced in Valmiki. Kamban has of
course regularised and modernised the
narrative. In Tulsidas the meeting of
Rama and Bharata is steeped in bhakti and
there is no room for any complications.



NEXT : 28. BHARATA BECOMES RAMA'S DEPUTY-


Continues....