Baal Kaand | Ayodhyaa Kaand | Aranya Kaand | Kishkindhaa Kaand | Sundar Kaand | Yuddh Kaand | Uttar Kaand
 

Home | V-Raamaayan | Ayodhyaa Kaand

Previous | Next

Sarg 76-Bharat Performs Dasharath's Last Rites

Seeing Bharat so sad, Vashishth Jee said - "Don't be so sad now. We should make arrangements to perform  Raajaa's last rites." Bharat greeted Guru Jee and made arrangements for Raajaa's last rites. His dead body was taken out of the oil pond and placed on a gem-studded bedding. Seeing Raajaa thus Bharat wept and said - "Why did you decide to leave this world after sending Raam to forest only? You did not wait for me?

Vashishth Jee asked Bharat to do the rites, so he did Havan in the Agni (fire) brought from Raajaa's Agni Shaalaa (where Agni was kept). Raajaa's body was kept on a vehicle and his employees took it. A pyre was made of sandalwood. Braahman kept the body on pyre, Mantra from Saam Ved were pronounced. Raajaa's all queens were brought outside the city, they revolved around the pyre, offered Jalaanjali in Sarayoo River and came back to city.

Sarg 77-Farewell to Raajaa

After ten days, Bharat did rites for Aatm Shuddhi (self purification), and twelfth day, Bharat did Raajaa's Shraaddh and donated lots of money to Braahman, servants and maidservants; houses etc to Braahman for Raajaa's Paralok. On thirteenth day Bharat cried and cried and got unconscious remembering Raajaa.

Later he went to the place of pyre and said - "Raam is now in forest, then how did you leave me alone? How did you leave Kaushalyaa also whose son has been sent to forest." He cried seeing Raajaa's bones. Bharat, Shatrughn and ministers all got unconscious. After some time Shatrughn said - "You are not here, brother is in forest, so I don't want to live, because this situation is out of my control therefore I will burn myself. I will not go back to Ikshwaaku Vansh's Ayodhyaa. I do not like to live there. I will go to Tapo Van (where Tapaswee live)."

Hearing Shatrughn weeping like this Vashishth Jee said - "You should not delay in collecting your father's bones because all sorrows and pleasures, hunger and thirst, life and death, are to be tolerated by living beings, then why do you cry so much. No living being is spared from them. Then Tattwa Gyaanee (who has elemental knowledge) Sumantra lifted up Shatrughn and consoled him. Both brothers performed some other rites also.

Sarg 78-Shatrughn's Anger on Mantharaa 

After the last rites of father, Bharat thought to go to Raam. Shatrughn said - "Raam is like a consolation in all kinds of sorrows, but I am thinking that why Raam didn't stop Raajaa doing this. When Raajaa was working under the control of a woman, He should have stopped him forcefully." When Shatrughn was talking to Bharat like this, Kubjaa Mantharaa was standing on the east gate clad in beautiful clothes and jewelry. A gatekeeper caught her and brought her to Shatrughn and told that she was the one who sent Raam to forest and killed Raajaa Dasharath.

Shatrughn said - "Because of her my brother and father have got so much sorrows, therefore she must bear its results." He got up and hit Mantharaa on ground. The cry of Mantharaa echoed in the whole palace. She started running seeing Shatrughn in severe anger thinking that "today he will surely kill me". Shatrughn pulled her body lying on the floor. In this process her all jewelry got unfastened and fell on the floor.

Kaikeyee came to to see her running from her place and tried to free her from Shatrughn's hold. But Shatrughn insulted the mother also for her such action so she came to Bharat. Bharat asked Shatrughn to release her as she was a woman. He said - "If that would have not been the case, then I would have killed Kaikeyee too. But Raam calls her Maa that is why if I kill her then I may be blamed for Maatra Hatyaa (killing of mother) and Raam will not talk to us. Therefore if Mantharaa died, and Raam knew about it then He will got angry with both of us." So on Bharat's request Shatrughn freed her. She fell on the ground and Kaikeyee brought her consciousness back by sprinkling water etc.

Sarg 79-Bharat Gets Ready to Go to Forest

All ministers came to Bharat in the morning and said - "Raajaa Dasharath died after sending Raam to forest, so presently there is no king of this kingdom. There must be a king, so accept the kingship of this kingdom. You are accepting it by the order of your father, that is why it is not improper. Hey prince, All ministers and public are waiting for you with the Raajya Tilak (crowning ceremony) materials. Accept this kingdom and take care of us all.

Bharat circumambulated them and said politely - "Hey ministers, That is the tradition of our Vansh that the eldest brother becomes the king, therefore please do not tell me anything again about it. Raam is our eldest brother, only he will be the king and I will go to forest in place of Him. Please get ready with Chaturanginee army and I will get Raam back to Ayodhyaa from forest. Whatever materials you have collected for my Raajya Tilak, I will take them to forest along with me and perform His Abhishek there only and bring Him back. I will not let fulfill my sinful Maa's wish. I myself will go to bring Him back. You send some people to prepare the way so that they make the land even and some guides should also go with me."

Bharat impressed the people so much by saying this that all got sad and admired Bharat for his action.

Home | V-Raamaayan | Ayodhyaa Kaand

Previous | Next