Grief Echoes in Ayodhya's Hall
Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 81
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Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 81
Bharata's anguish in the wake of Dasharatha's death unfolds as he rejects kingship. Vasistha convenes a grand assembly, setting the stage for pivotal decisions in the Ramayana epic.
Bards and panegyrists pleased Bharata with auspicious praises.
Golden-tipped sticks struck the night watch drums
Hundreds of conch shells were blown
Various instruments created sounds of different modulations
This sound of trumpets, which seemed to fill the heavens, intensified the sorrow of the grief-stricken Bharata.
Awakened, Bharata exclaimed:
"I am not the king!"
He ordered the sound to stop and turned to Satrughna, saying:
"Look, Satrughna, at the great harm Kaikeyi has done to our people. King Dasharatha has departed, leaving all his sorrows with me."
Bharata lamented the state of the kingdom:
It was like a boat without a helmsman, whirling in water
Rama, their great protector, had been banished to the forest by Bharata's own mother
Bharata fell unconscious. Seeing him in this state, all the women cried out piteously in one voice.
While Bharata wept, the righteous Vasistha, well-versed in royal traditions, entered the assembly hall. The hall was:
Lovely
With gold finishing
Inlaid with gems and precious stones
Resembling Sudharma
Vasistha, accompanied by his disciples, took his seat on a golden seat covered with a comfortable spread. He then ordered messengers to quickly summon:
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas
Ministers and army commanders
Satrughna, Bharata, Yudhajit, Sumantra, and other royal well-wishers
As the invitees arrived on chariots, horses, and elephants, a great tumult arose. The ministers and subjects greeted Bharata as they used to greet Dasharatha, just as the gods greet Indra.
The assembly hall shone brilliantly, filled with whales and serpents, with gems, shells, pebbles, and grains of sand, its waters calm, as if Dasharatha was present.
This concludes the Eighty First (sarga) of Ayodhyakanda, the second book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.