Chapter 105 - Prince Bharata appeals to Shri Rama to return and rule the kingdom

The princes surrounded by relatives and friends passed the night sorrowing. The day having dawned, the brothers observed the fire sacrifice and performed the repetition of silent prayer on the banks of the river Mandakini, then entering the hermitage of Rama, they sat in profound silence, no one uttering a word, a great peace prevailing over all.

At length, Shri Bharata, in the midst of his friends, broke the silence and thus addressed Shri Rama: “O My Brother, our illustrious sovereign conferred the kingdom on me to satisfy my mother and fulfil the obligation of his former boons and my mother having given this kingdom to me, I now offer it to you, enjoy it without hindrance. When the dam bursts in the rainy season, none can stem the tide, similarly none but you can protect this vast dominion. O King, as an ass cannot equal the pace of a horse, nor an ordinary bird’s flight that of an eagle, so am I unable to rule the kingdom without you.

“O Rama, happy is the sovereign on whom others depend, but wretched is the one who depends on others. A tree planted and watered, though it grow and spread forth great branches that no dwarf can scale, and be covered with blossom, if it bear no fruit, the one who planted it suffers obloquy. O Mighty Hero, let this metaphor be understood by you, that you, being the Lord of all, mayst guide your servants. O Lord, let us behold you, the destroyer of your foes, seated on the royal throne, shining resplendent like the sun. May these mighty tuskers follow your chariot and all the queens dwelling in the palace rejoice.”

The people hearing Shri Bharata’s words applauded them saying, “Well said!” “Well said!”

Then the compassionate Rama perceiving Bharata afflicted and lamenting, consoled him saying: “O Bharata, man is not free, time drags him hither and thither. All objects perish, all individualised souls must depart when their merit is exhausted; sons, friends, wives, all who live must die one day. Hoarding and spending, prosperity and destitution, meeting and parting, life and death are all akin. When the ripe fruit falls, we are not surprised, thus a man being born should not fear when death claims him.

“As a building supported by stout pillars on becoming old, falls into ruins, so man subject to age, must one day meet with dissolution. O Bharata, the night once past, does not come again; so the waters of the Yamuna, flowing to the sea, do not return. See! the days and nights are passing away, decreasing the period of our life’s span, as the rays of the sun in summer suck up the earth’s moisture. O Prince, grieve for thyself therefore, there is nought else worthy of grief! Age withers all whether movable or immovable. Death is ever at our side, nor does it leave us when we travel to a distant place, and it is still present at our returning!

“What shall a man do when his skin is wrinkled and grey hair covers his head and he is stricken in years? Man rejoices when the sun rises and sets, heedless of the waning of his powers. He welcomes the approach of each season, such as the arrival of spring, yet the succession of the seasons devours man’s days! As pieces of driftwood, floating on the sea, come together for a space, so wives, sons, relatives, wealth and property remain with us a while, but in the course of time, leave us.

“One, sitting by the wayside, cries to a group of travellers passing by, ‘Let me also go with you!’ why then should man grieve to tread the road, which has been trodden by his predecessors? The life of man, like a river flowing, does not return, thus our days diminish and we should perform those righteous acts that bring us to the knowledge of Reality.

“Practising virtue, man should enjoy worldly pleasures; our father, the illustrious Dasaratha, having performed benevolent deeds and given fitting charitable gifts, has departed, clothed in virtue. Having cherished his servants and nourished his people, having levied those taxes alone warranted by moral duty, having set up water tanks and created reservoirs and performed many sacrificial acts, he has passed away. Leaving the world after enjoying a variety of pleasures and offering countless sacrifices, the king, at a great age, has gone to heaven.

“O Brother, it is not meet to grieve for the king, who, full of years, having enjoyed the pleasures of the world, respected by the good, has given up his life. Having abandoned his worn-out frame, he has obtained the form of a celestial being.

“A wise, learned and enlightened man like you, should not grieve for such a sire. Exercising patience, you should cease to lament and giving up sorrow return to the capital. O Chief among the Eloquent, your father has commanded you to dwell in Ayodhya. I too will perform the behests of him who ever practised righteousness!

“I cannot disregard the commands of my illustrious father, he is worthy to be obeyed by you and me, being our parent and our ruler. O Son of Raghu, I shall, therefore, obey his will and dwell in the forest. O Chief of Men, those who desire felicity in a future state, and who are virtuous and benevolent should obey their elders. O Great One, bear in mind the behests of our father, a lover of truth, and return to the capital to rule over the kingdom!”

The magnanimous Rama, having uttered these sage words relative to the need for obedience to his father, became silent.