Bharata Beholds Ram upon the Forest Altar
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 239
Doha 239 · Movement 1 of 2
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Dense woodland still hides the approaching brothers from Lakshmana, but Bharata sees the sacred hermitage, dwelling of every auspiciousness. Crossing its threshold extinguishes the long fire of grief like a yogi attaining the supreme truth.
Ahead stands Lakshmana, matted hair bound, ascetic cloth at his waist, quiver fastened, bow and arrow ready. Beyond him, upon the raised altar amid sages and saints, Sita and Raghuraj shine together.
Ram's dark body wears bark and matted locks, as though the god of beauty had assumed a forest renunciant's form. Lotus hands turn bow and arrow lightly. Then a smiling glance reaches Bharata and steals the burning from his heart. After an ocean of imagined rejection, the first sight is already mercy.
Across the sages and the waiting bow, Ram's smile reaches Bharata first and extinguishes the fire that followed him from Ayodhya.
Read the passage from the Manas
सखा समेत मनोहर जोटा। लखेउ न लखन सघन बन ओटा।। भरत दीख प्रभु आश्रमु पावन। सकल सुमंगल सदनु सुहावन।। करत प्रबेस मिटे दुख दावा। जनु जोगीं परमारथु पावा।। देखे भरत लखन प्रभु आगे। पूँछे बचन कहत अनुरागे।। सीस जटा कटि मुनि पट बाँधें। तून कसें कर सरु धनु काँधें।। बेदी पर मुनि साधु समाजू। सीय सहित राजत रघुराजू।। बलकल बसन जटिल तनु स्यामा। जनु मुनि बेष कीन्ह रति कामा।। कर कमलनि धनु सायकु फेरत। जिय की जरनि हरत हँसि हेरत।।
Lakshmana did not see the beautiful pair approaching with their friend, for the dense forest screened them from view. Bharat beheld the Lord's sacred ashram, that lovely dwelling of all auspiciousness. As he stepped inside, all the burning of his grief was extinguished, as though a yogi had found the paramarth, the supreme truth. Bharat saw Lakshmana standing before the Lord and spoke words overflowing with love. There sat Rama with matted jata on his head, a sage's cloth tied at the waist, quiver fastened, and bow and arrows resting on his shoulder. On the raised platform, surrounded by an assembly of munis and sadhus, Raghuraja sat resplendent with Sita at his side. Clad in garments of bark, his dark form crowned with matted hair, he looked as though Kamadeva, the god of love, had taken the guise of a forest renunciant. His lotus hands turned the bow and arrows gently, and his smiling glance stole away every burning pain of the heart.