Two Days of Darshan Open Chitrakoot to Ayodhya
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 249
Doha 249 · Movement 1 of 2
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Ram's suggestion of departure leaves the assembly like a ship helpless upon rough ocean. Vasishtha's permission for two days of darshan arrives as a favorable wind and steadies every heart.
The people bathe in holy waters whose sight destroys accumulated fault. Again and again they fill their eyes with Ram, bow, rise, and bow once more before the form of auspiciousness.
Then Chitrakoot opens around them. Forest, mountain, nectar-like waterfalls, healing breezes, countless trees, vines, grasses, fruits, flowers, fresh leaves, shaded rocks, and cool ground receive the city. The place where all sorrow seemed to have driven them becomes a country where happiness is native and beauty exceeds description.
Allowed two days beside Ram, Ayodhya enters Chitrakoot as a ship finding wind and lets mountain, water, shade, and darshan restore it.
Read the passage from the Manas
राम बचन सुनि सभय समाजू। जनु जलनिधि महुँ बिकल जहाजू।। सुनि गुर गिरा सुमंगल मूला। भयउ मनहुँ मारुत अनुकुला।। पावन पयँ तिहुँ काल नहाहीं। जो बिलोकि अंघ ओघ नसाहीं।। मंगलमूरति लोचन भरि भरि। निरखहिं हरषि दंडवत करि करि।। राम सैल बन देखन जाहीं। जहँ सुख सकल सकल दुख नाहीं।। झरना झरिहिं सुधासम बारी। त्रिबिध तापहर त्रिबिध बयारी।। बिटप बेलि तृन अगनित जाती। फल प्रसून पल्लव बहु भाँती।। सुंदर सिला सुखद तरु छाहीं। जाइ बरनि बन छबि केहि पाहीं।।
Hearing Rama's words, the whole assembly trembled with fear, like a ship tossed helplessly upon the ocean. But when they heard the guru's voice, that root of all auspiciousness, it was as though a favourable wind had begun to blow. They bathed in holy waters that purify across all three times; whose very sight destroys floods of sin. Filling their eyes again and again with that Mangalamoorti, that form of all blessedness, they gazed in joy and bowed down repeatedly. Rama went to see the mountains and forests, places where all happiness dwells and no sorrow can enter. Waterfalls cascaded with water sweet as amrit, and breezes blew that dispelled the three kinds of suffering. Trees, vines and grasses of countless varieties flourished there, bearing fruits, flowers and fresh leaves of every kind. Beautiful rocks, the pleasant shade of great trees. Who in all the world could hope to describe the splendour of that forest?