Rama Guides Sita From Dandaka Through the Sacred Rivers to Ayodhya
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 116
Doha 121 · Movement 1 of 2
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The chariot enters beautiful Dandaka. Rama visits the hermitages of Agastya and the other great sages, receives their blessings, and comes to Chitrakoot. After bringing joy to the ascetics there, Pushpaka rises again.
He shows Janaki the Yamuna, beautiful destroyer of the age's stain. The holy Ganga appears next, and Rama asks Sita to bow. Then he points to Prayag, king of pilgrimages, whose sight makes the sins of countless births flee.
Behold the supremely purifying confluence, he says, destroyer of sorrow and ladder toward Hari's realm. At last Ayodhya appears, the holy city that removes the threefold afflictions and the disease of becoming. Rama becomes Sita's guide through the sacred map of their return, moving from forest sages to rivers, from confluence to the city whose distant outline makes exile finally surrender its horizon.
River after sacred river opens beneath Pushpaka until Ayodhya rises as the final tirtha of return.
Read the passage from the Manas
तुरत बिमान तहाँ चलि आवा। दंडक बन जहँ परम सुहावा।। कुंभजादि मुनिनायक नाना। गए रामु सब कें अस्थाना।। सकल रिषिन्ह सन पाइ असीसा। चित्रकूट आए जगदीसा।। तहँ करि मुनिन्ह केर संतोषा। चला बिमानु तहाँ ते चोखा।। बहुरि राम जानकिहि देखाई। जमुना कलि मल हरनि सुहाई।। पुनि देखी सुरसरी पुनीता। राम कहा प्रनाम करु सीता।। तीरथपति पुनि देखु प्रयागा। निरखत जन्म कोटि अघ भागा।। देखु परम पावनि पुनि बेनी। हरनि सोक हरि लोक निसेनी।। पुनि देखु अवधपुरी अति पावनि। त्रिबिध ताप भव रोग नसावनि।।।
The aerial chariot immediately flew there, to the beautiful Dandaka forest. Rama visited the hermitages of many great sages including Agastya and other sage-leaders. Receiving blessings from all the sages, the Lord of the universe came to Chitrakoot. After satisfying the sages there, the beautiful chariot departed from that place. Then Rama showed Janaki the beautiful Yamuna river that destroys the sins of Kali age. Then seeing the holy Ganga, Rama said, 'Sita, offer your salutations.' Then behold Prayag, the king of pilgrimage sites, whose very sight destroys crores of sins. Behold the supremely purifying confluence, destroyer of sorrows and ladder to Hari's realm. Then behold the supremely holy city of Ayodhya, destroyer of the three-fold sufferings and worldly ailments.