Radha Krishna - Chapter 11: Lord Râmacandra Rules the World

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Supreme Lord Râmacandra, the heart and soul of all the demigods, accepted an âcârya and performed sacrifices with the greatest opulence. Thus He [factually] was worshiping Himself by Himself [see also 4.31: 14]. (2) The hotâ priest [the one offering oblations] He gave the entire east, the brahmâ priest [supervising the proceedings] received the southern side from His Lordship, the adhvaryu priest [who chants the Yajur mantras preparing the sacrifice] got the entire west and the northern side went to the udgâtâ priest [singing the Sâma Veda hymns]. (3) Departing from the notion that the brahmins who are free from material desires deserve the complete of the earth, He gave the teacher of example, the âcârya, the rest of whatever land there was in between the regions. (4) What this way remained for Himself were His personal ornaments and garments, while for the queen, the daughter of the king of Videha, only her nose ring remained. (5) But when the brahmins saw how much He cared for them as their Lord, their hearts melted, so that they, most pleased with Him, honored Him with prayers. They returned everything they had received from Him and said: (6) 'What did You not give us oh Supreme Lord, oh Master of the universe? With You entering the core of our hearts You dissipate, with Your effulgence, the darkness of our ignorance. (7) Our obeisances unto You Râmacandra oh Lord of the transcendentalists, oh best of all persons of fame whose lotus feet are worshiped by those who are free from violence, oh You whose intelligence is never clouded by anxiety.'

(8) Curious about the public opinion Râma one night walked unnoticed in disguise and heard someone speak who was referring to His wife [Sîtâ]. (9) 'I cannot maintain you any longer because you are an impure, unchaste woman going to another man's house. And I will not, like someone henpecked, accept you again as Râma did with Sîtâ!'

(10) Apprehensive of folk who say anything that comes to mind, who do not know where to stop and have a poor fund of knowledge, she [Sîtâ] was abandoned by her husband. Thereupon she went to the hermitage of Prâcetasa [Vâlmîki Muni]. (11) She being pregnant [when she left Râma], delivered there after some time a twin, two boys who from the sage who performed the birth rituals received the names Kus'a and Lava ['from the grass' and 'what is cut off']. (12) Also Lakshmana had two sons: Angada and Citraketu [named after 6.14-17]. Bharata, oh great ruler, had two sons who were named Taksha and Pushkala. (13-14) Subâhu and S'rutasena were fathered by S'atrughna. Bharata who brought all directions under His control in His conquest had to kill millions of Gandharvas [or obstinate rebels] and offered all their riches to the king [Râma]. The Râkshasa listening to the name of Lavana, a son of Madhu, was killed by S'atrughna in the great forest of Madhuvana where He established the great town known as Mathurâ. (15) Sîtâ, who being sent away by her husband kept meditating on Râma's feet, entrusted her sons to the sage and entered the earth. (16) When Râma, the Supreme Lord, heard about this He, remembering her qualities in the different circumstances, could not check His grief, however much He tried to ban it in meditation. (17) Such an attraction between husband and wife constitutes a universal source of anxiety. When this is even true for the great controllers, then what about the common man who is fixed upon a household existence? (18) After she went to heaven the Lord observed strict celibacy and performed a ceremony, an Agnihotra [fire] sacrifice, that was continued for thirteen thousand years without interruption. (19) Râma [concluding His earthly stay] placed His lotus feet that were pierced by the thorns of the Dandakâranya forest [the forest of His exile] in the hearts of those who remembered Him and then entered the [beyond of the] Light of the Soul [of the âtma-jyoti, His heavenly abode Vaikunthha].

(20) The Lord of the Raghu dynasty [Râma] who assumed a [spiritual] body for the purpose of His pastimes, had, with no one being greater or equal to Him, [personally] no need for all this honor of the prayers of the godly ones, the killing of the Râkshasas, building a bridge over the ocean and His bow and arrows, nor was He in need of the monkeys to assist Him in defeating the enemy [compare B.G. 3: 20-26]. (21) Let me surrender myself to Him, that Master of the Raghu dynasty whose spotless fame to the present day is celebrated in royal assemblies and by the sages in all directions as good as the cloth that covers the elephant of victory, to Him whose lotus feet, which vanquish all sin, are worshiped by the helmets of earthly kings and the gods of heaven. (22) He to whom the people of Kosala were looking up and who they wanted to touch, was by them all, whether they ate and slept with Him or respected Him as a servant, followed to the place for which He left and where all [bhakti-]yoga practitioners go [see also B.G. 4: 9]. (23) Anyone who hears about the activities of Lord Râma and is filled with compassion towards others oh King, will be liberated from the clutches of karma.'

(24) The king asked: 'How did He, the Supreme Lord, Râma, relate to His brothers who were His personal expansions and how did they and also His people, His subjects, behave towards Him, their Controller?'

(25) The son of Vyâsadeva said: 'After accepting the throne He, the Lord of the universe, ordered His younger brothers to conquer the world [*] while He Himself gave audience to His people looking after the capital with other assistants. (26) The streets were sprinkled with perfumed water and the musth of the elephants. It was the highest and greatest delight to see Him, their Master and Ruler, personally present. (27) The palaces, the palace gates, the assembly houses, the platforms and the temples and such, were adorned with golden water pots and flags. (28) [When He appeared] one turned it into a festival with reception gates, tapestries, garlands, betel nut, flowers and fruits, banana trees, colorful flags and mirrors. (29) Wherever He passed the locals carrying their articles of worship approached Him to receive His blessings and said: 'Oh my Lord, please maintain this land that You have recovered like You did before [in the form of Lord Varâha].' (30) The men and women in the city thereafter, desirous to see their king, the Lord with the lotus eyes, returning after such a long time, left their homes to get on the rooftops of the greater mansions, satisfy their hungry eyes and shower Him with flowers. (31-34) He thereafter entered His family home that by His ancestors had been turned into an unfathomable treasury filled with the most costly goods. The doorposts were of coral, the pillars lining up on the polished marakata [emerald] floors were of vaidûrya stone and there were dazzling marble walls. All sorts of flowers and flags could be seen as also draperies, pearls and the most valuable effulgent gems. With all the desirable beauty that increased everyone's joy and with the many bunches of flowers, fragrant incense and lamps, the men and women there whose physical beauty competed with their jewelry, appeared like demigods. (35) The Supreme Lord Râma [lit.: 'joy'], the most excellent one delighting in devotion, to His full satisfaction personally enjoyed [His life] there with His dearest wife Sîtâ. (36) He with the people meditating on His lotus feet, for many years enjoyed all the pleasures of life on their proper time without running into trouble with the dharma.'