Coming home

1. 6.129. Book 6, Canto 129: The Meeting With Bharat

   6.129.1Bharat, Rama's brother who had ruled while Rama was away, is overjoyed to hear that Rama is coming home. He tells his brother Shatrughna to decorate every temple with flowers, burn incense, and play music.
2. 6.129.2Bharat orders everyone to go out to meet their king with drums, singers, and poets who know the old stories. He also calls for the royal ladies and the nobles of the council.
3. 6.129.3Bharat asks that all the most loved and honored people, the priests (Brahmans) and the soldiers, go together to bring the king home in triumph.
4. 6.129.4Shatrughna happily obeys his brother. He orders ten thousand men to work hard and smooth the road for Rama, the king of Koshala.
5. 6.129.5Shatrughna, Rama's youngest brother, keeps giving orders. Workers should sprinkle cool water on the road and scatter flowers along Rama's path. Banners should fly from towers and temples, and the roofs should be covered with flowers.
6. 6.129.6The nobles hurry to carry out Shatrughna's orders. They ride out on elephants wearing jewelled straps, with thousands of people around them carrying flags.
7. 6.129.7A thousand chiefs ride horses and a thousand more ride shining chariots, while huge crowds follow on foot. The widowed queens of the late King Dasharatha travel in curtained litters, chairs carried on poles.
8. 6.129.8Kausalya, Rama's mother and the senior queen, leads the women, and Sumitra and the other ladies follow her. Then Bharat joins the crowd full of joy. Brahmans (priests) in white robes surround him, singing, while people cheer and drums, conch shells and tambours sound.
9. 6.129.9Bharat still carries Rama's sandals on his head as a sign of respect, because he ruled only in Rama's name. A white royal umbrella and golden fans are ready for Rama. But as they come near the town of Nandigrama, there is still no sign of Rama.
10. 6.129.10Worried and sad, Bharat asks Hanuman, the monkey chief, whether he has played a trick on him, as monkeys are said to do. He asks where Rama is, because he cannot see the shape-shifting monkey army anywhere.
11. 6.129.11Hanuman, son of the Wind God, answers Bharat's eager question. He points to trees full of fruit and buzzing with bees. A holy sage has made them bear fruit out of season to honour Rama.
12. 6.129.12Hanuman says this power comes from an old blessing given by Indra, king of the gods. He tells Bharat to listen to the shouts of the monkeys. They are about to cross the Gomati river.
13. 6.129.13Hanuman sees the flying chariot coming. The god Brahma designed it, and it shines like the moon and flies wherever its rider wishes. It once belonged to Ravana, the demon king, and Rama won it when Ravana died.
14. 6.129.14Hanuman points them out. Rama and Lakshmana stand in the chariot with Sita, the rescued queen, between them. With them are Vibhishana, Ravana's good brother, and Sugriva, the monkey king, with his followers.
15. 6.129.15Everyone, young and old, men and women, shouts together, "It's Rama!" They all jump down from their elephants, chariots and horses. Every eye is fixed on Rama's shining face.
16. 6.129.16Bharat stares for a moment, amazed. Then he folds his hands in respect and greets his brother. He climbs into the chariot and bows at Rama's feet, and Rama lifts him up and hugs him tightly.
17. 6.129.17Bharat greets Lakshmana and Sita, saying his own name to each of them. Then he greets Sugriva, the monkey king, along with Jambavan, Angada (Bali's son) and every other chief, leaving no one out.
18. 6.129.18Bharat hugs Sugriva and thanks him. He says there were four brothers, and now Sugriva is the fifth. He adds that you know a friend by their kind actions, and you know an enemy by the harm they do.
19. 6.129.19Bharat thanks Vibhishana for fighting bravely for Rama. Shatrughna also shows his love and respect to both of his older brothers and bows at Sita's feet.
20. 6.129.20Rama goes to his mother Kausalya and sees how pale and thin her grief has made her. He comforts her gently and holds her feet with love. He also bows to Sumitra and to Kaikeyi, whose wish had sent him into exile, and he greets every lady and the family priest.
21. 6.129.21A huge crowd shouts, "Welcome, Rama, whom we missed so long!" Bharat puts Rama's sandals back on his feet. He says he is returning the kingdom that he looked after in Rama's place through years of pain.
22. 6.129.22Bharat says he no longer grieves over his past sorrows. His life feels blessed now that he sees Rama come home to rule.
23. 6.129.23Everyone admires Bharat's faithful love, and even the monkey chiefs cry tender tears. Rama hugs his brother again. Then he goes to the grove where Bharat had lived simply, like a hermit, while he waited.
24. 6.129.24Rama gets down in that holy place and walks happily on the ground. Then at his command the flying chariot rises and flies north, back to Kubera, the Lord of Wealth, who first owned it.

25. 6.130. Book 6, Canto 130: The Consecration

    6.130.1Bharat, Rama's younger brother who ruled while Rama was in exile, folds his hands and gives the kingdom back. He says it is unharmed, but carrying the job was very hard for him.
26. 6.130.2Bharat says the burden nearly broke him, like a young ox not used to the yoke. He compares himself to a crow or a mule next to Rama, who is like a swan or a fast horse, and says he cannot walk the hard road a king must walk.
27. 6.130.3Bharat begs Rama to start ruling as everyone wants. He asks for the old ceremony of crowning, where holy water is poured on the new king's head.
28. 6.130.4Rama nods to agree. Barbers cut his long, tangled hair from his years in the forest, and after bathing he puts on royal clothes and looks splendid.
29. 6.130.5Sita, Rama's wife, is dressed in shining robes with the help of older women. Sumantra, the royal charioteer, brings the chariot to the forest retreat on Shatrughna's order.
30. 6.130.6Sita and the wives of Sugriva, the monkey king, climb into the chariot, eager to see the city of Ayodhya. The chariot speeds off, as grand as the god Indra riding through the sky.
31. 6.130.7Rama rides home shining with glory. His brothers serve him: Bharat drives, Shatrughna holds the white royal umbrella over him, and Lakshmana fans him with a chourie, a royal fan made of a yak's tail.
32. 6.130.8Vibhishana, the new king of Lanka, helps Lakshmana fan Rama. Sugriva rides a huge elephant, and thousands of monkey (Vanara) chiefs follow in human form, dressed in rich clothes and jewels.
33. 6.130.9Rama reaches the gate of Ayodhya with conch shells, drums and shouts of "He comes!" Priests and cows lead the parade, and young women throw grain and gold.
34. 6.130.10Under rows of flags and among singing crowds, Rama nears the palace. He speaks to Bharat, the most dutiful of brothers, and tells him to go ahead into the king's hall.
35. 6.130.11Rama asks Bharat to take the monkey chiefs to greet their father's widows, the queen mothers. He also asks that Sugriva be given the very best rooms, decorated with gems, with lovely gardens.
36. 6.130.12Bharat agrees and leads Sugriva by the hand into the palace. Shatrughna has already prepared it with beds, rich hangings and lit lamps.
37. 6.130.13Bharat asks Sugriva to send fast messengers to gather the holy things needed to crown the king. Sugriva gives four golden jars to four of his swiftest monkeys to fill with water from the four distant seas.
38. 6.130.14The monkey messengers fly east, west, south and north to the oceans and bring back water. Water from five hundred rivers is also collected for the king.
39. 6.130.15Vasishtha, the eldest royal priest, seats Rama and Sita on a jeweled throne. He and other great sages pour the pure, holy water on Rama's head.
40. 6.130.16Priests, young women and warriors all come forward to sprinkle holy water on their king. Even the gods in the sky pour rare herbal juices on his forehead.
41. 6.130.17Rama is crowned with the ancient gold crown first worn by Manu, the first king of his family line. Shatrughna holds the royal umbrella, and the kings Rama had helped wave fans around him.
42. 6.130.18The Wind God gives Rama a jeweled gold chain, and Indra, king of the gods, gives him a string of pearls. The skies ring with cheers as heavenly dancers dance and musicians sing.
43. 6.130.19On that blessed day the fields fill with golden grain, the trees bend with beautiful fruit, and flowers smell sweeter.
44. 6.130.20King Rama gives generous gifts to the priests: cows, horses, clothes and jewels. He puts a dazzling jeweled chain on his friend Sugriva and gives bright armlets to Angad, son of Bali.
45. 6.130.21At the coronation, Rama gives his beloved queen Sita a shining pearl necklace. She wears it for a moment, then takes it off, looks at the Vanars (the monkey warriors who helped rescue her), and looks at Rama as if silently asking him something.
46. 6.130.22Rama understands Sita's silent question. He tells her to give the necklace to the one who is wise, truthful and strong, the loyal friend who stayed with them through every danger to the end.
47. 6.130.23Sita places the necklace around Hanuman's neck, the monkey hero who found her in Lanka. It shines on him like moonlight on a hill.
48. 6.130.24Rama gives rich gifts to every Vanar, and they go home happy. For ten thousand years Ayodhya (Rama's kingdom) lived in peace under his rule, with no wives widowed by violence and no homes left empty.
49. 6.130.25Under Rama's rule, animals were free of disease and herds grew. The land gave plenty of food, no harvest failed, and no children died. There was no poverty, sickness or crime, and life was calm and happy.