Shri Ram AND MARYADAS OF HIS TIME :3

" mce_src="

BHARAT MEETS RAM

Instead of coronation of Shri Ram as Yuvraj, Shri Ram was
awarded vanvaas. Sita chose to go with him and so did Laxman. The three left
Ayodhya and after crossing Saryu River, they met Maharishi Bhardwaj in his ashram
at Prayag, and then subsequently they went  
towards Chitrakoot.

They were staying near the bank of the river Mandakani, as
vanvaasis. On the other hand, developments in Ayodhya were taking place at a
faster pace. King Dasrath could not bear the exile of Ram and died. Bharat and
Shatrughan, who were far away at their Mama’s place, were called for by Sage
Vashisht. When they arrived at Ayodhya they were distressed by the happenings
in Ayodhya. However Sage Vashisht consoled everyone and asked Bharat to perform
the last rites of his deceased father King Dasrath, which was done with full
respect and honor to the departed soul.

The royal court and the royal family told Bharat that he
would now have to assume charge of Ayodhya as his King, but Bharat refused. He
firmly told the court that he believed that the crown belonged to Ram and requested the court that he may be allowed
to go and meet Ram in the forest so that he could persuade Ram to accept the
throne. Sage Vashisht and the entire court also decided to accompany him,
including all the royal ladies.

" mce_src="

They reached Chitrakoot. The meeting was best described by
Goswami Tulsidas. It was extremely emotional, to say the least. What more, Ram and
Laxman got news of the demise of their father from Bharat.  They were still meeting each other and were
full of emotions when they got the news that King Janak, with his convoy was
also nearby, to meet Shri Ram. Soon thereafter King Janak also arrived.

After paying tributes to the departed soul, they settled down
to more serious business. Bharat informed that he was seriously hurt and
saddened by the action of her mother leading to the King’s death, and would
certainly not accept the throne, and would rather leave Ayodhya and stay with
Shri Ram. Whatever happened in Ayodhya was unfortunate and need to be reversed.
This could only happen in case Shri Ram went back and occupied the throne. Bharat
also informed that the royal court, under his temporary presidium, had already
rescinded the banishment.

" mce_src="

Shri Ram informed the gathering that whatsoever Kaekai had
done was on his insistence. When Laxman and he went with Sage Vishvamitra and
entered into a peace treaty (read Ramayan and
History) with Ravan, they did so, supposedly on behalf of Ayodhya.
Surely the treaty, although pushed and endorsed by King Janak, was between all
Kingdoms and Ravan, he was not a representative of Kingdoms, but was representing
Ayodhya. Laxman and he was there on behalf of King of Ayodhya, his departed
father, King Dasrath. Ayodhya was a very important, peace loving Kingdom and
its unique involvement in world peace, after the treaty, was to be taken
forward sincerely, and in right earnest. Now that his father King Dasrath was
dead, it had assumed much more significance. He also informed that it was
important, under the terms of treaty, to stay in the forest for a period of
fourteen years. King Janak endorsed what Shri Ram had told the gathering. Bharat
felt that there was nothing in the peace treaty which would deny him replacing
Shri Ram, or for that matter all three brothers replacing Shri Ram. Further, he
said, Ayodhya, after the death of King Dasrath, needed Shri Ram very badly as
their King.

It was true that whatsoever was to be done in the forest, as
per the treaty, could be done equally well by Bharat, added Ram, but his father
was dead, and no one could be allowed to modify what was decided during his
father’s last days. This was against the Maryada, and he was sure even Bharat
would not want that. Further, he added, if that was the wish of Bharat and the
people of Ayodhya, he would accept the throne after spending fourteen years in
forest, and killing all wicked Rakshas with the help of Vaanars. Bharat
understood that there was no way it was possible as per existing Maryada, and
also values dear to Shri Ram, that Shri  Ram
would even consider returning back, as his stay in forest was decided and
(although unwillingly) endorsed by king Dasrath. Bharat was then told by Shri
Ram, that similarly he must go and rule Ayodhya, as king, to satisfy the
‘Vachan’ of their departed father.

Bharat was left with no choice. As a Suryavanshi and dutiful
son, he too had a responsibility that after the death of his father, his
father’s last vachans were satisfied. With resignation, he accepted to rule
Ayodhya, but insisted, that he would do that only after installing the wooden
sleepers of Shri Ram on the throne so that the throne would always remain that
of Shri Ram. On a specific request of Shri Ram, King Janak then informed
everyone there, the remaining details of the treaty between Ram and Ravan. They
were told that as per the treaty, Ram would not be entitled to any help from
kingdoms or Ayodhya, in case Shri Ram fought a decisive war with Ravan and
Rakshas. The only help he was entitled to, in case he decided to fight Ravan
and Rakshas, was that of Vaanars. This was an important clause in the peace
treaty, added Janak, as Vaanars were not getting the rightful place in the
society. They were still treated as animals and kingdoms were still refusing to
recognize them as human being.

The meeting of Bharat and Shri Ram is important as it gives
an insight as to why an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of Shri Ram took
place, and the adharm which required correction by Shri Ram. Vaanars were
treated as animals, although they were human being… rather the purest form of
human beings. At least their origin and antecedents were known, as compared to
people living in the kingdoms whose antecedents were not even know…read ‘
Hindu History.. start of a new Kalp ‘. 
They should have been welcomed and greeted as ARYANS (the purest form of
human beings). Yet they were being treated with contempt by all kingdoms
(including Ayodhya), they were not allowed to build their settlements outside
forests, and they were hunted and eaten up by Rakshas just like other animals.
Rakshas along with Ravan were committing several atrocities on other habitats
of forests such as atrocities on rishis.

Shri Ram, in his incarnation of Lord Vishnu corrected all
this, and after his decisive victory over Ravan established Ram Rajya. Ram Rajya
was the rule of Shri Ram over the entire world, after he became Chakravarti
Samraat, in which everyone was happy, prosperous. What was the dharm he
established, unfortunately no one tells us. Why? Most of our dharm gurus... or
religious shop owners, as of today are really minting money. Are they preaching
Dharm, or, running religious shops, is for you to judge. Statistics reveal,
spending on religion by Hindus have increased drastically after the advent of
multiple TV channels. Yet Hindus are not getting desired result as a society.
This requires serious retrospection.

Please wait and ponder. Post your thoughts on some issues
mentioned below:

LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE STARTED FEELING THAT HINDU RELIGION HAS
TOTALLY SWAYED AWAY FROM THE CHERISHED PATH AND IS NOW COMPLETELY MOVING IN A
DIFFERENT DIRECTION, AS A RESULT THAT HINDUS, BY AND LARGE, ALTHOUGH BEING
HIGHLY RELIGIOUS, ARE NOT GETTING DESIRED RESULT AS A SOCIETY. LACK OF EDUCATION FOR GIRLS, DOWRY DEATHS,
SUICIDES AMONG FARMERS, INCREASE IN COURT CASES AMONG RELATIVES, MISTRUST AND
DISCONTENT, ARE ALL PHYSICAL PARAMETERS TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OR
SUCCESS/FAILURE OF RELIGION IN A SOCIETY. THIS COMPILED WITH FACT THAT
RELIGIOUS SHOPS (NO. OF GURUS) HAVE INCREASED, THE SPENDING ON RELIGION BY HINDUS
HAS INCREASED DRASTICALLY... SPEAK OF DISASTROUS MISADVENTURE. ALL THIS NEED TO
BE CORRECTED… AT LEAST SINCERE EFFORT HAS TO BE MADE.