Sumantra noticed that the brahmans highly proficient in Vedas stayed there all the night. At a nearby place he spotted the royal priest, Vashishta. Ministers, army chiefs and prominent leaders of the city were assembled there, too, welcoming and in anticipation of Rama's coronation. Everyone was agog with joy.
Sumantra with a placid mind, went on happily, seeing the royal roads adorned with flags and banners. He heard the words pertaining to Rama and Rama's coronation spoken together by all the people there. Then, he saw Rama's palace which was lovely, shining like the top of a mountain and radiant like Indra's palace.
Sumantra entered there, passed over many of Rama's friends and other well wishers and approached Rama's inner apartment.
There, Sumantra heard people talking delightfully about Rama's coronation and the rites to be performed for Rama's prosperity.
Sumantra reached the secluded inner apartment. There some youths , wearing darts and bows, were on security duty with utmost vigilance and attention. They were all greatly devoted to the king and were wearing polished ear-rings. There he saw the aged palace-supervisors wearing orange coloured clothes, adorning themselves pretty well, having canes in their hands, well composed and being posted at door-ways. All of them, the well-wishers of Rama, saw Sumantra and raised from their seats hurriedly at once in reverence. Sumantra told them "Tell Rama that I want to see him immediately." They did so without any question.
Knowing the intimacy of Sumantra with his father, Rama invited him inside his apartment.
Sumantra told Rama "Oh Rama! Your father and the Queen Kaikeyi want to see you. Please go there immediately."
Rama nodded and smiled and told his wife "Oh Seetha! The king and the queen together want me, obviously for something relating to the coronation. That black-eyed mother of mine, Kaikeyi who is dexterous and very friendly disposed, has perceived the king's opinion and is pressing him on my behalf. Kaikeyi, my mother is following up the king's intentions with great pleasure, desirous of my benefit and prosperity. It is certainly our luck that king and the queen have sent Sumantra, who fulfills my desires and wishes, as a messenger. A worthy messenger has come who is truly representing the assembly there. It is certain that today itself the king will anoint me for the right of succession to the kingdom. I shall go immediately. You stay here happily with your circle of friends and enjoy yourself."
The dark-eyed Seetha, treated with respect by her husband, followed Rama up to the door, waved 'ta-ta' to him and started day-dreaming like "King Dasaratha will give you the kingdom, being served by brahmanas, which will invest you with eligibility to perform the great sacrifice at the coronation ceremony like Brahma to Devendra. I shall be delighted to see you, initiated for the perfect religious act of austerity, wearing excellent antelope-hide, being pure and bearing a deer-horn in hand. May Indra, the god of rain in the east, Yama the god of death in the south, Varuna the regent of the ocean in the west and Kubera the god of riches and treasure in the north, protect you".
Rama started along with Sumantra. He saw Lakshmana standing at the door. He also saw his friends in the middle chamber. He greeted them all and mounted his chariot. Lakshmana, Rama's younger brother mounted the chariot in the rear-side and protected Rama from the sun with an umbrella and chamara fan. That splendid chariot, sounding like rain-cloud in the sky, came out of the house like moon coming out of a mighty cloud. Then, the crowds started dispersing from all sides generating tumultuous hallowing sound. Thereupon, hundreds and thousands of important people mounted on excellent horses and soldiers mounted on elephants, followed Rama. Valiant persons, dressed in armour adorned with sandal and aloe perfumes, wearing swords and bows, declaring the arrival of Rama, went in front of Rama to receive him. At that time, sounds of musical instruments, sounds of praising hymns of panegyrics and lion-like roars of valiant persons were heard on the way. While Rama was going, well-adorned women standing in porticoes of palaces, sprinkled flowers on him from all sides. Women of exquisite beauty standing in palaces and on the ground were offering salutations to Rama like "Oh, Rama, who creates happiness to mother! Have a successful journey! Your mother Kausalya will certainly be delighted to see you obtaining the paternal kingdom." Those women thought that Seetha, who is dear to Rama's heart, was a better woman than any other woman, not only in this world but in all the worlds also; Seetha having obtained Rama as husband must have certainly performed a great penance in former times. While going through the royal road, Rama heard pleasant words of the women standing in turrets.
Passing over all the gates of the royal palace, Rama politely sent all the people back and entered the palace, followed by his brother Lakshmana.
When Rama went nearer to his father, all the people waiting for him there as the ocean waits for the rising of the moon, were delighted.
Sumantra with a placid mind, went on happily, seeing the royal roads adorned with flags and banners. He heard the words pertaining to Rama and Rama's coronation spoken together by all the people there. Then, he saw Rama's palace which was lovely, shining like the top of a mountain and radiant like Indra's palace.
Sumantra entered there, passed over many of Rama's friends and other well wishers and approached Rama's inner apartment.
There, Sumantra heard people talking delightfully about Rama's coronation and the rites to be performed for Rama's prosperity.
Sumantra reached the secluded inner apartment. There some youths , wearing darts and bows, were on security duty with utmost vigilance and attention. They were all greatly devoted to the king and were wearing polished ear-rings. There he saw the aged palace-supervisors wearing orange coloured clothes, adorning themselves pretty well, having canes in their hands, well composed and being posted at door-ways. All of them, the well-wishers of Rama, saw Sumantra and raised from their seats hurriedly at once in reverence. Sumantra told them "Tell Rama that I want to see him immediately." They did so without any question.
Knowing the intimacy of Sumantra with his father, Rama invited him inside his apartment.
Sumantra told Rama "Oh Rama! Your father and the Queen Kaikeyi want to see you. Please go there immediately."
Rama nodded and smiled and told his wife "Oh Seetha! The king and the queen together want me, obviously for something relating to the coronation. That black-eyed mother of mine, Kaikeyi who is dexterous and very friendly disposed, has perceived the king's opinion and is pressing him on my behalf. Kaikeyi, my mother is following up the king's intentions with great pleasure, desirous of my benefit and prosperity. It is certainly our luck that king and the queen have sent Sumantra, who fulfills my desires and wishes, as a messenger. A worthy messenger has come who is truly representing the assembly there. It is certain that today itself the king will anoint me for the right of succession to the kingdom. I shall go immediately. You stay here happily with your circle of friends and enjoy yourself."
The dark-eyed Seetha, treated with respect by her husband, followed Rama up to the door, waved 'ta-ta' to him and started day-dreaming like "King Dasaratha will give you the kingdom, being served by brahmanas, which will invest you with eligibility to perform the great sacrifice at the coronation ceremony like Brahma to Devendra. I shall be delighted to see you, initiated for the perfect religious act of austerity, wearing excellent antelope-hide, being pure and bearing a deer-horn in hand. May Indra, the god of rain in the east, Yama the god of death in the south, Varuna the regent of the ocean in the west and Kubera the god of riches and treasure in the north, protect you".
Rama started along with Sumantra. He saw Lakshmana standing at the door. He also saw his friends in the middle chamber. He greeted them all and mounted his chariot. Lakshmana, Rama's younger brother mounted the chariot in the rear-side and protected Rama from the sun with an umbrella and chamara fan. That splendid chariot, sounding like rain-cloud in the sky, came out of the house like moon coming out of a mighty cloud. Then, the crowds started dispersing from all sides generating tumultuous hallowing sound. Thereupon, hundreds and thousands of important people mounted on excellent horses and soldiers mounted on elephants, followed Rama. Valiant persons, dressed in armour adorned with sandal and aloe perfumes, wearing swords and bows, declaring the arrival of Rama, went in front of Rama to receive him. At that time, sounds of musical instruments, sounds of praising hymns of panegyrics and lion-like roars of valiant persons were heard on the way. While Rama was going, well-adorned women standing in porticoes of palaces, sprinkled flowers on him from all sides. Women of exquisite beauty standing in palaces and on the ground were offering salutations to Rama like "Oh, Rama, who creates happiness to mother! Have a successful journey! Your mother Kausalya will certainly be delighted to see you obtaining the paternal kingdom." Those women thought that Seetha, who is dear to Rama's heart, was a better woman than any other woman, not only in this world but in all the worlds also; Seetha having obtained Rama as husband must have certainly performed a great penance in former times. While going through the royal road, Rama heard pleasant words of the women standing in turrets.
Passing over all the gates of the royal palace, Rama politely sent all the people back and entered the palace, followed by his brother Lakshmana.
When Rama went nearer to his father, all the people waiting for him there as the ocean waits for the rising of the moon, were delighted.
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