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Continued from yesterday's instalment
 But Bharata persisted. It would appear that no power on earth could stop him from fulfilling his vow. 'vaanul eidhiya mannavan maindhanaal'
I am the son of Dasaratha who saved his word at the cost of his life. And if Rama should live in the forest in keeping with what was ordained, for the sake of his acceptance to live in exile (refer Rama's answer to Vasishtha in
Take your crown, now!) it is also equally important for me to respect my own words.
'kaanul egiya kaagutharke kadan? Enaiyorkkum idhu izhukkil vazhakku andro?'
Fulfilling a vow as a matter of duty is not limited to Rama who went to the forest. It applies to all and it is a virtue worthy of following.'
It is this capacity for reasoning out and convincing the other person that we saw as a mark of distinction from Lakshmana, earlier. His skills of winning the argument surface again. 'I am guileless.
'maasu atren. I will prove it by my death. 'idhu kaatuven maandu.'
He walked round the fire in preparation for jumping into it. And Hanuman jumps into the scene with his usual communication skills, so selected and precise.
'ayyan vandhanan, aariyan vandhanan' My Lord has come. The noble hero has come.
'meyyin mey anna nin uyir veedinaal' If your life, which is like the very body for Truth to reside in is shed,
'uyyume avan?' Can he survive such a calamity?' So saying, he put out the fire and produced the ring of Rama in authentication of his identity.
And after due introduction, Hanuman narrated the entire happenings of the fourteen years to Bharata. I give the rest of the scene in the moving words of Sri VVS
Aiyar.
 "Bharata grieved that it was not given to him to help Rama like Lakshmana in the destruction of Ravana. But all the grief and sorrow melted away the moment he saw Rama coming in the aerial chariot towards Ayodhya. He then felt as if he saw his father himself returned to life. He fell at Rama's feet and Rama took him up and unable to utter a word in intensity of his grief and joy, embraced him till their very souls touched. Tears flowed unceasingly from Rama's eyes at the sight of the twisted knot of hair on the head of Bharata, which had never been untied, all these fourteen years. These tears and the love of Rama's heart, which was like that of the cow for its calf, were enough compensation to the heart of Bharata for the untold mental anguish that he had been suffering from the moment that he had heard of Rama's exile. And Lakshmana, who had misunderstood him in the early days of the exile, clasped his feet in loving worship. The tortured heart of Bharata had at length fount its balsam and fluttering with joy he too his brother and the Vanara host to Ayodhya and crowned Rama to the delight of himself and that of the whole world."
Bharata is an example of what men of wisdom, patience and justice would do in times of test and stress. How they would slowly win over even the heart of those who refused to trust them, those who did not believe in their honesty, and how transparent lives as well as transparent administration wins the world.
More follows…
Hari Krishnan
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