| The-Vaishnava
hymns exalt Bharata even above Rama for his devotion and unsurpassed unselfishness.
He installed Rama's padukas and ruled the kingdom as Rama's deputy for fourteen
years. At the same time he stayed at Nandigrama near Ayodhya and did his penance
even as Rama did his penance in the forests. And
when Rama, reunited with Sita, was returning to Ayodhya, Bharata's penance too was at an
end and his heart was filled with joy. In fact, his joy was deeper than what Kaikeyi and
her hunchback maid had planned for him. Indeed, what kingly crown could equal the
joy one found at Rama's feet? What sovereignty could bring the glory that was now
Bharata's for ever? |
