The Ramayana · 491 of 493

Yuddha Kānda (The War Book): Canto 128 — Hanumán’s Story

“In doubt and fear long years have passed And glorious tidings come at last. True, true is now the ancient verse Which men in time of bliss rehearse: “Once only in a hundred years Great joy to mortal men appears.” But now his woes and triumph tell, And loss and gain as each befell.” He ceased: Hanúmán mighty-souled The tale of Ráma’s wanderings told From that first day on which he stood In the drear shade of Daṇḍak wood. He told how fierce Virádha fell; He told of Śarabhanga’s cell Where Ráma saw with wondering eyes Indra descended from the skies. He told how Śúrpaṇakhí came, Her soul aglow with amorous flame, And fled repulsed, with rage and tears, Reft of her nose and severed ears. He told how Ráma’s might subdued The giants’ furious multitude; How Khara with the troops he led And Triśirás and Dúshaṇ bled: How Ráma, tempted from his cot, The golden deer pursued and shot, And Rávaṇ came and stole away The Maithil queen his hapless prey, When, as he fought, the dame to save, His noble life Jatáyus gave: How Ráma still the the search renewed, The robber to his hold pursued, Bridging the sea from shore to shore, And found his queen to part no more.(1025)

Insight

Bharata's response to the news of Rāma's return is the model of a transition of power that nobody else in Indian political memory has matched. He orders the city decked with flowers, the road smoothed, the priests called, the queens brought out, and he himself rides out at the head of the procession still carrying the sandals he has used as the symbol of the throne for fourteen years. The voluntary return of a regency, with no resentment and no claim retained, is so rare in the literature of kingship that the Sanskrit tradition has spoken of bharata-vrata, the Bharata-vow, ever since. The Hebrew bible has Jonathan's love for David that gives up his own claim to Saul's throne. The two passages are worth reading together for what they say about love that does not need to win.1 Samuel 18:1-4 and 23:16-17 (Jonathan and David); on bharata-vrata in classical Indian political thought, M.A. Mehendale, Reflections on the Mahābhārata War (1995); on idealized brother-regency, Sheldon Pollock, The Language of the Gods (2006).