Agastya said, “Rama, it is right indeed that you should always think of your wife’s happiness, for very few women would have been ready to forego their comfort and pleasures, to go forth into the forest with their husband. Sita is indeed an exemplary wife and you should take great care of her. You have been brought into this forest in order to rid the place of the rakshasas – the night wanderers, who have made it their home. There is a place not far from here called, Panchavati. Fruits and roots are in abundance there. There is plenty of water and deer can be seen bounding all over the place. I am sure Sita will be delighted with that spot. You can make an ashrama over there and live happily till it is time for your return. I would have asked you to remain with me till your exile is over but I can see that there are many things left for you to do and Panchavati is the place from where these will be accomplished”.
Taking leave of the great sage, the three of them followed his directions and soon came to the beautiful grove known as Panchavati. On the way they noticed an enormous eagle perched on the very tree which Agastya had given as a landmark. The bird was greatly excited at seeing them and introduced himself as Jatayu. He said he had been a friend of Dasaratha. He also had a brother called Sampati whom he had not seen for many years. He promised to live with them and guard them and give warning at the approach of rakshasas and wild animals. Rama was delighted to hear this and Jatayu showed them the way.
Panchavati was a wonderful place surrounded by mountain peaks and filled with fruit laden trees and flowers. The sound of the river, Godavari close by and the gurgle of the stream near-by, delightful to the ears. Having chosen a level spot, close to the stream, with five flowering trees, champaka, parijatha, ashoka, kadamba and sandalwood, Rama requested Lakshmana to build a small cottage for them. Lakshmana first plucked some flowers and offered them to the gods for protection and requested them to give him leave to build on that terrain. Then he built a beautiful cottage with twigs and-wattle and grass roof and invited Rama and Sita to enter. They were charmed to see the place. He had made separate partitions for eating, sleeping and puja. Everything was made to look fresh and beautiful with an eye to utility as well.
Rama laughingly asked him, “My child, where did you learn the art of construction? I can’t remember ever having learnt anything like that from our tutors at the gurukula”.
Lakshmana answered, “When love fills the heart, there is no task which is onerous or difficult. The magic of love overcomes all difficulties and gives all knowledge”.
Rama’s eyes filled with tears as he embraced him and said, “My dearest brother, how can I ever repay you for the loving service you have rendered to me all these years. My life during this exile would have been unbearable but for your constant and vigilant care and attention”
The three of them spent a long time in that beautiful spot. Sometimes Jatayu would join them and narrate tales of their father and they would talk of their past life in the palace, which felt as if it was a dream. Jatayu was always on guard against wild beasts and rakshasas and would shriek wildly, if any beast of prey came within fifty yards of the place.
Once, on a misty autumn morn, when the brothers were taking their bath in the Godavari, Lakshmana said, “I don*t know why, but today my mind is filled with thoughts of our dear brother, Bharata, who must be also taking his bath in the cold waters of the Sarayu and perhaps thinking of us. What a noble soul he is? Instead of enjoying the pleasures of palace life, he is living like a hermit in Nandigrama in order to show his love and respect for you. Poor thing, I fear he does not know the happiness that I enjoy, for he is denied the felicity of your company. How is it that such a noble soul was born in the womb of such a wicked woman, like Kaikeyi”.
Rama’s eyes filled with tears as he replied, “My child, speak more to me about our glorious brother, Bharata, but do not let me hear you speak ill of our mother. After all she was only a tool of fate. I too cannot get rid of the memory of Bharata’s tear-filled eyes as he pleaded with me to return with him. I can still see him placing my footwear on his head and going back, with tears streaming down his eyes. How can I forget that scene. Very often it haunts me in the night. I fear that I am fated to bring unhappiness to those I love”! These were indeed prophetic words which Rama spoke.
Thus the three of them spent many blissful days at Panchavati, each doing his allotted task, offering their daily prayers and enjoying the beauty of nature. Sita spent the happiest years of her life here. She would roam through the forest with Rama, clinging to his hands, while he plucked flowers for her. She would sit still while he braided her hair and placed flowers in it. They would lie .close to each other on the hill-tops watching the stars above.
One day when they were walking hand in hand, Rama lifted up his hand to show her something and inadvertently wiped off the vermilion mark on her forehead. He was most apologetic and searched for a red stone which he crushed into powder and applied it once more with great care on her forehead and then he smeared the rest of the powder on her cheek, in order to tease her. Sometimes if a stream was too deep, he would carry her in his arms and when they reached the other bank, she would refuse to get down and he would pretend to throw her into the sky and she would laugh and nestle closer to him. She was in a blissful dream all the time and Rama too found great happiness in the beauty of nature as well as the beauty of his charming bride and the companionship of his brother. Little did they realise that the time was inexorably coming close, for the purpose of his avatara to be fulfilled, and the reason for his exile to be completed.
Thus ends the second Canto called “Panchavati” of the Aranya Kanda in the glorious Ramayana of the Sage Valmiki.
