Ramayan Part 19 - Bharata's Return To Ayodhya Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

The city was thrown,
Into a state of mourn,
With its king passing away,
Leaving one and all far from gay.

In oil they kept his body,
No son was there ready,
Nor one available nearby,
For the funeral ceremony.

For his last rites to perform,
Messengers went to inform
The two, Bharata and Satrughun,
Who were at Kekaya then.

Messengers with a caution
Not a word, to mention,
Were advised to be so formal
To show everything normal.

The city ever busy and happy
Surprisingly appeared gloomy
To Bharata on his way,
At the peak of his dismay.

Silence dominated everywhere,
None came forward to answer,
What was that puzzling matter,
That kept on increasing his fear.

He went first to his father,
Who wasn’t seen there,
Then ran to his mother,
To find what was the matter?

Thro’ his mother’s mouth,
He heard his father’s death,
And the rest of the truth,
That shook, in her, his faith.

Kaikey tried her best,
To convince him first,
But he didn’t accept,
The throne in protest.

Why he was born to her?
What a curse of a mother,
Who caused his father’s death?
Why, to grab all his wealth?

How could he live at rest,
When his Ram was in forest?
What sin did he commit,
This punishment to inherit?

To these Bharata’s words,
His mother did firmly oppose.
And forced him to take,
The throne for her sake.

What a mother she was?
A woman who made a mess
To be hated by her own son,
With support from none.