Page 22 - Ramayana - Eng
P. 22

Rāmāyaṇa



              acclaim of their expert recitation of His transcendental
              pastimes,  Lord  Rāma  took  great  pleasure  in  inviting
              them to His palace to recite the Rāmāyaṇa. Still, although
              they were His sons, He did not recognize them.
                After respectfully receiving the twin sages, the Lord
          invited them into His royal assembly. Lord Rāma observed
          that  the  boys,  although  dressed  as  ascetic  brāhmaṇas,  had
          the features of kṣatriyas. Speaking to His brothers, Bharata,
          Lakṣmaṇa  and  Śatrughna,  Rāma  said,  “O  best  of  King
          Raghu’s dynasty, please listen to this wonderful narration.
          Although these two singers appear like ascetics, they have
          the marks of great rulers. Listen to this story, because it is
          full of literary beauty and has universal appeal.”

             As Lava and Kuśa began the narration of the beautiful
          epic poem, Rāma and His brothers soon forgot everything
          else, becoming fully absorbed in hearing the Rāmāyaṇa. The
          bonds of material existence can be completely cut by simply
          chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories.

                               GGGbHHH

             The great tract of land known as Kosala extended along the
          banks of the Sarayū River. This land was verdant, prosperous
          and rich in grain. Within this vast territory was the renowned
          city of Ayodhyā, built by the desire of Vaivasvata Manu, the
          ruler  of  mankind.  This  glorious  city  was  ninety-six  miles
          long and twenty-four miles wide. It was well laid out, and its
          beautiful, straight roads were perfumed with scented water
          sprayed from the trunks of intoxicated elephants. Every day,
          the damsels of the celestial planets hovered above it in their
          beautiful airplanes and showered it with flowers.
   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27