Rāma Pattābhisheka in the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells of the coronation of Bhagavān Rāma at Ayodhyā in Sarga 12 of its Sāra Khaṇḍa. This telling has its own details. Bharata comes close to entering the fire at Nandigrāma. Hanumān goes ahead to Ayodhyā with the news. Daśaratha comes down from svarga (heaven) to see the ceremony. The attendants around the throne are described one by one. The telling ends with Rāmarājya, the golden rule of Rāma at Ayodhyā.

Bhagavān Śiva narrates this to Pārvatī. He himself composed a hymn of eight verses (an ashṭaka) in praise of Rāma at the coronation.

The journey back

Vibhīshaṇa had been crowned at Laṅkā, and Sītā had passed through the agni-parīkshā (the trial by fire). Then Rāma, Sītā and Lakshmaṇa boarded the Pushpaka vimāna (flying chariot). Vibhīshaṇa, Sugrīva, the vānara chiefs and Makaradhvaja went with them.

Rāma did not stay at Laṅkā to celebrate his victory. He longed to see Bharata, who had waited patiently at Nandigrāma for fourteen years.

As the Pushpaka flew toward Ayodhyā, Rāma showed Sītā the places below. They were Laṅkā itself, the Setu built across the ocean, Rāmeśvaram, Kishkindhā, Pañcavaṭī on the banks of the Godāvarī, the āśramas of Agastya, Sutīkshṇa and Atri, Citrakūṭa, the river Kaliṅga (and Jāhnavī, that is Gaṅgā), and last of all the āśrama of Bharadvāja. Rāma sent Hanumān ahead to Ayodhyā with the news.

Bharata nearly enters the fire

Nandigrāma is the village outside Ayodhyā where Bharata lived in simple ascetic ways for the fourteen years of Rāma’s exile. He had kept Rāma’s pādukās (sandals) on the throne. He did all the work of a king in their name, and he lived like a hermit.

The fourteen years were ending, and there was no sign of Rāma. Bharata was in despair. As sunset came near, he said to Śatrughna: “I believe Rāvaṇa has slain Rāma, Lakshmaṇa and Sītā. If not, they would have come. I will enter the fire at sunset.”

He called the kings, ministers and citizens who had gathered, and said farewell to them. He went to the river Sarayū and built the funeral pyre. He bathed and gave away wealth. He walked around the fire seven times, and he was about to step into the flames.

At that moment, as the sun was setting, Hanumān came down from the sky. His voice was full of feeling. He called to Bharata not to enter the fire. Rāma was alive and victorious, he said, and was near, at the āśrama of Bharadvāja, with Sītā and Lakshmaṇa.

Bharata was filled with joy. He bowed to the fire in thanks and embraced Hanumān with tears. He asked Hanumān to tell him everything that had happened. Then he had Ayodhyā decorated at once and sent a procession out to receive his elder brother.

The meeting at Nandigrāma

Rāma came down from the Pushpaka at Nandigrāma. Bharata fell at his feet and lay flat on the ground. Rāma embraced him with tears.

Then Rāma showed great divine love. He took as many forms as there were people gathered there, so that everyone could be embraced by Rāma at the same moment. The crowds were amazed. Each person felt received and embraced alone, and each also saw the same thing happen to everyone else.

Bharata gave back Rāma’s golden pādukās. He had kept them on the throne to stand for Rāma’s rule, and now he placed them on Rāma’s own feet. He then told Rāma that he had kept the treasury, the army and all the royal wealth safe. In fact he had made them ten times greater during the fourteen years. Rāma embraced Bharata warmly.

Arrival at Ayodhyā

The procession entered Ayodhyā on the morning of Māgha Śukla Pañcamī. The text counts this as fifteen years after Rāma had left, the fifteenth year having begun. Rāma had left on Māgha Śukla Pañcamī, and he returned on the same tithi (lunar day) the next year.

Ayodhyā was richly decorated. The citizens threw flowers from the rooftops as the procession passed through the streets. Women waved lamps in āratī. Rāma was welcomed like the sun coming out after an eclipse.

Rāma got down from his chariot and sent Sītā into the palace. He then spoke to the people who had gathered. After that he set the Pushpaka free. He told it to go back to Kubera, from whom Rāvaṇa had seized it. The vimāna bowed and went to Kubera’s realm.

The coronation assembly

Vasishṭha chose an auspicious muhūrta (time) for the coronation. Hanumān was sent to the four oceans to bring sacred water.

Lakshmaṇa stood behind Rāma and held the royal parasol. On Rāma’s right stood Bharata with a cāmara (fan). On his left stood Śatrughna with the other cāmara. Hanumān held the pādukās in front.

Around the throne:

Sugrīva held the water-vessel.
Vibhīshaṇa held an excellent mirror.
Aṅgada (son of Tārā) held the tāmbūla-pātra (the vessel for betel leaf).
Jāmbavān held the vastra-kośa (the cloth chest).

Sugrīva, Aṅgada, Vibhīshaṇa and Jāmbavān stood in the four directions with their offerings. Beside them stood the divine beings Citraratha, Vijaya, Sumantra and Dāraka.

Others came too, not only the human and vānara attendants. Devas, asuras, yakshas, gandharvas and kinnaras came. Plants, mountains, rivers and oceans also appeared in bodily form to see the coronation of Bhagavān Rāma.

Rāmāshṭaka by Bhagavān Śiva

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa says that Bhagavān Śiva was present at the coronation among the assembled devas. He composed and recited an ashṭaka (a hymn of eight verses) in praise of Rāma. This is the Śrī Rāmacandra ashṭaka.

Each verse ends with the words “Śrī Rāmacandraṃ satataṃ namāmi”, which mean “I always bow to Śrī Rāmacandra”. The hymn praises Rāma in these ways:

He is the friend of Sugrīva.
He is the husband of Sītā.
His colour is dark like a cloud.
His eyes are like lotuses.
He destroyed Laṅkā.
He fulfils the wishes of his devotees.
He is the eternal ocean of joy.

Daśaratha comes down

When the coronation was over, King Daśaratha, who had passed away, came down from svarga (heaven). He rode in a divine vehicle that blazed like the sun, and the devas were around him. He saw his son Rāma, now the crowned king, with Sītā beside him, and all his brothers and the gathered beings around.

Daśaratha praised Rāma with deep feeling. He said: “I am blessed. My ancestors are blessed. This land is blessed. My family line is blessed by your coronation.” He then praised Kausalyā as blessed three times over because she was Rāma’s mother.

Rāma bowed to the ground before Daśaratha. All the queens, the brothers and the ministers also bowed before the king who had passed away. Daśaratha was satisfied and full of joy. Bhagavān Śiva and the devas led him back to the divine realm.

Gifts at the coronation

Rāma gave rich gifts.

To Sugrīva: a necklace set with all kinds of gems, shining like ten thousand moons.
To Vibhīshaṇa: a garland of flowers.
To Aṅgada: divine golden armlets (bāhubhūshaṇa).
To Sītā: a necklace set with all gems and jewels, worth more than can be measured.

Sītā in turn gave this necklace to Hanumān as a sign of her thanks.

Rāma asked Hanumān what vara (boon) he wanted. Hanumān said: “May my mind never be satisfied with repeating your name. Let me always long for more nāma-smaraṇa (remembering your name). And wherever your sacred story is told, let me be there to hear it.”

Rāma gave him this vara. He said that Hanumān would stay in this world as long as Rāma’s name is on earth. At the end of the kalpa he would reach Rāma’s sāyujya (complete union with Bhagavān Rāma).

Sītā added a vara of her own. Wherever a mūrti of Hanumān is set up and worshipped, in villages, cities, homes, forests, mountains, rivers and holy places, all bhogas (enjoyments) and bhāgyas (good fortunes) will come to those who worship. Sickness and trouble will go away. The bhūtas, pretas and piśācas (ghostly beings) will be destroyed just by remembering Hanumān.

Rāmarājya

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa ends Sarga 12 with a picture of Rāmarājya, the golden rule of Rāma.

The earth was full of crops, and the trees bore plenty of fruit.
Even flowers that had no scent became fragrant.
No woman was widowed, so there were no second marriages of widows. This showed that men lived long and prospered.
There was no disease, no fear of wild animals and no early death.
Women were devoted to their husbands.
All people followed their svadharma (their own duties).
Rāma ruled for 11,011 years by the Tretā-yuga count. This equals 11 lakh 1,100 years by the Kali-yuga count.

Rāma was ekapatnī-vrata (true to one wife), śuci (pure), eka-vākya (a man whose word was final) and eka-bāṇa (a man whose arrow always hit its mark, meaning that every promise he made could be trusted). He guarded the people as if they were his children. He lived at Sāketā (Ayodhyā) with Sītā, Bharata and all his brothers in peace.

Sources

Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Sāra Khaṇḍa, Sarga 12

Rāma Pattābhisheka (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa)