Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Dharma Katha · Season 4: The Road to Diwali · Episode 134

A man is standing on a road outside a city, holding a pair of wooden sandals on his head. He has been holding them, in one way or another, for fourteen years. They have sat on the throne of Ayodhya, in a hut in a village called Nandigrama, while he sat on the floor beside them and ruled in their name. Every decision of the kingdom has been made before them. Every report has been read to them. And now he is standing on the road, with the sandals on his head, looking at the sky.

Missed the previous story? Listen to Episode 132 first.

Source note. Label: scripture. Bharata's orders to Shatrughna, the procession with the queen mothers, Bharata carrying the sandals with umbrella and fans, his worry that Hanuman was mistaken, the coming of the vanaras across the Gomati and of the Pushpaka, Bharata's worship and embrace, his words to Lakshmana, Sita, Sugriva and Vibhishana, Rama's greeting of Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi and Vasishtha, the return of the sandals and Bharata's words on the tenfold kingdom, the sending of the Pushpaka to Kubera, Bharata's speech with the images of the calf and the fruitless tree, and the cutting of Rama's matted hair, are in the Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, in popular vulgate editions around sargas one hundred and twenty-seven and one hundred and twenty-eight; numbering differs in the critical edition. The Bharat Milap of the Varanasi Ramlila is living tradition. Dialogue is close paraphrase. The reflections are my own.

Note: this episode is narrated with an AI voice and the script was written with AI assistance. Sanskrit verses are checked against published editions; corrections are welcome.