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204
JAIN RAMAYAN
"Dear Chief Minister! Kindly stop calling me king and Emperor. Now the emperor is Shri Ram and I am his humble servant."
The Chief Minister did not say anything. He sat silent and thoughtful. He was deeply moved by the words of Bharath. Bharath's spirit of detachment, nobility and tenderness filled the Chief Minister with great joy. He said, "Blessed is the kingdom of Ayodhya. Blessed is the royal dynasty of Ayodhya and blessed are the princes of Ayodhya who are unique and unexampled in the whole world.”
“Dear Chief Minister! Are you also lost in thought? Ah ! What is there to think about so deeply now? When my dear brother Shri Ram whom I revere as much as I revere my father is in Ayodhya, how can I continue to be the king of the country ? From tomorrow onwards, you will have to carry out the commands of Shri Ram. I have ceased to be the king of the country.”
"Dear lord! What you say is right. Shri Ram has not yet recovered from weariness. People have been thronging the palace to meet him and to have a glimpse of his radiant face. He does not find time to eat food. When that is so....."
"It does not matter. For the time being, I will carry out the administration; not as the emperor of the country but as a humble servant of Shri Ram. I will carry out my brother's commands."
All of a sudden, Bharath's face became bleak. His accents grew dull. i His voice was choked with emotion. The Chief Minister was shocked to notice all this.
Bharath's eyes were closed. His face revealed his mental agitation. The old Chief Minister rose to his feet. He embraced Bharath. He felt that Bharath's body had grown warm. He stroked Bharath with his tender hands and tried to cheer him up. “Dear king! I am unable to bear to see the sight of your agitation.” The Chief Minister's eyes welled up with tears. His voice shook with an overpowering emotion,
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