Allowance for corruption

Make due allowance for the corrupting influence of power

Rama was returning to Ayodhya with Sita, Lakshmana, Vibhishana, Hanuman and others. Their plane, known then as Pushpaka, reached Allahabad, and broke journey on Rama’s orders.

He called Hanuman and addressed him as follows:

“You are a Yogi, who can read the face of a person and see through his eyes his innermost thoughts and divine his plans. Now I want you to fly to Ayodhya, meet Bharata and announce our arrival at Ayodhya this evening for my coronation tomorrow. Please see his reactions from his face and read his thoughts and come back soon.” You can tell him that ‘myself and my party have already arrived at Allahabad, and only a flight of 45 minutes remains.”

Hanuman was surprised that Rama should suspect the motive of his beloved and devout brother, Bharata. Hanuman replied: “Lord, why do you doubt the sincerity of Bharata? You know he has been ruling the country with your sandals placed on the throne with reverence and devotion. He is anxiously waiting for the moment your holy feet would touch the soil of Ayodhya so that he may shift the burden off his shoulders.”

Rama told Hanuman that he knew Bharata’s devotion, but he must make due allowance for the corrupting influence of power. He said “Bharata had enjoyed this power for 14 years. He may feel unhappy to be deprived of it. I do not wish to be the instrument to cause him that unhappiness. We are used to the forest life, and can easily return to it.”

On hearing this Hanuman flew to Ayodhya, met Bharata and conveyed the message. Bharata was full of joy and started dancing in glee. Hanuman returned to Rama and reported the matter accordingly. The party arrived at Ayodhya, and the coronation took place as originally planned by Destiny.

(This is a part of the excerpts of the speech of Mr. Ramachandra, the highly esteemed Editor of the internationally famous ‘Religious Digest’, who delivered this speech to sixty four Roman Catholic Nuns, belonging to different Orders, at the Aquinas University College, Colombo in 1971.)