Dandakaranya forest today spreads across the 3 states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh covering roughly an area of about 92200 sq km! From The Ramayana standpoint, time spent here was the toughest and longest part of the banishment. Rama decided to venture and roam the frightening forest of Dandakaranya which is spread over a large territory, for a little over 10 years – a forest where they say that even light could not enter easily. He knew that only if he entered the forest would he be able to kill asuras and bless the sages with his visit – sages who were eagerly waiting for his arrival.
VIRAT KUND
Tumburu, a gandharva was cursed by Kubera and became a rakshasa. When Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were meeting the sages in the Dandakaranya, he tried to carry the brothers away to another forest. Under Tumburu's own instruction, Rama pushed him into a pit. As per the curse then, Tumburu regained his old form and left for his abode. Before leaving he guided Rama to go to Sarabahnaga muni’s ashram. The pit that Rama pushed him into is now a water body called the Virat Kund. We couldn't see this kund, as it is very interior in the forest and is hard to reach except on foot.
SARABHANGA ASHRAM
As you enter this large forest area, the beauty of the surroundings and the pristine flora steal in a strange peace into our hearts. One can just imagine how much more beautiful this area must have been in Rama's times.
The Sarabhanga Ashram is one of the first ashrams we find at the periphery of the Dandakaranya forest. It is also the 1st major ashram that Rama visited. It is said that when Rama with Sita and Lakshmana neared the ashram of Sage Sarabhanga, they saw Indra’s and other devas chariots waiting outside. They waited outside for the guests to leave. Soon, when they entered in the sage's presence, Sage Sarabhanga told Rama that Indra had come personally to take him to Brahmalok but he chose to wait since he wanted to meet all of them. Now that he had seen them, he was ready to leave. When Rama asked him for guidance to stay in the Dandakaranya forest, Sage Sarabhanga was unable to offer his hospitality any further. Hence he gave directions to Rama to reach Sage Sudeekshana's Ashram. He even mentioned the kind of foliage that would guide them; that the trees would get taller as he approached the ashram and gave very precise directions to get there. Some of these can be found even now! Keeping Rama in front of him, Sage Sarabhanga then entered fire to reach Brahmalok.
The current location of this Ashram is around 13 kilometers from Chithara Station, Satna, Madhya Pradesh. As we entered the ashram, it was very calm. The first thing that caught our eye was a small rivulet running alongside the ashram. We cross over the rivulet into the ashram to come into a large courtyard with the temple on the left and the small hermitage of the sages living here even now. The temple has a sannidhi for Sarabhanga, There is also a separate Rama Janaki Mandir which is dark and the idols seem very old. The residents in the ashram claim direct lineage in the guru-sishya parampara to Sage Sarabhanga himself.
To view photos of Sarabhanga ashram in Rama Anu Yatra click on:
SUDEESKHNA ASHRAM
We trudged back to our buses to move on to the next ashram - Sudeekshana Ashram. This is deeper into the Dandakaranya forest and one has to go through rough forest terrain and small settlements to reach here. As I look out at the forest getting denser and the terrain getting rougher, it occurs to me how hard this journey must have been for the royal entourage. Brought up in such wealth and luxury, this hardship may have seemed unbearable. Yet the Lord took pains to reach us and suffer this. What else can this indicate but his yearning for us to reach him? What is more,Rama in fact visited this sage twice, once at the beginning of his travels in Dandakaranya and again at the end of 10 years of roaming the forest. At Rama’s request, Sage Sudeekshana gave him directions to go to Agastya ashram.
As with all ashrams, Sudeekshana Ashram too is extremely peaceful and tranquil. There is a huge open yard with trees all around and a small temple for Rama- Sita at one end. At the other end are living quarters for the sishyas who stay here. The current head of the ashram, Swami Trivenidasji currently 70 years old, took sanyasa at age of 20 and has been living here for the last 50 years. His guru had also lived in this ashram – they come from a very illustrious guru-sishya parampara of Sage Sudeekshna himself. Even today, though it is off the usual tourist map, a lot of sadhus come here, particularly for chaturmasya sankalpam. The simple yet deep abiding faith of the Swami was evident when he wept thinking of how Sita, his child had walked barefoot in these forests. That we travelled all these distances by bus hardly failed to impress him! HE was moved by the thought that these long distances and hardships were borne by the gentle Sita herself!
yatris that we left the ashram to proceed towards the highlight of the Dandakaranya forest - Sage Agastya's ashram.
To view photos of Sudeekshana ashram in Rama Anu Yatra click on:
AGASTYA ASHRAM
Sage Agastya - one of the most illustrious sages of vedic times with phenomenal spiritual powers, penance, great intelligence, & knowledge. Rama’s visit to the Agastya ashram was an important turning point of the Ramayana. He travelled all across the forest with Sita, Lakshmana and Sage Sudeekshana seeking out and enquiring about Sage Agastya's ashram. It is said that the sage had many sishyas in his ashram. It is on the advice of Sage Agastya, that Rama set up his hermitage in Panchavati to spend the remainder of his exile.
Agastya ashram currently in Madhya Pradesh is on top of a hill, a 16 kms trek from the point of nearest habitat, a small but very hospitable village called Tamouli in Panna district near Patna. The hill itself is on the banks of the small Tridthi river. Though this was identified with a lot of difficulty as the authentic Agastya ashram by Kinchithkaram Trust based on the Valmiki Ramayana, there are other locations also that have been identified as Agastya ashram. It is possible that during the course of his travel the sage may have established multiple ashrams.
We reached the Tamouli village around 3pm or so to find to our utter amazement the entire population of that Taluk congregated to recieve us. We were told that the schools in the taluk had been given a holiday that day since the children were given the important duty of awaiting the 600+ yatrikas and welcoming them with Poornakumbham and diyas as per their tradition! I felt really bad to see the tired but happy and shy faces of the children who had been waiting for us since 11 am! Old and young turned out in their best finery and the warmth and affection was palpable. Many fell at our feet crying - "You are such great mahatmas that you are following 'our' Rama's footsteps!! What providence. We are blessed to serve you." Instead moved by their devotion and simple hospitality, many of us touched their feet and took their blessings. What greater example can their be of vaishnava sampradaya than that poor folk give their all including that days wages to receive unknown guests and serve them in the way that they know best. It moved many of us to see that the Village elder or mukhiya had taken to trouble to mobilise about 6-7 tractors with carts at the back from near by villaegs to ensure that every single 600+ yatrika was dropped at the foot of the hill and didn't have to walk the 16km stretch - a road that had been freshly laid just for us!! They made any number of trips carrying 20 passengers at a time! As we reached the Tridthi river, we found that the water was quite shallow but the stones made the short trek across the river quite slippery! To help older people the villagers and Kinchithkaram trust volunteers had in a matter of 3 days made a makeshift bridge with bamboo and hay etc so that people could just walk across!!! It was amazing. From that point on, till the top of the hill, every few steps local villagers, men and women, stood with folded hands and tears in their eyes welcoming us to their village; each of them spoke of how humbled they were to receive us and what an honour they felt in being able to serve 'their' Rama's devotees!!! I certainly don't think I deserved this treatment, but their faith was such that, that day I am sure Rama walked with us up that hill if only to fill the hearts of these simple guileless villagers with faith and love for Him. 
After the steep climb up and we reached a beautiful courtyard that was the sage's ashram at Tamouli. As soon as we entered the temple precincts, the villagers received us with lavang and elaichi and water and a young girl sang bhajans on Rama. The local MLA also participated in the gathering. We looked around and found that the central piece of the hermitage was a huge temple that has a sivalinga in the centre and the idol of Mahavishnu at the back. There were also multiple sannidhis for all the 1000+ munis who lived with the sage in this ashram. Many of sannidhis of course have now become dilapidated. There is a small sannidhi showing the Sage Agastya sitting in meditation. Next to that is a rare idol of Rama in action but with matted locks like an ascetic! It is probably the only idol showing Rama like this. With the evening sun setting , the sky took on multiple hues that added to the aura of the hermitage. We left the hermitage with the beautiful sight of the tall gopuram silhouetted against the darkening evening sky.
To view photos of Agastya ashram in Rama Anu Yatra click on:
https://picasaweb.google.com/devikavarad/RamaAnuYatraAgastyaAshram#
Very devotional journey ! I saw Aranya Kandam turning alive before me... many thanks.
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