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In Ramayana, Shri Bharat visited Lord Ram after the death of king Dashratha. As soon as Shri Bharat saw Lord Ram, he embraced him and said: “Ram, our father died soon after your departure. On his deathbed he had only your name on his lips. Please forgive me. It is only because of my cruel mother that you have come to the forest in exile and we have lost our father.” However, Lord Ram still wanted to live in exile to fulfill the promise made to his late father. Shri Bharat still insisted that he will instead fast to death, and won’t go back to Ayodhya without taking Lord Ram back with him. King Janak, convinced Shri Bharat of his self less love.

Shri Bharat returned disappointed, but with a promise that Lord Ram would have to return to Ayodhya immediately at the end of 14 years or else Shri Bharat would give up his life by immolation.

Shri Bharat placed Lord Ram's sandals on the foot of the throne and never sat upon the throne himself nor did he crown himself.

Before returning to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, Lord Ram thought that if Shri Bharat has even a slightest wish of continuing as a King of Ayodhya, he would return back to the forest. To check on Shri Bharat's wish, Lord Ram sent Hanuman to Ayodhya.

Here, Lord Ram is seen still in doubt after very sorrowful plea of Shri Bharat. When a person wants to confirm something, it means he is in doubt or confused which means under the influence of Maya.

Is this a true story, the second story is that Lord Ram had sent Hanuman ahead so that he doesn't give up his life.

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No, as per Valmiki Ramayan: Yuddha Kanda: Sarga 125, Lord wanted to check if Bharata got influenced with Maya having been associated with the kingdom for long.

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  • The person who checks if other person is in Maya means the same person is in Maya. The act of seeking confirmation is a form of Maya.
    – Vaibhav
    Commented Nov 2, 2018 at 16:24
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Valmiki ramayan is the original biography and he was the only who lived at the age of rama and had a direct interaction with him and his family. So what is in valmiki ramayan should supersede other interpretations.

Reasons:

  1. It was the wish of his mother (step mother) that ram spend 14 years in the forest. Everyone knew it. Since his father too has passed away and in rama's eyes it was his father's last command or wish before death that the throne is to be for bharath and vanavasa to him. So in short his mother and father's wish was to have him on the throne.

  2. It is also to be noted that Bharat was doing a wonderful job of maintaining the kingdom very well and there was no need for rama to take over if Bharath is enjoying what he is doing or even has the slightest attachment to it. As witnessed by hanuman Bharat was not enjoying his new position and he was truly in sorrow, his health was decaying, he was living the life of a sage and the only way for him to live his life of a prince or king is for rama to get back the throne. Rama at this point is looking for any small reasons which can justify him not taking the throne because of the following 3rd reason.

  3. One or the otherday the few ignorant people of the kingdom would have started talking bad about ma sita who has been in captive for over a decade under the all powerful ravana and would have suspected her chastity. Even if a small % of the minority of the kingdom had this thought then it would have affected the kingdom and for the love of his behalf he would have wanted to avoid it if he can.

  4. It is natural and advised always to have a 3rd party witness/confirmation for such things. Rama was sure about Bharat. Bharat was sure about his conviction towards Rama but what about the world. If Rama had gone without a confirmation from a 3rd party then many or at least some citizens of his kingdom would have doubted him about being always wanting to be on the throne and he was so quick to come and claim the throne as soon his period ended. This also means that he never wanted to leave the throne but he left he did not have any choice. He would have been blamed of 'moha (attachment towards worldly things)'. Here rama's willingness to let his brother continue on the throne if at all he is enjoying even a bit of it shows that Rama is free of moha. Rama is sacrificing the throne for his brother. Rama is fulfilling the wish of his father. Rama is fulfilling the wish of his mother. Now since Hanuman , a 3rd party tells everyone that Bharat is suffering and living the life of a sage unlike someone from royal family and the only way to make his life better is to fulfill his wish of Rama himself being on the throne.

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  • The way Shree Bharat had pleaded to Lord Rama to take the throne was with pure heart. The one with pure heart is free from Maya. Trying to re-confirm means doubt. Doubt is illusion, which is Maya. In Christianity, an angel is someone who is 💯% sure about everything. Lord Ram is know as God. Sending a messenger to confirm if one is still pure, is illusion.
    – Vaibhav
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 13:10
  • incorrect. It was more than a decade when bharat met him and told him that he do not have any attachment to the throne and he will only rule it with his (rama's) footwear on top of the throne and he will abstain from any pleasure which are not available to rama in that forest. If rama had gone to the kingdom without notice/confirmation then he would have been blamed for not giving the benefit of doubt to bharath. What if bharat has changed his mind or enjoying his new empire? then rama wanted to happily let his brother take over. This is why he wanted a 3rd party confirmation from hanuman.
    – Gajendra D Ambi
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 13:38

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