Chapter
13
Entering into Exile
Thousands
had gathered in the quadrangle of the Palace. Their grief
was immeasurable. Meanwhile, the Minister went in, and
aroused the Emperor who had fallen unconscious on the
floor. He made him sit up, and placed him in position. He
communicated to him the news that Sita, Rama and
Lakshmana had come to have audience with him. Rama had
already stood near his father, speaking words of soothing
love. When Dasaratha saw Sita and Lakshmana, his grief
knew no bounds. He embraced Rama closely and fell on the
floor. Anguish choked his throat; he pressed his hands on
his chest and tried to suppress the agony. Sita and
Lakshmana could not look on at the suffering
Emperor.
Lakshmana saw Kaikeyi,
standing by with an air of authority; his eyes became red
with rage; he looked daggers at her as if he would kill
her on the spot. But he controlled his anger, and cooled
his emotion, watching the serenely calm face of Rama. At
that time, Kaikeyi said, "Rama! You are plunging your
father in deeper grief! The sooner you leave and reach
the forest, the quicker will your father be relieved from
anxiety. Do not delay any longer! Prostrate before your
father, and go". These words so devoid of elementary
kindness seemed to split the heart of Dasaratha.
Dasaratha suddenly shouted, "Demoness! Evil spirit! How
hard and adamantine are your words" and fell in a faint.
Just at that moment, Sita, Rama and Lakshmana fell at his
feet. Rama said, "Father! Bless us and permit us to
leave. This is a time fit for rejoicing, not pining and
grieving. Over-attachment brings infamy in its train".
Rama pleaded that he should be courageous and give up the
delusion that makes him dote on him. Rama clasped his
father's feet, and then knelt on his Knees
caressing and consoling.
Dasaratha opened his
eyes and looked full at his beloved son. He sat up with
great difficulty and holding both hands of Rama in his,
he said, "O my darling Son! Listen to my words! You are
possessed of self-control and discrimination. You
know what is right; it is proper that you should do only
the right thing. Now, it is not right when one person
does wrong, for another to suffer from its consequences,
isn't it? The play of Fate is unpredictable, it is a
riddle beyond solution".
The Emperor began to
pile argument on argument in his innocence and love,
to dissuade Rama from his resolve to proceed to the
forest.
Rama was known to
Dasaratha, the father, as a Master of the Codes of
Morality, and as a strict adherent of these Codes; he was
skilled in justifying his acts; he was unafraid of the
consequences of his resolve. Dasaratha read from the face
of Rama who stood before him that he had come ready to
take leave of him for the journey into exile. When he saw
Sita too before him, he called her near and when she
knelt by his side, he stroked her head softly, and
described to her the travails of forest life. He told her
that the best course for her would be to stay back,
either with her parents-in-law, or with her own parents.
His words came through groans of unbearable sorrow. He
gnashed his teeth in rage, when his eyes fell upon
Kaikeyi; all the while, he was fuming and fretting within
himself, unable to contain his grief.
Sita fell at his feet
and said "Revered Father-in-law! My mind longs only for
the service of Rama. That good fortune awaits me in full
measure in the forest. I cannot stay back, losing this
precious chance. Service rendered to parents or
parents-in-law cannot give the wife the joy of
fulfillment that service rendered to her husband can
alone give. There is no joy or happiness greater or
higher than that. Do not oppose me or present arguments
against my leaving. Confer on me your blessings and send
me with Ramachandra."
Dasaratha could well
understand and appreciate the yearning of Sita. He
extolled her virtues with genuine enthusiasm, for the
edification of Kaikeyi, standing before him. Meanwhile,
the wives of Royal ministers, and the wives of Royal
Preceptors who were in the room gathered around Sita,
and, in their turn, they too described the hardship
inherent in forest life. The Court Preceptor's spouse
sought a cleverer ruse to dissuade her. She said, "Sita!
You have not been required to leave and go into
the forest. It is your task to remain here and comfort
the parents of your husband who are sunk in sorrow. You
are half of Rama, aren't you? So, this half must stay in
order to alleviate the sorrow that the departure of the
other half is causing them. Moreover since you are half
of the eldest son, the Heir to the Throne, you have the
right to rule over the Empire. If Rama moves into the
forest and lives there to honour the word of his father,
stay and rule over the realm and uphold the renown of
Rama, filling his parents with delight. As the wife of
Rama, this is the correct step you should take; this is
your legitimate duty".
These words were spoken
as soft and sweet as the whispering of autumn moonbeams
into the ears of chakravaka birds; but they made Sita
reel in misery. She was so overcome that no reply came
from her.
During this interval,
Kaikeyi had secured hermit's robes of fiber as well as
rosaries of tulsi; she held them before Rama and said,
"The Emperor holds you as dear as his very life. So, he
is bringing down eternal infamy on his head, unwilling to
let you go. His affection for you is clouding the
righteousness of the course. He will not utter the words,
'Go into the forest', at any time, under any
circumstance. It is fruitless to await his agreement and
his permission. So, decide on any one of these two steps:
Are you courting infamy and dishonour and staying
to rule over the Empire? Or, are you leaving
for the forest and bringing eternal glory to the
Ikshvaku Dynasty? Decide and act".
Rama was glad
that she spoke so. But, the words entered the heart of
Dasaratha like sharp nails driven in by heavy
hammer-strokes. "Alas! What cruel fate is mine! That I
should be alive even after hearing such harsh words!", he
exclaimed, and rolled to the floor in a faint. Regaining
consciousness, he recalled the words he had heard, and
again, became unconscious. Rama could not bear the sight
of his father's helplessness in the face of the situation
that confronted him. He felt that he should accept the
suggestion of Kaikeyi and leave; for, the sooner he left,
the better it would be for all concerned.
He received in his
hands the fiber-robe his step-mother had brought and
winding one of them around himself, he gave the other to
Sita. She stood holding it in her hands, with her head
bent in embarrassment, for she did not know how to wear
it or fasten it around her. It looked too short a piece.
Rama, who had already worn his robe, came near and spoke
to her in a low voice. She was ashamed to confess that
she did not know how to wear the fiber-garment, which
hermit women draped around themselves so elegantly. She
whispered, "Besides, this is not like the ones we
wear; it is too short and not wide enough!" Rama consoled
her, and, putting courage into her, took her aside, and
saying that it could be worn 'thus-wise', he wound it
round her himself. Seeing this, the wives of the hermits
and other women of the palace shed tears of
sympathy.
At this juncture,
Vasishta the Royal Preceptor, arrived at the scene; he
stood aghast, taking in the situation at a glance. He
fell foul of Queen Kaikeyi. He declared that Sita need
not wear the garment of fiber. He asserted that Kaikeyi
had asked for and had been granted two boons only -
Bharata to be crowned and Rama sent into the forest. He
said that Sita could go into the forest with all regal
paraphernalia and every requisite for a comfortable
sojourn there.
At this, Rama unwound
the garment he had placed over her dress. But Sita came
forward and fell at the feet of the Sage. She
said, "Master! Of course, my wearing that garment is not
the direct consequence of mother Kaikeyi's desire. Can I
not follow the ways of my Lord? Would it be proper for
me, would it bring credit for me, if I live in the
forest bedecked in jewels and costly silken garments,
when my Lord is wearing the garment of a hermit? It would
be extremely absurd for a dutiful wife to adopt this
attitude, wouldn't it be? Therefore, give me permission
to put on these garments, so that I may maintain the
wife's code of conduct and carry out my duty".
The adherence to
righteous conduct which prompted this prayer moved the
mighty Sage into tearful compassion. With sorrow
stuttering his voice, he said, "Sita! This line of
thought comes quite naturally to you, since you are the
embodiment of virtue. But, as kings and rulers, there are
certain principles to be respected, by you and others.
The crooked and wicked brain of your mother-in-law
Kaikeyi needs some correction and warning. As a matter of
fact, this day, your husband was to be crowned Emperor of
this realm. Though that event did not take place as a
result of a combination of circumstances, including
promises made long ago, I must say that it is against
political justice to crown Bharata instead. Only the
eldest son has the right to the Throne; no one else has
the claim. If he for any reason gives up the right
through his own free will, as he has done now, you, as
the other half of his person, have the right to wield
that authority; no third party can exercise
it.
When Vasistha was
expounding rules of political morality, Kaikeyi was
visibly affected by fear. But she was not unaware of the
fact that Sita would not desire to exercise regal
authority and power. However long Vasishta
elaborated on her rights and claims, Sita refused to pay
attention to them; she was yearning for the chance to
wear the fiber garment of the hermit in preference to the
robes of Imperial Splendour. The wife of the Royal
Preceptor felt that Sita would never retract from her
resolve; so, she and others took the garment and
wound it round her, in correct hermitage
style.
Meanwhile, Lakshmana
too wore the same sylvan garments, as Rama had on.
Rama decided that there should be no more delay. The
three prostrated reverently before Dasaratha, who fainted
away at the sight of his sons in their ascetic attire.
They prostrated also before Kaikeyi who was
standing nearby. They fell at the feet of sage Vasishta
and of his Consort. And they started towards the
forest.
Citizens of Ayodhya who
had gathered at the Palace gates saw them walking as
hermits; they broke into bitter sobs. Many were so
shocked that they fell unconscious. Many beat their heads
in sheer despair. While on the door step of the Royal
Gate, Rama once again prostrated before Sage Vasishta,
and spoke a few words exhorting the people to remain calm
and to uphold virtue. He told them that they should not
grieve over the turn of events, that he would return to
Ayodhya after the fourteen years of stay in the forest,
and that the order of exile was only for their good, for
his own good and for the good of the whole
world.
Shri
Shri Sita Rama Lakshmana Hanuman
Then, he distributed
largesses to the poor; he gifted houses as well as
gold, lands and cows to Brahmins, so that they
could perform ritual worship and sacrifices without
stint. He prayed to the Sage to arrange for the
performance of Vedic sacrifices on appropriate occasions.
He stood with folded palms before him and said. "Holy
Sage and Preceptor, for these, the people, and for my
parents, you are the real parents. Advise the King,
admonish the King, that he may rule over the people as he
would treat his own children". When the people heard this
prayer repeated on their behalf, they became sad,
heart-broken. Some of them beat their breasts, cursing
themselves for losing the fortune of being ruled by such
a Prince. Some inflicted injuries on their own heads.
Some rolled on the ground and wailed aloud.
Meanwhile, Rama turned
again towards the mass of citizens, and with palms
folded, he spoke a few words to them. "My dear people,
you are as dear to me as my very life. Our
Sovereign Ruler has sent me to protect and foster the
forest region. Do not entertain any animosity against him
for this reason. Guard him and pray for him at all times.
Adhere to his commands; make him happy and be happy
yourselves. Your love for me should not lead you to
dislike the King. Never wish ill for him. Those only are
dear to me who work for the happiness of the King, after
I leave for the forest. Those are the people who are
really devoted to me, who do what I really like. Fulfill
this desire of mine; honour these words of mine; make me
happy. My dear people! Being separated from me, my mother
Queen Kausalya will naturally be immersed in grief. Every
mother in a similar situation will have unbearable
agony. But, I plead with you, since you are
intelligent and full of sympathy "do your best to
alleviate her sorrow and comfort her".
Then he called Minister
Sumanthra near, and said, "O Sumanthra! Proceed now to
Father. Advise him and quieten him. That is the task on
which you have to busy yourself". Sumanthra was overcome
with grief; he stood silent, with tears streaming
down his cheeks. He could not restrain his sorrow; he
sobbed and wept aloud. Other Ministers who were standing
around him, as well as the Aides in attendance, attempted
to bring him round into a state of calmness and courage.
But they were too sad to stand there. So, they
went into the Palace, in accordance with the directive
given by Rama. The entire city was sunk deep in a vast
sea of sorrow.
Meanwhile, Dasaratha
recovered from his faint and became conscious of what had
happened. He lamented, "Rama! Rama!" and tried to raise
himself up. But, heavy with grief, he fell on the floor
again. When he rose, he tried to walk, but could not; he
moved falteringly around.
At that moment,
Sumanthra entered the room, and endeavoured to hold him
and console him. But, with huge outbursts of anguish
surging in him, how could he convey consolation to his
master? However, he remembered Rama's order to that
effect; and, so he dutifully swallowed the sorrow that
was overwhelming his heart and sat by the side of the
Emperor with tears still flowing in streams. He could not
utter any word for a long time.
Dasaratha opened his
eyes; he saw Sumanthra by his side; exclaiming in
uncontrollable grief "Rama!", he fell into the lap of the
old minister and poured out his sobs. Then, he rose and
groaned, "Sumanthra! Rama has gone into the forest; yet,
my life has not gone out of this body! What can my life
gain by sticking to this body?" Then, getting a little
calmer, he said, "Here! Hasten behind Rama! Take a fast
chariot and go. My daughter-in-law can never bear the
heat of the sun. She will soon have blisters on those
lotus petal soles! Go! Go with the chariot!"
contents
of this Vahini
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