Chapter
3
No Progeny from his Loins
Ravana,
the Rakshasa King of Lanka, heard of Dasaratha and his
fame. He was so filled with envy that he determined on a
sure plan to destroy him, by means, fair or foul. Ravana
sought for an excuse to provoke Dasaratha into a fight;
one day, he sent word through a messenger, that unless
tribute was paid to him, he would have to meet Ravana on
the battlefield and demonstrate his superior might in
war. This call was against international morality, but
what morality did a Rakshasa respect?
When Dasaratha heard
the messenger speak, he laughed outright, in derision.
Even while the messenger was looking on, he shot sharp
deadly arrows which reached Lanka itself and fastened the
gates of that City!
Addressing the envoys,
Dasaratha said, "Well, Sirs! I have now made fast the
doors of your fortress city; your master cannot open
them, however hard he may try; that is the 'tribute' I
pay to your impertinent lord". When the envoys returned
and informed Ravana of this, he was shocked to find all
the doors closed fast; the desperate efforts made by
Ravana with all his men met with failure; they could not
open the gates. When Ravana was struck with shame,
strangely enough, the arrows returned to Ayodhya and the
doors flew open.
Ravana, however,
decided that he must overpower all the rulers of the
world and, realizing that he could do so only by winning
Divine Grace, he went over to the depths of the forest
and selected a favourable, auspicious spot for his
ascetic practices.
The asceticism of
Ravana was so intense and satisfying that God Brahma was
compelled to appear before him and offer to grant him
whatever boon he desired. "Ravana! Ask for anything you
want! I shall give you your heart's desire", said Brahma.
Ravana was revolving in his mind the insult he had
suffered at the hands of Dasaratha; he argued that
Dasaratha might get even mightier sons from whom he might
suffer more; so, he asked the boon he wanted, "Lord!
Bless me with this gift of Grace: let no child be born
from the loins of Dasaratha". At this, Brahma said, "So
be it", and immediately vanished from the scene, lest
Ravana might frame another foul request if He were
present before him! Ravana strutted about, proud and
devoid of fear, exulting over his prowess and
success.
Meanwhile, another
project entered his head! "Dasaratha is a youth of
marital age now; if I so contrive that he does not marry
at all, it will make my safety doubly sure", he thought
within himself! Looking about with the aid of his
Rakshasa skills, he discerned that there was a great
likelihood that Dasaratha will wed the daughter of the
King of Kosala. So, he decided to put an end to that
princess! When one's own destruction is imminent, reason
turns crooked - as the saying goes! He entered the Kosala
kingdom stealthily in disguise and kidnapped the
princess. Placing her in a wooden box, he cast it over
the waves of the sea.
Ravana could not see
the truth that nothing can ever happen without the
concurrence of the Divine Will. Brahma willed otherwise:
the box was carried by the waves on to the shore. The
place where it landed was a fine recreation area. The
next day, Sumanthra, the Prime Minister of Dasaratha
happened to visit the place on a quiet holiday, to be
spent in discussing within himself the problems of the
State. His eyes fell in the box; he retrieved it and
opened it. He was surprised to find in it a charming
girl, with attractive shining eyes and a halo of divine
splendour. Sumanthra was overcome with pity; he spoke
soft and sweet to the girl, "Little one! How did it
happen that you were placed inside this box?"
She replied, "Sir, I am
the princess of the Kosala kingdom; my name is Kausalya.
I am not aware how I came inside this box nor who placed
me in it. I was playing with my companions in the palace
gardens; I do not remember what happened to me".
Sumanthra was moved by her simple and sincere statement.
He said, "Such barbarian stratagems are resorted to only
by Rakshasas; they are beyond the ken of men! I shall
take you to your father and place you in his hands. Come
with me! Let us go without delay".
Sumanthra placed her in
his chariot and proceeded to Kosala, where he restored
her to the King and recited before the Court the details
known to him.
The King too,
interrogated Sumanthra in various ways. He discovered
that he was none other than the minister at the Court of
Dasaratha, Emperor of Ayodhya, and that his master was
still unmarried. He was filled with joy at the discovery.
He said, "Minister! You brought back to me this child of
mine, saving her from destruction. So, I have resolved to
give her in marriage to your master himself. Please
inform the king of my offer". He honoured Sumanthra with
due ceremony and sent him with the Court Priest and
appropriate presents.
Sumanthra told
Dasaratha in detail all that had happened. In order to
confirm his acceptance, Dasaratha sent with the Court
Priest of Kosala his own Court Priest with gifts of
auspicious nature. The date and time were fixed;
Dasaratha proceeded to the Kosala capital accompanied by
a magnificent array of elephantry, chariotry, cavalry and
infantry. The paean of music which marched with him
reached the sky and echoed from the horizon. The marriage
of Dasaratha and Kausalya was celebrated with resounding
grandeur and splendour. The King of Kosala took Sumanthra
near him and said, "You are the person who brought about
this glory; of course, nothing ever happens without God's
will. Nevertheless, how can I repay the debt I owe you
and demonstrate my gratitude to you? Please honour my
offer and accept it; be wedded this day itself in my
capital city. If you agree, I shall arrange for the
celebration of that joyous event this very
day".
Dasaratha and Sumanthra
gave their consent to the proposal. Sumanthra was married
to the daughter of Veeradasa, of the clan of Ganga. The
news of the marriages of both King and Prime Minister at
the same place, on the same day, spread throughout the
City, nay, throughout the kingdom!The land was filled
with wonder and delight. The festival lasted three days;
the populace were treated to music, drama, dance and
other forms of entertainment. Night and day were packed
with excitement and joy.
On the fourth day,
Dasaratha started back for Ayodhya, with his queen and
courtiers as well as Minister Sumanthra with his bride
and entourage; they entered the City amidst the
acclamation of the people. His subjects exulted at the
marriages of both King and Minister; they danced in the
streets and shouted "Jay" "Jay" till their throats got
hoarse. They lined the streets to see their Queen; they
sprinkled rose-water on the roads by which they came and
welcomed them waving flames of camphor.
Dasaratha resumed his
royal duties and ruled the realm with love and care.
Often, he went with his consort, on excursions into the
forests, and spent his days happily. But, as time sped
through days, months and even years, the shadow of
distress darkened the face of the King. For, the pang of
being childless saddened him.
The King consulted
priests, pundits and ministers and when he knew that
their desire confirmed the earnest prayer of Kausalya, he
married another wife, Sumithra. Sumithra lived up to her
name, for she was indeed full of companionable virtues.
Kausalya and Sumithra were bound to each other by ties of
affection, far stronger than those between a mother and
child. Each yearned to give joy to the other; each had
deep fortitude, detachment and sympathy. But, in spite of
the lapse of many years, no signs of the King securing a
successor to the throne were evident. Moved by despair,
the King married a third wife, at the instance of the two
queens. She was Kaika, the exquisitely charming daughter
of the King or Kekaya in Kashmir.
The King of Kekaya,
however, laid down certain conditions, before
agreeing to give his daughter away in marriage! He
insisted that the son born of Kaika should have the right
of accession to the throne; if the King of Ayodhya could
not agree to this, he declared, he would not consent.
Garga. the Court Priest, brought back the message to
Ayodhya. Kausalya and Sumithra recognized the ardour of
the King to wed the princess of Kekaya, whose beauty was
being extolled highly by all; they felt that the duty of
a true wife is to obey the least wish of the husband and
do her best to help the realization of that wish; they
also knew full well that the Imperial Line of Ayodhya can
never be polluted by a son who would transgress Dharma.
Though Dasaratha might promise that the son of the third
wife could succeed to the throne, the son of Kaika born
in the dynasty would certainly be an embodiment of
righteousness, free from such blemish: so, they pleaded
with him, with palms meeting in prayer, "Lord! What
greater happiness have we than yours? Accept the
conditions laid by the King of Kekaya and wed his
daughter and ensure the continuity of this dynasty of
Raghu. There is no need to spend even a minute's thought
upon this".
The words of the queens
fanned his native ardour to an even brighter flame;
therefore, the King sent Garga back with many presents
agreeing to the terms and informing the King that he was
following fast for the wedding ceremony. The ceremony
itself was celebrated with lavish
magnificence.
Dasaratha returned to
his capital, shining like the moon amidst the stars, when
he passed through the streets in procession, accompanied
by the three queens. The King treated each of them with
equal consideration; they too, evinced equal love and
respect towards each other and the King. They adored him
and were afraid to displease him. They endeavoured their
best to carry out his wishes and not to hinder his
desire, for they revered him as their God, in the
tradition of the true wife. They lived with such intimate
mutual love that it appeared as if all three had but one
breath, though they moved about as three
bodies!
Years passed. The King
and the queens crossed the bounds of youth and middle age
and approached the realm of old age; there were no signs
of a son. Therefore, though the women's apartments of the
palace had all the comforts and accessories needed for
happy existence, the hearts of the queens were torn by
unrest, anxiety and despair.
One evening, the four
(the King and his queens) sat in a room or the palace
spending hours of anxiety over the future of Ayodhya, and
the prospects of its prosperity and safety; and each
attempted to answer intelligently and pleasantly. At
last, unable to resolve the problem, they rose, heavily
dejected and decided that they should consult the family
Preceptor, Vasishta, and accept his advice.
At break of dawn,
Vasishta was respectfully invited to grant his Presence;
many Pundits and Counselors were also called for
consultation. The King placed before them the problem of
finding a successor to rule the vast realm between the
two seas, the Imperial domain under the sway of the Raghu
dynasty. Overcome by despair, Dasaratha prayed to the
elders in plaintive terms for beneficial
suggestions.
Vasishta dwelt long in
thought; at last, he opened his eyes and spoke thus:
"King! You need not grieve thus. Ayodhya will not be
rendered masterless. She will not suffer widowhood. This
domain will be gay, happy and prosperous, in unbroken
festivity and evergreen with festoonery. She will be the
guardian of right living, reverberating with music and
joy. I will not agree to the raising of a prince from
some other dynasty to the throne of Ayodhya. The Grace of
God is a gift inscrutable. The Vow of Righteousness which
you are fulfilling will surely bring you the supreme joy
of having a son. Do not delay any further! Invite the
sage Rshyasrnga, the son of Vibhandaka and perform, with
him as the High Priest, the sacred Yaga (Sacrifice)
called Puthrakameshti (the Yaga prescribed for those
desirous of begetting a son). Make all the necessary
ceremonial and ritual arrangements for the Yaga
forthwith. Your desire will be achieved without
fail".
The queens listened to
these reassuring words, spoken so emphatically by
Vasishta. They were filled with Ananda! The bud of hope
bloomed anew in their hearts. They retired into their
apartments, praying most earnestly.
The King searched among
his entourage for the most appropriate emissary to be
sent to Rshyasrnga, son of Vibhandaka, and to invite him
to the imperial capital on such a mission. At last, he
called near him his old friend, Romapada, the King of the
Anga State and sent him with necessary instructions and
equipment. Meanwhile, arrangements for the Yaga were put
through, on the bank of the sacred Sarayu river.
Attractive sacrificial altars were constructed, in
conformity with sacred injunctions. The City was
decorated with flags and festoons.
As was anticipated, the
great sage Rshyasrnga entered the city of Ayodhya, to the
great delight of all, with his consort Santha.
Emperor Dasaratha
welcomed the sage at the main gate of the Palace; he
ceremonially washed the feet of the distinguished saint;
he placed on his own head a few drops of the water
sanctified by his feet; he then fell at the feet of
Vasishta and prayed to him to enquire from Rshyasrnga the
proper procedure for the contemplated Yaga.
Rshyasrnga wanted that
the ministers and scholars be seated in appointed order;
he directed the King also to sit on his throne. Then he
described the various processes of the ceremony, so that
the court priests could note them for their guidance. He
gave them in such detail that every one even knew where
exactly he was to sit in the sacrificial hall!
The sage decided that
the Yaga shall begin on the stroke of seven, the very
next day. The news spread all over the City in a trice.
Before dawn every street was decorated with green
festoons, every road was packed with people pressing
forward to the vast open space on the bank of the Sarayu,
where the Yaga was to be performed. The river bank was
thick with the eager populace.
Rshyasrnga, with his
consort Santha, entered the specially built Yaga Mantap,
with the King and Queens, while Vedic chanting and the
music of bugle, trumpet and clarinet and the cheers of
the people resounded from the sky. Rshyasrnga was
installed as the 'Brahma', or the Chief Organizer for the
Yaga; he assigned various tasks like worship, recitation,
chanting, propitiation, etc. to scholars, in
consideration of their qualifications. The offerings were
placed in the sacred fire with the prescribed formulae by
Rshyasrnga himself, with scrupulous exactitude, deep
devotion and faith.
From
the fire that was scripturally fed, there arose before
all eyes, a Divine Person who shone with the blinding
splendour of a sudden stroke of lightning! He held a
bright vessel in his hands. At this, the vast concourse
including the priests were petrified with wonder, awe,
fear and joy. They were overwhelmed by the sudden onrush
of bliss and mystery. The King and Queens shed tears of
joy; they cast their looks upon the Divine Person and
prayed to Him, with folded palms (see for another example
S.B.
4.13:36).
Rshyasrnga continued
the formulae with undisturbed equanimity, as the texts
prescribe, offering oblations in the fire. Suddenly, a
Voice as on the Day of Mergence, resounded from the dome
of the sky. Rshyasrnga sat aghast and sought to listen to
the Message from above. "Maharaja! Accept this Vessel,
and give the sacred 'payasam' food brought therein in
appropriate shares to your three queens", the Voice
announced. Placing the vessel in the hands of the King
the mysterious Person who had emerged from the flames
disappeared into them.
The joy of the people,
princes, pundits and priests who witnessed this great
manifestation knew no bounds. Soon, the final rituals
were completed and the Maharaja returned in procession to
the Palace, with the sacred vessel gifted by the Gods in
his hands.
contents
of this Vahini
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