Chapter
4
The Sons
The
Queens finished the Ceremonial Bath (as advised by the
Preceptor); they entered the Palace Shrine where the
altar of the Family Deity was: Vasishta completed the
ceremony of worship. The payasam (food) that the Divine
Person presented, was then placed in three golden cups.
Then, Vasishta called Dasaratha in and said, 'Raja! Give
these cups to your wives - first to Kausalya, next to
Sumitra and last, to Kaika'. The King acted as ordered.
They laid hold of the cups and fell at the feet of
Vasishta and Dasaratha. Then, Vasishta directed that they
should partake of the payasam, only after touching the
Feet of Rshyasrnga, who officiated at the
Yaga.
Therefore, Kausalya and
Kaika kept their cups safe in the shrine itself and went
among their maids to dry their hair, before attending to
coiffure. Meanwhile, Sumitra stepped on to the terrace,
and, keeping her cup on the short parapet wall, she dried
her hair in the sun, ruminating all the time on her
peculiar plight: "She was the second Queen! The
son of the eldest queen will ascend the throne, as of
right; the son of Kaika, the third Queen can ascend the
throne according to the promise made by the King at the
time of his marriage with her!" But, Sumitra wondered.
"What will happen to the son I would get? He will be
neither here nor there. Why have a son at all, to suffer
as a nobody without status and sovereignty? Far better
that a son is not born than be born and get
neglected."
But that was only for a
moment. Soon she reconciled hers felt that what the
Gods decide must happen; none can stop it. She remembered
that it was the command of her Preceptor and the order of
the King; so, she went towards the cup, determined to eat
the contents, when, an eagle flew in from somewhere and
whisked it off in its beak, far, far into the
sky.
Sumitra repented for
her negligence of the precious payasam; she felt that the
King would be very upset if he came to know of the
mishap. She could not decide on her next step; she went
straight to her sister Kausalya and related the whole
story to her. Just then, Kaika too came there with the
gold cup, after tying up her dried hair. The three were
very loving to each other, like sisters bound by one
single silken thread of affection.
So, to avoid breaking
the saddening news to the King, they had another gold cup
brought and Kausalya and Kaika poured into it a portion
each from their own share, so that all could take their
seats together in the shrine. They ate the payasam, while
Rshyasrnga was pronouncing his blessings and other elders
and scholars were chanting auspicious Vedic hymns. The
Queens then sipped sanctifying water and prostrated
before the altar; they fell at the Feet of Rshyasrnga and
proceeded to their own palaces.
Time rolled by; News
that the queens were pregnant spread among the people.
The bodies of the queens took on a shining complexion.
The tenth month arrived. Maids and nurses awaited the
happy event and watched over the queens with vigilant
care. Meanwhile, they came to know that Kausalya had the
pains of labour; they hastened to her palace; while on
their way, they learnt that the Royal Consort had
delivered a Prince! On the second day, Kaika brought
forth a son. The glad tidings filled the entire zenana
with joy. The next day, Sumitra had the pangs of labour
and she delivered twin sons.
Rama on
Kausalya's lap
Auspicious signs were
seen everywhere. The happy news filled all with
immeasurable joy. The earth covered herself with green;
trees blossomed all over! Music filled the air. Clouds
showered fragrant drops of rain, but only on the
apartments where the babies were laid in their cradles!
The joy of Dasaratha knew no bounds. While for years he
was immersed in agony that he did not have even a single
son, the birth of four sons gave him indescribable
satisfaction and happiness.
The King invited
Brahmins and gave them gold, cows and land gifts in
plenty. He arranged for the distribution of money to the
poor, and of clothes; besides he gifted houses for the
homeless. He gave food to the hungry. Wherever one cast
his eye, he could see people acclaiming the happy event,
shouting jai jai. The subjects gathered in huge
assemblies to express their joy in music and dance. 'We
have now princes in the royal line', they prided
themselves; they were more exhilarated now than when they
themselves had sons born to them. Women offered worship
to God in gratitude for this act of Grace, for they were
sure that the birth of the sons to their King was a
signal act of Divine Mercy.
Dasaratha invited the
Preceptor of the Royal Dynasty, Vasishta, to the Palace
and according to his suggestion, he got a learned
astrologer to write down the horoscopes of the new-born.
He announced to them that the child of Kausalya was born
at a most propitious moment - Uttarayana (the Divine
Half-year), Chaitra month, the bright fortnight, the
ninth day, the Punarvasu star, Monday, Simhalagna, (the
zodiacal sign of the Lion) and the abhijith period (the
period of Victory), when the world was resting happily,
when the weather was equable (neither hot, warm nor
cold). Kaika's son was born the next day - Chaitra,
bright half, tenth day, Tuesday gandhayoga. The third day
were born the twins - Chaitra, bright half, eleventh day,
Aslesha star, Vriddhiyoga. These details were
communicated to the astrologer and he was asked to chart
and write the horoscopes in consonance with science and
inform the king of his inferences there from.
Then, Dasaratha prayed
to Vasishta to fix the auspicious time for the naming
ceremony of the children. The Family Preceptor sat still
for a few seconds lost in meditation: he saw revealed in
his yogic vision the future years; rousing himself from
that vision, he said: "Maharaja! Your sons are not just
ordinary mortals. They are incomparable. They have many
names; they are not human; they are Divine Beings who
have assumed human forms. They are Divine Personalities.
The world's good fortune has brought them here. I
consider it a great chance that I could officiate at the
naming ceremony of these Divine Children". The mothers
are three, but the father is one and so, Vasishta laid
down that the ten-day period of 'impurity' be counted
from the day when Kausalya delivered her child. So, the
eleventh day after the birth of Kausalya's son, the sage
declared, was auspicious for the naming ceremony. The
King fell at the feet of Vasishta in thankfulness for
this favour and the Preceptor left for his
hermitage.
The astrologer also
approved the day and started writing down the list of
materials that had to be kept ready for the ritual. He
gave the list into the hands of the Chief Priest and
left, loaded with the presents that the King granted him.
Dasaratha had invitations written for the Ceremony, and
sent them to the feudatory rulers, the nobles, courtiers,
sages and scholars throughout his Empire, addressing them
as befitted their rank and status. The messengers who
carried the invitations were either ministers, court
pundits, officers or Brahmins, their status being suited
to the rank and status of invitees.
Ten days passed. The
City of Ayodhya was brightened and beautified, and made
most charming to the eye. The melody of music filled the
air and spread over the length and breadth of the
kingdom, making people wonder whether celestial angels
were singing above. Fragrance was sprinkled on the
streets. The city was overflowing with visitors. The
Sages and the Courtiers could enter the inner apartments
of the Palace and no others. The rest, whether prince or
peasant, had separate quarters arranged for them. They
had erected pandals In the courtyard of the Palace to
seat all the guests and invitees. They were accommodated
there so that they could watch the Naming with all its
attendant ceremonials.
Very soon, music rose
from the Durbar Hall; the chanting of Vedic hymns by
Brahmins could be heard; the three Queens entered
the elegantly decorated Hall, with the babies in their
arms. They shone like Divine Mothers carrying the Gods,
Brahma Vishnu and Shiva. The bliss and the splendour that
pervaded their faces were beyond man's powers of
description.
As soon as the people
noticed their entry, acclamations of 'Jai' rose from
their hearts. Women waved auspicious lamps before them.
Three special seats had been placed there for them.
Kausalya took her seat first, followed by Sumitra and
Kaika. Emperor Dasaratha sat by the side of Kausalya on
her right.
The Brahmins started
the ceremony, with due attention to detail. They lit the
sacred fire and poured oblations with the recitation of
appropriate formulae. Rice grains were poured and spread
on golden plates; soft silk cloth was spread on the rice;
then, the babies were placed on the cloth by the mothers.
The child of Kausalya stared at Vasishta as if he was a
familiar acquaintance! He endeavoured to go near him, as
if he liked his company and would fain be near him!
Everyone wondered at this strange behaviour. Vasishta was
overwhelmed with joy at this; he shed tears of joy; he
had to wipe his eyes and control himself with much
effort; then, holding a few grains of rice in his hand,
he said, "King! The child born to promote the joy of
Kausalya will do the same for all mankind. His virtues
will bring solace and contentment, joy and happiness, to
all. The Yogis and seekers will find in him a great
source of joy. Therefore, from this moment, his name will
be Rama, "he who pleases". And, the sages welcomed the
Name as very apt and meaningful. They exclaimed,
"Excellent, Excellent!"
Then, Vasishta gazed
upon the twin children of Sumitra. The elder one, he
felt, would be a hero, a stalwart fighter, and endowed
with vast wealth. He knew that he would take delight in
the service of God and His Consort, Lakshmi; that service
would be for him like the very breath of life. So, he
chose the name Lakshmana for him. His younger brother,
Vasishta knew, would be a formidable destroyer of
enemies, and withal a contented follower in the footsteps
of his elder brothers. He therefore blessed him with the
name, Satrughna, (the slayer of enemies).
Later, he gazed on the
child that was the source of Kaika's joy. That child,
Vasishta knew, will fill all hearts with love and joy; he
will amaze all by his unbelievable adherence to Dharma;
he will rule over his subjects with great compassion and
affection. So, he gave him the name, Bharatha (he who
rules). The people were happy when they heard the
Preceptor dilate on the glorious future of the children;
they were filled with love for the princes and called
them from that day as Rama, Lakshmana, Satrughna and
Bharatha.
Dasaratha had arranged
elaborate banquets for all who attended the ceremony; he
filled with joy every one who had come; he offered each
one the hospitality and presents that the status of each
deserved; he showered enormous gifts as charity and as
ritual penance he distributed cows, lands, gold and other
valuables to the poor and the needy; he paid attention to
the needs of every one, so that no one was discontented
or disappointed; and, after the ceremony was over, he
gave them leave with due civility to return to their
homes.
The children grew fast
on the fond care of the mothers. But, one curious thing
was noticed early. It was observed very soon that
Lakshmana always sought Rama and Satrughna always sought
Bharatha! Since the day of his birth, Lakshmana was
always wailing! The nurses, the ayahs and others tried
various remedies and palliatives; but nothing could
alleviate his misery or stop his wail. Internal pain was
suspected and medicines galore were tried. They were of
no avail. So, Sumitra was certain that the child's pain
was beyond the reach of drugs; she sent for the Preceptor
Vasishta; she fell at His Feet as soon as he entered the
room. 'Master', she appealed, 'this Lakshmana is weeping
since birth, and clamouring for something I am not able
to discover. I have consulted doctors and treated him, as
advised. But. the wailing is increasing day by day; he
does not relish even mother's milk! As for sleep, it is
totally absent. How can he be healthy and hearty if he
goes on like this? Kindly tell me why he is behaving so,
and bless him that he may give up this continuous
wail'.
Vasishta thought within
himself for a while. Then he said: "O Queen! His pain is
unique and you are trying to cure it by familiar means
and drugs! His yearning is beyond the ken of mortals to
understand. Do as I tell you and the child will be quiet
and happy. The moment you do so, the child will cease
wailing and begin playing about with gusto. Take him now
and lay him beside Rama, the child of Kausalya. This is
the panacea". After this, Vasishta left, leaving his
blessings on mother and child. Hearing his words, Sumitra
took her child to where the other child was, in its
cradle. She laid him by the side of Rama. From that very
moment, the wailing stopped! Laughter and play
began!
Those who saw this
transformation took it as a great wonder! Lakshmana, who
was until then suffering, began to prattle aloud in joy,
kicking his feet about, waving his hands in glee, as fish
do when they are thrown back into water, gliding
gleefully along, in quick darts. He was in the presence
of Rama, immersed in bliss and aware of the Grace Rama
showered.
The story of Satrughna
was also on similar lines. He was melancholic, averse to
food and play. He appeared very weak and tired. Sumitra
was worried at this development. So she invited the
Preceptor to the palace and inquired from him the reason,
Vasishta smiled again; he said, 'Mother! Your children
are not of the common stamp. They are born to enact a
Divine Drama! Place Satrughna on the same bed as
Bharatha! Then his daily routine will be joyful. He will
be extremely happy. You need not worry any more'.
Vasishta blessed her and left. Sumitra followed his
instructions immediately. Since then, Satrughna spent
time in the company of Bharatha. The children were in
unbounded bliss together; their progress was beyond
measure! Like the splendour of the Sun, they grew in
intelligence and glory from hour to hour.
Sumitra had nothing to
do now for her children; but, since she loved her twins
as her dear life, she spent some of her time with
Kausalya and some with Kaika, fondling the children and
attending to their needs. She moved from one Palace to
the other and relished her chore as a maid caring for the
comforts of children. "I am not destined to mother them",
she sometimes pined in solitude. Often she wondered how
this strange situation arose of her children being happy
with those mothers and not with her.
At last, she went to
the Preceptor and prayed to him to allay her anxiety. He
laid bare the real reason: 'Mother! Lakshmana is a 'part'
of Rama; Satrughna is a 'part' of Bharatha." Even as
these words fell from his lips, Sumitra exclaimed, "Yes,
Yes! I realize it now! I am glad I know from you the
truth", and she fell at the Feet of Vasishta and left for
the inner apartments.
She said to herself,
"When the eagle carried away in its beak the precious
gift or payasam (Divine food) given by the Divine
Messenger, I was so frightened at the prospect of the
King becoming angry at my negligence that I informed
Kausalya and Kaika about the calamity; she poured out for
me a share from her cup and the other sister poured out
another share from her own cup; so, I alone of the queens
had twins, as a result of the twin shares I consumed! 0,
the will of God is mysterious. It is beyond any one to
know His might and majesty. Who can alter His
decree?"
"Yes", she consoled
herself, "I bore them for nine months; I went through the
pangs of delivery. But, their real mothers are Kausalya
and Kaika, there is no doubt". She was confirmed in this
belief and she gladly entrusted her children to Kausalya
and Kaika, and joined them in fondling and fostering
them.
The maids as well as
many kinsmen of the royal family derived great joy
watching the children at play. After they left, Kausalya
used to insist that rites to ward off the evil eye were
performed scrupulously. She was so affectionate and
considerate towards the children that she never
recognized the passage of day and the arrival of night or
the passage of night and the dawn of a new day. She could
not leave them out of sight even for the fraction of a
second! While taking her bath or when she was engaged in
worship inside the shrine, her mind was on them and she
would hasten towards them as quick as feasible. All her
work she did in a hurry so that she could spend more time
on their care.
One day, she bathed
Rama and Lakshmana; she applied fragrant smoke to their
curls in order to dry them and perfume them; she carried
them to the golden cradles; she sang sweet lullabies and
rocked them to sleep. When she found that they had slept
she asked the maids to keep watch and she went into her
rooms, and prepared the daily food offering to God, in
order to complete the rites of worship. She took the
golden plate of food and offered it to God. Some time
later, she went into the shrine in order to bring the
plate out and give a small quantity of the offering to
the children. What was her surprise, when she found in
that room, before the altar, Rama sitting on the floor,
with the offering before Him, eating with delight the
food she had dedicated to God! She could not believe what
her own eyes told her! Kausalya wondered: "What is this I
see? Do my eyes deceive me? Is this true? Can it be true?
How did this baby which was sleeping in the cradle come
to the shrine? Who brought it hither?" She ran towards
the cradle and peeped into it, only to find Rama asleep
therein! She assured herself that hers was but delusion;
she went into the shrine to remove from there the vessel
of payasam she had placed before the idols. She found the
vessel empty! How could this be, she wondered! Seeing the
child in the shrine might well be a trick of the eye;
but, what about the vessel being empty? How could that be
an optical illusion?
Thus she was torn
between amazement and disbelief. She took hold of the
vessel with the remnants of the offering and hastening to
the cradle, stood watching the two babes. She could see
Rama rolling something on his tongue and evidently
enjoying its taste; she was amusingly watching his face,
when lo, she saw the entire Universe revolving therein.
She lost all consciousness of herself and her
surroundings; she stood transfixed, staring with dazed
eyes, on the unique panorama that was
revealed.
The maids were
astounded at her behaviour; they cried out in their
anxiety, but she did not hear them. One maid held her
feet and shook her until she awoke to her surroundings.
She came to, in a trice, with a quick shiver. She saw the
maids around her and stricken by wonder, she sat on a
bedstead. Turning to the maids, she asked, "Did you
notice the child?" They replied "Yes; we are here since
long. We have not taken our eyes away from him." "Did you
notice any change in him?", Kausalya enquired in eager
haste. "We did not notice any change; the child is fast
asleep as you can see" was their reply. Kausalya had her
problem: Was her vision a delusion? Or fact? If true, why
did not these maids notice it? She thought about it for
long and, finally, consoled herself with the argument
that since the children were born as products of Divine
Grace, Divine manifestation was only to be expected
of them. She nursed them and nourished them with
deep maternal solicitude. They grew day by day, with
greater and greater splendour, as the moon does in the
bright half of the month. She derived immeasurable joy in
fondling them and fitting clothes and jewels on
them.
The childhood of Rama
was a simple but sublime part in his life. Very often,
forgetting that He was her child, Kausalya fell at His
feet, and folded her palms before him, knowing that He
was Divine. Immediately, she feared what people would say
if they saw her bowing before her own child and touching
Its feet in adoration. To cover up her confusion, she
looked up and prayed aloud, "Lord! Keep my child away
from harm and injury". She used to close her eyes in
contemplation of the Divine Child and begged God that she
might not waver in her faith through the vagaries of His
Maya (power to delude). She was struck by the halo or
light that encircled His face. She was afraid that others
might question her sanity if she told them her
experiences. Nor could she keep them to herself. She was
so upset that she behaved often in a peculiar manner, as
if carried away by the thrill of the Divine Sport or her
child. Sometimes, she was eager to open her heart to
Sumitra or Kaika when they were near her; but, she
controlled herself, lest they doubt the authenticity of
the experience and attribute it to exaggeration, or her
desire to extol her own son.
At last, one day, she
made hold to relate to Emperor Dasaratha the entire story
of wonder and thrill. He listened intently and said,
"Lady! This is just the creation of your fancy; you are
over fond of the child; you imagine he is Divine and
watch his every movement and action in that light and so,
he appears strange and wonderful. That is all". This
reply gave her no satisfaction; so, the Emperor consoled
her with some specious arguments and sent her to her
apartments. In spite of what Dasaratha affirmed, the
Queen who had witnessed the miraculous incidents with her
own eyes remained unconvinced. She was not convinced by
his words.
Therefore, she
approached the Preceptor Vasishta and consulted him on
the genuineness of her experiences. He heard her account
and said: "Queen! What you have seen is unalloyed Truth.
They are not creations of your imagination. Your son is
no ordinary human child! He is Divine. You got him as
your son, as the fruit of many meritorious lives. That
the Saviour of Humanity should be born as the son of
Kausalya is the unique good fortune of the citizens of
Ayodhya". He blessed the Queen profusely and departed.
Kausalya realised the truth of Vasishta's statement! She
knew that her son was Divinity Itself; she derived great
joy watching the child.
Months rolled by. The
children, Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Satrughna learnt
to crawl on all fours, sit on the floor, and move about.
Special arrangements were made to keep watch over them at
all times, lest they fall and hurt themselves. Many
varieties of toys were procured and placed before them.
The mothers with the children, the children with the
mothers and nursemaids, spent the days, with no sense of
the passage of time, in one continuous round of joy. The
children could raise themselves up and stand, holding
fast the fingers of mother or maid. They could hold on to
the wall, and get up. They could toddle forward a few
steps on their feet. Their efforts and achievements gave
merriment to their mothers. They lisped in sweet parrot
voice a few indistinct words and made them burst into
laughter. They taught them to say, Ma and Bap and were
happy when they pronounced the words
correctly.
Every day at dawn they
rubbed medicated fragrant oil over their bodies; then
they applied detergent powder and bathed them in the holy
waters of the Sarayu. Then, they dried curls in perfumed
incense, applied collyrium [eye salve] to their
eyes, placed dots on their cheeks to ward off the evil
eye, and put ritual marks on their foreheads. They
dressed them in attractive soft silk and helped them to
recline in swings, where they slept soundly to the tune
or melodious lullabies. Engaged in this pleasant task,
the mothers felt that heaven was not far off in space and
time; it was there all around them.
And what of the jewels
for them! Oh! They were newer and more brilliant, each
new day! Anklets, tinkling waist strings of gold and
precious stones, necklaces of the nine gems! For fear
that these might hurt by their hardness the tender body,
they were set on soft velvet tapes and
ribbons.
The plays and pastimes
of the little boys defied description. When they were
able to walk, boys of the same age were brought from the
city and together they played games. The city children
were given tasty dishes to eat and toys to play with.
They were also loaded with gift articles. The maids who
brought them to the palace were also fed sumptuously.
Kausalya, Kaika and Sumitra had no care for their own
health and comfort while bringing up their children; so
happy were they with them.
After this period of
nourishment and growth in the interior of the Palace,
when they reached the age of three, the children were
taken by their governesses to the playground, where they
ran and rollicked to their hearts' content. When they
returned, the mothers welcomed them and fostered them
with great love and vigilance. One day, Dasaratha while
conversing with his queens, mentioned that the children
will not learn much that is worth while if they moved
about with the maids; their intelligence and skills
cannot be developed that way. So, an auspicious hour was
fixed to initiate them into letters; preceptors were
called in to inaugurate the studies.
From that day, the
charming little kids took residence in their teacher's
home; they gave up the costly royal accoutrements and
wore a simple cloth wound round their waists, and another
thrown over their shoulders. Since education cannot
progress well if children are in the atmosphere of
parental love and care, they had to live with the
teacher, imbibing lessons all through the day and night;
for more is learnt by service to the teacher, by
observing him and following his example. They had to live
on whatever was given to them as food by the teacher.
They shone like embodiments of the Brahmachari ideal (the
Seekers of Truth). When the mothers felt the anguish of
separation and desired to see them, they went to the
house of the teacher and made themselves happy, noting
the progress of the children.
The teacher was also
quite happy when he observed the steadfastness and
enthusiasm of his wards; he was surprised at their
intelligence and powerful memory, and he was filled with
wonder and joy. Among all the four, he noticed that Rama
had outstanding interest in his studies. He grasped
things so quickly that he could repeat any lesson
correctly, when he had heard it just once. The teacher
was amazed at the sharp intelligence of Rama; he resolved
that his advance should not be slowed down by the need to
bring the others to his level. So he grouped the other
three separately, and paid individual attention to Rama
who learnt very fast.
Lakshmana, Bharatha and
Satrughna too learnt their lessons admirably well, but
they pined for the company and comradeship of Rama so
much that, as soon as Rama was out of sight, they lost
interest in study and in their duties towards their
teacher. As a result, they could not catch up with Rama;
they were following him a session or two
behind.
Lakshmana dared tell
his teacher once or twice that they had no need for any
lessons or learning; they would be happy if they could
but get the company of Rama! Rama was the very life of
Lakshmana. The teacher observed this strange relationship
between the two and drew much inspiration contemplating
on it. He reminded himself of the statement of the sage
Vasishta that they were no other than Nara and Narayana,
the inseparable Divine Forces.
contents
of this Vahini
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