Chapter
10 (b)
The Two Boons
The
Emperor was crushed by the cruel bolts that rained on
him. Was it a dream! Could it be true! Was it Kaikeyi who
asked for these boons? Or, was it a blood-thirsty
monster? Could it be a terrible hallucination of his? Was
it a vile trick played by some horrid illness? He could
not gauge! So, he cried, "Kaika! Is it you, there? Or is
it some ogress who has assumed your form? Tell me first
who you are". Like a person who has lost control of his
limbs, he tottered unable to mouth the words he wished to
speak. He rolled listlessly from side to side like mad,
his eyes looking wildly all around. Suddenly, sparks flew
from his eyes as he gazed at Kaikeyi. He exclaimed in
terrible anger, "Vile woman! What exactly is your aim? Is
it to uproot the entire royal line? What injury has my
dear son Rama done to you? He loves you even more than he
does his own mother. How could your heart agree to send
my Rama into thick dark jungle? It took you so long to be
a Princess; now, I find you are a venomous cobra; I
allowed you to infest my home, out of sheer ignorance.
How could such a sinful idea enter your head, when Rama,
the very breath of my life, is being acclaimed by every
being that breathes? If imperative, I am prepared to give
up the empire or even my life; but, I cannot give up
Rama; no. You crave that your son be hailed as Emperor.
Well; have him so. I shall hie to the forest, with
Kausalya, Sumitra and others, taking my Rama with me.
But, I can never send Rama alone into the jungle. That is
impossible. Give up this atrociously sinful desire. Give
up the hatred of Rama that you have cultivated. Kaika!
Tell me frankly do you really desire that these things
take place? Or, is all this merely a stratagem to find
out whether I have affection towards your son, Bharata?
If so, you can ask that Bharata be crowned
Yuvaraja;
but there is no meaning in asking that Rama be exiled
into the forest. Such a desire should not be entertained
or expressed lightly. Kaika! Rama is the first-born son.
He is the repository of all virtues. The years of his
reign will be most glorious; you have told me often that
you are looking forward to the time when such golden
dreams will come true. And, now you want that this
self-same Rama should be sent into the forest! What is
the deeper meaning of this request? Are you joking with
me? If it is all a joke, why this scene in the Hall of
Anger? Why this rolling on the hard stone floor? Jokes
too have limits beyond which they become pitifully cruel.
I cannot entertain the idea, even as a joke. No. I can
never be separated from Rama. Kaika! You have been
behaving like an intelligent woman all these years. But
now, your intelligence has become crooked and wicked.
Such perversions are always harbingers of
self-destruction. It is a heinous sin to injure the good.
Of course, the good will not be affected by these
tactics; the stratagems of the wicked will only promote
the fame and glory of the good. They might appear hard to
bear, only for some little time".
"Your wicked plans
appear to me to be fraught with disaster to the Ikshvaku
dynasty itself. For, until this moment, you have never
spoken an unpleasant word or thought of an inauspicious
act. I find it impossible to believe that it is the same
one who is asking me such things today! Kaika! you were
all along afraid of transgressing the Codes of moral law;
you were anxious to win the Grace of God by means of each
little thought, word and deed. Where has that fear of
unrighteousness gone now? What have you done with that
devotion to God that kept you on the path of
righteousness?"
"What is the gain you
look for when you want Rama to be sent to the forest for
fourteen years? His body is soft and tender, like the
petal of a freshly blossomed flower; he is most charming
to behold. Rama is so enticingly beautiful. Of what
profit is it for you if he suffers unbearable pangs of
pain in the forest? In this palace, there are many
thousand attendants and maids. Can any one of them point
a finger at him and say, that he is faulty in any
respect? Well. Leave alone our palace. Can you bring from
the capital city any single person, can you name anyone
who blames Rama? He has discovered many in misery and
relieved them with gifts and riches; he has shown great
consideration for them. He has noticed many that are
homeless and provided them with houses. By his love and
care, he has won the affection of all people. That you
should harbour hate against such a lovable son strikes me
dumb; I cannot find words to describe your devilish
cruelty."
"There are many who
exploit their own subjects, and act only to foster their
own selfish interests; such demons are appearing in good
numbers today. But, in your eyes, due perhaps to the age,
or your own past sins, persons who assuage the wrongs
done to the poor and the distressed and foster their
advancement, those who directly inquire into their
difficulties and problems and afford relief, such good
men appear bad, deserving exile and
punishment!"
"Every one in this
empire relishes listening to the virtues of Rama and
takes great delight in recounting his goodness. While
they feel exhausted in the fields, farmers and labourers
sing songs on Rama and his charms, to make their tasks
lighter; when I came to know of this, I was filled with
joy. How can your heart agree to inflict on such a
compassionate soul this excruciating sentence? This very
evening, when I placed before a gathering of sages,
elders, ministers, leading citizens, scholars and many
experts in statecraft, the proposal for the Coronation of
Rama, no one raised a note of dissatisfaction or dissent.
On the other hand, they praised Rama in countless ways,
and declared that it was the fruit of the merit that they
had accumulated in many past lives that they could now
secure as Heir-apparent and lord a spiritual hero who had
mastered his senses, an embodiment of selfless activity,
intelligent detachment and unflinching loyalty to Truth;
they indicated their joy by continuous Jay Jays. Is this
treasure of my love, this favourite of my people, whom
you seek to send into the forest? Whatever you may say,
this is certain. I will not send my Rama into the forest.
And listen to this also. The coronation of Rama
shall take place tomorrow; it cannot be
cancelled". Dasaratha announced this, in an outburst of
pride and courage.
At this, Kaikeyi
assumed a terrific mien and retorted: "Maharaja!
Remember, a few moments ago, you vowed under many oaths
that you will grant me the boons I ask. And, now you are
going back on your word. Now, who is dragging the glory
of the Ikshvaku Line in the dust, you or me? Ponder over
this. It is the pride of the Ikshvaku Line that no one of
that dynasty shall go back on his word once it is given.
You are now soiling that fair fame. Without weighing the
pros and cons, you promised to grant without fail the
boons I wanted. The mistake, if any, is yours, not mine.
You gave me the boons; then, you promised to grant them
today. You are the very person who gave your word twice.
Consider your honour, your status, your dignity, when you
deny the very words you spoke then and now."
"It may be common usage
for rulers to injure and insult the weak, and act
contrary to promises solemnly made. But, it cannot
promote self-respect. Those who break their promises and
cheat women are savages, not sovereigns. When rulers
slide into this savagery, the subjects will naturally
resent and revolt; the kingdom will fast become
demon-dom!"
"All these years, you
have striven to acquire honour and renown; and you have
won them to a large extent. Now the infamy of breaking
the plighted word is on your head, not on mine. Recollect
the careers of the kings of old. Take good care that you
do not act counter to your vows and oaths. Ponder well.
You are proceeding along a path that is atrociously bad!
Beware! You are moving against the dictates of Dharma.
Well. Were you as intelligent as you are reputed to be,
you should have first ascertained fully the nature of the
boons I wanted before you gave the promise. You did not
look before and after; you were enchanted by my words and
you gave word that they shall be granted. And now, you
blame me when I ask you to fulfill that promise! Consider
how seriously you are mistaken in this! How foolish you
proclaim yourself to be! You accuse me for having given
up my fear of the unrighteous act, my devotion to the
Divine, and my courting this reprehensible cruelty. But,
what about you? You are acclaimed as Dharmavratha (a
strict adherent of the vow to be righteous in word,
thought and deed), and Daiva-samaana (equal to a God);
what name can you claim now when you are going back on
your oath? Pronounce judgement on yourself. The
cleverness that dives and discovers the faults of those
before you isn't commendable; if one dives into one's own
faults and failings and is vigilant that they do not lead
him astray into wrong and sin, that way of using of
intelligence is commendable. Kings and rulers are highly
intelligent; they are taken to be all-knowing. If such as
you do not benefit by self-examination, but are concerned
only with selfish interests, what right have you to blame
us as selfish and narrow-minded? You granted the boons;
it is a fact. You took an oath; it is a fact. You broke
the oath; you went back on the given word, it is a fact.
Reflect within yourself whether these three are true or
not. You are deluded by attachment to the son; you were
enslaved by fondness for the wife. So, you dump your
promise into the waters! I am not the culprit; it is you
who have done wrong. For, it is natural for a mother to
be attached to her son. Every woman who is a mother will
yearn that her son must rise to a position of the highest
authority, that of the Monarch of the Realm. It is the
prompting of Nature. It is her bounden duty to see that
her plan is unassailed by others; it is only natural that
she plans in advance to counteract all possible
assailments. I am only carrying out my natural duties and
responsibilities, remember; there is nothing unnatural or
wrong in my conduct."
"When Rama is crowned
as Heir-Apparent, his mother Kausalya, will become the
Rajamatha, the Queen-Mother. My son will stand with
folded arms, awaiting the command of Rama, ready to run
errands for him. He will fall at the feet of Rama, while
reporting to him about the task he has accomplished for
him; maybe, he will be reprimanded. No; I cannot be a
witness to such scenes; I will be so humiliated that I
cannot live a day longer. Better far to drink poison now
and die than look on at the shameful condition of my son.
I am declaring this, as a solemn oath, taken in the name
of my son Bharatha, whom I value as much as my breath. I
shall not be satisfied with anything less than exiling
Rama to the forest."
With these agonizingly
harsh words, Kaikeyi fell on the floor, and started
sobbing and groaning in a fit of heartrending
sorrow.
Dasaratha beat his head
in despair. He said, "Kaika! Has anyone advised you that
this calamity will benefit you? Or, has some evil spirit
possessed you, and forced you to utter these desires?
What is this absurdity, this ridiculous madness, sending
Rama into the forest and crowning Bharatha? Why not wish
well for me, your husband, for Bharatha, your son, and
this Kingdom of Ayodhya? Give up this desire fraught with
certain calamity. Think deeply over the consequences. Or
else, you and I, and your son, all three, will become
targets for the direst infamy. It will not end with that.
The entire kingdom will be ruined, and many more
tragedies are bound to take place. Mean, degraded woman!
Can we ever believe that Bharatha will agree to get
himself crowned, even if I now accept your request and
promise to do so? Bharatha is a true adherent of Dharma;
he is intelligent and a model of rectitude. He will not
agree either to exiling Rama into the forest or to
himself becoming the Heir-Apparent. Not he alone, but,
the Ministers, the Courtiers, the Vassals, the Allies,
the Sages, the Commons, the Citizens - every one will
oppose your desire. How can you be happy when so many are
unhappy?"
"Consider the situation
you are responsible for! The elders and sages endorsed
it; they were all of one mind. This evening, at the Grand
Assembly of Citizens, I announced that I shall celebrate
the Coronation of Rama. If I act counter to that
Announcement, I will be counted as a coward who runs back
from the battlefield at the sight of the enemy. All
arrangements have been completed for the Coronation. All
have been informed about the Festival. The people have
started preparing the City for the Celebration; the
streets are already packed with happy throngs, with faces
shining in expectant joy. At this moment, if I send Rama
into the forest, will not the people laugh at me, saying,
'What! This man has finished three chapters - the
Coronation, the Rulership of the Realm and the Exile -
all in one single night!' In what manner can I explain my
action to them, after what I had publicly declared in the
midst of the mammoth gathering of the populace? How
harshly the people will blame me, feeling that their king
is such a big fool. I ruled over them all these long
years and won their applause as a consistent adherent of
Dharma, as an embodiment of high virtues and as a
redoubtable hero, brave and full of courage. But now, how
can I bear the dishonour of being talked about as a fool,
who plunged into this low level of conduct?"
Dasaratha spoke in this
strain, reminding her of the hard blow that his fair name
and unblemished fame will receive if he acts according to
her desire. Nevertheless, Kaikeyi transformed herself
into a Demoness of Destruction, and brushed aside
Dasaratha's importunities, as if they were empty words
and she did not attach any value to them. She refused to
yield or loosen her hold. On the other hand, her grip
became tighter every moment, her greed more deep-rooted.
She spoke quite contrary to the appeals of the Maharaja
and insisted on reminding him only of the promise from
which he threatened to resile. So, Dasaratha said,
"Kaika! If it happens that Rama goes to the forest, I
will not be able to live a moment longer. And, I need not
tell you what will happen to Kausalya. She will draw her
last breath that very moment. And, Sita? She will be
mortally shocked; she cannot live even for a second away
from Rama. Will the people look upon all this with
equanimity? When the great hero, the paragon of wisdom,
Rama, is being sent as an exile into the forest, can
Lakshmana keep quiet? Why detail a thousand things? The
very next moment, Lakshmana will cast off his body. This
is the bare truth. Thus, our Kingdom will have to suffer
all these catastrophes and calamities. You too are aware
of this string of tragedies; but, I cannot understand why
you are attempting, with eyes open, to win a widow's
role? O, wicked, vile soul! I was deceived by your
charms; it was like cutting one's own throat while
charmed by a sword of gold. I drank the cup of milk,
unaware that it had poison in it. You cheated me, with
many a winsome trick. At last, you have planned to
consign to the dust my dynasty itself. Shame on me! What
a fool I am! I secured this son, after performing a
scriptural Yaga
(Sacrifice); Divine Grace gave Him unto me. Am I to
barter away his fortune and his future for the paltry
pleasure a women gave me? Is this worthy of His Majesty
Emperor Dasaratha? Will not the meanest being in my
kingdom hurl stones at me, in derision? Alas! Is this to
be the fate of Dasaratha in his last days? I clasped a
thing round my own neck, not realizing that it was a rope
that strangles. I never knew that it was the Deity of
Death with whom I dallied and diverted myself so long.
Alas! I flirted with Death and fondled it on my breast. I
treated her as my favourite, comrade and companion. It is
surely the weight of my sins recoiling on me now. Or
else, was there anywhere, at any time, a father, who, for
the sake of a woman's bed drives his son into the fearful
forest, as an exile?"
"Ah! What strange
behaviour is this, of a human being! I am unable to
believe this, in spite of everything. Kaika! Change your
foolish thought. Rama will not go against any word of
mine. The mere report of these happenings is enough. He
will prepare himself to move into the forest! He will not
even ask the question, why are you anxious to send me
into the jungle! He is of such sterling virtue. Why
mention only Rama! No one of my sons will disobey any of
my commands."
"Bharatha will be
disgusted when he hears of your plan. He may even ignore
the fact that you are his mother and behave quite
inexplicably. He may be ready for any dire step. Rama is
his very life, his vital breaths, all the five put
together. He may do something to defeat your pet desire.
That is to say, he may exile himself into the forest and
ask that Rama be crowned. He is of that stamp of goodness
and rectitude. I am wondering at your crooked intellect,
which cannot grasp the workings of Bharatha's mind.
Kaika! Wicked designs are precursors of self destruction,
as the saying goes. This design has entered your head,
presaging your ruination, remember. You are bringing on
the fair name of the Ikshvaku Royal family an indelible
blot; you are plunging so many into fathomless depths of
grief; you are bringing about their end. Can so many
lives be hurt for the sake of this fell desire? What
happiness do you hope to have, after perpetrating all
this?"
"Even if you do achieve
your goal, will that be Ananda? Can you call it so? O
Shame! Those who exult over the sorrows of others are in
truth sinners of the darkest hue, of demonic brood. Those
who strive to cause joy to others, those who yearn that
others be happy, they are the holy ones. You are a Queen;
you are a Princess, of Royalty born; yet, you are not
conscious of this elementary truth. You are a disgrace to
royal blood. One final word! Rama is my very life.
Without him, I cannot hold on to life. No! I cannot
continue to live. He will not disappoint you; so, though
I may not order him by word of my own mouth to go into
the forest, he may, on hearing of my oath and your
desire, himself proceed thereto, in order to make my word
valid; he will brook no delay or debate. As soon as I
hear news of that event, know that I draw my last breath.
Lakshmana, Sita, and Kausalya may, in all likelihood,
follow Rama. Kausalya cannot exist alive, apart from
Rama. Sita will not stay away from Rama. Lakshmana cannot
walk except along the footsteps of Rama. Urmila too may
proceed along with Lakshmana into exile. There will be
none here then, to perform the funeral rites of this
body, and days will elapse to get Bharatha and Sathrughna
from the Kekaya Kingdom. Till then, this will have to lie
without the ceremonial. Perhaps, the people will rise
against me for having descended to this low level of
wickedness and condemn my body to be thrown as carrion
for crows and vultures, since it does not deserve decent
disposal. Perhaps, no; for, my subjects will wait until
Bharatha arrives, embalming the corpse by some means or
other. Bharatha will never agree to accept the throne and
be King. Under such circumstances, he is not entitled to
touch the body or perform the funeral rites. Come! At
least, promise me that you will have my funeral rites
performed by him", he pleaded. He said, "Of course, I am
sure you are ready to promise me so; for, you are
after the Ananda you hope to derive from a widow's life.
What is it that you hope for, tell me, O vile viper! You
have turned into a demon, at last! Are you undermining
and laying under the earth, the Raghu Clan, this Royal
Line? Is this the upsurge of your basic nature? Or, is it
some mysterious Divine fate that dogs your thought and
forces you to act against your will in this strange way?
I find it beyond me to gauge the secret."
While Dasaratha was
being tortured in mind like this, the night rolled on
into its third quarter. He groaned like a man in great
pain afflicted with some mortal illness. He was caught in
the coils of agony.
Dasaratha tried his
best, now, to win the affections of Kaikeyi and persuade
her to accept the Coronation of Rama; he began to flatter
her, in honeyed words. "O, Queen! You are the very
embodiment of auspiciousness and prosperity. I treated
you so long as my very breath. You too fostered and
guarded me as if I was your very heart. Come, let us
spend the remaining years without giving room for
scandals about differences between us; let us be peaceful
and happy during the rest of our allotted lives. O,
Charming Princess! I will not live many years more.
Throughout my life, I was famed as a steady adherent of
Truth, and all men honoured me on that account. I have
sworn at the public gathering that Rama will be crowned
tomorrow as Heir-apparent. Consider how my subjects will
despise me, if the function does not take place! Consider
how they will cast insults at me! You saved me that day,
during the battle between the Gods and the Demons. Are
you giving me up now, when something worse is threatening
me? This is not just or proper. Well, I shall endow on
you this entire kingdom as dowry. Crown Rama, yourself,
tomorrow. Bharatha too will be very happy if you do this.
Not merely he; ministers, sages, elders, scholars, common
citizens, the entire populace will appreciate and thank
you for this. Your fame will last eternally on this
earth. Instead, if you create obstacles in the way of
Rama's Coronation, the whole world will castigate and
condemn you. Even your son will find fault with you and
fall foul of you. Your cruel fancy will bring ruin on
you; besides, it will cover this royal line with shame.
You will become the target of the 'Fie' that the smallest
of the land will fling at you. Reflect over these
possibilities! Earn eternal renown; stop the stratagem to
prevent the coronation. Crown Rama with your own hands,
tomorrow!"
Dasaratha described the
joy she could derive from this generous act in sweet
enticing words, artfully put together. He hoped to
enrapture her at the prospect of herself crowning the
Heir-apparent; but, Kaikeyi interrupted him, and said,
"King! Your words strike me as strange and meaningless.
You are trying to slide back from the promise made on
oath; to cover up your sin, you are spinning fascinating
yarns! No. A thousand such tricks will not induce me to
change my stand. You said, on your own, 'Ask the boons
you desire; I shall grant them', and, now instead of
acting on that promise, you exhibit a fine bunch of sighs
and groans. This does not become you. You are, by your
own conduct, undermining your reputation and honour. I am
not in the least responsible for this distress of yours.
Recollect the pronouncements of those who are masters of
Dharma, that Sathya
(Truth) is the Parama (Highest) Dharma (Principle of
Righteousness). I, too, have based my request for the
promised boons on the same principle of Dharma. And as
befits a follower of Dharma, you, too, agreed and said,
'Right! They shall be granted'. Nevertheless, you have
started imputing motives to me, that I am thrusting you
into unrighteousness, that I am set upon committing an
unpardonable sin, that I am attempting to bring lasting
infamy on your name! This is most improper; it is
thoroughly unjustifiable."
"I am absolutely
innocent of any wrong, in this affair. You made the
solemn promise without a thought on the past or the
future, and, when that promise had to be put into action,
you suddenly become confused and desperate. The fault is
yours, not mine. Those who promise and are not willing to
act accordingly, are sinners of great magnitude. Act as
the promise directs you to; then, the Truth you have
maintained will itself wash off any related sin. Don't
you remember? In the past, Emperor Sibi sliced flesh from
his own body as food for an eagle pursuing a dove for
prey! So too, Emperor Alarka had pledged his word that he
would give whatever was asked from him; he was a king of
unique splendour. And to keep up his promise, he plucked
and gave a Brahmin his own two eyes! Look at the Ocean.
It is the Lord of all the Rivers; yet, bound by Its Vow,
It limits Itself between the shores, instead of
transgressing them. Why repeat a thousand examples? For
all things, for all men, Truth is the highest authority;
the highest ideal. Truth is Brahman. Truth is the
Primeval Sound. It is Dharma. Truth alone undergoes no
change or diminution. Royal Majesties like you should not
give up the Imperishable for the sake of the perishable.
Hold fast to the promise you made, and ensure lasting
fame and glory for yourself. That is the right thing to
do. Do not yield to delusive attachments to the son,
deceptive sympathy for women; do not over-rule the
dictates of political idealism and royal obligation. Do
not tarnish the Ikshvaku Dynasty with irredeemable
dishonour!"
"Don't play otherwise;
call Rama to your side and tell him to get ready to
proceed to the forest, and set on foot preparations to
call Bharatha from where he is now to this City. Instruct
the Minister concerned to attend to these matters without
delay. See! The eastern sky is getting bright. These two
boons must be realized before dawn. However long you
argue, I will be content with no less. If, on the other
hand, you are adamant and you consummate the Coronation
of Rama, I am determined to end my life in full view of
the thickly packed Assembly. This is my vow; this shall
happen." [See
for the story of Vâmana, S.B. Canto
8:
Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations, Chapters 17, 18, 19
and 20].
Dasaratha watched
Kaikeyi raging and swearing, angry and fearful; he could
neither demonstrate the rage that was surging within him,
nor could he suppress it. He was like Emperor Bali who
promised three feet of land to God (in the form of
Vamana)
but, discovered that he could not fulfill that promise,
for Vamana measured the entire earth with one foot, the
entire sky with another foot, and stood asking for the
third foot of land, that had been gifted to Him!
Dasaratha dreaded the curse that awaited him, for
breaking the rules of Dharma. His eyes were dimmed with
doubt and despair. His head became heavy on the
shoulders. He fell on the floor, were he stood. At last,
mustering up some courage, he shouted, "O Sinful Woman!
If the Coronation of Rama is cancelled, my death is a
certainty. After that, you can rule over this kingdom, as
a widow, as freely as you wish". Giving vent to his anger
in this strain, Dasaratha cried out, "Alas! Rama! Has it
come to this that I have to send you, with my own
consent, into the forest? No, I will not send you. I will
rather give up my life; I cannot keep alive a moment,
apart from you. O, vicious demon! How could your heart
entertain the plan of sending my lovely and tender Rama
into the thick dark wild jungle? Horrid Fury! What a
Monster have you become!" And, with that, Dasaratha
swooned, and soon lost consciousness.
Night was melting
before the brightening dawn. The Nine Instruments of
Music at the palace gate heralded the Day of Joy. The
roads started getting the showers of rosewater. The air
was thick with fragrance and festive noise. The sky was
charged with hope and excitement. The constellation
Pushya rose as the Star of the day. The sage Vasishta
proceeded with his group of disciples to the Sarayu River
for the ceremonial bath, and returned from there, with
the Consecrated Water necessary for the Coronation
Ablutions. He passed along the Royal road where the
citizens had gathered to witness the sacred articles; the
palace-guards cleared the way for the holy group. At
last, they entered the Royal Palace through the richly
decorated Main Gate.
Even at that early
hour, the open spaces inside the palace were filled with
priests, vassal rulers, representatives of the people of
the Realm, and elders. They occupied the seats allotted
to them. The rhythm of Vedic Hymns recited by scholars
along the streets echoed from the skies. Meanwhile,
Vasishta beckoned Sumanthra, the Minister, and said, "Go;
the auspicious hour fixed for the rite of Coronation is
approaching; many preliminary rituals have to be attended
to; go and inform the Maharaja that his presence is
urgently needed. Convey the message that Vasishta is
waiting for his arrival."
Sumanthra being an old
faithful, had the freedom to enter any of the inner
apartments of the palace; so, he hurried into the
chambers of Queen Kaikeyi, in search of the Emperor.
Entering the Hall, where the Royal beds were, Sumanthra
was shocked out of his wits. He was aghast at the sight
of the Emperor fallen on the floor! Are my eyes seeing
aright, he wondered; he lost his moorings. He went near
the King, and said, "King! This morning must find you
like the sea at moonrise, heaving with ecstasy. I cannot
understand why you are lying prostrate on the ground. The
auspicious hour is approaching. The great sages, learned
in Vedic Lore, are ready in their roles, awaiting your
arrival at the Hall of Ceremonies. Rise and wear royal
robes and jewels, and come into the Hall, accompanied by
the Queens, in lustrous imperial splendour. The sage
Vasishta bade me hither and bring you into the holy
precincts of the Throne."
Listening to his
importunities, Dasaratha could not restrain the outbursts
of his grief. He wept aloud, and spoke to the Minister
between sobs thus: "Sumanthra! Your adulation pierces my
heart." Sumanthra could not take a step forward, nor
could he move a step backward. He stood transfixed, where
he was. He prayed with folded palms, "Maharaja! why this
turn of events? At a time when you have to be immersed in
Ananda, why this grief, this piteous weeping? What is the
reason behind all this? It is beyond my
understanding."
When Sumanthra stood
hopeless, sunk in sorrow, Kaikeyi intervened and said. "O
Best of Ministers! The Emperor spent the entire night
without sleep, in anxiety about Rama. If you can go
immediately and bring Rama with you here, the mystery
will be unravelled. I am telling you this; do not
misunderstand me but bring Rama here quickly."
Sumanthra took her
instructions as the commands of the Sovereign; he
hastened to the Residence of Rama. At the entrance of
that palace, he saw on both sides long lines of
attendants and maids, carrying huge plates containing
gifts of silk, brocade, jewels and gems, garlands and
bouquets, scents and sweets. It was a delight for the
eye, but Sumanthra did not stop to cast a look at them.
When he hurried into the palace, he felt something
precious lacking in all this festivity; he was
overwhelmed and nonplussed. The joy that he had felt
earlier had turned into sorrow.
Riding in his chariot
towards Rama's Palace he had noticed how the hundreds of
thousands of loyal subjects who filled the streets talked
among themselves that he was on his way to bring Rama
into the Coronation Hall, for the ceremony. He saw their
faces blooming in joyous expectation; they scarce winked
their eyes, lest they miss some incident or facet of joy.
At last, Sumanthra stepped into the Palace of the Prince.
He could walk straight, without any question asked, into
all sections of that seven-storied mansion. As a fish
dives noiselessly through the depths of a flooded river,
Sumanthra glided through the corridors and halls of that
Palace!
contents
of this Vahini
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