Chereads / The Ramayana - World's Supreme God / Chapter 16 - 16. TWO PROMISES REVIVED (Part - 7)

Chapter 16 - 16. TWO PROMISES REVIVED (Part - 7)

The King was not appeased by her advice. "The holy

water from Ganga brought for ablution during the coronation

will now serve me for my last drink; the holy fire raised will

serve to light my funeral pyre. Rama, Rama, don't go. I take

back my word to Kaikeyi… . How can I bear to see you go? I

will not survive your departure. If I lived after your departure,

what would be the difference between me and that monster

in wife's shape—Kaikeyi?" Thus and in many other ways,

Dasaratha lamented.

Vasishtha said, "Do not grieve… . I will see that your son

is persuaded to stay back." Dasaratha had become so

weakened in will that he clung to this hope when he saw the

sage depart. Kausalya comforted the King by saying, "It is

quite likely Vasishtha will come back with Rama." She

tenderly lifted him, nursed him, and stroked his head and

shoulder. He kept repeating, "Will Rama come? When? How

terrible that Kaikeyi, whom I loved so much, should contrivemy death so that she may place Bharatha on the throne!"

Silence for a while, but once again all his lamentations and

fears would return redoubled.

"Kausalya, my dearest wife, listen. Rama will not change

his aim, but definitely go away, and my life will end. You

know why? It's an old story.

"Once while I was hunting in a forest, I heard the gurgling

of water—the noise an elephant makes when drinking water.

I shot an arrow in that direction, and at once heard a human

cry in agony. I went up and found that I had shot at a young

boy. He had been filling his pitcher; and water rushing into it

had created the noise. The boy was dying and told me that

his old parents, eyeless, were not far away. He had tended

them, carrying them about on his back. They died on hearing

of this tragedy, after cursing the man who had killed their son

to suffer a similar fate. And so that is going to be my fate… ."

When Rama's exile became known, the kings and

commoners assembled at the hall broke down and wept; so

did the religious heads and ascetics. Men and women wept

aloud; the parrots in their cages wept, the cats in people's

homes; the infants in their cradles, the cows and calves.

Flowers that had just bloomed wilted away. The water birds,

the elephants, the chargers that drew chariots—all broke

down and lamented like Dasaratha himself, unable to bear

the pang of separation from Rama. What a moment ago hadbeen a world of festivities had become one of mourning.

Crowds thronged hither and thither, stood in knots at street

corners, watched the portals of the palace, speculating and

commenting. "Kaikeyi—the red-lipped prostitute," they said.

"We never suspected that our King was so lost in

infatuation… . We thought that the red-lipped woman was

our Queen, but she has shown her true nature—using her

flesh to bait a senile male, who has sought his own ruin and

thereby the ruin of our country. Let Kaikeyi try and rule this

country with her son—there will be none left to rule over; we

will all kill ourselves or move out with Rama. Ah, unfortunate

earth not destined to have Rama as your overlord! What is

Lakshmana doing? How will he stand this separation? What

justification can there be for breaking a promise made to

Rama? Strange act of justice this! The world has suddenly

gone mad!"

Lakshmana, on hearing of the developments, was roused

like the fire starting to consume the earth on the last day.

"Food kept for the lion is sought to be fed to the street puppy

—so plans that doe-eyed Kaikeyi," commented Lakshmana.

He picked up his sword and bow, put on his battle dress,

and aggressively roamed the streets swearing, "Rama shall

be crowned, and whoever comes in the way will be

annihilated. Let the whole world come, I'll destroy everyone

who opposes, and pile up their carcasses sky high. I'll seize

the crown and will not rest till I place it on Rama's head. This

I'll achieve this very day, this very day." Seeing his fiery eyes and hearing his stentorian challenges, people withdrew from

his proximity. "If all the gods in heaven, all the demons, all the

good people of the earth, and bad—if the whole world

oppose me, I'll not relent or yield to the desire of a mere

female… ."

His challenges and the rattling of his arms and the

twanging of his bow-string reached the ears of Rama, who

was just on his way to take leave of his stepmother Sumithra,

Lakshmana's mother, and he immediately turned back and

confronted Lakshmana. "What makes you wear all this

battle-dress, and against whom are you uttering your

challenges? And why are you so wild and angry?"

Lakshmana said, "If this is not the occasion for anger,

when else is it? After having promised you your rightful place

—to deny it now! I can't tolerate it. The vicious dreams of that

black-hearted woman shall not be fulfilled. I'll not let my

senses watch this injustice passively. I'll resist it till I perish."

"It was my mistake," said Rama. "I have only myself to

blame for accepting my father's offer of the throne so readily

without thinking of the consequences. Your tongue, learned

in the recital of Vedas and all the truths of godly life, should

not be allowed to utter whatever it likes so irresponsibly.

Your charges will not stand the scrutiny of judicious and

serene temperaments. You must not utter such bitter

remarks about people who after all are none other than your

father and mother." (Rama makes no distinction between mother and stepmother). "Calm yourself. Sometimes a river

runs dry, and then it cannot be said to be the fault of the river

—it's dry because the heavens are dry. So also, our father's

change of mind, or the apparent hardheartedness of

Kaikeyi, who has been so loving and kind, or Bharatha's

chance of succession… . These are really not our own

doing, but some higher powers have decreed them. Fate …"

"I'll be the fate to overpower fate itself," said Lakshmana,

with martial arrogance. Rama argued with him further. "I'll

change and alter fate itself, if necessary," repeated

Lakshmana and concluded his sentence with the refrain,

"Whoever dares to oppose my aim will be destroyed.