Hari Aum.
Om Sri Ramaya Namah.
Let us continue our study of the Ramayana. I wrote the last section in October last year-- the next bit is pretty gloomy and depressing, and one of my least favourite sections of the Ramayana (which is partly the reason for my delay in writing about it). Anyway, this section (like most parts of the Ramayana) has some useful teachings from a spiritual perspective, so let us carry on.
So far in the Ramayana, we have seen Ayodhya prosper. There has been much joy, peace and bliss. This joy was about to increase manifold as a result of Sri Rama being crowned King of Kosala. The kingdom was all decorated like a bride waiting for her groom. Sadly, it was not to be.
In a matter of hours, the fortunes of Ayodhya would be reversed. Hope would turn into despair, joy into sorrow, and peace would descend into chaos.
Let us return to Queen Kaikeyi, the dearest wife of King Dasharatha. She had been persuaded by her maid, Manthara, that it was vital for her son, Prince Bharata, to be crowned King to safeguard both his and her own interests. Kaikeyi was determined to have her way. She lay in wait for the King, filled with anger and doubt with regard to his love for her.
At the end of a long and exhausting day, King Dasharatha went to Kaikeyi's chambers to find repose in the arms of his most beloved wife. He longed to share with her the joyous news of Sri Rama's upcoming coronation the next day.
When a maid informed him that the Queen was not in her bedchamber, but instead, had entered the 'kopa bhavan' (house of anger) in a state of great agitation, he felt very distressed. Never before had Kaikeyi been absent from her chambers when he had been due to visit.
Feeling that something terrible must have occurred, the King hastened to the kopa bhavan to meet his beloved. When he arrived, he was deeply distraught to find Kaikeyi lying on the floor, her hair dishevelled and her beautiful face stained with tears. (Valmiki describes her in very poetic terms likening her to a lovely nymph who had fallen from Svarga, the heavenly realm of the demi-gods, or like a beautiful doe trapped in a hunter's snare!).
Seeing his wife in such a miserable condition, the King hastened towards her side. Caressing her gently, he attempted to soothe her and discover the cause for her distress. Declaring that she surely could not be angry with him, he enquired who had dared to cause her pain.
Had somebody insulted or hurt her, he asked-- if so, the individual in question would be severely punished (if necessary, by paying the price of their very life!). If she felt unwell, the palace physicians could be immediately summoned to provide appropriate treatment.
Proclaiming his great love for her, he declared that whatever the cause of her suffering might be, he would move heaven and earth to alleviate it.
Hearing these sweet and comforting words from her husband, Kaikeyi felt pleased and gratified. Turning to Dasharatha, she addressed him saying that nobody had hurt or offended her. However, she stated that she had a long-cherished desire that she wanted the King to fulfil. Asking him to promise that he would do so, she said that she would reveal her desire to him afterwards.
Valmiki then says that the King, pierced deeply by the arrows of love and passion, immediately agreed to his adorable wife's request. He had no reason to suspect anything untoward, as the Queen had demonstrated her great love and loyalty towards him time and again over the many years of their marriage.
Lovingly placing her head in his lap, and rearranging her dishevelled hair, the King tenderly said that he swore upon his most beloved son, Rama, and upon his own spiritual merit (gained by the performance of many virtuous deeds) that he would surely carry out her request.
Declaring his deep love for her, he sought to know her cherished desire, stating that she could rest assured that her will would be undoubtedly be done.
Hearing these words of love and promise spoken by her husband, Kaikeyi was filled with great joy. Invoking the demi-gods and celestial beings, she declared that they should all now bear witness to the promise uttered by her husband, a man who was known to be ever true to his word.
Then, she explained to him her heart's desire. Did he recall, she asked, of a time many years ago when she had saved his life in battle and he had promised her two wishes in gratitude? Saying that she desired now to avail of these two wishes, she stated that she would end her life if he did not keep his promise.
The infatuated King encouraged her to share with him her wishes, and Queen Kaikeyi then uttered the following words:
"O Ruler of the Earth, O Lord! The boons that you have promised me must now be granted! I shall now tell you what I desire.
Firstly, I desire that my most beloved son, Bharata, be crowned as King of Kosala tomorrow in place of Rama.
Secondly, I wish Prince Rama to don clothes made of bark and deerskin, and live the austere life of a hermit in the Dandaka forest. He must remain there for fourteen years, so that Bharata may become fully established as King without facing any opposition. I desire to see Rama departing for the forest this very day.
These are the two wishes that I desire to be fulfilled by you, O King of kings! You know full well that upholding truth is regarded as the highest virtue-- you must therefore fulfill your promise to me, and thus maintain your own glory as well as that of your illustrious ancestors!"
When King Dasharatha heard these cruel words, he was initially filled with disbelief. "Am I dreaming or hallucinating?", he wondered. As he reflected thus, he began to feel tremendous grief and anxiety. This led him to feel dizzy and unwell, and he briefly lost consciousness. When he regained this, he again experienced severe pain at the thought of Kaikeyi's words.
Then, there ensued a very painful conversation between husband and wife. King Dasharatha remonstrated with Queen Kaikeyi, begging her to reconsider her wishes. How could she think this way, he asked. How could she wish suffering upon Rama who had never harmed anyone. He was the repository of all virtues and had served Kaikeyi even more than her son, Bharata.
What had come over her, his beloved Queen, who had never hurt him before. It was perhaps a malignant spirit and not her who spoke these wicked words, he declared! It was inconceivable that his own wife could think and speak in this way.
Falling upon his knees before his wife, and joining his palms in supplication, he pleaded with her to have pity upon him who was deeply distressed.
He would agree to Bharata being crowned King in accordance with her wishes, he said. But, he begged her to spare Rama-- his beloved son should not be sent to live a life of great hardship and danger in the dreaded Dandaka forest.
Dasharatha declared that he would grant her everything he possessed as ruler of the Earth in exchange for Rama being allowed to remain at home in Ayodhya. Rama was his very life breath, he said and he would not be able to remain alive in his absence.
If he sent Rama into exile, everybody would censure him for the unjust and cruel decision. His standing as a just and noble King would be destroyed. In addition, how could he inflict misery upon the noble Princess Sita by separating her from her husband? And what about the people of Ayodhya who longed to see Rama as King? He would be the cause of misery to all by sending Sri Rama into exile and could not bear the idea.
Queen Kaikeyi, however, filled with selfishness and egoism, did not budge. Berating the King severely for attempting to deny her the promised wishes, and thus breaking his word, she asked how he could sacrifice his honour in this way.
Declaring that she would assuredly consume poison and end her life if Rama was made King, and Queen Kausalya was thus elevated, she repeatedly stated that she would only be satisfied by seeing Rama banished to the forest.
Dasharatha and Kaikeyi continued their exchange for some time, each attempting to convince the other to see their point of view but to no avail. Kaikeyi remained furiously bent upon obtaining her two wishes, while Dasharatha felt great agony and continued to protest against this.
He declared that he would never agree to her wish to send his son Rama into exile, even if it meant committing the sin of breaking his word and even if she chose to end her life!
Eventually, the two began to speak extremely bitter words to each other. Declaring that they had each been grievously harmed by the other, they lamented that their love had been a terrible deception. Filled with anger and grief, they spent the entire night cursing each other and expressing regret that they had loved and trusted each other during their lifetime.
As dawn broke, completely unaware of these unhappy events, the people of Ayodhya joyously continued the final preparations for the much-awaited coronation of their beloved Sri Rama which was to take place that day.
To be continued soon.....
Om Sri Ramaya Namah.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
