Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban-Ayodhyakanda continued

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6. Rama obeys the command of the King as communicated by Kaikeyi.

 

When the day dawned Vasishta, after taking bath in the sarayu river, gathered all the necessary auspicious articles for the coronation and came to the city of Ayodhya from his hermitage. He saw that the whole city was in a festive mood and Vasishta told Sumanthra to inform Dasaratha that the auspicious time for coronation is approaching. Sumanthr went to the palace of Kaikeyi and ceremoniously started waking up the king without knowing that Dasaratha never slept the whole night. Dasaratha told Sumanthra that he was already miserable and the words of Sumanthra praising him only hurt him more. Sumanthra did not understood what he meant but knew that something was bothering him. At this juncture Kaikeyi interrupted and said that the king did not sleep whole night thinking about the coronation and hence could not speak out of fatigue and she told Sumanthra to bring Rama.

 

The whole population of the city gathered around the palace to see the proceedings with eagerness. Sumanthra went to the palace of Rama and informed him of the command of the king and Rama came to see Dasaratha through the throngs of people gathered to see the coronation. Rama wastravelling in a silver chariot with Lakshmana holding zxthe umbrella and with all the paraphernalia of a king to be crowned. He went inside the palace of Kaikeyi and the people outside were waiting eagerly for him to come out and proceed for the coronation.

 

Rama went inside and saw that Dasaratha was in great distress. Dasratha looked at Rama and just uttered his name and could not say anything else overwhelmed with grief. Rama was desolate thinking that perhaps he has done something to cause the grief of his father and asked Kaikeyi to tell him the reason of the sorrow of his father. He said `kaschinmayaa naaparaaddham yename pithaa kupithah.' " Have I done anything wrong by which my father is angry with me?" Then he asked Kaikeyi whether she has said anything to Dasratha in anger, thus hitting on the real reason knowingly or unknowingly.

 

Valmiki says that Kaikeyi felt ashamed about what she was going to do, uvaachedham sunirlajjaa, but nevertheless told Rama thus:

 

"Your father had given me two boons earlier and now he is trying to go back on his word. He is angry with me for your sake. If you promise to do what he says whether it is good or bad for you I will tell you what he wants to say."

 

As devil quoting the scripture, Kaikeyi said, `Dharmamoolam idham raama, vidhitham cha sathaamapi; thath sathyam na thyajeth raajaa, truth is based on dharma and the king has to follow dharma.'

 

Rama was upset on hearing her words not because he anticipated that she was going to tell him something unpleasant but because his filial obedience was doubted and said that if the king commands he will even fall in the fire, or eat poison or get drowned in the sea. Then he gave a promise as she wanted saying that he will do the bidding of his father and everyone knows that Rama has only one word and never goes back on what he says. `karishye prathijaane cha raamo dhvrnaabhibhaashathe,' as Thyagaraja says in his krthi `okamaata okabaanamu oka pathnee vrathude,' He says one word and keeps it, sends only one arrow which is infallible and has only one wife.

 

Then Kaikeyi informed Rama about the two boons and told Rama if he wanted to establish the fact that both he and Dasaratha are vowed to adherence to truth he has to fulfil the conditions of the boon. She told Rama that he had to go to forest for 14 years and Bharatha should be crowned as king.

 

Rama was not at all perturbed by this. Valmiki says `na chaiva raamaH pravivesa Sokam.' Kamban goes one step forward and says, `raaman thirumukhacchevvi nOkkin oppadhE munbu pinbu avvaachakam uNarakkEtta appozhudhu alarndhasenthaamaraiyinai venRadhu ammaa' The face of Rama which was like lotus earlier, vanquished a freshly blossomed lotus in its beauty on hearing the words of Kaikeyi as though this was more welcoming news that that of coronation!

 

There is a subtle change in the attitude of Rama denoted by his reply to Kaikeyi. He seems to be a little annoyed not because of what Kaikeyi said but at the implication of the words of Kaikey ithat he might not accept the command of the king. This we see in his mode of address before and after her words. Before he knew her intention he addressed her with respect as devi and bhavathee. But afterwards he calls her Kaikeyi by name. he also says that he will go to forest as she said and tells her `bhava supreetha, be pleased.' And he told her that he will go to forest immediately for fourteen years without even deliberating whether it was the wish of Dasaratha or not, hinting that he was well aware of what could have happened. Rama said he would very willingly give to Bharatha all he had, indicating that he was renouncing the kingdom and going to forest for the sake of Bharatha and because it is the command of his father. But Rama of Kamban is more gentle and says to Kaikeyi, `mannavan paNi anRaagin num paNi maRuppeno, pinnavan pettRaselvam adiyanEn pettRadhanRO, meaning that he would have obeyed even if it was the command of Kaikeyi and not Dasaratha because the prosperity of Bharatha is like his own. Here we find the hint of things to come because actually the kingdom never went to Bharatha who ruled only as a representative of Rama and this proves that what ever Rama said could be nothing but the truth.

 

Kaikeyi was still in doubt that Dasaratha may change his mind once he comes out of his grief which made him speechless and may ask Rama not to go and hence she told Rama that he had to proceed to the forest immediately to put the mind of Dasaratha at ease. Valmiki says Rama felt as though he was like a horse struck with a whip to hear that by staying in Ayodhya he would make his father miserable and decided to go to forest without delay. `kaSayevaahatho vaajee vanam ganthum krthathvaraH.' He then spoke to Kaikeyi thus:

Naaham arThaparo dhevi, lokam aavasthum uthsahe

vidDhi maam rshibhiH thulyam kevalam Dharmam AsThitham (VR-Ayod. 19.21)

 

"I am not after money or desire to rule the world. Know me to be equal to sages and I follow only dharma."