Ramayana of valmiki and kamban -Ayodhyakanda-11.Rama o prepares to go to forest

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11. Rama preparing to leave for the forest

 

Rama wanted to take leave of his father finally and also to inform him that Seetha and Lakshmana accompanying him. He went to the palace of Kaikeyi where Dasaratha was lying desolate and desperate and told Sumanthra to inform the king of their arrival. When Sumanthra went inside he saw Dasaratha who lost his lustre and resembled the Sun eclipsed by Rahu, the fire covered with ashes and a lake dried up with heat

 

When Sumanthra told the king that Rama has arrived to take leave of him on his journey to the forest, Dasaratha called all his wives to bid goodbye to Rama and they assembled in the palace. Then Rama came in and informed Dasaratha that Seetha and Lakshmana were coming with him and asked Dasaratha to give them permission to leave Ayodhya.

 

Then Dasaratha said that he regretted his hasty promise to Kaikeyi without knowing the consequences and told Rama not to heed his words and become the crown-prince. But Rama replied that he would not make his father a liar and will not accept the kingdom. He reassured Dasaratha that he will return after spending 14 years in the forest.

 

Dasarath found himself bound by the oath of truth and said that he knew quite well that he could not change the mind of Rama who is renowned for his steadfast prowess in truth and dharma and also in his principles, sathyaathmaanH DharmaabhimanasaH..

 

Then Dasaratha requested him to stay for a night and go in the next morning so that Dasaratha would get a little comfort seeing him at least for one day more. Rama replied that by staying for one day nothing is going to change. Here Valmiki portrays Rama as he himself said to Kaikeyi, `rshbhisthulayam maam vidDhi, know me to be equal to a rshi in attitude.'

 

Rama said,

 

Praapsyaami yaan adhaya guNaan ko me SvaH thaan pradhaasyathi?

apakramaNameva athaH sarvakaamaiH aham vrNe

 

"Even if I stay for today and enjoy the luxuries, who is going to give them to me tomorrow? Therefore I choose to give up all desires , which alone is my wish. Further he said that he never wished for the kingdom and accepted because it is his only wish to obey the command of his father.

 

Na hi me kaankshitham raajyam sukham aathmani vaa priyam

yaThaa nidheSam karthum vai thavaiva raghunandhana

 

Then Rama proves by his own words the fact that the Lord, as Rama, lived what he was going to preach in his next avathara of Krishna, namely the state of sThithaprajna. He said,

 

Naivaaham raajyam icChaami na sukham na cha maiThileem

Naïve sarvaan imaan kaamaan na svargam naiva jeevitham

 

" I do not have any attachment in the kingdom, or in pleasure or even in Seetha., or in any objects of desire, gold or even in life."

 

How does this compare with the expressed love of Rama to Seetha or to his sorrow on her being abducted by Ravana ? Rama himself partly answers this in the scene of Seetha's entering the fire. But the main point to remember is that both Seetha and Rama were acting their part in order to fulfill the avatharakarya. That there was no desire as we commonly understand, between Rama and Seetha could be seen from the words of Valmiki himself. Seetha said while persuading Rama to take her along with him, that she would follow the brahmacharya vratha. Later in sundarakanda Seetha is referred to as brahmchariNee. We also see that there is a nama in seethaahtottharnamaavali as brahmachaariNyai namah. Seetha and Rama were intimate in the same way the individual self and the supreme self are, that is, the jeevaathma and the paramathma.

 

Sumanthra could not bear to see the anguish of Dasaratha when Rama said that he would certainly go to the forest and his speech was a tirade on Kaikeyi. He denounced her as the destroyer of her husband and the whole clan of Raghus. He said,

 

Aamram Chithvaa kuTaareNa nimbam paricharethu yaH

yaSchainam payasaa sincheth naivaasya maDhuro bhaveth

 

If one cuts down the mango tree and grows a neem tree in its place and nurtures it with milk he will never get sweetness of the mango from it.

 

This is a rebuke on Dasaratha himself. who had neglected Kousalya and became attached to Kaikeyi.

 

Sumanthra referred to an episode in the life of the father of Kaikeyi which proved the saying, `like mother like daughter.'

 

Once, father of Kaikeyi laughed aloud hearing the conversation of ants due to the boon he got from a sage enabling him to understand the language of all beings. His wife insisted to know the cause of his laughter even though he told her that he would die if he divulged the real cause. Then his father denounced her seeing that she was selfish and did nor care even if her husband died Sumanthra said that Kaikeyi proved that she came from the same stock, because she knew perfectly well that Dasaratha could survive without seeing Rama.

Then he tried to pacify her by nice words but Kaikeyi was relentless

 

Dasaratha lost all hopes of retaining Rama and told Sumanthra to send all the army and everything Rama would need for living in the forest on which Kaikeyi got angry and quoted the story of Asamanja who was sent alone to the forest. Siddhartha, an aged and pure hearted minister of Dasaratha related the story of Asamanja and said that king Sagara sent him to the forest because he was cruel and was murdering the children and Rama could not be compared with him. But Kaikeyi was obstinate and Rama put an end to this by saying,

 

yo hi hathvaa dhipaSreshtam kakshyaayaam kuruthe manaH

rajjusnehena kim thasya thyajathaH kunjarotthamam

 

" When one ahs given away the elephant will he desire for the rope that binds it? What use would it be to him who has renounced the elephant?"

 

By this Rama meant that when he has given up the kingdom why should he want the other paraphernalia of a prince. Then he asked only for a basket and a spade. Kaikeyi then shamelessly brought the bark garments herself and gave them to Rama, who put them on taking off his silk garment, which Lakshmana followed. Seetha took the bark garment and was bewildered as to how to wear that and asked Rama, who tried to show her.

 

Vasishta , though a sage, without likes and dislikes could not bear to see this and abused Kaikeyi saying that what she was doing was wicked and her wish was not going to be fulfilled as Bharatha would never accept the kingdom and Seetha should go to forest wearing silk garments and all her jewels as the boon given to her by Dasaratha applies only to Rama. Thereupon Dasaratha ordered all the jewels of Seetha to be brought and Seetha shone like Mahlakshmi herself with her attire of silk and decked with all her jewels, signifying that the rajyalakshmi is leaving Ayodhya with Rama.