RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN—AYODHYAKANDA—FIRST PART OF CHAPTER 12
KAIKEYI’S words fell like a thunder-bolt on Dasaratha’s ears. He plunged in the depths of grief. “This is not my Kaikeyi” uttered Dasaratha. “She was never known to talk like this! So, I cannot take it as a fact. Is it some horrible dream?” Dasaratha exclaimed. “Am I sleeping? No, I am not sleeping. I am wide awake! Have I gone mad? No, I don’t think so. Or is it some insidious malady?” he further talked to himself. He could not find any solution. He had been pierced with the cruel shafts of Kaikeyi’s words. His senses were confused. He heaved hot sighs. He sat on the earth. He was a pitiable sight to see. He fainted from grief.
It was a long time before he came back to himself. Wild fury possessed him. “Merciless wretch! Black-hearted! You are a savage destroyer of my line! What harm have I or Rama done to you? Rama loves you as he his mother. The whole world knows the excellences of Rama. What crime has he committed to justify his banishment? I can put away Kausalya, Sumitra, my wealth, my power, no, my very life. I can put them away without a pang. But, the very idea of exiling Rama is an anathema to me. And how much love Rama has for me!” Dasaratha bemoaned like this.
“I cannot dream of being away from him. Not even for a moment! It is clear that you have stacked your life on this sinful venture. You change your mind before it is too late. Free yourself from obstinacy. I entreat you with my head to your feet. Have pity on me. Abandon your foul purpose. Maybe you spoke like this to test my love for Bharata? Your prayer for the exile of Rama is utterly at variance with your former proclamations. ‘Rama is older in dharma and virtue than the others. Hence I consider Rama as my first-born. Bharata comes but next’. Did you not speak like that? You have yielded to some schemers. They say it foretells the downfall of a noble line when a good member of the clan turns perverse and wicked. Your sudden change foretells some calamity to the line of Ikshvaku. I am bewildered. I cannot understand how you turned a wicked wretch. How do yo have you the heart to condemn Rama? I see no fault in Rama. He is virtuous and famous among the Mass. You were a nice and righteous soul. What has hardened your heart? You want Rama to spend fourteen years in exile. Rama is the darling of the people. Would they stand by and see Rama being sent out to the forests? Rama has never failed in his duty towards you. There are three million women in my kingdom. Has anyone of them spoken a harsh word against Rama?” Dasaratha bemoaned.
He continued to talk: “There are thousands of men and women in this kingdom. They work hard to earn their livelihood. Have any of them traduced my Rama? Rama is keen over their well being. His mind is ever centred in their welfare. Rama is an unmatched hero among the toiling people. What madness possessed you to pray for his exilement? He is ever sweet to men and beast. He has not caused even a slight annoyance to me. Rama is dearer to me than the light of my eyes. Kaikeyi, I have lived long. Death opens its doors to me even now. I am a drivelling dotard. I pray you to have pity upon me.” Thus Dasaratha raved. He was confused with grief. He fainted many times. Then he would recover after some time.
But Kaikeyi’s anger blazed forth. “If someone asks you when you are in the assembly of great monarchs like you,” Kaikeyi asked Dasaratha, “Dasaratha! Your wife Kaikeyi saved your life once. And how did you discharge your debt to her? You know very well the mysteries of duty. Will you reply that you gave her two boons and then turned against her when she invoked the boons? Would you reply to them that you gave Kaikeyi two boons? And the fool took it all seriously what I had granted to just please a woman’s heart! Do you know the anecdote when Sibi, one of your ancestors, gave his own flesh to a vulture after having saved the life of a dove from the vulture?”
Kaikeyi fixed her husband with a straight look. She blamed him by calling him a black-hearted deceiver! “I don’t care if it turned out that the two boons I ask you to discharge are unjust and not righteous. If Rama is crowned as you have planed I will take my life. I will drink deadly poison and die.” The cruel Kaikeyi threatened her lord thus.
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