RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN CHAPTER 22 PART TWO

                                                                   RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                              CHAPTER NUMBER 22 PART TWO

Rama continued to speak to his brother, Lakshmana; “My mother need not vex herself for such a trifle. Wipe away her tears. Bring peace to her pained heart. Because I cannot bear to see her doubt and suffer! I never knew till now the slightest grief to my father or mothers. Our father always speaks the truth. He never goes back on his promise. He is endowed with might and valour. The same never fails its purpose. Our father might harbour a doubt. He might doubt about having a place in the worlds of the gods if he goes back on his promise. It is our sacred duty to keep him away from such doubts. My coronation must be cancelled. His sworn words to Kaikeyi must be upheld. It will wring my heart. So I wish to stop the preparations towards my coronation. I wish to start to the woods immediately. Let the daughter of the Kekaya monarch see the realisation of her hopes. It will make her happy if I take my way to the forest.  I must be dressed in deerskin and the bark of trees. My matted hair must be coiled on my head. Nothing can shake my resolve. I have resolved to go to the forests of Dandaka. Till now Dharma was the sole motive of my actions. But there is a greater and nobler one. It is not Kaikeyi that deprives me of this kingdom. We should not waste our breath in cursing her. The Lord put such a notion into her head. Otherwise, why should Kaikeyi try to harm me? I make no difference between my mothers. Each one of them is entitled to my boundless love. Kaikeyi makes no difference between me and Bharata. Yet she was able to speak cruel words. She was able to get our father’s nod to banish me to the forests. The Lord, it is, who has changed Kaikeyi’s nature. It must be for some inscrutable purpose of His. She is gifted with a natural grace of mind and heart. She has the blood of the mighty monarchs in her veins. She is adorned with compassion, generosity and other excellences. Then why should she behave like the meanest of her sex? She could have spoken her command to some other person. But she has chosen to speak like this to her lord and husband! She could have sent words to me through a servant or slave of hers. But she has chosen to speak to her Lord’s face! Did she suggest that I may go to the forests? She minced no words! She tirelessly repeated her words! You can see the Lord’s hand in this. None dare set himself up against His will. God’s ways are mysterious. We cannot understand them. It is because of Him my crown slips from my hands. It is because of the Lord that Kaikeyi has turned against me. There is no armour against Fate. Joy and sorrows are inscrutable mysteries. Serenity and anger, gain and loss, birth and death all happen because of our Fate. Mighty sages like Visvamitra observed stern tapas. Even they became the slaves of their passions. They lost their serenity and peace. And they fell headlong from their spiritual heights. It is but Destiny that raises a barrier before our efforts. It says, ‘This far thou shalt go and no further’. And we direct our energies to some other purpose we never dreamt of. So I never allow my peace of heart to be ruffled. Joy or sorrow cannot ruffle my serenity. And this aborted coronation does not affect me in the least. You, Lakshmana, should also put away grief and anger from you. Go and see that the preparation for my coronation is stopped. The sacred waters have been brought from all over the world. They are meant for my consecration bath. Now they should serve for the preparatory rites and baths. They are toward my departure to the forests. No! There is a chance for Kaikeyi to misconstrue the same. She might think that I want to crown myself secretly as the ruler of this kingdom! So, I will have nothing to do with these holy waters. The holy waters are the property of the king, hence of Bharata.”

“Lakshmana! We do not let this kingdom and wealth slip through our fingers. You must not worry on this score. It is all one and the same to me, Lakshmana. I do not care if I am the monarch of the earth or a humble recluse of Dantaka. On hindsight, a forest life is free from all cares. I will be free from the misfortunes and the sins that beset a ruler’s path. In the forests, you get to see everywhere the rarest creatures of God! Hence I prefer a life in the woods to an uneasy throne.”

“Lakshmana! I tell you what. No one knows better the might of Destiny. It sits at the heart of Kaikeyi. And it prompts her to speak harsh words to us. So we should not think that Kaikeyi has stopped my coronation!”

            

  

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN CHAPTER 22 PART ONE

                                                          RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                     CHAPTER NUMBER 22 PART ONE

                                                                 LAKSHMANA CALMED

Rama was a master of his emotions. He was an omnipotent Lord of the worlds. He had an iron will. Lakshmana lay nearer to his heart. Lakshmana was not famous for patience. Angry fires shot from his eyes. His eyes were like the red mouth of a volcano. He let out burning sighs. It looked like the sound produced by the Lord of serpents. Yet Rama forgave him. For Lakshmana was his brother, his friend and companion. He was the darling of his heart. Now Lakshmana was stricken with grief. So Rama turned to him and said these words. “Lakshmana! What has become of your self-control? Yours is the marvellous fortitude. You must bury your indignation and fury deep in your heart. Don’t say, ‘What! On the eve of your coronation! When everything is ready for your coronation? And the joyful millions are filled with high expectation! It would be an unspeakable shame if the installation doesn’t come off’. The coronation is off. It is not due to any fault of ours, Lakshmana. There is no want of courage or valour on our part. But we should show happiness at what has happened now! We are chosen to fulfil the orders of our father! We must win for him the seats of the righteous. Preparations are afoot towards my consecration. You must stay them immediately. And then help me in my preparations to fulfil our father’s order. You must show enthusiasm. You should make everything necessary for my departure to the forest. My mother is much grieved. She wants me to sit on the throne of the Ikshvakus. She doubts my safe return after fourteen years. You must assure her that going to the forest is a light task. I will return from the forest in no time!  

        

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN AYODHYAKANDA CHAPTER 21 PART SIX

                                                                  RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                                         AYODHYAKANADA

                                                                    CHAPTER 21 PART SIX

Rama continued to talk. “A wife secures to her husband wealth. She helps him to achieve three Aims of Life. These are the means to attain the happiness born of Dharma. In other words, do your duty to the best of your ability. And you are master of the above means. Take my word for it. This is utter truth and beyond all doubts. There are Three Purusharthas. Time and energy should be applied to everything that leads to them. Engage yourself in that which will secure Dharma all the times. You should not seek wealth at any cost. The world hates such a person. We should not devote ourselves solely to the pursuit of pleasure. Let us decide what my duty is now. The king is my Guru. I learnt from him the art of War and the science of Polity. He is my monarch. I live in peace and happiness under his shadow. He is my father. He brought me into the world. I should respect his great age and ripe experience. If such a man commands me to do anything, I should implicitly obey. He knows the mysteries of Dharma. I always seek to do what my father says.

“He is my lord and of my mother too. He is the highest goal of her aspirations. He will lead his wife, my mother, to the worlds of the Blessed. He is ruling over this vast empire for long. He has ruled this kingdom more righteously than his predecessors. It is not just for my mother to come with me. You are not an ordinary woman. You are not helpless and friendless. You are not a widow needing protection. Mother, I go to the forest. I pray give me leave. Engage in auspicious rites. That will safely see us return to your side. King Yayati was banished from heaven. But he was unshaken in the path of Truth. Thus he was restored to heaven. I shall come back to you safely at the end of fourteen years. I will never sacrifice my fame for the sake of kingly rule and power. Our life on the earth is like a flash of lightning in the dark. I shall not stain my hands with the crime. I do not desire to be the lord of the earth.”

Thus Rama consoled his weeping mother. And he was resolved to go to the forests of Dandaka. He explained to Lakshmana the course of action he was to adopt.  And Rama prepared himself to get his mother’s leave to depart. He was ready to go round his mother in salutation.        

  

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN, AYODHYAKANDA, CHAPTER 21 PART FIVE

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                                                AYODHYAKANDA

                                                                          CHAPTER 21, PART FIVE  

Rama’s pleading was eloquent. It spoke volumes for his virtue and duty. He was respectful to his mother. But he was firm in carrying out his father’s command. He had no grief or disappointment. It was too much for Kausalya. She fainted under the shock. After a while, she regained her senses. She looked Rama in the eye. She cried, “Don’t I deserve as much obedience as you have for your father? You are flesh of my flesh. I bore you in the womb. And I watched you grow from infancy to youth. Does it not count for anything? You see my unspeakable misery. And yet you want to leave me here. I am alone and helpless. You leave me to the mercies of my enemies. Do you expect my consent? What is life to me in the world? If you are not by myself, life is not worth living.”

Elephant-hunters take their stand during dark nights across its path. They drive the elephant towards the pit. They do this by threatening it with blazing torches. Even so, the pitiable laments of his mother had no effect on Rama. Her portrayal of her miseries only roused him to fresh energy and firmness. He would not let him go back from the Path of Dharma. He saw his mother in deep grief. He looked at his brother, Lakshmana. He was writhing under impotent anger. Yet Rama would never waver from the path of Dharma. And his words to Kausalya were in agreement with Dharma. Duty hemmed him on every side. He did not hesitate to choose the best course of action. “Lakshmana!” Rama addressed his brother; “I know your devotion to me. You and my mother cause me annoyance and trouble. You both are wilfully blind to my motives. Hear me once again. I will speak to you two at length. I will elaborate on what I hinted to you just now. A wife secures to her husband Dharma. It is possible only if she walks the path of her husband’s law of life. She secures to him Love if she wants a place in his heart.”

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RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN, CHAPTER 21, PART FOUR

                                                         RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                                    AYODHYAKANDA

                                                              CHAPTER 21, PART FOUR

Rama was unrivalled in persuasive eloquence. He was unrivalled in valour too. After speaking to his mother, he turned to Lakshmana. “My dear brother! I know your boundless love to me. You are very much devoted to me. My mother grieves sorely. She has forgotten the mysteries of truth and peace. You are deeply versed in the secrets of Dharma. Surely you should not speak like this. Truth is deeply implanted in Dharma. Hence it is most coveted in the Aims of Life. I should obey my father’s command. This I must do in preference to the order of my mother. I always walk in the Way of Right. I cannot afford to fail to obey my father. I also owe allegiance to my mother. And I owe allegiance to the learned Brahmanas too. All Kaikeyi did was to pass on the orders of my father. My father has ordered me to live in the forests. And who am I to say No? So put away the cruel instincts of fanatic Kshatriya. You say, ‘Let us kill this old man. After that, let us rule over the kingdom.’ Your instinctive words will lead us away from the Path of Dharma. Like Dharma Compassion and Love also merit consideration. I have never led you astray in the past!”

Then Rama bowed to Kausalya over joined palms. He said, “Mother! You and Lakshmana and Sumitra and Seeta and I should obey my father. His orders demand my immediate attention. And  I will live in the forests for fourteen years. Your orders come next. I will thereafter serve you devoutly. There is a brief spell of rough life for me. After carrying out my father’s orders, I will hasten to you. It would be like King Yayati’s life. He lived in the god-world. For a brief spell, he was sent to this world. So master your grief and give me leave to go. Perform auspicious rites that will secure us a safe journey. I will be back to your side. I beg you to grant me leave. The coronation of your son is off. Order all preparations to proceed no further. To the world, you must control yourself. You should not give yourself to the grief. Let me have your leave to speed to the forests. I am a loyal servant of Dharma!”  

  

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN--AYODHYAKANDA, CHAPTER 21, PART THREE

                                                    RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN

                                                             AYODHYAKANDA

                                                       CHAPTER 21—PART THREE

Kausalya was imbued with hope now. Her heart was filled with renewed hope and joy. “Rama, my darling! Did you hear the words of Lakshmana? They need no comment or explanation. I leave it to your good sense to act as you think best. You may say that your father’s words were the law to you. But is this your father’s command? No! It is the command of Kaikeyi. This is her insidious instigation. She is my rival and an evil genius. Besides, it is all opposed to reason. There is no justice in this. Is it your duty to leave me to my enemies? I will be helpless and alone. I will be stricken with grief and misfortune. Law and duty have no mysteries for you. You always carry out the orders of your father. You think that is your duty. But there is higher dharma than that. The Books teach us that the mother is the most reverent object. So stay with me, Rama. And devote yourself to my service. There is no higher dharma. One of your ancestors is Kasyapa. He stayed with his mother. And he rendered her faithful service. His noble tapas was rewarded well. He was sent to the high regions of light. As your father is to you, so am I. He is worthy for your love and reverence. And so am I. His word is the law to you. And so is mine. Now, I don’t like your banishment. You can never have my consent to it. What joy have I in life apart from you? Life itself is a curse to me. It is my privilege and pleasure to be with you. I am attacked by misfortune and calamity. If you ever leave my side, I will starve myself to death. The Ruler of the Waters once had a misfortune. He caused grief to the heart of his mother. He was sent to Hell. He was given the place in hell reserved for the slayers of Brahmanas. And you will meet eternal misery here on earth.”

The heart-rending laments of Kausalya had no power on Rama. The Path of Duty was very important for him. He replied gently: “The duty of obeying the commands of my father is on me. Of course, I am bound to obey you too. But it is impossible to obey you both simultaneously. Besides, my father’s orders have come prior to yours. So my father’s command demands immediate attention. I dare not set it aside. So I go to the forests. And I pray you to give me your leave and blessings. Do I seem to pierce your heart? Maharshi Kandu, once, slew a holy cow! It was in obedience to his father’s command. He was not unacquainted with the niceties of dharma. He was an ascetic. And I would give you another example. It is nearer and more pertinent. King Sagara is of our line. He once gave orders to his sons. He had sixty thousand sons. The order was to tear up this earth. The sons obeyed his orders to the letter. They were consumed to ashes in doing their duty. My father commands me to do no such things. My life is his to dispose of as he wills. He only demands that I spend just fourteen years in the forests. And can I cry upon it as a great hardship? Jamadagni ordered his son to lop off the head of his mother. Parasurama did not waver or flinch. Shall I prove a traitorous son to my father? There have been many sons who carried out their fathers’ command at any cost. I am only trying to walk in their path. I have their instances to cheer me on. It is not an invention of mine. It is the law of man. And there will be no merit in me if I fulfil it. To spare you agonies I will do anything. But I have my father’s command. I might happen to cause some grief to you, my mother. But it is because of my carrying out the command of my father!”

  

RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN--AYODHYAKANDA--CHAPTER 21, PART TWO

                  RAMAYANA FOR CHIDREN—AYODHYAKANDA—CHAPTER 21 PART TWO

“The king is in his second childhood. The prince (Rama) is well-versed in the traditions of royalty. It is strange that he should obey the King. Brother” continued Lakshmanan, “Make yourself master of this kingdom. Do it before others come to know of your banishment. I am at your back. I will defy anyone who tries to approach you. It is high time to put the god of Death in the due discharge of his duty! It’s child’s play to me to stop the whole city of Ayodhya. The millions of this city cannot lift their little finger against you. I will guard you against the whole world. Even if Bharata is against us, I will take care of him. Let he come against you with his friends and relations. I will take care of them all. You are gentle and meek to a fault. Such people will be insulted in this world. Merit is recognized only when it asserts itself. I see no sin or wickedness in taking the life of our father. He is in alliance with our enemies. He has done this to you at the instigation of Kaikeyi. The king is intoxicated with pride. He has no sense of right and wrong. He must be chastised. This kingdom is yours by right. How dare the king promises the kingdom to Kaikeyi’s son! He has no right to give this kingdom to anyone than you. Did the king believe in his valour and that of his armies? Does he want to chase you out of the kingdom? We should make him see that he cannot banish you to the forests. What kind of pride is that of his that makes him think he could take you on? Nobody can bother either Rama or his slave, Lakshmana. Nobody can place Bharata on the throne. Mother, Rama is my brother. He is the object of my love and reverence. I solemnly swear I will go wherever Rama goes. It shall be my duty to serve Rama wherever he goes. This day, you and Rama will see the might of my arm.”