Part - 5 — Ancient Knowledge

Dialogue between king Daśaratha and Kaikeyī; Daśaratha’s lamentation; Sumantra goes to the palace and, returning from it, sends Śrī Rāma to His father

Chhands

kēhi hētu rāni risāni parasata pāni patihi nēvāraī.
mānahu sarōṣa bhuaṃga bhāmini biṣama bhāomti nihāraī..
dōu bāsanā rasanā dasana bara marama ṭhāharu dēkhaī.
tulasī nṛpati bhavatabyatā basa kāma kautuka lēkhaī..

As the king touched her with his hand saying “Why are you angry, my queen?” Kaikeyī threw it aside and flashed upon him a furious glance like an enraged serpent with the two (above-mentioned) cravings of her heart for its bifurcated tongue and the boons (that had been promised to her by the king) for its fangs, spying out a vital part. As fate would have it, says Tulasī, the king took it all as an amorous sport.

Sortas

bāra bāra kaha rāu sumukhi sulōcini pikabacani.
kārana mōhi sunāu gajagāmini nija kōpa kara..25.. [2-24-25]

Said the king again and again, “Tell me the cause of your anger, O fair-faced, bright-eyed dame with a voice melodious as the notes of a cuckoo and a gait resembling that of an elephant.”

Chaupais

anahita tōra priyā kēiom kīnhā. kēhi dui sira kēhi jamu caha līnhā..
kahu kēhi raṃkahi karau narēsū. kahu kēhi nṛpahi nikāsauṃ dēsū.. [2-24-1]
sakau tōra ari amarau mārī. kāha kīṭa bapurē nara nārī..
jānasi mōra subhāu barōrū. manu tava ānana caṃda cakōrū.. [2-24-2]
priyā prāna suta sarabasu mōrēṃ. parijana prajā sakala basa tōrēṃ..
jauṃ kachu kahau kapaṭu kari tōhī. bhāmini rāma sapatha sata mōhī.. [2-24-3]
bihasi māgu manabhāvati bātā. bhūṣana sajahi manōhara gātā..
gharī kugharī samujhi jiyaom dēkhū. bēgi priyā pariharahi kubēṣū.. [2-24-4]

“Who is it, my dear, that has harmed you? Who is there with a head to spare and who is it that is courted by death? Tell me what pauper I should exalt to the position of a king and what monarch I should banish from his kingdom? I could slay even an immortal, were he your enemy; of what account, then, are men and women, who are mere worms as it were? You know my disposition, O beautiful lady; my mind is enamoured of your face as the Cakora bird is of the moon. O my beloved, my people and my family and all that I possess, my sons, nay, my life itself are all at your disposal. If I tell you anything insincerely, O good lady, I should be guilty of falsely swearing by Rāma a hundred times. Ask with a cheerful countenance whatever pleases your mind and adorn your charming limbs with jewels. Distinguish within yourself between an opportune and inopportune hour and give up, my darling, this unbecoming attire at once.”

Dohas

yaha suni mana guni sapatha baḍai bihasi uṭhī matimaṃda.
bhūṣana sajati bilōki mṛgu manahu kirātini phaṃda..26.. [2-26]

On hearing this and considering the great oath the dull-witted Kaikeyī smilingly arose and began to put on her ornaments; it seemed as if a huntress was laying the trap at the sight of a deer.

Chaupais

puni kaha rāu suhrada jiyaom jānī. prēma pulaki mṛdu maṃjula bānī..
bhāmini bhayau tōra manabhāvā. ghara ghara nagara anaṃda badhāvā.. [2-26-1]
rāmahi dēu kāli jubarājū. sajahi sulōcani maṃgala sājū..
dalaki uṭhēu suni hradau kaṭhōrū. janu chui gayau pāka baratōrū.. [2-26-2]
aisiu pīra bihasi tēhi gōī. cōra nāri jimi pragaṭi na rōī..
lakhahiṃ na bhūpa kapaṭa caturāī. kōṭi kuṭila mani gurū paḍhaāī.. [2-26-3]
jadyapi nīti nipuna naranāhū. nāricarita jalanidhi avagāhū..
kapaṭa sanēhu baḍhaāi bahōrī. bōlī bihasi nayana muhu mōrī.. [2-26-4]

Thinking her reconciled, the king spoke again in soft and winning accents his whole frame thrilling over with emotion, “Your heart’s desire, O good lady, is accomplished; every house in the city is a picture of joy and felicity. Tomorrow, I am installing Rāma as the prince-regent; therefore, O bright-eyed dame, put on a festive garb.” The queen’s heart, hard though it was, cracked at these words; it seemed as if a festering sore had been unwarily touched. Even such (heart-rending) agony was disguised by her under the cloak of a smile. Just as a thief’s wife does not openly weep (on seeing her husband suffer punishment lest she should be made to share his lot). The king was unable to detect her wily designs, tutored as she was by a teacher (Mantharā) who ranked foremost among millions of villains. Although the king was skilled in statesmanship, the ways of a woman are like an unfathomable ocean. Again, with a greater show of false affection she smilingly said with a graceful movement of her face and eyes:

Dohas

māgu māgu pai kahahu piya kabahu na dēhu na lēhu.
dēna kahēhu baradāna dui tēu pāvata saṃdēhu..27.. [2-27]

“You do repeat the word ‘Ask, ask’, but never actually give anything. You promised me a couple of boons; but I am yet doubtful about my getting them.”

Chaupais

jānēu maramu rāu haomsi kahaī. tumhahi kōhāba parama priya ahaī..
thāti rākhi na māgihu kāū. bisari gayau mōhi bhōra subhāū.. [2-27-1]
jhūṭhēhu hamahi dōṣu jani dēhū. dui kai cāri māgi maku lēhū..
raghukula rīti sadā cali āī. prāna jāhu baru bacanu na jāī.. [2-27-2]
nahiṃ asatya sama pātaka puṃjā. giri sama hōhiṃ ki kōṭika guṃjā..
satyamūla saba sukṛta suhāē. bēda purāna bidita manu gāē.. [2-27-3]
tēhi para rāma sapatha kari āī. sukṛta sanēha avadhi raghurāī..
bāta dṛḍhaāi kumati haomsi bōlī. kumata kubihaga kulaha janu khōlī.. [2-27-4]

“I have now understood the whole mystery,” said the king with a smile; “You are extremely fond of being angry. You kept the boons in reserve and never asked for them; as for myself, I forgot all about them, being oblivious by nature. Pray do not level a false charge against me; you might as well ask four boons instead of two. It has always been the rule with the race of Raghu that one’s plighted word must be redeemed even at the cost of one’s life. Even a multitude of sins cannot be matched with a lie. Can millions of tiny Guñjā seeds ever stand comparison with a mountain? Veracity is the root of all noble virtues, as is well-known in the Vedas and Purāṇas and has been declared by Manu (the first law-giver of the world, the author of Manusmṛti). Over and above this I have unwittingly sworn by Rāma, the Lord of Raghus, who is the very perfection of virtue and the highest embodiment of affection.” Having thus bound him to his word the evil-minded queen smilingly said, removing as it were the cap from the eyes of her hawk-like plot.

Fowlers who maintain a hawk with them generally keep its eyes covered by a leather cap so that it may not attack any and every bird it sees indiscriminately, and uncover its eyes only when they intend it to attack its prey.

Dohas

bhūpa manōratha subhaga banu sukha subihaṃga samāju.
bhillani jimi chāḍana cahati bacanu bhayaṃkaru bāju..28.. [2-28]

The king’s desire (to see Rāma installed as the prince-regent of Ayodhyā) represented a lovely grove and the joy (that prevailed everywhere) stood for a host of charming birds. Queen Kaikeyī, who resembled a Bhīla woman, sought to release a fierce falcon in the form of her piercing words.

Chaupais

sunahu prānapriya bhāvata jī kā. dēhu ēka bara bharatahi ṭīkā..
māgau dūsara bara kara jōrī. puravahu nātha manōratha mōrī.. [2-28-1]
tāpasa bēṣa bisēṣi udāsī. caudaha barisa rāmu banabāsī..
suni mṛdu bacana bhūpa hiyaom sōkū. sasi kara chuata bikala jimi kōkū.. [2-28-2]
gayau sahami nahiṃ kachu kahi āvā. janu sacāna bana jhapaṭēu lāvā..
bibarana bhayau nipaṭa narapālū. dāmini hanēu manahu taru tālū.. [2-28-3]
māthē hātha mūdi dōu lōcana. tanu dhari sōcu lāga janu sōcana..
mōra manōrathu surataru phūlā. pharata karini jimi hatēu samūlā.. [2-28-4]
avadha ujāri kīnhi kaikēīṃ. dīnhasi acala bipati kai nēīṃ.. [2-28-5]

“Hear, my beloved lord, that which pleases my heart; vouchsafe to me for one boon the installation of Bharata (as the prince-regent of Ayodhyā). And for the second boon I ask with joined palms-pray accomplish my desire, my lord: let Rāma dwell in the woods for fourteen years in the garb of a hermit and wholly detached from the world.” The king was grieved at heart to hear these gentle words even as a Cakravāka bird is filled with agony at the mere touch of a moonbeam. He felt dismayed and could not utter a word, like a partridge in the woods at the swoop of a falcon. The king turned altogether pale as a palm tree struck by lightning; with his hands to his forehead and closing both his eyes he began to mourn like Grief personified. “The celestial tree of my desire, that had already blossomed, has been torn up with its roots by the elephant-like Kaikeyī just when it was about to bear fruit. She has desolated Ayodhyā and laid the foundation of everlasting misfortune.”

Dohas

kavanēṃ avasara kā bhayau gayau nāri bisvāsa.
jōga siddhi phala samaya jimi jatihi abidyā nāsa..29.. [2-29]

“An inauspicious thing has happened at an auspicious moment; and I am doomed by putting trust in a woman like a striving Yogī who has been undone by nescience at a time when his practice of Yoga was just going to bear fruit in the form of Realization.”

Chaupais

ēhi bidhi rāu manahiṃ mana jhāomkhā. dēkhi kubhāomti kumati mana mākhā..
bharatu ki rāura pūta na hōhīṃ. ānēhu mōla bēsāhi ki mōhī.. [2-29-1]
jō suni saru asa lāga tumhārēṃ. kāhē na bōlahu bacanu saombhārē..
dēhu utaru anu karahu ki nāhīṃ. satyasaṃdha tumha raghukula māhīṃ.. [2-29-2]
dēna kahēhu aba jani baru dēhū. tajahu satya jaga apajasu lēhū..
satya sarāhi kahēhu baru dēnā. jānēhu lēihi māgi cabēnā.. [2-29-3]
sibi dadhīci bali jō kachu bhāṣā. tanu dhanu tajēu bacana panu rākhā..
ati kaṭu bacana kahati kaikēī. mānahu lōna jarē para dēī.. [2-29-4]

In this way the king moaned within himself. Seeing his bad plight the wicked queen sulked within her heart and said, “Is Bharata not your son? And have you bought me in consideration of money? If my words pierced you like arrows the moment they entered your ears, why should you not make promises after careful thought? Either say yes to my proposal or decline. You are true to your promise (more than anyone else) in the race of Raghu. Refuse the boons you promised me; abandon truth and court infamy in the world. Loud in your praise of truth you promised me a couple of boons, imagining of course that I would ask for a handful of parched grain. Śibi, Dadhīci† and Bali‡ redeemed their plighted word maintaining whatever they said even at the cost of their life and possessions.” In this way Kaikeyī uttered most pungent words as though applying salt to a burn.

King Śibi was noted for his piety and large-heartedness. Once upon a time the gods deputed Indra and Agni (the god of fire) to put his generosity to the test. Agni took the form of a pigeon and Indra appeared as a hawk. While the king was sitting in his court the pigeon flew into the hall and hid in his lap. The hawk too followed him; and while the pigeon sought his protection against the hawk, the latter insisted that the pigeon was its lawful spoil and should be made over to it. The king, who knew his duty, resolved to save the pigeon’s life at all costs; for as a true Kṣatriya he could not betray one who had sought shelter with him. At the same time he recognized the validity of the hawk’s claim and did not want to rob it of food which it had fairly won and without which it would die of starvation. The king offered the hawk anything else that it chose to name; but the hawk would be satisfied with nothing short of an equal weight of the king’s own flesh. Scales were accordingly brought; and while the pigeon was put in one balance the king chopped his flesh with his own hands and put it in the other. But even though the monarch hacked and hewed large pieces of flesh from his muscular body, the pigeon outweighed them all. The king at last bodily mounted the balance and was just going to sever his head when Indra and Agni appeared in their own celestial forms, and interposed. They blessed the king and made him whole again.
† When Indra and the other gods were hard pressed by the demon Vṛtra, they approached Bhagavān Viṣṇu and sought His protection. God Viṣṇu told them that there was a great saint named Dadhīci practising penance in the Naimiṣa forest, and that if he would let them have his bones they could be made into weapon, before which no enemy could stand. Dadhīci, as soon as he heard what they wanted, gave up his ghost and out of his bones Viśvakarmā, the artisan of the gods, made a thunderbolt with which Indra easily dispatched Vṛtra.
‡ The demon-king Bali was so powerful that he acquired dominion over all the three worlds and custed the gods from heaven. The mother of the gods, Aditi, prayed to Lord Viṣṇu for relief and the latter was born as a son to Aditi in the form of a dwarf (Vāmana). The dwarf appeared before Bali and as a Brāhmaṇa boy asked for alms. The demon-king promised to give him whatever He asked. Bhagavān Vāmana said He wanted only as much land as could be measured in three strides. King Bali, who was noted for his generosity, granted the Brāhmaṇa’s request at once. The divine Dwarf now assumed colossal dimensions; in one stride He measured the whole earth and covered heaven with another. For the third step Lord Vāmana planted His foot on the blessed demon and sent him down to the subterranean region known by the name of Sutala, of which he became the sovereign. Won by his unique self-sacrifice and adherence to truth Bhagavān Vāmana ever waits as a porter at his door. King Bali will be installed as Indra in the next Manvantara.

Dohas

dharama dhuraṃdhara dhīra dhari nayana ughārē rāyaom.
siru dhuni līnhi usāsa asi mārēsi mōhi kuṭhāyaom..30.. [2-30]

A champion of righteousness, the king took courage and opened his eye, and beating his head sighed out, “She has smitten me in the most vital part.”

Chaupais

āgēṃ dīkhi jarata risa bhārī. manahu rōṣa taravāri ughārī..
mūṭhi kubuddhi dhāra niṭhurāī. dharī kūbarīṃ sāna banāī.. [2-30-1]
lakhī mahīpa karāla kaṭhōrā. satya ki jīvanu lēihi mōrā..
bōlē rāu kaṭhina kari chātī. bānī sabinaya tāsu sōhātī.. [2-30-2]
priyā bacana kasa kahasi kubhāomtī. bhīra pratīti prīti kari hāomtī..
mōrēṃ bharatu rāmu dui āomkhī. satya kahau kari saṃkarū sākhī.. [2-30-3]
avasi dūtu maiṃ paṭhaiba prātā. aihahiṃ bēgi sunata dōu bhrātā..
sudina sōdhi sabu sāju sajāī. dēu bharata kahu rāju bajāī.. [2-30-4]

He saw her standing before him burning with rage, as if it were Fury’s own sword drawn from the sheath, with a malicious mind for its hilt and remorselessness for its edge, whetted on the grindstone in the shape of the humpback (Mantharā). The king saw that the sword was dreadful and inflexible and said to himself, “Is it really going to take my life?” Then, steeling his heart, he politely spoke to her in endearing terms, “My darling, why should you utter such unbecoming words, casting all confidence and affection to the winds, O timid lady? Bharata and Rāma are my two eyes; I vouch for it calling Śaṅkara as my witness. I will positively despatch a messenger at daybreak, and the two brothers (Bharata and Śatrughna) will speedily come on hearing the message. Then, after fixing an auspicious date and making all preparations I will solemnly bestow the kingdom on Bharata.”

Dohas

lōbhu na rāmahi rāju kara bahuta bharata para prīti.
maiṃ baḍa chōṭa bicāri jiyaom karata rahēu nṛpanīti..31.. [2-31]

“Rāma has no greed of sovereignty and is deeply attached to Bharata. I was only going to follow the usage obtaining among the princes, considering the seniority and juniority of the two princes.”

Chaupais

rāma sapatha sata kahuu subhāū. rāmamātu kachu kahēu na kāū..
maiṃ sabu kīnha tōhi binu pūomchēṃ. tēhi tēṃ parēu manōrathu chūchēṃ.. [2-31-1]
risa pariharū aba maṃgala sājū. kachu dina gaēom bharata jubarājū..
ēkahi bāta mōhi dukhu lāgā. bara dūsara asamaṃjasa māgā.. [2-31-2]
ajahu hṛdaya jarata tēhi āomcā. risa parihāsa ki sāomcēhu sāomcā..
kahu taji rōṣu rāma aparādhū. sabu kōu kahai rāmu suṭhi sādhū.. [2-31-3]
tuhūom sarāhasi karasi sanēhū. aba suni mōhi bhayau saṃdēhū..
jāsu subhāu arihi anukūlā. sō kimi karihi mātu pratikūlā.. [2-31-4]

“I sincerely tell you, swearing by Rāma a hundred times, that his mother (Kausalyā) never said a word to me in this connection. No doubt I arranged everything without consulting you and that is why my cherished desire has not been realized. Now give up your anger and put on a festal garb; a few days hence Bharata will be the prince- regent. Only one thing has caused me pain; the second boon that you have asked for is something incongruous. My heart is still burning with the agony caused by it. Is it anger or jest, or is it all really true? Tell me with a cool mind Śrī Rāma’s guilt; everybody says Rāma is extremely well-behaved. You too spoke well of him and loved him. Hearing now what you have asked, I have begun to suspect (whether your profession of love was genuine). How could he whose temperament was congenial even to an enemy act contrary to the will of his own mother?”

Dohas

priyā hāsa risa pariharahi māgu bicāri bibēku.
jēhiṃ dēkhāom aba nayana bhari bharata rāja abhiṣēku..32.. [2-32]

“No more of jesting or anger, my darling; make a reasonable and thoughtful request, so that I may now regale my eyes on the sight of Bharata’s installation on the throne.”

Chaupais

jiai mīna barū bāri bihīnā. mani binu phaniku jiai dukha dīnā..
kahau subhāu na chalu mana māhīṃ. jīvanu mōra rāma binu nāhīṃ.. [2-32-1]
samujhi dēkhu jiyaom priyā prabīnā. jīvanu rāma darasa ādhīnā..
suni mradu bacana kumati ati jaraī. manahu anala āhuti ghṛta paraī.. [2-32-2]
kahai karahu kina kōṭi upāyā. ihāom na lāgihi rāuri māyā..
dēhu ki lēhu ajasu kari nāhīṃ. mōhi na bahuta prapaṃca sōhāhīṃ. [2-32-3]
rāmu sādhu tumha sādhu sayānē. rāmamātu bhali saba pahicānē..
jasa kausilāom mōra bhala tākā. tasa phalu unhahi dēu kari sākā.. [2-32-4]

“A fish may rather survive even without water and a serpent may drag on a miserable and wretched existence without the gem in its head. But I tell you sincerely with a guileless heart that I cannot live without Rāma. Be assured in your mind, my wise darling, that my very existence depends on the sight of Śrī Rāma.” Hearing these soft words the evil-minded queen blazed up like the fire on which has fallen an oblation of clarified butter. She said, “You might as well try millions of devices; but your stratagem shall not avail with me. Either grant my request or earn a bad reputation by refusing it; I am not fond of much wiles. Rāma is virtuous, you too are virtuous and wise and no less virtuous is Rāma’s mother (Kausalyā); I have known all of you. I will repay with a vengeance the benefit she has sought to confer upon me.”

Dohas

hōta prāta munibēṣa dhari jauṃ na rāmu bana jāhiṃ.
mōra maranu rāura ajasa nṛpa samujhia mana māhiṃ..33.. [2-33]

“If Rāma does not retire to the woods assuming the garb of a hermit as soon as the day breaks, death for me and ill-repute for you will be the result; bear this in mind, O king.”

Chaupais

asa kahi kuṭila bhaī uṭhi ṭhāḍhaī. mānahu rōṣa taraṃgini bāḍhaī..
pāpa pahāra pragaṭa bhai sōī. bharī krōdha jala jāi na jōī.. [2-33-1]
dōu bara kūla kaṭhina haṭha dhārā. bhavaomra kūbarī bacana pracārā..
ḍhāhata bhūparūpa taru mūlā. calī bipati bāridhi anukūlā.. [2-33-2]
lakhī narēsa bāta phuri sāomcī. tiya misa mīcu sīsa para nācī..
gahi pada binaya kīnha baiṭhārī. jani dinakara kula hōsi kuṭhārī.. [2-33-3]
māgu mātha abahīṃ dēu tōhī. rāma birahaom jani mārasi mōhī..
rākhu rāma kahu jēhi tēhi bhāomtī. nāhiṃ ta jarihi janama bhari chātī.. [2-33-4]

So saying, the wicked woman rose and stood up as though it were a swollen stream of passion that had issued from the mountain of sin and, overflowing with the water of anger, was too terrible to look at. The two boons she had asked for represented its banks, her inexorable obstinacy corresponded to its (swift) current and the impelling force of Mantharā’s words stood for its eddies; uprooting the king like a tree the river headed towards the ocean of adversity. The king now perceived that the demand of the queen was really true, and that it was death itself which was dancing over his head in the disguise of his own consort. Clasping her feet he persuaded her to sit down and implored her, “Pray do not play the axe with respect to the solar race. Ask of me my own head and I will forthwith give it to you; but kill me not by tearing Rāma from me. Retain Rāma by any means whatsoever, or your bosom will burn with anguish all your life.”

Dohas

dēkhī byādhi asādha nṛpu parēu dharani dhuni mātha.
kahata parama ārata bacana rāma rāma raghunātha..34.. [2-34]

When the king saw the malady uncontrollable he dropped on the ground beating his head and sobbing out in most piteous tones, “Rāma, O Rāma, O Lord of Raghus!”

Chaupais

byākula rāu sithila saba gātā. karini kalapataru manahu nipātā..
kaṃṭhu sūkha mukha āva na bānī. janu pāṭhīnu dīna binu pānī.. [2-34-1]
puni kaha kaṭu kaṭhōra kaikēī. manahu ghāya mahu māhura dēī..
jauṃ aṃtahu asa karatabu rahēū. māgu māgu tumha kēhiṃ bala kahēū.. [2-34-2]
dui ki hōi ēka samaya bhuālā. haomsaba ṭhaṭhāi phulāuba gālā..
dāni kahāuba aru kṛpanāī. hōi ki khēma kusala rautāī.. [2-34-3]
chāḍahu bacanu ki dhīraju dharahū. jani abalā jimi karunā karahū..
tanu tiya tanaya dhāmu dhanu dharanī. satyasaṃdha kahu tṛna sama baranī.. [2-34-4]

The king was stricken with grief and his limbs began to droop; it looked as if a wish-yielding tree had been knocked down by a female elephant. His throat was dry and speech failed his lips; he felt miserable like a fish out of water. Kaikeyī plied him once more with pungent and harsh words, injecting poison as it were into his wound, “If this was what you intended doing in the long run, what emboldened you to say ‘Ask, ask’? Can both these things happen at the same time, O sovereign of the earth-to laugh a boisterous laugh and to look grave, to enjoy the reputation of being generous and yet be stingy? Is it possible to remain unscathed while playing the hero? Either go back upon your word or forbear; pray do not wail like a woman. Life and wife, sons, home, wealth and land have been spoken of as no better than a straw in the eyes of a man who is true to his word.”

Dohas

marama bacana suni rāu kaha kahu kachu dōṣu na tōra.
lāgēu tōhi pisāca jimi kālu kahāvata mōra..35.. [2-35]

On hearing these poignant words the king exclaimed, “Say what you will; you are not to blame for it. It is my doom which has possessed you like a devil and is using you as its mouthpiece.”

Chaupais

cahata na bharata bhūpatahi bhōrēṃ. bidhi basa kumati basī jiya tōrēṃ..
sō sabu mōra pāpa parināmū. bhayau kuṭhāhara jēhiṃ bidhi bāmū.. [2-35-1]
subasa basihi phiri avadha suhāī. saba guna dhāma rāma prabhutāī..
karihahiṃ bhāi sakala sēvakāī. hōihi tihu pura rāma baḍaāī.. [2-35-2]
tōra kalaṃku mōra pachitāū. muēhu na miṭahi na jāihi kāū..
aba tōhi nīka lāga karu sōī. lōcana ōṭa baiṭhu muhu gōī.. [2-35-3]
jaba lagi jiauṃ kahau kara jōrī. taba lagi jani kachu kahasi bahōrī..
phiri pachitaihasi aṃta abhāgī. mārasi gāi nahāru lāgī.. [2-35-4]

“Bharata would never covet sovereignty even unwittingly. By the decree of fate, however, evil counsel has taken possession of your mind. All that is the outcome of my sins, due to which the tide has turned against me at an inopportune moment. Beautiful Ayodhyā shall flourish again under the sovereignty of Rāma, the abode of all virtues. All his brothers shall serve him and his fame shall spread through all the three spheres of creation. The stain on your reputation and my remorse shall not disappear even after our death and shall never go till eternity. Now do whatever pleases you; only keep out of my sight hiding your face. So long as I live, I beseech you with joined palms, pray speak not a word to me again. You will repent in the end, O hapless woman, that you killed a cow for the sake of gut.”

Dohas

parēu rāu kahi kōṭi bidhi kāhē karasi nidānu.
kapaṭa sayāni na kahati kachu jāgati manahu masānu..36.. [2-36]

Thus arguing with her in numberless way the king dropped on the ground crying. “Why do you bring ruin to all?” But a pastmaster in wiles the queen did not utter a word as though busy performing magical rites in a crematorium (to acquire control over ghosts).

Chaupais

rāma rāma raṭa bikala bhuālū. janu binu paṃkha bihaṃga bēhālū..
hṛdayaom manāva bhōru jani hōī. rāmahi jāi kahai jani kōī.. [2-36-1]
udau karahu jani rabi raghukula gura. avadha bilōki sūla hōihi ura..
bhūpa prīti kaikai kaṭhināī. ubhaya avadhi bidhi racī banāī.. [2-36-2]
bilapata nṛpahi bhayau bhinusārā. bīnā bēnu saṃkha dhuni dvārā..
paḍhahiṃ bhāṭa guna gāvahiṃ gāyaka. sunata nṛpahi janu lāgahiṃ sāyaka.. [2-36-3]
maṃgala sakala sōhāhiṃ na kaisēṃ. sahagāminihi bibhūṣana jaisēṃ..
tēhiṃ nisi nīda parī nahi kāhū. rāma darasa lālasā uchāhū.. [2-36-4]

Stricken with grief the king repeated the word ‘Rāma’ again and again and felt miserable like a bird that has been shorn of its wings. He prayed in his heart, “May the day never dawn nor may anyone go and tell Rāma. Rise not, O sun-god, the progenitor of Raghu’s race; for you will be pained at heart to see the plight of Ayodhyā.” The king’s affection and the relentlessness of Kaikeyī both were the highest of their kind in God’s creation. While the king was yet wailing, the day broke and the music of lute, flute and conch was heard at his door. Bards extolled him and minstrels sang his praises; they, however, pierced the king like shafts as he heard them. These and other tokens of rejoicing pleased him not even as ornaments repel a widow who has decided to accompany her deceased husband to the other world. None could have a wink of sleep that night since everyone was eagerly longing for a sight of Śrī Rāma.

Dohas

dvāra bhīra sēvaka saciva kahahiṃ udita rabi dēkhi.
jāgēu ajahu na avadhapati kāranu kavanu bisēṣi..37.. [2-37]

At the door waited a crowd of servants and ministers, who said to one another at the sight of the risen sun, “The Lord of Ayodhyā has not yet woken up, what special reason can there be?”

Chaupais

pachilē pahara bhūpu nita jāgā. āju hamahi baḍa acaraju lāgā..
jāhu sumaṃtra jagāvahu jāī. kījia kāju rajāyasu pāī.. [2-37-1]
gaē sumaṃtru taba rāura māhī. dēkhi bhayāvana jāta ḍērāhīṃ..
dhāi khāi janu jāi na hērā. mānahu bipati biṣāda basērā.. [2-37-2]
pūchēṃ kōu na ūtaru dēī. gaē jēṃhiṃ bhavana bhūpa kaikaiī..
kahi jayajīva baiṭha siru nāī. daikhi bhūpa gati gayau sukhāī.. [2-37-3]
sōca bikala bibarana mahi parēū. mānahu kamala mūlu pariharēū..
saciu sabhīta sakai nahiṃ pūomchī. bōlī asubha bharī subha chūchī.. [2-37-4]

“The king used to wake up during the last watch of the night everyday; his behaviour today appears most strange to us. Getting into the palace, O Sumantra, you go and rouse him; on receiving his orders we may proceed with our work.” Sumantra then entered the gynaeceum; but it wore such a dismal appearance that he was afraid to advance. It looked like a monster that would spring on him and devour him; its sight was so repelling. It seemed to be the very abode of calamity and sorrow. Since nobody answered his questions he proceeded to the apartment where the king and Queen Kaikeyī were. Greeting the king with the words “Be victorious and live forever!” and bowing his head, he sat down. He turned pale to behold the condition of the king, who lay on the ground distracted with grief and colourless like a lotus stalk torn from its roots. The minister being too alarmed to ask any question, Kaikeyī, who was full of evil and void of all good, broke the silence.

Dohas

parī na rājahi nīda nisi hētu jāna jagadīsu.
rāmu rāmu raṭi bhōru kiya kahai na maramu mahīsu..38.. [2-38]

“The king had no sleep last night: Heaven alone knows the reason. He has been simply repeating “Rāma, Rāma” till daybreak and refuses to disclose the secret.”

Chaupais

ānahu rāmahi bēgi bōlāī. samācāra taba pūomchēhu āī..
calēu sumaṃtra rāya rūkha jānī. lakhī kucāli kīnhi kachu rānī.. [2-38-1]
sōca bikala maga parai na pāū. rāmahi bōli kahihi kā rāū..
ura dhari dhīraju gayau duārēṃ. pūchaomhiṃ sakala dēkhi manu mārēṃ.. [2-38-2]
samādhānu kari sō sabahī kā. gayau jahāom dinakara kula ṭīkā..
rāmu sumaṃtrahi āvata dēkhā. ādaru kīnha pitā sama lēkhā.. [2-38-3]
nirakhi badanu kahi bhūpa rajāī. raghukuladīpahi calēu lēvāī..
rāmu kubhāomti saciva saomga jāhīṃ. dēkhi lōga jahaom tahaom bilakhāhīṃ.. [2-38-4]

“Therefore, call on Rāma and bring him soon; thereafter, when you have come back, you may ask further details.” Judging (from his master’s looks) that the king approved of this idea, Sumantra left; he concluded that the queen had contrived some evil design. He felt so distressed with anxiety that his legs refused to move ahead. “What will the king speak to Rāma after calling him?” he wondered. Recovering himself he repaired to the gate; and seeing him disconsolate all began to question him. He, however, reassured them all and proceeded to the apartment where the Ornament of the solar race (Śrī Rāma) was. When Śrī Rāma saw Sumantra coming. He received him with honour, treating the minister on an equal footing with His father. Looking Śrī Rāma in the face, Sumantra conveyed to Him the royal command and returned with the Light of Raghu’s race (Śrī Rāma). Śrī Rāma followed the minister in an unbecoming manner: people here and there were grieved to see this.

Dohas

jāi dīkha raghubaṃsamani narapati nipaṭa kusāju..
sahami parēu lakhi siṃghinihi manahu bṛddha gajarāju..39.. [2-39]

The Jewel of Raghu’s race went and saw the king in an utterly wretched state like an aged elephant who had dropped down in terror at the sight of a lioness.

Chaupais

sūkhahiṃ adhara jarai sabu aṃgū. manahu dīna manihīna bhuaṃgū..
saruṣa samīpa dīkhi kaikēī. mānahu mīcu gharī gani lēī.. [2-39-1]
karunāmaya mṛdu rāma subhāū. prathama dīkha dukhu sunā na kāū..
tadapi dhīra dhari samau bicārī. pūomchī madhura bacana mahatārī.. [2-39-2]
mōhi kahu mātu tāta dukha kārana. karia jatana jēhiṃ hōi nivārana..
sunahu rāma sabu kārana ēhū. rājahi tuma para bahuta sanēhū.. [2-39-3]
dēna kahēnhi mōhi dui baradānā. māgēu jō kachu mōhi sōhānā.
sō suni bhayau bhūpa ura sōcū. chāḍai na sakahiṃ tumhāra saomkōcū.. [2-39-4]

His lips got parched and his whole frame burned; he looked like a helpless snake bereft of the gem on its hood. The Lord beheld by the side of His father angry Kaikeyī, who stood there like Death personified counting the last minutes of his life. Śrī Rāma was compassionate and soft by nature; He witnessed sorrow for the first time in His life, He had never heard of it before. Yet, recovering Himself as the occasion demanded, addressed His step-mother in the following sweet words, “Tell me, dear mother, the cause of my father’s distress, so that an attempt may be made to remove it.” “Listen, Rāma; the sole cause is this: the king is very fond of you. He had promised me two boons of my choice and I asked whatever I liked. The king, however, was stricken with grief to hear my requests; for he cannot shake off the hesitation on your score.”