Chapter 6 - Manifestation of Viṣṇu as Rāma (part 2)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-2. After Bharata had gone, Rāma saluted the parents and others. King Daśaratha said to Rāma, “Rāghava (Rāma)! listen to me, you have been anointed mentally by the people as ruler on account of (your) qualities. I shall make you the heir-apparent (next) morning.”

3-4. “In the night you observe (the necessary) rites (vows) along with Sītā.” And the eight ministers^[1] of the king—Sṛṣṭi, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhārtha, Rāṣṭravardhana, Aśoka, Dharmapāla and Sumantra and also Vasiṣṭha spoke.

5. After hearing the words of the father and others, Rāghava said that he will do accordingly. He worshipped the gods and informed the news to Kauśalyā.

6. The king told Vasiṣṭha and others to gather the materials required for the coronation of Rāma and went to Kaikeyī.

7. After seeing the decoration of the city of Ayodhyā and knowing that the coronation of Rāma is to take place, Mantharā informed her friend Kaikeyī (accordingly).

8. Having been pulled by Rāma by the foot by mistake,. on account of that enmity she desired of Rāma’s sojourn to the forest.

9. “O! Kaikeyī! you get up (and see) the anointment of Rāma. There is no doubt (that it is) death (itself) for your son, to me and to you (said Mantharā).

10-11. She (Kaikeyī) heard the words of the kubjā (hunchbacked) (Mantharā) and gave her an ornament. She said "Just as Rāma is (my son) so also Bharata is my son. I do not find any plan, by which Bharata may get the kingdom.” The angry Mantharā after rejecting the ornament (given by Kaikeyī) said to Kaikeyī:

12. “O! stupid girl you protect Bharata, yourself and me from Rāghava. Rāghava will be the king in future and then his son.”

13-15. O Kaikeyī, “The royal lineage will be taken away from Bharata. Once when the people were persecuted by Śambara^[2] at the time of the battle between the gods and demons, when the king went there for (rendering help), you protected him by your art and skill. Then the king gave you two boons. (You) ask for them now from the king. (The boons are) the stay of Rāma in the forest for fourteen years and the conferment of the heir-apparentship on Bharata. These (the king) will give.”

16. She (Kaikeyī) being encouraged by the deformed lady (Mantharā), who saw meaning in the worthless thing, said (to her), “(Tell) me a good plan which would make it work.”

17-18. (Kaikeyī) having entered the anger apartment (remained) in a swoon fallen to the ground. Then the king Daśa-Tatha having honoured the twice-borns (came there and) saw the angry Kaikeyī (and) said, “How (is) she such? Is she sick or agitated by fear,” (and said) “I shall do as you wish”.

19. “Without which Rāma, I cannot live (even) a moment, I swear by him that I will do as you wish O beautiful woman!"

20-22. “Speak the truth", said she to the king (and added), “The two boons (you) granted me formerly, you give me (now) (as you swear) by truth, O King! Let Rāma live in the forest for fourteen years being self-controlled (and) with these preparations let Bharata be installed here this day itself (and) if you do not grant (these boons) O King! I shall die (after) drinking poison.” Having heard these (words) the (king) fell into a swoon on the earth as if struck by a mace.

23-25. After a moment he regained his consciousness and said, “What (harm) was done to you by Rāma or by me, O lady, determined to do sins! What you tell me in this manner is unpleasant to all the people. By merely doing (something) pleasing to you, I will be censured. What a kind of wife (you. are) like the night of destruction^[3] at the end of the world. Bharata is not such a kind of son. (You) rule the kingdom as. a widower after I have died and the son has gone.”

26-29. Being bound by the noose of truth, (he) called Rāma and said (to him), “O! Rāma, I have been cheated by Kaikeyī; restraining me (you) rule the kingdom. You have to live-in the forest and Bharata, (the son of) Kaikeyī (is to be) the king.” Having saluted his father and Kaikeyī, after doing a circumambulation, and bowing down to Kauśalyā and having consoled her and with Lakṣmaṇa, with (his) wife Sītā and with Sumantra in the chariot and having made the gifts for the brahmins, poor and destitutes, he left the city with the mothers, brahmins and others stricken with grief.

30. Having spent the night on the banks of the (river) Tamasā (he went away) leaving the people. Not finding him in the morning they all returned to Ayodhyā again.

31. The lamenting king also went to the apartments of Kauśalyā extremely grief-stricken. Being separated from the king all the citizens and women wept.

32. Rāma, being seated in the chariot and wearing the barkgarments went to Śṛṅgaberapura. Being entertained by Guha^[4] there, he resorted to the foot of the Iṅdgudī [Iṅgudī?] (tree).

33-34. And during the nights Lakṣmaṇa and Guha kept awake. Leaving Sumantra together with the chariot in the morning, Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā crossed the river Jāhnavī (Ganges); by boat and reached Prayāga. (They) paid their obeisance to (the sage) Bharadvāja (and then) reached the Citrakūṭa mountain.

35. Then (they) having performed the Vāstupūjā (propitiatory rites at the house site), stayed on the banks of the Mandākini (Ganges). And (then) Rāghava showed the Citrakūṭa (mountain) to Sītā.

36. With an arrow (Rāma) plucked one of the eyes of the crow which was tearing her (Sītā) with (its) nails. Then the crow sought refuge in the celestials.

37-40. On the sixth day after Rāma had gone to the forest, the king told Kauśalyā in the night the past story of how in (his) youth he had killed unknowingly with (his) Śabdabheda^[5] (weapon) the ascetic youth Yajñadatta as (he was filling) the pot raising a sound. Lamenting his father cursed (Daśaratha). His mother felt grief-stricken and wept again and again and the (two) said, “We will die without the son. You will also die of grief.” “O Kauśalyā! without the son and remembering (the past) my death (will come off now) on account of grief.” After narrating this story and uttering (the words) “Alas! Rāma!”, the king passed away.

41-42. Thinking that the king was sleeping, Kauśalyā also slept on account of pangs of grief. Early in the morning the singers and bards such as the sūtas, māgadhas, the awakeners attempt ed to wake him up. He did not wake up and was dead. Knowing him as dead, Kauśalyā said, “O I have been ruined.”

43. The men and women then wept. Then Bharata along with Śatrughna was hurriedly brought to the city from the royal palace by Vasiṣṭha and others.

44. Having seen the grief-stricken Kaikeyī he reproached (her) out of grief. “(You) have made censure fall on the head” and praised Kauśalyā.

45-46. Having done the funeral rites of his father (whose body was kept preserved) in oil in oval vessel on the banks of the river Sarayū, when (he) was asked by Vasiṣṭha and others to rule the kingdom, he said, “I go now to bring back Rāma. Rāma is the king stronger than myself”. (He went) to Śṛṅgavera and to Prayāga where he was entertained by Bharadvāja.

47-48. Having saluted Bharadvāja, (Bharata) came to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa (and said), “O Rāma! Our father has reached the heaven. You become the king of Ayodhyā. I will go to the forest adhering to your command.” Having heard this, Rāma (after) giving him water asked him to go (back) taking the sandals.

49. (Bharata said), “I will not go to the city. I swear, I will be remaining with matted locks.” On being urged by Rāma, Bharata returned to Nandigrāma and stationed there with his army, leaving the sandal at Ayodhyā and worshipping it ruled over the kingdom.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Some of the names of the ministers are little different from those found in the Rāmāyaṇa. Instead of the name Dṛṣṭi, Arthasādhaka and Mantrapāla in the Rāmāyaṇa we have Sṛṣṭi, Rāṣṭravardhana and Dharmapāla here. See Rām. I. vii.3.

[2]:

Śambara was a demon chief, son of Kaśyapa and Danu. At the time of the battle between the celestials and the demons Śambara was harassing the people. Indra sought help from Daśaratha. Daśaratha who lost his consciousness in the battle was safely charioted back by Kaikeyī. See Rām. I.ix.11ff.

[3]:

Kālarātrī, the night of destruction at the end of the world is identified with the Goddess Durgā.

[4]:

Guha, a hunter chief was reigning at Śṛṅgaberapura. He was an admirer of Rāma. See Rām. II.1.33.

[5]:

Śabdabheda was a missile capable of reaching a mark merely by the sound associated with the mark, the object itself not being perceived.