June 2 - Sargas 9 and 10 of Ayodhya Kanda.
In these sargas, Valmiki describes
- the depravity of Mathara's machinations, the ready complicity of a Kaikeyi who has lost her moorings in righteousness and any long-term consideration.
-how they go about the implementation of their evil plans together for Bharata's and Rama's future.
- then how an aged Dasharatha, besotted and entirely at the mercy of his young queen, shows his willingness to please her at any cost.
The pathos of the situation will not escape even a casual reader. This offers a lesson that can be learnt in every home and community as we reflect on any act of selfishness and the harm that it can do to the community at large.
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एवमुक्ता तु कैकेयी क्रोधेन ज्वलितानना ।
दीर्घमुष्णं विनिश्श्वस्य मन्थरामिदमब्रवीत् ॥
कथयस्व ममोपायं केनोपायेन मन्थरे ।
भरतः प्राप्नुयाद्राज्यं न तु रामः कथञ्चन ॥
एवमुक्ता तदा देव्या मन्थरा पापदर्शिनी ।
रामार्थमुपहिंसन्ती कैकेयीमिदमब्रवीत् ॥
पुरा देवासुरे युद्धे सह राजर्षिभिः पतिः ।
अगच्छत् त्वामुपादाय देवराजस्य साह्यकृत् ॥
अपवाह्य त्वया देवि संग्रामान्नष्टचेतनः ।
तत्रापि विक्षतः शस्त्रैः पतिस्ते रक्षितस्त्वया ॥
तुष्टेन तेन दत्तौ ते द्वौ वरौ शुभदर्शने ।
स त्वयोक्तः पतिर्देवि यदेच्छेयं तदा वरम् ॥
अनभिज्ञा ह्यहं देवि त्वयैव कथितं पुरा ।
तौ त याचस्व भर्तारं भरतस्याभिषेचनम् ।
प्रव्राजनं व रामस्य वर्षाणि च चतुर्दश ॥
Thus advised by Manthara, Kaikeyi displayed a fiery rage in her face. She exhaled the hot air of intense anger and asked Manthara:
“Manthara, tell me what should be my tactic to make sure by all means that Bharata is crowned and never Rama. “
The evil and ugly Manthara replied, harbouring the greatest malice towards Rama:
“Kaikeyi, long ago, your husband along with other able kings had gone to take part in a battle on behalf of Indra against demons. He had taken you along. The battle was fierce and raged long and the gods led by Indra were able to win only with his assistance. But your husband was hurt badly by the enemy weapons, became unconscious and had to be saved. You managed to protect him and ensured that he was able to leave the battle alive.
"The king was immensely grateful to you and gave you two boons that you could ask him any time.
"This was unknown to me until you narrated the events to me long ago, which I recall how.
"Now is the time for you to ask those two boons of your husband. The first boon you should ask is that Bharata should be crowned immediately. And the second is that Rama should be banished to go and live in the forest for fourteen years."
***
The die is cast. Manthara explains to Kaikeyi that her ageing husband is entirely at her mercy and will even immolate himself to please her. She should enter the Chamber of Anger (by resorting to that chamber the queens would silently convey their anger and achieve their ends with their pliable husbands).
There should be an immediate roll-back of all preparations for Rama's coronation. Once he is sent to the forest and languishes there for fourteen years, the citizens of Ayodhya will cease to love him. Bharata will establish his able administration and readily win the trust and love of all Ayodhya. Thus Rama's return after fourteen years will be a non-event and he will be a no-body.
Manthara rubs it in. The time to ask for those boons is now. If Rama is crowned, then it is like building a bridge after all the water has flowed away.
Kaikeyi now waxes in admiration for Manthara's sagacity and genius in achieving something that looked impossible. She heaps praise on her in every way, even going so far as to admire her hunchback beauty and how she will shower Manthara with the choicest of gifts and make her the queen of the hunchback women! She compares her to Shambarasura, the demon that Dasharatha had fought and when he had to be saved by her. She says Manthara is a thousand times more dangerous than that demon in her evil designs! What a compliment paid by a totally misled and indiscriminate woman to her most evil servant bent on ruining the royal family! Shakuni is nothing compared to Manthara. Manthara did not even need to play the game of dice and cheat there.
Kaikeyi properly enters the Chamber of Anger and becomes a picture shorn of all adornment and grace, guaranteed to excite the uttermost concern in Dasharatha.
***
King Dasharatha wants to enjoy the company of his beautiful and young wife Kaikeyi on this special night. He comes to her Antahpura, which is extremely well decorated and surrounded by gardens full of wonderful plants, birds and animals and fountains. He finds she is not there. He is eager to tell her personally about Rama's coronation tomorrow. More than that he is full of desire for her marital company. But he is informed on enquiry that she has gone into the Chamber of Anger.
Finding her there, the way king Dasharatha tries to appease her is simply scandalous. He offers her everything on earth for her cheering up. Who might have made Kaikeyi angry? He has not seen her in this mood ever before! He shall spare no one who has hurt her.
Should he get her the best of doctors to treat any illness? Should he pronounce a death sentence on anyone even if he is not guilty? Should he spare anyone accused and condemned to the gallows? The large kingdom of Ayodhya (several regions from north to south, east to west are listed here as belonging to Dasharatha's dominion) is full of the rarest of treasures. Does she want him to get any such fantastic gift?
***
अहं च हि मदीयाश्च सर्वे तव वशानुगाः ।
न ते किञ्चिदभिप्रायं व्याहर्तुमहमुत्सहे ॥
"My dearest Queen Kaikeyi, I and everyone in my circle are subservient to your every wish. There is therefore no thought or opinion or desire of yours that I shall not comply with. Please tell me what I should do."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
