June 8 - Sargas 21 and 22 of Ayodhya Kanda.
These and a few more sargas deal with the way Sri Rama reacts to the situation, and how the seeds are sown for the future events of Ramayana. They should be read carefully because we get to know here how Sri Rama's mind worked and how he presented his decisions and choices to those around him. The very qualities that make him the ideal of Indian culture.
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Lakshmana is very upset and makes his stand clear.
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न रोचते ममाप्येतादार्ये यद्राघवो वनम् ।
त्यक्त्वा राज्यश्रियं गच्छेत् स्त्रिया वाक्यवशंगतः ॥
हनिष्ये पितरं वृद्धं कैकेय्यासक्तमानासम् ।
कृपणम च स्थुतं बाल्ये वृद्धभावेन गर्हितम् ॥
"Dear noble lady, Kausalya, to me also it does not appeal that Rama should go to the forest, abandoning his kingdom and prosperity that is his due, just bound by the words of a woman, Kaikeyi.
" I propose that I dispose of king Dasharatha who has yielded to the lures of a woman, Kaikeyi. It seems he has grown senile and is acting childishly, which is despicable."
Lakshmana also speaks glowingly of Sri Rama's virtues and the utter unfairness of the proposal. He says even Rama's enemies regard Rama and Rama is the most exalted choice to rule Ayodhya. Therefore they should waste no time, before word spreads of the king's new thinking, and take over the kingdom. If anyone takes Bharata's side and wants to fight, Lakshmana will eliminate all such enemies and leave Ayodhya clear for Rama's rule. He says he shall take full responsibility to protect Rama and will even enter a raging fire if it were come to pass that Rama has to enter it.
Kausalya does not directly support this line of thought. But she says Rama should consider what Lakshmana has spoken, and also his duty to her which is as important as honouring the king's wishes. Rama cannot hope to uphold Dharma if he goes away to the forest abandoning his dependent mother to her fate of suffering in the most uncongenial circumstances in Ayodhya. In fact she will fast unto death if he goes away.
Sri Rama addresses Lakshmana and Kausalya, his closest well-wishers.. He chooses his words carefully.
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मम मातुर्महद् दुःखमतुलं शुभलक्षण ।
अभिप्रायं न विज्ञाय सत्यस्य च शमस्य च ॥
धर्मो हि परमो लोके धर्मे स्तयं प्रतिष्ठतम् ।
धर्मसंश्रितमप्येतत् पितुर्वचनमुत्तमम् ॥
न कर्तव्यं वृथा वीर धर्ममाश्रित्य तिष्ठता ।
शोकः संधार्यतां मातर्हृदये साधु मा शुचः ।
वनवासादिहैष्यामि पुनः कृत्वा पितुर्वचः ॥
त्वया मया च वैदेह्या लक्ष्मणेन सुमित्रया ।
पितुर्नियोगे स्थातव्यमेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥
"Dear Lakshmana, full of virtues, you are swept away by the extreme sorrow of my mother. So you speak thus, not realising what is the role of righteousness and self-control in this situation.
"The greatest virtue in this world is righteousness. Pursuit of Truth (the ultimate goal of human life) lies in righteousness. After all what our father has directed, and what we should follow, is also based in righteousness (his duty to uphold his promises to Kaikeyi). Therefore nothing should be done by you, with your great valour, in a wrong manner disregarding righteousness.
"Oh dearest mother, kindly pull yourself together and control your grief. This extreme grief does not suit you. I will simply honour father's word and after completing my stay in the forest, return here. The eternal values of righteousness dictate that father's order is abided by you, me, Sita, Lakshmana and Sumitra."
Rama also tells Kausalya that she cannot follow him into the forest when her good husband and king is still alive and in Ayodhya. He quotes instances of how sons had to carry out extremely unpleasant tasks as ordered by their fathers and they did so purely with a sense of duty. He shall come back very soon from the forest. He is definitely not interested in compromising his values and in forcibly taking over the kingdom, knowing well that life is short and all such endeavours are futile.
Sri Rama then adds that the strange turn of events, and the change of heart in Kaikeyi who had always been affectionate, but had suddenly turned so hostile to him, cannot be explained except as an act of destiny. Man has to respect destiny in all circumstances.
कैकेय्याः प्रतिपत्तिर्हि कथं स्यान्मम वेदने ।
यदि तस्या न भावोऽयं कृतान्तविहितो भवेत् ॥
सुखदुःखे भयक्रोधौ लाभालाभौ भवाभवौ ।
यस्य किञ्चित् तथाभूतं ननु दैवस्य कर्म तत् ॥
"Otherwise how do you understand this sudden change of heart in Kaikeyi to inflict such pain on me? The only reason is that destiny or Providence compelled her to behave in this way.
" Indeed, if you examine carefully, all that befalls someone - happiness and sorrow, fear and anger, gain and loss, even birth and death - whatever a person experiences in life is but the work of Providence. "
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
