Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 27

जय श्रीराम!

अनसूयातिसृष्टेन पुण्यगन्धेन काननम् । सा चकाराङ्गरागेण पुष्पोच्चलितषट्पदम् ॥१२.२८॥

Notes: Kālidāsa's poetry is like Italian coffee, Lavazza Espresso, with the maximum flavour and punch even when consumed in the smallest quantity. So here, he touches upon the evocative story of Śrīrāma, together with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, visiting the great sage Atri and his famous wife, Anasūyā. This couple had indeed parented Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva who were born to them as Candra, Dattareya and Durvāsā respectively! 

Whereas Atri sat down with the two brothers to counsel them on the role of Destiny and how they should bear their hardships with fortitude, Anasūyā, keenly insightful towards the travails of Sītā condemned to suffer the venom of Kaikeyī, consoled her, counselled her, blessed her, and gave her divine clothes, ornaments and perfumes. She made  Sītā deck herself up before leaving.

Here, our dear Kālidāsa remarks, 'Wearing the divine perfumes and unguents bestowed by Satī Anasūyā, Sītā then spread in the forest her divine perfume such that the bees left their usual hangouts amongst forest flowers and headed to her, fascinated by her ethereal fragrance!"

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 26

जय श्रीराम!

बभौ तमनुगच्छन्ती विदेहाधिपतेः सुता । प्रतिषिद्धापि कैकेक्य्या लक्ष्मीरिव गुणोन्मुखी ॥१२.२६॥ 

Notes:  Trust Kālidāsa to captivate us with the minimum of words and yet speak volumes in terms of Rasa. He paints an image of great pathos -the scene of Śrīrāma walking on the thorn-ridden, stony, uncharted forest tracks, followed by his beloved Sītā, with Lakṣmaṇa bringing up the rear in all vigilance, into denser and denser forest regions. Kaikeyī wanted neither comfort nor prosperity for Śrīrāma. She virtually cursed him. But what do we see here? Devī Sītā walking in tow with great dedication! 

Kālidāsa says, " Sītā, the princess and daughter of King Janaka who was known as the great Rajarṣī (as he was equally at home amidst royal opulence as well as in a hermitage), followed Śrīrāma. She was resplendent as the embodiment of Devī Lakṣmī, despite Kaikeyī's forbidding her! Despite Kaikeyī 's machinations, there was no way the Goddess of  Fortune would abandon the Virtuous. Thus, it was but natural that the goddess of all glory and prosperity dutifully followed the one who was endowed with all noble qualities."

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 25

जय श्रीराम!

प्रययावतिथेयेषु वसन् ऋषिकुलेषु सः । दक्षिणां दिशमृक्षेषु वार्षिकेष्विव भास्करः ॥१२.२५॥

Notes:  Śrīrāma spent the long years in the forest with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa travelling southward into denser and denser forest regions, accepting the kind hospitality of ascetics here and there in their hermitages. He was virtually incognito as nobody could see the splendour and royalty of the scion of Ayodhyā come into their midst dressed as he was in the garb of a mendicant.

Kālidāsa says, "Just as the sun moves towards the southern hemisphere during the star formations of the Monsoon season, i.e. hidden from view with his cloud camouflage, Śrīrāma travelled southward in the forest, occasionally receiving kind hospitality from ascetic groups in their hermitages. "

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Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 24

जय श्रीराम!

रामस्त्वासन्नदेशत्वाद्भरतागमनं पुनः । आशङ्क्योत्सुकसारङ्गां चित्रकूटस्थलीं जहौ ॥१२.२४॥

Notes:  Śrīrāma had managed to convince Bharata to go back to Ayodhyā and rule on his behalf. But the times were uncertain. As Kālidāsa himself described in the beginning, the king-less Ayodhyā had to be run well to be brought back on the rails. Bharata was inexperienced as he had spent most of his childhood in his uncle's home enjoying the life of pampered youth. So the tendency of Bharata would always be to reach out to Śrīrāma in any eventuality and use the difficult circumstance as a sufficient reason for  Śrīrāma to come back to Ayodhyā abandoning compliance to the exile order of the deceased king.  Citrakūṭa was thus too close to Ayodhyā for Śrīrāma's comfort. 

In addition, Śrīrāma noticed that the Citrakūṭa region was not able to recover quickly from the visitation of Bharata with his large army. They had camped there for a few days and this had disturbed the animal life there considerably. The deer, called here Sāraṅgas (spotted deer), seemed easily provoked into panic. They scampered in anxiety. This was an indication that in a way,  Śrīrāma had disturbed the life of these animals in the forest. So he decided to move on immediately, deeper and farther away from Ayodhyā, leaving no 'reach me here" address.

 Kālidāsa says, "But now, Śrīrāma, realising the proximity and accessibility of their hermitage inviting Bharata's repeated visits from Ayodhyā, and also noticing the agitated nature of the spotted deer in the neighbourhood, moved away, abandoning Citrakūṭa." 

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 23

जय श्रीराम!

तस्मिन्नास्थदिषीकास्त्रं रामो रामावबोधितः ।

आत्मानं मुमुचे तस्मादेकनेत्रव्ययेन सः ॥१२.२३॥

Notes: The crow had bitten off more than he could chew. Sītā's anguish and the drops of blood from her bosom woke up Śrīrāma. One look and he knew what had happened. He simply picked up a reed of grass nearby and invoked the Brahmāstra! Once loosed by Śrīrāma, this infallible weapon went after the crow. The story we have read is that the crow went and sought protection from all the gods and scampered in the three worlds without escape as the इषीकास्त्र launched by Śrīrāma pursued him inexorably. Finally, the crow was advised to fall at Śrīrāma's feet and beg for mercy, which again was as much Śrīrāma's speciality as his infallible weapons. Śrīrāma let off the recalcitrant crow lightly with a warning, and the weapon, which could not be extinguished without an offering, took one eye of the crow.

Kālidāsa says, "Awakened by the beauteous Sītā, Śrīrāma launched a reed arrow to attack the crow, who finally saved himself by yielding one eye to it with a sincere apology."

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 22

जय श्रीराम!

ऐन्द्रिः किल नखैस्तस्या विददार स्तनौ द्विजः । 

प्रियोपभोगचिन्हेषु पौरोभाग्यमिवाचरत् ॥ १२.२२॥

Notes: Kālidāsa now narrates an episode that remained a secret between Śrīrāma and Sītā until  Sītā narrated it to Hanumān in Aśokavana when he discovered her place of confinement by Rāvaṇa.  Sītā wanted Śrīrāma to know as a confirmation that Hanumān had indeed met her in Aśokavana and won her confidence. So she told him this story. to retell Śrīrāma. It would also be a moment to incite Śrīrāma's utter concern for her well-being. 

At the least, this is a beautiful story to show how much Śrīrāma took care of Sītā when they were in the forest. And to think that Rāvaṇa later forcibly abducted Sītā and confined her in his kingdom! he invited certain death as retribution.

Kālidāsa says, "Now, suddenly, it is said that a crow, indeed Indra's son (in Āsuric disguise), swooped down on Sītā and clawed her breasts in an unpardonable act of public misdemeanour, intruding into what was an extremely private space for the royal couple, Śrīrāma and Sītā, desecrating the markings there of their amorous intimacy."  

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 21

जय श्रीराम!

प्रभावस्तम्भितच्छायमाश्रितः स वनस्पतिम् ।

कदाचिदङ्के सीतायाः शिश्ये किञ्चिदिव श्रमात् ॥१२.२१॥

Notes: Kālidāsa introduces his poetic moment into the narrative. It is a hot day, and Śrīrāma and Sītā have been hunting and gathering throughout the day. They now decide to rest under a Peepal tree with its luxurious shade. Śrīrāma is so tired he lies down with his head in Sītā's lap.... and the shade of the tree lies still to cover him with coolness. 

Kālidāsa says,

"Śrīrāma lay in Sītā's lap, dozing off a bit from tiredness, under the shade of the large Peepal tree whose shade was arrested by Śrīrāma's greatness."

The Ikṣvākus were descended from the sun, and the Sūryavaṃśīs' most famous descendent was Śrīrāma. The shade of a tree, and even the movement of the shade, is governed by the sun. No wonder that in Kālidāsa's mind, the tree held his shade steady like a royal umbrella over the great scion of the solar dynasty, paying tribute to his glory! 

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 20

जय श्रीराम!

रामोऽपि सह वैदेह्या वने वन्येन वर्तयन् ।

चचार सानुजः शान्तो वृद्धेक्ष्वाकुव्रतं युवा ॥१२.२०॥

Notes: The Ikṣvāku or Raghu kings has been depicted in all our literature as exemplars of Varṇa Āśrama Dharma. This is the code of conduct in Sanātana Dharma that sets down the attitude to life and the way of conducting one's life most conducive to the station and stage of one's life. It has been indeed mentioned at the beginning of Raghuvamśa itself by Kālidāsa as follows:

शैशवेऽभ्यस्तविद्यानां यौवने विषयैषिणाम् ।

वार्द्धके मुनिवृत्तीनां योगेनान्ते तनुत्यजाम् ॥ १-८॥

Translation (by M.R. Kale):  The Raghus spent their boyhood in the study of letters, enjoyed pleasures in their youth, led an anchorite’s (ascetic) life in their old age, and finally resigned their bodies through yoga (i.e. fixing their minds in meditation upon the supreme spirit). 

So the Ikṣvāku princes grew up in a world of learning before reaching adulthood. They spent the prime of their adult life running the country, while enjoying royal luxuries. They then voluntarily retired to the forest when it was time to hand over the responsibilities to the next generation. This was the Dharmic way.

This was all completely upset in the present instance. What happened here, in Śrīrāma's case? For no fault of his, he was banished to a life of utter hardship, danger and discomfort in the jungle. Kālidāsa says that Śrīrāma lived the life of a hermit adjusting to the forest life, spending his youth with all the self-abnegation and austerity as the Ikṣvāku kings did after they had retired to spend their last years in the forest. This was the life that Śrīrāma shared with both Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. So the only part of Ayodhyā that accompanied the three to the forest was their mutual devotion and unshakable support to face all hardships. 

Kālidāsa also says that Śrīrāma lived in peace - the ultimate test of fortitude and dispassion for someone thrown into the jungle for no fault of his!

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 19

जय श्रीराम!

Where Bharata did Tapas for 14 Years

दृढभक्तिरिति ज्येष्टे राज्यतृष्णापराङ्मुखः ।

मातुः पापस्य भरतः प्रायश्चित्तमिवाकरोत् ॥१२.१९॥

Notes: The next fourteen years were very eventful in Śrīrāma's life. All that time, however, was a period of severe self-abnegation and Tapas for Bharata. Kālidāsa says, "Bharata, as it were, atoned for his mother's sin by penance. He spent all the years in a spirit of total devotion to his elder brother. That is why he was never tempted by the allurements of sitting on the Ayodhyā throne as the supreme king himself."

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 18

जय श्रीराम!

स विसृष्टस्तथेत्युक्त्वा भ्रात्रा नैवानिशत्पुरीम् ।

नन्दिग्रामगतस्तस्य राज्यं न्यासमिवाभुनक् ॥१२.१८॥

Notes: Śrīrāma acceded to Bharata's request to bestow on him his sandals as a mark of authorising Bharata to rule as his representative. Bharata duly proceeded in a reverential procession, holding  Śrīrāma's sandals on his head. This is the image of Bharata in everyone's mind who has read the Rāmāyaṇa. 

Kālidāsa says, "After Śrīrāma acceded to Bharata, Bharata did not proceed to the City. He went directly to a small hermitage in Nandigrāma, near Ayodhyā. He ruled from there, (placing Śrīrāma's sandals on the throne), as a trustee, not a ruler. "

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 17

जय श्रीराम!

तमशक्यमपाक्रष्टुं निदेशात् स्वर्गिणः पितुः ।

ययाचे पादुके पश्चात् कर्तुं राज्याधिदेवते ॥१२.१७॥

Notes: Bharata was unsuccessful in weakening Śrīrāma's firm resolve to follow the order of his deceased father, Emperor Daśaratha. Even the sages and ministers appealed in many ways.   Śrīrāma's thinking was straightforward. The order had been given knowing fully well that Daśaratha's end was near. The condition of fourteen years' exile was not placed with the thought of its being nullified by Daśaratha's death. That would have been anarchic.

Kālidāsa says, "As Śrīrāma could not be pulled away from his resolve to follow the order of his deceased father, Bharata begged him for his sandals that would be installed on the throne."

Finally, Bharata settles for taking a pair of sandals sanctified by Śrīrāma to be placed on the throne as the supreme ruler of Ayodhyā kingdom. This act alone is enough to establish beyond doubt in our minds the quality of righteousness that prevailed among the royals and the people of Ayodhyā. This is the spirit behind all image worship too. The power and influence of anything - an object or an idea- depends on the firm faith and resolve it is invested with. That is the entire concept of Sanātana Dharma. The aphorism is, यद्भावस्तद्भवति - "As is the thought in the wise, so becomes the reality."

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 16

जय श्रीराम!

स हि प्रथमजे तस्मिन्नकृतश्रीपरिग्रहे ।

परवेत्तारमात्मानं मेने स्वीकरणाद्भुवः ॥१२.१६॥

Notes: Bharata appealed in a hundred ways to Śrīrāma to take up the reins of the kingdom at once. Their dialogue as described by Sage Vālmīki is gripping.  Bharata considers himself, as per Kālidāsa, to be committing a sin by taking over/marrying the kingdom when his elder brother was not yet a king/married to any kingdom. Literally,

"Bharata considered that, when the elder brother had refused to take over the reins of the kingdom, if Bharata were to accept the kingship, he would become a Paravettṛ ( a type of sinner)."

Bharata has many arguments. One thought that torments him is the issue of Dharma. How can a younger brother take charge of the kingdom, i.e. metaphorically marry the kingdom, when the elder brother is not yet made the king, i.e. is unmarried to any kingdom? Apparently, as Kālidāsa says here, it was considered a sin for a younger brother to marry before an elder brother. Such a sinner was called परवेत्तृ Paravettṛ. All these societal norms were meant to uphold the Dharma of the family, kingdom and society. 

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 15

जय श्रीराम!

चित्रकूटवनस्थं च कथितस्वर्गतिर्गुरोः ।

लक्ष्म्या निमन्त्रयाञ्चक्रे तमनुच्छिष्टसम्पदा ॥१२.१५॥

Notes: Bharata saw Śrīrāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa in their hermitage in Citrakūṭa, a small hillock in the forest. He rushed to Śrīrāma and fell at his feet. There were copious tears shed all around, everyone overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation. Lakṣmaṇa's misgivings about Bharata's intentions upon seeing the large army following him were put to rest immediately. 

Śrīrāma asked softly, 'How are you, dear Bharata?" These words opened a flood of emotions in Bharata and he blurted out that their dear father, Emperor Daśaratha, had breathed his last. The pathos of the situation was unbearable.

Bharata again fell at Śrīrāma's feet and swore that he had no part in Kaikeyī's macabre plan that had caused this series of catastrophic events. He said, "Brother, I have not touched the throne. This glorious kingdom is unsullied by me or anyone else. I offer you the Rajyalakṣmī, the rulership of Ayodhyā. Please accept it without any demur or delay. The kingdom awaits you with bated breath."

Trust Kālidāsa to state the most important sentiments in any situation. It was not that Bharata had sat on the throne, and had been coerced by events or advisors to bring back Śrīrāma by popular demand. It was not a second thought on his part about giving the throne to his elder and more deserving brother, despite the adamant intentions of Kaikeyī. He was simply acting according to his Dharmic nature and sense of right and wrong. He was trying to save the sinking ship. 

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 14

जय श्रीराम!

ससैन्यश्चान्व्गाद्रामं दर्शितानाश्रमालयैः ।

तस्य पश्यन् ससौमित्रेरुदश्रुर्व्सतिद्रुमान् ॥१२.१४॥

Notes: Bharata now proceeds without delay to the forest taking his army along, as he hopes to usher back into Ayodhyā in regal splendour Śrīrāma from his exile to fill the vacuum caused by the death of the Emperor.

Kālidāsa says that Bharata was deeply anguished as he entered the dense forest. The inmates of the Ṛṣi-aśramas pointed out the region of the forest where Śrīrāma had proceeded to set up his hermitage. There, with tears welling up, Bharata beheld Śrīrāma in the company of Lakṣmaṇa living in the midst of trees in the jungle in an inexcusable enforced exile away from the life of comfort and honour that the Prince richly deserved.

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 13

जय श्रीराम!

श्रुत्वा तथाविधं मृत्युं कैकेयीतनयः पितुः ।

मातुर्न केवलं स्वस्याः श्रियोऽप्यासीत् पराङ्मुखः ॥१२.१३॥

Notes: Bharata returns to a desolate and mourning Ayodhyā, and finds a strange abhorrence of him from everyone in the capital. He is advised to go and see his mother at once. There, she reveals her macabre plan hatched to make him the king, and how his brother has been sent away to the forest as she desired. She also tells Bharata his father has died. Bharata sees the horror of his mother's plan and its indelible consequence on the family, their reputation, and the country. 

Bharata's reaction is unforgettably captured in the old film embedded above. Sivaji Ganesan brings to the silver screen the greatness of Bharata and his unfathomable pathos and sense of wrong when he is told by Kaikeyī what was her "great scheme".

In the whole history of our literature, nobody commands as much sympathy and admiration as Bharata for his character and sense of right and wrong. Here, Kalidāsa says, 'When Bharata was informed of his father's demise caused by Kaikeyī's scheme, he categorically spurned her as well as the supposed honour of Yuvarāja imposed on him."

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 12

 जय श्रीराम!

Source: Singapore Museum

अथानाथाः प्रकृतयो मातृबन्धुनिवासिनम् ।

मौलैरानाययामासुर्भरतं स्तम्भिताश्रुभिः ॥१२.१२॥ 

Notes: The headless kingdom is a matter of great anxiety for all, especially Sage Vasiṣṭha, the Kula-Guru. In fact, in Vālmīki's narration, there is an elaborate description of what happens to a country without a king. So the best men are chosen to rush to Bharata who is residing in Kekaya, Kaikeyī's parental home, and bring him back.

Let me quote what Vālmīki says:

Vasiṣṭha calls five very competent messengers -  Siddhārtha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Aśoka, and Nandana. He gives them detailed instructions that they should travel by the swiftest means to reach Bharata. They should completely hide their distress about the recent events in Ayodhyā. They should give the following message to Bharata:

पुरोहितस्त्वां कुशलं प्राह सर्वे च मन्त्रिणः      ।

त्वरमाणश्च निर्याहि कृत्यमात्ययिकं त्वया       ॥

"Dear prince Bharata, sage Vasiṣṭha, the chief priest of the kingdom,  has sent his greetings and blessings to you. The ministers also send their greetings. The sage has instructed that you should return to Ayodhyā at once, and complete some pressing tasks that are pending on your account."

 So, Kālidāsa says in this stanza: "Men who had lost their king now had their chiefs bring back to Ayodhyā Bharata, who was residing with his uncle, withholding their tears to avoid his breakdown on the way."

 

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जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 11

 जय श्रीराम!

विप्रोषितकुमारं तद्राज्यमस्तमितेश्वरम् । 

रन्ध्रान्वेषणदक्षाणां द्विषामिषतां ययौ॥ १२.११॥ 

Notes: Tragedy struck Ayodhyā. The Emperor, Daśaratha, lay dead. Śrīrāma and Lakṣmaṇa had gone into exile. Bharata and his brother Śatrughna were away in their uncle's faraway kingdom Kekaya. It was a situation of a headless state. 

Even in the times of Rāmāyaṇa, nationhood and prosperity meant a stout and alert defence against enemies and attackers who would be lying in wait for an opening, figuratively "a hole", through which to enter and take over a headless kingdom. This has happened throughout human history. If we imagine the nature of history to be a chariot, it is drawn by four horses - greed, ambition, jealousy and enmity (my own Upamā!)

So the poet Kālidāsa says here, "The state of Ayodhyā lay with the princes abroad (exile and travel) and its king dead. Hence Ayodhyā vulnerable (literally a chink) to suffer invasion by opportunistic and smart enemies ready to attack for loot and greed."

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 10

 जय श्रीराम!

राजापि तद्वियोगार्तः स्म्रित्वा शापं स्वकर्मजम् । 

शरीरत्यागमात्रेण शुद्धिलाभमन्यत ॥ १२.१०॥ 

Notes: It is now left to Daśaratha to grieve uncontrollably seeing the developments. His dear son, Śrī Rāma, the scion of the dynasty, whose imminent coronation was averted by the artifice of Kaikeyī, has been banished to suffer a life in the forest.  Śrī Rāma's dutiful wife and loyal brother have accompanied him. This is an unfathomable tragedy. The famed kingdom of Ayodhyā, the envy of the gods, is in disarray. Is this what he had lived all his life to witness at his end?

Daśaratha now remembers the curse on him pronounced by the aged father of a young mendicant, Śravaṇa Kumāra. The story of something that had happened long ago plays out in his mind.

It was a dark evening when a young Daśaratha was out hunting in the forest. He was proud of his prowess of shooting at targets by their very sound while hunting without clear visibility. Such an adept was called शब्दवेधिन् (can shoot by spotting the target by its sound). Hearing the gurgling sound produced ostensibly by an elephant drinking water, the king had shot an arrow at that sound, and it surely found its target. But alas, this was no elephant but a young mendicant! Daśaratha had mortally wounded  Śravaṇa Kumāra, a devoted son serving his old, blind, parents who were living as ascetics in the forest. Hearing his scream of pain, an incredibly shocked and distressed Daśaratha rushed to the spot and found the young man dying, bathed in blood. Śravaṇa spoke haltingly, telling his own story, and asked Daśaratha to take the water to his thirsty parents in the hermitage nearby, and also inform them of his death.

Daśaratha met the parents, gave them water, and told them this heart-rending story of his accidentally killing their son. The parents too gave up their bodies in unbearable sorrow, after cursing Daśaratha that he too would meet his end while bewailing his own son. This was long before the days of Daśaratha's glory as the Emperor and the birth of his sons.

The moment had come for Daśaratha's end. He could see that the curse was taking effect now. He took a somewhat positive view. "I committed the great, unpardonable, sin of killing Śravaṇa Kumāra and causing the end of his blind, old, parents in sorrow! I can clearly see that Śravaṇa's father's curse is now taking effect, as I see myself dying now bewailing my son exiled by my own order! But indeed, on reflection, is this not a small punishment to atone for my great sin? Existence has been somewhat lenient to me!"

Kālidāsa conveys not only the Emperor's last thoughts but also the fact of Daśaratha's end.

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 9

 जय श्रीराम!

स सीतालक्ष्मणसखः सत्याद्गुरुमलोपयन् ।

विवेश दण्डकारण्यं प्रत्येकं च सतां मनः ॥१२.९॥

Notes: Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa now proceeded into the dense forest region called Daṇḍakāraṇya. It was a fiercely dense forest with many mendicants performing severe Tapas in large hermitages. The ascetics were captivated by the sight of Śrī Rāma who was Dharma incarnate. They knew well how he had left his kingdom to preserve the name of his dear father, Emperor Daśaratha, from whom Kaikeyī had wrung out her boons. Śrī Rāma had done well to uphold the truthfulness of his father's words as he had not opposed this evil idea of his exile. 

 

Kālidāsa says  Śrī Rāma entered and delighted the heart and head of every ascetic in the forest even as he entered the dense forest followed by his dear wife Sītā and loyal brother Lakṣmaṇa. Truly, we could say that Śrī Rāma's glorious reputation had preceded his arrival so that the ascetics knew who had come.

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 8

 जय श्रीराम!

My attempt to show the contrast could have been better.

दधतो मङ्गलक्षौमे वसानस्य च वल्कले ।

ददृशुर्विस्मितास्तस्य मुखरागं समं जनाः ॥१२.८॥

Notes: The moment arrives when Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa are ready to proceed to the forest. Kaikeyī gleefully hands them the forest hermit's garments made from tree bark and such. Sītā is distressed beyond understanding how she can switch to these clothes, having been a princess wearing royal clothes all her life. She is spared from misery as Vasiṣṭha intervenes and admonishes Kaikeyī. Daśaratha orders that Sītā shall continue to wear her royal garments and ornaments. 

But Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa quietly put on the forest clothes. The three now proceed slowly out of the Palace, wending their way through the milling crowd of distressed citizens of Ayodhyā wailing aloud about this strange turn of events.

Now our dear Kālidāsa picks up his poetic brush. He paints the picture of Śrī Rāma walking in utter majesty, unruffled, dressed in those tree barks as if he were wearing royal finery befitting the Yuvarāja. 

"The citizens looked on in utter astonishment as Śrī Rāma was the picture of equanimity wearing the bark clothes as much as if he were wearing auspicious finery made of silk for the occasion of the coronation. His moonlike face bore the same unflappable expression!"

***

जय श्रीराम!

Kālidāsa's Raghuvaṃśa 12th Sarga - 7

 जय श्रीराम!

पित्रा दत्तां रुदन् रामः प्राङ्महीं प्रत्यपद्यत ।

पश्चाद्वनाय गच्छेति तदाज्ञां मुदितोऽग्रहीत् ॥७॥

Notes: The previous night, Daśaratha, after due deliberation with his advisors and Guru and everyone else, had come to the decision to make Śrī Rāma the Yuvarāja. He had lost no time in summoning Śrī Rāma from his palace to bless him and inform him of this momentous decision. Now, at day-break, suffering the heart-break from Kaikeyī 's cruel demands, unable to say "No" to her, Daśaratha had again sent for Śrī Rāma. 

It was Kaikeyī's wish that there should be no delay lest there be protests or impediments in sending away Śrī Rāma. She wanted him gone quickly from public view. So, even as the whole capital was waking up in a mood of exultation that they would witness today the momentous coronation, a somewhat bewildered Śrī Rāma answered his father's summons. 

Now what did he hear? Kaikeyī spoke on his father's behalf as he was in no condition to speak at all. As Daśaratha lay wallowing in sorrow, his order that was conveyed was that Śrī Rāma should lose no time and go away as a hermit to the forest to dwell there for fourteen years. 

What was Śrī Rāma's ostensible reaction? First to the happy announcement, and now to this dismal order? Kālidāsa says that at first, on receiving the decision of his father handing over responsibility to him as the Yuvarāja, Śrī Rāma was sad! "He received the order to rule the earth from his father, crying." The son realised that the change of guard meant that his father felt weak and aged, and would no longer shine as the supreme Emperor of Ayodhyā that he had been for so long. So Śrī Rāma did not congratulate himself. He empathised with his father and shed tears. Śrī Rāma's reaction was contrary to the usual conduct of sons impatient to take over property and power from their aged fathers. 

And what was  Śrī Rāma's reaction to the order of exile? Kālidāsa says that Śrī Rāma reacted with happiness to this strange, twisted, royal order! His reaction was not one of rebellion, disappointment or self-pity. He realised that the first decision to make him the Yuvarāja was taken out of his own sweet will by Daśaratha who knew it was the right time to hand over the kingdom. It was of course a sad moment for the one retiring from the helm of affairs. But now, this, second, order had been wrung out of the Emperor by a wilful and wicked queen. If there was anyone who could assuage the horrific distress of Daśaratha, it would have to be only Śrī Rāma who should stand by his father with a stoic smile and bear the brunt of this tragedy by going away to the forest "cheerfully". That is what made Śrī Rāma focus on his duty, and comply with the gladness of heart of a Dhārmic son, not one protesting against this "injustice". This again is so contrary to what ANY SON WOULD SAY TO SUCH AN ORDER. 

It's no wonder that the greatest mystics and sages say that we are purified by just uttering the name of this divine hero, Śrī Rāma!

***

जय श्रीराम!