The Upside-Down King

by Sudha Murty

  Just then, Narada stepped in. ‘I am the one who orchestrated the drama,’ he said. ‘I wanted to prove that it is not you but the power of your name that can protect anyone in difficulty. Now that the point has been made, please forgive Shakuntan.’

  By then, Sage Vishvamitra had also realized his folly. ‘I am an ascetic, and I must gain control over my anger, like Atri and Vasishtha have done. It is my mistake. Please end the battle.’

  ‘No, I can’t. I have promised to bring his head to your feet, Guruji. I come from a dynasty where a given word must be fulfilled,’ responded Rama.

  ‘Then so it will be,’ replied Narada. ‘Let us have Shakuntan place his head at Vishvamitra’s feet. That is all that is really needed for the promise to be fulfilled.’

  Rama smiled and realized the truth in Narada’s words. He nodded.

  Soon, Shakuntan came and bowed his head to Rama and, as the sun began to set, placed his head on Vishvamitra’s feet. The battle ended and everyone smiled at the turn of events.

  The End of Rama

  When Sita, grieved at her word and integrity being questioned again and again, stepped into Mother Earth’s embrace and disappeared, and Luv and Kusha became young boys, Lord Brahma decided that it was the time for Rama to ‘return to Heaven’. He had completed his purpose on earth. So he sent Time in the form of a wandering ascetic to the earth.

  This ascetic came and met Rama and said, ‘I have very important things to discuss with you, my lord, but on one condition: nobody should listen to us or disturb our meeting.’

  Rama smiled and said, ‘That is not a problem. My doorkeepers will take care of that.’

  The ascetic shook his head. ‘No, Rama. When the pressure mounts, the doorkeepers may give way. Hence, I request you to appoint your most trusted person to stand guard at the door, and tell him strictly to not disturb the meeting, else he will meet his death.’

  Rama was surprised by this strange request. He guessed that there was more to the man in front of him than what met the eye. He said, ‘All right. Lakshmana, my brother, will keep guard. He will never disobey me.’

  Rama turned towards Lakshmana and said, ‘O Lakshmana, you have heard the conversation. I request you, brother, to ensure that nobody disturbs us. Be careful not to let our discussion touch your ears, and under no circumstances should you disturb the meeting.’

  Lakshmana nodded and stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and stood guard.

  Once Rama and the ascetic were alone, the ascetic changed and revealed his true identity.

  ‘O Lord Rama, I am Time, and your time as a human is over. You have done your duty. It is time to hand over your kingdom and go back to heaven.’

  ‘I agree. I am ready,’ said Rama unflinchingly.

  Meanwhile, Rishi Durvasa approached Rama’s chambers. He looked at Lakshmana and said, ‘I want to meet your brother right now. It is urgent and critical to the Ikshvaku clan.’

  Lakshmana stopped him. ‘Your Holiness, I cannot disturb him. There is an important meeting going on.’

  The sage was offended. ‘What is the meaning of that? Am I not important? If you don’t tell Rama that I have come to meet him, I am going to curse Ayodhya.’

  Lakshmana thought, ‘If I go disturb my brother, I am sure to die. But if I don’t, the sage will curse Ayodhya. It is better that I suffer than let the people of Ayodhya bear the brunt of the sage’s curse. Ayodhya must always stay prosperous and safe.’

  Thus, Lakshmana knocked on the door. Hearing the knock, Time looked at Rama and said, ‘Now the end has come. It will tell you how you have to go.’

  Saying thus, he disappeared.

  Lakshmana entered the room and told his brother that Sage Durvasa stood outside, waiting to meet him. Rama understood that the sage was the messenger Time had spoken about. He looked at Durvasa, his face calm and stoic, and asked, ‘Sir, how can I help you? It is a pleasure to see you.’

  ‘I have done penance for a long time, and I have realized that Time will come in the form of a sage to meet you. Be careful,’ warned the sage.

  Rama nodded and smiled, and requested Lakshmana, ‘Please arrange everything for the sage.’

  ‘No, I am in a hurry and have done my duty,’ replied Durvasa. Then he turned around and left.

  Rama was in a pensive mood. He reflected on how Lakshmana had always been by his side. Whether it was the gurukul, the exile to the forest, Lanka or leaving Sita in the forest, Lakshmana had been like his shadow, standing silently behind him. Now, he had to sentence Lakshmana to death. If he didn’t do so, he would have gone against the promise he had made to Time. Keeping one’s promise was the custom upheld rigidly by the Raghuvamsha.

  Raghukul reet sada chali aaye

  Praana jaaye par vachan na jaaye.

  This custom of the Raghu or Suryavamshi clan has prevailed. One’s life may be lost, but a promise once made will not be broken.

  Lakshmana looked at his brother and said, ‘Please don’t worry. You are known as a man of your word. Do not lament what has happened. We are destined to follow our paths and we have to accept what falls before us. You taught me that duty must be carried out without attachment or aversion. I accept the death penalty happily.’

  Rama knew all those things, but still it was a difficult task for him. Lakshmana did not wait for his brother’s order. He went to the river Sarayu and began to walk towards the middle of the river. He practised mystic yoga and transformed into his original form of Adishesha (the king of the nagas), on which Vishnu always resides.

  After Lakshmana’s departure, Rama decided to appoint Bharata as his successor and go to the river too, but Bharata refused.

  ‘O Rama! This kingdom is of no use without you. I am always a part of you. Whatever you do, I will follow,’ said Bharata.

  Then Rama looked at Shatrughna. Without hesitation, Shatrughna said, ‘Wherever Bharata goes, so will Shatrughna. I don’t need this kingdom.’

  Finally, Rama decided to divide the kingdom and wealth. He gave Kusha the northern part of Kausala and Luv the southern part, and gave a share of the kingdom to each of the sons of his brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. The citizens learnt about Rama’s plans and were grieved. They gathered at the banks of the Sarayu.

  Rama bid goodbye to everyone and submerged himself in the river. He was followed by Bharata and then Shatrughna in the same manner. Thus, the sons of Dasharatha became one with the river Sarayu and left earth.

  Rama turned into Mahavishnu; Bharata and Shatrughna transformed into the shankha and the chakra. Adishesha hunched his hood over and behind Mahavishnu. Thus they rose up to heaven, much to the awe of all the bystanders.

  Today, Sarayu flows through Faizabad, which is near Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh. On the banks of the river is a ghat and four temples for the four brothers who lived together and went together in death.

  Time Travel

  Whenever Yama, the lord of death, would attempt to visit Rama to tell him the amount of time he had left in his human form, Hanuman would refuse entry to him. Yama was aware of Hanuman’s strength and the boon of immortality granted to him, and did not want to cross him.

  Rama, however, understood that a human life must complete the cycle of birth and death. He knew that Hanuman was trying to protect him from death by avoiding the meeting with Yama, but Rama accepted the fact that he must meet Yama at some point. He realized that it was not possible to do so with Hanuman around.

  One day, Rama and Hanuman went out for a walk. Rama took off his ring and began playing with it. Discreetly, he dropped it into a small crack on the ground. Rama requested Hanuman, ‘I have dropped my ring somewhere. Will you please retrieve it for me?’

  Hanuman nodded and transformed his body to such a small size that he could easily get into the crack in the ground. The closer he got to the ring, the more the ring fell farther and farther down, until he had no choice but to follow it.

  After a long time, the ring reached Patala. There, Hanum
an met Nagaraja, the king of the serpents. Hanuman said, ‘Rama’s ring has fallen here somewhere. Will you please give it back to me? I must return it to him.’

  ‘I have a room full of rings. Everything that falls from the earth is kept there,’ replied Nagaraja. ‘You can go into the room and search for your ring.’

  Hanuman nodded. When he entered the room, he saw hundreds of rings. He kept searching until he found the ring that he was looking for; it seemed to take barely a few minutes. Hanuman thanked Nagaraja and made his way back to Ayodhya. But time takes on a different meaning in Patala. A second there is worth many years on the earth. By the time Hanuman reached the city, much time had already passed, and Rama had already left his mortal body and achieved mahanirvana.

  To his dismay, Hanuman realized that he had missed seeing the lord exit the earth. Hanuman felt miserable but knew that the lord wanted things to play out in that manner.

  Even today, Hanuman continues to live on our planet. There is a strong belief that wherever there are prayers to Rama, Hanuman appears in his invisible form to bless the devotees.

  Ramayana in Different Countries

  Unlike other civilizations, India has not colonized any country.

  In our country, various versions of the Ramayana exist. The Jain Ramayana is different from the Hindu one. In the Jain Ramayana, Lakshmana battles against Ravana, kills him and brings Sita back to her husband.

  Historically, Indian merchants travelled to various places, particularly South East Asia. Wherever they went, they took our epics with them. The local people were fascinated by our culture and adopted it with their own flavour. They even altered the stories in the Ramayana to adapt them to local tastes and sensibilities. The Valmiki version of the epic somewhat changed during its translation to regional languages, and in most cases, the plots and schematic adaptations have also been altered.

  You can easily see the traces of the legends in the Ramayana in Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia and Vietnam. In all these countries, stage performances of Ramayana are also quite popular.

  In Thailand, the royal families believe that they are the descendants of Rama; the kings of Thailand title their last name as Rama and refer to their capital as Ayutthaya (strongly reminiscent of Ayodhya). Ramakien, an epic of Thailand, means ‘the glory of Rama’, and the country boasts related shadow puppet shows, paintings, dances and dramas. Rama is depicted with a deep green face in paintings and Lakshmana with a gold face, while Hanuman is showcased as a white monkey. Hanuman there is believed to have many partners, in contrast to the celibate Hanuman we worship here in India.

  Further south, in Cambodia, Buddhism influences the depiction of the balance of good and evil in the world, while the text itself is called Yamayana in Myanmar, with some changes to it.

  Despite the various versions and depictions, one character remains the same—Rama. He is victorious, good-looking and has a great personality—the best among men.

  The Lunar Dynasty

  The Lunar dynasty, or Chandravamsha, was blessed with kings like Nahusha, Yayati, Puru, Dushyanta, Bharata, Hastin, Shantanu, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Parikshit and Janmajeya.

  Yadu was one of the sons of King Yayati and Queen Devayani. When King Yayati was cursed by the sage Shukra to become prematurely and instantly old, he looked towards his son Yadu to negotiate an exchange of youth. Yadu, however, refused his father’s request. Angry Yayati cursed his son. ‘May you never form a kingdom that will have a proper king or an established lineage. May your future generations form many factions and fight among themselves.’

  Thus, Yadu was forbidden from ascending the inherited throne due to this curse, while Puru, the youngest of the sons, exchanged his youth with his father’s. His offspring came to be known as the Puruvamshas. Meanwhile, Yadu became responsible for the creation of a separate lineage called the Yaduvamshas that became an offset of the lunar dynasty. The men came to be known as Yadavas and the women Yadavis. Krishna and his brother, Balarama, were born in this dynasty. However, the dynasty ended with the death of Krishna.

  The Diamond That Produced Gold

  There once was a wealthy man named Satrajitha who lived in the city of Dwarka, the capital of the Yadava kingdom and a prosperous seaport. Satrajitha owned an extraordinary diamond, Shamantakamani, which he had obtained after a strict penance to Surya, the sun god. When exposed to the sun, the diamond produced gold. This made Satrajitha very rich in very little time. This instant and easy financial elevation made Satrajitha and his brother, Prasenajith, extremely arrogant and rude to most people.

  Satrajitha had a beautiful daughter called Satyabhama. In time, she fell in love with Lord Krishna. Krishna, however, was unaware of her feelings.

  One day, Krishna was discussing the matters of Dwarka with his friends and cousins—Satyaki, Kritavarma and Akrura. When the subject of Shamantakamani came up, one of the cousins said, ‘Satrajitha’s arrogance has no end. He thinks he is greater than even a king, and refuses to obey the laws of the kingdom because of his pride due to the perennial source of gold.’

  ‘Such a source of wealth must not be the possession of one person. Unless a person is equipped to handle such an extraordinary gift, time and power is sure to corrupt the average man. For the sake of Dwarka and the Yadavas, Shamantakamani must become a part of the king’s treasury, and the gold obtained from it should be used for the development of the kingdom,’ said Krishna.

  ‘But who will dare tell Satrajitha?’

  ‘I will talk to him,’ said Krishna. ‘It doesn’t matter to me even if he is rude. People still call me a coward or Rannchodji because I chose to evacuate Mathura with my people when Jarasandha came to create havoc in the city. Instead of fighting a losing battle and sacrificing the lives of my people, I chose to run away from the battlefield. That’s because I care more for the welfare of my people than for my reputation. It was the best solution in that situation. So I am not worried about Satrajitha’s response. Peace and prosperity of the kingdom is much more important than my ego.’

  So the following day, Krishna went to Satrajitha’s mansion. Satrajitha welcomed him, but wondered why Krishna had visited him.

  Krishna openly spoke about the diamond and shared his thoughts.

  When the suggestion to give the diamond away to the kingdom came up, Satrajitha refused. ‘The Shamantakamani belongs to my family and it was a gift from the sun god. I worship the diamond twice a day. It must stay where it truly belongs,’ said Satrajitha.

  Krishna tried to use his charm to convince Satrajitha of the larger good, but it was of no use. At the end of the unfruitful visit, Krishna firmly said, ‘There will come a day, my dear friend, when Shamantakamani will no longer be with you, but with the kingdom. In fact, I will ensure it.’

  Saying thus, Krishna departed, but it left Satrajitha anxious.

  Satyabhama, who had been hiding and listening to the conversation between Krishna and her father, lost all hope of becoming the lord’s wife and cried more than she ever had. Instead, she had now become the daughter of Krishna’s enemy.

  Soon, Satrajitha and Prasenajith began strategizing their next move. ‘Krishna is capable of playing outstanding tricks to take the diamond from us when we least expect it. So we must hide it immediately. The best place to do so is to keep it deep in the forest in a cave,’ suggested Satrajitha.

  Prasenajith nodded in agreement.

  ‘You must leave early in the morning tomorrow, Prasenajith, and take the diamond to our friend, Jambuvanta. You can disguise it by wearing it as a pendant around your neck and hide it beneath your clothes. Once enough time has passed and the matter is forgotten, we will retrieve the diamond,’ instructed Satrajitha.

  According to plan, Prasenajith left for his destination in the morning.

  A few days passed and there was no news from Prasenajith. Satrajitha became concerned about why his brother had not returned. He waited a few more days
, but Prasenajith did not return.

  So Satrajitha started a rumour in the city.

  ‘Krishna has stolen Shamantakamani from Satrajitha. After he visited Satrajitha’s home, he threatened to take it away from him by any means possible. Now the diamond has disappeared along with Prasenajith, and Satrajitha is beside himself with grief. Krishna is notorious for stealing butter and ghee, and as an adult, he has graduated to an experienced thief. He must be behind this disappearance. What a man he has become!’

  The simple-minded folks believed what they heard and the news spread like wildfire.

  When Krishna heard of this, he openly refuted the allegation. ‘The news is absolutely false. I have not stolen the Shamantakamani, nor have I even seen Prasenajith. But now that Satrajitha claims that I am responsible, I will leave immediately and not return until I have found the diamond. Only then will I be able to prove my innocence.’

  Satyabhama was aware that her uncle had gone to the forest. Once she heard Krishna’s proclamation, she thought, ‘I should go get the diamond and give it to Krishna. Maybe then he will realize the depth of my love and return it too.’ The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the right thing to do. So she left for the forest quietly and without informing anyone.

  Krishna’s sources informed him that Prasenajith had left for the forest very early the morning after Krishna’s visit. Krishna was no fool—he immediately guessed that Prasenajith had left with Shamantakamani, and decided to go to the forest too.

  Deep in the forest, Krishna met Satyabhama, though he didn’t know who she was. He was surprised to see a lone woman wandering the forest.