Valmiki's Ramayana

by Vālmīki,Sattar, Arshia

  In front of the hut there were split logs of wood, heaps of flowers and piles of deer and buffalo dung which had been collected to make a fire to ward off the cold. The hut was thatched with many different kinds of leaves and its floor was covered with kuśa grass, like a sacrificial altar. Inside the hut, Bharata could see his brothers’ mighty bows and arrows, equal to the weapons of Indra himself. They were adorned with gold and blazed with such splendour that they would make their enemies tremble. Even the arrows with their gleaming tips in their quivers shone like the rays of the sun. Swords glistened in their golden scabbards and shields were decorated with gold designs.

  A sacrificial fire burned in the northern corner of Rāma’s hut. Bharata had to look hard before he saw Rāma sitting in a corner, his matted locks piled on top of his head. The lord of the earth, who had always walked the path of the righteous, was seated on the skin of a black antelope, his arms and shoulders like that of a lion, his eyes as beautiful as a lotus. Rāma sat on the darbha grass like the eternal Brahmā, with Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā next to him.

  Kaikeyī’s honourable son ran forward, overcome with grief. For a moment he could not speak but then he collected himself and cried out in a voice thick with tears. ‘My older brother who should be honoured by his people in the halls of state sits here surrounded by forest animals! He used to wear the finest clothes and now he covers himself with deerskin, as dharma dictates! Rāma used to have flowers in his hair. How can his locks be matted? He who should have earned merit from the performance of sacrifices now earns merit through mortifying his body! This noble man’s body used to be anointed with sandal paste and now it is covered with dust! Rāma deserves all happiness but he suffers these hardships because of me. Damn this life that I must live!’

  Weeping, Bharata fell to the ground before he could touch Rāma’s feet. Śatrughna also wept and fell at Rāma’s feet and Rāma raised his brothers and embraced them, his face wet with his own tears. Then Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa embraced Guha and Sumantra and even the forest dwellers were moved to tears when they saw this reunion.

  Rāma kissed Bharata on the forehead and drew him to sit beside him as he questioned him calmly. ‘What has happened to our father, child, that you have come to the forest? You should not have come here while he is alive. Ah Bharata! It has been so long since I saw you. And now, when I see you in the forest after you have come so far, I find you greatly changed in appearance. Is everything all right with the righteous and truthful King Daśaratha?’

  ‘And the wise and learned brahmin, ever devoted to dharma, the royal priest of the Ikṣvāku clan, is he honoured appropriately? My child, how are our mothers Kausalyā and Sumitrā? Is the noble Kaikeyī happy?

  ‘Have you appointed ministers who are self-restrained and brave, who are well-born, trustworthy and skilled in the arts of diplomacy? Decisions taken after due consideration by ministers who are learned in polity as well as reliable are very important for the success of the kings. I trust that you do not sleep too much, that you wake at the appropriate time and spend the early hours of the morning thinking about how you can achieve your ends.

  ‘Do not take advice from only one man, nor either from too many and make sure that your innermost thoughts are not spread all over the kingdom. Do you act quickly and without delay so that you can achieve your ends by simple means? Do your tributary kings know about your plans only after they have been implemented or do they hear about them while they are in process? No one should know about the process of your deliberations unless you have taken that person into confidence.

  ‘Choose one learned and intelligent man as your advisor instead of a thousand foolish men, for the learned can do a great deal of good and achieve all your goals. A thousand foolish men can do nothing for a king, but one advisor who is skilled, observant, brave and intelligent can bring a king great glory.

  ‘Give the best of your retainers the most important tasks to perform, the less important work to the middling retainers and the least important work to those who rank the lowest. Trust the significant affairs of state to men who are pure in thought, to those who have been tested and found true and to those who are hereditary holders of office. Do not let your subjects think badly of you. You must quickly get rid of a brave and skilled man who has conspired against you and aspires to power, or you will be killed by him.

  ‘Have you appointed a brave, resolute, wise, skilled and nobly born man as the commander of your army? The men who lead your army are strong and skilled in the arts of war. Do you honour and praise them appropriately? Do you supply your army with proper food and pay each man his due? You must do this without any delay at the appointed time. For if food and wages are delayed, the army will rise against its master in anger.

  ‘Are all the princes and your retainers devoted to you? Will they calmly give up their lives for your sake? Have you chosen a man who is eloquent, wise, skilled and learned as your personal messenger? Do you keep the important men in other kingdoms and in your own under constant watch by three spies each, unknown to each other and to the world? Do you keep a special watch over your exiled enemies who have returned? Never think of them as weak or ineffectual.

  ‘Do not honour the brahmins who are materialist philosophers, for they are not worthy. Even though there are prescriptive sacred texts for all aspects of life, these men of twisted intellect reject the Vedas and depend on pure rationality.

  ‘Child, the city ruled by our forefathers that is filled with horses, elephants and chariots, inhabited by thousands of noble people and brahmins, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas who are all enthusiastic, disciplined and devoted to their duty, do you protect that city of Ayodhyā such that its name which means “should not be attacked” stands true? It is a king’s duty to protect his people with dharma. Do you reassure the women and make sure that they are safe? Do you ensure that you do not confide in them nor trust what they say?

  ‘Do you wake up early in the morning and show yourself to the people, fully adorned, in the assembly hall and in the main street? Are all your forts well supplied with grain and water, with weapons and machines, workmen and archers? Is your income greater than your expenditure? Do not waste your money on inconsequential things. Spend your money on worshipping the gods and the ancestors and in honouring brahmins, kṣatriyas and your allies.

  ‘If a noble man who is pure in spirit and deed is accused of theft by conspirators, he must be questioned by experts before his wealth is attached out of greed. If a thief is caught and questioned and evidence is found against him, he should not be set free for reasons of greed. And when a man is in trouble, be he rich or poor, do your learned ministers inquire into the matter? The tears of a man unjustly accused can destroy the progeny and wealth of a king who rules for selfish pleasures.

  ‘Do you keep the elders happy by giving them what they want? And children happy by giving them affection and scholars happy by speaking with gratitude? Do you honour the elders and the teachers, ascetics, gods and guests, brahmins and those who have accomplished their ends?

  ‘Do not pursue dharma at the expense of material gain or power at the cost of dharma or neglect them both out of a desire for pleasure. Bharata, you know the appropriate time for all these things and, therefore, pursue each at the right time. Do the brahmins and the common people pray together for your welfare? Avoid the flaws that mar the personality of a great king, including atheism, untruth, anger, licentiousness and procrastination. Do not taste your food yourself and give generously to your friends and those who need help,’ said Rāma.

  ‘What will I do with this advice on the duties of a king when I have renounced kingship?’ replied Bharata. ‘The eternally established dharma states that while an older son lives, a younger son cannot be king. Come back with me to prosperous Ayodhyā and crown yourself king for the glory of our clan! They say that kings are mortal men. But I think of you as a god because your life has been devoted to dharma.

 
‘When I was away in the kingdom of the Kekayas and you had left for the forest, the great king who was loved and respected by all, went to heaven,’ said Bharata sadly. ‘Rise, Rāma, and perform the last rites for your father. Śatrughna and I have already done so, but there is no doubt that you were our father’s favourite. That which is offered by a beloved son is of great value in the world beyond.’

  Bharata’s news hit Rāma like a thunderbolt and, swooning with grief, he fell to the ground like a tree felled by an axe. His brothers and Sītā sprinkled water on his face and when he had recovered consciousness, he broke into tears. ‘What use am I, this ill-born son, to that great king! He died of grief for me and I was not even able to perform his last rites!’ sighed Rāma. ‘Ah Bharata! You were able to achieve your life’s goal when you and Śatrughna performed the funeral rites for the king!

  ‘I have no desire to return to Ayodhyā after my exile. Now that my father has gone, who will guide me when I rule the kingdom? Who will speak those gentle words of reassurance and praise?’ Rāma completed the necessary rituals and returned to his hut. The brothers and Sītā mourned together and the sound of their weeping echoed across the mountains.

  Bharata’s army heard the sound and knew at once that Bharata was with Rāma and that they were weeping for their dead father. They left their camp and hurried in the direction of the sound, making a great din themselves. Some went on their horses, others on elephants, others in their splendid chariots and some even went on foot, all of them eager to see Rāma again. Even though it had been only a short while since Rāma had left them, it already seemed like an eternity.

  Struck by hooves and chariot wheels, the earth groaned like a thunder cloud. Wild elephants grew extremely agitated and ran from the area. Boar, deer, lions, buffalo, bears, monkeys, tigers and antelope fled in panic. Birds scattered in all directions and covered the sky so that it looked like the earth teeming with people.

  When Rāma saw those eager people with tears rolling down their faces, he ran forward to embrace them as would a mother or a father. Some he embraced, others fell at his feet, but each friend and family member was greeted appropriately. The sound of weeping filled the earth and the sky and the caves and the mountains. It resounded in all directions like the throbbing of drums.

  Daśaratha’s wives, thirsting for a glimpse of Rāma, had been escorted to the hut by Vasiṣṭha. As they approached, they saw Rāma, as beautiful as an immortal fallen from heaven, but the mothers wept when they saw the privations that Rāma endured. Honourable Rāma rose and fell at their feet and they wiped the dust from his back with their soft hands, soothing him with their gentleness. When Lakṣmaṇa touched their feet, they treated him as affectionately as they had Rāma. Sītā honoured her mothers-in-law and now stood before them, her head bowed.

  Kausalyā embraced her daughter-in-law who had become thin and pale from her forest life. ‘Ah Sītā! You are the daughter of Janaka, the daughter-in-law of Daśaratha and the wife of Rāma! How is it that you have to suffer the hardships of a life in the forest? My heart goes out to you, Sītā. Your face is like a lotus that has been scorched by the sun, like a lily crushed underfoot, like gold covered with dust, like the moon hidden by clouds!’

  Rāma touched the feet of Vasiṣṭha, his teacher, who blazed with his own effulgence, as Indra would touch the feet of Bṛhaspati, and then sat down beside him. Bharata collected his ministers, prominent citizens, army commanders and men learned in dharma and seated them around Rāma and Vasiṣṭha. Before he himself sat down, Bharata joined his palms in respect before Rāma, who shone with splendour even in his ascetic’s clothes. ‘What will Bharata say now?’ whispered the people who had gathered there. ‘But whatever he says, it will certainly be right and just!’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Rāma saw the affection that Bharata had for him and he began to question him gently along with Lakṣmaṇa. ‘Tell me, Bharata, why have you come here wearing ascetic’s clothes and with your hair matted? Why are you here wearing the skin of a black antelope? Why have you abandoned the kingdom?’

  ‘Noble one, our father went to heaven grieving for his son after he had made the mistake of banishing you. He was led to that by a woman. My mother Kaikeyī and the king did a terrible thing which destroyed the king’s glory. Kaikeyī failed to gain the kingdom, which was supposed to be the consequence of her actions. Now she is a grieving widow. She will definitely fall into the worst of all possible hells.

  ‘Consider me your servant and crown yourself king today! All our people and even our mothers have come here to ask this of you. Grant them their wish. You will be acquiring the kingdom through the ordinances of dharma, by lawful succession and by the strength of your virtues. Let the earth be united with you, her rightful husband, as the autumn night is with the moonlight!

  ‘I beg you with head bowed as do these ministers. I am your brother, your disciple and your servant. Look kindly upon me! Do not delay listening to this council of ministers who have served our father and who are worthy of respect.’ Bharata laid his head at Rāma’s feet and waited for his response.

  ‘Bharata, you are so noble, so honourable, so effulgent and so resolute by nature. How could anyone believe that you would act dishonourably for the sake of a kingdom? I see no faults in you, but you should not behave immaturely and despise your mother for her actions. Because you know dharma, you should know that a mother deserves as much respect as a father. How could I have refused when my honoured parents told me to go into the forest?

  ‘Rule the kingdom from Ayodhyā and I shall live in the forest wearing these simple clothes. Daśaratha made this division in front of the whole world before he died. That righteous king should serve as an authority for you. Enjoy the share that our father has given you! By living in the forest for fourteen years, I, too, shall be enjoying the share allotted to me! My father was honoured by the entire world and he was an equal of the gods. I take what he has said to me to be a higher good than the sovereignty of the earth!’

  The company sat in silence, waiting to hear what Bharata would say. Finally, he spoke in the presence of his family and friends. ‘This kingdom was given to me to satisfy my mother. Now, I give it to you. Accept it, for it has no encumbrances! The kingdom has become like a bridge breached by a flood. Only you can make it secure again. I cannot compare myself with you, ruler of the earth, any more than a donkey can equal a horse, or an ordinary bird match Garuḍa.

  ‘Rāma, life is difficult enough when others depend on a man. But it must be harder still when a man is dependent on others. Suppose a man plants a sapling and nurtures it until it grows into a mighty tree, a tree so tall that no small man can climb it. If the tree bears flowers and does not fruit, it offers no benefits to those for whose sake it was planted. The significance of this metaphor cannot be lost on you. This is what would happen to us if we were ruled by anyone other than you. Let the prominent citizens see you firmly established as king. Elephants will trumpet with joy when you enter the city and there will be much rejoicing by the women in the inner apartments!’

  All the people gathered there felt that Bharata’s request was appropriate. Rāma saw Bharata’s despair and comforted him. ‘Bharata, no man can do exactly as he pleases, for he is not his own master. His fate drags him hither and thither. All wealth is spent, men rise only to fall, all unions lead to separations and death is the end of life. As a ripe fruit has nothing to fear but falling, so a man has nothing to fear but death. As a house supported by huge pillars must decay and collapse, so a man must fall prey to disease and old age. Days and nights move on, diminishing the lives of all beings, just as surely as the heat of the sun dries up the moisture in the earth.

  ‘Do not mourn for yourself or for others. Life moves on, regardless of whether you stay still or are active. Death is always by your side. It walks with you and sits down with you. If you go on a journey to a far away place, death will return with you
. Wrinkles appear, hair whitens. Men are worn down with age. How can we control these things? We rejoice when we see the sun rise every morning and set every evening without realizing that with it our lives are passing too.

  ‘Our father has gone to heaven because he did good deeds and was respected by people. He also performed many sacrifices with ample gifts and fees to the brahmins. He has renounced his aged human body and attained divinity which he now enjoys in the world of Brahmā. How can someone as intelligent as you grieve for him? A wise man would not succumb to grief and mourn like this under any circumstances. Calm yourself. Put an end to your sorrow. Go back and live in the city as our father had asked you to do, for he was an honourable man. And I shall live here as he asked me to. I cannot ignore his wishes and neither should you, for he was our father and our mentor.’

  ‘I was born of the noble and righteous Daśaratha,’ said Bharata. ‘How can I, knowing what is right and just, do what is wrong and despicable? The virtuous king was our father and our teacher. He was like a god to us. He is dead now, so I should not speak ill of him in this company. But who would do such an unjust and cowardly thing, so against his own interests, simply to please a woman? There is an old saying, that living beings lose their minds at the time of their death. That has certainly been borne out by the king’s actions.

  ‘Rāma, you should make good the wrong committed by our father in his rage and his infatuation. The son that rights his father’s wrongs is considered worthy in the eyes of the world. Prove yourself worthy by repudiating our father’s actions that are condemned by all righteous people. Redeem us all, me, Kaikeyī, our father, our family, our friends, our people, by doing the right thing!

  ‘How can a kṣatriya live in the forest? How can a king have matted hair? You should not be acting like this. If you truly want to walk on the path of dharma that is littered with hardships and difficulties, you should be ruling the four castes justly. Wise men say that of all the four stages of life, the stage of the householder is the greatest. You know dharma, how can you renounce this stage? I am younger than you in age and inferior to you in rank and learning. How can I possibly rule while you are still alive?