by Tulsidas
While Bharat, dear as my life’s breath, will get the kingdom.
Providence, in every way, favours me today.
If I do not go to the forest for such ends,
Count me first in the assembly of fools!
Those who abandon the celestial Kalpataru to tend a worthless castor-oil plant,
Or refuse amrit to ask for poison in its stead—
Even they will not miss such an opportunity as this!
Reflect on this in your heart, Mother.
But, Mother, one especial sorrow troubles me:
To see the lord of men in such great distress.
That such a small matter should so deeply grieve my father—
I am unable to believe that, Mother,
For the king is brave and resolute, and an ocean of infinite virtue.
I must have committed some great offence,
That the king says not a word to me.
Upon my life, tell me the truth.’
Raghubar’s words were simple and honest,
But the wicked Kaikeyi thought them scheming and devious,
For a leech in water moves in a crooked manner,
Even if the water is smooth and still.
(42)
The queen smiled at Ram’s acquiescence,
And said with a false show of affection,
‘I swear upon you, and upon Bharat, too,
I know of no other cause for the king’s distress.
You are incapable of giving offence, dear son,
You who give such joy to your mother, father and brothers.
Ram, whatever you say is all true—
You are devoted to your father and mother’s command.
I beseech you, explain to your father, make him understand,
So that he does not incur disgrace in his old age.
The merit that gave him a son like you,
It is not right that it be dishonoured now.’
These virtuous words in her false mouth
Seemed like Gaya and other holy sites in impure Magadh.7
But all his mother’s words pleased Ram,
Like waters of all kinds when they flow into the purifying Ganga.
Recovering from his swoon, the king
Turned on his side and called Ram’s name.
His minister respectfully informed him of Ram’s arrival,
With the reverence appropriate to the moment.
(43)
When the lord of the earth heard that Ram had come,
He composed himself and opened his eyes.
His minister carefully helped the king sit up,
And the lord of men saw Ram prostrate at his feet.
With anguished affection, he clasped him to his bosom,
As though a serpent had found again its lost jewel.
The lord of men remained gazing at Ram,
While tears streamed from his eyes.
Overcome by grief, he could not speak,
But again and again clasped him to his heart.
Inwardly, he prayed to the Creator
That Raghunath not go to the forest.
Invoking Mahesh, he humbly pleaded,
‘Hear my prayer, eternal Shiv!
You who are easily pleased, and give without being asked—
Take away my anguish, knowing my distress.
You direct the hearts of all,
So inspire Ram
To disregard my promise and stay at home,
Abandoning duty and his love for me.
(44)
Let me be disgraced in the world, my good name destroyed,
Let me fall into hell and heaven be lost to me,
Make me suffer every unendurable agony,
But do not let Ram be taken from my sight.’
Thus prayed the king, but did not speak,
His heart trembling like a pipal leaf.
Raghupati, seeing his father overpowered by love,
And suspecting that his mother might again say something,
Spoke after careful thought, words that were modest and courteous,
And in accordance with the place, the time and the occasion.
‘Father, I make bold to speak—
Forgive this offence, knowing my youth.
You have suffered so much grief over a most trifling matter,
About which no one told me before.
Seeing my lord’s condition, I asked Mother,
And learning the circumstances from her, my fear subsided and I grew calm.
At this time of celebration, Father,
Abandon this brooding worry born of love,
And give me your command with a happy heart,’
Joyfully said the Lord.
(45)
‘His birth alone upon this earth is blessed,
Whose deeds, when he hears of them, cause his father great joy,
And life’s four rewards are in the palm of his hand,
Who loves his father and mother as he loves his life’s breath.
Obeying your order and receiving my birth’s reward,
I will soon come back—so give me your command.
Taking leave of my mother, I will return
And touching your feet again, I will leave for the forest.’
So saying, Ram departed.
The king, overwhelmed with grief, did not reply.
This painful news spread through the city as quickly
As venom through the whole body at a scorpion’s sting.
Hearing it, men and women all grew distraught,
Like vines and trees upon seeing a forest fire.
Whoever heard it beat his head, no matter where he was,
The grief so great that no one was able to stay calm.
Their faces were strained, their eyes streaming with tears,
Their grief could not be in contained in their hearts.
It was as though sorrow’s legions, with beat of drum,
Had descended upon Avadh.
(46)
‘It had all fallen into place, but providence ruined it!’
They cried, and everywhere cursed Kaikeyi.
‘What came into this sinful woman’s head
To set fire to a house newly thatched?
Tearing out her own eyes, she wants to see,
Throwing away nectar, she wants to taste poison.
Cruel, stubborn, perverse, unfortunate,
She is a fire in the bamboo forest of the Raghu line.
Perched on a branch, she has cut down the tree,
In the midst of joy, she has raised an edifice of sorrow.
Ram was always as dear as life to her—
So why did she become bent upon such cruelty?
Truly speak the poets that woman’s nature
Is in every way incomprehensible, unfathomable and mysterious!
We might even manage to catch our own shadow,
But it is impossible to know the ways of women, my brother!
What can fire not burn?
What can the ocean not hold within itself?
Though called weak, what can a woman, if powerful, not accomplish?
Who in this world does death not devour?
(47)
What had fate proclaimed, but what does it tell us now?
What plan had it first conceived, but what does it show us now?’
Said some, ‘The lord of the earth did not do right.
He did not think before giving boons to this wicked woman.
Through her stubbornness, he has himself become the source of all sorrow,
As though, in her clutches, his wisdom and virtue have fled.’
Others who were wiser, discerned the bounds of dharma,
And did not blame the king.
They related to each other
The stories of Shibi, Dadhichi and Harishchandra.8
One said that this plan had Bharat’s approval,
Another, hearing this, grew sad, but stayed silent,
> While another stopped his ears and bit his tongue
And declared, ‘This is a lie!
By speaking thus, you lose all the merit of your deeds,
For Ram is as dear to Bharat as life itself!
The moon may rain sparks of fire,
Or nectar turn to poison,
But never, not even in dream,
Would Bharat do anything against Ram.’
(48)
One blamed Vidhata,ii
Who had promised nectar but given poison.
There was turmoil in the city, and all were sad and anxious,
Their hearts burning with intolerable anguish, all their joy destroyed.
The Brahman wives, the respected, elder women of the family,
And all who were most dear to Kaikeyi,
Began instructing her, praising goodness—
But their words pierced her like arrows.
‘“Even Bharat is not as dear to me as Ram”—
So you have always said, as the whole world knows,
And you love Ram naturally and spontaneously.
So for what offence do you send him to the forest today?
You have never been jealous of the king’s other wives,
Your love and trust are known throughout the land.
So now how has Kaushalya harmed you,
That you have hurled this thunderbolt at the city?
Can Sita desert her beloved?
Can Lakshman remain at home?
Can Bharat enjoy his dominion?
And can the king live without Ram?
(49)
Reflecting upon this, banish anger from your heart,
Do not become a storehouse of grief and disgrace.
By all means give Bharat the title of Jubaraj—
But what is the need to exile Ram to the forest?
Ram is not hungry for the kingdom,
He is an upholder of dharma and indifferent to worldly pleasures.
Let Ram leave home to go and live in his guru’s house—
Ask this of the king as your second boon.
If you do not listen to our advice,
You will gain nothing at all.
And if this is some joke that you have played,
Say so clearly and let us know!
Does a son like Ram deserve exile in the forest?
Hearing this, what will people say about you?
Get up at once and do what is needed
To end this grief and disgrace.
Do whatever is needed to end this grief and disgrace,
And to protect your family.
Stop Ram as he leaves for the forest, insist upon it,
And raise no other matter!
Like a day without sun, a body without breath,
And night without the moon,
Will Avadh be, says Tulsidas, without its lord.
Think about this carefully, gracious lady!’
Thus did her friends instruct her,
With words sweet to hear and beneficial in their consequence.
But she gave no ear to them,
Tutored as she was by the cunning hunchback.
(50)
She gave no reply, but harsh with intolerable rage,
Glared at them like a hungry tigress at a herd of does.
Recognizing her malady as incurable, they left,
Declaring her foolish and ill-fated as they went.
‘Fate has destroyed her, even while she ruled the land,
For she has done what no one else would do!’
Thus the men and women of the city lamented,
And heaped countless curses upon the evil Kaikeyi.
Burning with the violent fever of grief, they sighed deeply and said,
‘Without Ram, what hope of life is there?’
The people were as distraught at their long separation from him
As water-creatures in a drought.
All men and women were in the grip of intense sorrow.
But Lord Ram went to his mother,
His face joyful, and great eagerness in his heart,
For his worry that the king would hold him back had disappeared.
Raghubir’s heart was like a newly captured elephant,
Fettered by the chains of kingship.
Learning that he must go to the forest, he knew himself to be free,
And his heart filled with great joy.
(51)
That ornament of the Raghu line folded both his hands
And happily bowed his head at his mother’s feet.
She gave him her blessing and clasped him to her heart,
And gave alms of raiment and jewels for his well-being.
Again and again, his mother kissed his face,
Her eyes full of tears of love, her body trembling.
She held him in her lap, and hugged him once more to her heart,
And her beautiful breasts overflowed with the milk of motherly love.
Her love and delight are impossible to describe—
Like a pauper suddenly appointed to be the god of wealth.
Gazing reverently at his beautiful face,
His mother spoke sweet and tender words.
‘Dear son, tell me,’ asked his devoted mother,
‘When will come the happy and auspicious moment,
The glorious culmination of my good deeds, virtue and joy,
And the fulfilment of my life’s purpose,
The moment for which all men and women yearn
As anxiously as
The thirsty chatak and chataki
Long for the autumn rain of Svati?
(52)
But, dear son, I entreat you—go and quickly bathe,
Eat something sweet, whatever you like,
And then, dear child, go to your father,
For it is already very late.’ So spoke his loving mother.
Hearing his mother’s affectionate words,
Like flowers on the celestial Kalpataru of her love,
Filled with the nectar of joy, and the source of all good fortune,
The bee of Ram’s mind did not lose its way.
The upholder of dharma, and knowing dharma’s ways,
He said to his mother in tones very sweet and gentle,
‘Father has given me the kingdom of the forest,
Where lies in every way my greatest purpose.
Give me your permission, Mother, with a joyous heart,
So that my journey to the forest be happy and blessed.
Do not, bound by love, be afraid for me even by mistake,
For all will be happy, Mother, by your grace.
When I have lived fourteen years in the forest,
And made true my father’s promise,
I will return to behold your feet once more.
So do not darken your heart with grief.’
(53)
Raghubar’s sweet and humble words,
Pierced his mother’s heart like arrows and lodged painfully there.
Hearing his gentle words, she grew afraid and wilted
Like a javas in the first shower of the rains.
Her heart’s grief is impossible to describe–
She was like a doe that has heard the lion’s roar.
Her eyes filled with tears, and her body trembled violently,
Like a fish made mad by swallowing the foam of the waters of the early rains.9
Composing herself, gazing at her son’s face,
His mother said in a voice choking with emotion,
‘My son, you are as dear as life to your father,
He watches your doings with constant delight.
He had himself fixed an auspicious day to give you the kingdom,
So for what crime has he ordered you to the forest?
My son, tell me the real reason for this—
Who has become the fire destroying the sun’s dynasty?’
With a glance at Ram’s expression,
The mini
ster’s son explained the reason.
Hearing the circumstances, she was struck dumb—
Her condition cannot be described.
(54)
She could not keep him back, nor could she tell him to go.
In both situations her heart would burn with anguish.
‘He began to write “moon” but wrote “Rahu” instead—
Vidhi’s ways are ever hostile to all.’
Duty and love both laid siege to her mind,
And her state became that of a snake that has caught a muskrat.10
‘If I insist and keep my son by my side,
Dharma will be lost and there will be conflict between the brothers.
But if I tell him “Go to the forest”, it will be a terrible loss.’
Caught between these two great griefs, the queen grew helpless.
Then reflecting once more upon a wife’s dharma,
And deeming Ram and Bharat to be equally her sons,
The wise Kaushalya, Ram’s mother, by nature sincere and honest,
Composed herself and calling up all her courage, spoke.
‘My son, I swear by my love for you, that you have acted rightly,
For obedience to one’s father’s command is the highest of all duties.
He promised the kingdom but gave the forest instead—
That does not cause me the least sorrow.
But without you, Bharat, the king himself,
And all our people will suffer intolerable anguish.
(55)
If it were only your father’s command, my son,
You should not go, knowing that a mother’s wishes come first.
But if both father and mother say that you must go to the forest,
The forest will be like a hundred Avadhs for you.
The gods of the forest will be your father, the goddesses your mother,
And the birds and beasts will serve your lotus feet.
Dwelling in a forest is appropriate for a king towards the end of life,
But looking at your tender years, I am grieved and troubled in my heart.
Blessed is the forest, and unfortunate is Avadh
That you, ornament of the line of Raghu, have given up.
If I say, “Take me with you,” my son,
Uncertainty will arise in your heart.
My son, you who are supremely beloved to us all,
The breath of our life’s breath, the life of our hearts,
Is saying, “Mother, I am going to the forest,”