The Ramcharitmanas 2
Page 13
And whose life depends on Raghunath, questions me,
With what face will I answer him saying
That I have returned safely, having escorted the princes to the forest?
The moment he hears the news about Lakshman, Sita and Ram,
The lord of men will abandon his body like a worthless blade of grass.
My heart, bereft of my beloved Ram, did not break—
Like clay when drained of water cracks.
So now I know that Fate has given me
A body able to endure the torments of hell.’26
(146)
Thus lamenting and sorrowing on the way,
His chariot soon reached the banks of the Tamas.
There he courteously dismissed the Nishads,
Who fell at his feet and turned back, grief-stricken.
The minister shrank from entering the city,
As though he had killed his guru, a Brahman, or a cow.
He passed the day sitting under a tree,
And it was only at dusk that he took his opportunity.
He entered Avadh in darkness,
And went into the palace, leaving his chariot at the gate.
All who heard the news
Came to the king’s door to look at the chariot.
Recognizing the chariot, and seeing the restless horses,
Their bodies grew weak with apprehension like hailstones melting in the heat.
The men and women of the city were distraught
Like schools of fish in receding water.
Hearing of the minister’s arrival,
All the royal women grew troubled.
To him, the palace appeared desolate and terrifying,
Like an abode of ghosts and spirits.
(147)
Deeply distressed, the queens all questioned him,
But he could not answer, his voice failed him.
His ears could not hear, his eyes could not see,
And he asked everyone, ‘Tell me, where is the king?’
The serving women, seeing the minister’s confusion,
Led him to Kaushalya’s apartments.
Entering, Sumantra beheld the king as wan and listless
As the moon without nectar.27
Forsaking throne and couch, and bereft of ornaments,
The king lay upon the ground, utterly wretched.
Heaving deep sighs he grieved and lamented,
Like Yayati hurled down from heaven.28
He heaved deep sighs full of grief every moment,
Like Sampati fallen from the sky with burned wings.29
‘Ram! Ram! My beloved Ram!’ he called,
And then, ‘Ram! Lakshman! Vaidehi!’
The minister, seeing him, cried, ‘Victory and long life!’
And fell prostrate before him.
Upon hearing this, the king rose at once, and bewildered, asked,
‘Tell me, Sumantra, where is Ram?’
(148)
The king drew Sumantra to his bosom,
Like a drowning man who has found some support.
Affectionately, he seated him by his side,
And with his eyes full of tears, asked,
‘Tell me, how is Ram, dear friend?
Where are Raghunath, Lakshman and Vaidehi?
Have you brought them back or did they leave for the forest?’
Hearing these words, the minister’s eyes filled with tears.
Restless with sorrow, the king asked again,
‘Give me news of Sita, Ram and Lakshman.’
Remembering Ram’s beauty, virtue, and gentle nature
Again and again, the king grieved in his heart.
‘I proclaimed him king, then gave him exile in the forest,
And hearing this, his heart remained unmoved by joy or grief.
Separated from such a son, my life’s breath did not leave me—
Who is a sinner greater than I?
Dear friend, take me there,
Where Ram, Sita, Lakshman are.
Otherwise, I tell you truly,
My life’s breath now wants to depart.’
(149)
Again and again, the king asked his minister,
‘Tell me news of my beloved son,
And, dear friend, quickly devise some way
To bring Ram, Lakshman and Sita before my eyes.’
The minister composed himself and replied in gentle tones,
‘Maharaj, you are learned and wise,
A mighty warrior, foremost amongst the steadfast, lord,
And you have always served sadhus and sages.
But birth and death, the experience of joy and sorrow,
Loss and gain, union and separation from those we love,
Are all subject to time and destiny, lord,
And as inexorable as night following day.
Fools rejoice in happiness and weep in adversity,
But the steadfast regard both the same in their hearts.
So, considering this matter sensibly and wisely, take courage
And abandon grief, you who are the benefactor of all.
Their first halt was by the Tamasa,
The second, on the banks of the divine Ganga.
There they bathed and drank only water,
The two heroes and Sita.
(150)
The boatman rendered great service to them,
And they passed that night at Singraur.viii
As soon as day broke, they called for the milk of the banyan tree
And matted their hair into a crown upon their heads.
Ram’s friend, Guha, then called for a boat.
After helping his beloved wife on it, Raghurai climbed in,
And Lakshman, carefully placing their bows and arrows in the boat,
Also climbed aboard upon the Lord’s command.
Seeing me distraught with sorrow, Raghubir
Composed himself and spoke sweet words to me.
“Respected sir, convey to my father my salutations,
And clasp again and again his lotus feet.
There, at his feet, again entreat him,
‘Father, do not be anxious about me.
In the forest and on the road, we will fare happily and well,
By your grace, your love and the merit of your good actions.
By your love, Father, I will receive
Every happiness in going to the forest.
Then, after fulfilling your orders, I will safely return
To behold once more your feet.’
Consoling all my mothers, and falling
Again and again at their feet, implore them—
Says Tulsi—‘Make every effort to ensure
The king of Koshal remains happy.’
Give this message to my guru, Vasishtha,
Clasping his lotus feet again and again,
‘Give only such counsel to the lord of Avadh
That he no longer grieves for me.’
(151)
Bow to the townspeople and my kinsfolk all,
And place before them my humble entreaty,
‘He alone will be my benefactor in every way
Whose actions ensure the happiness of the lord of men.’
And give my message to Bharat, when he returns,
‘Do not give up what is moral and right upon attaining kingly status,
Protect your subjects in action, thought and speech,
And serve our mothers, regarding them all the same.
Honour our bond of brotherhood till the end, brother,
By serving our father, our mothers and our kin.
And, dearest brother, look after the king in such a manner
That he never, in any way, grieves for me.’”
Lakshman spoke some harsh words,
But Ram forbade him to speak, and then implored me,
Making me swear again and again in his name,
“Sire, do not repeat Lakshman’s childish talk there
.”
Sita saluted me and began to say something,
But was overwhelmed with love.
Her voice faltered, her eyes filled with tears,
And her body trembled with emotion.
(152)
At that very moment, at a sign from Raghubar,
The boatman began to guide the boat to the other side.
In this way the crown-jewel of the Raghu line departed,
While I stood looking on, a stone upon my heart.
But how can I describe my own anguish
In returning alive, bearing Ram’s message?’
Saying this, the minister could speak no more—
He was overcome by loss, remorse and grief.
The king, when he heard the charioteer’s words,
Fell to the ground, with grief a raging fire in his heart.
A deep sorrow filled his heart, and distraught, he writhed in agony,
Like a fish caught in the foam of the first rains.
The queens all wailed and wept and lamented—
How can their great misfortune be described?
Hearing their lamentation, even sorrow grew sorrowful,
And fortitude itself lost courage.
Upon hearing the uproar in the royal apartments,
A great tumult arose in Avadh,
As though a cruel bolt of thunder had fallen in the night
Upon a vast forest full of birds.
(153)
The king’s life-breath flew up into his throat—
The lord of the earth was as distraught as a serpent bereft of its jewel.
All his senses grew troubled and uneasy,
Like a cluster of lotuses in a lake without water.
Kaushalya, seeing the king so feeble and sorrowful,
Knew in her heart that the sun of the solar dynasty was setting.
Composing herself, Ram’s mother
Spoke words appropriate to the moment.
‘Lord, ponder in your heart and understand
That separation from Ram is the boundless ocean,
You are the helmsman, and Avadh the ship,
Upon which have climbed aboard as passengers, all those dear to us.
If you take courage and compose yourself, the ship will reach the other shore,
If not, our whole family will drown.
If you take this entreaty of mine into your heart, my beloved husband,
You will see Ram, Lakshman and Sita again.’
Hearing the gentle words of his beloved queen,
The king opened his eyes and looked up,
Like a fish writhing in agony,
Which is sprinkled with cool water.
(154)
Taking courage, the lord of the earth sat up.
‘Tell me, Sumantra, where is compassionate Ram?
Where is Lakshman? Where is my beloved Ram?
And where is my dear daughter-in-law, Vaidehi?’
The king, distraught, wept and lamented in many ways,
And that night became like an aeon and would not end.
The curse of the blind ascetic came back to his mind,
And he told Kaushalya the whole story.30
He grew deeply distressed as he narrated the story.
‘Fie on the hope of a life bereft of Ram!
What will I gain by holding on to a body
That failed to honour my vow of love?
Hai Raghunandan, dear as my life’s breath!
Too many days have passed, living without you!
Hai Janaki, Lakshman! Hai Raghubar,
Rain-bearing cloud that gladdened the chatak that is your father’s heart!’
Crying ‘Ram! Ram!’ and again ‘Ram!’
And then once more, ‘Ram! Ram!’ and ‘Ram!’
The king gave up his body in the grief of separation from Raghubar
And went to the abode of the gods.
(155)
In life and death, Dasharath reaped his full reward,
And his bright renown spread across countless universes.
Living, he gazed upon the radiant moon of Ram’s countenance,
And made glorious his death by making separation from Ram his reason for it.
Distracted with grief, the queens all wept and wailed,
Recounting his beauty, amiability, strength and glory.
They wept and lamented in many ways,
Falling to the ground again and again.
Distraught, the menservants and waiting-women wept,
And in every house in the city, the people wailed and cried.
‘Today the sun of the solar line has set,
The pinnacle of dharma, the accumulation of virtue and beauty.’
All reviled Kaikeyi and called her names,
She, who had deprived the world of its eyes.
In this way, the night passed in lamentation,
Till all the great and learned munis arrived.
Then Muni Vasishtha related many legends
In keeping with the occasion,
Thus removing everyone’s sorrow
With the light of his wisdom.
(156)
He had the king’s body placed in a boat filled with oil,
And summoning messengers, instructed them thus:
‘Run as fast as you can to Bharat,
But of the king’s death, tell no one, anywhere.
When you are with Bharat, say only this,
“Your guru has sent us to summon both you brothers.”’
Upon receiving the muni’s order, they rushed away
At a speed that would shame the fastest horses.
From the time that these misfortunes began in Avadh,
Bharat had been visited by bad omens.
He had terrifying nightmares at night,
And waking, imagined countless disasters.
Daily, he feasted Brahmans and gave them alms,
And offered worship to Shiv in many ways.
Propitiating the great god in his heart, he begged of him
The well-being of his mother, father, kinsfolk and brothers.
In this way was Bharat worrying
When the messengers arrived,
And as soon as he heard his guru’s command,
He set forth, invoking Ganesh.
(157)
He went, urging on his horses, as fleet as the wind,
Crossing treacherous rivers, mountains and dense forests,
But in his heart was great anxiety and nothing gave him comfort,
And he wished that he could fly.
An instant seemed like a year to him.
In this manner, Bharat drew near the city,
And as he entered, evil omens began to appear—
Crows, perched in inauspicious places, cawed ominously,
Donkeys and jackals called harshly, presaging misfortune—
Listening to these sounds was like a spear in Bharat’s heart.
Lakes, rivers, forests and gardens were without lustre,
And the city appeared dismal and desolate.
The birds, deer, elephants and horses were impossible to look upon,
So wasted were they by the evil disease of separation from Ram.
The men and women of the city were utterly miserable,
As though they had all lost all that they possessed.
The townsfolk he met said nothing,
But made obeisance and went away.
They could not ask after Bharat’s well-being,
For their hearts were full of fear and grief.
(158)
The marketplaces and streets were as deserted and desolate,
As though a great fire had swept through the city in all ten directions.
When the princess of Kaikeya heard of her son’s approach,
She, who was the moon to the lotuses of the solar line, rejoiced.
She made ready the arti, and springing up, happily ran to greet him.
Meeting him at the
gate, she brought him into the palace.
Bharat saw his family distressed and sad,
Like a cluster of lotuses stricken by frost.
Only Kaikeyi was happy, and as joyfully jubilant
As a Kirat woman who has set the forest on fire.
Seeing her son fearful and anxious,
She asked, ‘Is all well at my father’s home?’
Bharat assured her that all was well,
And asked after the well-being of his own family.
‘Tell me, where is Father, where all my mothers?
Where is Sita, and where my dear brothers, Ram and Lakshman?’
Hearing her son’s words full of love,
She filled her eyes with false tears,
Then, uttering words that pierced Bharat’s ears and heart like a spear,
The sinful woman spoke.
(159)
‘Son, I had arranged everything so well
With poor Manthara’s help.
But then fate spoilt some of my plans halfway,
And the lord of this earth left for Indra’s realm.’
Hearing this, Bharat was overcome with grief,
Like an elephant petrified by a lion’s roar.
Crying ‘Father! Father! Hai, my father!’
He fell to the ground, utterly distraught.
‘I could not see you when you left me,
Nor did you entrust me to Ram, dear Father.’
Then, taking courage and composing himself, he stood up.
‘Tell me the cause of my father’s death, mother.’
Hearing her son’s question, Kaikeyi replied
As though cutting open his vital organs and pouring poison into the incision.
She related with a joyous heart, from the very beginning,
All her cruel and deceitful doings.
Bharat forgot even his father’s death
When he heard of Ram’s departure for the forest,
And realizing that he himself was the cause,
Stood still, speechless with shock.
(160)
Seeing him distraught, she began to comfort her son—
But it was as though she was rubbing salt into a burn.
‘Dear son, the king is not worthy of grief—
He gathered merit and fame, and experienced life’s pleasures to the full.
Living, he obtained all the fruits of his birth,
And at the end, he left for Indra’s abode.