The Valmiki Ramayana

by Amish Tripathi

  Bharata had just taken extremely difficult pledges. Having taken those pledges, he had become unconscious. Kousalya spoke these words to the one who was tormented by grief. ‘O son! My sorrow has become greater. Through the pledges that you have taken, you are making me suffer even more. It is good fortune that, like Lakshmana, your soul is devoted to dharma. O son! You have sworn on the truth and you will obtain worlds meant for the virtuous.’ Afflicted by grief, the great-souled one266 lamented in this way. His mind was agitated. He was confused and racked by tides of grief. He lamented and lost his senses. With his intelligence devastated, he fell down on the ground. He repeatedly emitted long sighs. The night passed in the midst of such misery.

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  In this way, Bharata, Kaikeyee’s son, was tormented by grief. Vasishtha, foremost among rishis and best among eloquent ones, spoke to him. ‘O fortunate one! O immensely illustrious prince! Enough of this sorrow. The time has come to perform the last rites for the lord of men.’ Hearing Vasishtha’s words, Bharata prostrated himself. The one who knew about dharma performed all the funeral rites. The body of the king was raised from the vessel of oil. The face was yellow in complexion, as if he was asleep. The body was first laid down on the best of beds, decorated with many kinds of jewels. At this, Dasharatha’s son lamented in great misery. ‘O king! When I was away and had not returned from my trip, why did you send off Rama, who knows about dharma, and the immensely strong Lakshmana on exile? O great king! Abandoning these grieving people, where will you go? They have also been deprived of Rama, the performer of unblemished deeds and lion among men. O king! Who will now think of yoga and kshema for this city? O father! You have gone and Rama has left for the forest. O king! Without you, the earth is a widow and does not shine any more. The city seems to me to be like the night without the moon.’ Distressed in his mind, Bharata lamented in this way.

  The great rishi, Vasishtha, again addressed him in these words. ‘Funeral and other rites need to be performed for the king. O mighty-armed one! Without any distraction or reflection, perform those rites.’ Bharata worshipped Vasishtha and agreed to his words. He quickly welcomed all the officiating priests, priests and preceptors. Following the indicated ordinances, the officiating priests and assistants initially kindled the fire for the king outside the fire chamber. The king’s senseless body was then placed on a palanquin and borne by distracted attendants whose voices choked with tears. Ahead of the king, people advanced along the road, scattering silver, gold and many kinds of garments. The funeral pyre was prepared with wood from sarala, padmaka and devadaru trees and sprinkled with the essence of sandalwood and aloe. Many other kinds of fragrances were flung there and the officiating priests placed the king in the midst of all these. The officiating priests poured oblations into the fire and chanted. Following the sacred texts, those accomplished in the Sama Veda chanted Sama hymns.

  As each one deserved, the women mounted palanquins and vehicles. Surrounded by the elders, they left the city and reached the place. The king was on the funeral pyre and the officiating priests circumambulated him anticlockwise. With Kousalya at the forefront, the women were tormented by grief. Like the sound of female curlews, the wails of the women could be heard. At the time, thousands of them lamented in piteous tones. On the banks of the Sarayu, those beautiful women descended from their vehicles and distressed, repeatedly wept and lamented. With the royal women, the ministers and the priests, Bharata performed the water rites. Eyes full of tears, they entered the city. In misery, they spent ten days on the ground.267

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  After ten days had passed, the son of the king purified himself. On the twelfth day, he performed the shraddha ceremony. He gave brahmanas large quantities of jewels, riches, food, many white goats, hundreds of cows, female servants, male servants and extremely expensive houses. As part of the funeral rites, the king’s son gave these to brahmanas.

  On the morning of the thirteenth day, the mighty-armed Bharata went for cleansing.268 He became senseless with sorrow and lamented. The words choked in his throat. Extremely miserable, at the foot of the funeral pyre, he addressed his father in these words. ‘O father! I entrusted your care to my brother, Raghava. But you exiled him to the forest. Abandoned by you, I am alone now. O father! Mother Kousalya’s refuge was her son. But you exiled him to the forest. O king! Forsaking her, where have you gone now?’ He saw the red ashes and the burnt circle of skin and bones. He grieved that his father had given up his body. He was miserable on seeing the remnants and fell down on the ground. It was as if Shakra’s standard had been raised, but fell down because the machines to work the standard failed. All the advisers, pure in their vows, approached. It was like the rishis rushing to Yayati when the time for his death arrived.

  Shatrughna also saw that Bharata was overcome with sorrow. Remembering the king, he also lost his senses and fell down on the ground. It was as if he269 went mad. He lamented in great misery. He remembered all the many qualities that his father had possessed. ‘We are being agitated and have been immersed in this ocean of grief. This is because of Manthara’s terrible influence and Kaikeyee is like a crocodile swimming in the two boons. O father! As a child, you have always tended to the delicate Bharata. He is lamenting. Abandoning him, where have you gone? You have always given us everything that we desired—food, drink, garments and ornaments. Why don’t you do that now? As a king, you knew about dharma and were great-souled. Without you, the earth should be shattered. Why is it not being shattered? Our father has gone to heaven and Rama has resorted to the forest. What is the point of remaining alive? I should enter the fire. I am without a brother. I am without a father. Ayodhya, ruled by the Ikshvakus, is empty. Why should I return there? I should enter a hermitage.’

  Hearing their lamentations and witnessing their distress, all their followers were again immersed in great grief. Both Shatrughna and Bharata were exhausted and distressed. They writhed around on the ground, like insensate bulls whose horns had been broken. Vasishtha was the priest of their father. Like a physician who restores to normalcy, he raised Bharata and addressed him in these words. ‘Without exception, there are three kinds of opposite sentiments all living creatures have to face.270 Since this is inevitable, you should not behave like this.’ Sumantra knew about the truth. He raised Shatrughna and comforted him, telling him about the origin and destruction of all creatures. Those two illustrious tigers among men were raised. They were as radiant as Indra’s standard, having suffered through rains and the heat. Their eyes were still red and their speech was miserable. But they wiped away their tears. The advisers urged them to hurry with the remaining rites.

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  Bharata was tormented by grief and wished to undertake the journey.271 Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, addressed him in these words. ‘The spirited Rama is the refuge of all creatures. What can be a greater grief to us than that he has been exiled to the forest by a woman? Lakshmana is so named because he possesses strength and valour.272 Why did he not free Rama and restrain our father? Even before the act had happened, on considering good and bad policy and on seeing that the king had resorted to a wrong path, having come under the subjugation of a woman, he should have restrained him.’ While Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, was speaking in this way, Kubja appeared at the eastern gate, adorned in every kind of ornament. She was radiant in royal garments and was smeared with the essence of sandalwood. Attired in colourful girdles, she looked like a female monkey, bound with ropes. She was the perpetrator of an extremely wicked deed. On seeing her, the doorkeepers seized the cruel Kubja. Delivering her to Shatrughna, they said, ‘It is because of what she did that Rama has left for the forest and your father has given up his life. This is the wicked and cruel one. Do what you want with her.’

  Shatrughna, firm in his vows, was extremely miserable. He instructed all those in the inner quarters in these words. ‘This perpetrator of cruel deeds has led to this great calamity and owes a debt to my br
others and my father. Let her reap the fruits of her action.’ Kubja was surrounded by her friends. Having said this, he powerfully seized her, so that the residence echoed with her cries. Hearing Shatrughna’s angry words, all her friends became extremely miserable and fled in different directions. All those friends came to the following conclusion. ‘The way he is advancing, he will destroy all of us. The illustrious Koushalya knows about dharma and is generous and compassionate. Let us seek refuge with her. It is certain that she is our only refuge.’ The eyes of Shatrughna, tormentor of enemies, were coppery red with rage. He dragged the shrieking Kubja along the ground. As Manthara was dragged along the ground, her many colourful ornaments were strewn around on the floor. When those ornaments were strewn around, the radiant royal palace was as resplendent as the autumn sky.273 The powerful one, bull among men, seized her in his rage. He reprimanded Kaikeyee in harsh words. Kaikeyee was extremely miserable and pained at these harsh words. Terrified of Shatrughna, she sought refuge with her own son. On seeing her and the angry Shatrughna, Bharata said, ‘Among all living beings, women should never be killed. She should be pardoned. Kaikeyee is wicked and evil in conduct. However, Rama is devoted to dharma and will be angry if I were to kill my mother. But for this, I would have killed her. Raghava has dharma in his soul. If he gets to know that this Kubja has been killed, it is certain that he will not speak to you or to me.’ Hearing Bharata’s words, Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, controlled his rage and released Manthara. Manthara fell down at Kaikeyee’s feet. Suffering greatly, she lamented piteously and sighed. Flung away by Shatrughna, Kubja was senseless and grief-stricken, like a female curlew that had been captured. On seeing her, Bharata’s mother gently comforted her.

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  It was the morning of the fourteenth day. Those entrusted with the task of anointing a king assembled and addressed Bharata in these words. ‘Dasharatha, senior to all our seniors, has gone to heaven. Rama, the eldest, has been exiled and so has the immensely strong Lakshmana. O greatly illustrious king! You should be our king now. Without a leader, it is fortunate that the kingdom has not suffered from a calamity so far. O Raghava! O son of a king! With everything required for a consecration, your own relatives and the citizens are awaiting you. O Bharata! Accept this great kingdom of your father and grandfathers. O bull among men! Consecrate yourself and save us.’

  Bharata circumambulated all the vessels kept for the consecration. Firm in his vows, he replied to all those people. ‘In our lineage, it has always been proper that the kingdom should be vested with the eldest. O those who are accomplished! You should not speak to me in this way. My brother, Rama, is elder to me and he will be the lord of the earth. I will reside in the forest for fourteen years. Let a large and extremely strong army, with the four kinds of forces, be yoked. I will bring my elder brother, Raghava, back from the forest. Placing all these objects required for the coronation in front of me, for Rama’s sake, I will go to the forest. With these objects, I will consecrate that tiger among men there. I will bring Rama back, like bringing back the sacrificial fire.274 I will not allow the one who pretends to be by mother to be successful. I will reside in the impenetrable forest and Rama will be the king. Let artisans create a path through flat and uneven terrain. Let those who know about impenetrable paths protect us along the way.’ For Rama’s sake, the son of the king spoke in this way. All the people replied in these supreme and excellent words. ‘Since you have spoken in this way, let Padma always be with you, in the form of Shri.275 You have desired to give away the earth to your elder, the son of the king.’ They heard those supreme words spoken by the son of the king. Because of their delight, tears of joy fell down from their noble eyes. Hearing those words, the advisers and the counsellors were delighted and abandoned their misery. They said, ‘O supreme among men! Following your instructions, devoted men and large numbers of artisans will be engaged to construct the road.’

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  Those who knew about land and the regions, those accomplished with strings,276 brave ones engaged in their own tasks, diggers, those who worked with machines, labourers, architects, men accomplished about machines, carpenters, road builders, those who would cut down trees, those who would dig wells, those who would do plaster work, those who would work with bamboo and those who were capable, departed, placing the supervisors at the front. That large crowd of men departed joyously and was as radiant as the great force of the ocean at the time of the full moon. They were accomplished in building roads and each engaged himself in his own appointed task, with his own respective implement. They thus advanced. Those people cleared away creepers, lantanas, shrubs, trees and rocks. Cutting down many kinds of trees, they created a path. Some planted trees in spots where there were no trees. Others used axes, hatchets and sickles to cut down thickets. Other strong ones, stronger than the others, removed clumps of veerana grass. Here and there, they levelled the impenetrable parts. Some filled up wells and pits with earth. Some levelled the spots that sloped downwards. Bridges were built where they could be constructed. Throughout the region, the men crushed and shattered obstructions that stood along the way. In a short while, many canals and wells were built. There were many such and some of them looked like oceans. In spots where there was no water, many excellent wells were dug and decorated with platforms around them. The surface of the road was plastered and lined with blossoming trees, on which, intoxicated birds chirped. The road was decorated with flags. The road was decorated with many kinds of flowers and sprinkled with water mixed with the fragrance of sandalwood. Constructed for those many soldiers, the road was as radiant as a road to heaven. The supervisors were men who had been instructed for the purpose. In a beautiful spot that had many kinds of succulent fruit, they constructed a residence for the great-souled Bharata. Adorned with many kinds of ornaments, this itself looked like an ornament. Those who knew about such things determined an auspicious nakshatra and at that time, camps were set up for the great-souled Bharata. Each of these was surrounded by moats and walls of earth. Each of these possessed excellent roads and looked like sapphires. There were garlands of mansions and walls and fortifications were erected around them. Each had excellent and large roads, decorated with flags. The tops of the mansions were like vimanas and extended up into the sky. As they rose up, they were as resplendent as Shakra’s city. With many trees and groves, the road approached the Jahnavee, which was full of cool and sparkling water and populated by giant fish. The clear and sparkling night is radiant with the moon and a large number of stars. Constructed progressively and auspiciously by the artisans, the beautiful royal road was as resplendent as that.

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  There were bards and minstrels, eloquent in the use of words. On that nandimukha night,277 they praised Bharata with auspicious words of praise. There was a drum that was used to sound the progress of the yamas. This was struck with a golden drumstick. Hundreds of conch shells, with loud and soft notes, were blown. The sky was filled with the extremely large sound of trumpets. Bharata was already tormented by sorrow and this increased his grief. Awoken by the sound, Bharata instructed that it should cease. He said ‘I am not the king.’ He next told Shatrughna, ‘O Shatrughna! Look at the great injury Kaikeyee has caused to the world. King Dasharatha has left, releasing this grief on me. This royal prosperity, with dharma as its foundation, belongs to the great-souled king who followed dharma. It is now being tossed around, like a boat without a steersman in the water.’ On seeing Bharata senseless, lamenting in this way, all the women wept piteously, in loud tones.

  When they were lamenting in this way, the immensely illustrious Vasishtha, who knew about the dharma of kings, entered the assembly hall of the lord of the Ikshvakus. It was beautiful, decorated with molten gold, gems and jewels and was like Sudharma.278 The one with dharma in his soul entered with his followers. The one who knew all the Vedas seated himself on a golden seat that was strewn with spreads. He then instructed the messengers, ‘Without being dist
racted, quickly summon the brahmanas, kshatriyas, warriors, advisers and leaders of the armies. We have to perform an extremely urgent task.’ A large and tumultuous sound was generated, as chariots, horses, elephants and people started to assemble. Bharata arrived, like Shatakratu of the immortals, and all the subjects greeted him, as if he was Dasharatha. Adorned by Dashratha’s son, the assembly hall was like a lake with tranquil waters, filled with water, gems, conch shells, gravel, whales and serpents, just as, in earlier times, it used to be with Dasharatha.