14. WIFE OR DEMON? :

Dasaratha was thunder-struck.
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When his mind resumed its function,
he doubted the reality of what had
happened. "Could it be other than a
hideous dream? Or the phantasmagoria of
a disordered brain? Or the sudden
materialisation of the sins of some past
birth called up for my chastisement? I am
certainly the victim of an illusion. I cannot
believe this to be reality."



Unable to stand the confused agony of
shapeless terrors, he closed his eyes and
became unconscious. Opening his eyes a
little later, they fell on Kaikeyi and he
trembled like a stag at the sight of a tiger.
He sat up on the floor and moaned,
swaying helplessly this side and that like a
cobra held by the spell of a potent charm.
Again he swooned.



After a long interval, be recovered his
senses and, with eyes turned to his
tormentor and inflamed with helpless
anger, cried out: "O wicked ogress!
Destroyer of my dynasty! What harm has
Rama done to you? Has he not looked
upon you as his own mother? I thought
you were a woman. I now see you are a
venomous serpent brought from far away
and cherished in my bosom only to sting
me to death!"



Kaikeyi was unmoved and spoke not a
word.
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The King went on: "On what pretext
can I banish Rama, whom all the people
love and praise? I may lose Kausalya and
survive. I may lose the pure-minded
Sumitra and survive. But if I lose Rama, I
cannot live thereafter. Without water,
without sunlight, I may live for a while,
but never without Rama. Expel from your
mind this sinful thought. With my head
bowed at your feet, I beg of you. Have
you not said many a time, 'Two dear sons
I have. And of them Rama, the elder, is
dearer to me'? In deciding to crown Rama,
what have I done but carry out in action
your unspoken wish? Why then do you
demand these cruel boons? No, no, it
cannot be really that you mean this. You
are only testing me to find out if I indeed
love your son Bharata. Do not, through a
great sin, destroy our famous line of
Kings."



Even then Kaikeyi spoke no word, but
her eyes blazed scornful anger.
--------------------------------------------



The King continued: "Till this day you
have done nothing to cause me sorrow,
never spoken an unworthy word. Who has
corrupted you now? I cannot believe that
this evil thought is your own. How often
have you told me, my dear, that, noble as
Bharata is, Rama is nobler still? Is it the
same Rama that you now want to be sent
to the forest? How can he dwell in the
forest? How can you even entertain the
thought of his going away into the
wilderness infested by ferocious beasts?
How lovingly has Rama treated you and
served you! How can you forget all this
and steel your heart and utter the words,
'Send him to the forest'? What fault has he
committed? Of the hundreds of women in
the palace, has anyone ever uttered a word
against his honor or virtue? The whole
world loves him for his great and good
qualities. How did you alone among so
many find cause to dislike him? Is not
Rama like Indra himself? Is not his face
radiant with goodness and spiritual light
like a rishi's? The whole world praises his
truthfulness and friendliness, his learning
and wisdom, his heroism and humility. No
one has heard a harsh word from his lips.
How can I, his father, say to him 'Son, go
to the forest'? This can never be. Have
mercy on me, an old man nearing the end
of his days. Kaikeyi, ask for anything else
in this kingdom, ask for everything else,
and I will give. With folded hands, I beg
you, do not send me to Yama. Clinging to
your feet I beg you, I beg you humbly,
save Rama! Save me from sin!"



To the King thus struggling in a sea of
grief, pitiless Kaikeyi spoke cruel words:
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"King, if having promised the boons
you regret it and will be forsworn, what
sort of king would you be and what right
would you have to speak of satya and
dharma? How can you face other kings?
Will you shamelessly confess to them,
'Yes, Kaikeyi saved me from death and I
gave her a promise. Later, I was sorry I
gave it and I broke it'? What else could
you tell them? All monarchs will shun you
as a disgrace to their order! And common
people will laugh in scorn at their rulers
and say, 'Kings break promises even when
given to their queens. Do not expect kings
to keep their word.' Do you not know that
Saibya, to redeem the pledge he gave to a
bird, cut the very flesh off his bones and
gave it away? Have you not heard of
Alarka who plucked his eyes out to keep
his word? The sea stays within its limits
and does not overflow the land, because it
feels bound by its agreement. Do not
violate your solemn pledge. Follow the
path of your royal ancestors. O, I fear that
you, their unworthy descendant, will
forsake dharma; you will crown Rama and
you will dally with Kausalya. What do
you care what happens to dharma? What
do you care what happens to satya? If you
deny me the gifts you promised on oath, I
shall this very night drink poison and end
my life. You may anoint and install Rama,
but before your eyes, O, promise breaker,
I shall be dead. This is certain. And I
swear it in the name of Bharata. It will be
well and good if you fulfil your promise
and banish Rama to the forest. Else, I
shall end my life."



With this firm declaration, Kaikeyi
stopped. Dasaratha stood speechless,
staring at his pitiless wife. Was this lovely
creation really Kaikeyi or a demon? Then,
like a huge tree felled by a forester with
his axe, the King shook and toppled down
and lay stretched unconscious on the floor
in pitiful ruin.



Regaining his senses after a while, he
spoke in a low voice: "Kaikeyi, who has
corrupted your mind to see me dead and
our race destroyed? What evil spirit has
possessed you and makes you dance in
this shameless fashion? Do you really
think that Bharata will agree to be king
after sending Rama to the forest? He
never will, and you know it. Can I
possibly bear to tell Rama to go to the
forest? Will not the kings of the world
despise me, saying, 'This uxorious old
dotard has banished his eldest son, the
best of men'? Don't you see that they
would laugh at me? It is easy enough for
you to say 'Send Rama away to the forest,'
but can Kausalya or I survive his
departure? And have you thought of
Janaka's daughter? Would it not kill her to
hear that Rama is to go away to the
Dandaka forest? Cheated by your face I
thought you a woman and took you for
my wife. Like a deluded man, tempted by
the flavor of poisoned wine, I was lured
by your beauty into marrying you. Like a
deer ensnared by a hunter, I am caught in
your net and perish. Like a drunken
Brahmana in the streets I shall be
universally despised. What boons have
you demanded? Boons that forever will
taint the fame of our dynasty with the
ignominy of lustful dotage that drove an
old fool to the banishment of a beloved
and peerless son. If I tell Rama to go to
the forest, yes, he will cheerfully obey and
go to the forest. Myself and then Kausalya
and Sumitra will die. How will you enjoy
the kingdom thus secured, O sinful,
foolish woman? And will Bharata agree to
your plans? If he does agree, he shall not
perform my obsequies. O shameless
woman, my life's enemy, kill your
husband and attain widowhood to enjoy
the kingdom with your son. O, how sinful
are women and how pitiless! No, no. Only
this woman is cruel. Why should I insult
other women? What a pity that my
Bharata should have this monster for a
mother! No, I can never do this. Kaikeyi, I
fall at your feet and beg you. Have some
pity on me!"



The King rolled on the ground and
writhed in agony. What shall we say of
this scene? A great emperor, famous for
his long and glorious reign, crying and
rolling on the ground, clasping his wife's
feet and begging for mercy. It was like
Yayati, thrown back to earth when, his
accumulated merit exhausted, he was
glory of your dynasty, of which you are so
proud!"



No matter how humbly he begged,
Kaikeyi was obstinate and said firmly:
"You have yourself boasted that you are a
truth speaker. But now having sworn
before the gods that you have granted a
boon, you attempt to retract your promise.
If you break your word, I shall surely kill
myself and that, will not add greatly to the
glory of your dynasty, of which you are so
proud!"




Very well, then," said Dasaratha. "Let
Rama go to the forest and let me die.
Having destroyed me and my race, a
jubilant widow, you will gain your wish
and seek joy in your life!"




Again, after a while, the old King
cried: "What good you will gain by
sending Rama to the forest, I fail to see.
The only result will be that the whole
world will despise you. After many years
of prayer and penance, I had Rama by the
grace of God. And him I now banish into
the forest, I, most wretched of men!"




Lifting his eyes to the sky, he said: "Oh
night! Stay on. For when you pass and day
dawns, what shall I do? What shall I say
to those eager crowds, who, full of love
for Rama, will be awaiting the coronation
festivities? O heavens! Stay still for my
sake with your stars! No, no. Stay not, for
then I must keep looking at this sinful
woman. Depart at once, O night, so that I
may escape this face."




Thus delirious and conscious by turns,
the poor old man suffered agony, a king
who had reigned for sixty thousand years.
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"Pity me, Kaikeyi," he said. "Forget the
harsh things I uttered .in anger. I beg you
in the name of the love you bore me. You
may take it that I have given the kingdom
to you. It is yours. And you can give it
with your own hands to Rama and see that
the coronation goes through. The Raja
Sabha has decided and I have announced
to the elders and to Rama that his
coronation is to take place tomorrow. Let
not this announcement become false.
Have pity on me. Give the kingdom as
you own to Rama. The fame of this
magnanimous gift will last as long as the
world endures. My wish, the people's
wish, the Elders' wish, Bharata's wish,
they are all that Rama should be crowned.
Do this, my love, my life." Again the
King clung to the feet of Kaikeyi.




But she answered: "Have done with
this foolery, see that you do not break
your word and drive me to keep mine, and
kill myself. It is useless for you to try to
evade."




The King said: "With due rites and in
the presence of Fire, I took your hand and
called you wife. Here and now I renounce
you, and with you the son you bore. Night
is gone; the dawn is near and the morning
will see not Rama's coronation, but my
funeral." Kaikeyi cut him short: "You are
prattling vainly. Send at once for Rama.
Let him come here. Tell him the kingdom
is Bharata's and he should go to the forest.
Keep your promise. Do not waste time."




Dasaratha groaned: "Very well. Let me
at last set eyes on Rama's face. My death
is near. Let Rama come. Let me see his
face before I die. Tied down by dharma
this old fool is helpless."



And again he fell unconscious.
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