16. STORM AND CALM :

RAMA went to Queen Kausalya's
dwelling. Many visitors were assembled
there, eagerly awaiting the coronation. In
the innermost apartment, the Queen, clad
in white silk, was before the sacrificial
fire invoking blessings on her son.



As soon as Rama entered, she
embraced him and showed him, who she
thought, was to become the Yuvaraja, to a
specially raised seat.



"Mother, this seat is now too high for
me," said Rama. "I am a hermit and
should sit on grass spread on the floor. I
have brought you news, which may
sadden you. Listen, and give me your
blessings."



And he told her briefly what had
happened: "The King wishes to give the
crown to Bharata. His command is that I
should spend fourteen years in the
Dandaka forest. I must leave today,
mother, and I come for your blessings
before I go."



When Kausalya heard this, she fell on
the ground like a plantain tree suddenly
cut down. Lakshmana and Rama gently
raised her.



She clung to Rama and cried: "Is my
heart made of stone or iron that I still
live?"



Lakshmana could not bear the sight of
the Queen's grief. Angrily he spoke: "This
old King has pronounced on Rama a
doom that is reserved for the most wicked
evil-doers. What sin or crime has Rama
committed? Not even his worst enemy
could find any fault in Rama. The doting
old man has lost his senses over his young
wife and is not fit to be king any more.



How can a king listen to a woman and
violate dharma? Even your enemies, O!
Rama, when they look at you begin to
love you, but this dotard of a father sends
you to the forest. Look here, brother, let
us together throw out this King and take
charge of the kingdom. Who will dare
oppose us? I shall make an end of anyone
who dares. Only give me leave and I shall
do this single-handed. A young brother to
become King and you to go to the forest!
The world would laugh at this absurdity.



Don't consent to this. I at any rate won't
stand this. I shall put down all opposition
and see that you rule the kingdom without
delay or hindrance. Never doubt but I
have strength to do it. Instead of the sun
rising, a great darkness has descended
upon the land this morning, for when we
were expecting your coronation the King
sentences you to banishment! In the face
of such injustice there is no use being nice
and polite. I cannot stand this. I must do
my duty. Mother, now you will see the
strength of my arm and so will you,
brother."



Lakshmana's words were some solace
to Kausalya, but yet this strange talk of
ousting the King and seizing the throne
frightened her.



She said: "Rama, consider well what
Lakshmana says. Don't go to the forest.If
you go away, how can I stay here all alone
among enemies? I too shall go with you."
Rama had listened in silence to
Lakshmana's outburst, for it was wise to
let the pent up passion find outlet in
words. Then, turning to Kausalya he said:



"Mother, let there be no talk of anyone
going with me to the forest. It is your duty
to stay here serving the King and sharing
the sorrow that has come to him in his old
age. How can the crowned Queen of an
Emperor wander with me like a widow in
the forest? This cannot be. I shall return
after my term of forest life. It is my duty
to fulfil my father's word. It is all the same
to me, whether it is just or unjust,
spontaneous or extorted by force or fraud.



If I fail in this primary duty, I can gain no
satisfaction or good name through any
amount of wealth or power. Lakshmana,
your proposals are quite wrong. I know
your great strength and I have no doubt
that you can vanquish and destroy all
opponents and secure for me the kingdom.
I know also your affection for me. But the
way in which you propose to use it is not
worthy of the dynasty to which we
belong. Our highest duty is to fulfil our
father's word. If we fail in that, no other
achievement can make up for it."



Rama tried to console both his mother
and his brother, but Lakshmana's anger
could not be easily put down. Perhaps it
could have been, if he himself, not Rama,
were the sufferer. But it was Rama who
was the victim of this cruel injustice. And
so Lakshmana writhed in anger like a
wounded cobra. Rama took him apart,
made him sit down and tried to calm him:
"Lakshmana, are you not my other self,
my very soul in another body? Listen to
me. You are courageous and strong.



Control your anger and grief on my
account. Don't allow these evil spirits to
possess you. Holding fast to dharma, let
us convert our present disgrace into a
great joy. Let us forget all about the
coronation, and think worthily as becomes
our race. Consider our father's condition.



Our hearts should go out to him in
sympathy, for he is stricken with a great
sorrow. Whatever be the reason, he gave a
promise and if he should break it, he
would be committing a shameful sin
which would besmirch and blot out all his
great and glorious deeds. He is heartbroken
at the wrong he feels he has done
me. But I do not feel it a wrong at all, for
a king must keep his word and a son must
obey his father. You should show that you
too are free from any sense of injury. Only
so can we bring him mental relief. He
gave us the life that we hold and we
should give him peace of mind. He is
afraid about the other world. We should
free him from this fear. So far, we have
never given him cause for sorrow or
dissatisfaction. Now we have become the
cause of a great fear in his mind about
what is to happen to him in the other
world. We can easily relieve him. Instead
of doing this, are we to add to his
troubles? For this reason my mind has
altogether turned away from the
coronation and is intent on the journey to
the forest. My sole desire now is to go to
the forest and see that Bharata is crowned.
This would please me best. If I delay,
Kaikeyi will grow suspicious. Hence I
should go to the forest this very day and
bring peace to her mind. Rid of the fear of
the sin of breaking a promise and assured
of my willing and cheerful acceptance of
his command, our father will be happy.
And we should not be angry with Kaikeyi
either. Has she not been kind to us all
these years? That she should suddenly
conceive this idea is surely the working of
fate. We should not blame her for it. One
proposes something and fate decides
otherwise. In this, Kaikeyi is but a passive
instrument in the hand of fate. Our little
mother will have to bear the grievous
burden of the world's blame, but our love
for her should remain the same as ever. If,
before this, there had been evil in her
thought, her conduct would have shown it.
There is no doubt that some higher force
has made her say suddenly and harshly,
'Rama, go to the forest.' Otherwise how
could a high-minded woman who so far
looked upon us as her own children now
behave so brazenly before her husband?
Who can oppose destiny? Even steadfast
sages have swerved suddenly from their
tapas. How can poor Kaikeyi hope to
resist fate? Let us resolve firmly to change
this sorrow into joy. That would be a
proof of our nobility and courage,
Lakshmana. With the blessings of my
mothers and elders, I shall go to the forest.
Bring here the water, the water from the
Ganga for the coronation. I shall use it for
ablution before departing for the forest.
No. no, that water belongs to the State and
is intended for the coronation. How can
we touch it? We shall go to holy Ganga
ourselves and fetch the water for my
ablution. Brother, be not sad thinking of
kingdom or wealth; life in the forest will
be my highest joy."



So Rama revealed to his brother his
inmost thoughts. In these passages
Valmiki uses the word daiva. In Sanskrit
literature, daivam means fate. Daivam,
dishtam, bhagyam, niyati and vidhi are all
words conveying the idea of something
unexpected and inexplicable. Because of
the belief in God as the Prime Cause, a
natural confusion arises between fate and
God's will. What Rama said to Lakshmana
on the present occasion does not mean
that he thought that the gods contrived
Kaikeyi's action for their own benefit.
Rama offered no more than the usual
consolation: "It is the work of fate. Do not
grieve. No one is to blame for this."



In the Kamban Ramayana also,
addressing his brother 'raging like the fire
of dissolution,' Rama says: "It is not the
river's fault that the bed is dry. Even so,
my going hence is not the King's fault, nor
Queen Kaikeyi's nor her son's. The wrong
is the work of fate. Why should one be
angry then?"



This explanation calmed Lakshmana
for a while. But soon his anger boiled up
again. He said: "Very well, then. This is
the work of fate. Fate, I grant, is the cause
of our step-mother's sudden folly. And I
am not angry with her. But are we, on that
account, to sit still and do nothing? It is
Kshatriya dharma to overcome evil and
establish justice. A hero does not bow
down before fate. Having announced
Rama's coronation by beat of drum to the
town and country, the treacherous King
invokes some old forgotten boon and
orders you to go to the forest. Is it manly
to call this fate and obey it meekly? Only
cowards go down under fate. Heroes
should oppose and vanquish it. I am no
weakling to yield to fate. You will see
today the might of a hero matched against
fate. I shall tame the mad elephant fate
and make it serve me. I shall banish to the
forest those who conspired to banish you.
If you wish to visit the forest for a change,
you can do so later. The proper time for it
will be when you have reigned as king for
many years and then entrusted the crown
to your sons. That was the way of our
ancestors. If anyone questions your
kingship now, I stand here to annihilate
him. Are these two shoulders merely for
beauty? This bow, these arrows and this
sword hanging on my side are they mere
decorations? Or do you think they are
theatrical equipment put on for show? I
await your orders. Give me the word and
test my prowess."




Rama gently pacified Lakshmana's
rage which was flaming up into a
conflagration. 
"As long as our parents are
alive," said Rama, "it is our duty to obey
them. I cannot dream of disobeying my
father. It is our prime duty to do his
bidding and enable him to fulfil his
pledge. What joy is there in getting a
kingship after insulting our parents and
slaying Bharata, the embodiment of
dharma?"



And he wiped with his hand the tears
from Lakshmana's eyes. When Rama did
this, Lakshmana grew calm for the
affectionate magic of Rama's hand could
work wonders.