Kausalya's Grief Challenges King's Decision
Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 61
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Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 61
Queen Kausalya's heart-wrenching lament to King Dasharatha over Rama's exile. Her anguish, accusations, and predictions paint a vivid picture of family turmoil and royal duty.
When Rama, the most righteous and beloved of the people, departed for the forest, Kausalya, overcome with anguish, sobbed and addressed her husband:
"O best among kings, your great fame has spread across the three worlds. People know you as compassionate, generous, and sweet-spoken. Yet, how will our two sons, along with Sita, who have been raised in comfort, now endure the hardships of forest life?
How will the young and delicate Sita (daughter of King Janaka of Mithila), accustomed to luxury, withstand the extreme heat and cold of the wilderness? How will she, who has enjoyed exquisite meals prepared with the finest ingredients, now partake of wild rice and forest fare?
The blameless Sita, used to the melodious sounds of songs and musical instruments, how will she now bear the frightful roars of lions and other carnivorous beasts? Where will our mighty-armed Rama, as majestic as Indra's banner, rest his head, using his powerful arm as a pillow?
When shall I behold again Rama's countenance, with its lotus-like complexion, beautiful locks, breath as fragrant as a lotus, and eyes like blue lotuses? Surely my heart must be made of adamant, for it does not shatter into a thousand pieces at being unable to see Rama.
O king, it is due to your cruel act that my son and his loved ones, who deserve every comfort, have been banished and now wander miserably in the forest."
Kausalya continued her lament to King Dasharatha:
"Even if Rama returns after fifteen years, it seems unlikely that Bharata would relinquish the kingdom and treasury to him. It's like how some people, during the shraddha ceremony (ritual for deceased ancestors), first feed their own relatives and only then look for worthy brahmins to feed.
In such situations, virtuous and learned brahmins, godlike in their qualities, refuse to accept even ambrosia if offered after others have partaken. The wisest among the brahmins would no more accept food after others have eaten than bulls would allow their horns to be cut off.
O lord of the world, why then would my eldest and most distinguished son not disdain a kingdom already enjoyed by his younger brother? Just as a tiger refuses to eat prey caught by another animal, Rama, the tiger among men, will not accept a kingdom ruled by others.
In a sacrifice, offerings like clarified butter, sacrificial cakes, kusha grass, and posts made of khadira wood cannot be reused once the ritual is over. Similarly, Rama cannot accept this kingdom that has been enjoyed by others, like liquor drained of its essence or a sacrifice bereft of soma juice.
Rama, being highly principled, will not tolerate this indignity. If angered, he could split open even Mount Mandara with his sharp arrows. But out of respect for you, his father, he refrains from harming you. Otherwise, he who could pull down the sky adorned with the sun, moon, planets, and stars, or shake and break the earth surrounded by hundreds of mountains, chooses not to disobey you."
Kausalya continued her impassioned speech to King Dasharatha:
"Rama, being highly determined, will not tolerate this indignity. If enraged, he could split open even Mount Mandara with his sharp arrows. But out of respect for you as his father, he refrains from harming you. He who could pull down the sky adorned with the sun, moon, planets, and stars, or shake and break the earth surrounded by hundreds of mountains, chooses not to disobey you.
Just as a powerful tiger would not allow its tail to be twisted, Rama will not tolerate such an insult. Even if all the worlds were to unite against him in great war, they could not instill fear in him. This righteous one would reestablish dharma (righteousness) in this unrighteous world.
Isn't it true that the mighty, long-armed Rama, with his golden arrows, could consume all beings and even the oceans, as if at the time of cosmic dissolution? Such a Rama, powerful as a lion, with eyes fierce like a bull's, has been destroyed by his own father, just as a large fish destroys its own offspring.
O king, devoted to righteousness, you have banished your son who is also devoted to righteousness. Is this in accordance with the scriptures and the eternal tradition followed by the twice-born?
For a woman, the first refuge is her husband, the second her son, and the third her relatives. There is no fourth alternative in this world. Of these, you are no longer available to me, and Rama has taken refuge in the forest. I do not wish to go to the forest. You have utterly destroyed me in every way.
You have ruined this kingdom along with its people. You have destroyed yourself along with your ministers. You have brought disaster upon me and my son. The inhabitants of Ayodhya are ruined. Only your son Bharata and your wife Kaikeyi are happy."
Hearing these words uttered in harrowing accents, the king was overcome with deep distress and became senseless. Recollecting his folly thereafter, he fell into a profound state of sorrow.
This concludes the Sixty irst chapter (sarga) of Ayodhyakanda, the second book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.