Bharata Confronts Kaikeyi's Treachery
Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 74
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Ayodhyakanda - Sarga 74
Bharata's wrath ignites as he confronts Kaikeyi over Rama's exile. A divine tale of maternal love unfolds through Surabhi's tears, leading to Bharata's solemn vow and anguished lament.
Bharata, overtaken by great wrath, reproached his mother and spoke these words:
"O cruel Kaikeyi of wicked conduct, may you be deprived of the kingdom! Abandoned by righteousness, you shall weep for me after my death. What possible harm did the king or the highly virtuous Rama do to you? Yet death for the king and exile for Rama have come about on your account."
Bharata continued:
"O Kaikeyi, by destroying this race you have earned the sin of killing an unborn child. You shall go to hell and never attain the same afterworld as your husband. The sin you have committed has affected me, and I am left without my father, abandoned by my brothers, and hated by everyone in this entire world."
Bharata spoke of the results of his mother's actions:
His father's death
Rama's exile to the forest
Bharata's own disgrace in the world of the living
He declared:
"O cruel woman, enemy in a mother's form, lustful for the kingdom! O vicious murderess of your husband, I shall never speak to you again. Because of you, who have defiled our race, my mothers Kausalya (King Dasharatha's first wife) and Sumitra (King Dasharatha's third wife) are overwhelmed with great sorrow."
"You are not the daughter of the righteous and wise King Ashwapati (Kaikeyi's father). You must be a demoness born there to destroy your father's race."
Bharata spoke of the connection between a mother and her child:
"A son is born from every limb of his mother, big and small, and from her very heart. Therefore, a son is the most beloved to his mother, while other relatives are only loving ones."
He then recounted a story:
"Once, the divine cow Surabhi, highly respected by the gods and knowledgeable in righteous ways, beheld her two sons on Earth. They had fainted due to fatigue while carrying the burden of the ploughs. Seeing her two sons lying on earth exhausted, she wailed in distress for them with her eyes filled with tears."
Surabhi's tears fell upon Indra (king of the gods):
"The fine drops of her fragrant tears trickled down the body of the great king of the gods."
Indra, noticing the tears on his body, looked up and saw Surabhi in the sky:
"Indra beheld Kamadhenu (another name for Surabhi) in intense pain stationed in the sky, looking distressed and miserable, and wailing."
Indra spoke to her with reverence:
"O holy cow, fear not. You wish the welfare of all. Has any great calamity befallen us from any quarter? I hope not. What is the reason for your sorrow? Tell me."
Surabhi, skilled in speech, calmly replied to Indra:
"O lord of the immortals, god forbid, no calamity has befallen you from any quarter. Only I am in trouble. I am weeping for these pair of bulls, my own sons who are in difficulty. When I see them scorched by the rays of the Sun, miserable, emaciated and weeping, beaten by a ploughman, I am immersed in grief."
She continued:
"These bulls were born from my body and they are oppressed by the burden. Having seen their anguish, I am extremely grieved. There is none so dear as a son."
"The wish-fulfilling cow had innumerable sons spread all over the world. When Indra saw that Kamadhenu too was weeping for her sons, he concluded 'there is no one greater than a son.'"
Bharata then compares this story to his mother Kausalya's situation:
"Wishing always to nourish the worlds, Kamadhenu conducts herself with an unequalled character. In accordance with her nature, she possesses great virtues. She is endowed with all prosperity. In spite of her thousand sons, she is weeping thus for her two bulls. What can one say of Kausalya separated from her only son? Will she be her normal self again?"
"This pious lady is blessed with only one son and has been rendered childless by you. Therefore, you shall experience grief in this world and hereafter."
Bharata then declared:
"As for me, I shall do whatever is necessary for the atonement of the improper conduct shown towards my father and brother and for enhancement of my fame. There is no doubt about it."
He continued:
"If I fail to bring back the mighty son of Kausalya, I shall enter the forest frequented by ascetics."
"O vicious one, O evil-intentioned one, being watched by the citizens with their throats choked with tears of grief, I cannot endure the burden of the sin committed by you."
"Jump into the fire or go to Dandaka (a forest in ancient India) or hang yourself. There is no other recourse for you."
"When Rama, who has truth as his prowess, accepts the kingdom, I shall have accomplished my purpose at last and I shall be free from all blemishes."
In this way, like an elephant driven by prods and goads in the forest, Bharata, enraged and hissing like a serpent, dropped down on the ground.
Prince Bharata, the scorcher of enemies, with bloodshot eyes, raiment in disarray, ornaments tossed about, lay fallen on the ground like the banner of Indra (husband of Sachi, queen of the gods) at the close of the festival of flag-hoisting.
This concludes the Seventy Fourth chapter (sarga) of Ayodhyakanda, the second book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.