Chapter
10 (a)
The Two Boons
Vedic
hymns echoed everywhere. For the ceremonial bath of Rama
and Sita, the holy water of the Sarayu river was brought
in pots of gold by attendants. Pundits recited hymns
calling down benediction on them; the recitation was most
heartening and pleasant to the ear.
While Manthara, the
maid of Kaikeyi, was returning the previous night, she
witnessed the excitement of the populace and asked some
one the reason. She came to know about the imminent
Coronation of Ramachandra, which was the cause of all the
joy and exultation. She also saw the maids of the Palaces
of Kausalya and Sumitra dressed in jasmine-white saris
and bedecked in costly jewels, hurrying hither and
thither. She could not bear the sight any longer. She had
creeps all over her body like scorpion-stings in plenty.
She ran towards the palace of Kaikeyi, and finding that
the queen had already retired into the inner apartments,
she neared the door and shrieked, "Mother! Mother! Open
the door! A very urgent matter, now! Your life itself in
mortal danger! An earthquake is afoot". Hearing her
excited announcement in words that rolled one over the
other, the Queen hastily opened the door and inquired in
fear, "Why? What has happened? What is the calamity? Has
anything caved in? Why all this anxiety and pain?" "No,
nothing of mine is destroyed. Your life is being
destroyed, that is all. You have to live hence-forward as
a crazy care-worn woman", Manthara said. All in tears,
she elaborated the pitiable state that awaited the queen
and with many a gesture and groan, she lamented, loud and
long.
Kaikeyi could not make
out why. "The Maharaja is quite well, isn't he? And,
Rama, Lakshmana? Kausalya? Sumitra? There is nothing the
matter with them? Well! If these are quite well, and no
danger threatens them, I am not worried at all. What can
happen to me? Has any danger come to them, tell me,
Manthara! Tell me soon!', the Queen insisted. She turned
the maid's head towards her, held her chin in endearing
appeal and pleaded for an answer.
Manthara replied,
"Nothing evil has happened to those whom you mention!
But, they have decided ...... to wring the neck of your
son!", and she broke into a pathetic wail. At this,
Kaikeyi retorted, "You are committing a mistake,
Manthara! The Maharaja is not such a person; nor is
Rama, or Lakshmana, or my sisters, Kausalya and Sumitra!
These my sisters love my son even more than their own
sons. Your statement reveals your warped mind, that is
all. It is not the truth! Well, you have not told me yet
what the matter really is; come on, tell me the full
story."
Manthara answered,
"Matter? At dawn tomorrow, Ramachandra is to be crowned
Yuvaraja!
The Senior Queen, her mind full of unrestrained joy, is
giving away costly silk saris and jewels to her maids.
She is asking Rama to give away gold and cows in plenty.
Engaged in all these activities of celebration, they are
neglecting you! I cannot bear this in silence. I cannot
tolerate it. You are unable yet to understand the
implications. You revel in the empty boast that there is
none so fortunate. Your fortune is drying up fast. For
your husband and co-wives, you have become a neglectable
person. Before long, you will be reduced to the
despicable status of a maid. Be advised to be a little
alert, ere that humiliation overtakes you. Awake from
sleep; plan your course of action with full awareness of
the consequences. Decide upon the means by which you can
escape from the calamity that yawns before you; it is
approaching you fast.
"When Rama becomes
Yuvaraja, the entire empire will be held in the grasp of
Kausalya, remember! Just as every one else, you too will
have to dance to her tune." Manthara was acting her role
and shedding false tears to reinforce her wily
stratagem.
Kaikeyi was impressed
by her loyalty, but she was not convinced of the
rightness of her arguments. She said, "Manthara! What has
happened to you? Have you become insane? Why do you talk
like mad! Rama becoming the Yuvaraja is the happiest
augury for the entire empire. Here, take this necklace of
mine, as a reward, a gift, for bringing me this great
good news first! Be happy, be full of joy! The coronation
of Rama as Yuvaraja gives me even more joy than perhaps
to Kausalya. My joy at this good news is boundless.
Ramachandra too loves me more than he does even his
mother, He reveres me more. I will not listen to such
imputations against such a pure, loving person. You seem
to have lost your wits; your reason has taken leave of
you." Kaikeyi reprimanded Manthara sharply.
Manthara became even
more demonstratively aggrieved. She got more excited and
clamorous. "My reason is clear and fresh; it is yours
that has suffered!" she ejaculated. "You are not
concerned about the evil rate that awaits you. You hug
blindly your old faith and fond attachment. I am anxious
and worried for the sake of your happiness and
self-respect. The others are all play-acting and
pretending, just to deceive you. They have no respect for
you in their hearts. The Maharaja has no love towards his
other Queens: he is enamoured only of the Senior Queen,
Kausalya. Just to please you, he might use endearing
words now and then, that is all; but, he has no love in
his heart towards you. Consider this. These people did
not inform you; they did not consult you about this
proposal, for they have no regard or respect for you.
Have they spoken to you about it even once, on one single
day? Consider how many months they usually deliberate and
plan in order to come to such a decision. You cannot have
a Coronation so suddenly; it doesn't drop from the sky
one fine day on its own ..... can it? But, they have
decided silently and secretly."
"The whole thing is the
intrigue of Kausalya" asserted Manthara. Kaikeyi could
not suffer it any longer. She burst out: "Stop that
stuff, Manthara! My sister is incapable of intrigue; she
will never descend so low. It can never be. And, the
Maharaja? He is much nobler, more righteous than even my
sisters! You cannot find in him a trace of subterfuge or
meanness. They must have resolved upon the Coronation
quickly, for good reason. The wedding celebrations of
Rama which would have involved months of preparation took
place at short notice, didn't they? So too, the
Coronation of Rama might have been decided at short
notice; why should it not be? The Maharaja himself will
reveal to me the special reason that induced him to
arrange it so. You have not cared to know the truth; you
have conjured up all kinds of absurd reasons and baseless
fears and cast doubts on the motives of innocent persons!
In a few minutes, things will be clarified; have
patience." Kaikeyi admonished the maid
severely.
Manthara feared that
her stratagem will fail ignominiously. So, she stooped to
even worse tactics of persuasion. "Dear Mother! Ponder
over the matter a little more deeply; I have listened to
many things while moving about, outside the palace. In
fact, this Coronation affair has been decided upon,
months ago. That is the reason why Bharatha and Satrughna
were packed out of the capital. They were apprehending
that their presence here will cause complications. And,
there must be good ground for such fears; or else, who
will arrange for the Coronation when they are away? Have
you become incapable of asking yourself this simple
question? Formerly, when you were accepted in marriage,
Dasaratha had promised and given his plighted word that
the son born of you will be crowned king of this realm;
you might forget it, but I refuse to. It is the fear that
the presence of Bharatha here at the present juncture
might rouse the memory of that promise and prove an
obstacle to their plan, which made them keep Bharatha out
of the way, by sending him to his grandfather's place.
When once the Coronation is accomplished, nothing can be
done to reverse it. To promote this mean trick, they kept
the idea secret and kept it from you so long; think about
this for a while, the inner design. You do not spend any
thought on such matters; you believe 'all that is white
is milk!' Your foolishness and innocence are taken
advantage of by others. You simply exult in your love for
Rama and recite 'Rama, Rama,' in your infatuation. Well,
leave everything else aside! Did that Rama, whom you love
so greatly, did he at least inform you of this great good
fortune happening to him?"
The crooked-minded
Manthara used many a specious and cunning argument to
cloud and poison the pure unselfish mind of
Kaikeyi.
She said, "Mother, who
is there in this City of Ayodhya willing to pay some
little regard to us? Who treats you here as worthy of
count? They are all one, united against you. You are a
stranger here. They might even throw you out of Ayodhya
shortly; they will not desist from even such meanness.
The Emperor is a crafty trickster, a clever juggler; when
he approaches you, he speaks soft endearment to satisfy
his whims; and then he departs triumphant! You do not
realize the fault in you which is preventing you from
attaining the high status you deserve. Mother! You may
remember, the kings are ever ruled by lust, and not by
love. Your father knew this fact, and so he did not agree
to give you in marriage to this aged suitor. After
prolonged negotiations and confabulations, through the
intercession of sage Garga, when it was decided that you
be given in marriage, the suitor was compelled to agree
to many conditions.
"This day, those
agreements have been cast into flames; and your son has
been cheated; all the while, they are quietly playing
their merry drama! Else, why should they take advantage
of this chance, of your son being away? Why should they
be in such hurry that no ruler can attend the Coronation
from any State beyond the bounds of the empire? Consider
how their low mentality reveals itself! How full of
mischief and deceit are they!
"When neighbouring
Rulers are invited, your father will certainly not miss
the opportunity to attend. Naturally, he will bring to
the notice of all the promise made to him. So, the plan
is to get through the Coronation without informing
anyone, and once that is over, they know, nothing can be
done to undo it. This conspiracy is hatched by the wily
with this objective; so, be warned in time. Once this
moment is missed, your fate will be as contemptible as
that of a dog. Therefore, do not delay; ponder deeply;
decide upon some method of preventing the Coronation from
taking place". Manthara fanned the flames of anger and
hatred. Kaikeyi succumbed to her machinations, at last!
She said, "Hearing your words I feel that each statement
is more convincing than the previous one! Yes, indeed!
This is no matter that can wait. What has to be done
next? If you can indicate the step I have to take, I
shall put it into action".
When Kaikeyi gave this
clear sign of having been won over by her wiles, Manthara
was overwhelmed with pride and joy. She spoke with
greater assurance now. "Mother! There is no need to spend
further thought. The arguments that can support your
demand are ready and strong. That day, when the Emperor
thankfully accepted your timely help, did he not offer
you two boons,
any two you might demand of him? And, did you not tell
him that since you had no need then for anything, you
would reserve the gift and ask for the two boons when the
need arose? This day, these two will serve a thousand
purposes! You can demand that he grant them now, can't
you?" When Manthara spoke thus, plainly and emphatically,
Kaikeyi raised her head as if she was startled, and said,
"O Manthara, how clever you are! Though in appearance you
are an ugly hunchback, in resourcefulness and
intelligence, you are extremely charming. Though wanting
in beauty of body, you make up by being an expert in
intellectual attainments. Tell me how I am to secure
these two boons, and what those boons are to
be."
Manthara replied,
"Mother! One boon shall be that your son shall be crowned
Yuvaraja. The second can well be that Rama shall not stay
in the empire". Listening to her suggestions, given on
the spot, without a moment's thought, Kaikeyi fell into a
trough of reflection; she said, after recovering herself,
"Manthara! It may be a just demand that my son should be
crowned, but my mind will not agree to send Rama out of
the kingdom. I am pained at the very thought". With that,
she dropped into a seat. Manthara saw that she must act
quick. "Mother! This is no occasion for sentimental
qualms. Procrastination turns even ambrosia into poison.
You have to be a little firm or else, we cannot succeed
in our plan. For the cruel wrong done by them this is no
adequate reprisal. If you desire that your son must rule
as King and that you should have the status of the
Queen-Mother, then, act this way; or, I shall end my life
by taking poison. I cannot bear to see you suffer while I
am alive". Manthara wept aloud, as if she was carried
away by intense love and attachment towards
Kaikeyi.
She was the nurse who
brought up Kaikeyi from childhood; she had petted her,
played with her and fondled her, all these years. Towards
Manthara, Kaikeyi had great affection and regard; she
raised no further objection; she started to calm her
sorrow instead. "Manthara! Rest assured! I shall, without
fail, act in such a way that you are pleased. Tell me how
shall I act now?" she said.
Manthara replied, "When
I suggested you should ask that Rama be sent into exile
into the forests beyond the realm, do not imagine, I had
not weighed the consequences. I did it only after due
deliberation". Since Kaikeyi was a child in political
affairs and legal lore, she said. "The law declares that
unhampered possession and enjoyment of usufruct for
twelve continuous years give the person ownership of the
property. So, it is better to fix a length of years for
the exile, say, fourteen years; when he returns after
that period, he cannot claim the kingdom; it becomes the
unquestioned property of your son". Manthara noticed that
the Queen had accepted the proposal to ask for the two
promised boons in the form suggested by her. So, she
said, "Mother! Don't delay further! If you beg him for
the boons, just as you are now, the Emperor will not be
persuaded to yield. You must work up a wave of rage;
scatter the pillows and sheets in your bedroom; throw off
your jewels into the corners; loosen the hair and make it
wild and disheveled; act as if you have resolved to give
up your life! Go and lie down on the floor of the Hall of
Anger, the room where queens who are overcome by anger
and grief retire, so that they may be discovered and
consoled. You cannot just go to him as you are and
straight away ask for the boons. Pretend that you are in
desperate agony and that only the grant of the boons can
save you from death. Then only will your demand be worthy
of consideration and acceptance. Rise! Take the first
step for the work ahead!"
When Manthara pressed
her, Kaikeyi yielded to her persuasion, and after
carrying out her directions, she entered the Anger Hall
and lamented her fate and the impending calamity. And,
Manthara flopped on the floor outside the door of that
Hall, after drawing the doors together, as if she was
unaware of what was causing all the furore
inside.
Meanwhile, the Emperor
has finished making all arrangements for the Coronation
Ceremony, and when he emerged from the Durbar Hall, he
felt that, instead of proceeding to the apartments of
Kausalya, he should communicate the happy tidings to
Kaikeyi first; so, he hurried towards her palace. The
maids who stood at attention all along the passage
appeared upset with anxiety; the Emperor argued within
himself that they had not heard the good news; for, it
would have lit up their faces! He pitied them that they
did not know that Rama was to be crowned the next day! He
directed his steps to the bedroom where he expected the
Queen to be.
There his eyes fell on
the scattered jewels, the unkept bed, the heaps on the
floor and the general state of untidiness and
distraction. He was surprised at all this and searched
for the Queen in the room peeping into the corners. A
maid-in-waiting announced, "Maharaja! Her Highness
Kaikeyi Devi is now in the Hall of Anger". Hearing this,
he was gravely upset; he turned his steps in that
direction. Kaikeyi was sprawling on the floor, in the
blinding darkness of the room, wailing and weeping. He
said, "Kaika! What ugly scene is this! Why are you so
angry? Who caused you so much sorrow? Tell me, I shall
kill them this very moment; I shall confer joy on you.
You have only to tell me what you desire; I am ever ready
to fulfil you wish. Your joy is my joy. Don't you know
that I have nothing in this world higher and dearer than
you? Come, do not test me further". The Emperor sat by
her side, and, caressing her head, he consoled her in
various ways, and questioned her about the reason for her
anger and grief.
Kaikeyi was in a fit of
rage; she gnashed her teeth noisily; she threw aside the
hands of the Emperor when he tried to fondle her. She
said angrily: "Enough of this false pretence! I put faith
in you so long, and this is the degradation I have
brought on myself! I do not trust you any more. I could
not believe that you are capable of this hypocritical
game. Is this the punishment for putting faith in you?
Go, go to your favourites; why sit here by my side? You
mortgage your mind in one place and your tongue in
another. Give your tongue to the place where you have
given your mind. I am not in a mood hereafter to place
faith in your words. Do not inflict more sorrow on me,
but, go back the way you came. What do you care what
happens to me? Better to die as a queen than drag on as a
slave! This day is the last day of my life."
These wailings heard
between her sobs and sighs conveyed no meaning to
Dasaratha. He was utterly confused, and struck with
amazement. He moved nearer the Queen and tried to console
her and assuage her anger. "Kaika!", began he, "What do
these words mean! I do not understand. I never use false
hypocritical words, nor can I ever use them. My mind and
my tongue act in unison; they will ever be the same;
where my love is, there my sweet expressions will be. My
tongue will not falsify my mind; it is impossible for it
so to behave. I do not know how it has happened, how you
have not been able to know me and my sincerity in spite
of the lapse of many years. Without telling me plainly
what has actually happened to give you so much grief and
pain, do not torture me like this. Tell me what has
happened, why are you behaving like this? What has caused
you this agony?"
Dasaratha pleaded
piteously for a long time, but with no effect! The Queen
only retorted sharply, brushed aside with effrontery,
ridiculed sarcastically and turned a deaf ear to the
importunities of the Emperor. She pretended as if she
treated his words as of no worth. Dasaratha was wounded
very deep in his heart. Not knowing what to do, he called
Manthara in. She rushed in, play-acting her
conspiratorial role, shrieking for help for the queen,
her mistress. "O King! Save my mother!" she cried and
clasped the feet of the Emperor.
The Emperor was really
the embodiment of innocence; he had no trace of duplicity
in him. So, he could not see through the drama they were
enacting. He feared that some calamity must have happened
to make his beloved so perverse and stern. So, he asked
Manthara again to tell him what exactly had taken place.
Manthara said, "Maharaja! What can I tell you? I am not
aware of the least bit of what happened. Mother does not
divulge the reason for her anger to any one. All of a
sudden, she hastened from the bedroom into this Hall of
Anger. Noticing this, I came hither. I prayed and pleaded
in various ways, but she does not disclose the reason.
She does not confide even in you; will she then reveal it
to poor me? We see her suffering and in agony; it is
unbearable; we cannot simply look on any longer! We are
afraid of what might happen to her, and so, we have been
waiting for your arrival. Unless you comfort her and
bring joy into her mind, her condition might become
critical. She has suffered too deep and too long. Her
condition is growing worse every moment. We will retire
now."
Manthara left the Hall
with the other maids, saying: "Please find out from her
the reason for her grief and anger and pacify her soon by
appropriate remedies". Manthara only added to the
mystery, and Dasaratha was even more confused by her
statements; he sat by the side of the disconsolate Queen,
and said, "Kaika! Why do you keep me in the dark?" He
gently lifted the head of the Queen from the bare floor
and placed it on his lap, and sought to persuade her to
reveal to him the reason for her inconsolable suffering.
After some time, Kaika shook off her silence, and began
to speak. "Maharaja! You haven't forgotten, have you, the
two boons you promised to confer on me, that day, during
the battle between the Devas and the Asuras?"
Dasaratha was relieved. He said, "Kaika! Why have you put
yourselves into all this temper and pain for the sake of
this simple thing? I will not forget the promise of the
two boons so long as there is life in me. That promise is
as dear to me as Kaika herself; you are the breath of my
life, and the promise too is as the breath.
"Queen! Has any one
harmed you? Or, is your health affected adversely? Or has
any wicked person dared act against your will? Speak! For
your sake, I shall face even mortal injury, and punish
them so that happiness may be restored to you. Do not
doubt me. O, Embodiment of Charm! Why do you suffer thus?
Are you unaware that the entire Empire is at your beck
and call? Whatever you wish to have, from any region, you
have only to tell me, I shall secure them for you and
bring you joy. Inform me, what is it that you fear, what
has brought this sorrow; do not withhold any thing, or
hesitate to speak out! As the sun scatters the mist, I
shall shatter the grief that smothers you". Dasaratha
fondled and flattered the Queen, and tried various means
of consoling her and restoring her spirits.
Kaikeyi kept in her
mind the advice that Manthara had given her; she resolved
that she must secure from her husband a promise on oath,
before revealing her bitter wishes to him. To induce it
out of him, she displayed exaggerated and seductive love,
and wiped the tears from her eyes; she held firm the
hands of the King, so pitiably enslaved by her
enchantments and so greatly enamoured of her charms. She
said, "Lord! I have no resentment against any one, nor
has any one done me any harm or dealt me any insult. I
have no craving for anything from any distant region of
the earth. But, I have a long-nourished desire, I must
admit. If you swear on oath that you will fulfil it, I
shall tell you what it is". She enticed him with a smile
playing on her face; Dasaratha too smiled in response,
and sliding a little towards her, said, "O, you foolish
Queen! For this one simple affair, why was it necessary
for you to put on so much of temper, and cause so much of
anxiety and anguish? Hear this: Among women, you are most
dear to me; and, among men, Rama is most dear to me. You
are both my very breath. You know this well, don't you? I
cannot survive a single day without feasting my eyes on
you and him. Therefore, I swear on Rama himself. Tell me
what your wish is; I shall fulfil it without fail". When
he declared thus on oath, with both her hands in his,
Kaikeyi was overwhelmed with joy! She rose and sat up;
she demonstrated even more love towards him for she was
glad he had changed into a well-wisher of
hers.
She asked, "O King! You
have sworn on Rama; he is the witness to the oath; is
this genuine?" and, she made her position doubly secure,
saying, "Lord! You are a Votary of Truth! You are the
Highest among the Righteous! You are endowed with
sovereign Might and Majesty! You must have in your memory
the war between the Gods and the Demons; yet, let me
remind you of that exploit once again. That day, when the
Demon Sambara slaughtered all before him, you struggled
desperately to defeat him. Had I not guarded you and
nursed you into life, keeping myself vigilant and alert,
you know what would have happened to you. You appreciated
my devoted sacrifice and declared, 'Kaika! you rescued me
from death itself. What can I give you in return!
Whatever it may be, ask me two boons; I shall fulfil
them, and repay the debt I owe you, the gratitude I have
to evince.' You desired that I should name the boons you
offered to grant. But I felt then that your coming back
to life was itself the most precious boon for me, and so,
I replied, 'Lord! I have no boon to ask from you now; I
shall present my request for them some time later; Keep
them with you in reserve for me,' I pleaded with you. You
were elated at my attitude and expressed your admiration!
You said you liked my renunciation, and declared that the
boons will be kept on trust, so long as life lasts, and
can be drawn upon with no objections raised. All this
must be fresh in your consciousness, aren't they? You are
the monarch of the earth. You are faithful to the
plighted word. Therefore, give me now the two boons of
mine that you kept in abeyance on my behalf. Make me
happy thereby. I do not demand any new boon from you. I
ask only for what are really mine. I need not remind you;
you know very well that it is a heinous sin to refuse to
give back riches placed in trust in one's hands for safe
custody. If you say now that you cannot grant them, you
will be injuring me, with that breach of faith. I cannot
bear the disappointment; rather than live with that sense
of defeat, I consider getting rid of life is more
honourable. When the husband does not honour the word
given to the wife, how can the wishes of the people in
the kingdom be realized? An Emperor who stoops to
deceiving his wife, making her believe him and then
acting against that belief, does not deserve the position
of protector of his subjects, does he? You know that the
lawgiver sage Manu
has laid down that such ungrateful prevaricators should
not be treated as monarchs. Why should I dilate further
on this point and repeat a thousand arguments? In case my
boons are not granted this day, Kaikeyi will not be alive
at dawn".
Announcing thus, she
burst into loud weeping and wailing. Dasaratha was
rendered helpless and weak by her histrionics; like an
innocent deer that is drawn into the net spread for his
capture by the imitative cries of the hunter, Dasaratha
overcome by cooings of love and drawn by the entrancing
gestures of the Queen fell into the trap, like an insane
ineffective man. He vowed solemnly "I shall certainly
give you the two boons," holding her palms tightly in
his.
No
sooner were those words uttered than the eyes of Kaikeyi
bloomed wide and bright. She watched the face of
Dasaratha intently for some time, and said, "O King! This
day I have realized how good you are! This day, you have
proved the genuineness of your claim that you will never
break a promise once made". She started extolling
Dasaratha in this and other ways. The love-lorn Emperor
was highly elated by her praise; he urged her on, with
the prompting, "Kaika: Why do you delay further? Ask! Ask
for the boons!" Kaikeyi hesitated; she stuttered: "With
the arrangements made for the Coronation of Rama, perform
the coronation of Bharata, my son: this is the
first boon I demand! Next, Rama, wearing matted hair and
deerskin, and dressed in tree-bark raiment, shall go into
the Dandaka forest and remain there for fourteen years,
as a forest-dweller; this is the second boon I ask for.
Bharata must become the Heir-Apparent, with no one
obstructing his path. Rama must be sent out into the
jungle before my very eyes. Grant these two boons and
maintain the honour and dignity of your line untarnished;
or else, assent to the extinction of Kaikeyi's life this
very moment". Thus declaring, she stood up and stared
wildly in a determined stance, like a
demoness.
contents
of this Vahini
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