Rama To Become King

Rama To Become King

To add to the joy of wedding, King Dasharatha announced that Rama, his eldest son, would succeed him to the throne of Ayodhya. Everyone, including the queens, the ministers, and the citizens of Ayodhya were overjoyed with this news. The auspicious day for this noble ceremony was decided accordingly.

Manthara's Provocation

But there was a corner in the palace where this news caused a different reaction. Instead of joy and merriment, the chamber of queen Kaikeyi was tense. The maid-servant of queen Kaikeyi - Manthara by name - was trying to convince the queen how great injustice had been done to her and her son - Bharata. Instead of Rama, her son was the right successor to the throne.

Queen Kaikeyi was puzzled. Her love for Rama and Bharata knew no distinction; to her, her own son Bharata and Rama were equal. In fact, she was overjoyed that Rama would be the next king and Bharata would get opportunity to serve his elder brother. She thought Rama to be the proper choice because of his decent character, nobility, intelligence, bravery, and also because Rama was the son of eldest queen.

Reflecting thus, the queen said to her maid, "O Manthara, why raise this unnecessary controversy on this auspicious and opportune time? Are you not aware of my immense and equal love for both Rama and Bharata? Moreover, Bharata also has no objection and is loyal to Rama."

But Manthara was in a different mood. Boldly she replied, "O honorable queen, pardon me for crossing my limits of modesty, but I must say what I feel to be just and correct towards my Lady and her son Bharata. If Rama becomes the king, your son Bharata would never get opportunity to occupy the cherished throne of Ayodhya. As a mother, should you not help him fulfill his ambition? And have you forgotten the past two boons the king - your husband - Dasharatha has conferred upon you!"

The Story of Two Boons

Manthara was correct in reminding Kaikeyi about the two boons king Dasharatha had promised to her in the past. The circumstances were as follows:

Once in his youth, king Dasharatha was engaged in a ferocious battle with a powerful enemy. Queen Kaikeyi, who was young, brave, and very bold had insisted to accompany her husband in this battle. Both, the king and the queen, were in the same chariot when a major breakdown occurred as one wheel of their chariot got damaged. As such, life of the king was in great peril and danger. But the bold and brave queen was quick to throw her life for her husband's safety. She managed to control the chariot and supported the wheel with her arm! Her arm was bleeding and there was intense pain, but she endured. Her presence of mind and sacrifice resulted in not only saving the life of her husband but also his winning the battle.

So pleased was the king with Kaikeyi that he said, "O my beloved, today you have not only saved my life but also have set an example of bravery and presence of mind on the battle field. You have shown that women are not inferior in any way in the matter of bravery and sacrifice. I grant you two boons; ask for any two things or desires and I will fulfill the same for you. Whatever you shall ask I will give it to you. I promise."

With due regards for her husband, the queen told that she would seek her boons later in her life if and when she required anything. And King Dasharatha had agreed to this condition.

Thus, Manthara reminded the queen of those almost forgotten promises the king had made to her. She told the queen it was the most opportune time to claim those two promises NOW. And without any delay also suggested what should Kaikeyi demand:
1. Of the first boon, O queen, ask that instead of Rama her son Bharata be given the throne of Ayodhya, and,

2. Of the second, ask for the banishment of Rama to the forest for fourteen years. (Bharata was not present in Ayodhya during all this period.)
The weakness of human nature is very nicely described in the original text. How a small ambition and love for the son takes control of the mind of Kaikeyi that leads to major upheaval later in her own life, and in the lives of her near and dear ones. She would become a widow! as the tragic separation from his most loved son Rama was sure to take life force away from the heart of the king Dasharatha.

We must remember the first episode - story of Shravana - where the old father of dying Shravana, mortally wounded by the arrow of the king, had put the curse on Dasharatha: "I send a curse to you, O king, that you shall also die experiencing the pain and suffering of separation from your son."

Shravana

Shravana

Long ago, nobody knows when, in the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya, there ruled a powerful but noble and wise king, King Dasharatha. He belonged to the Raghu dynasty where "keeping promises was cherished as more important than life itself". It was all too well known a fact that his forefathers had sacrificed their lives for upholding the path of righteousness and truth - Dharma.

Story of Child ShravanaOnce during his youth, this king Dasharatha went for hunting. He was expert in archery. He had also acquired a peculiar gift of hitting the arrow even in the dark or blindfolded at the sound of the movement of the target or the prey.

On the fateful day, as it happened, the king could not hunt any animal. He was tired and was bit dejected and irritated at this failure. Just then, from a distant pond there arose the sound, as if some animal were drinking water. The king could not directly see who was there, but he guessed that it must be some animal- his hunting prey! The usually well balanced mind of the king thought for a while to reach the pond and then hunt down the prey. But the king was so much tired that he decided to use his skill of hitting the arrow at the sound and finish his job. He put the arrow on the bow, waited for the next sound to reach his ear, and hit the target in a flash.

And what a tragedy! The arrow did hit the target, but the cry which tore the peace and tranquility of the jungle was not of an animal, but of a young boy! The kind heart of the king melted like the butter over fire.

Disturbed, he rushed to the pond and saw, as feared, a young boy fatally wounded with his arrow in the chest. Tears flowed down the eyes of the king. He took the boy in his lap, put a few drops of water in his mouth to wet his drying lips, and inquired: "O, young one, what brought you to this lonely place? Are you alone or, are there any co-travelers with you? What a grave mistake I have committed! How can I rectify this now?"

On hearing the king spoke thus, the boy pacified the king and said:

"O, King, I am a Brahmin boy. My name is Shravana. My parents are old and blind. I am taking them to pilgrimage all over this noble land of Bharata (India). I carry them on my shoulders in huge baskets attached to the bamboo with the ropes (kawad in our dialect). My parents are waiting at some distance for me. I was here to fetch water for them. I am their only support. Now I am worried that they may not survive after hearing the news of my death. I am also not sure whether you can help them because sooner or later they would come to know that you are responsible for all this. O, noble king, please take me to them as I am afraid my life-force may leave the body any time now."

With these words of great remorse and pathos, the young Shravana died in the lap of the king.

Confused and with heavy heart, tortured by the thought of the ignoble deed for which his impatience and indiscretion were responsible, the king slowly went to the old parents. He put the body of the Shravana in front of them. The sensitive ears of the father immediately guessed that something was amiss.
Said the old man: "Who is there? Surely these heavy steps are not of son."
The king replied, "O, noble Brahmin, you are right. I am king Dasharatha."
"Where is my son, O king. What has happened to him?", inquired the mother.

With great sorrow and heavy heart the king narrated the unfortunate event that led to the sad death of their son. Hearing this tragic news the mother collapsed there only, never to come back to life again. The father, under great agitation and distress, thus cursed the king:

"O King, you have indiscriminately killed a Brahmin boy. Our sorrow cannot bedescribed in words; our son was our only support. You have left us with no choice but to die. You have separated us from our most beloved son. I send a curse to you, O king, that you shall also die experiencing the pain and suffering of separation from your son." Soon the old man also left his body for good.

What could the king do, but shed tears and return back to his palace! Years passed by and the king started forgetting this sad incidence in his life about which he did not mention to anyone including his three wives.

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