AYODHYA KANDAM

The Book of Ayodhya or the Ayodhya Kandam in Ramayana decribes the preparations for Rama's coronation in the city of Ayodhya, his exile into the forest, and the regency of Bharata.

The sorrow laden night wore away. At dawn Sumantra the charioteer brought the message from Vasistha that all was ready for the coronation. But the poor king could not speak. Queen Kaikeyi ordered Sumantra to bring Rama there. Hesitatingly the charioteer looked at the King. In a feeble voice the monarch mumbled, "I want to see my dear Rama. Please bring him here." Sumantra suspected something serious has happened. With concern written large on his face he drove the chariot to Rama's palace and he delivered the message that Dasaratha and Kaikeyi wanted to meet Rama. So Rama immediately left to meet his parents. The rejoicing all along the road cheered Rama lustily. The son appeared before the father and bowed in reverence. "Rama" groaned the King and could not speak further. The scene there shocked Rama. He feared if he had in any way offended his father. With the same reverence he bowed before his mother and looked at her face inquiringly. The usual motherly affection was now wanting in her. With a feeling of estrangement she presented the position, "Your father is bound on oath and by dharma to fulfill two promises solemnly given to me. And you are involved in one of the promises. The King devoted to duty and to truth feels hesitant to put you between the horns of the dilemma." Now Kaikeyi told Rama about her demands, "In the ascetic's attire you are to quit the city today and go into the forest for fourteen years and practice austerity. Bharatha shall rule the Kingdom until you return. This is my mandate. Dasaratha trembled at this peremptory dictate of the wayward wife. But the illustrious son sought to obey the command with a celestial calmness and ethereal bliss beaming on the face. "Please permit my delay here just until I take leave of my mother and my mate Sita," pleaded the banished Prince. When he moved homeward people who thronged on the road saw no change on his face, but that of the accompanying Lakshmana indicated sorrow.

Mother Kausalya had just finished her morning worship when Rama made his appearance before her. The pleasure of meeting the son changed in no time into a pang when he briefly presented to the mother the mandate for his retreat into the forest. Now turning to the mother, Rama says, "Promise shall not be slighted. I am to make father, man of word. Therefore I retire into the forest to redeem him from commitment. Nothing can force me to deviate from this decision. Please permit me to go." Now Rama came to meet Sita and explained to her about his exile in the forest in response to Kaikeyi's claim of two promised boons. Sita could not reconcile herself with the idea of being separated from Rama. Sita pleaded she had not done anything wrong to deserve abandonment. Rama was compelled to yield. So he bade her to distribute her possessions among the poor and get ready to depart. Lakshmana pleaded with Rama that he should also be permitted to accompany him to the woods. Rama wanted Lakshmana to stay behind and serve the mothers Kausalya and Sumithra. But that earnest youngster clarified that issue stating that mother Kausalya would raise equal to any situation if at all it developed, whereas his being by the side of the brother in the wild forest was much more indispensable. Rama approved of this idea and asked the other to distribute their personal belongings among the poor and to procure the celestial weapons that were kept in the custody of the preceptor. The three subsequently set out to bid farewell to the King before commencing the exile. On the streets they no more saw the joyous crowds hailing them, but the weeping strewn here and there. Vivid was the contrast between the serenity of the three faces and the sorrow of the concourse. Rama appeared before the King and bowed from a distance. He said, "I seek your permission to depart. Sita and Lakshmanan are accompanying me. Please gives us your benedictions and permit us to depart."


Now the King wanted to send a big and well equipped entourage with Rama to the forest, but the renouncing Rama viewed it as covetousness and preferred to go in mendicancy. That was exactly what Kaikeyi wanted and she provided the two sons with the bark attire, the mark of austerity. There was a collective cry for the carriage to hold on for a while. But Rama ordered its dashing away from the sorrow laden scene. As the chariot disappeared in the distance, darkness set in Ayodhya plunging the populace in grief. Dasartha was sinking with sorrow. Dasaratha would not allow Kaikeyi to touch him and could not speak further and he was taken to Kausalya's apartment where he lay waiting for his end. Rama's first day of the wandering life was spent on the banks of the river Tamasa. Prayer and meditation in a congenial setting, slumber on grassy bed, the open air- these were highly interesting to them who sought to live an austere life. On reaching the banks of the sacred river Ganga the chariot was directed to be taken back to Ayodhya. Before the grief stricken Sumatra, the chariot driver reversed the empty chariot. Guha the chieftain of that locality presented himself to Rama and gave him a cordial welcome. He further offered to entertain the banished party as his honored guests for all the fourteen years. But in view of his vow Rama had to politely decline the offer. For the same reason he denied himself the dainty dishes served befitting the chieftain. Fruits and roots were only accepted in conformity with the code of asceticism. Fast was the friendship created between the hosts and the guests. A night spent in Guha's domain was eventful because of the holy talk that Lakshmana had with him without a wink of sleep while Rama and Sita were in blissful slumber. After the usual ablutions the next morning the party was ferried across the Ganga by Guha's able men. On the other side of the river the party finds itself for the first time completely bereft of other human beings. This experience was significant to Rama. Rama reviewed the possible developments at Ayodhya and persuaded Lakshmana to return there on the morrow; but the younger one would not budge an inch from the resolve to serve the elder one as directed by his mother Sumithra.

To the one who knows the way of living there is no such thing as fate or misfortune. Rama turns the evil of an exile into the opportunity for self emulation. His immediate concern in the forest is to contact the holy men. He chooses to go to the hermitage of the sage Bharadvaja located at the sacred confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. With the spirit of a devoted pilgrim Rama approached the Bharadvaja Asrama. The sage received him with due honour and regard; for he knew of the divine descent of Rama and of the exploits that remained to be performed by him. Brief and significant was their stay at the sanctuary. Directions were given to them in regard to the path to Chitrakuta and the desirability of setting there for spiritual pursuits. Dense forests had to be penetrated through and Lakshmana went first making the way passable through woods and thorny bushes. Sita was in the middle and Rama in the rear. Though hazardous it was a delightful experience to all the three. They had come across several streams. They forded and some and rafted the other. At last they reached the river Mandagini and they were delighted to see the elephants and deer were grazing far off. The song of the birds was melodious. Lakshmana and Rama erected a neat little hut with mud walls and thatched roof. Here Rama, Sita and Lakshmana forgot the world and entered in beautitude into the realms spiritual. At Ayodhaya the fond King Dasaratha still hoped that Rama might return to console him. But when the grief stricken Sumantra returned alone and narrated all that took place, he uttered 'Rama' and breathed his last. There was fresh wave of weeping and wailing all over the city. Now in the midst of the woe the sage and the priest Vasistha was bent upon the attendant work on hand. He had the remains of the King immersed and preserved in oil until the return of Bharatha. A few able horsemen were dispatched to Kekaya to bring back Bharatha immediately on the pretext of some urgent state affair. The mishap was not to be divulged to him until he returned. That night Bahratha had a bad dream. When he was troubled over it, the envoys came and demanded, on behalf of the venerable Vasistha, his hurried departure of Ayodhya to fullfil a pressing duty. The Prince was not given the time to take a leisurely leave of the grandfather and the uncle. The two brothers were actually snatched away from the capital of Kekaya.