19. TWO PROMISES REVIVED (Part - 10)

Bharatha understood now. He ground his teeth, glared at

her and thundered, "You are a serpent. You are heartless.

You have had the cunning, the deviousness, to trap the King

into a promise, and not cared that it meant death to him.

How am I to prove to the world that I have no hand in this?How can anyone help thinking that I have maneuvered it all

through? … You have earned me the blackest reputation for

anyone since the beginning of our solar race."

He concluded with regret, "You deserve to die for your

perfidy… . If I do not snuff your wretched life out with my own

hand, do not pride yourself that it is because you are my

mother, but you are spared because Rama would despise

me for my deed."

He left her without another word and went off sobbing to

the palace of Kausalya, Rama's mother. She received him

with all courtesy and affection, although she could not be

quite clear in her mind about Bharatha's innocence.

Bharatha threw himself before her and lamented, "In which

world shall I seek my father? Where can I see my brother

again? Have the fates kept me away in my grandfather's

house so that Imay suffer this pang?"

After he had gone on thus for some time expressing his

sorrow and his determination to destroy himself rather than

bear the burden of both separation and ill-repute, Kausalya

realized that Bharatha was innocent. She asked at the end

of his speech, "So you were unaware of the evil designs of

your mother?"

At this Bharatha was so incensed that he burst into self-

damnation: "If I had the slightest knowledge of what my

mother was planning, may I be condemned to dwell in the

darkest hell reserved for …" And he listed a series of the blackest sins for which people were committed to hell.

Vasishtha arrived. Bharatha asked, "Where is my father?"

He was taken to where the King's body was kept.

Vasishtha said, "It is time to go through the funeral rites."

When Bharatha was ready for the ceremonies, Dasaratha's

body was carried in a procession on elephant back to the

accompaniment of mournful drums and trumpets, to the bank

of the Sarayu River, where a funeral pyre had been erected.

Dasaratha's body was laid on it with elaborate prayers and

rituals. When the time came to light the pyre, Bharatha

approached it with a flame in his hand; suddenly, at the last

moment, Vasishtha stopped him, remembering Dasaratha's

last injunction disowning Kaikeyi and her son. He explained

it delicately and with profound sorrow: "The most painful duty

that the gods have left me to perform."

Bharatha understood. He withdrew, leaving his brother

Sathrugna to continue the performance, with the bitter

reflection, "This again my mother's gift to me, not even to be

able to touch my father's funeral pyre!"

At the end of the day, Bharatha retired to his palace and

shut himself in. After five days of mourning, the ministers and

Vasishtha conferred, approached Bharatha, and requested

him to become their King, as the country needed a ruler.

Bharatha refused the suggestion and announced, "I am

determined to seek Rama and beg him to return." He

ordered that all citizens and the army should be ready to accompany him to the forest. A vast throng of citizens, army,

horses, elephants, women, and children, set forth in the

direction of Chitrakuta, where Rama was camping. Bharatha

wore a garment made of tree bark, and insisted on

accomplishing the journey on foot as a penance, following

Rama's own example. When they crossed the Ganges and

came within sight of Chitrakuta, Lakshmana, who had set

himself as Rama's bodyguard, noticed the crowd at a

distance and cried out, "There he comes, with an army—to

make sure that you don't return to claim his ill-gotten

kingdom. I'll destroy the whole lot. I have enough power in my

quiver."

While they stood watching, Bharatha left his followers

behind and came forward alone in his tree-bark garb, his

arms held aloft in supplication, with tears in his eyes,

praying, "Rama, Rama, forgive me." Rama whispered to

Lakshmana, "Do you note his martial air, and the battle-

dress he has put on?"

Lakshmana hung his head and confessed, "I had

misjudged him."

Bharatha flung himself down at Rama's feet. Rama lifted

him up with many kind words.

When Rama learned of his father's death, he broke down.

After a while, when he recovered, he set about performing

on the river bank the rites required of the son of the departed

King. When they settled down after the ceremonies,Bharatha opened the subject. "I have come with all these people to beg you to return home and be our King."

Rama shook his head and said, "Yes, fourteen years

hence. That was our father's wish. You are the King by his

authority."

"If you think I should be the King, so be it, but I abdicate

this instant, and crown you."

The argument went on at a highly academic and

philosophical level, the entire assembly watching with

respect.

In a world where we are accustomed to rivalries over

possession, authority, and borders, and people clashing

over the issue, "Ours," or "Mine, not yours," it is rather

strange to find two people debating whose the kingdom is

not, and asserting: "Yours, not mine."

"So be it; if I have the authority—then I confer it on you as

the ruler," said Bharatha at one stage. "On my command as

the ruler, if you desire to think so, you shall be the King." It

went on thus. Rama went on repeating that there could be no

word higher than that of a father; no conduct other than

obedience to it. Throughout he referred to Kaikeyi in the

gentlest terms and always as "mother." Vasishtha, watching

the debate, burst out: "I have been your guru; there can be no

higher authority than a guru—you must return to Ayodhya as

King." Rama said, "It's not right to give me that command.

My parents, who have given me my body and mind, areMy parents, who have given me my body and mind, are higher than a guru."

Bharatha declared, "This is my vow. I don't care what

happens. I shall renounce everything and live in the forest

with Rama for fourteen years."

The gods watched this argument, afraid that if Rama

returned to the kingdom, overwhelmed by the needs of the

country, the purpose of his incarnation would be defeated,

and proclaimed: "Bharatha, go back and rule on Rama's

behalf for fourteen years."

There was nothing more to it. Bharatha said, "I have

nothing more to say. I shall rule for fourteen years. But not a

day longer. If you, Rama, do not appear at the end of

fourteen years, I shall immolate myself. Give me your

sandals, please. They will be your symbol, and I shall rule on

behalf of that symbol. I will not re-enter Ayodhya until you

come back, but stay outside the city."

Bearing Rama's sandals in his hands, with all reverence,

Bharatha turned back. He established himself in a little

village called Nandigram, on the outskirts of Ayodhya,

installed Rama's sandals on the throne, and ruled the country

as a regent.