Budhdha parting

He stood there in a pensive mood ,right under the portals of the main gate of the capital city of Kapilavastu .It was ages since he had left the precincts of the city with a burning desire to find answers to several questions that had bothered him so much.Today as some one , who, many people believed, had attained enlightenment and acquired wide following for his beliefs,he was back at his city of birth.What brought him back he was not very sure.Was it the repeated and passionate requests of an aging king and father or some other force which he could not resist , he did not know.A smile lit up his face as he remembered the conversation he had with Vasuki whom he had met in one of his meetings at Gaya.He clearly remembered the sense of shock and regret,that rose up in his heart when he saw her .Till that moment he had never thought about his past.She stood there head bowed and hands folded in front with reverence, but her eyes had given her away.She was not the docile servile maid servant of the palace, but an angry volcano ready to explode and submerge poor Gautama in the flow of red hot lava. Gautama felt the anger and understood her feelings as she was very close confident of Yashodhara. She had never forgiven him for deserting her lady’s side. Gautama allowed her to speak and she went on and on ’Today , I see a very different Gautama , my lord. I see a stranger being worshipped by people who have lost their moorings in life..In your proximity , they seem to be enjoying their situation in life. They hear you talk about life and sufferings and admire you as a sage. What do they see in the words of some one, who had failed to see life through and walked away from life leaving others to suffer. I do not understand , my lord, do you?’ She did not wait for any answer, as it was not a question but a challenge. She continued, “My lady is still waiting, my lord. With her there is young Rahul, who is asking questions we can not answer. Before he passes his judgement on you , you must meet up with him. Let him not judge you on basis of what his mother told him. He is very wise and he can talk
You owe him an explanation”
Vasuki, my dear girl , you have been always forthright in your utterances. You have not said a word about your lady but conveyed a thousand accusations. You know I really have no need to explain my actions to any one , you know. My life is like an open book. A LOOK AT ME WILL TELL YOU ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW. About Rahul , am I not happy that he is at the side of his mother. I know there is pain all over.The pain hurts everyone alike.It is the mind that changes the degree of pain.
Vasuki screamed ,”I have not come to this place all the way from the capital city to hear your sermon. Let it serve any useful purpose to those whose brains have been scrambled. I came here to tell you that you have some unfinished business at the palace. you must visit us there .you must visit us there.”There were tears in her large shapely eyes and in those eyes Gautama saw young rahul and yashodhara.
A long suppressed flame in his heart jumped as though some one had rekindled it .Gautama woke up with a start. He was standing all alone. Vasuki had gone long back, leaving him with a miserable feeling as though he had committed blasphemy.
He shook his head. He said “pain cleanses the soul.Had he not felt the pain so intensely , he would not have ventured out on a quest and a long journey to find a salve to eradicate the pain.Vasuki belonged to a school who believed that pain is self inflicted. Finding solution to pain is likely to make this earth sterile. With out pain , there wont be creation, there wont be any life. Pain is the fountain head for life and only a fool will look for ways to mitigate pain, and destroy all that creates life. That is what Vasuki is accusing me of” He had to change that impression. He could not wait to visit his capital city. He started on his long trek all alone leaving behind qll his disciples. He walked on and on , on different terrains braving different climes and on a very cold day he was standing at the gates of the great city.


Chapter2
The old king jumped from his seat, ”what ,has he really come here? At last he could hear his old father’s pleadings. how fortunate I am? My prince has come back .This land is blessed. I am indeed blessed. They told me long back that this son would bring glory to my people. It is coming true.He has Come back.” The king was ecstatic. He ordered his ministers to gather and accompany him to receive the prodigal son. He ordered that the streets be cleaned and washed. Sprinkle flowers and scents on the streets. Let him not see a single worried face on the way. Take the best chariot and fasten the fastest horses. Let us bring the prince back in style, he roared.
Sudhdhodhana, was excited. He wanted to make sure that this time the prince will not go back again.His kingdom wanted a new king and the prince had arrived. How to hold him back was the question that frightened him. Only one person could hold him back That person was dear yashodhara.He must invite his beloved daughter in law to receive the prince.He briskly walked towards her chambers to invite her to join the wel come party
He found her dressed in her finest clothes. she had put on all her jewellery. Obviously the word of arrival of the prince had reached her first and here she was already to wel come him back. He was happy for her. Happy that her cloistered life was coming to an end. and new life was beckoning her showing a new way to glory. She would be most beautiful and dignified queen She stood up, as he stepped inside her chambers and touched his feet with her head as mark of great respect. She stood silently and king thought he saw a trace of confusion in her charming face. He wanted her to smile and be cheerful . Every thing depended on how she played her part in making the prince stay back in the palace. He said softly, “My dear , our days of waiting and prayers are over.Our prayers have not gone waste. The prince has come back. What a glorious day this is. He is waiting at the gate. Come let us bring our prince back.”She did not stir. Softly she asked ”which Prince sir?”
The old king reacted with a shock,’WHAT DEAR, HAVE’NT YOU HEARD THAT OUR DEAR Gautama is back . I know he had hurt you tremendously. Forgive him dear.He has Come back , that is most important. He will make up for all the pains he gave all of us. come on dear. Let us not keep him waiting.
She said boldly , “father, I am not going with you. Please leave me alone’
Why dear, why are you so apprehensive? You have it in you to hold him back. The love that you and dear rahul will shower on him will help in holding him back. The tears and pleadings of this old father will hold him back. This kingdom needs him, the people of this city need him . he can not disappoint so many people. Like the clouds clearing the face of the moon the dark phase of our life is over . come dear , He is waiting.
Yasho was firm.”Father, the person waiting at the gates of our capital city is not your son , the prince gautam .He is not my husband, nor is he father of my son Rahul. That man there , is a total stranger. You wont even recognise him. Father , I am sorry to shatter your hopes. We lost him long back. We lost him the day he climbed out of my bed and crossed the portals of the palace.Father I beg of you. Do not make it too difficult for yourself.He has not come back here to please you or me.He has suddenly remembered that he did not do properly when he left here first time. He has come here to cover a mistake. He has come here again to say good bye properly” There were tears in her eyes. She had great difficulty controlling her voice. She wanted to be strong . Her body shook in emotion . The old king was left speechless.
‘Father , do you know some thing? His head is not covered with bejewelled crown. His head is no more covered with curls of silky hair. His head is shaven and bald. His pierced ears are not adorned by diamonds but are hanging loose, bare with gaping holes like the roof of a ravaged house.He does not fancy silken clothes. His feverish emaciated body is covered partly with an ochre robe.
He speaks father,yes, he speaks in a strange tongue which you and I never learnt in any school. His words have strange meanings that i find difficult to decipher. Father , he is not your son any more. He stopped being my husband long ago.He is not one of us any more. He surely is not as lonely as you and I are. He has got his people around him all the time, hordes of them, there is no need to think about us They call him a Sakhya Muni and you want to bring him here? “
Suddhodhana stared at his daughter in law with disbelief written all over his face. What is she talking about? Has the long separation un hinged her brain? He wanted to hold her hand and comfort her.”Dear , you must not speak like this. Things will change , See he has come back , let us hold him back , come ,dear gather yourself and step up smartly. Do not despair”
NO , she shouted almost . She turned and pointed towards her grand bedroom. The bed was covered with finest silk and cushions.” I have not slept on that bed for fourteen long years .He left me there alone , with my child with out even a word of leave taking..If you really want me to receive him , I will do so , only if he steps into that room as prince Gauthama , not other wise” She closed her mouth tightly to prevent herself from crying out aloud and walked away from the old and now shattered king.
The king heard those words of anguish and pain and shattered hopes. The words of an immature woman , he thought, words of a woman scorned Slowly a doubt began to gnaw at his vitals as he began to question the motives behind his son’s sudden appearance at the gates of his city after a long hiatus. He could not bear to see his daughter in law in such a distraught plight. Was Gauthama, his son responsible for this state of his dear yasho. slowly the love for his son began to waver replaced by doubts and apprehensions un known. Yasho had struggled to bring her life back into some order after the turmoil immediately after the separation. Now the sudden appearance of her husband must have disturbed her somehow. Why did he come back and create all this confusion , the old king asked himself in a tired manner. With bowed head and stray thoughts , the king walked out to join his ministers who were waiting for him. They made their way to the main gates of the city. The king wanted to ask his son “what do you want now?”He was very angry.
All his anger disappeared once he set his eyes on his son. The shining fair skin was gone replaced by dark and wrinkled skin. The ears seemed too long and ugly with out the diamond studded ear rings. The shaved head bothered him. The ochre robe was torn in several places. His limbs seemed too thin and he looked totally emaciated. ’is this my son , ‘he asked himself in total dis belief.
Gauthama stood tall and erect, with his hands folded.He made no attempt to start any conversation.He did not wish to impose a relationship which he had forsaken long time back.He reminded himself that the attachment was one thing he must gaurd against to avoid suffering. He saw his aging father struggling for words.He smiled and asked in a barely audible voice “Are you well , our dear king.Can you please permit me to visit your great city” Slowly people were gathering around them. Sudhdhodhana said with feeling “It pains me that you should address me , such a distant manner. Is that what you call enlightenment. Can there be any belief or way of life that will build a chasm of disaffection between father and son. You seem to have weird thoughts cramping your brain , my son. Now to answer your request, for visiting this city , you are welcome, yes you are welcome here. This city belongs to you as much as it belongs to all those who reside here.You can enter this city and be blessed. This is the city of “Sakhyas” the capable.
“Thank you , Sir , you are indeed very kind and I am indeed blessed to step inside this city again.” ‘The people surrounded him with shouts of ’welcome , Budhdha, the lion of sakhyas’ An elderly man appealed to Gauthama to address the people. Gauthama said in soft tones ”I am experiencing a new thrill as I step on the soil of place of my birth and facing the people to whom I belong..This city has inspired me to think about the people and to serve peoples cause , however lofty or humble they may be. People always ask me what is that I have learned new and what is new in life. Life is as old as creation and as fresh as just blossomed flower. Just as the flower maintains its beauty, fragrance and its usefulness for a few moments of a day, , so does life , for a few fleeting moments of glory for an individual. The difference between man and the flower is only the scale factor of time..A day of the flower is equal in measure to few more months or years for the man. Both disappear or cast away once basic purpose has been served. What is the purpose served by the flower? We place him at the feet of our gods if we believe in one or use it to decorate some ones head, to enhance its beauty. The purpose it serves is not decided by the flower. It has no such ability. But man is different. At every moment of his life man is faced with options..If he uses his options to conserve himself , then he lasts for a long time. On the other hand if he uses his options for over indulgence, he wastes himself away more quickly. I wish to advocate to all of you only this simple truth. Adapt moderation in all your activities and you will enjoy fruits of your labour over longer period of life. If not you will fall prey to sickness , lethargy and sufferings lot sooner than you imagined.
People applauded when he stopped. There was no mention of god in his brief talk. He did not try to impose on these people any particular dogma. He simply presented a fact of life and hoped people would draw their own conclusions on the contents of his talk.
Sudhdhodhana was not impressed. He expected some thing more dramatic from one who was hailed to have “realised” and attained what was glorified as “Nirvana” .He was in no mood to argue. He was more keen on dragging the prince over to the palace fast where they could discuss life with out any hindrance.
Gauthama climbed on to the chariot and his old father followed him. The horses were whipped to a fast run up to the palace. The ladies of the royal household were standing outside with traditional aarthi plates and dhiyas to welcome home the prince. Gauthama had all along shunned all sorts of rituals, but today he was more keen on making his hosts happy than being dogmatic about his own beliefs. They washed his feet and gave him milk to drink and some fruits to eat. Some one extended a silver tray containing new set of clothes, which he declined. His eyes probed the crowd looking for Rahul and Yasho. He could not see them. But his eyes found vasuki and he waved to her with a smile. She smiled back and a word of thanks came out softly from her trembling lips. She was happy he remembered her request. She turned and ran inside the palace towards her lady’s chambers.

Chapter3
Yashodhara saw Vasuki running in. Her face was flushed with excitement. In between gasps she said ‘ Devi , The Prince has arrived. I just saw him in the royal court yard. I am sure he is coming here to visit you”
Visit me ? For what dear? There is nothing left here for him to visit. He has changed Vasuki . For him , we simply do not exist
‘No Devi , you must not say such things. It just is not right .He has come and he will visit He has to explain to you’
Explain what ,
‘Devi , I met him at Gaya, where he was addressing a congregation. I happened to be there , by chance and I spoke to him about you and young Rahul. I was angry with him for walking out on you. I called him names. I told him that he has unfinished business with you and that he should visit you. You must allow him to visit you and explain .
Explain what?
How dare you did such a daft thing Vasuki. You told him and he has come. Is that what you believe ? If he has come , it must be to finish off the relationship once for all. Is that what you wanted to happen to me , Vasuki
Vasuki was staggered. Such a possibility never occurred to her innocent mind.Aperson has always lived on hope. The thought that one day he would come back can sustain a lifetime of separation. With tears racing down her face Vasuki murmured ”Devi , I honestly did not think that it would work out all wrong”
Yashodhara felt pity for her friend. She hugged her and said consolingly ‘never mind. Let us see what he has to say’.
Vasuki was called to the king’s chambers, where the prince and the old king were in a discussion .She knocked and was allowed to enter. King told Vasuki that she should convey to Devi Yashodhara that the king and the prince would like her to join them in a discussion prior to dinner. Vasuki rushed back to Yashodhara with the king’s message and express wish. Yashodhara stood up and answered.’Vasuki, the king knows very well that I have no wish at all to meet with the prince.
If the prince wishes to see me he can visit my personal room alone. Rahul and I will wait for him there.”VASUKI SIMPLY STOOD THERE SOMEWHST CONFUSED. Yashodhara told her , “look here Vasuki ,the king knows very well how I feel towards the Prince. Relationship between me and the Prince has not changed any way from my side. He chose to break it by deserting my side .He can always comeback to reclaim the relationship if he so desires. But from my side, I shall not take any initiative.”She was strong and very assertive. Vasuki returned to the king’s chambers with yashodhara’s message. The king dismissed her with out a word. Gauthama stood up and said ‘I shall go to her, after our meals.
They had their dinner in silence. Gauthama avoided all delicacies prepared in his honour and was satisfied with two roti’s and some dal , frugal by any standards. The king pushed away his silver plate laden with sweets in disgust and stood up to indicate that he was finished with his dinner. Gauthama stood up and slowly moved out of the room alone.


Chapter4
He stood outside Yasho’s chamber. The door was wide open. He could see inside the room where yasho and young Rahul were together. Yasho was squatting on the ground while Rahul was standing close by. They were hoping that he would rush in and reach for them. He stepped inside the room. Yasho pointed a finger at him and said to Rahul ”Look son , here is your Sire, you possibly have only a very vague memory of how he used to look before , so you may not show any shock at his present appearance.He walked out of our life to save the three worlds. People call him the Enlightened and Budhdha the preacher, who destroyed Mara, the epitome of all that was evil that ever corrupts a man. He is the light that drove away the curse of ignorance and taught the world the eightfold path. Go to him , my son and touch his feet and seek his blessings. I do not know , when you will get another opportunity, as i fear your Sire has no intention of staying with us for long.
Young Rahul walked upto Gauthama , with slow measured steps, went down on his knees and touched his feet with two hands and rubbed his head with his hands. Then he bent down and kissed his fathers feet and a tear dropped. Gauthama jumped back as though a red hot coal piece was kept on his feet. Rahul asked ”Sir , can you take me with you? I hear that you have thousands of followers, treading the path shown by you , so one more follower may not make a big difference.”
‘No son , I wont say that you should not follow my path. You are still very young to make such decisions. Further , you have your own station in life that has been pre ordered for you and you have to prepare yourself for that station , by learning from worthy teachers appointed by your mother..When you grow up your full manhood with knowledge of the learning absorbed by you ,then possibly you will take a decision , but not now.’
“Father , what is the middle path about which whole world seems to be talking about”
‘Son , I have not come here to preach. Yet when you ask a question ,I can not remain silent. That is avoiding an action when needed. I am concerned about actions that we take and thought processes associated with those actions. The thought process swings between two extremes. In one extreme, there is excess of energy, intense commitments and severe pressures of compulsions. In the other extreme also there is excess of energy of different kind steeped in base thoughts, perversions, shirking of responsibilities and fear of consequences..In one extreme you act brutally and in the other you act foolishly. In both cases , you are doomed to fail, because these actions only add to miseries as you do not always gain what you set out to achieve , through these actions..Hence I advocate a middle path that is based on proper understanding of issues involved, a thought process based on moderation rather than extremism that inspires actions applying right values, efforts and commitment. I am against impulsive actions..I advise moderation even in simple acts like feeding , enjoyment of pleasure etc.’
‘Sir , are you the first one to state this middle path.”
‘No son , I am not the first one. These thoughts have been said before, but actions had become second maiden to rituals and emphasis on rituals robbed the actions of their orientation leading to extremism , which i oppose. I could get to know of the middle path only when i left my sphere of zone of comforts, which included institution of life , marriages and luxury.’
“Sir , when you left this place first time , did you act on impulse”
‘No son , I did not act on impulse. I took my own time. I really tried to look for my solutions staying in the comfort zone and when it became evident that solution was outside , i decided and after that only i acted.’
‘Was it really called for, sir?”
‘yes and no, son. I found it difficult to understand certain aspects of life as long as I remained attached to the palace and its attached values. My perceptions were dim and impacts dull and shallow. It is only when you punish your body to extremes of sufferings that you perceive many aspects of life .My mind came uncluttered only when i detached myself from life’
“What did you find out , sir , for which you have received so much adulation”
‘Again nothing son. I found out , no, I should not use that word . It just dawned on me , when I kept questioning myself severely that over indulgence in pleasure, passion, desire is the root cause for all human sufferings, diseases and un happiness.’‘
‘SIR, IS LOVING SOME ONE DEARLY A SIN , IN YOUR BELIEF?”
‘No son, I am not against love. I have many meanings for the word love in my mind. I like to keep all of them separate instead of lumping all of them together. Every love is sacred and pure. Love brings about compassion which in turn directs kindness and kindly actions. Only actions born out of compassion and kindness result in happiness. When the same action is executed out of passion and compulsion leads to misery.’
“A man kills a cow to eat its flesh. You say killing is not a kind act and you are against killing. Would you like to see the man go hungry and suffer because he can not kill as per your belief?”
‘Son , have you tried to ask the cow as to how she feels being slaughtered just to become some body’s meal?’
“Cow is a baser object compared to man , so his opinion does not count”
‘Son , who gave you that right to decide and assume that air of superiority in birth. Is it God? That is why I say no to God. He can not create two things and tell one that he can eat the other. Suppose He in his judgement, creates another superior species and allows that species to decimate humans, would you approve the action of god. Would you not protest and organise protection of your race?
That is the problem today , my son. Concern for others has vanished Man has become self centred.’
“So, sir, you advocate kindness, but want to be indifferent to love. Is that right , sir?’
‘No son , I did not say that. I said love and be loved.’
‘Then sir, “Rahul said very slowly, very deliberately, ”how can you deny my mother, the love that she seeks from you?”
Gauthama reeled under this body blow from his son. For a very brief moment he felt he was trapped. Yashodhara sensed the discomfort. She had been watching her son question his father adroitly till he sprang this question. She intervened before Gautham could answer and said ”Son , it is not proper to question one’s own sire , this way. Today he has taken lot more responsibility, his family is no more restricted to you , me and our household, but extends beyond the walls of this palace and encompasses all the world.”
Gauthama could not decide whether Yashodhara was being sarcastic. She lifted her eyes and met his gaze. There was no confusion in those calm eyes. She bent down and touched his feet and put her hand on her head. The contact made Gautham shiver inwardly..Kneeling at his feet and looking up to him she said “I seek forgiveness for the questions my son asked..You are at liberty to carry on with whatever you have started. I or my son would not come between you and your mission.
You are seeing your son after a long time. what would you give him ,as a parent, for a parting gift”
Gauthama held up his begging bowl ,which he had tucked up under his arm pit covered by his robe. ’this is the only thing I possess that I can call my own. I can hand it over to him with out any inhibition.’
Yashoidhara’s eyes were blazing ’My son Rahul is a Prince. He has no use for a begging bowl. Let him not remember you through that. If you have no intention of staying back to bring him up and guide him through life , let him remember you through good things , he hears , being said about you”
‘ I, WOULD RATHER THAT HE REMEMBERS THIS BEGGING BOWL. It will remind him of people who suffer for want of food and shelter. It will inspire him to do what is good for those suffering masses. That will make him a great king’
They looked at each other for a long time. Then Yashodhara said ”I guarantee you that. They say you are the sun of Sakhyas, walking like an elephant in dignity. I know you yearned for long to know the root cause for all sufferings.You cited over indulgence as root cause for bulk of the sufferings and sickness that afflict this world. You subdued rogue elephant and helped men and women cross the ocean of sin.
I thought foolishly that i can hold you back with my love , devotion and service. You wanted to first liberate yourself from the cage of filial love, so that you could walk in search of solutions that you sought as part of your life’s mission.
You have succeeded . I have lost something very very personal and my own. I know now, that I have distributed what was mine to all those who love you as their leader
Forgive your poor wife for thinking so selfishly. Forgive please , this body which longs to be held in a tight embrace. But I know that would cause more delay and I will gain nothing more.
Please sir , do not worry about your son. I will bring him up as one worthy of you., high in values and steadfast in duty. He will have the knowledge that will help recognise what is good to be absorbed and nurtured. He will recognise evil and defeat it in any form
Go in peace today. You have entered our hearts and there you will stay never to be separated.
Let the dharma chakra that you turn send us good tidings about your glory
You have been most kind to have come here.
Farewell.
She stood with young Rahul at her side. Gauthama walked around them and moved out of the room

sabari_

Chapter1


She was old.She stood in front of her immaculately clean hermitage, with wide open eyes staring at the distant horizon for some sign of human movement. There was none today also. Sabari smiled, hiding her disappointment and stepped inside. The central part of the hermitage open to the sky was the yagnashala where a fire was blazing , originally lit by her master sage Matanga. It has been maintained to this day by his disciples One by one , all of them had ascended to the heaven through that fire. Now she was the last person left behind. Her time is yet to come. She had a mission to complete before she could qualify for her ascent to the other world. That was the command of her master , the sage Matanga. His words were still ringing in her ears , the words so soft and so wise.”He will come. He will be in a very terrible and distraught condition. You will wait on him , comfort and counsel him .With His permission , you can follow me. Till then , you will maintain this hermitage.”
Since then , she has been waiting. It was a sort of tapasya for her. Her master had told her “Patient endurance of suffering and being kind to all souls are the essentials of any Tapasya. . You know , the more fierce is the fire that melts the gold, purer does the gold become. In this way , severe tapasya , will make your soul purer and you attain mastery over yourself . When , you gain mastery over self , you will become an object of worship.. With this power achieved through austerities, you will master death too.”She seemed to be gaining strength on such fond memories of her master and his teachings. After going round the hermitage , she decided to look around at the outside..
Standing outside, at the garden , on the banks of Lake Pampa . close to her hermitage, Sabari tried to relax. She admired the ripples floating on the surface of the cool waters of the lake as the winds from the eastern slopes of the mountain swept the lake. The lush vegetation , towering trees that covered the sun, flowers of all hues, making the entire ground aflame with burst of colours and filling the air with enchanting scent , seemed to comfort her lonely existence in that vast area.”You will stay here till all impediments in the path of ascetics are removed by Him.” sage Matanga had told her before ascending he astral chariot that had landed in the grounds to take him away as he entered the fire pit.. He had warned her that the other world has no place for those whose heart knows no pity and mercy .”Sabari had dedicated a life time combining kindliness , pity and mercy. She roamed around the vast forest spaces befriending all , helping a wounded animal or helping a pilgrim who had lost his way.. They all knew her and she knew them all.
What were the impediments that affected the pursuit of ascetics. The ogres like Kabandha and Ayomukhi, who had strange powers that proved too much for the mild mannered Rishis and Munis, dominated this area and many a soft sage had ended up as a meal of these wicked souls. The rishis had made it their life mission to discern the meanings of Vedas and other scripts and indulged in sacrifices, using fire as medium for their learning and experimentation. The deadly deeds of these ogres tended to disturb their concentration and it was Sabari who frequently comforted these sages and negotiated with the ogres for peace to reign in these areas. Matangavana and its surrounds were out of bounds for ogres.
For a moment she concentrated on the ogre Kabandha.He had started as a very powerful overlord ,matching Indra in might , Sungod in splendour .He had a gigantic form and threatened three worlds with his enormous power. He had gained special boons from Brahma which made him difficult to kill. With pride borne out of his might , splendour and guarantee of long life , he began harassing the rishis preventing them from doing their penances and consolidating their living space.
Sabari remembered the narrations of inmates of her hermitage who had escaped atrocities in his hands and of people who met their ends in his hands. She also recalled he incident when sage Matanga dispatched sage Sthulasira to negotiate a truce with the ogre.When the ogre refused to mend his ways and laughed in his face, the sage cursed him.
The dreaded Ogre challenged Indra and engaged him in a long and fierce battle. Indra could not kill him but used his thousand edged weapon, to push the ogre’s head deep inside the body and chopping of his limbs. . The demon pleaded with Indra that as he can not die , he should have some means of locating food and nourish his body till the day of his redemption. Indra took pity and allowed the ogre to have two long hands, a huge mouth and an unwinking eye. He could now move about by rolling on his trunk and catch his food with his long hands. Aghast at having secured a hideous form in place of a resplendent form he was born with , KABANDHA pleaded with STHULASIRA to indicate how he could redeem his old form.Sthulasira said”when Sri Rama and Lakshmana the scions of Raghuvamsha from Ayodya, cut of your hands and burn you up , you will regain your glory.” .Kabandha had no idea of how long it was going to take for Sri Rama to make his appearance. He was frustrated and in his frustrated state he continued t o harass the pilgrims and ascetics in that area As he could not be killed by anybody , he became a menace.
Sage Matanga had advised Sabari,that he was leaving her behind ,so that she could help those who were unfortunate victims of KABANDA’S atrocities, if they turned up anywhere near Mathangavana beside her hermitage.
She obeyed her master and every time a harassed and physically hurt pilgrim came her way , he was received with compassion and comforted at her hermitage. She used to be terribly distressed to see the gory wounds , mangled limbs and hurting bodies pushing her to unknown limits of anger. She tried several times to use her yogic powers to take on Kabandha herself, but the spirit of Matangha muni always dissuaded her hinting that it was not her due and divine agencies better endowed than her would accomplish what she herself wanted to do. As part of her tapasya , she had to control her anger. The successive disciples of the sage continued to advise her in the same vein and she became aware gradually that it was her lot to wait on that divine agency who would redeem Kabanda.
She took great effort to maintain her equanimity
Every day she would wake up before dawn to clean up her hermitage. She would stoke the fire at the fire pit and then proceed to the cool waters of pampa lake. From the banks , she would survey the vast expanse of water and marvel at the beauty of colourful lotuses , water lilies and other plants floating on the water. The shrubs that grew on the banks would sway in the soft breeze , synchronizing their movements with the ripples that spread on the surface.She had given different names for those plants and she spoke to them in soft low tunes. They in turned swayed this way and that in consonance with her words sending thrills of joy in her heart. The buds in the plants bloomed in their excited state at the contact with her soft delicate hands, displaying their colourful petals to her as a child would display his colourful dress to an eager mother.
She remembered those young inmates of the hermitage , who would go beyond the lake to the lofty mountains to fetch sweet fruits and as they laboured under the weight of those fruit laden baskets , the drops of sweat that dropped on the ground would turn into plants that gave very sweet smell and their flowers would retain their freshness for long time. . She bowed her head to the memory of those great souls
She climbed softly into the waters and even at her great age, she had sufficient energy to swim around to look at the water lilies and lotuses that were spread across the surface of water. From the water , she looked at the sungod peeping through thick foliage acting like canopy spread over the water..her soft , old and wizened features thrilled at the sight of golden orb of the early morning sun.She raised her ands over her head,, in total supplication to that source of vital energy that supported life on this earth. With a thankful bow , she ducked her head into the water three times and swam over to the banks , dripping wet.The cool rays of the sun illuminated her slender body in a golden glow and as she dried , she began to gather flowers for her morning worship.
Back at the hermitage, she fed the fire with dry logs and walked around the fire , her mind chanting appropriate hymns automatically and sat down with basket of flowers for her worship.She Completed the routine and bowed her head in the southern direction and spent some time remembering her master and her own mission. A sense of fulfillment enveloped her fragile body. She tried to relax .She assured herself , “your time will come soon”
Then , in the distance , she saw the huge figure of Ayomukhi, blundering her way towards the hermitage.Sabari looked at her with mounting apprehension that peaked justifiably in anger , as it was very well known to Ayomukhi that the hermitage was out of bound for her. She thought her old eyes may be playing some lousy trick, so she waited till the huge figure loomed close to her. She could see her very clearly. There was no doubt now, it was Ayomukhi , all right. Ayomukhi let out a painful cry “sabaree… and with a few more unsteady steps , she walked ahead and suddenly collapsed to the ground in heap. Sabari’s anger subsided fast at the sight of a suffering soul and surfacing of her matronly instincts. Holding her stick close to her body , she hurried towards the fallen figure, fearing the worst. The Matangavana and the hermitage were strictly out of bunds for Ayomukhi and her kind .It was Sabari , who used to go out and meet those ogres and other inhabitants around the lake Pampa.Only under extreme conditions would ogres breach the understanding and this time Ayomukhi had all the reasons to reach Sabari.She took a pitcher of water and grabbed basket of fresh herbs and rushed to wards the inert bulk., as fast as her aging limbs could help..Lying on the ground , Ayomukhi opened her eyes to look into the anxious face of grand old lady and said in very feeble voice”Sabari , help me, please.I am dying of thirst”.Sabari tilted the pitcher , over her great mouth and was horrified to see the mutilated face from up close. Trembling , with anger , she asked”who did this to you , Ayo , you promised me you would behave. You have been in a fight and were beaten by some one more vicious than you . who was it ? tell me now, what happened?”.
Gulping the cool , rejuvenating water feverishly , Ayomuki held her hand up to stop Sabari from going on and on.Slowly gathering herself Ayo said” Sabari , I promise you , I have not reverted to my old habit.I have been keeping myself out of trouble, I swear. But when I wanted to do some thing good and kindly , I got hurt this way. She tried to smile but it hurt.
Sabri cleaned her up , wiping the caking blood stains , around the nose and ears., with a wet cloth. Actually there was no nose at all as it had been loped away leaving small ugly holes and some torn tissues in what was earlier a nose. The ears were badly slashed and barely hanging .Whoever had cut those organs must have been very mean indeed , Sabari thought. Ayomukhi had lost lot of blood and was just a bit alive.. Crushing medicinal herbs and leaves in her work hardened palms , sabari allowed the juice to drip on the injured organs and made pads out of soft leaves and bound those parts up in an expert manner. Ayomukhi allowed SABARI to do her nursing role patiently, flinching and grimacing with pain whenever she touched some raw parts . When she was satisfied that she had done all she could to comfort the injured soul, Sabari asked “ now tell me . What were you upto ?Who cut you up so cruelly “. A thankful Ayomukhi said , “ thank you sabari. I came here knowing very well that you would attend to me. Inspite of I being a vicious ogre , you are always kindness personified. Your compassion for a hurting soul is legendary.
Some where , south of Thunga bhadra river ,forest area, I saw two men blundering their way, through thick forest.. They were very tired and had been walking for long.. The exhaustion,hot sun and other troubles they had enroute , had demoralized them They had stopped to rest on the foot hills of the western mountain range
The elder one was almost wailing. He considered himself to be the most unfortunate and inheritor of misfortune wholesale. Deprived of his kingdom , driven to the forest , losing his father and now allowing his beloved to be kidnapped, this man has been blindly pushing southwards looking for some clue to the where abouts of his lost wife. Some dying eagle called Jatayu , who had valiantly fought to save the lady from the kidnapper, , had informed this gent about the ogre king Ravana as the kidnapper and that he was heading southwards.” Ayo mukhi paused to get her breath back and Sabari was listening to the story , with her heart racing and mounting excitement.” What happened, tell me “
The younger one could not bear to see the pain and hurt experienced by his brother on account of separation from wife. He tried to console his brother talking to him about need for being strong in the face of extreme adversity and distress. It is not manlike to lose ones control and wail like a baby We have to bear with fate and be ready for things to change and think about making things turn around.. He was repeatedly assuring that to gather , they would locate Ravana and deal with him.
Sabari could not suppress her excitement “Ayo , tell me how did they look like”Ayo asked “who , the younger or the elder ?”
Sabari did not press .Instead she asked ,”tell me how you got hurt”
Ayomuki continued with her narration,” I heard them talk .I felt extremely unhappy to hear the sad story. The elder was pining for his lost wife and younger one was hurting to see his brother breaking down so easily. My heart went out to them. I thought I would talk to them , give them my love and lift their spirits up so tat they can enjoy the scenery around them and over come their unhappiness Honest , I did not have any other thought , in my mind. All I wanted was to make them feel a little bit more comfortable. So I put on my best appearance and approached them, with a very pleasant and welcome greeting. My sudden appearance out of no where startled them and the two became very alert and aggressive.I thought the reason for such hostile reception might have been their recent experiences with ogres. I decided to ignore their animosity and concentrated on overwhelming them with my superior charm It did not help. I thought I would go little closer to them , so that my sweet smelling scent would instill a sense of comfort to set aside the animosity. It did not help either. I touched the younger one softly and urged him to be cheerful and calm their nerves .Here was female , very well endowed and ready to please them, so that their sorrows could drown in the warmth of my company. But they were suspicious. When I was close to the younger one , the elder brother shouted , “ Watch out , here is another Surpanaka”. The younger one stared at me. His eyes sharp and cruel , saw through my disguise. When I put my arm around him , he gave me a stinging slap that dis oriented me and aroused my suppressed anger. My form slipped and he saw me in my natural attire.With a scream “ you back again” he jumped and drew his sword and with a mighty heave , he slashed my ears and loped off my. nose. He was about to cut off my head when the elder one stopped him Horrified , I said weakly ,” I was only trying to help.what have you done to me”. He snarled “ we have not fallen so low that we need to be comforted by your kind. Go away if you value your life” I waited . Somehow at that moment , I was not angry with them. I put my hand up and touched his chin. He blew up in anger and his sword arm moved and separated my breast. I was mortally wounded, in pain and totally confused. The elder one screamed , please go away .I cant control my younger brother. next move he will kill you.”I ran away terrified. .”So much for your advice ,Sabari, be good to men. Of course , you did not specify , what sort of men. My first contact with men after your advice ended up in disaster for me.I sincerely wish that those two run into kabanda and meet their end in his hands. Would serve them right , for what they have done to me “”
Sabari was intrigued. She had heard all that was told by Ayomukhi .She found that Ayomukhi was stable and in less discomfort than before. So she asked her” Ayo , please tell me about the elder brother, Describe him to me”
“ O , he was wailing all the time. But he was handsome. Very handsome . One could go on looking at him . He seemed to be so large , like wide blue sky . Yes , he had very fine complexion , all most blue. He was kind , not given to anger like his younger brother. my , he was explosive alright. But the elder one was very kind .He saved my life . Otherwise , the younger one would have killed me.”
Did you get their names at all” asked SABARI hanging on to every word from Ayomukhi.
No I did’nt and I don’t care “ fumed the hurting AYOMUKHI” I hope Kabanda finds them”
Why do you wish like that
Sabari , whose side are you in. You saw what they have done to me . why all this interest , in those wild men”
“ It would serve my purpose too, if they run into Kabanda, if I know who you were dealing with” the words came slowly from Sabari. She became suddenly very quiet, her thoughts racing ahead of her. She began to connect pieces of dialogue she had had with her master , very long time ago about kabandha
Sabari , do you know that for all his bad qualities,Kabandha is indeed a blessed soul. It is prophesised that he would meet his end at the hands of Rama and Lakshmana , the princes from AYODHYA He has a mission to accomplish , to direct Rama to you

You must be ready for that event. You must be here to receive him and care for him. For a brief period , you will feel like that great Anusuya , who had the three gods in her lap like babies. My dear SABARI , you are the glorious soul
Sabari was thrilled. She remembered jumping up and asking ‘ SIR , WHEN WILL THAT HAPPEN?”
YES dear , it is a long way off. You must prepare yourself well for that arrival.

Sabari has been preparing for that day for so long. What Ayomukhi had told her , was the first indication that her great lord was on his way to meet with her, a withering old lady who had already outlived her usefulness and was merely waiting to receive her salvation at the feet of her lord.. It hurt her immensely to realize that her Lord was suffering on account of separation for His soul mate due to a diabolical plot scripted by a rakshasa Called Ravana. Her thoughts went to her Lord’s consort who was facing more severe travails away from her Lord. A solitary tear dropped and then she composed herself.

CHAPTER2
Rama was very upset at the encounter withAyomukhi. The incident was so similar to that happened at Panchavati , with such devastating fall outs.Would Ayo mukhi also now bring with her another army of ogres to attack them.He was not afraid of another battle , but thought it would hold up his search for Sita. That was the paramount task ahead and nothing should distract them from that.. He must not lose control of his emotions. It was so unlike him to have lost control of his emotion when Ayomukhi incident happened. Possibly that is what happens , when you are separated from your soul mate.

He looked at Lakshmana and mentioned to him that it would not be a very wise idea to wait .You can never tell what Ayomukhi would do. Quickly they gathered their belongings and started on their southward march, as suggested by the noble Jatayu..
They entered the deep inside the forest region, bound on the west by the lofty peaks of SAHYADRI HILLS.Now and then paused at a waterfront and enjoyed the scenery and wondered how kind the mother nature has been to the region. Whenever they came across really enchanting sight , Rama used to remember Sita wondering aloud how much she would have enjoyed this .Then he would slip back into depression and Lakshmana had a busy time trying to console his dear brother, who was agonizing over the separation.
The land seemed totally un inhabited by human beings and animals of all sorts roamed about freely.The animals stared at them curiously and they rushed away when Rama tried to befriend them . They made good progress.
Suddenly they heard rumble of falling rocks , crashing of trees and air was filled with scream of badly frightened animals, running helter skelter.Rama loked at the animals and stepped aside to avoid being stampeded by them.He took his bow and arrows out and got ready to ambush anything that appeared ahead He mentioned to Lakshmana, “ These are the lands under Ogre domination. We must be ready to face any kind of attack”While he was alerting Lakshmana this way , he pointed at some thing in front of them . They saw in the confusion of stampeding animals and crashing trees, two sinewy and incredibly long hairy hands closing in on them. To whom those hands belonged , they could not fathom. Like remote controlled limbs , the two hands were groping and very soon caught Rama and Lakshmana in their powerful fists
The moment , the two brothers were firmly grabbed, Kabanda felt a strange sensation run through his body like lightening strike.There was an immense feeling in his mind that the present catch was incredibly different from thousand other catches that his damned body was used to, in his miserable efforts to sustain himself till the date of his redemption., that so far gave no indication of coming. Suddenly his mind cleared and he somehow felt his days of accursed living would soon be behind him.
The hands that had grabbed the two brothers , Rama in one and Laksmana in the other , lifted up in air and as they rose up , the brothers could see how far the two hands had stretched below them, nearly eight long miles, ending in mass of flesh that seemed to have no head or any other limbs.The fleshy body had in the center , a cavernous belly and above the belly was solitary , unwinking eye, that rolled in its hollow trying to spy at what he had caught.Rama saw the ugly and fierce looking creature and spoke to Lakshmana,” Dear brother, have we come all the way from Ayodhya to end up in this creatures stomach.Are we not going to retrieve our Sita in this life time. Is it the cruel fate that keeps on piling misfortunes at our steps as magnanimous king heaps gifts to the deserving. Is this what we have accomplished in our life.” Lakshmana realized Rama was plunging into despair and hastened to boost up the sagging morale. “ brother “, he shouted to be heard over all the other sound “there is no need to despair. Our hands are free and our weapons are with us. We will cut through these hands and will be free”. He drew his sword and saw Rama also doing the same. The light flashed from the swinging blades and the demon’s eye gleamed, his salvation was near. He was over joyed. With an uncommon clarity , he asked ”who are you. ? What are you doing in the forest.?”
The brave Lakshmana replied, every word slamming into the demon like thunder bolts
‘ That is Raghava, Son of Dasharatha , king of Ayodhya, up there in the north. I am his younger brother Lakshmana. We are all set to destroy you just now.” The demon’s response filled them with wonder. In a tone that resembled a temple bell and clarity of speech found only in the very learned , they heard
“ Welcome Rama and Lakshmana. My life time of waiting for your arrival has at last fructified I am the most fortunate of all living beings to have run into you this way. I am known as Kabandha , son of Dhanu , the original Dhanava. In my original form , I was as mighty as Indra and as Tejasvi as the Sungod.The curse of Sthulasira and battle with Indra has bought me this wretched form and a cursed life.. I move by rolling on my body and eat what ever my hands grab.Today those blessed hands have grabbed you two. How fortunate I am Now .please tell me what brought you two to this land. As ordinary men do not frequent this area for a stroll in the park. What is your objective? “
Laksmana continued “ We entered the forests south of Ganga to fulfill the stipulated 14 years of exile as per wishes of our father. Our kingdom presently is ruled by our brother , the glorious Bharatha . Rama’s wife Sita was kidnapped by a RAKSHASA from the south. We are trying to locate him . That is what has brought us to your hold”
Kabandha’s booming voice filled the air again “ so you have been dogged by bad luck all along. Look at life with positive mindset. Every trouble teaches you something new and you add to your knowledge as you find ways to over come. The fate has brought you two to complete an unfinished business. You will cut my limbs and set fire to my body. That way I will get my original body. In my original form , I will be able to guide you to wards some one who would be in a position to help you achieve your objective. It has been foretold by sage Matanga and Sthulasira that the princes from Ayodhya would help me to get out of this cursed form and restore me to my old splendor. You must now proceed with your action to cut me up and and put me up in flames. Hearing the Dhanavas words , the brothers were galvanized into action. They cut of his long limbs and rolled the body into a deep ditch . They cut of trees and rolled logs over his body and then set fire to entire heap . As the flames blazed , the two brothers watched with hope and prayer.Out of the leaping flames emerged a figure of glorious features with shining ornaments He stood tall and huge, with folded hands. He rose up in air and said
”Rama . thank you so much. Look at my splendid body. This is gift given by you.I will use it henceforth for the good of the world. I promised you that in return , I will help you. I have no knowledge about the exact whereabouts of Sita. But I do know a person , who will help you to reach her.
People in your position should forge alliance , to help reach your objectives that independently may be beyond you today..I refer you to SUGREEVA, a Vanara of extraordinary intelligence , immense strength and foresightedness. He is the son of that powerful divinity which lights up this world , the SUNGOD. Presently he is in a plight very much akin to your own and you will see a kindred soul mate when ypu meet with him. He too has lost his wife and kingdom on account of a wild brotherYou will befriend him and help him to regain his lost glory. In Gratitude , he will provide you with an army that you can use to retrieve your consort.So please proceed towards Sugreeva.
He presently lives in the caves of Rishyamukha Mountain, beyond MATANGAVANA AND LAKE PAMPA. Please proceed to that place , south west of this place. You will rest there. Sugreeva is very wise. HE will locate you and and reach out to you. Do not despair . You help him and he will help you , have no doubt about that.”
Rama’s face brightened on hearing the words of kabandha. He knew Kabhandha was waiting for his permission before leaving them . Rama addressed Khabandha” thank you khabandha, we will proceed as per your advice. You may leave us now.” .Kabandha , with folded hands , went around Sri Rama three times , stopped in front of Laksmana and bowed to him . , before departing
Kabandha reached Matanga’s hermitage and stood in front of Sabari in his resplendent new form.Sabari recognized him instantly and felt extremely elated at his good fortune. Kabandha told her “Sabari , see I have seen Rama just like what your master had said.Your days of waiting are over. He will come this way looking for Sugreeva. You have spent a lifetime waiting for Him. HE WILL COME TO YOU , treat him kindly.”
He disappeared leaving an excited Sabari.Sabari leaned on the door frame closing her eyes. Her thoughts moved another age and phase of her eventful past.

Chapter3

Malini stood resplendent in her bridal dress.It was he biggest day of her life. At her side stood the youthful lking Vitihotra.They were standing in front King Chitra kavacha, waiting for his blessings and permission to leave his country and go beyond to start their new life together. The great Ghandarva king was hiding his disappointment gracefully . This marriage was very much against his liking. He had tried to alert his beautiful and intelligent daughter that her choice was flawed. Vitihotra though young , well read and skillful in arts and science, was not a ghandharva. He was an ordinary earth bound creature who had stumbled to greatness more by accident than design.But his daughter was madly in love, so blind to many shortcomings in his character and mental makeup., which were so obvious to the king’s all knowing and probing eyes.For Ghandharvas a marriage was union of two like minded souls and in this case it appeared to him that Malini and vitihotra were .poles apart in maturity mind. Malini was well read , knew how to use her extraordinary powers with responsibility.What she saw in her husband , he could never know.. He thought initially it was an infatuation that would pass off but
His impulsive daughter was seriously in love coming under the youthful charm of Vitihotra just like the predictions made by Rishi Matanga.He thought he was unfair to the bride groom about whom he had learned from Matanga on the banks of lake Pampa. The rishi had clearly told him “ please do not throw him away. Accept him with all shrt comings that you see in him. I have taught him all the scriptures myself and he has learnt the martial skills from great masters. He as at times displayed fickleness of mind, but you can not hold it against him He has a role to play in a divine undertaking. I know it for a fact that the marriage would be short lived and you can not stop what is already ordained. We play our roles as directed by forces which we can not control. Simply bless them and let them go away to make their own life”. That is what he was presently doing , blessing and sending them away..The king had a great respect for the great Rishi who , he knew was a divine agent and was endowed with a foresight denied to ordinary people..At his suggestion only , he had allowed this union to take place and he should not stop it now.

Malini was extremely happy as she took leave of her parent.. She flew away carrying her husband with her , over the mountains , lakes , forests and enchanting gardens. They enjoyed each others company . Viti hotra was charming. He kept his young and lovely bride very impressed with his talks, and delicate loving gestures. His mere touch sent Malini to heights of ecstasy and they enjoyed every moment of togetherness. They planned their future on the banks of river Pampa not very far from the ashrams of sage Matanga . Viti Hotra did not want to stray to far away from his master.
They had roamed about in a carefree manner before coming to rest in a forest clearing. Vitihotra was feeling hungry.Malini brought luscious tasty fruits and tender roots which were her staple diet. Combined with milk and honey , it was a meal fit for the gods.
Vitihotra was already tired of all the satvik food. The prospect of a long evening in the company of lovely Malini made him long for a different type of food , something more substantial than all fruits and roots. He longed to hold in his hands juicy well cooked flesh .A fairly large sized dove flew in front f his eyes and his mouth began too water increasing his craving.He stretched his hand and using his yogic power produced a beautifully carved bow with arrows tipped with steel and ends decorated with white eagle feathers for balance.. He stretched the bow and strung it up tight. He tested the tension by plucking at the string. The boom of vibrating string woke up Malini and stood transfixed seeing her husband with bow and arrow in hands. He looked totally a different person , she was terrified at the thought of what he was going to do. Gandarva girls knew a great deal about weapons and Malini herself was an expert marksman , but she abhorred all actions of violence and for her hunting game was akin to barbarism. He looked at her with a smile and said” Did you know, Malini, I am a very accomplished bowman The bow I am holding is a match for Vishnu’s bow the sacred Saranga. With this bow I can strike anything I see. Do you want to see some exciting shooting. Come and be quick and point out a flying object and I will show how it is done. Do you want to see me bring that big mango hanging on that tree branch” with out waiting for her reply he let an arrow fly and ran forward too catch the falling fruit..He caught and pushed it into the soft trembling hands of Malini.He smiled at her and said “now , for something bigger”.His shining eyes scanned the skies and spotted a white dove, a male one showing off his gliding skills to his mate who was perched on top of a tall tree watching him with a bored look.For a moment the dove stalled standing still when the arrows struck and he fell down like a stone..His mate flew away fully realizing there is no fun watching a dying mate..
Vittihotra’s fleet foot carried him to the spot where the dove had dropped. He raced dodging the trees that blocked his way. Then he stopped. There was a young hunter holding the dove in his hand. There were two arrows struck in the dove’s fragile body.Vittihotra recognized his arrow with white eagle feather..It was his shot, he thought .He could not understand how any body else could have hit the same bird. He was angry to have come second best while his wife was watching.”Give it to me” he shouted. The yung hunter did’nt say a word, he simply smiled and put the bird to his chest, in a tender gesture of ownership, which further infuriated vittihotra. The young hunter said”No, it is mine”.Vittihotra grabbed at the hunter’s hand to snatch the bird. The boy whipped the bow slapping vittihotra in his hands. The slap hurt and he pushed the boy around to face him. The boy swung his right leg in a long arc and kicked hard at vittihtra’s groin. Vittihotra doubled up in pain and dropped to the ground. The boy did’ nt follow up his advantage but instead turned and walked away. He had taken a dozen steps when he heard a cold menacing voice ”if you do not stop, will put an arrow through your back.”

The youngster stopped and turned slowly, the setting sun illuminating his sunburnt face. He said ”This is sabara land. A sabara never allows a stranger to take away from his hands the game shot by him . You seem to be new around this place. I see the pretty girl there.You better go to her, if you wish to live in these parts alive.”

Vittihotra heard the cold words spoken with utter disdain. The young rascal had no respect for all that Vittihotra stood for.The peaking anger snapped the intelligence and brought out a terrible challenge.”Then let the strength of my arms decide the next step”.Before the words died down , the youngster moved. He whipped his bow around and shot two quick arrows at Vittihotra, blasting the bow out of his hands.Vitti hotra had no more weapons in his hands. Malini flew and positioned herself in front of Vittihotra shielding him effectively from further attacks by the youngster. He had no inclination to continue the fight but he was not going to back down , if the mad scholar continued to push him.Malini screamed at him”You have spoken very rudely to a person of immense learning. He is now very angry and an angry man is likely to do something very foolish .Yu do’nt see the danger .Please go away “. She waited for the young hunter to move out of sight, before turning to her husband. She held him fast and said,”You should know better than to pick up a fight with a sabara. He was very good . He could have so easily killed you. He did you a great favour by disarming you. His skill with bow was extraordinary.Why can’t you forget him.”.
Vittihotra was fuming .’You think he has beaten me already? You simply do’ nt know me. Nobody insults Vittihotra and lives. Take your hands off me and I will go after him now.
Maliini did’ nt release her hold. She said” you seem to forget that today is our wedding day. No girl wants to start her wedded life with gory sights of mangled body.’

Her husband shouted “whose side are you on? There can be no wedded life as long as that sabara brat lives. If you really care for me then help me to teach that upstart a lesson.”
‘There is no need for that sort of talk.”, she said softly”. He has already walked away. Let him be gone. You dont have to go after him. You dont have to prove anything to me.”.After a pause se continued ,”For that hunter, hunting is a way of life. For you it is a sport.He gets his food by following his professional instincts . For you the gods have spread out a bountiful variety of food. Why do’nt you enjoy what you get with out a sweat”
‘My peace of mind has been shot. I cant rest in peace till overpower that brat.’.He pushed Malini down and began to run in the direction of the hunter. Malini flew in front of him trying to change his mind..The more she tried, more determined he became…Malini realized that that she could not live with a person so much obsessed with his own bruised ego..She said calmly making every word make sense ,”You know some thing. I can not allow a man of your status go after a simple sabara. I do nt want the world to say that my husband murdered young sabara. There is no percentage in trying to prove your superiority over a lowly sabara.. Now listen to me very carefully. If you still go after that youngman, you will have to deal with me. I will protect that boy from your wrath, if it is the last thing I can do to save you from disgrace. If I save him , you will suffer.So please , I beg you , stop behaving this way .’
Vittihotra loked at his bride with strange glint in his eyes. He was sneering “so my pretty wife has had a change of heart and you have taken a fancy for that young hunter.Watch me decimate him in front of your eyes”. Malini stood rock still. Suddenly she realized and understood why her father was against her marriage with him. She remembered his words”This man is not strong of mind.. He may be well read and skillful. But I see foolish streaks in his mind,” Malini had not taken his words seriously, thinking that he was acting like any father who was against his daughter marrying outside her clan. She now was convinced that Vittihotra was a wrong choice and time had come to disengage herself from him. Like many gandharva girls before her had done , she now mentally cancelled her alliance with Vittihotra. It was her duty now to protect that young hunter,
so that Vittihotra does not disgrace himself committing a crime, that was not worth. It was a noble thought and it had its own share of risks. Vittihotra read her thoughts correctly, a derisive laughter emerged from him. “I will teach her a lesson , but now I must kill that boy who not only robbed me of my dove , but has also destroyed my marriage.” Using his yogic power he took to air and started . scanning the ground for that boy. Malini found the boy first and quickly transferred to him all knowledge she possessed about one to one combat. Now she waited for the battle to start.
Vittihotra did not stand a chance. The boy was very quick and savage, His sure arrows struck home and weapons held by vittihotra were rendered useless.The boy showed no mercy . He shot his enemy down. Mortally wounded Vittihotra fell. Malini appeared in front of him and wanted to hold his hand , her eyes and face filled with pain.she saw in her husbands eyes an enormous hatred belching out like fire. He cursed her”you sided with a lowly sabara against your own husband and helped him to kill me. For this treachery , you will lose soon your identity of a gandharva woman and assume the form of a lowly sabari and roam the forests for ever in a lonely state.. Malini smiled to him and said “ so be it” and walked away. She had to save him before the curse took effect. She thought of her father and he appeared immediately . She pointed out to vittihotra and said ,”please father , do me this favour. Take him away with you and revive him. let the world not say that sabari killed her own husband “. The king put his hands around her and promised that her wishes would be taken care of by him. Sabari put her head down and began walking away.






CHAPTER4
Sabari was calm and ready. She knew exactly what was ahead of her. Her Lord would visit her and she must show her hospitality.
What is hospitality , she asked herself. She remembered her master’s words as though he was once again speaking to her”what do the wise toil and set up homes for? It is to feed the tired guest and help an unwary pilgrim.
She also remembered “behold the man , who has tended to the out going guest and awaits the incoming one. He will be welcome guest of gods.”
She looked around her hermitage with new interest. Is this place fit for her lord , she queried herself. The hermitage seemed to mock at her and she distinctly heard the words “A guest received with an honest smile , will see prosperity even under a thatched roof” Sure said SABARI beaming at the roof.
I will be myself today . I will have my own guest
What would he like me to do?
She remembered another old saying”better even than a generous gift, is a sweet smile of welcome and graceful inviting looks, to please a tired soul standing a your door”
She had lived by a code a protocol of giving every one his due respect,.It does not matter if he is a friend or foe , when he is at your door , he is the guest , greater than god.
With her mind swimmimg in such thoughts, she busied herself She cleaned up again an already immaculately clean hermitage. The fire in the pit was ablaze and she fed some more wood. She looked at her fruit basket.It was full and smelled sweet.She went out with another basket and returned with more fruits.
She sat at her door steps and her eyes closed for a moment in sheer tiredness. She dreamt of nicest things that ever happened to her. She saw her master and all his disciples. ”Are you asleep already Sabari , there is a guest a your door, don’t you know”
She woke with a start and looked out . She saw at her door steps two brothers looking at her with un common love and affection. HOW LONG were they standing , she had no idea.
A sudden feeling of guilt , made her to rush, admonishing herself “what a stupid girl I have been , to have slept just when they arrived. How wonderful it would have been to see them walk up to your place”
With an enthusiasm that overcame the sense of guilt, she picked up the pitcher of cool water and poured it on the blue tinged lotus feet that rivaled the colourful flowers in the lake. She went round them in a swift circle and allowed the youngster to grab the pitcher from her hands. She had no words of welcome as all her memory failed. She held the hands of RAMA and led him inside softly. He had a bemused smile on his face . Lakshmana followed them. They went round the fire
Strange light engulfed the room. She ran to pick up a pair of wooden planks to serve as seats and she offered water to drink. Suddenly remembering something , she stood up and walked towards fruit baskets and lifted one.Lakshmana stood up and helped to bring the basket towards RAMA.She filled her hands with choicest selection of honey dripping fruits and wished she had bigger pair of hands for more fruits.. Kneeling on her legs , she lifted her hands in front of Rama and for the first time a word came out of her mouth “ please ‘ she said. Rama looked at Lakshmana , who was standing behind SABARI. He moved to occupy a seat close to her.. She transferred the fruits to Rama’s hands and signalled him to eat. She put her hand round Laksmana and fed him in his mouth.Rama saw Sumitra there and a weeping Lakshmana holding on to that great lady’s knees. Rama buried his face in her lap, tears streaming down his face in extreme emotion., in the face of motherhood pure and simple
She rubbed their heads and lifted their chins . Her eyes flashed a question ‘ is all well?”Their eyes met and exchanged thousand silent words. A mothers words of comfort wiped the pain away. She said “She must not suffer for long. Your discomfort is nothing compared to what she is going through. Be strong. You have along way to go and great deal to do
Move on, commanded a brave mother

The brothers stood and with folded hands they moved around the aging attendant.. She watched them walk around the fire pit and out of her doorway. They did not look back

SABARI stood alone. Her Purpose was over She had nothing more to do . She had seen Him. She helped in some way to reduce His pain. She had sent him on His way with a mission.
She walked upto the lake and plunged into the cool waters. Wet , she climbed out and looked around her, the hills , the vast forests, green grass and flower decked ground , nature in her very best She smiled her thanks
She walked inside. The fire was leaping high. She stepped into the sacred pit and flames embraced her She saw a great flood of white light and the enchanting vehicle flown by white swans..A helping hand led her to the bright chariot and it rose to the heavens, carrying some one special
A GREAT SOUL DEPARTED LEAVING BEHIND , IN THE SANDS OF TIME A BEAUTIFUL AND IMMORTAL STORY

Kamadhahanam

Shiva was seated on a platform made of granite rocks under a leafy deotharu tree in the Snow bound Himalayan terrain. A large size tiger skin was spread on the platform. He was clad only in a deer skin. He was bare from waist up. The skin was glowing with good health , though smeared with ash . He was seated in a yogic posture called Veerasana. His long hands were folded in front and the palms were placed on the lap one above other, open to the sky. From a distance it appeared as though he was holding blue coloured lotus bud in his lap. His body was still and erect. His large eyes were partly closed, looking at the tip of a long sharp nose. His breathing was rhythmic and power radiated from all his body, in a soft bluish glow attributed to his enormous yogic power.He had long unruly matted hair which he had attempted to tie up in a bun with a snake used as a binding rope. His string of rudraksha beads , were folded in a double loop which he had inserted in the pierced ears. He was in an yogic trance controlling all his life forces and senses.
In a near by hut was seated his loyal attendant Nandhi, in a human form, holding a golden cane , symbol of his status as head of forces loyal to shiva . Presently his job was to ensure that nobody disturbed while his master was in the trance.
From his hiding place Kamadeva watched Shiva very carefully.He has been here last few days trying to understand Shiva’s daily routine , his movements and the traffic from and to the hut guarded by Nandideva..He was calm and patient . He had some very important work to accomplish and he was looking for an opportune moment to strike. He looked at his armory with a smile. These were not the destructive type..The long flexible bow was made from cane shoot and the arrows were made from fine reed strung with exotic flowers. He had five different types of arrows , each one designed for particular target and desired effect For Siva he had selected special arrow which he piously called Sam mohanastram .It was expected to change the course of history. The welfare of three worlds depended on how successfully Kamadeva accomplished his task. The responsibility weighed heavily on the slim and shapely shoulders of the handsome kamadeva.

Brahma had told Indra that only Kamadev had the necessary power to bring about the destruction of the dreaded asura Taraka , so please convince Kamadev that he should get involved. And here he was stalking Siva in his own den. Mention of Taraka reminded him of the dialogue he had with Indra Indra’s normally glowing face was some how looking dull. His arrogance was subdued and he moved about like a beaten man robbed of all his glory and grandeur. The reason was the continuous pounding he had been subjected to by the wily asura , Taraka . Not only physical pounding but also the ridicule heaped on him and his associates. Today , Indra was moving about doing errands for Taraka. His famous Vajrayudha was wasted on TarakaThe other devatas who went to the aid of Indra were also severely dealt with. Kubera lost his Gadayudam and his famous city of Amaravathi. Varuna lost his pasa and Yama found his kaladhanda useless against the valour of Taraka. Even Surya did not have the heart to fight Taraka. The famous sudarshan chakra could not even scratch the Armour of Taraka .He was protected by a powerful boon granted by Brahma .When Taraka was asked how he wished to die he said sarcastically “ If I should ever be defeated in a battle , let me taste defeat at the hands of a son born to the ascetic minded Shiva.” Taraka believed that Shiva would never marry, leave alone beget a son . That was the conviction. After the departure of Sati at the time of Daksa yagnam Shiva had become a recluse, steeped in asceticism . With Shiva showing no inclination for a married life and conjugal bliss , the Asura ruled and terrified the three worlds , with out any deterrent to stop him. His atrocities continued un abated and his hordes of followers continued to humiliate the devas in every possible manner. The Samudra raja had to gather all the pearls and gems from the ocean floor and deposit them at the asura’s feet as his homage.The Asura blasted mount Meru for mining gold required for his palaces. Indra had to surrender all the provisions from Kalpa vriksa to Taraka on regular basis and all the deva kanyas had to be sent to Asura’s palace for the entertainments of Asura lords under Taraka..Now Kamadeva has been adviced by Indra to do something to change the mindset of Shiva using his extraordinary powers, so that a son capable of overwhelming Taraka could be born
The word about kamadeva’s attempts to influence Siva’s mind from ascetic way of life to that of domestic bliss, reached Taraka’s ears and he laughed aloud. He declared “ Fools, Dont you know that Shiva is not a child whose mind can be changed . Do not finger Siva, he has a very wild temper.Yu are playing with fire when you are dealing with Him. He will simply burn you up.”
Rati , the consort of Kamadeva was worried about her lords safety .She told him to stay away from Siva. “It is not our fight. Our job is to spread love and pleasure all round.We should not get hurt doing what is our duty” Kamadeva assured her that he would be very careful. We simply can not allow an asura to go about , insulting Devatas day in and day out .After all we also belong to Devagana. “Seeing her beautiful face clouded by un known fear Kamadeva explained ,” my dear . You know my powers very well. I can ignite fire of passion in any soul, however elevated that soul may be. I can erode virtue as easily as a river erodes the bank.There is no woman whose virtue is safe from my darts. I can bend the mind of the most virtuous to a life of ruin in no time. I can defeat sanity and forebearance in any vairagi .In that sense my arrows are more lethal than the arrows kicked by Pinaki wielded by shiva. The other arrows maim , cut and tear flesh. My arrows go deeper. They dont leave any mark on the body.They simply touch essential nerve centers in the brain..Even though I have such awesome powers , I have never used any of my powers to destroy a good man or a good virtuous woman.I have used my powers only to spread love and friendship and make this earth a better place to live and propogate life..That is why my power has been on the rise. I Know that if I ever use it for personal gain or too punish any one , I will cause my own ruin. I know that if I succeed in kindling passion in the heart of Shiva, I would accomplish what Brahma wanted.I know Shiva is an extremely difficult proposition. I know what happened at the Daksa yagna and how Shiva’s consort Sathi immolated herself. I know shiva will never forgive me if I smash his ascetic shield. But I have to do what I can .”
Rati was not convinced. She had a very uneasy feeling.. She said “ My lord , you must not engage Shiva alone. You must take our friend Vasantha . He will create a very conducive atmosphere for you to succeed. I will also go with you”
Kamadev was happy that Rathi has given him the permission. He said “ That would be very nice. Today I spent lot of time studying Shiva at his place. I see that Parvathi also has been frequenting that place, helping Shiva in his prayers and worship. Se as made up her mind t wed shiva only and the union has the approval of Himavan, her father and Lord Brahma. Her proximity to Shiva, is what Iam going to cash on.Every one is interested in shiva marrying Parvathi and I would be helping a good cause .So far the desire has been from Parvati’s side only and her love has not been reciprocated by Shiva because , he simply has not become aware of it. All I am aiming to do is to create that awareness . Would that be wrong?

Chapter3

Next day Kamadeva accompanied by Vasantha and Rati visited the place very close to Shiva’s hut. The trio watched with bated breath. Siva had just then broken out of yogic trance. His eyes opened softly and watched Parvathi walking towards him along with her friends, carrying flowers and fire wood required for shiva’s sacrificial fire. The presence of Vasantha in the neigbourhood had an effect on the ambience.Siva w ho was endowed wit extraordinary perception
For sensing subtle changes in the envirnment became aware. His back straightened and he watched.He stared at Parvathi as he suspected her to have brought an enticing smell in the air. He was staring at her while all his senses went on high alert. Kamadev read the situatin very correctly . He advised Vasantha to withdraw fearing discovery before he was ready to shoot.. Shiva seemed satisfied that everything was normal. He accepted thhe garland ffered by Parvati . He even smiled at Parvati. She was thrilled to see some emotion on his face. She looked enchantingly beautiful.There was more spring in er steps. She was humming a delightful tune. . The flowers she had worn in her hair had an enticing lingering scent. Her eyes were large and shining.Te eye brows arched enhancing her attractive face, which was now glowing with anticipated pleasure . The red dot in the center of her broad forehead added luster to her face.. The delicately wrn dress cvering er top was slipping tentalisingly.The shapely narrow hips and heavy bosom
added curves and slants that accentuated her delicate figure.. Kamadeva was now certain that such close proximity of Parvathi to Shiva would be a great help to his work. He now looked at his bow and arrow.The bow was made from tender cane shoot. Te arrow was made from a string of just blossomed mango flowers. The bees hovering over the flowers got stuck to the flowers as they were arranged in the string.
The cucks sang , having just partaken the honey from the mango trees, heralding the arrival of vasanta. The notes raised by the cuckoos reached Siva’s ears, just as the pleasant breeze whipped by the swinging arrow, carried the mesmerizing scent of mango flowers
Reached his nostrils. The pleasant breeze hit his bare torso smeared with ash , creating faint vibrations permeating softly all through his body, which so far remained under strict control of his mind through his yogic power..

Devas had now gathered around Kamadeva to witness the magical moment , when Kamadev would hit Siva and send him into raptures of passion that would finally engulf
Parvathi too.They wanted to be there to bless the union of two souls .Parvathi blissfully ignorant of divine manipulations to help her avowed ambition , walked demurely twards Siva extending a garland strung out of brilliantly coloured flowers.As the breeze struck her , her dress slipped and a hand darted to hold the fabric in place.
Kamadeva chose that moment to strike.Hhe was already in kneeling stance, pulled at the bow hard snapping it inta tight circle, with the famous sam mohanastram locked in place. He pulled at the bow string, a smile lighting up his face in anticipation of his ultimate triumph.
Siva sensed the attack and turned. His mind quickly erased the images of Parvthi’s tentallising figure.His ears closed shut the strains of enthusiastic cuckoo.. His nostrils flared.His eyes focussed in the direction of Kamadeva catching him at the point of release of the fateful arrow. The blue face turned crimson as the anger surfaced fast . He recognised Kamadeva and he became severely aware of the plot to subvert his asceticism
and yogic power. His left hand raised and pointed in the direction of Kamadeva
The devas sensed impending danger to kamadeva and shouted in unison Shantam shantam, but he did not hear a word. The third eye flashed open and a blistering stream of sparks raced in a powerful beam to engulf Kamdeva. Kamadev released the arrow and it sped faster towards its target. Rathi threw herself in the line of the beam but she was dreadfully slow. She sensed the burst of heat as flames lit up kamadeva and in a fleeting second he was reduced to a pile of ash. She collapsed on the floor totally un conscious.


Chapter4

The earth shook as Shiva stood up and stamped his feet in anger. Parvati stepped back in horror as she witnessed from close quarters the immolation of Kamadeva by the flames from the dreaded third eye of Shiva.She saw anger and disapproval from every crease in the reddish face of Shiva. She ran out of the hut trying to suppress a scream and in total confusion. She knew that her hopes of marrying Siva were now dashed to the ground. All her efforts to win Siva by display of devotion and dedicated service were wasted efforts now.
Shiva walked away in opposite direction. Devas left the scene one by one.Vasanta rushed towards Rathi and tried to bring her back to consciousness.. When she regained her senses , she had full knowledge of what had happened. She saw the anxious face of Vasanth and groped around to locate her husband. Then her eyes fell on the still warm mound of ash, that was all that was left of her consort’s immaculate body. A long wail of un fathomable grief came out of her trembling mouth that made every living thing near by shake up in fear. She raised both her hands over her head and slapped her fore head crying pitifully and cursing every fate and divine agencies that ad contributed t the incineration of her consort in a flash. She questioned the divine agencies”what was the fault .committed by her consort, who did what was assigned t him? His capabilities and unique powers formed the bed rock on which the human species was supposed to propagate and proliferate. With out his work , this earth would have been a desolate hostile place unfit for human settlement. His mission in life was to bring about peace , harmony, love , union and new life . Hw can he be rubbed out so mercilessly, for doing his duty?”
As she went on wailing , she suddenly realized her own plight. Till a few moments ago , she was the consort of the most perfect man ever created and se was the most envied woman on earth.All her time was spent in the most pleasant union of her heart , soul , mind and body with that of Manmadha, an association that was intoxicating.And in ne flash she had become a destitute, helpless widow.She did not have the courage nor thhe inclination t face a life with out Manmadha at her side. She tore of her garment and scooped with two hands as from the pile and smeared her body, slapping her chest and banging her head on the ground Vasantha held her fast and tried to console her but he could not utter a single word as he himself was totally shattered. Rathi commanded him”Vasanta , you were his closest friend. You know that I can not live with out him.I will put my body down hugging his ashes .You cover us with logs and set fire to our pyre.Atleast in the land of the dead , we will live together . That is the only way you can honour your dead friend.”Unable to think on his own , vasantha did what was told. He piled up logs and fire wood on top of Rathhi and prepared to light the pyre .He walked around the pyre weeping like a child suddenly orphanned . As he was about to touch the wooden pile with his fire brand, powerful lightning flashed overhead and an unearthly voice announced” Stop this Vasantha.Help Rathi to get up. Rathi , you do not have to grieve . Your Kamadeva sacrificed his body for the welfare of Devas. He is not dead. While he will remain invisible to every one , you will be able to see him and feel him . Te love ignited by him in the soul of shiva will in course of time , will change his mindset and direct him towards Parvathi as ordained by nature Siva will wed Parvathhi very soon and when that happy union takes place Kamadeva will regain his form. World can not exist with out Rathi and Manmadha because you make this place lovely .Please forgive the agencies for bringing you so much grief. PLEASE PRESERVE THE ASHES

Rathi felt the stirring in her heart as the ashes seemed to come live. An eerie image emerged from the ashes, she put her arms around the image crying “Ananga, Ananga”
She was convinced that the prophesy that she had heard would come true. She decided to wait for the event to take place

2 boons and a curse

BOONS AND CURSES

Valmiki’s epic, Ramayana is set on its course through palace intrigues woven so subtly in the fabric of epic unfolding a series of events that lead to the death of king Dasharatha and departure of Rama to the forest accompanied by his spouse Sita and brother Lakshmana.Here is a new look at the events.

Chapter1

The old King woke up suddenly from a deep sleep visibly shaken by something he had seen in the dreams.He was sweating profusely and as he tried to recall the images his heart was galloping furiously adding to his discomfort. He remembered the speeding comet, battle scenes with cut limbs and dying bodies, empty streets and silent procession of people with tear filled eyes. The eternal flame at the gates of the city of Ayodhya had been put out and the royal flag at his palace was flying limply at half mast .As he woke up he steadied himself trying to understand if there was any message hidden behind those horrible scenes. He thought he recognized the beautiful face of the lady with a hunchback thrusting her long stick at his heart. Her peal of laughter was still ringing in his ears, even though he was awake and dream had faded from his mind .
He held his hand in front and noted with satisfaction that it was now steady.With effort he brought his breathing under control and forced his mind to be calm. He was a well educated king and he knew how to interpret his dreams .The nightmare was in fact a signal for him.He thought he had read the signal properly. He listed out mentally a series of actions that he would initiate.He thought about every step and satisfied himself that it was proper and timely.He knew exactly what the fate had decreed for him and he had to beat that fate, even if it meant he had to die. He was never afraid of dying but the manner of death meant a great deal to him. He remembered what his father the great Aja had said about death ,”every death should serve a sacred cause”
Sitting upright on his bed he said a silent prayer asking for time, just sufficient to complete the set of actions he had planned now. From the eastern window of his chambers he kept looking at the eastern skies waiting for the early rays of aruna to light up the dark world .The Sun God , his guardian diety, would soon emerge .He prayed “please stand by me as always ” and raised his hands in salutation
Back in his cheerful mood , the King began his day with a meeting with his venerable preceptor and guide Vasishta. The calm ,shining visage of the rishi was very comforting. The King bowed and the preceptor blessed and invited him to occupy a high seat in his hermitage outside the royal ground .He could read king’s mind like a book , but waited for the king to speak .The King followed the protocol meticulously, made pleasant enquiries about his preceptors welfare, before coming to the point. He said ‘Sir, I have it in my mind to announce the successor to my throne and seek your counsel on this point.Please suggest a good date for the anointment function in the immediate future”.The wise Vasishta told the King,”Ihave been expecting this question from you for quite some time. Your eldest son , Sri Ram has every attribute that you would want in a king and meets your needs very clearly. I am sure , you are not having any other option in your mind.”The king stared at his preceptor, at the mention of any option in his mind. The preceptor added ”My King , do what you have to do very early.You will have less trouble that way. Remember , we all do what we have to do , pushed by that all powerful fate, dictates of destiny. Nothing takes place on our own initiative. All our decisions are pre ordained and part of a greater plan programmed by life forces and nature. I will work out a good day , just now. You can start on the preparatory work’Then as an after thought he asked the king “have you spoken to Bharata”. The king took some time before answering, “No , but I intend to talk to him immediately, now that you have the date ready”The king took leave and left his preceptors alone, with a frown written large on his face. Back at his chambers in his palace , the King sent for Bharata.

Bharata got the message, just as he was finishing his day’s work out along with his brothers. He was not surprised to get such a summons from his father , as he was working closely with the king in recent days on matters relating to state administration..He shook hands with Rama and took leave saying”I think our father has got some urgent work for me. I will go and check “.The brother smiled and said” yes , please go. All the best.” Then He looked at Lakshmana . They could communicate with out exchanging a single word, a skill coming out of very long association..His normally cheerful face was now showing anxiety as he could feel in the air a sense of some unpleasant development emerging.

King Dasaratha,watched his son Bharata walking briskly towards him and admired the way he carried himself. Steady measured steps, upheld head and eyes that were sharp and kind. He had taken after his mother, the king told himself. What a devoted brother he is to my Rama.He put his hands round his son , as Bharata bent down and touched his feet.The affectionate king brushed his son ‘s hair and blessed him saying” Live long and bring glory to your mother. “ The son smiled and enquired about the work the king wished to be carried out..The king continued to gaze at his son and muttered “The eyes are same as the mother”. kaikeyee was the most beautiful and dearest to the king….He remembered the dialogue he had had with her father King Ashwapathy, when he had sought the hand of his daughter .”I see in your daughter all the attributes of a great queen.I cherish and admire her great virtues and would like to wed her, so that she can beget me an offspring worthy of the great kingdom of Kosala.” King Ashwapathy was aware that Dasaratha was already married and so far had not been blessed with a progeny .The kekaya king had responded ”Oh King ,It is only proper among royalty to seek a new queen,when a descendant capable of carrying ahead our lineage is not blessed to you by your existing consorts. You are the ruler of a vast and blessed territory and if you do not leave behind a suitable heir to carry on the reign after you , the kingdom will be snapped up by the unfaithful. I will be pleased to offer the hand of my fair daughter Kaikeyee to you if you give your word that the son she begets would rule the land after you”
Dasaratha remembered now those words and what he was about to do was to go against the spirit of that assurance. It was so much against his character to go against a promise. His clan always delivered on a promise, even if it cost them their very life. The king had worked his way out of a dilemma trusting his knowledge of dharmasastra, which dictated that only the eldest , when fit deserved to inherit and rule and any promise countering this tenet of sastra was invalid. This meant that Bharata would be denied what was promised at the time of his mother’s wedding , long before he was born. The king knew that steeped in righteousness as Bharata was , as the younger brother of glorious Rama, he would bear no grudge either against a defaulting father or a brother who unwittingly had been cause for an impropriety. Yet the king had decided to send Bharata away, with a very personal message to Bharata’s maternal uncle Yudhajit, who ruled the kekaya kingdom in place of an ailing old monarch Aswapathy. Dasaratha embraced Bharata and told “ Son , I have a request from your maternal uncle that I allow you and your wife to spend some time with him. Your marriage was fixed all of a sudden and your uncle has been complaining that he has not done anything for the new bride and his favorite nephew.Please visit him now accepting his invitation and carry a message of best wishes and well being from all of us..I know it will be painful to leave Ayodhya even for a moment but you must go. Please hand over this very personal and confidential message to him,along with other royal gifts as dictated by royal protocol.”Seeing some hesitation on the part of Bharata, for whom the remote Kekaya was not very attractive compared to the blessed land of Kosala and sacred soil of Ayodhya, king hastened “you wont mind going ,would you for your uncle’s and on your father’s wish. “ Bharata looked at his father for a long time and said “ Your wish is a command that I can never be indifferent to. Mamasri always overwhelms me with his affection. I will leave immediately and carry your message, bearing the .royal insignia of kingdom of Kosala, the brand of a rising sun.
The king then saw Bharata and his wife and satrugna and his wife board the grand chariot. A delighted kaikeyee was waving them off cheerfully.

Dasaratha recalled the important words mentioned in his scroll

A promise was made at the time of my marriage with your sister assuring that the offspring delivered by her would inherit the kingdom after my death. The situation changed after my three wives delivered only after the performance of Putra kameshti yagna. Now the sastras dictate that eldest son must inherit when fit and able. I am bringing this to your notice as I feel time for change of rule in the kingdom of Kosala has arrived and I propose to nominate Rama to succeed me. You must not view this as contrary to the promise made by me as situation did change. You will please allow me to do what is right in the present context.Once the date is announced you will visit us at Ayodhya to participate in the investiture ceremonies and bless the regent.
The king felt he had done the right thing to preempt any attempt from kekaya clan to support Bharata’s claim to the throne on account of a promise that lost validity as the expected progeny through Kaikeyee did not arrive. Sending such a confidential communication through Bharata would also be viewed as right because because he expected Bharata to support him in the event there was any discussion with him on the subject. Thus the king did every thing to ensure that the history would not judge him harshly.

Having accomplished the first part of his plan , he now proceeded to Kaikeyee’s palace to discuss with her the coming events of Rama’s coronation.Ka ikeyee received the king with usual cheer and affection King discussed about his plans to install Rama as his successor. She was thrilled and elated that her dear Rama would soon be the king. She supported King’s decision very heartily. King mentioned to her about the message sent to her father and brother.She said , “ My lord , the situation was very different at that time. You really have no reason to fear any objection from them as you are doing what is right in present situation and I support you . Rama will make a great king and uphold all our tradition and bring glory.Let us go and tell sister Kausalya immediately”Seeing sucha whole hearted support to his decision the king embraced his young wife and said with lot of emotion , “My dear ,you have a heart that is generous and a mind that is very pure. Your love is my strength .With your approval , I shall now tell wise Vasishta to call for a meeting of ministers and make a public announcement.”
At kausalya ‘s chambers Kaikeyee and king discussed the matter and Kausalya hugged kaikeyee and called Rama . Rama touched Kaikeyee’s feet and she blessed him ,putting her hand on his head brushing his lustrous hair and said”My son ,with you as King of this great kingdom,people will live a life of great prosperity and peace. Now go to your mother take her blessings. The king watched all this with mounting happiness as his plans seemed to work out with out any hitch”

Kausalya had spoken to Vasishta earlier. Both were gifted visioneries and knew very well that fate was about to play a diabolical role. They preferred to remain as mute spectators. Fate always had an upper hand and every one was a mere agent in its hands to do its bidding as well as we can.She closed her eyes in a silent prayer.


Chapter2
Manthara leaned on the stick and shifted her head so that she could hear the announcement being made by the royal tom-tom.He was going on beating his drum after every pause.The substance of the announcement was that Sri Rama was going to be crowned as the regent in a weeks time.and the ritual would be performed by the venerable Vasishta..The prince and his consort will retire to seclusion to prepare for the coming investiture ceremonies.Manthara heard every word with increasing anger as all around her the general public were celebrating. A deep frown lined up her already wizened old face. She turned and tried to hurry back to the palace to confront her Lady, the queen Kaikeyee.She asked herself how was she allowing all this.She had to do some thing.She hurried along.
Manthara had come from Kekaya kingdom along with Kaikeyee as her very personal maid. Manthara was the midwife when Kaikeyee was born and she stayed back at the palace as the baby grew up, taking care of her at every step. Hence when young Kaikeyee married Dasaratha and moved to Ayodhya, she too moved with kaikeyee .She continued to attend to Kaikeyee’s all personal needs, still treating her as a princess. She was very much attached to her ward and at times she seemed to be a little over powering her, imposing her own opinion. Kaikeyee had a mind of her own, but allowed the old lady to dominate her on all trivial matters while maintaining her own dignity as the favorite queen of King Dasaratha, .Dasaratha was not very well disposed towards Manthara and Kaikeyee always ensured that she was out of sight whenever king visited. Otherwise , she got along vey well with Manthara. This enabled manthara to take certain liberties.It was Manthara’s greatest wish that Bharatha should become the king of Ayodhya after Dasaratha,so it was natural that she was very agitated to know about the plans to install Rama as the regent
She rushed into the queen’s private chambers tapping her stick on the floor .Her fury peaked when she saw Kaikeyee gaily dressed and admiring herself in the mirror and trying to fasten a pearl choker round her neck. It was gifted to her by her aging husband on;ly that morning.She saw Manthara barging in , and shouted cheerfully, “come , come Manthara help me with this choker.Is’nt it fabulous?The king gave it to me this morning when he informed me about his plans for Rama’s investiture as regent of the realm.”
Manthara closed the clasp of the choker and said to Kaikeyee’If you are satisfied with cheap gifts like this , you will very soon end up as a hand maiden to Kousalya and young Sita , so please watch out.”Some thing in the tone and the way Manthara handled the clasp alerted Keykeyee.She said flatly “Yes, Yes, I know you don’t like Rama too much.You are still holding it against him, for the petty tricks he used to play on you in jest. He is such a darling. You really do not know what you missed when he offered to straighten your back if only you asked properly”You should have.If you had , by now , you would be most grateful to him, instead of holding up an old grudge.’
‘No, No.He was all the time mocking at me .He never cared for the hurt he was causing me. Do not worry, my time will come and I will have my revenge.’ Kaikeyee thought she would change the topic. Manthara asked’ when did you hear about Rama’s investiture.’

“Why?As soon as the date was fixed by Vasishta, the king came here personally to inform me. That is when he gave that pearl strand.I was so happy”
‘
I am very surprised that you are so happy about some one else’s son becoming a regent.’

Sri Rama is not any one’s son. He is as much a son to me as my own dear Bharatha. I have greatest respect for Kausalya and she has treated both Bharath and Rama as her own. Why should I be different. Why are you so offensive “
I am not happy at all as my first loyalty is towards kaikeyee and no one else.Ican very well imagine what will happen to you and dear Bharath once Rama becomes the regent.Watch how Kauasalya puts you in your place. While Bharath will become a slave to the regent , you will become the hand maiden of the king’s mother.I dread that sort of situation developing.’
“Manthara , stop this nonsense. You do carry very wild thoughts. Never can Kausalya do any harm to any one. Rama is a gem among men. You better change your ideas about them”
‘Your Lord, the King Dasaratha is under the influence of Kausalya and you also seem to be under her spell. My dear , Wake up.You have totally missed spotting the manipulations of the cunning Kausalya and the king.’
“What was that “asked kaikeyee innocently.
Manthara was very aggressive , She demanded ‘tell me , why did the king send Bharatha away, just before the announcement of regency to Rama.
‘Why? What do you see in that.?.The whole world knows that my brother requested the king to send Bharatha and his bride to visit our ancestral house to spend some time with relatives in kekaya palace.”
‘Oh, is that so? Then tell me please, why could not the king wait till their return before he made the announcement. kaikeyee waited, she was hoping Manthara would go on. It never occurred to her that announcement in the absence of Bharatha could be so badly misconstrued. She hated the idea that her attendant could find fault with her husband..She rose to defend her husband” King Dasaratha is the guardian angel of Dharma. Don’t you dare find fault with him”
‘Your anger does you credit’ said the persisting Manthara,’But you are so blind that you are not realizing that you are being taken for a ride. They are violating your rights and flouting past agreements.Please wake up and act to protect your own rights’
Keaikeyee found her mind being filled with strange questions that disturbed her.Manthara watched the small worm inserted in the queens mind growing to the size of giant monster. She watched with shining eyes and listened keenly to the question she knew would come
‘What do you think, I should do?
She clapped her hand gleefully,’There is my little girl.
You remind the king of the promise he made to your father at the time of your marriage.
“Is it valid today?”
A promise is a promise. It is shaswatam. That is why they glorify it as satyam The dynasty of Raghus take great pride in upholding the promises made regardless of consequences’

‘Do you think the King would crown my Bharatha as the regent in place of Rama?”
It depends on what you ask and how you ask. You must leave no option for him’
Manthara was elated. Her job has been done.She waited for the axe to fall on Dasaratha.She hoped her Kaikeyee would play her cards right.
Kaikeyee wanted to be left alone. She dismissed Manthara from her sight and sat down to think about the past events. The idea of Bharatha becoming the king appealed to her and made her happy Now to put it to the king She walked up to the chest of drawers in the dressing table where she had kep her most prized assets. The green silk fabric of the fish flag embossed in gold was rolled tightly and kept in a gold clasp She spread the flag on the floor and looked at it with admiration. Her eyes closed and visions from the past flashed in front of her eyes in continuous streams


Chapter3

The battle field was strewn all over with dead bodies. Arrows were flying in the air fast and true. Each arrow found a mark , man or beast, it did not matter The chariot sped fast , the horses expertly handled by a young lady, as the original charioteer had been killed earlier. The bowman in the chariot was holding an upright long bow that matched the famous Saranga bow in the hands of great Vishnu..They had run to the edge of the field chasing their quarry who had disappeared all of a sudden The young king was wondering ‘how did I let him go out of sight’ . His eyes were shining with excitement as he looked right and left looking for his enemy.
The enemy was the Asura king Sambara,an expert in magical warfare, who had an uncanny ability to make himself invisible whenever he wished. He used this ability to shift his location during battle times, so that he always held an advantage over his adversary..He was a great warrior and presently he had defeated Indra, but found handling the young King of Ayodhya a different cup of tea, proving to be very difficult to crack. His magic was countered by intelligent counters and from being a hunter , he was now being chased. The young warrior, had come to help Indra retrieve the situation and had succeeded to a large extent. He had killed the charioteer to halt the king’s progress but his young wife had proved to be a gifted charioteer and he had to pull of his famous disappearing trick abandoning his chariot to escape from a determined fighter.

Young Dasaratha spotted the abandoned golden chariot that he was chasing.The Asura’s green gold embossed fish ensign was still flying on the top of chariot.The flag was called Nimidwaja.It was a flag that represented king Sambaran the lord of dhandakaranya, thev region south of Vindhyas
Dasaratha instructed his young wife to halt and she brought the speeding horses to a stop with a cry and pull of the reins which she had held tight. She said softly , ‘King , you must be very careful. Sambaran can launch a new attack from a new place invisible to our eyes. So do not expose yourself till you are very sure..The sun is setting now. You know asuras grow in strength as darkness creeps up Should you not be retiring now and see what others have done”It was more a suggestion than a question.He responded’Devi,,you know, it is not in our nature to retire from a battle till the enemy is vanquished or establishing the where abouts of the enemy to continue the battle tomorrow. We are now fighting very close to his capital city Vijayantha and he can send for more forces. We are on our own far away from our own forces, chasing our enemy.He has abandoned his chariot.Let us he what he keeps in his car.’
The young King jumped down from his high seat and in turn helped his young wife get down. She dropped the reins and catching the outstretched hands of her husband climbed down the chariot gracefully..He held her face in his strong hands and looked into those pretty blue eyes and said with great sincererity’ Devi,I have no words to express my gratitude. How cleverly you extricated us from an obvious trap, when he killed our charioteer. Your bravery is unmatched and your skills with the horses is amazing.Thank you.’Kaikeyee’s beautiful brightened and she smiled her acknowledgement of the complements.”My lord, you were wonderful. I have never seen such fighting skills for a long long time. You must be very tired. You are also wounded and bleeding. Let me look at the wounds please. Sambaran can not go away.He is also badly hurt.He is too proud to surrender. He also must recoup and rest after the pounding he received at your hands. Iam sure at least two arrows were very close to his heart. How he survived that attack is still a wonder.”
They walked to the chariot. The king saw the flag flying high and mocking at him.With a quick arrow , he brought the flag down .He picked it up at the tip of his bowKaikeyee grabbed at it exclaiming ‘whata beautiful fabric.See how soft and silky it is. Look at the embossing.It isa wonderful work of art.Any one who can weavea cloth like this must bea genius.”She passed the flag on to her husband, who examined the work with keen eyes.He was very impressed”very true Devi.It is a wonderful work of art. The skills these asuras possess are indeed amazing.We have a great deal to learn from them.This region of dhandakaranya is full of great resources which these asuras have exploited very cleverly.We must get close to them to learn from them. But they hate us so muchLook at this war, so much loss of life and property.All because two sets of people can not see eye to eye.There is so much fear and distrust that we can not sit together to reconcile and develop.
‘How did this present war start, my lord’asked kaikeyee’what compelled you tocome so far away from Ayodhya, please tellme.’

There was some respite from fighting.They were alone nowHe thought it was a good way of relaxing if he tell his young consort how he got involved in a fight between Indra and Sambara. .

The king explained,’This is not the first war , nor would it be the last one.When two sets of civilized peoplecan not see eye to eye orcontinue to ignore the benefits that can come out of contact and inter action,there will be conflicts.These conflicts come out of sheer ignorance, lack of vision, and distrust.The intelligentia on the two sides can help but in this case, they have been the reason for continuing conflictas they unwittingly pour oil intoa growing fire.The sages and ascetics whom we adore and respect force this situation on our heads and we do their bidding .There is bankruptcy of statesmanship.Tolerance is unknown and keenness to forge an understanding is conspicuous by its absence.”The king was going on and on likea seasoned politician and his young wife was hanging on his every word.She raised her hand to stop his narration. ‘I do not understand, please start from the beginning’

The country we call as Jambudweepa is a vast geographical land mass.The Vindhya ranges separate this great land into northern and southern territories.The great rivers like Narmadha, mahanadhi, godhavari further act asbarriersacting as lines of demarcation.There have been human settlements in north and south .The natural barriers have kept the two separated for long due to difficulties in traversing the mountain ranges and the dense forest cover .There have been no mingling of people so beliefs, practices and mindset of people in the north and south have been at variance.
Sages like Agasthya pioneered movement southwards and amny sages followed himand set up their hermitages.The local kept withdrawing avoiding conflict.Thismade the northerners bold and their influx southwards began to increase.The southerners resented this increasing intrusion into their territory and decided it was an invasion in the making.They acted to discourage this displaying their hostility .They killed asage here and there to create a fear complex,so that more people would not move southwards from north.They had their own very rational reasons for not wanting to have any truck with northerners
Our sages and ascetics always looking for ways to increase their knowledge found many new skills and sciences of their interest in these parts and they continued to probe pushing their way relentlessly.Whenever they were stopped or were pushed back they sought the help of big kings of north to over power the opposition and make themselves secure. We have benefitted from the study made by these rishis and asceticsa
There have been some very great kings in the south, some of them descending from the line of Diti, who made south areas under their overlordship.They were very well accomplished,very powerful and very ambitious.Some like Prahladha, Bali, tarakasura and Ravana even challenged Indra’s position proclaiming themselves as ruler of three worlds.There have been many wars.Some day I hope we will have a king clever enough to understand them , make peace with them and benefit from them.
This time , Sambaran was gunning for Indra and managed to defeat him .Indra sought my help and here we are fighting his battle.

Night descended on them softly.Dasaratha could not totally relax as he expected a counter attack any time.He took stock of his weapons and found he was already on the verge of being very short on weapons and he had to depend on what he was carrying on his person.He allowed his horses to be free and they were happy to graze.He found some fruits and roots for food and anearby brook gave him water to drink..He knew finally there would be close quarter hand to hand fighting and he was beginning to prepare himself for such an engagement.He looked at his battle sword with care. His wife was observing him and she moved to his chariot and looked into the war chest.She lifted another long sword , unsheathed it before tossing it to the king.,who caught it deftly.For herself , she grabbed a handful of arrows and along bow. She sat down to wait and kept a keen watch. They were both very tired and soon sleep came over them
Suddenly they woke up to sounds of blood curdling screams as a group of warriors led by Sambaran’s son was over them..Dasaratha swung his sword , fought bravely displaying extraordinary skill and courage.Kaikeyee calmly picked up her bow and with a steady hand picked off a few attackers with her arrows.They could beat off the attack, even though Dasaratha was wounded. Indra arrived at the scene with reinforcement and was happy to see Dasaratha alive..He said ‘Sambaran died because of wounds sustained during the fight with you last evening.we caught his son running this way. Isee that you have dealt with him very effectively.They walked up to the body of sambaran’s son lying on the ground with an arrow stuck in his throat.
Dasaratha looked at his young wife with new respect. He took her hand and kissed her on the fore head in a very tender display of his love. He said softly ‘Devi , you have saved my life again You can ask me anything you wish and I will grant you .In fact I offer you two boons, please ask.Please tell me what will please you.’Kaikeyee put her hand on his chest and said ‘what I did is a very normal thing that any kshatriya woman is duty bound to do, without expectation of any return. Your love towards me is more precious than all the gifts you can shower on me.’
Indra who heard her remark, said in admiration, ‘what you said just now is very proper and becoming. I expected nothing else from the daughter of great king Kekaya.Yet , I feel , you must accept the boons granted by the king., if not now , at some later date in future.
Dasaratha looked at Indra and said ‘well said.’and turning to kaikeyee’I promise to keep my word any time you wish to claim the boons’. Kaikeyee was overwhelmed.She buried her face in his broad chest and said “so be it ‘..

.Indra looked at them with genuine appreciation and said’Dear King, Iam very grateful to you for the help rendered in fighting and eliminating Sambaran.He was really becoming a threat to the peace in these parts.Now that both Sambaran and his sons have died , this territory of Dhandakaranya would be with out a ruler and Iam here by offer this land to you , so that under your umbrella , you can include, this piece of land.’

They returned to Ayodhya to a tumultuous welcome.Kausalya and Sumitra were at the gates of the capital city to greet the victorious couple.Kausalya hugged and pressed Kaikeyee close to her bosom and said with lot of feeling’Dear , You have brought our lord safely home.Glory be to you.We prat that you should very soon beget a son and make our Lord happier.”
Kaikeyee touched kausalya’s feet and said in all humility,’If it is the will of the lord we all worship,it will happen the way you all wish’
That evening, in her private chambers,kaikeyee had the king in her arms anda very happy and fulfilled King whisphered in her ears” Your two boons are very much in my mind.You can claim it which ever you wish’Kaikeyee had forgotten every thing about the boons, in that tight embrace.Her mind was working on how to grant the king the son he wanted so muchAson who would be the shining light of Ayodhya.


Chapter4

The memories of past events clashed with the words of Manthara about Her son Bharatha becoming a king after Dasaratha.The more she thought about it more she liked it.The flashing images of the dandakaranya war and the boons offered bya grateful king, merged with a new vision of her dear son Bharatha in the great throne of Ayodhya.The fresh image of shining face of Bharatha filled her mind and a loving mother’s bosom swelled up relishing the vision.Can it become true, was the question that repeated itself in her mind.Till this moment , the idea that she could encash the boons never occurred to her., as really there was no need for any thing.Her king had provided her with every thing she wanted , even though she could not fulfill his one great desire independently.Now new strange thoughts were prompting her to view the situation differently
The Nimtwaja in her hand was dazzling. She spread it on the floor and looked at it for a long time.Then she clapped her hands and a maid appeared .Kaikeyee handed over the fabric to her and said”This is the famous Nimitwaja which our king likes so much. Arrange to hoist this flag in the front yard of my palace for the king to see as he enters my place.”

King Dasaratha was in an elated mood..He had finished reviewing the preparations for the investiture ceremony , with his ministers and was very happy with the state of preparations. He spent some time with Sri Ram and Sita and explained to them significance of the various rituals they were expected to go through. He was satisfied that his great son and daughter in law were complying with all requirements gladly

Now he took up a clean scroll and scribing tool to prepare an invitation to very special friends and relatives He wanted to show it to kaikeyee before dispatching it.She had an eye for detail and if his work needed some improvement she would do it.Kaikeyee did every thing properly. It was with such thoughts of warm feelings about his wife that the king enetered her palace grounds
Then he saw the Nimitwaja fluttering in air atop a high mast .His heart missed a beat. He paused for a moment, wondering why it was hoisted. He knew she had kept the flag with her as a memento .He was proud of his victory over Sambaran and heroics displayed by his queen in the battlefield. Some how , the boons he had offered at that moment did not come to his mind. His attention was diverted by the sound of running steps.He saw kaikeyee dressed in the finest of clothes running towards him with her hands spread wide and face beaming with excitement The old king buried himself in those outstretched hands enjoying the contact with delicate soft skin. Her eyes were twinkling and her smile was bewitching.The warmth of the tight embrace brought all his senses alive.He tried to speak but no words came to him.He was speechless It was a long long time since he was received this way . suddenly and for the first time in his life ,the king regretted his age
.
They separated.She led himgracefully toan ornamental couch and waited for him to sit.Then she too said down close to his legs on the floor, softly rubbing his tired legs.she said softly, ‘you look bushed.Are the preparations for the investiture going on smoothly.’King recovering his breath with an effort said”yes, yes.The preparations are in full swing..I have brought a scroll of invitation for you to see and approve . If you find it in order we can dispatch to select people”Kaikeyee did not even bother to take it in her hand . Instead she asked’Did you see the flag outside?’
The king stared at her “yes, Isaw it indeed.Icould not understand why you put it up after all these years”
‘There was a purpose’
A purpose?what was that?
‘The boons, do you remember?
Of courseHow can I forget.i think , this is the best time for you to ask, Iam in such a happy mood and feel very very generous. Go ahead and ask.Only make sure that you ask for something that is proper and in line with your status as my favorite queen , mother of a Regent.
Yes, I will remember all that Would you grant me what I ask?
Yes, have no doubt on that score.I will grant you whatever you want subject of course , your wish must be proper and becoming.
Iwill hold all the devatas guarding the eight cardinal directions as witness to your assurances that you will stand by promises made
The king was laughing.He knew exactly what she was going to ask. He had dreamt all these and knew the time had come. He waited and said “yes, by all means. Iam here to please you”
Then please listen to me.I put to you two requests, first make Bharatha the regent and before that send Rama away to the forest for fourteen years
Dasaratha pretended as though he did not hereMy dear, you wanted something for yourself , what I heard was different.
‘No , my king , you heard exactly what I askedand you have sworn to deliver what ever I sought.
Yes I did.Are you sure of what you are asking.I have already announced shall be installed as a regent to succeed after me.Before making that announced , I had consulted you and be came a party to that decision. Now you want to reverse that decision . Is it proper?

Ido not see any thing improper in what I asked for my son.You did promise my father that my son would rule Ayodhya after you.Even if circumstances changed to make that promise invalid , the boons you granted stand valid and you have assured to grant my wishes.The boons were granted voluntarily, on your ownI expect you stand by your word.
There was a cold assertiveness to what she said and the way she said.She displayed the same approach that he had seen in the battlefield , calm , collected and very sure of what she was doing.She watched her husband
He was growing older by the minute and he was fighting different emotionsthat were trying to smother him., outrage,deceit,treachery, how to describe what he felt.
“Is that you kaikeyee , who are asking this. Was your Love towards Rama all a sham.How low you have stooped, seeking what you just said
Please, you granted me two boons and right to choose what ever I wanted and I have expressed my wishes.Iam asking for my son. Such selfishness in a mother is not unnatural or wrong.
Oh king let me remind what your own forefathers , the Sibis and Alarka did to safeguard the word given by themThey were prepared to sacrifice their very life to honour the word given by them Will you dare to do differently.You have no option but to say yes. Please say yes and please me.If you act otherway , you will be the cause for death of your wifeand that will be a disgrace you can not live with.

Dasaratha already dazed the heartless requests tried to appeal to her better senses”My dear ,tell me how sucha ghastly change has come about in your heart?The whole world knows the extraordinary attributes of Rama that made him suitable for RegencyWhat harm has been caused by Rama to you that make you negate all the good things you have done so far.Does nt Rama serve more devotedly than you r own Bharatha. ? Do you thing Bharatha would approve of what you are doing for his sake/Don’t you know that Bharatha holds Rama in great esteem and would not tolerate any harm befalling his dear brother.
Okay, if I agree to make your Bharatha a regent in place of Rama , will you withdraw your request to banish Rama to a life in the forests. You know , I can not be alive for a moment also if rama moves away from my sightYou know what will happen to your status if I die. Does it mean anything to you?
Kaikeyee remained unruffled by this emotionalthreats. She said in a calm manner”If you are prepared to disgrace your honour by dis regarding your own words of assurances, , you will be shining light of a dynasty that prided itself on holding up promises regardless of the consequences, then glory be to youIwill kill myself at your feet and let you explain to every one , including your dear son Rama , that you killed a wife because you did not want to keep up a promise. If you can live with that disgrace , be happy , but I will not be at your side be sure.

The old king reeled at the stream of harsh words coming out of Kaikeyee.Thios is not my kaikeyee talking.This is action of evil spirits that have gained control of poor kaikeyee ‘was all that he could murmer.
The king remembered his dreamsThe stars falling out of skies,appearance of long tailed comets and silent procession of people with tears stained faces and city gates of capital closed with flags hanging at half masts. Over come by grief on account of his own helpless situation, the great king collapsed and lost his consciousness


Chapter5

Kaikeyee decided to push ahead. Her husband was lying on the couchflat on his back , with his hands spread wide.Some thing stirred in her hard.She pushed apillow under his head and covered with a shawl.He opened his eyes for a moment and closed them again.Satisfied that he was comfortable, Kaikeyee sent for Sri Ram stating that he should present himself immediately at her chambers to receive new instructions regarding investiture ceremony.
Rama presented himself with out delay and bowed down to touch her feet.She blessed him a long life and comfort, as he stood up. His eyes were searching for the king.He knew that something untoward had happened and he was worried about the king’s safety.On his way to the palace , he had seen Manthara and her bearing revealed that she was trying very hard to hide her happiness about some thing.
Kaikeyee read Rama’s mind correctly and came to the point with out too much introduction”The king is rather tired after all the excitement and efforts of preparing for the coming ceremony. There are some changes that he wants to make and he has allowed me to tell you about it. For the services rendered to him , in a very difficult situation , he has granted me two boons that he said , I could claim any time I wish.My wishes have been assured by the king. However he does not wish to state it to you as it would cause him pain and left the task to me. If as his eldest son , you agree to implement my wishes granted by the king, I will state what is to be done” She waited for Rama to absorb what she had said. Rama , sensing the reason for the king not receiving him personally assured Kaikeyee ,”Mother, you know me. The king is not only my father , he is also my teacher and a good friend. As a loving son , obedient student and a loyal friend, I shall carry out your wishes, whatever they may be. Have no doubt on that score. I say but once and my word does not change If carrying out your wishes calls for plunging into the ocean, enter the fire or offer my life in return for some thing my father promised, I will do so with out second thought. So great Lady , express your wish with out hesitation what you wanted from my dear father , and I will carry it out to your satisfaction.

Yes Ram , my son , I know you keep your word .Listen to this .As per the assurances of the king , While Bharatha is installed as a regent of this realm , you will undertake a life in the forests away from Ayodhya , for a period of nine and five years. Rama heard her calmly and bent down to touch her feet again, He left the room with a smile and on the way out stopped to look at Manthara. He had a great deal to thank her for



Chapter6
A distraught Dasaratha was lying on his bed and queen Kausalya was nursing him. The dreams were coming true one by one increasing the king’s misery. The departure of his sons Rama and Lakshmana along with Sita, was a mortal blow, robbing him of all will to live. Like a fish out of water and a lonely man in an endless desert , his life was ebbing ..He was holding on to his wife’s hands like a scared child. He whisphered to her,’Did I tell you about the curse on me by the aged blind couple” He proceeded to tell her all about the long forgotten incident in his life. Every thing was happening in the way they had predicted. He would be deserted by his loving son and he will die suffering from the pangs of separation from his loving son, My dear , let me tell you about it.Possibly remembering those events may reduce my suffering.
It happened when I was very young and very immature. I had ascended to the throne at an young age and was proud of my skills with bow and arrow. My teacher had taught me a new trick of hitting a target guided by sound and not by sight .By sheer practice I had perfected that trick They called it Shabdhabedhi.I loved to go on hunting During one such hunting expedition, I killed an young man. I remember it was a very hot day and I felt very thirsty and was making my way to a water hole on foot .I could a hear soft sounds of a stream beyond the trees.Then I heard sound of gurgling of water. I thought an animal had come to the water hole. I put an arrow to my bow and waited for the sound to come again and when it repeated I shot the arrow and waited for the arrow to strike and scream of struck animal. But what I heard was a shocking scream of a human being AGHAST AT WHAT I HAD DONE , I RAN TO THE WATER HOLE. There I saw a youngman on the banks of the stream with a pitcher in hand . The sound I had heard was the sound of water entering the pitcher. My arrow had struck him in the throat and the poor boy was dying. I was terribly sorry for what I had done and his suffering brought tears to my eyes. I held him trying to comfort.He was able to talk and he said it was sucha shame that he had to die leaving behind his aged blind parents , who were anxiously waiting for him to bring cool water to quench their parched throat. They were on a pilgrimage and what a way end the pilgrimage , the boy said.He died in my arms and before dying requested me to hand over his body to his parents.I put his dead over my shoulder and walked towards the waiting parentscarrying the water filled pitcher in the other hand.They heard my unsteady footsteps and cried out that they wanted water rather urgentlySilently I held out the pitcher and the old man grabbed at it and in doing so his hand touched my dress and he knew immediately it was not his son standing near. I was dumb with fear.The old man said , who are you stranger , where is our son Shravan. I can smell death around you even though I can not see.’ Haltingly I introduced myself and informed them how I had killed their son in ignorance.They were shattered beyond ebliefIassured him Iwould be their son for their life time serving them in the way their son had done. They would not heara word of what I said.”He was our only child and you killed him . You don’t know the grief you have caused. Your words of consolation have no meaning to us at this satge of our lives. Do us a favour , kill us now with the same arrow that robbed the life of our son.He was the boat that helped us to cross this sea of life and the boat has sunk and we are marooned It is in our mind to curse you and make you suffer.You used a skil for an unworthy end and must suffer the consequences. Some time in future you will face a situation, when your loved son will desert you and the pangs of separation would be cause of your death.They did not live long after that. I performed their final rites likea dutiful son.To cleanse myself of the sins of killing innocent people I performed many yagnas and gave away large amounts of gold and cloth to all poor people. But effects of ones karma can not be jettisoned so easily
Kausalya , those curses are coming home to me now.Ican sense death approaching me softly.My dear Rama has deserted me leaving me to my fate.Kaikeyee has lived like her mother who was prepared to sacrifice life of her husband to achieve what she wanted. How history repeats itself so horribly The burden of guilt is pressing my heart like a huge stone.
Hold my hand Kausalya, please. I am afraid now. I am able to look at your face and can talk to you, but light is leaving my eyes as I see dark shroud enveloping you. My throat is becoming dry and my heart is beating so very slowly .Eh , Ram , why did you have to leave so readily?.It would have been so nice to put my head in your lap and pass away holding your beautiful face in my eyes. Alas , it is not so .I am a sinner who gave a word to an undeserving person.I killed an innocent boy and robbed aged blind couple of their one solace in life and what do I deserve,

The great king put his head in kausalya’s lap and died