There arose a great uproar of cry in the apartment of the females, when
that best of men went out with clasped hands. 'That Rama, who used to
serve all the females in all matters even without his father's
permission, who was our stay and protector, is going to the forest.
Raghava from his birth pays as much attention to us as to his mother
Kaucalya. He, who being cursed, does not get angry, pacifies the
wrathful and studiously avoids words and deeds that excite anger in
others, will repair hence this day unto the forest. Senseless is our
king, who forsakes Raghava who is the stay of all people, and thus kills
his subjects." Thus the queens of Dacaratha, like unto the cows that
have lost their young ones, began to blame him and cry aloud. Hearing
this terrible uproar of cry in the female apartment, that lord of earth,
racked with sorrow on account of his son, hid himself in the seat (with
head hanging downdards). Rama too, having control over his own self,
experiencing sorrow (for his relatives) and sobbing like an (enchained)
elephant, entered into his mother's apartment together with his brother.
He saw a venerable old man, sitting at the gate and many other persons.
All those present, seeing Rama, began to shower benedictions on him, the
best of all victorious heroes, saying, "Victory unto thee." Having
passed through the first apartment he saw in the second, many old
Brahmins, versed in the Vedas and honored by the king. Having bowed down
unto them, Rama saw in the third apartment, women, boys, and old men,
all engaged in watching the gate. The female warders honored Rama
rejoicing, and entering his mother's apartment, communicated unto her
speedily this pleasant news. Worshipful Kaucalya, seeking her son's
welfare, kept up the whole night being absorbed in meditation, and was,
in the morning, worshipping the God Vishnu. Wearing silk-cloth, pleased,
and accustomed to the performance of religious rites every day, she,
performing benedictory ceremonies, was offering oblation unto the fire.
Rama entering the auspicious abode of his mother beheld her thus engaged
in the sacrifice to the fire. The descendant of Raghu saw there, brought
for the service of the celestials, curd, grains, clarified butter,
sweetmeats, things fit for oblations unto the fire, fried paddy, white
garlands, rice boiled in milk and sugar, rice sesamum and pea mixtures,
sacrficial fuels and jars full of water. He saw his virtuous mother
wearing white silk, pulled down by the austere performance of religious
rites, and engaged in propitiating the deities with the offering of
water. She seeing her son, ever advancing the joy of his mother,
approach, became pleased, and stepped forward like unto a mare beholding
her young one. Seeing his mother approach, Raghava bowed low, and
(Kaucalya) embracing him in her arms smelt his head. Kaucalya, out of
motherly affection, spoke these sweet and beneficient words unto her own
invincible son, Raghava. "Mayst thou obtain the life and fame of the
pious, old _Rajarshis_, and the virtue worthy of thy family. See, Oh
Raghava, how truthful is your father the king! That virtuous- souled one
shall install thee this day as the heir-apparent of the throne."
Raghava, humble by nature, who was offered by his mother a seat and
asked by her to eat something, streching forth a little his clasped
hands, and with his head downwards with a view to show respects towards
his mother, touched the seat, and began to relate unto her the object of
his repairing unto the Dandaka forest. "O worshipful one, certain it is
that thou knowest not the great impending calamity. It is for the
distress of thine, Lakshmana and Vaidehi, that shall I wend my way unto
the Dandaka forest. What is the use of a seat to me then? Now is the
time come when I deserve a seat made of Kusa grass. I shall live in the
forest for fourteen years abstaining from animal food and living on
tuberous roots and fruits like unto the ascetics. The king shall confer
upon Bharata the heir-apparentship and shall banish me as an ascetic
into the forest. And I shall live in that solitary forest for eight and
six years, feasting on roots, and fruits and performing the duties of a
hermit." Like unto the stem of a _sala_ tree cut asunder by an axe in a
wood, like unto a female celestial fallen down from the abode of the
gods, she fell down suddenly (hearing these heart-rending words.) Rama
seeing his mother, who deserved no distress, fall down like a plantain
tree and insensible, raised her up, and finding her covered with dust
all over her body like unto a mare risen up after rolling on the ground
on account of toil of bearing heavy burden wiped oflf (her body) gently
with his hand. She, deserving happiness, being racked with the
destruction of her delight spoke thus unto Raghava, that best of men, in
the presence of Lakshmana. "Oh! my son, Oh! Raghava, hadst thou not been
born for my grief I would have been sonless only, but would not have
been subject to this greater grief. A sonless woman has only one cause
of mental affliction. Her only sorrow is "I have no child" and nothing
else my son. I have not experienced in my life that blessing and
pleasure which women generally feel when their husbands are devoted to
them. I have sustained my life so long, O Rama, only with the hope that
I shall witness this and other happiness when I shall have a son.
Myself, being the eldest of all the queens, shall have to hear
unpleasant and heart-rending words from the co-wives who are all younger
than I. There can be no greater misery for women than this my boundless
grief and lamentations. Thou being present, they have reduced me to this
miserable plight, I do not know what else they will do, thou being away;
there is death certain for me, Oh my darling! Being disregarded by my
husband I have been greatly insulted--I am equal to the maid-servants of
Kaikeyi or even inferior to them. Those who serve me or are obedient
unto me, shall not even speak with me when they will see the son of
Kaikeyi (installed). She is always of fretful temper, how shall I,
reduced to misery (on account of thy exile), eye the face of Kaikeyi,
uttering harsh words. I have spent, Oh Raghava, ten years and seven from
thy (second) birth[118] expecting a termination of my sorrow. Even
though worn out, Oh Raghava, I shall not be able to suffer this great
misery cosequent upon thy unending exile and the contempt of the
co-wives. How shall I, of miserable life pass my days in grief not
seeing thy face, effulgent like unto the full-moon. Wretched as I am, in
vain have I brought thee up with fasts, contemplations and many other
toilsome austerities. Surely, I consider my heart is very hard, as it
does not rend like unto the bank of a great river in contact with new
water in the rainy season. There is no death for me-- no vacant place in
the abode of Yama; otherwise why does not Death take me away like unto a
lion snatching away a weeping hind; certain it is that my heart is made
of iron, as it does not rend nor does my body being pressed down with
this sorrow and falling) down on earth, break into pieces; verily have I
no death before time. This distresses me that all my religious vows,
alms givings, self-restraint and austerity, performed with a view of
obtaining a son, have been fruitless, like unto the seeds thrown on a
barren soil. If any body in this life, being pressed down with some
great calamity, could meet with death of his own accord, I would have
instantly gone to the abode of dealh, being cut off from thee like unto
a cow from her young one. Oh, thou, having a countenance of moon-like
splendour, wretched indeed is my life without thee--I shall follow thee
to the forest out of great affection, like unto an enfeebled cow
following her young one. Kaucalya like a Kinnari unable to bear this
great calamity, anticipating some great misfortune and seeing Rama bound
(with a great vow), began to lament in various ways.
[118] Here the commentators differ in fixing the age of Rama at the time
of his going to the forest. Rama's age was under sixteen at the
time of marriage, and after he was married to Sica he enjoyed her
company for twelve years, when the proposal of installation was
made. This makes totally an age of twenty-seven. In the text
'_dasa saptacha_' (ten and seven) ten years fall short which are
to be made up by taking into account the age of ten being left
out, preceding Rama's entering into the second birth which begins
at _maunji-bandhana_ or initiation into the mysteries of the Vedic
literature. Following the example of Bhashyakara Patanjali, the
commentator, Ramanuju has in the sentence 'dasa saptacha' supplied
another (dasa) (ten) by means of ellipsis, thus giving an age of
twenty-seven. This, however, contradicts the statement of Sita to
Ravana in guise of an anchorite, informing him of the age of her
husband being twenty-five. A modern annotator with great ingenuity
has devised ways to make up this discrepancy. The age of Rama was
under sixteen, when Visvamitra asked his assistance in destroying
Taraka. 'Under sixteen' may mean fifteen or twelve as well. After
marriage at twelve, Rama enjoyed twelve years more the pleasure of
home. This giving in total twenty-four, it is to be supposed that
when he was exiled he stepped at twenty-five. The text '_dasa
saptacha_' is correct, considering the age of eight being left out
preceding his second birth at the initiation into the mysteries of
the Veda.