At this time Lakshmana, sorely distressed, addressed the weeping
Kaucalya, the mother of Rama with the following words suitable to that
occasion. "I like it not, Oh worshipful one, that Raghava, should repair
unto the forest, renouncing this grandeur of sovereignty. The king is
uxorious, old and therefore of perverted judgment and is addicted to
worldly affairs; being under the influence of his wife and passion what
could he not speak? I do not see any such fault or sin in Rama that he
should be banished from the kingdom to range in the wood. I do not find
any such man in this world, even amongst great enemies, who, forsaken
for heinous sins, can cite, even in his absence, any fault of him.
Observing what law of righteousness does the monarch, without any cause,
renounce such a son who is like unto celestials, simple, well
disciplined and beloved even of the enemies? What son, remembering his
father's conduct, shall carry in his heart these words of the king, who
has again gone back to childhood? Ere people come to know this proposal
of exile, do thou secure the government of the kingdom unto thyself with
me. Who can disturb the installation, Oh Raghava, myself protecting thee
by thy side with my bows, like unto Death himself. If any body stands
here as an enemy, surely shall I, Oh best of men, depopulate the whole
city of Ayodhya with sharp arrows. I shall immolate all who shall stand
by Bharata or wish him well--certainly mildness brings about
discomfiture. If father being propitiated and excited by Kaikeyi, turns
out to be our enemy, he shall be slain, without any hesitation. Even a
spiritual leader deserves chastisement if he is puffed up with pride,
and is devoid of the power of judging good actions and bad, and when he
is gone astray. Tell me, Oh best of men, by what law of virtue and what
reason does he purpose to confer this kingdom upon Kaikeyi, which has
devolved upon thee (by the law of inheritance). Who dares conferring on
Bharata the kingdom, carrying hostility with me and thee? Oh worshipful
one, verily am I attached at heart to my brother. By truth, bow, gifts
and things dear unto me, do I swear unto thee; if Rama shall enter into
the wood, know me, Oh worshipful one, to have entered into the fire
before that Like unto the sun dispelling darkness, shall I remove thy
sorrow by dint of my power; may your worshipful self and Raghava witness
it. Readily shall I despatch my father, whose heart is unduly attached
unto Kaikeyi and who is therefore vile and being old contemptibly
playing the child." Hearing these words of the high-souled Lakshmana,
Kaucalya weeping and being pressed with sorrow spoke these words unto
Rama. "You have heard, Oh my son, what your brother Lakshmana said; and
if you like, do what seems reasonable unto thee. It does not behove
thee, hearing the sinful words given vent to by the co-wife, to repair
hence, leaving me who is sore distressed with sorrow. Oh thou pious one,
having knowledge of religion, if do thou wish to acquire righteousness,
serve me here and continue practising the best of all virtues. Hear, Oh
my son, the great ascetic Kasyapa, lived in his house, serving his
mother continually and being crowned with best moral merit reached
heaven. As the monarch is worshipful unto thee in veneration so am I. I
do not permit thee, to repair hence unto the forest. Separated from thee
I do not need life or happiness; with thee I would prefer faring on
grass. If do thou depart unto the forest leaving me troubled with
sorrow, I shall resort to the vow of fasting and shall not be able to
sustain my life. And then thou shalt receive the penalty of hell, well
known to the people, as did the ocean, the lord of rivers, for like,
unrighteousness, suffer the agony of Brahminicide."[119] Whereupon unto
his mother Kaucalya, sorrowful and weeping, spoke Rama, virtuous-souled,
these words of righteousness. "There is no power in me to transgress my
father's behests; bend low I my head unto thee--I want to proceed to the
forest. The learned Rishi Kandu, who lived in the forest keeping the
word of his father, killed a cow, knowing it to be unrighteousness. In
our line the descendants of Sagara, at the command of their father, met
with signal destruction, while digging the earth. Rama the son of
Jamadagni, at his father's words, decapitated his mother in the forest.
These and other god-like personages, Oh worshipful one, obeyed
heroically the orders of their father; and I shall do my father's
welfare therefore. It is not I alone who am carrying out my father's
commands; those whom I have mentioned now, O worshipful one, have done
so. I am not introducing some such righteousness, unfavourable unto
thee, that has been never practised before. I am simply treading the
path, that has been upheld and followed by worthies gone before. Surely
shall I accomplish that which is worthy of being performed in this world
and nothing else--one going by his father's behests is not certainly
degraded."
Saying these words unto his mother, that best of men versed in speech
and best of archers, again spoke unto Lakshmana all these words. "I know
full well, Oh Lakshmana, thy affection towards me and thy power,
strength and unconquerable force. Not knowing my settted conviction in
regard to truth and peace, my mother, Oh beautiful Lakshmana, is so
disturbed with incomparable sorrow. Righteousness is the prime object in
this world and in righteousness is established truth, and this excellent
utterance of my father is in keeping with righteousness. It does not
become them, O hero, who abide in righteousness to fail to carry out the
commands of father, mother or a Brahmin. While I have been, Oh warrior,
ordered by Kaikeyi at my father's words, I shall not be able to
transgress those behests again. Do thou relinquish therefore this
unrighteous purpose of thine consequent to the virtues of the
Kshatriyas; do thou abide by righteousness but not cruelty, and follow
my decision." Saying these words unto Lakshmana out of fraternal
affection, spoke again Rama to Kaucalya with clasped hands and with his
head bending low. "I do bind thee with an oath of my life, Oh venerable
one, to allow me to wander away hence into the wood. Do thou perform
benedictory ceremonies for my welfare. Like unto the royal saint
_Yayati_ in the days of yore once falling on earth going again to the
abode of celestials, I shall, fulfilling my vows, again return home from
the forest. Do thou, Oh mother, assuage thy grief within thy heart;
lament not thou, I shall return home again from the wood after making
good my father's words. Myself, Lakshmana, Vaidehi, Sumitra and thyself
shall abide by father's words, and this is the virtue eternal. Desisting
from the ceremonies of installation and allaying thy sorrow in thy heart
do thou, Oh my mother, follow my pious decision about retiring to the
forest". Hearing those pious, sober and reasonable words of Rama, the
venerable mother, regaining her sense like unto the dead, and casting
her look upon him, spoke to him again the following words. "I am equally
worshipful unto thee, Oh my son, with your father, for like him have I
brought thee up with pains and like him do I love thee. I shall not
allow thee to repair unto the forest and it does not behove thee to go
leaving me behind sore distresssd with grief. Without thee, of what
avail to me is my life, my relatives, the worship of the manes and the
deities and the knowledge of divine truth on this earth? Prefer do I thy
company even for a moment to the presence of all creation." Hearing
these sorrowful words of his mother, Rama was again inflamed with ire,
like unto an elephant goaded with a fire-brand, when entering into
darkness. He, abiding in righteousness spoke such pious words unto his
mother, almost insensible, and unto the son of Sumitra, bewailing and
racked with sorrow, as he was justified to utter on that occasion. "I
know, Oh Lakshmana, thy deep respects unto me and thy power. It is not
proper for thee to pain me along with my mother, not being cognizant of
my intention. Righteousness, wealth, and the objects of desire are
looked upon with great esteem in this world of the created but when the
occasion for obtaining the result consequent upon the virtuous deeds of
a prior life appears, all these three, I have no doubt, are fulfilled in
righteousness, as the wife alone, obedient, charming and having a son
(fulfils them all). It is not becoming for us to perform all those
things where these three do not combine--whence results righteousness
that we should resort to. A man seeking wealth becomes despicable, and
one subject to desires is not admired by any (when bereft of
righteousness). Who of us, having no tendency to wickedness, shall not
obey the command of our father knowing it to be righteousness, who is
old, our monarch and preceptor in military training, be it an outcome of
his desires, anger or joy. For this it is that I am unable to act
against my father's vow--he is our father and therefore can command us
both like a master; and he is the husband of this venerable one,
therefore her stay and righteousness itself. The righteous monarch is
still living and continues in his own path when ready to redeem his vow
even by renouncing me--how can this worshipful one accompany me like
other insignificant widows? Do thou permit me therefore, to repair unto
the forest and perform benedictory ceremonies for me so that I may again
return home like unto Yajati regaining heaven by truth. I cannot neglect
eminent fame being impelled by avarice for kingdom alone. Life is but of
short duration, Oh worshipful one, and as such I do not long for
acquiring this nether earth by means unrighteous." Rama, that foremost
of men, with a view to range into the forest Dandaka after patiently
propitiating his mother and instructing fully his younger brother the
mysteries of righteousness, went round his mother with reverence and
made up his mind to repair unto the forest.
[119] The text has been here a little freely translated to make it
compatible with the legend to which it refers. The ocean, thus
goes the story, caused the grief of his mother. Upon which,
Maharshi Pippyalada, through magical power, subjected him to agony
of hell. This agony the mother of Rama relates as the same that
follows the sin of Brahminicide.