Ramayana Chapter 24 The Choice Unknown

Ramayana

Chapter 24

The Choice Unknown

After the departure of the mysterious messenger, Kaikeyi started spending hours in solitude to reflect upon the portents of his visit. She began to see the shape of the things hidden inside the contours of the speedy events that had been taking place since the day Vishvamitra had arrived unannounced in the conference hall of king Dashratha. Vishvamitra had fulfilled his mission and returned to his hermitage, but he had only played his part in the larger processes of history evolving slowly. He was a visionary who knew the truth from the distant far-away vantage point in future. His mission was to initiate the forces that needed to be awakened if the future was to evolve in the right direction for Ayodhya and all the neighboring states stretching right up to the state of Kaikeya—her father’s kingdom. Vishvamitra had given Rama a foreknowledge of the nature of the threat posed to Ayodhya and all the states in the north lying under the shadow of the great Himalayan ranges.  The threat could emerge from the dark forests stretching to the south and ending at the sea in the south. The kings and the princes of small kingdoms had displayed their ineptitude and ignorance from the way they had rallied together to subdue Janaka over the question of the marriage of his daughter Seeta. The signs of the imminent chaos could be seen in the sudden appearance of sage Parashurama on the scene immediately after Rama’s marriage to Seeta. Rama was emerging in the forefront of the vortex of the historical-political turmoil and it was the demand of the times that he must be brought to the center of the vortex. There was no other way and the sages knew it. That was why even Vasishtha had given a tacit consent to Vishvamitra’s maneuvering. The truth began to unfold slowly before her eyes. What lay hidden in the folds of the future was something that was not yet clear to her. Where was it leading to? Did it lead in the direction of chaos, status quo, or the evolution of a new order?

What intrigued her most was the burden of responsibility that the messenger had cast upon her. Her mind was spinning in all directions, especially when she saw the wave of happiness that had surged all around and engulfed the entire kingdom of Ayodhya at that moment. She had no part to play in their celebration, but the immensity of the fateful implication of the choice that lay before her was surrounding her on all sides and the resentment that she should feel at her ostracized state in the palace was insignificant now.

Things had reached a feverish pitch as the excitement of the sacred rituals and the ceremonies brought on almost a delirium of joy among the women of the royal household. Manthara was flitting in and out of her mistress’s room in anger and frustration as she watched the ceremonies of welcome to the new princesses. Gradually a fit of panic seized her as she saw Kaikeyi being driven into isolation and as she reflected on Kaikeyi’s withdrawal from the scenes of excitement she was filled with an increasing sense of insecurity. She tried to probe deeper into Kaikeyi’s silence but there was an unusual coldness in Kaikeyi’s demeanor which Manthara saw as a dangerous sign of admission of defeat.

Possessing a foresight and vision is not a happy gift when you are surrounded by a pack of an ignorant crowd who are blissfully free of the burden of choice that is to decide their fate. At no other time in her life had Kaikeyi felt so forsaken and alone as she felt now.    

Ramayana Chapter 23 Forebodings of the Future

Ramayana

Chapter 23

Forebodings of the Future

A wizened old brahmin was seen by Kaikeyi on that morning, as she stood on the balcony overlooking the garden-path. He was stopped at the gate to her mansion by the sentry, but the old man was apparently undaunted by the obstruction in his way to the mansion. He appeared to be arguing with perseverance but the sentry did not seem to pay heed to his arguments. Kaikeyi was struck by something that carried significance to her. She sent an attendant to the gate with the royal insignia and had the man brought into her presence.

When the man appeared in her presence she realized that he was not really as old as he appeared to be from a distance and he was not a destitute either. When he took off the shawl which covered his head she saw that his bare shoulders were quite strong and there was a spark in his eyes which he deliberately concealed by keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. When he looked up and as their eyes met, she realized that he had come there with some grave purpose.

“I may not need an introduction,” he said as he flourished a parchment from under his arm and handed it to her.  Kaikeyi cast a glance at it and returned it to him.

“Have you understood who has sent me here?” He asked.

Kaikeyi said, “You have come from Indra, the Lord of Gods.”

She tried to hide her astonishment and said, “I should take you to the presence of the King then.”

The man hastened to say, “No need for that Honorable Lady. I have been instructed to hold conference exclusively with you.”

Kaikeyi was deeply engrossed in silence. He studied her for a moment and then said, “Listen carefully. Remember that you are a part of a royal dynasty which has been chosen by destiny to determine the course of history in a decisive way and moreover you have been assigned a role in it. The Gods who rule over this continent are locked in a battle with the Asuras who are wreaking havoc in this part of the earth and unless they are vanquished the Gods themselves are under threat. There is only one person who can take the challenge and it is going to be a long drawn-out battle”

Having said that, the man stopped to let her respond. Kaikeyi responded with guarded silence. She was not unaware of the situation. Her brother Yudhajit had, in fact, come all the way from the kingdom of Kaikeyas and stayed here long after his arrival from Mithila with the wedding party. His secret agents had been busy gathering information on the political scenario and Yudhajit had kept her informed of the politically fragile condition of Ayodhya during this time.

But she did not speak anything of what she knew. The man sent by Indra was a shrewd manipulator. He knew that Kaikeyi would not easily fall into the trap. He said, “I know that your secret agents have apprised you of the imminent danger.  The king has to come to a point of decision; but as everyone knows, he will not. He cannot deal with the problem which is going to assume a massive proportion in the future. Rama is the person who must look into this and he will not be able to do it sitting here in the luxury of the palace. We know that you are aware of the problem and also of its solution. We know that you have apprised Rama of the situation that prevails now.”

Kaikeyi looked at him in surprise as she heard this from him; especially his mention of her secret conference with Rama, which was rather unexpected for her.

He said, “My words should not cause a surprise. We among the Devas know everything."

Kaikeyi’s thoughts were swimming in a deep vortex. She realized what it was leading to.

He said, “You among all the members of the royal family are the one who can guide the path of destiny in the chosen direction. I leave it to you to find a way to do this. But you have to do this. The time has come close at hand.”

He paused for a while and said, “Can I extract a promise from you?”

There was a grim silence.

The man said, “You will have to act and you will. There is no alternative.”  

Before she could form a reply the man had got up from his seat and left her to ponder over the answer in the doom of her solitude.

Ramayana Chapter 22 Festivities

Ramayana

Chapter 22

Festivities

The palace of Ayodhya was full of music. Notes of singing by women, by the royal bards, music on flute and strung instruments, music in the air, music from the mountains and the rivers—there was the music of the spheres as it were, that came wafted along on the wings of the breeze. 

Kausalya and Sumitra were kept on their toes. There was no end to the sacred ceremonies that needed to be performed under the instructions of the royal priests. The town of Ayodhya had become a part of the palace. The world was humming with the festive sounds of drums and shehnais that were being played in every household from morning to dusk. Sorrow was banished as if never to return.

Manthara, Kaikeyi’s personal attendant, was far from happy these days. She was watching over Kaikeyi’s moods and sultry silence.  She had also noticed the widening estrangement between Kaikeyi and the two senior queens—Kausalya and Sumitra. Of late, there was a marked air of jubilation in their quarters and well-planned maneuvers calculated to keep Kaikeyi out of the festivities which had by now reached a fevered pitch in the palace. Manthara had not failed to notice however, that Rama had sought a special appointment with Kaikeyi and the meeting took place in the quiet environment of Kaikeyi’s secluded room in her mansion. It appeared to be a routine courtesy visit, but Rama was not accompanied by his wife. Manthara had tried to eavesdrop on their conversation but from the few words she could hear, she could surmise that they were talking about some secret information which Kaikeyi had received from her own spy network.  She had tried to study the faces of both as they talked. Kaikeyi was placid when she was silent and looked at Rama only when she had something to say which always appeared to be a matter of great consequence to Rama. After she finished the few words she had to say, she looked at Rama anxiously. Rama who appeared to be engrossed over the matter looked up at her from his reverie and said something ponderous. Both appeared to be seized over something of grave importance. When she saw Rama bending down to touch Kaikeyi’s feet, Manthara quickly stepped behind the curtain to watch their expressions. She was rather surprised to see no trace of displeasure or anger in either of them.

In her limited understanding of the scenario that prevailed in the palace in those hectic days of celebrations and the eager assimilation of the new princesses in the palace life, there was a curious discrepancy. Bharata and Shatrughna were rather speedily dispatched to the northwest kingdom of Kaikeyi’s father in the escort of Kaikeyi’s brother Yudhajit who had accompanied them to Ayodhya after the wedding ceremony in Mithila. Dashratha looked confused and confounded over these rapid events and spent his days in a distracted state of mind.

Manthara was left high and dry in the excitement. She who was perpetually regarded a hindrance and a nuisance by all, was left to brood over the developments, in her sullen silence.   

Ramayana Chapterm 21 Kaikeyi

Kaikeyi

Chapter 21

Kaikeyi waited anxiously in her chamber to receive the princesses of Videha. Her personal attendant Manthara was full of exciting accounts of their beauty, grace and accomplishments. Kaikeyi was particularly anxious to see Rama’s wife Seeta. She knew that after the first scheduled meeting with Seeta, there would hardly be any meetings unless the protocol demanded. She had heard that Seeta was in fact an adopted child of Janaka. Kaikeyi could not imagine the future queen of Ayodhya to be a woman whose antecedents were not known.

When she saw Seeta she was surprised to find a young woman who combined a rustic ruggedness with the grace and dignity of a princess. Seeta lacked the subtlety that marks the demeanor of a person born in a royal dynasty. But there was a certain solicitude in her towards the old, the poor and the weak, which made her the darling of the subjects of Ayodhya. Kaikeyi recalled her own experience  and was envious as she thought of how they were still not ready to accept her as one of them. But she saw that Seeta got assimilated among them quickly and spontaneously. Seeta had great physical stamina and one could imagine in her a person who would not shirk from tasks that demanded rigor. Though outwardly she appeared demure and shy, her laughter betrayed a robust  capacity for living life fully.

But somehow, Kaikeyi was a little perturbed to notice a streak of naiveté in her. Seeta seemed to believe that men love women for their even teeth, fair complexion, well-formed breasts and straight legs, and was a little proud that she possessed all these attributes. But yet she regarded herself inferior in comparison with the suave, elegant and correct women of the royal family.

Urmila won Kaikeyi’s heart. She was devoid of ostentation, and yet, was elevated by her innate grace. Moreover, alone among all the princesses, she appeared to have a mind of her own. At times her aloofness bordered on indifference. But on a closer view, she conveyed real warmth. Bharata’s wife Mandavi and Shatrughna’s wife Shrutakirti were still childlike. They had yet to come out of their initial sense of wonder and awe at their new life.

Kaikeyi was not worried for her own sake, nor was she worried for Bharata. She was worried for Dashratha. His inept handling of situations in crisis could create unimaginable difficulties for all. Kaikeyi had a foreboding that here in Ayodhya things did not augur well for the royal family. A keen insight into the fluid, intangible realities of political trends and a vague premonition of the future of the princes unsettled her. Political realities were open to interpretations. But what would she do with her vague fears? Besides, she was not known to be a sensitive mystic whose intuitions could be trusted for what they meant. She found it difficult to share her fears with anyone in the household, for that matter. Maybe, she could try and talk to Dashratha about her fears; but whenever she had tried to speak to him about such things, he had invariably seen Manthara’s shrewd insinuation behind her fears. Moreover, he always suspected her judgments when it came to discussing their children. Somehow, she felt that the times were going to be hard. None of them had foresight enough to see the shape of the things to come. 

Ramayana Chapter 19 Urmila and Laxman

 Chapter 19

Urmila and Laxman

Urmila longed to meet her father alone before leaving for Ayodhya.  Suddenly she was feeling his absence acutely.  In those rushed days and hours of the wedding  she could hardly be her own self. Of course, he was going to feel the absence of his daughters too. She knew that he would look forward to his  sons-in-law  for political as well as moral support. But she knew well that there was a deep silence in his heart now.

She was glad when her father himself summoned her to his chamber to have a talk with her.

“Urmila,” he said, “I know your state of mind. I know I have not given you the attention which you deserved and which was your right. I know you would not hold a grudge; you never complained, but I know it. You are an artist who believes in the beauty of life. But life will be beautiful only if you are able to reconcile beauty and agony. Now you must aim at making life meaningful. “

Urmila said, “It’s not easy.”

Janaka said, “Everyone wants life to be easy. Very few there are who want it to be meaningful. Art and beauty may separate,  but neither of them can be separated from the pain of life. Give a space to yourself. I know you need to do it the most of all.”

Urmila was silent. She could have her own space in Mithila in her father’s home. She did not know what life was going to be like in Ayodhya.

Her father understood her silence.

“Have no misgivings,” he said.

“Your husband has a mind of his own, though he appears to live in the shadow of his brother. I know you will never err in your duty towards him. But let it be more than a duty. All these brothers are inseparable from each other. They are not dissolute and their life is dedicated to Rama, the eldest among them. You rarely come across a brotherhood like this. You are entering into a family where relationships are tested and have to withstand the rigours of adversity; but my daughters are no ordinary princesses either. Go ahead on the path of your life without misgivings.”

Urmila bowed down; but before she could touch his feet, he supported her and made her stand up. He wanted to look at her while giving her his blessings.

“Preserve the beauty, peace and harmony within your soul at all times. I know your strength and fortitude. Your beautiful soul is your best companion and guide.”

Urmila and Laxman

Continued

Laxman entered the bridal chamber and found Urmila in a plain attire, working at a canvas. The portrait was half done with just a few preliminary hints of the character of her subject. He walked on tip-toes and stood behind her, watching her apply delicate suggestive hints around the corners of the eyes. She was at once one with the subject and out of it too, giving  space to both: the subject as well as the artist. Laxman watched the progress of the portrait silently. After a few deft strokes and highlights the character emerged vividly. Laxman was flattered to see his own likeness. He quickly stepped back as he saw Urmila moving backward to see the picture in a perspective. Just then Urmila felt his presence and turned around.

“Oh,” she said in a surprise.

“Oh!” said Laxman in response, and both laughed to overcome the uneasiness.

Laxman looked at his own image and she looked at Laxman, afraid to ask his opinion, because she knew, people generally don’t approve of the artist’s rendering of their own visage. But there was no trace of any sign of a disillusionment mingled with angry disapproval on Laxman’s face.

“Do I look like this rogue in the portrait?” He asked Urmila.

She looked at him for a moment and then went on to make a few alterations. Laxman watched the portrait come alive as she darkened the areas around the mouth to capture the play of light and shadow.

She put the brush down and said, “There! I will have to work a little more at it. But that’s enough for the time being.”

The palette was there with the colors still freshly mixed on it. Laxman said, “Let me try my hand at it.”

“Oh no!” She exclaimed and made a move to take away the brush from his hand, but before she could do so, Laxman had dipped the brush in the vermilion and made a mark with it on her forehead.

“There! That completes my own work of art!” said he.

Urmila stole a glance at him as he stared at her with smiling eyes, and she realized what was missing in the portrait—the look in his eyes that seemed to say, “You can’t hide from my eyes any more!”