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The king is distraught and cannot speak. Rama bows his head at the king’s feet and asks leave. The king tries many remedies to keep him. It does not seem that Rama will stay.
In this episode the king, and everyone after him, counsel Sita, and she gives no answer. Kaikeyi brings a sage’s clothes, ornaments, and vessels. Rama finds happiness in her counsel, and goes in a sage’s dress, leaving everyone senseless. At Vasishtha’s door he provides for the brahmins, and leaves the servants in the guru’s care. The king wakes from his swoon and sends Sumantra with the chariot. Sumantra seats Rama in it outside the city. The people follow, and on the first day Rama stays on the bank of the Tamasa.
Those who go, those who try to stop them, and those who follow
The main figures in this episode
- Rama who bows his head at his father’s feet, rises, and asks leave. He asks his father for a blessing and an order. He finds happiness at Kaikeyi’s counsel, and goes in the dress of a sage with his wife and brother. At Vasishtha’s door he consoles the people and calls the brahmins. With joined hands he tells everyone that his well-wisher is the one by whom the king stays happy. He tells the people of the city to do the remedy by which his mothers are not grieved and pitiful in separation from him. Receiving blessings, he goes. In the chariot, he consoles the people who follow.
- Dasharatha the king, distraught, who cannot speak. Rising in the power of love, he seats Rama by the arm, and speaks of deeds and their fruit. He tries to keep Rama, and then counsels Sita. Kaikeyi’s words are like arrows to him, and he lies in a swoon. Waking, he calls Sumantra, sends him with the chariot, and gives him a message for Sita. Saying this, he falls to the ground in a swoon.
- Sita and Lakshmana the two who go with Rama in the chariot. The king takes Sita to his breast and gives her counsel. Her mind is set in love on Rama’s feet. The others counsel her too, and their counsel does not please her. In the power of hesitation she gives no answer. The king tells Sumantra that if the brothers do not turn back, he is to entreat Rama to send her back. Lakshmana is named with Rama and Sita when the king bids that the three be brought and shown to him, and mounts the chariot with them.
- Kaikeyi who, hearing this and flaring up, rises, and sets a sage’s clothes, ornaments, and vessels before Rama. She tells him the king will never tell him to go to the forest, and that, considering this, he is to do what pleases him. The Creator made her a Kirata woman who set an unbearable forest fire in all ten directions.
- Vasishtha the guru, at whose door Rama stands. Speaking to him, Rama gives the brahmins a year’s provisions. With joined hands Rama gives the maids and servants into his keeping, and tells him to care for them as a father and mother would. Glad, Rama bows his head at the guru’s feet before he goes.
- Sumantra the minister, called by the king when he wakes. The king bids him take the chariot and go with them, seat the three in it, show them the forest, and come back after four days. Receiving the order and bowing his head, he readies the chariot at great speed and goes to the three outside the city. He tells them the king’s words, and making entreaty, seats Rama in the chariot.
- The minister’s wife and the guru’s wife clever women who speak to Sita with love, in a soft voice. Sita was not given dwelling in the forest, they tell her, and she is to do what her father-in-law, guru, and mother-in-law say. The commentary names the minister as Sumantra, and the guru’s wife as Arundhati. It gives the minister’s wife no name.
- The people of Ayodhya whom Rama sees burned by the forest fire of separation, and consoles at Vasishtha’s door. When he goes, the city cries out. Distraught, they follow him, turn back when he consoles them, and come back in the power of love. The city’s men and women fear at the sight of one another. The people cannot bear the fire of separation from Rama, and run, distraught. They resolve that without Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita there is no happiness. They go along, with children and the old left at home.
The father’s hand, and the son’s leave
The king was distraught and could not speak. In his breast was a terrible burning born of sorrow. Bowing his head at the king’s feet with great love, and rising, Rama then asked leave.
“Father, give me your blessing and your order. Why show dismay at a time of joy? Father, by a lapse made from love for a dear one, fame goes from the world and blame comes.”
Hearing this, rising in the power of love, and taking Rama by the arm, the king seated him. “Listen, son. The sages say of you that Rama is the lord of all that moves and all that does not.”
The king went on. “According to deeds good and bad, God gives the fruit, considering in his heart. He who does the deed gets the fruit. Such is the Veda’s policy, everyone says. Someone does the offense, and someone else gets the enjoyment of its fruit. The Lord’s way is very strange. Who in the world is fit to know it?”
Cool counsel for Sita
The king tried many remedies to keep Rama, leaving guile. He saw the mood of Rama, who bears the load of dharma, and is steady and clever. It did not seem that Rama would stay.
Then the king took Sita to his breast. With great kindness he gave her counsel of many kinds. He told her the unbearable griefs of the forest. He explained the happiness of mother-in-law, father-in-law, and father.
Sita’s mind was set in love on Rama’s feet. Home did not seem easy to her, and the forest did not seem dreadful. All the others, too, explained to Sita, saying again and again how great the troubles of the forest were.
The minister’s wife and the guru’s wife, clever women, spoke with love in a soft voice. “You were not given dwelling in the forest. Do what father-in-law, guru, and mother-in-law say.” The commentary names the minister as Sumantra, and the guru’s wife as Arundhati.
Hearing the cool, kindly, sweet, and soft counsel, Sita was not pleased. It was as if the chakravaki were distressed at the touch of the autumn moon’s moonlight.
In the power of hesitation, Sita gave no answer.
The things Kaikeyi brings
Hearing this, and flaring up, Kaikeyi rose. Bringing a sage’s clothes, ornaments, and vessels, and setting them before Rama, she spoke in a soft voice. The commentary counts a rosary and a girdle among the ornaments, and a water pot among the vessels.
“You are dear as life to the king, Rama. He is timid, and will not leave good conduct and love. Let merit, fair fame, and the next world perish. He will never tell you to go to the forest. Considering this, do what pleases you.”
Hearing the counsel of his mother Kaikeyi, Rama found happiness. To the king the words were like arrows. The wretched life-breath did not depart. The commentary reads this as the king’s own thought, asking why it did not depart even now.
The people were distraught, and the king was in a swoon. No one could see what to do. Putting on the dress of a sage at once, and bowing his head to father and mother, Rama went.
Making ready all the gear and company for the forest, with his wife and brother, and bowing to the brahmins’ and the guru’s feet, Rama went, leaving everyone senseless.
At Vasishtha’s door, care for those left behind
Coming out, Rama stood at Vasishtha’s door. He saw the people burned by the forest fire of separation. Saying dear words, he consoled them all. Rama called the host of brahmins.
Speaking to the guru, he gave them a year’s provisions. The commentary reads this as food for a year. With respect, gifts, and humility he brought them under his sway. He satisfied the beggars with gifts and honor, and contented his friends with pure love.
Afterwards, calling the maids and servants, and giving them into the guru’s keeping, he spoke with joined hands. “Take care of them all, master, as a father and mother would.”
Again and again joining both hands, Rama said to everyone in a soft voice, “He is my well-wisher in every way by whom the king stays happy.”
“Do that remedy by which all my mothers do not become grieved and pitiful in separation from me, all you most skilled people of the city.”
After the blessing, the city’s cry of distress
In this way Rama consoled everyone. Gladly he bowed his head at the guru’s feet. Praying to Ganesha, Parvati, and Shiva, and receiving blessings, Rama went. The commentary reads the Shiva prayed to here as the lord of Kailasa.
As Rama went, there was great dejection. The city’s cry of distress could not be listened to. In Lanka there were ill omens, and in Ayodhya great sorrow. The world of the gods was wholly in the power of joy and dejection. In the commentary’s reading, the joy was for the end of the rakshasas to come, and the dejection for the sorrow of Ayodhya’s people.
The swoon passed, and the king woke. Calling Sumantra, he began to speak. “Rama has gone to the forest, and my life does not go. For what happiness does it stay in the body?”
“What pain is stronger than this, at which grief the life would leave the body?” Then, holding patience, the king said, “Taking the chariot, go with them, friend.”
The hope of a return after four days
The king went on. “The two princes are very delicate, and Sita is delicate. Seating them in the chariot and showing them the forest, come back when four days have passed.”
“If the two steady brothers do not turn back, Rama being true to his word and firm in his vow, then entreat with joined hands: Send Sita back, lord.”
“When Sita is afraid at the sight of the forest, tell her my counsel, finding the occasion: Your mother-in-law and father-in-law have sent this message. Daughter, come back. In the forest there is much affliction. Stay sometimes in your father’s house and sometimes in your in-laws’ house, wherever your wish is.”
The king went on to Sumantra. “In this way try remedies of many kinds. If she comes back, there will be a support for my life. Otherwise my death is the outcome. When the Creator has turned contrary, nothing avails.”
Saying this, the king fell to the ground in a swoon, bidding that Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita be brought and shown to him.
Sumantra’s chariot outside the city
Receiving the king’s order, bowing his head, and readying the chariot at great speed, Sumantra went to where the two brothers were with Sita, outside the city.
Then Sumantra told them the king’s words. Making entreaty, he seated Rama in the chariot. Mounting the chariot with Sita, the two brothers went, bowing their heads in their hearts to Ayodhya.
Seeing Rama going and Ayodhya orphaned, all the people, distraught, followed. Rama consoled them in many ways. They turned back, and in the power of love came back again.
Houses, gardens, and creatures standing as if painted
Ayodhya seemed very fearsome, as if it were the dark night of doom. Like frightful creatures, the city’s men and women feared at the sight of one another.
The houses were cremation grounds, and kin were as if ghosts. Sons, well-wishers, and friends were as if Yama’s messengers. In the gardens the trees and creepers withered. The rivers and lakes could not be looked at.
Horses and elephants by tens of millions, pet deer, the city’s beasts, chataks, peacocks, and cuckoos stood distraught in parting from Rama. So did the chakravakas, parrots, mynas, cranes, swans, and chakoras. They stood here and there, as if drawn in a picture. The commentary counts cows, bulls, and goats among the city’s beasts.
The city was a fruitful forest, dense and great, and all its men and women were its many birds and beasts. The commentary reads the fruits as wealth, dharma, desire, and liberation, the four that Ayodhya gave and its people found in happiness.
Where Rama is, there is their society
The Creator made Kaikeyi a Kirata woman, who set an unbearable forest fire in all ten directions. The people could not bear the fire of separation from Rama. All of them ran, distraught.
All of them considered in their minds: “Without Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita there is no happiness. Where Rama is, there is all our society. Without Rama there is no work in Ayodhya.”
Making this resolve firm, they went along, leaving abodes of happiness hard for the gods to come by. Can the pleasures of the senses hold in their power those to whom Rama’s feet are dear?
Leaving children and the old at home, all the people followed. On the first day Rama made his stay on the bank of the Tamasa.
The course of the episode
The king could not speak, and Rama asked leave of him. Rama asked for his father’s blessing and order. Seating Rama by the arm, the king spoke of deeds and their fruit, and of the Lord’s way. He tried many remedies to keep Rama, and then counseled Sita. The others counseled her too, and she gave no answer. Kaikeyi set before Rama the clothes, ornaments, and vessels of a sage, and told him to do what pleased him. Rama found happiness in her counsel. The words were like arrows to the king, and he lay in a swoon. With his wife and brother, Rama went in the dress of a sage. At Vasishtha’s door he consoled the people. He gave the brahmins their provisions, and gave the servants into the guru’s keeping. He told everyone that his well-wisher was the one by whom the king stayed happy. Bowing to the guru and praying, he went, and the city cried out. Waking, the king sent Sumantra with the chariot and a message for Sita, and then fell in a swoon. Outside the city Sumantra seated Rama in the chariot. The people followed, turned back, and came back in the power of love. They resolved that where Rama was, there was all their society. Leaving children and the old at home, they went along. On the first day Rama made his stay on the bank of the Tamasa.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 8: The Exile of Rama, the City’s Lament, Guha, and Chitrakuta, and chapter 8, part 2: From Ayodhya to Chitrakuta.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhyakand, doha 77 to 84, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.