Ayodhyakand · Bharata Answers Kaikeyi, and Meets Kausalya

Kaikeyi sees her son distraught and consoles him, as if putting salt on a burn. Bharata answers her, calling her sinful one, and says that in every way she has destroyed the line. Later, with joined hands, he swears to Kausalya that every sin he names may be his if this had his counsel.

In this episode Shatrughna hears of Kaikeyi’s crookedness and burns with anger, and Manthara comes there, decked out in clothes and ornaments. He kicks her hump, she falls crying out, and he drags her by the hair. Bharata frees her. The two brothers go to Kausalya, who rises and runs at the sight of Bharata and falls in a swoon. He falls at her feet and asks where his father is, and where Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana are. He calls himself the stain of the line and the cause of all this evil. She raises him and takes him to her breast, and then seats him in her lap and wipes his tears. She tells him to hold patience and to lay blame on no one. She tells him how Rama put on bark cloth, how Sita and Lakshmana went with him, and how she did not go or send her life after them. The queens’ quarters lament with Bharata. Bharata consoles all the mothers. Hearing his oath, the mother tells him that Rama is life to him beyond life, and that he is dearer to Rama than life. The night passes in lament. Vamadeva and Vasishtha come, and at the guru’s words Bharata rises and gives word to make all ready.

Bharata between two mothers

The main figures in this episode

• Bharata Kaikeyi’s son, who hears her tell him to give up mourning and rule, and shrinks as if an ember had touched a ripe wound. Calling her sinful one, he asks why she did not kill him at birth. He names the Sun’s line, Dasharatha for a father, brothers like Rama and Lakshmana, and her for the mother who bore him. He tells her to put ink on her face and go and sit out of his sight. He says the Creator brought him forth from a heart hostile to Rama, and asks who is a sinner like him. He frees Manthara from Shatrughna’s hands. At Kausalya’s feet he asks for his father, and for Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana. He names himself the stain of the line, the vessel of infamy, and a fire born in the bamboo forest. He consoles all the mothers with stories of the Puranas and the Vedas. With joined hands he swears that, if this had his counsel, the sins he lists may be his. He wishes on himself the end of the sinners he lists, if this had his counsel or his consent, or if he knows this secret. When the night has passed he hears the guru’s words and rises.
• Kaikeyi Bharata’s mother, who, seeing her son distraught, consoles him as if she were putting salt on a burn. The king, she tells him, is not to be mourned. Having earned merit and fame, he enjoyed them. While he lived, she says, he got all the fruits of birth, and at the end he went to Indra’s house. She tells Bharata to give up mourning and rule the city with the court. He answers her, and calls her sinful one to her face.
• Shatrughna Bharata’s brother, who hears Kaikeyi’s crookedness, and his limbs burn with anger, and nothing avails. When Manthara comes there decked out, he fills with anger, a burning fire given an offering of ghee. He leaps, takes aim, and kicks her hump, and she falls face down. Hearing her cry and seeing her wicked from nail to crown, he begins to drag her, gripping her by the hair, and Bharata frees her. He goes with Bharata to Kausalya, who embraces him after Bharata. With Bharata he laments, distraught, and she takes them both to her heart.
• Manthara who comes there at that moment, decked out in many kinds of clothes and ornaments. At Shatrughna’s kick on her hump she falls face down on the ground, crying out. Her hump breaks, and her skull splits. Her teeth are broken, and blood flows from her mouth. She calls on fate, asking what harm she did, and says that doing good she got an ill fruit. Bharata frees her from Shatrughna, who drags her by the hair.
• Kausalya Rama’s mother, in soiled clothes, colorless, distraught, her body thin with the weight of grief. Seeing Bharata she rises and runs, and falls to the ground in a swoon. At his soft words she rises again, steadying herself. She raises Bharata, takes him to her breast, and sheds water from her eyes. With great love she takes him to her heart, as if Rama had come back, and then embraces Shatrughna. She seats Bharata in her lap, wipes his tears, and tells him to hold patience and blame no one. She tells him of Rama giving up ornaments and clothes at his father’s order and setting out for the forest, and of Sita and Lakshmana going along. She says she did not go, nor send her life after them, and that her heart is like a hundred thunderbolts. She hears Bharata’s oath and tells him he is ever dear to Rama in word, mind, and body, and will not turn against Rama. Saying so, she takes him to her heart, and milk flows from her breasts.
• Vamadeva and Vasishtha the two sages who come when the night has passed and call all the ministers and the notables. Vasishtha, the guru, counsels Bharata in many ways, speaking apt words of the highest truth. He tells Bharata to hold patience in his heart and do what today’s occasion asks. At the guru’s words Bharata rises.

Kaikeyi’s consolation, and Bharata’s answer

Seeing her son distraught, Kaikeyi consoled him. It was as if she were putting salt on a burn.

“Son, the king is not to be mourned. Having earned merit and fame, he enjoyed them. While he lived, he got all the fruits of birth. At the end he went to Indra’s house. Considering so, give up mourning. Rule the city with the court.”

Hearing it, the prince shrank greatly. It was as if an ember had touched a ripe wound. Holding patience, he drew long breaths. “Sinful one, you have destroyed the line in every way. If you had a great ill wish, why did you not kill me at birth? Cutting the tree, you watered the leaf. For the fish to live, you bailed out the water.” In the commentary’s reading of the two images, she set out to do him good and did him harm.

“The Sun’s line, Dasharatha for a father, brothers like Rama and Lakshmana. Mother, you became the mother who bore me. Nothing avails against the Creator.”

The charges Bharata lays, and a heart hostile to Rama

Bharata went on. “When you, ill-minded one, set the ill plan within you, your heart did not break to pieces. Asking the boons, you felt no pain in your mind. Your tongue did not rot. No worm fell in your mouth. How did the king trust you? The Creator took away his wits at the hour of his death. Even the Creator did not know the ways of a woman’s heart. It is a mine of all deceit, sin, and failings. The king was simple, good-natured, and devoted to dharma. How could he know a woman’s nature? Is there a living creature in the world to whom Rama is not dear as life? Even that Rama became a great ill-wisher to you. Who are you? Tell me truly. Whoever you are, putting ink on your face, rise and go and sit out of my sight.”

“The Creator brought me forth from a heart hostile to Rama. Who is a sinner like me? I speak to you in vain.” The commentary also reads the line as the Creator showing him hostile to Rama at heart.

Manthara comes, and Bharata frees her

Hearing Kaikeyi’s crookedness, Shatrughna burned with anger in his limbs, and nothing availed. At that moment Manthara came there, decked out in many kinds of clothes and ornaments.

Seeing her, Shatrughna filled with anger. A burning fire got an offering of ghee. The commentary reads the fire as a likeness for him. Leaping and taking aim, he struck a kick on her hump. She fell face down on the ground, crying out.

Her hump broke, and her skull split. Her teeth were broken, and blood flowed from her mouth. “Ah, fate, what harm did I do? Doing good, I got an ill fruit.”

Hearing it, and seeing her wicked from nail to crown, Shatrughna began to drag her, gripping her by the hair. Bharata, a treasury of mercy, freed her, and the two brothers went to Kausalya.

Kausalya was in soiled clothes, colorless, distraught, her body thin with the weight of grief. It was as if frost had struck a fine golden wish-creeper in a forest.

At Kausalya’s feet, and in her lap

Seeing Bharata, the mother rose and ran. She fell to the ground in a swoon, a faintness coming over her. At the sight Bharata was greatly distraught. He fell at her feet, forgetting the state of his body.

“Mother, where is father? Show him to me. Where is Sita? Where are Rama and Lakshmana, the two brothers? Why was Kaikeyi born in the world? And if she was born, why was she not barren? She gave birth to me, the stain of the line, the vessel of infamy, the betrayer of those dear to me. Who in the three worlds is as wretched as I, because of whom you have come to this state, mother? Father is in heaven, and Rama is in the forest. I, Ketu, alone am the cause of all this evil. Shame on me. I was born a fire in the bamboo forest, a sharer in unbearable burning, grief, and faults.” In the commentary’s reading he is the cause like Ketu.

Hearing Bharata’s soft words, the mother rose again, steadying herself. She raised him and took him to her breast, shedding water from her eyes.

The mother, simple by nature, took him to her heart with great love. It was as if Rama had come back. Then she embraced Shatrughna. Sorrow and love did not fit in her heart.

Seeing her nature, everyone said, “Why would Rama’s mother not be so?” The mother seated Bharata in her lap. Wiping his tears, she spoke soft words.

“Even now, child, I would give myself for you. Hold patience. Knowing the hour ill, give up sorrow. Do not feel loss or remorse in your heart, knowing that the course of time and karma cannot be changed. Lay blame on no one, son. The Creator has turned against me in every way, he who keeps me alive through even such grief. Even now, who knows what pleases him?”

Rama’s going to the forest, in the mother’s memory

Kausalya went on. “At his father’s order, son, Rama gave up ornaments and clothes. With no dismay and no joy in his heart, he put on bark cloth. His face was glad. In his mind was no attachment and no anger. Giving everyone contentment in every way, he set out for the forest. Hearing it, Sita went along with him. She would not stay, full of love for Rama’s feet.”

“As soon as he heard, Lakshmana rose and went with him. He would not stay, for all the efforts Rama made. Then Rama, bowing his head to all, went with Sita and his younger brother.”

“Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita went to the forest. I did not go with them, and I did not send my life after them. All this happened before these eyes. Even so, this wretched life did not leave the body. I feel no shame, looking at my own love. I, the mother of a son like Rama! The king knew well how to live and how to die. My heart is like a hundred thunderbolts.”

Hearing Kausalya’s words, the queens’ quarters, with Bharata, lamented, distraught. It was as if the palace were an abode of sorrow.

Bharata and Shatrughna lamented, distraught. Kausalya took them to her heart. She consoled Bharata in many ways and spoke words full of discernment to him.

Bharata’s oath, if this had his counsel

Bharata too consoled all the mothers, telling pleasing stories from the Puranas and the Vedas. In speech without guile, pure, simple, and fair, Bharata spoke, joining both hands.

“The sins of killing mother, father, or son, and of burning cowsheds and the towns of brahmins. The sins of killing a woman or a child, and of giving poison to a friend or a king. All the great and lesser sins of deed, word, and mind that the poets tell. May those sins be mine, Creator, if this had my counsel, mother.”

“Those who, leaving the feet of the Lord and Shiva, worship fierce hosts of ghosts. May the Creator give me their end, if, mother, this had my counsel.”

If he knows this secret

Bharata went on. “Those who sell the Veda and milk dharma, the backbiters who tell others’ sins. The deceitful, the crooked, the quarrel-loving, and the wrathful. The mockers of the Veda and the foes of the universe. The greedy, the lecherous, and those of covetous conduct, who eye others’ wealth and others’ wives. May I get their fierce end, if, mother, this had my consent.”

“Those who have no love for the company of the good, the wretches turned from the path of the highest truth. Those who, getting a human body, do not worship the Lord, and whom the fair fame of the Lord and Shiva does not please. Those who, leaving the path of the Veda, walk the left-hand way, the cheats who, putting on a guise, beguile the world. May Shiva give me their end, mother, if I know this secret.” The commentary names the pair whose fair fame he speaks of as Vishnu and Shiva.

The mother’s trust, and the work after the night

Hearing Bharata’s words, true and simple by nature, the mother spoke. “You are ever dear to Rama, son, in word, mind, and body. Rama is life to you beyond life, and you are dearer to Rama than life. The moon may drip poison. Frost may rain fire. A water creature may turn from water. When knowledge has come, delusion may yet not end. You will not turn against Rama. Those in the world who say this had your counsel will not find happiness or a good end, even in a dream.”

So saying, the mother took Bharata to her heart. Milk flowed from her breasts, and water filled her eyes. Lamenting much in this way, they sat, and the whole night passed.

Then Vamadeva and Vasishtha came. They called all the ministers and the notables. The sage counseled Bharata in many ways, speaking apt words of the highest truth.

“Son, hold patience in your heart. Do what today’s occasion asks.” Bharata rose, hearing the guru’s words, and gave word to make all ready.

The course of the episode

Kaikeyi consoled Bharata and told him to rule. He called her a sinful one and asked why she had not killed him at birth. He named his line, his father, and his brothers, and her as the mother who bore him, and said nothing availed against the Creator. He bade her sit out of his sight with ink on her face, and he asked who was such a sinner as he.

Shatrughna heard Kaikeyi’s crookedness, and his limbs burned with anger. When Manthara came decked out, he kicked her hump and dragged her by the hair, and Bharata freed her. Then the brothers went to Kausalya. She swooned at the sight of Bharata, and he fell at her feet and asked for his father, Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana. He said he alone was the cause of all this evil, and cried shame on himself. At his soft words she rose again, took him to her breast, and seated him in her lap. She told him to lay blame on no one, and told of Rama’s going, and of Sita and Lakshmana who went with him. The queens’ quarters lamented with Bharata.

Kausalya took both brothers to her heart and consoled Bharata. Bharata consoled all the mothers. With joined hands he swore that the sins he named might fall to him if the counsel had been his. He called down on himself the ends of the sinners he named, if counsel, consent, or knowledge of this secret had been his. Kausalya answered that he was ever dear to Rama and would not turn against him. The whole night passed in lament. Vamadeva and Vasishtha came, and the guru counseled Bharata. At the guru’s words Bharata rose and called for all to be made ready.

The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 10: The Coming of Bharata, and the Sandals.

Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhyakand, doha 161 to 169, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.