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Hari Om.
Let us begin the tenth sarga of the ayOdhyakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The hunchbacked maid of queen kaikEyi upset at the prospect of the crowning of rAma as the heir apparent launches into a psychological onslaught on kaikEyi with motivated doomsday predictions of her life and that of bharata is rAma assumes the throne. kaikEyi intially resists due to her love for rAma but later as manthara skillfully argues about the supremacy that kausalya would achieve due to the elevation of rAma, kaikEyi’s insecurity is aroused and she at once does a U-turn and asks about how to ensure that rAma is banished and bharata is crowned. The crooked and perverted maid invokes the the two boons that king daSaratha had offered to kaikEyi in the past which the latter had kept in abeyance. The time had come for those boons with clear sight of securing their future, manthara argued. The gullible kaikEyi was swept away in the persuasion of manthara and entered the chamber of wrath to blackmail the king daSaratha. Onwards…
Advised perversely by the hunchbacked maid manthara, kaikEyi was determined now. She hissed like a female serpent in anger and was thrilled at the same time that the machinations will pay off for a bright future. That charming wretch smiled to herself. The crooked maid on her part felt victorious that the queen is toeing her line and that their future would be secure. It was time to act. Queen kaikEyi flung off her jewelry and garlands, assumed a soiled saree and lay down on the bare ground. The flung off gems and jewels in that house of wrath looked like stars lighting up a night sky! She weaved her hair into one tight braid and lay down in soiled clothes, lifeless like a kinnari woman shot down.
Now, the king ndaSartha, having given the necessary orders for the crowning ceremony took leave of his ministers and associates and entered the palace. Being aware that the news of the crowning of rAma is known to all, he entered his palace desirous of breaking the news to his dearest! He entered the abode of kaikEyi which was flocked by swans, koonjes (krauncha), parrots and peacocks; filled with gardens sporting the best of trees and creepers; attended to by a host of hunchbacks and dwarfs; replete with servings of tasty foods and drinks; in short filled with every kind of luxury. He entered that palace, much like moon entering into the mouth of the planet rAhu on a cloudy night! However, he didn’t find kaikEyi in her inner chambers! Stung by passion to meet his dearest wife and not finding her at the expected place, he was dejected and enquired about her whereabouts to the attenders since it was quite unusual that kaikEyi doesn’t welcome into the inner chambers of her abode when he comes. The frightened door keeper with folded palms informed that the queen was in a furious mood and entered the house of wrath. The king grew even more sad and tense at knowing this.
The innocent king entered the house of wrath and beheld the queen dearest than his own life lying in a manner unbecoming of her filled with deceitful intentions. She looked like a creeper cut off her support, a goddess fallen from grace, an apsara out of heaven and a deer caught in trap! The king at once went and held her lovingly and caressed her much like a female elephant does to her calf when it is injured. Deeply troubled in his mind (on account of her tantrum) and yet being passionate, he caressed her and spoke lovingly.
“O dearest, I am not sure if you are angry with me, who has offended or disrespected you? I am deeply afflicted by your sorrow and anger. Why are you lying on the ground? What ails you? I have the best of doctors who can cure you in a jiffy, tell me what ails you!
Or tell me dear, who do you want to favor or who has displeased you. Should I bestow boons on someone or whom should I punish. Don’t cry, my dear, just tell me if there is someone guilty who needs to be paroled or someone who needs to be punished to death. Is there a pauper who should be made rich or a wealthy man made poor? Oh, what ails you my dear?
I and my kin are under your control and will not go against your wishes even a bit. You have seen my abilities, then why this doubt on whether I can accomplish anything? I will do everything to please you my dear, even if it means laying down my very life. My authority and influence is wide spread – from vanga in the east to sindhu in the west to the south where a variety of cattle, food grains and niceties are grown and made. tell me what you wish from anywhere and I shall get it for you.
O dear kaikEyi, have no fear, tell me what you have in your mind and I shall remove your grief just as sun removes the morning mist”.
The unconditional and unsuspecting assurances of the king encouraged the queen kaikEyi and sighing deeply she was about to unleash her deadly desires on the king to be fulfilled and tormented him.
Here we conclude the tenth sarga of the ayOdhya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Next: 2.11. The queer pitch of the queen
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 