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Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirteenth sarga of the ayOdhyakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
King daSaratha was aghast and shocked out of his skull to learn about the twin demands of queen kaikEyi whom he dearly loved. He was troubled by several aspects – his loss of face as a king to go back on the declaration that rAma will be crowned, how the prince rAma used to the comforts of the palace will be able to put up with the hard life in the forest, what will become of kausalya, what would sItA become…. and so he castigated kaikEyi for the senseless demand, much as deep inside he knew that he cannot go back on the word he has give to her. In that catch twenty two situation daSaratha wildly oscillated from pleading with his once darling queen to cursing her. He even stooped to touch her feet and beseech her to relent on her demands. She would not budge. Onwards…
King daSaratha lying helplessly on the ground resembled king yayAti who had fallen from the heavens having exhausted his merits! He sure didn’t deserve this, nor was he used to such predicament. But kaikEyi, the cunning and scheming mistress, relentlessly pursued even she feigned a bit of fear on account of the king’s condition. She questioned the king on his boasting to be a stickler to truth, and now shying away from granting her these two boons! taunted thus by kaikEyi, the king flew into a rage for a while and then in a confused state resumed lashing out at her –
“O kaikEyi, with rAma’s exile and my death your wishes will be fulfilled and you will be happy. Even in the heavens when the gods enquire about rAma’s banishment who will believe me if I say I sent him off to please you? O what a tragedy!!!
I had no progeny and then I obtained the mighty-armed rAma by great difficulty and I banish him?
rAma has conquered anger, learned, valiant and has forbearance – and I banish that lotus-eyed one?
rAma is handsome with a complexion resembling the blue lotus, mighty, long armed and causes delight to all and how can I banish him to the danDaka forest?
rAma deserves comfort and not distress. How can I bear to see his distress?
If, before telling rAma about banishment I pass away, it will be appropriate as that way I wouldn’t be causing distress to one who doesn’t deserve misery.
Cruel lady of evil mentality, why do you choose to inflict this misery on the ever-truthful rAma who is so dear to me? No doubt you will accumulate unparallel infamy and disgrace in this world”.
As the king kept his helpless outburst going at the queen, the sun set and night fell. The king who was deeply grieving, the veil of tears in his eyes made the night look darker in spite of the illumination of moon light. Sighing deeply and repeatedly he beheld the star filled sky like one with a deranged mind and with folded hands prayed that the night stays forever and the dawn doesn’t ensue! Again, he was in two minds! Or he prayed the night to pass off at once so that he doesn’t have to see the face of the ill-intentioned kaikEyi at all! And yet, again he vacillated to plead with her with folded hands!
“O charming lady of graceful limbs, hope my wailings would not go in vain, please do confer this favour on this miserable wretch who is old and well nigh dead. Please do confer the boundless kingdom on rAma and you earn the great name and fame for that gracious gift. This favor would not be just for rAma, but for me, to all scholars and to bharata too”.
But that wicked woman’s heart didn’t melt at the weeping requests of the pure-hearted king whose eyes had swollen and reddened on account of shedding copious tears. She rejected his prayers. On the other hand she pressed her demand for immediate banishment of his dear son rAma. Not able to withstand this onslaught, the king fainted and fell down unconscious. The night passed with him regaining consciousness, lamenting again and again, sighing deeply. The extollers, as their practice was came and started singing praise of the king to wake him up and he shrugged them off abruptly!
Here we conclude the thirteenth sarga of the ayOdhya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Next: 2.14. ayOdhyA unaware
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 