||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 7 – Ayodhya Kandam

The conversation between Devi Kaikeyi and King Dhasharatha 

King Dhasharatha wept bitterly listening to the boons and saw furious Devi Kaikeyi resembles massive fire that begins to explode before him; he felt it is going to take away his life in no time. Once again, he regained his usual calmness and spoke to her affectionately, “Oh! Priye, why do not you trust our love and relationship? What made to speak these heart-wrenching words? Listen to me carefully, Rama and Bharatha are my two eyes, I shall promise upon Lord Shankara.  I shall send emissaries to bring Bharatha and Shathrughna by tomorrow morning. Later, we will find an auspicious day and time to perform the coronation ceremony of Bharatha as the King of Ayodhya. Rama has no love for the throne because he loves Bharatha as dear as his life.  I was following the customary rite of the Surya clan, according to that Rama is heir to the throne of Ayodhya. I shall promise you, Devi Kousalya did not utter a word about Rama’s coronation ceremony; it is undoubtedly I have arranged all these without discussing to you. I believe that is the reason I have failed in my decision, now you leave your anger and get yourself dressed in auspicious clothes. In a few days of time, Bharatha will be crowned as the King of Ayodhya. Your second boon was absolutely baseless, I could not recover from that shock in my entire life, and did you ask the boon as a joke or out of anger? Do you really want that to happen to Ram? If so, tell me the reason for your anger towards Rama, and his mistakes.   All have the same opinion that Rama is pleasant and virtuous, all the people love him dearly.  I have a doubt how did Rama misbehave to his own mother while he was well praised by the people of Ayodhya? Oh! Priye, leave all your anger and jokes, use your intellect, and ask for the second boon, and then I could witness the coronation of Bharatha while I am alive.”

King Dhasharatha continues “Oh! Devi, even the fishes can live out of the water, and the serpent can live without the jewel on its forehead, but I am telling you the truth, I cannot live without Rama. Oh! Priye, Oh! Intellectual one, my life depends on the presence of Rama.” Devi Kaikeyi could not control her rage, it was like ghee pouring in the burning fire, and she lost control over her anger and shrieked “Oh! Rajan, you may use thousands of tactics, but none of them will work with me. All I have to say is that give my boons, or attain the ill-fame, I do not want to stretch this topic too long. Rama is innocent and you too, and Devi Kausalya is very innocent, I will pay off her innocence very soon. Oh! Rajan, listen to my words, If Rama did not leave the palace by tomorrow morning, as a Tapasvi, you will see my corpse and you will be responsible for that.” Thus saying so, Devi Kaikeyi raised from the floor, thus Kubri’s trick worked well on her, her boons resembled powerful streams, which was capable to uproot the giant tree-like the King.

King Dhasharatha understood his death is nearing in the form of his wife, it is dancing all around his head, he fell on her feet and requested her “Kindly do not destroy the clan of Surya dynasty, don’t be an axe to the illustrious Raghu clan like the massive tree, if you want my head, I am ready to offer it to you, kindly do not separate Rama from me, I cannot live without him. You can treat Rama whatever way you like.” Finally, he understood that none of his requests would bring peace to the situation; he fell down on the floor in extreme agony and shrieked out “Oh! Rama, Oh! Rama, Oh! Raghunatha!” It was like the Kalpavruksha uprooted by an untamed female elephant, his body quivered in pain and eventually lost its movements, he felt extreme thirst, lost the speech and struggled for breathing like the fish thrown out of water. Devi Kaikeyi did not stop pouring out poisonous words, “Oh! Bhoopala, if you have the plan to exhibit your weakness and strength, shrieking out and crying out loudly and laughing like insane, why did you instruct me to request the boon? You want fame and want to become gracious, but do not willing to give away, how it would be possible? How did a warrior escape without wounds from the battlefield? You have two choices before you, either refuse the boon offered to me, or you have to tolerate whatever I speak, do not blabber like a woman. Whoever follows their words and truthful will not give importance to their own life, wife, families, wealth, or children, and consider them as grass.”