RamaayaN
by Valmiki 27
MadanMohan
Tarun
Leave
Sita away in jungle and come back
Information
system of Ayodhya, ruled by Ram, was so well organized that he could know every
activity, rumor or talk going on in his whole empire.
Vijay, Madhumatta,
Kashyapa, Mangala, Kula, Suraj, Kaliya, Bhadra, Dantavakra and Sugandha were
his main informers whom he treated as his friends.
They were
asked to inform him about every good or bad activity going on in the state as
well as what people talked about him.
One day Ram
found Bhadra silent and hesitant about communicating him something. Ram
encouraged him to come out with the truth, he was hesitant to disclose before him:”Bhadra
tell me frankly about the truths going on in the town and in my kingdom as a
whole. What people talk of me, Sita, Laxman, Bharat and Shtrughna? Bhadra !
Tell me even if something is unpleasant up to any extent. What are the good or
ill words the citizens speak? It will help me in maintaining good things and
refraining from bad actions.”
These words
of Ram gave courage to Bhadra to speak out the harsh truth he was hiding. He said;
“O greatest among kings! Listen, what is talked about you on the crossroads, in
the markets, on the streets, in the forests and in the groves. People talk very
high of you for constructing a bridge across the ocean. It was never thought or
done by anybody before you. They feel proud of killing ten-headed mighty king of
Lanka with his whole army by you with the help of monkeys and bears…but, a
section of people of your kingdom don’t appreciate Sita accepted by you and
brought back to Ayodhya. They say that the woman, who was abducted by Ravan and
carried to Lanka in his lap and who was kept months together in Ashoka grove
among demons, why Ram did not censor her. They say such conduct of a king will affect
their life adversely. Even such women of their houses will claim to remain a
part of their family even after committing some wrong act. Since, whatever a
king does, subjects follow them as precedence.”
These words
disturbed Ram deeply. He sent all informers back immediately. He went inside
the room and kept on sitting for quite some time facing the thunders roaring
deep within and shaking him badly.
After a few minutes,
he sent messengers to call all his brothers immediately.
Ram had
never done so before. When his brothers got his message they left immediately
to see him. After some time their chariots arrived at the door of the castle.
They went inside where Ram was sitting. Ram welcomed all his brothers and offered
them seats around him. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke to them:’ O
guardians of the citizens of the kingdom! You constitute all my passions and
you are nothing less than my life. I am looking after the kingdom carved by
you. You have followed the scriptures with your matured intellect.”
"Today I have
come to know such an unexpected thing which has disturbed me badly which I want
to share with you all. Our citizens are talking ill of Sita. They don’t
appreciate Sita brought back here who was carried away by Ravan in his lap to
Lanka .I have told you that Sita was accepted by me after she proved her
chastity by entering into the fire and coming out of it safely.”
“But, a
section of citizens don’t approve Sita living with me. They talk ill of her and
the rumor running around is causing infamy to me and my family. Thus I have
decided to send Sita in jungle forever. I cannot wear the infamy of linage of Raghu.”
Ram took a
disturbed pause, looked at Laxman and told him firmly: “Brother Laxman! You
have carried on many difficult jobs successfully in the jungle. Sita knows you
better. If you take her to the jungle, she will have no any doubt. Sita is pregnant. A few days back she desired
to go to jungle for a change with me for some days. This is the proper occasion
to use her request. You go to Sita and tell her that I have sent you to take
her to jungle for a change as I have no time to leave Ayodhya. These words will
convince her. You take Sita to the other side of Ganga and leave her near the
hermitage of Brahmrshi Valmiki and come back.”
His brothers
were about to speak but Ram stopped them and said “this is my final decision. I
have decided to not to keep Sita with me in the palace. She will go out from
here without any doubt and my desire will be brought to action without any delay.”
This
decision of Ram silenced all his brothers. They knew it well that Ram does not change
his decisions. However, their faces showed that they were not happy with this
decision of his brother. Laxman was left with no any option. He left
immediately to meet Sita. His other bothers went inside the castle leaving Ram alone
as he desired.
Laxman met
Sita and told her what Ram had asked him to do.
Sita was
happy to know that Ram sincerely cared her desire to go to jungle for a change.
She immediately prepared to leave with Laxman.
Laxman
covered half of the way on chariot with Sita. Reaching near the bank of Ganga
he took a boat and crossed the river.
Laxman remained
heavily silent all the way. He was passing through thousands and thousands of
thunders within. He controlled himself coercively. But at the moment he reached
to the other side of Ganga, He started weeping loudly like a child. He fell
down at the feet of Sita.
Sita was
shocked to see Laxman weeping and crying like a little child and lying down before
her. The behavior of Laxman was most unexpected for her. She had seen mighty
Laxman as an obedient brother of Ram as well as an angry young man, who never
tolerated anything going wrong in his presence. She was fully aware of the fact
that there was nothing wrong in the family. Everybody was comfortable there.
Then, what can be wrong with him? Sita started analyzing. Have I done something
wrong to him?
Sita asked Laxman:
“brother! Have I done something wrong to you? If it has happened from me by
mistake ever, I beg your pardon.”
This
question brought Laxman back to his senses and he spoke “no …no ...never... but you have been made prey of
injustice for no any fault of yours.”
Saying this
Laxman narrated everything for what she was sent here in the jungle.
For a while
Sita could not understand what Laxman was saying. If it is true what Laxman was
saying, then it is a case of deception. She never thought that Ram, who presents
himself as a symbol of higher values and righteousness, will behave in this
deceptive manner! Can he be so mean, almost like Ravan!
For others
administration of Ram might be a glorious ‘Ram-Rajya’ but for me it was worst
than ‘Raavan-Rajya’.
Ravan never
misbehaved with me in Lanka, but Ram compelled me to enter into the fire’
I was pure
when he slept with me and pushed me on the way to motherhood and now I am
impure because a section of people talk ill of me?
Ram, as a husband,
should have protected me in public and have told them about what had happened
when I was back from Lanka, but he cared more for his own infamy, not of me.
Ram is no
more other than an ordinary cruel husband who beats his wife, insults her in
various ways and finally kills her.
Even if I am
alive, I am not more than a breathing dead body.
Ram always carried
a dark corner in his mind where I was kept as a doubtful prisoner. He never believed
me. He was always waiting for an excuse to leave me up, even after he tried to
burn me down in the ire in the presence o crores of monkeys and others.
I am sorry
to say, he behaved with me like a mischievous fellow. He deceitfully sent me to
the jungle with you Laxman!
If he had
told me frankly about his option after he heard about people who talked against
me, I certainly have left the palace immediately and my respect for him would
have been intact , but the way he played his card against me , amounts to be nothing , but meanness.
I am happy
that I am going to deliver my child in a free atmosphere, not in a place where
I was always followed by doubts.
I don’t
blame anybody for what I have faced in my life. Destiny must have some aim and
intentions in creating me and making me pass through such odd adversities.”
Saying this
much, Sita became wordless. Her dry, empty and widely opened eyes looked to be
stuck with the sky.
Flowing Ganga
stopped for a while, blowing wind had a little pause, chirping of birds stopped,
jungle carried heavy silence around and Sita lost the feeling of palpitation
which carries life in every living being…
(Inspired
by Valmiki)
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