Bits of life

J-13 Words-1700

and Rama recognized the jewels that Sita was wearing when she went missing. He was overcome with more sorrow and tears welled in his eyes. He felt the pangs of separation intensely and was overcome with unbearable love for Sita. Then he pledged addressing Sita,

“O Sita, don’t cry. I will definitely come to Lanka and conquer the demon king. We will be uniting soon. Keep your courage and patience.”

Sita sitting among the demon women felt as though she was hearing the words of Rama. It might be some kind of telepathy that made her aware of Rama’s words and feelings.

Vaali, the older brother of Sugriva was known for his strength and stamina in all the three worlds. Overcome with matchless pride and arrogance born out of his immense strength, he seized his younger brother Sugriva’s part of the empire and along with it he carried away his wife Ruma too. Thus he committed an ethically wrong deed. Such a being needed lesson morality and righteousness. He had son a named Angad. One day, Angad, as he kept vigil on the enemy camp belonging to his uncle Sugriva, spotted that Hanuman brought two human beings to his uncle Sugriva’s abode. He heard them being introduced to Sugriva as Rama and Lakshmana. He carried this news to his mother Tara who in turn was worried if Sugriva was plotting with the princes of Ayodhya for the downfall of her husband Vaali. So she asked her husband Vaali to be careful of the movements of his brother. But Vaali was too confident and he scoffed at her fear saying that no one had the guts or grit to defeat him in straight war. He had nothing but contempt for Sugriva, his younger brother who turned tail and ran away unable to save his kingdom.

A few days later, Sugriva came challenging Vaali in a duel. He was encouraged by Rama to go to his cave and challenge him. Rama’s plan is to kill Vaali while the brothers engaged in a fight. Vaali got teased by Sugriva and decided to go for the fight. Rama aimed his arrow at Vaali. But he was unable to pierce Vaali’s heart because he was not able to distinguish between the ape brothers. Their height and width and movement of body were the same. Rama was afraid and could not kill because he was afraid he might kill Sugriva instead of Vaali. Torn by the moral dilemma, he kept the arrow from leaving his bow. Later, when Sugriva came back badly injured by Vaali, Rama confessed to why he could not kill his usurping brother.

Rama had planned for the fight between the ape brothers. Again, Sugriva went challenging Vaali. Now, to distinguish him from his brother, he was advised by Rama to wear a garland. Thus prepared for fight Sugriva shouted a war cry to Vaali. Vaali came out and while engaged thus in a fearful battle, he was shot by Rama’s unflinching arrow in the heart, seriously injured and fell down. He saw Rama standing by the side of a tree and realized that he was shot by him.

Vaali, as he lay dying, questioned Rama’s way of killing him. He accused Rama of unrighteousness and injustice. Then Rama replied that he behaved in the most immoral way to his brother. He was too proud and unethical. As a king he should not have committed the mistake of usurping his brother’s kingdom and wife. So to teach a person of such illegal behavior, a fitting lesson, it was not unjust to adopt similar means of punishment. Vaali saw the light of wisdom and realized his own mistake.

Rama also informed the dying Vaali that the world was ruled by Bharat, king Dasaratha’s son and a descendant of the great Ikshwaku dynasty. This was the kind of rule of the land Bharat would like his subjects to adopt. He saw to it that the people whom he ruled followed rules of civility and moral dictates. Of course, Rama knew through Bharat who visited him soon after his departure from Ayodhya to Dandakaranya the exact happenings that took place in Ayodhya. He was shocked and overcome with sorrow when he heard of his father Dasaratha’s demise.
Coming back to the present, Vaali as he lay dying in the arms of Sugriva, his younger brother, felt sad at the unjust means with which he seized Sugriva’s kingdom and for taking away his wife Ruma with him. He repented each fault he committed. Then he gave the chain with golden beads to Sugriva as his last gift. He asked Sugriva to take care of his young son Angad. Then he paid his last tribute to Rama with his palms joined in obeisance. He breathed his last peacefully.

After Vaali’s physical body was cremated by Sugriva, the whole ape country was submerged in mourning and depression. After few days, Sugriva called for a meeting with his ministers and with Rama and Lakshmana. When the question of Sugriva becoming the next ape king, he said he was not prepared for such a major responsibility. But Rama and Sugriva’s trusted minister, Jambavanta persuaded him that a kingdom should have a ruler and the throne could not be left vacant for a long time. Finally, Sugriva had agreed to do as advised by them. Rama also requested him that along with his coronation as the king, he should anoint Vaali’s son Angad as the crown prince. Sugriva had agreed to do it quite readily.

After he was anointed as the king of ape men, Sugriva came to Rama’s place of residence in a cave and asked him to place the crown on his head. Rama obliged him with pleasure because he truly felt that a friend’s pleasure his as well.
Soon after the coronation, Lakshmana asked Sugriva,

“O king of ape men! Now is the time to search for my sister-in-law Sita. Let us begin this project right away.”

Rama said with his usual smile,
“Wait, Lakshmana. Rainy season has begun. All the rivers and ponds will be overflowing with rising waters. Let us wait for four months. And when autumn begins we will be starting the work of looking for Sita.”

Then he turned to Sugriva and said,
“Dear friend, use these four months to consolidate your position as the king of ape men. When you appoint your ministers, take the members of Vaali’s cabinet into your council of ministers. They should not feel neglected. They were able administrators. They too contributed for the welfare and progress of your people.”
Hanuman and Jambavanta nodded and appreciated the wise counsel of Rama.

Then Lakshmana said to Sugriva,
“Four months is too long to wait before beginning to search for my sister-in-law Sita. I can see and understand the silent misery my brother Rama is undergoing. He is not a person to speak of his suffering to others. He does not express his sorrow. He bears it silently. However, since he feels the present season does not allow the apes to on a difficult search; we will not disturb you for four months. But once the four months period gets over, I will not allow a single day to elapse before we begin to look for mother Sita. I hope you will remember these words and agreements.”

Sugriva agreed to begin the search in all directions of the earth once the four months of rainy season would get over.
With these words all went back to their quarters to wait out the rains. When the rainy season began Rama started missing his wife intensely. He remembered Sita’s swayamvara when he lifted Shiva’s bow and the way it broke when he tried to string it. He was overcome with the memories of lovely Sita as she approached him with a garland and chose him as her husband by putting the garland around his neck. He recalled the sweet way they had spent their nights and days in the palace of his father. Days were spent outside in the loveliest of gardens and woods and the nights in their spacious palaces looking at the full moon or the star studded sky playing melodious music for their ears only. Lovely and memorable time of their lives!

Sita too remembered her wedding with the most strong and the handsome man Rama. She recalled the first time their eyes met and their hearts had united. After a lapse of memorable years of happiness in Ayodhya, Sita also recalled the way Kaikeyi put a full stop to their comfort and joy by commanding Rama to leave the palace and condemned to exile for fourteen years for no fault of his.

Once the four month period of interim was over before a large scale search began for Sita, Lakshmana could not wait to go to Sugriva and remind him of the major mission they were to take upon themselves.
But there was no response yet from the cave of Sugriva. Hanuman too was concerned of the way Sugriva was spending time in dance and song and making merry with his wife and drink. Then Rama told Lakshmana to go to Sugriva and remind him of his promise. He also said that if Sugriva did not immediately answer his call then he would be compelled to use the method he used to send Vaali to the higher life.

Lakshmana went to Sugriva’s residence in a fit of anger. Before he could reach the interior of Sugriva’s quarters, Hanuman and Tara, wife of dead Vaali tried to pacify his anger by words of hospitality. But Lakshmana was not to be pacified easily. He went straight to Sugriva who was already warned by Angad about Lakshmana’s angry demeanor. He was seated readily to receive the angry brother of Rama. Sugriva asked Lakshmana to take a seat before he started conversation. But Rama’s brother refused to sit saying that an emissary did never sit but just delivered his message and left. Then he spoke of Rama’s message.

He said that Rama wad disappointed at the procrastinating attitude of Sugriva. The rains were over and still there was no word from the king of