Holding a staff, picked from the sacrificial ground, he leant on it as if his body was too weak to stand alone and bending his head over it, he cried out loud, “0 Janaki! 0 Vaidehi! 0 Sita! My beloved wife! Why have you deserted me, just when I thought I could have you back?
Once you were taken away by the wicked Ravana but I brought you back and then I was forced to send you away again. At that time, I was able to bear the parting only because I knew that you were alive and being looked after somewhere, but now, I cannot bear to live, when I know I cannot see you any more. I fear I am being punished for my cruel act in having banished you”.
Then, in anger, he smote the earth with the staff and said, “0 goddess of the earth, return my beloved to me, at once. I have suffered enough. I cannot live without her. Or else, open your arms once again and accept me also. I would rather live with her in the nether world, than here as a king. Remember I am your son-in-law and have pity on me. You know my valour. If you refuse my reasonable request, I will destroy you, burn your forests and crush your mountains and reduce everything to liquid”.
All the worlds trembled with fear at the agony in Ram’s voice which had changed to anger. No one dared to approach him. At last Brahma, the creator came to him and said, “Ram! Remember who you are. Let me remind you of your divinity. Immaculate Sita will be reunited with you in heaven for she is none other than your consort, Lakshmi. Do not grieve but take delight m your children and listen to the rest of the tale of your life which they will recite at dawn tomorrow. It is an exquisitely beautiful poem of a life which was ruled by dharma alone. You should be the first to hear it, for it is about you. 0 Ram! You are undoubtedly the foremost of all rishis. With these words, Brahma vanished.
Ram led his two sons and went to the hut of the sage Valmiki and spent the night there, grieving for Sita. The whole night he kept murmuring, “Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me. Don’t you know that I cannot live without you? I know you must have felt the same when I deserted you and that is why I have to suffer the pangs of separation now. But at least then, I had the satisfaction of knowing that you were alive and I could see you any time I wished, but now you have left me to go to the bosom of your mother and my life is a barren desert. 0 Sita! 0 Sita! Will you not return to me”?
The boys too were plunged in sorrow at the loss of their mother and Valmiki had the unhappy task of comforting all three of them.
It is only to be expected that a poem which began with the bereavement of the female bird should end with the bereavement of the human couple. At that time when he had watched the male bird being shot down by the cruel arrow, Valmiki had felt as if he had been pierced by the same fatal arrow. How much more did he feel it now, when he saw the tortured king bemoaning his loss over and over again, throughout the long and lonely hours of the endless night?
The next day, in front of the assembled crowd, Ram asked the children to chant the last portion of the epic. He then distributed wealth to all those assembled there, the kings, the Brahmins, the citizens, the tree-dwellers, the cave-dwellers and the rakshasas. The yaga was over, the people had dispersed and the jungle once more crept over the space which had been cleared for the function.
Ram returned to Ayodhya and spent the rest of his life, a lonely ascetic. Without Sita, life had no meaning for him. He never married again but kept the golden effigy of his lovely wife beside him and performed ten thousand aswamedha yagas in order to please his Guru and the people. His rule was noted for its exemplary nature. There were was no diseases amongst the people and no one died prematurely, the kingdom prospered and thrived and the citizens rejoiced. Ram and Sita had paid for this glory with their unceasing tears. They suffered, so that the rest of the country could rejoice, blossom, and flourish. Never once did the citizens think that the price of their prosperity, was the sacrifice of their queen—their land was watered with her tears, their happiness bought with her sorrow. She was the sacrificial offering, tied to the stake of their malice, banished to the forest of their poisonous tongues and eventually swallowed in the chasm of their doubt! They rejoiced and sported with their wives, while their king retired to his lonely chamber every night, with only his memories for company.
Ram carried on his duties for the rest of his life with his usual charm and adherence to dharma and showed a pleasant and happy face to all. Lakshman alone knew that this was just a facade and inside he was burning with regret at what he had done to his queen and waiting for the day when he could join her in their celestial abode.
Thus many years flew by and Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi passed away. At last one day, Kala, the Time spirit, came to the palace of Ayodhya, in the guise of an old Brahmin. Ram was waiting for him. He had been waiting for thousands of years. Lakshman brought him in and Ram placed him on a golden seat and asked him what he wanted.
He replied, “If you want to honour me and the gods, then promise me that our meeting shall be private. Anyone who dares to interrupt us should be put to instant death”.
“So be it”, said Ram. “I’ll tell Lakshman to guard the door and no one will interrupt us”. He asked Lakshman to dismiss the doorkeeper and take up his position, for anyone who dared to enter would be put to death. Then he turned to the ascetic and asked him to freely say whatever he wished to say, without fear of interruption.
“Listen 0 king”! said the spirit of Time. “I have been sent by Brahma to recall you to your heavenly abode. Your time on this earth is over. You have accomplished all that you have set out to do. You are Vishnu! The Eternal, the Immutable – the all pervading, protector of the universe. Your stay among the mortals is over. It is time for you to return”.
Ram smiled and said, “I am honoured by your visit and happy with your message. I will do as you say”.
As they were thus talking, the rishi called Durvasa, who was known for his bad temper, came to the door and asked Lakshman to allow him to enter. Lakshman politely barred the way and said that no one could enter. Hearing this, the sage lost his temper and shouted, “Announce my presence immediately or else I shall curse you and your brothers and your whole race, as well as the land of Kosala, so that nothing and no one remains to tell the tale”!
Lakshman thought for a moment and decided that it was far better for him to give up his life, rather than make the whole country and his brothers, suffer. He went inside and announced the arrival of the sage to Ram. Ram took leave of the ascetic and hurried outside to meet Durvasa and asked him how he could be of service to him. Durvasa said that he had just ended a thousand-year fast and wanted to be fed immediately. Ram plied him with all the choicest delicacies of the realm. Durvasa was immensely pleased and showered his blessings on the land, instead of his curses and went back to his ashRam. With the greatest of sorrow, Ram remembered the promise he had made to Kala and going inside with bowed head, he stood lost in thought. Was this the last sacrifice? Was he being asked to sacrifice his dear brother, his alter ego, at the altar of dharma?
Lakshman knew what was passing through his mind and said cheerfully, “Brother do not hesitate. Kill me this minute. I am prepared for it. I thought it better for me to die, rather than the whole country be cursed by the sage, as he threatened to do. If you wish to abide by dharma, then kill me, 0 king! One who does not keep his word will go to hell. In order to keep our father’s word, you were prepared to forego a kingdom. What am I, compared to that”!
Ram spoke not a word but summoned his priests and ministers and asked them what he should do, for he had promised the ascetic that anyone who interrupted them, would be executed, not knowing that this would be his final test. The priests and ministers were silent, knowing the agony which was passing through the king’s mind. At last Vasishta spoke. “If a king does not keep to his word, dharma will be corrupted and the morals of the country will decline. But banishment can be given in lieu of death, so it is your duty to banish Lakshman”.
