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enough to justify so heinous a sin!' and
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recoil from her with abhorrence.
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She stood erect and with folded hands,
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turning in the four directions, invoked in a
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solemn voice the heavenly powers to
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witness and confirm the oath: "Oh, Ye
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Gods! You have heard and witnessed the
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promise given to me by my husband. Sun,
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Moon and Planets, you are my holy
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witnesses. Ye, Five Elements! You have
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heard the promise. He who has never
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broken his word, my husband, has sworn
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to do my wish. Bear witness to this."
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Dasaratha was looking at her with
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hungry, joyous eyes. She knew her man
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and she began boldly: "Do you remember,
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King, how, when long ago in the field of
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battle you were about to lose your life, I
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drove your chariot in the dark night, took
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you out of the battlefield, removed the
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arrows from your body and comforted and
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revived you? When you came out of your
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faint, you said something, did you not?
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You said: 'You have restored to me the
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life which my foes had taken from me. I
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shall give you any two gifts you ask.'
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Then I said: 'I want nothing now. It is joy
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enough now for me that you are alive. I
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shall ask for my gifts later.' Do you
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remember this?"
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The
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King
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answered:
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"Yes,
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I
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do
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remember this. Ask for your two gifts.
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You shall have them now."
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Kaikeyi said: "Remember you have
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made a vow. You have given a pledge.
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You have sworn in the name of Rama.
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The gods and the five elements have
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witnessed your promise. I shall state my
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wishes. Your ancestors never broke their
|
word.
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Prove
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yourself
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their
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worthy
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descendant by being true to the word you
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have given. With the preparations now
|
afoot for the coronation, crown my son
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Bharata. This is my first wish. The second
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boon that I demand is, send your son
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Rama to live in the Dandaka forest for
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fourteen years. Remember your solemn
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vow that you cannot break. The good
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fame of your great dynasty is in your
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hands."
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14. WIFE OR DEMON?
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Dasaratha was thunder-struck.
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When his mind resumed its function,
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he doubted the reality of what had
|
happened. "Could it be other than a
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hideous dream? Or the phantasmagoria of
|
a
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disordered
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brain?
|
Or
|
the
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sudden
|
materialisation of the sins of some past
|
birth called up for my chastisement? I am
|
certainly the victim of an illusion. I cannot
|
believe this to be reality."
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Unable to stand the confused agony of
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shapeless terrors, he closed his eyes and
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became unconscious. Opening his eyes a
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little later, they fell on Kaikeyi and he
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trembled like a stag at the sight of a tiger.
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He sat up on the floor and moaned,
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swaying helplessly this side and that like a
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cobra held by the spell of a potent charm.
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Again he swooned.
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After a long interval, be recovered his
|
senses and, with eyes turned to his
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tormentor
|
and
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inflamed
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with
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helpless
|
anger, cried out: "O wicked ogress!
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Destroyer of my dynasty! What harm has
|
Rama done to you? Has he not looked
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upon you as his own mother? I thought
|
you were a woman. I now see you are a
|
venomous serpent brought from far away
|
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