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me? Am I not his son, bound to do his
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behest? What glory or what joy can I look
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for except to make good his word? How
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did I deserve it that my father should avert
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his face from me and refrain from
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speaking
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loving
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words
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to
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me?
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My
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grievance, if at all, is that he did not send
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for me straight and give me his command.
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I shall go to the forest this very day, with
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no regret. Send swift messengers at once
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to fetch Bharata home."
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The
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Prince's
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face
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glowed
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like
|
a
|
sacrificial fire bursting into flame as the
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ghee is poured into it. Kaikeyi felt glad at
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her apparent success. She could not look
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into the future and its sorrow, for what
|
greater grief can come to a woman than
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the scorn of her own son? Greed deceived
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her into folly. It prevented her from
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understanding aright the mind of her own
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son Bharata.
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Like a captive elephant hemmed in on
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all sides, Dasaratha lay in anguish. With
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needless harshness, Kaikeyi hurried Rama
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saying, "Do not wait for the King to speak
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and prolong the affair."
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At this Rama said: "Mother, you have
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not, it seems, known me. I value no
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pleasure higher than to honor my father's
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pledge. Let Bharata carry the burden of
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kingship, and look after our aged father. It
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will indeed give me the greatest joy."
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Dasaratha,
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silent
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till
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now
|
though
|
listening intently, moaned aloud. Rama
|
touched the feet of his father and Kaikeyi
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and
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hurried
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out
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of
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the
|
chamber.
|
Lakshmana had been standing outside. He
|
knew what had happened and with eyes
|
red with anger he followed Rama.
|
On the way Rama saw the vessels
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holding the consecrated water for the
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coronation. He walked round them in
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worship. With calm majesty lie left behind
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the
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white
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umbrella
|
and
|
other
|
royal
|
insignia
|
and
|
advised
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the
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crowds
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to
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disperse. The Prince, in whom desire had
|
been vanquished, went to the house of
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Queen Kausalya to give her the news and
|
take her blessings before departing to the
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forest.
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Readers
|
should
|
exercise
|
their
|
imagination and build up in their own
|
hearts the passions and sorrows of the
|
persons figuring in this epic. Dasaratha's
|
anguish, Rama's cheerful renunciation and
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the greedy passion of Kaikeyi which
|
smothered all noble impulses these are
|
familiar phases in our daily lives.
|
Valmiki and Kamban saw with the
|
vision of genius and made the events in
|
Rama's story live again in song. We too
|
should
|
see
|
them
|
through
|
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