Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t7.12

v2.c10.s3.t7.12

King Dasharatha rules Jambudvipa. He has four queens. Rama is born to the first queen, who is valiant and invincible, and Lakshmana to the second queen. Bharata is born to the third queen and Shatrughna to the fourth queen. The king adores the third queen and says, “If you have any wish, tell me and I will fulfil it.” She answers, “I desire nothing now. I will tell you if I have any wish in the future”. When the king falls ill, he summons Rama and wants to crown him. When the third queen discovers that the king wants to make Rama the king, she is extremely jealous of Rama. She then asks the king to fulfill her wishes: “crown my son instead of Rama”. The king thus is in a dilemma, whether to abandon his promise to his favourite wife or his own wish to crown Rama as king. Since he has always been faithful to his word, the king agrees to exile Rama. Lakshmana asks his brother: “Why not use your valour and strength, why get yourself humiliated?” Rama replies: “It is not filial to act against the father’s wish. Though she has not given birth to me, the queen is a favourite of my father, and so is my mother as well. Bharata, my brother, is very kind and obedient and does not entertain any disloyalty”. Hearing this, Lakshmana says nothing more. King Dasharatha then exiles the two brothers to a remote forest for a period of 14 years. They leave for the wilderness without any grudge. At that time, Bharata was away from home and is summoned back to be crowned. But, Bharata loves both his brothers, and when he returns back home, he finds that his father is already dead, and he learns that his mother has driven away his two brothers. Disapproving his mother’s actions, he kneels down respectfully to the first queen, Rama’s mother, rather than his own mother. Bharata leads an army, but stops at the verge of the forest to go into it alone. He tells Rama: “I bring an army for no other reason but for fear of being robbed. I wish you can return and rule the country”. He keeps on begging, but Rama is firm and refuses to return. Knowing that his brother will not change his mind, Bharata takes Rama’s sandals back to the palace and put them on the throne, while he rules as the regent as if Rama were on the throne. He often sent persons to ask his brothers to return, but his brothers insist on obeying the orders of their father. Later, when the period of exile expires, Rama returns and succeeds to the throne at the request of Bharata. Such brotherly love serves to improve popular morality. People are blessed and become more loyal, filial and liberal. Rama and Lakshmana treat Bharata’s mother without resentment. With such loyalty and filial piety, the country is blessed with good weather, bumper harvest and health. Within Jambudvipa, everyone is ten times prosperous than usual.