JaneSmith105
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The Epic of rAmayaNa is infact familiar to all as it is among one of the main hindu epics. The key villain in the story is kaikeyi, one of the three wives of King dasharatha. Along with the food for our nourishment, our parents narrated to us another story also, the story of shrAvaNa kumAra (This is also a favourite of Gandhiji). It is the tale about the boy who used to carry his blind parents everywhere, how one day he was trying to fill his pitcher with water for his thirsty parents, how the bubbling water made the hunting king Dasharatha suppose it to be a deer, how the boy died of a wound caused by Dasharatha's arrow, and how deceased boy's grieving parents cursed the king Dasharatha to suffer the pain and sorrow due to separation from his own son. In ancient days, the curses by the gods, R^ishhis and chaste brahmins with learning always came to pass. They could never be stopped, their effect in some cases could only be mitigated.
Infact Kaikeyi did had knowledge about the curse given to King Dasharatha in her possession. So she dearly wants her husband and her step-son Rama to be spared of the ill effects of this unfortunate shApa. Dasharatha wants to crown Rama as the supreme king of the ikshhvAku race. He chooses the tenth day of the waxing moon (caitra shuddha dashami) as the auspicious day for this event. Just when the time came, Kaikeyi followed the king with reminder of the boons granted to her. She wanted Rama to be banished in the deep dense forests and her own son bharata to be coronated in the place of Rama. A promise is a promise and even kings cannot break one. King Dasharatha was left with no option but to accede to her wishes. Rama, accompanied by his right foot sIta and his left foot lakshhmaNa willingly heads for the woods. The King Dasharatha dies of heart-break due to the separation from his sons. Bharata, the other son of Dasharatha for whose sake all this drama was enacted, was all the while in his maternal grand-father's house in na.ndigrAma. He returns to ayodhya to visit his parents. At the outskirts of Ayodhya, he stops the chariot to take some much-needed rest. A temple-like structure was visible nearby. When Bharata enters the building, he learns that it is a museum housing the statues of the ancient kings from ikshhvAku dynasty. To his surprise, he observes a statue that resembles his father, Dasharatha. He asks the curator of the museum whether staues of living kings were also housed in that hall. The curator, unaware that he was speaking to Dasharatha's son, replies that the statues bear their likeness only to dead kings. After listening to these words, Bharata swoons. Just at that moment, the retinue of vasishhTa and the three widowed queens arrives there to receive Bharata and to escort him for his coronation. After repossesing his senses, Bharata disowned his mother and he decided to go to the forests where Rama had gone and spend his period with Rama. Rama receives Bharata and consoles him. Rama gives advise to Bharata that he should also obey his father's wishes as he was obeying, Bharata too must do so by returning to Ayodhya to perform the kingly duties. Bharata takes the sandals (pAduka) of Lord Rama and returns to rule Ayodhya as Lord Rama's representative.
Thirteen years pass and Rama has to perform the shrAddha of his father. At this juncture, rAvaNa arrives in the garb of a brahmin well-versed in all aspects of learning including shrAddhakalpa (performance of ceremonies for the dead). Rama receives him and requests him of the ways to propitiate the dead spirits of his father (The spirits are the pitR^idevatAs similar to the Roman manes). Ravana says that there is a golden deer residing in the himAlayAs and it is the best offering that he could make. Rama animatedly discusses of the plans to go to the himAlayAs. Just then, they sight a kA.nchanamR^iga (manifesting as the rAkshhasamAya of Ravana) in the distance. Rama goes in chasing and at this time Lakshmana was away to receive the patriarchs. Ravana seizes this chance and abducts the lonely Sita to lanka. Ayodhya's minister sumantra and Bharata comes to know about the abduction of Mata Sita, the killing of king vAli, the the installation of sugrIva as king, the intent to get back mata Sita, etc. Bharata becomes sad and hurt immensely after knowing about these sad tidings. Bharata reproaches mother Kaikeyi.
In this juncture of time Kaikeyi informs about curse to Bharata and how she wanted to save the deceased king of the permanent separation from his son Lord Rama (you should not forget that shRavanakumAra died and Kaikeyi didn't want Lord Rama to die hence thinks of separation in terms of retirement to forest would be better option than death) and how she due to confusion uttered the words fourteen years instead of saying fourteen days and how people like vasishTa and vAmadeva had the knowledge about these facts. Bharata becomes ashamed and begs the forgiveness of his mother. He does not want to be a silent spectator. Bharata wants to help Lord Rama in his quest to defeat Lanka's king Ravana and for this he prepares to march with his army. By this time, Ravana was defeated and vibhIshhaNa was installed on the throne and the returning Rama encounters Bharata and his army. Now they all are reunited and Lord Rama's coronation takes place.
All is well that ends well! In this beautiful play, Bhasa made very interesting changes to the original Ramayana story and thus enhances its value. First of all, Kaikeyi, instead of the jealous mother spurred by the vicious manthara, is depicted as a magnanimous woman acting out of pure and irreproachable motives.
Infact Kaikeyi did had knowledge about the curse given to King Dasharatha in her possession. So she dearly wants her husband and her step-son Rama to be spared of the ill effects of this unfortunate shApa. Dasharatha wants to crown Rama as the supreme king of the ikshhvAku race. He chooses the tenth day of the waxing moon (caitra shuddha dashami) as the auspicious day for this event. Just when the time came, Kaikeyi followed the king with reminder of the boons granted to her. She wanted Rama to be banished in the deep dense forests and her own son bharata to be coronated in the place of Rama. A promise is a promise and even kings cannot break one. King Dasharatha was left with no option but to accede to her wishes. Rama, accompanied by his right foot sIta and his left foot lakshhmaNa willingly heads for the woods. The King Dasharatha dies of heart-break due to the separation from his sons. Bharata, the other son of Dasharatha for whose sake all this drama was enacted, was all the while in his maternal grand-father's house in na.ndigrAma. He returns to ayodhya to visit his parents. At the outskirts of Ayodhya, he stops the chariot to take some much-needed rest. A temple-like structure was visible nearby. When Bharata enters the building, he learns that it is a museum housing the statues of the ancient kings from ikshhvAku dynasty. To his surprise, he observes a statue that resembles his father, Dasharatha. He asks the curator of the museum whether staues of living kings were also housed in that hall. The curator, unaware that he was speaking to Dasharatha's son, replies that the statues bear their likeness only to dead kings. After listening to these words, Bharata swoons. Just at that moment, the retinue of vasishhTa and the three widowed queens arrives there to receive Bharata and to escort him for his coronation. After repossesing his senses, Bharata disowned his mother and he decided to go to the forests where Rama had gone and spend his period with Rama. Rama receives Bharata and consoles him. Rama gives advise to Bharata that he should also obey his father's wishes as he was obeying, Bharata too must do so by returning to Ayodhya to perform the kingly duties. Bharata takes the sandals (pAduka) of Lord Rama and returns to rule Ayodhya as Lord Rama's representative.
Thirteen years pass and Rama has to perform the shrAddha of his father. At this juncture, rAvaNa arrives in the garb of a brahmin well-versed in all aspects of learning including shrAddhakalpa (performance of ceremonies for the dead). Rama receives him and requests him of the ways to propitiate the dead spirits of his father (The spirits are the pitR^idevatAs similar to the Roman manes). Ravana says that there is a golden deer residing in the himAlayAs and it is the best offering that he could make. Rama animatedly discusses of the plans to go to the himAlayAs. Just then, they sight a kA.nchanamR^iga (manifesting as the rAkshhasamAya of Ravana) in the distance. Rama goes in chasing and at this time Lakshmana was away to receive the patriarchs. Ravana seizes this chance and abducts the lonely Sita to lanka. Ayodhya's minister sumantra and Bharata comes to know about the abduction of Mata Sita, the killing of king vAli, the the installation of sugrIva as king, the intent to get back mata Sita, etc. Bharata becomes sad and hurt immensely after knowing about these sad tidings. Bharata reproaches mother Kaikeyi.
In this juncture of time Kaikeyi informs about curse to Bharata and how she wanted to save the deceased king of the permanent separation from his son Lord Rama (you should not forget that shRavanakumAra died and Kaikeyi didn't want Lord Rama to die hence thinks of separation in terms of retirement to forest would be better option than death) and how she due to confusion uttered the words fourteen years instead of saying fourteen days and how people like vasishTa and vAmadeva had the knowledge about these facts. Bharata becomes ashamed and begs the forgiveness of his mother. He does not want to be a silent spectator. Bharata wants to help Lord Rama in his quest to defeat Lanka's king Ravana and for this he prepares to march with his army. By this time, Ravana was defeated and vibhIshhaNa was installed on the throne and the returning Rama encounters Bharata and his army. Now they all are reunited and Lord Rama's coronation takes place.
All is well that ends well! In this beautiful play, Bhasa made very interesting changes to the original Ramayana story and thus enhances its value. First of all, Kaikeyi, instead of the jealous mother spurred by the vicious manthara, is depicted as a magnanimous woman acting out of pure and irreproachable motives.
