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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00067 Aug 2008

 
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!9. Bharatha shocked and reproachful

 

Bharatha was shocked beyond measure to know what Kaikeyi had done and reproached her saying that she had brought a great calamity on the race of Ikshvaku and his father had nurtured a live hot coal in his  bosom.He accused her of killing his father and for having wronged Rama who looked upon her as his own mother.  Bharatha called his mother a sinful one, paapi, and said that surely she did not know the devotion he had for Rama or else she would not have done such a thing. Then he said he could not take the burden of a kingdom no more than  an untrained bullock which tries to carry a burden that would be easily borne by a giant bullock and further said that even if he could he would not because he did not want her greedy desire to be fulfilled.

 

Bharatha said that surely Kaikeyi was not aware that the custom of the royal race of Ikshvaku requires that the eldest son alone should inherit the kingdom. Even the clan of kekaya was noble and it was a surprise, he said that Kaikeyi got this evil desire.Her action was criminal which may even destroy his own life.If that happens it served her right, said Bharatha, and told her that even if she dies she would only rot in hell and not go to heaven where her husband had gone.  Calling her by name he said that she was his mother only in appearance and he would never speak to her again.He even went to the extent of asking her to enter the fire or put a noose around her neck or go to dhandaka forest herself. And he vowed tha he would bring Rama back and make him the king to atone the wrong committed by kaikeyi in his name.So saying he fell on the ground in anguish.

 

Then Bharatha called the ministers and told them that he had no hand in the matter and was completely ignorant of the machinations of Kaikeyi. Hearing the voice of Bharatha Kousalya came to see him and met him halfway as he was also hastening to see her and convince her of his innocence. Seeing  Kousalya griefstricken Bharatha and Sathrughna wept and embraced her. Then Kousalya said,

 

idam te raajya kaamasya raajyam praaptam akaNTakam
sampraaptam bata kaikeyyaa shiighram kruureNa karmaNaa

 

"This immense kingdom was secured for you who is desirous of the kingdom by Kaikeyi quickly by her evei deed." So saying Kousalya beseeched Bharatha to send her also to the forest where Rama was or allow her to enter the funeral pyre of her husband.

 

Hearing these words which  he had not merited Bharatha felt as though a sharp needle was thrust into  freshly opened wound. He wept and fell at the feet of Kousalya and said that he was sinless and did not know anything and Kousalya knew very well the great affection he had for Rama. Then with raised hands he gave a long list of all the horrible sins which one could commit and invoked upon himself the punishment for all of them if he had any hand in the plot of Kaikeyi.The enumeration of sins that should descend on the one who had allowed his elder brother to go to forest , meaning himself, knowingly, runs to 38 slokas in Valmiki, ending with the line `yasya aaryo anumathe gathaH.' Saying thus the noble Bharatha fell into a swoon. There upon Kousalya became distraught with grief seeing the state of Bharatha and consoled him.

 

This shows that it is more diffecult to prove one's innocence of a crime than to prove him guilty because when some one is accused unjustly the onus is on the accused to prove that he is innocent. In all probability Kousalya might have  known that Bharatha was ignorant of what happened but she might have thought that he had hastened to accept the kingdom got through the plan of his mother.Poor  Bharatha had to prove his innocence again and again to each and everyone and had to undergo a life of hermit in order to remove last vestige of doubt that may linger in the minds of people.

 

Kamban portrays beautifully the character of bharatha and the reaction of Kousalya to his words, which we shall see presently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan
http://www.sadagopan.org




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