Wednesday 21 August 2013

70. Bharata convinced Kausalya his ignorance about the vicious act.

                Bharata, after gaining control of his perturbed and grieving mind opened his eyes and saw his mother whose eyes were filled pitiably with tears. As he could not any longer bear the sight of her, Bharata, along with Shatrughna started out to Kausalya's place. 
        In the meanwhile, recognising the voice of Bharata, Kausalya told Sumitra "Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, the doer of terrific deeds arrived. I want to see him." and started proceeding to see him.  They met on the way. With tears in her eyes, Kausalya told Bharata "So! You desired for the kingdom. By the cruel deed of Kaikeyi, you mother, it was obtained for you sooner! Your very, very dear mother condemned my son to wear garments of bark and sent him to dwell in the forest. What has she gained from this? Kaikeyi ought to have send me too with him. Otherwise, I for my own satisfaction, accompanied by Sumitra, should have joined my husband. Otherwise, you yourself ought to send me now to the place where my son is living as an ascetic. As this vast kingdom, endowed with elephants, horses and chariots and stock piled with grains and riches, has been made over to you, you may not like me to reside here any longer."
        Derided with these harsh words that he had not merited, Bharata was extremely hurt, as if a needle was thrust into his heart. With his eyes brimmed with tears he wailed in many ways and fell at the feet of the queen.
         Then, with folded hands, he told "Oh, my noble mother! Please do not reproach me. I was absolutely unaware of what that woman who bore me, did. I solemnly  affirm that I do not know anything. You know very the well affection I have for Rama. May the mind of the one who in any way whatsoever contrived for the departure of my dear brother, be closed to all the scriptures. May he who counseled the banishment of my noble brother become the slave of the vilest scoundrels. With whose counsel my elder brother was sent to exile, to him let that sin incur, as to a master who imposes the heaviest labour on his servant without remunerating him. With whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, to him let that sin incur as to those who seek to harm a king who protects his people as if they are his own children. May the guilt of a king, who taking the sixth part of the revenue of his people fails to protect them, be fallen on them with whose counsel my elder brother went to exile. May the sin of those having given the promise for certain sacrificial fees to priests in a sacrifice, breaks that promise, to be his with whose counsel my elder brother went to exile. May the sin of him, who fails to observe the code of warfare followed by the virtuous in a battle abundantly provided with elephants, horses, chariots, weapons and men, be his with whose counsel my elder brother went to exile. May that perverse wretch, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, forget the subtle meanings of the scriptures taught with care by a wise teacher. May he by whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, never behold that Rama seated as he will be on the throne. May that pitiless one by whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of partaking milk boiled with rice and sugar, a cooked mixture of rice and peas with a few species and a goat flesh without offering them to the gods and be lacking in reverence towards teachers. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sins of kicking the cows, of personally abusing the elders and of deceiving a friend too much. May that perverse wretch on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile incur the sin of divulging the little abusing words about others spoken occasionally in secret and in confidence to him. May he on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, become a non doer, an ungrateful person, a desperate man, the one who has abandoned shame and the one who is worthy of hate. May he on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of eating delicious food for himself alone when he is surrounded by his sons, wife and servants in his house. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has departed, die without any child, failing to secure a wife suitable for him and thus not fulfilling his religious duties. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has departed, not see a child through his wife and may not get a full long life. That sin which is proclaimed for killing a king, a woman, a child or an aged person or in abandoning one's dependents fall on him on with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, get the sin of nurturing his wife, children and other dependents through sale of lacquer, liquor, flesh, iron or poison.  May he on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, obtain the sin of being killed while fleeing, at a time when a battle inspiring fear upon enemy's side has commanded. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, wander about the world, as a mad man with a wooden bowl in his hand, dressed in rags and begging for alms. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has departed, be given over to infatuation and anger and be constantly involved in wine, women and dice.  May the mind of the person on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, never take delight in righteousness. Let him indulge in unrighteousness and become a distributor of gifts for the undeserving. With whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, let his various kinds of riches got accumulated in thousands, be snatched away by robbers. That sin which was proclaimed on him who sleeps during both the twilights, let that sin be obtained by him, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile. Let the person on whose counsel my brother was sent to exile obtain that sin, which attaches to a man who practices arson, to a man who cheats his friend. May he, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur that sin of not doing service to the god, to the manes and likewise to his mother and father. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, forfeit from the region obtained by virtuous man, forfeit the illustriousness enjoyed by good men and those always doing only righteous actions. May he with whose counsel, that long armed and broad chested elder brother has gone to exile, fail to give due reverence to his mother and be condemned to idleness.  May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, possess many dependents but without resources, be undermined with fever and disease and be forever in distress.  May he on whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of falsifying the hopes of highly miserable destitute, who having their eyes looking up seek for alms. May he one whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of staying in fear of the king forever as a cunning man, a cruel man, a back biter, a dishonest man and an unrighteous man. May the evil minded man, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of ignoring his chaste wife, who having bathed after her course of menstruation approaches him for union having regard for the season favorable for procreation. May that stupid with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin of courting the consort of another disdaining his lawful wife. May he, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur that sin, which is obtained by a Brahmana who is issueless. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin that is attached to a person polluting the drinking water and likewise to a person who administers poison. May he with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, incur the sin attached to a person disturbing the worship going to be offered to a Brahmana, and to milking a cow having a young calf of less than ten days old.
           "To him, with whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, let that sin be obtained fordisappointing a person oppressed with thirst, even though water was available.  With whose counsel my elder brother has gone to exile, let the sin be accorded to him, who while standing on the road, merely witnesses a dispute between two divided groups without trying to make peace between them."
        Saying what he had to, to convince Kausalya that he was innocent, Bharata fell down, depressed as he was with anguish.
         Kausalya, after hearing Bharata was fully convinced about his innocence spoke to him "Oh, son! I am so sorry. I should have known that you are not capable of doing any harm to any of your brothers. By uttering the curses, you are indeed racking my spirits. Fortunately, your mind as it is, is endowed with nobility, has not swerved from righteous path. You will obtain the world of the blessed, along with Lakshmana."
           Then she embraced him and wept aloud, as she was very much afflicted with grief. Lamenting thus, Bharata distraught on account of grief, felt himself dizzy, with his mind crushed by the burden of grief.
           To Bharata that night passed with grief in lamenting thus laying fallen unconscious on his bed, sighing warmly again and again with his power of discernment having been lost.
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