Rama Accepts Kaikeyi's Command
Kaikeyi announces the exile and Bharata's coronation, and Rama accepts both with serene obedience. He resolves to uphold his father's word without resentment.
Ayodhya Kand · Episode 6 / 49
Episode Text
सूखहिं अधर जरइ सबु अंगू। मनहुँ दीन मनिहीन भुअंगू॥ सरुष समीप दीखि कैकेई। मानहुँ मीचु घरीं गनि लेई॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sūkhahiṃ adhara jarai sabu aṃgū। mānahuṃ dīna manihīna bhuaṃgū॥ saruṣa samīpa dīkhi kaikeī। mānahuṃ mīcu gharīṃ gani leī॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
The king’s lips were parched, and his whole body seemed to be burning, like a serpent pained by the loss of its jewel. Nearby was Kaikeyi, full of anger, as if Death herself were seated there counting the king’s final hours.
करुनामय मृदु राम सुभाऊ। प्रथम दीख दुखु सुना न काऊ॥ तदपि धीर धरि समउ बिचारी। पूँछी मधुर बचन महतारी॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
karuṇāmaya mṛdu rāma subhāū। prathama dīkha dukhu sunā na kāū॥ tadapi dhīra dhari samau bicārī। pūṃchī madhura bacana mahatārī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Rama’s nature is gentle and full of compassion. He was seeing such sorrow for the first time in his life; never before had he even heard of such grief. Still, considering the situation, he steadied his heart and asked Mother Kaikeyi with sweet words:
मोहि कहु मातु तात दुख कारन। करिअ जतन जेहिं होइ निवारन॥ सुनहु राम सबु कारनु एहू। राजहि तुम्ह पर बहुत सनेहू॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mohi kahu mātu tāt dukha kārana। karia jatana jehi hoi nivārana॥ sunahu rāma sabu kāranu ehū। rājahi tumha para bahuta sanehū॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
O Mother, tell me the cause of Father’s sorrow, so that whatever remedy is needed may be done to remove it. [Kaikeyi said:] Listen, Rama, the whole reason is that the king loves you greatly.
देन कहेन्हि मोहि दुइ बरदाना। मागेउँ जो कछु मोहि सोहाना॥ सो सुनि भयउ भूप उर सोचू। छाड़ि न सकहिं तुम्हार सँकोचू॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dēna kaheṃhi mohi dui baradānā। māgeuṃ jo kachu mohi sohānā॥ so suni bhayau bhūpa ura socū। chāṛi na sakahiṃ tumhāra saṃkochū॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
He had told me to ask for two boons. I asked for whatever seemed good to me. Hearing that, worry arose in the king’s heart, because he cannot abandon his promise to you.
सुत सनेहु इत बचनु उत संकट परेउ नरेसु। सकहु त आयसु धरहु सिर मेटहु कठिन कलेसु॥ ४० ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
suta sanehu ita bacanu uta saṃkaṭa pareu naresu। sakahu ta āyasu dharahu sira meṭahu kaṭhina kalesu॥ 40 ॥
Meaning:
On one side is affection for his son and on the other his pledged word; the king has fallen into this dilemma. If you can, accept the king’s command and relieve him of this severe suffering.
निधरक बैठि कहइ कटु बानी। सुनत कठिनता अति अकुलानी॥ जीभ कमान बचन सर नाना। मनहुँ महिप मृदु लच्छ समाना॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nidharaka baiṭhi kahai kaṭu bānī। sunata kaṭhinatā ati akulānī॥ jībha kamāna bacana sara nānā। mānahuṃ mahipa mṛdu laccha samānā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Kaikeyi sat there fearlessly, speaking such bitter words that even harshness itself seemed greatly agitated upon hearing them. The tongue is the bow, the words are many arrows, and the king himself seems like a tender target.
जनु कठोरपनु धरें सरीरू। सिखइ धनुषबिद्या बर बीरू॥ सबु प्रसंगु रघुपतिहि सुनाई। बैठि मनहुँ तनु धरि निठुराई॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
janu kaṭhorapanu dhareṃ sarīrū। sikhai dhanuṣabidyā bara bīrū॥ sabu prasaṃgu raghupatahi sunāī। baiṭhi mānahuṃ tanu dhari niṭhurāī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
As if harshness itself had taken on a body and were learning the art of the bow as a great warrior, she told everything to Lord Raghunatha and then sat there as though cruelty itself had assumed a body.
मन मुसुकाइ भानुकुल भानू। रामु सहज आनंद निधानू॥ बोले बचन बिगत सब दूषन। मृदु मंजुल जनु बाग बिभूषन॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mana musukāi bhānukula bhānū। rāmu sahaja ānaṃda nidhānū॥ bole bacana vigata saba dūṣana। mṛdu mañjula janu bāga bibhūṣana॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
The sun of the सूर्यवंश, Rama, the very treasure of innate bliss, smiled inwardly and then spoke words free from all faults—gentle and lovely, as if they were ornaments of speech itself:
सुनु जननी सोइ सुतु बड़भागी। जो पितु मातु बचन अनुरागी॥ तनय मातु पितु तोषनिहारा। दुर्लभ जननि सकल संसारा॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sunu jananī soi sutu baṛabhāgī। jo pitu mātu bacana anurāgī॥ tanaya mātu pitu toṣanihārā। durlabha janani sakala saṃsārā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Listen, O Mother: that son alone is truly fortunate who is devoted to the words of his father and mother. A son who brings delight to his parents through obedience is, O mother, rare in all the world.
मुनिगन मिलनु बिसेषि बन सबहि भाँति हित मोर। तेहि महँ पितु आयसु बहुरि संमत जननी तोर॥ ४१ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
munigana milanu biseṣi bana sabahi bhāṃti hita mora। tehi mahaṃ pitu āyasu bahuri saṃmata jananī tora॥ 41 ॥
Meaning:
In the forest there will be the special company of sages, which is beneficial to me in every way. Above all, there is Father’s command, and also, O mother, your approval.
भरतु प्रानप्रिय पावहिं राजू। बिधि सब बिधि मोहि सनमुख आजू॥ जौं न जाउँ बन ऐसेहु काजा। प्रथम गनिअ मोहि मूढ़ समाजा॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bharatu prānapriya pāvahiṃ rājū। bidhi saba bidhi mohi sanmukha ājū॥ jauṃ na jāūṃ bana aisehu kājā। prathama gani'a mohi mūṛha samājā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
And my beloved Bharata will receive the kingdom. Seeing all this, it seems that destiny is in every way favorable to me today. If I do not go to the forest even for such a cause, then in the company of fools I should be counted first.
सेवहिं अरँडु कलपतरु त्यागी। परिहरि अमृत लेहिं बिषु मागी॥ तेउ न पाइ अस समउ चुकाहीं। देखु बिचारि मातु मन माहीं॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sevahiṃ araṃḍu kalapataru tyāgī। parihari amṛta lehiṃ biṣu māgī॥ teu na pāi asa samau cukāhīṃ। dekhu bicāri mātu mana māhīṃ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Those who abandon the wish-fulfilling tree to serve the castor plant, and give up nectar to ask for poison—O mother, think in your heart: such fools would never miss a chance like this.
अंब एक दुखु मोहि बिसेषी। निपट बिकल नरनायकु देखी॥ थोरिहिं बात पितहि दुख भारी। होति प्रतीति न मोहि महतारी॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
aṃba eka dukhu mohi biseṣī। nipaṭa bikala naranāyaku dekhī॥ thorihiṃ bāta pitahi dukha bhārī। hoti pratīti na mohi mahatārī॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
O Mother, one sorrow troubles me especially: seeing the king so utterly distressed. That Father should suffer such a great grief over so small a matter—O mother, I cannot believe it.
राउ धीर गुन उदधि अगाधू। भा मोहि तें कछु बड़ अपराधू॥ जातें मोहि न कहत कछु राऊ। मोरि सपथ तोहि कहु सति भाऊ॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāu dhīra guna udadhi agādhū। bhā mohi teṃ kachu baṛa aparādhū॥ jāteṃ mohi na kahata kachu rāū। mori sapatha tohi kahu sati bhāū॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
For the king is indeed a great ocean of patience and virtue. Surely I have committed some grave offense, because of which the king says nothing to me. I swear by myself to you, mother: tell me the truth.
सहज सरल रघुबर बचन कुमति कुटिल करि जान। चलइ जोंक जल बक्रगति जद्यपि सलिलु समान॥ ४२ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sahaja sarala raghubara bacana kumati kuṭila kari jāna। calai joṃka jala bakragati jadyapi salilu samāna॥ 42 ॥
Meaning:
The straightforward words of Lord Raghu, by nature simple and direct, are being twisted by Kaikeyi’s crooked mind; just as water is the same everywhere, yet a leech moves through it in a crooked path.
रहसी रानि राम रुख पाई। बोली कपट सनेहु जनाई॥ सपथ तुम्हार भरत कै आना। हेतु न दूसर मैं कछु जाना॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rahasī rāni rāma rukha pāī। bolī kapaṭa sanehu janāī॥ sapatha tumhāra bharata kai ānā। hetu na dūsara maiṃ kachu jānā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Queen Kaikeyi, seeing Rama's face, was delighted and, feigning affection, said: “By your oath and Bharata's pledge, I know of no other reason for the king's suffering.”
तुम्ह अपराध जोगु नहिं ताता। जननी जनक बंधु सुखदाता॥ राम सत्य सबु जो कछु कहहू। तुम्ह पितु मातु बचन रत अहहू॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tumha aparādha jogu nahīṃ tātā। jananī janaka bandhu sukhadātā॥ rāma satya sabu jo kachu kahahū। tumha pitu mātu bacana rata ahahū॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
O dear one, you are not worthy of blame. You are a giver of joy to mother, father, and brother. Rama, whatever you say is true. You are devoted to the words of your father and mother.
पितहि बुझाइ कहहु बलि सोई। चौथेंपन जेहिं अजसु न होई॥ तुम्ह सम सुअन सुकृत जेहिं दीन्हे। उचित न तासु निरादरु कीन्हे॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pitahi bujhāi kahahu bali soī। chautheṃpana jehiṃ ajasu na hoī॥ tumha sama suana sukṛta jehiṃ dīhne। ucita na tāsu nirādaru kīhne॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
I am grateful to you—speak to your father and persuade him to say what will prevent his name from being tarnished in his old age. It is not right to slight the merit that gave him sons like you.
लागहिं कुमुख बचन सुभ कैसे। मगहँ गयादिक तीरथ जैसे॥ रामहि मातु बचन सब भाए। जिमि सुरसरि गत सलिल सुहाए॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
lāgahiṃ kumukha bacana subha kaise। magahaṃ gayādika tīratha jaise॥ rāmahi mātu bacana saba bhāe। jimi surasari gata salila suhāe॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
How can these good words suit Kaikeyi's wicked mouth, just as holy places like Gaya belong to Magadh? To Rama, all of Queen Kaikeyi's words were pleasing, just as water becomes pure and beautiful in the Ganga.
गइ मुरुछा रामहि सुमिरि नृप फिरि करवट लीन्ह। सचिव राम आगमन कहि बिनय समय सम कीन्ह॥ ४३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
gai muruchā rāmahi sumiri nṛpa phiri karavaṭa līnha। saciva rāma āgamana kahi binaya samaya sama kīnha॥ 43 ॥
Meaning:
Meanwhile the king's fainting spell passed; remembering Rama, he turned over on his side. The minister announced Rama's arrival and made a suitable plea.