Adhyatma Ramayana - Day 8
Death of Dasaratha
Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, grief consumed Dasaratha. When Sumanthra returned,
the king anxiously asked about his beloved sons and Sita. Sumanthra described
Rama’s unwavering composure, Sita’s humility, and Lakshmana’s fierce loyalty,
recounting how Guha ferried them across the Ganga. Dasaratha wept bitterly,
haunted by a past sin.
He recalled his youth, when during a hunting trip, he had mistakenly killed
a young boy drawing water for his blind parents, thinking it was a wild animal.
The dying boy, a Vaishya, forgave him, but warned that Dasaratha too would one
day suffer the anguish of losing a child. Now, that curse had come true. Crying
out, “Rama! Sita! Lakshmana!” the brokenhearted king breathed his last.
Ayodhya plunged into mourning. Vasishta preserved the king’s body in oil
until Bharata, the next rightful heir, returned. Messengers were sent to
Kekaya, where Bharata and Shatrughna were staying. The princes, puzzled by the
sudden summons, sensed something was amiss. As they neared Ayodhya, they
noticed the once joyful city now shrouded in sorrow.
Wailing of Bharatha
Upon reaching the palace, Bharata greeted his mother Kaikeyi, only to be met
with a chilling revelation. Kaikeyi joyfully told him, “Your father is no more,
and I have secured the kingdom for you.” But hearing of his father’s death,
Bharata collapsed in grief, overwhelmed by the horror of what had transpired in
his absence.
Bharatha stood crushed beneath the unbearable weight of sorrow. His voice
trembled as he lamented beside his father's lifeless form. “O Father! Why did
you leave me orphaned in this sea of grief? If only you had crowned Rama and
made me his humble servant, I would have gladly borne any burden. Now, who is
left to guide us?” His mother, Kaikeyi, tried to soothe his anguish with words
that only deepened the wound. “My son, all this is the will of destiny. I did
what I thought was best for you.” But Bharatha, burning with a new torment,
asked, “Did my father say anything before his passing?” Kaikeyi’s answer struck
him like lightning: “He died grieving over Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita, calling
their names in sorrow.”
Horrified, Bharatha demanded to know the truth, and Kaikeyi, in chilling
candor, revealed the whole tale: how, at her behest, Dasaratha had sent Rama
into exile and left the kingdom to Bharatha. Overwhelmed with shock and
disgust, Bharatha’s grief turned to fury. He rebuked his mother harshly,
calling her a destroyer of righteousness and vowing that such a mother was a
curse upon him. Rejecting her, he rushed to Mother Kausalya, where he fell at
her feet, weeping. Kausalya, though broken herself, embraced Bharatha with
compassion. She believed his innocence when he swore by all that was sacred
that he had no part in Kaikeyi's vile plan.
At this fragile juncture, Sage Vasishta arrived and spoke words of profound
wisdom. He reminded Bharatha of life’s transience and the immutable laws of
karma. “O prince, grief solves nothing. Birth and death are but passing stages
for the soul. Your father has fulfilled his earthly duties and now enjoys the
fruits of his virtuous life in heaven. Your task is to uphold dharma in this
world by doing your duty. Lament not for what you cannot change.”
Thus, steadied by the sage’s wisdom, Bharatha composed himself and performed
the final rites for his father with all royal honor. Dasaratha’s body was
bathed, anointed with fragrant oils, and cremated with regal ceremony. Bharatha
and Shatrughna distributed generous gifts to Brahmanas and the needy, honoring
the king’s memory.
Soon after, Vasishta and the ministers urged Bharatha to ascend the throne
without delay, for a kingdom without a ruler invites chaos. But Bharatha firmly
refused. “Rama alone is the rightful king. I shall not wear the crown meant for
him. Tomorrow, we set out to find him and bring him back. Let the mothers, the
sages, and the people join us, that Rama may see how much Ayodhya yearns for
his return.” Vasishta, delighted by Bharatha’s righteousness, blessed him.
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