The Ramayana (97 page)

By now the story absorbed them, and for the moment, grief seemed distanced. Rama said, “It was the same golden urn into which both Varuna and Mitra spilled their seed. There was a blaze of light from the urn, when Mitra's seed fell onto Varuna's, and a rishi of blinding splendor rose from that urn. He was Agastya; bowing to both Urvashi and the God Mitra, that already realized sage sought the Himalaya to sit in tapasya.

“No sooner had the peerless Agastya vanished than Vasishta, who had subtly entered the golden urn in his spirit body, rose, embodied and resplendent from the mingled seed of Mitra and Varuna. He stood with folded hands before Urvashi and her lover and said, ‘Mitra Deva, I am not only your son!'

“And he vanished from there. Mitra now saw clearly in his mind's eye what had transpired between Urvashi and Varuna. He cried in despair, ‘Unfaithful woman, I curse you to live half a mortal life in the world of men! Go down to the earth and be the wife of Pururavas of Kasi.'

“Pururavas was Budha's son, and by Mitra's curse Urvashi became his queen for a time. In his city, Pratishtana, she bore him a son of great prowess, called Ayu. Ayu's son was Nahusha, who was hardly less glorious than Indra; and, indeed, Nahusha ruled Devaloka for a hundred thousand years, when Indra was cursed after he killed Vritrasura treacherously.

“When she had lived with Pururavas for some years on earth, Mitra's curse ended and Urvashi returned to Devaloka, to Indra's realm, where she is a dancer in his court.”

Lakshmana wanted to know, “What happened to Nimi, Rama?”

“When Vasishta had his new body, Ikshvaku asked him to be the kulaguru of the royal House of the Sun, this ancient house of ours.

“As for Nimi, the rishis at his yagna saw the king had died. They embalmed his body in oils to preserve it. They clothed him in white silks and draped garlands made from unfading flowers over him. Then they completed the yagna he had begun, and Bhrigu spoke to the king's spirit that hovered over the yagnashala as a shimmering vapor.

“‘The Devas are pleased with you, Kshatriya. If you like, I can fetch your soul back into your body. Otherwise, I can bless you so you will dwell anywhere you choose. Ask for any boon you want.'

“But having tasted the freedom of death, Nimi did not want to be imprisoned in a single body any more. He said from the air, ‘Holy ones, let me dwell in the eyelids of every living being. Let me see all the earth at once. But first, let me have a son to rule my kingdom.'

“The rishis and Devas blessed King Nimi of old that he would live as subtle air in the eyelids of all the living, and when he stirred in their eyes, they would blink. Lakshmana, before King Nimi of old lost his body, no living creature blinked.

“When the Devas had blessed Nimi, they vanished. And now, the holy rishis began to rub the king's lifeless body with their hands, as if they were rubbing arani sticks to make fire. They chanted secret mantras as they did this. Soon, Nimi's corpse was as hot as fire and suddenly a child sprang from it.

“The munis called that child Videha, since he had been born from a dead body. They also named him Mithi, since he had been born at their rubbing Nimi's corpse. Since he had no mother, he was called Janaka, and his city was named Mithila, where Mithi ruled.”

Now Rama's eyes filled; for, of course, he spoke of Sita's father.

 

30. Sukra curses Yayati

Lakshmana said, “Why did Nimi and Vasishta curse each other, Rama? How is it such great men were not more forgiving?”

Rama said, “Forgiveness often deserts the greatest men, when they are tested with anger. Would you hear the story of Yayati?”

Lakshmana nodded eagerly.

Rama began yet another tale of ancient times. “Yayati was a king in the royal House of Soma. He was Nahusha's son, and he was a sovereign without equal in his time. He had two wives, each one as beautiful, accomplished, and virtuous as the other. The first was Sarmishta and she was Diti's own granddaughter, Vrishaparva's child. Yayati loved Sarmishta dearly, like his very life.

“His second wife was Devayani, to whom the king was indifferent, though she was in no way inferior to Sarmishta. In time, two sons were born to Yayati, one to each of his wives. Sarmishta bore Puru, and Devayani, Yadu. Yayati, of course, openly preferred Puru, since he was Sarmishta's son, and neglected Yadu.

“As Yadu grew up, he saw how unhappy his mother was. One day, he said to Devayani, ‘You are the great Sukra's daughter. How do you tolerate being treated so wretchedly in your own husband's house? The king does not care if you live or die, mother. He is my father, as much as he is Puru's; but he has time only for my brother. I am treated like an unwelcome guest in this house, often like a servant. You may be able to bear this, but not I. I mean to put an end to myself.'

“In anguish, Devayani invoked her father, the awesome Sukracharya, the guru of the Asuras, who, being Bhrigu's son, is also called Bhargava. Sukra appeared before his distraught daughter and asked the cause of her misery. However, she would only shake her lovely head, as tears flowed down her face, and say, ‘I mean to drink poison, or drown myself.'

“Repeatedly, Bhargava asked her, ‘But tell me what the matter is, my child. You have never complained before.'

“Finally, she broke down and cried, ‘You do not know how I am treated in this house. My husband humiliates my son and me. He always prefers Sarmishta and her Puru, and ignores Yadu and me.'

“Sukra Bhargava's eyes turned red as blood. He went to Yayati and cursed him: ‘You have tormented my daughter. Be an old man from this moment. May your body lose its strength and may you be impotent!'

“And Sukracharya stormed out of Yayati's city. The moment Usana pronounced his curse, the mighty Yayati felt his limbs grow weak. He felt vast age upon him. His hair turned white, his skin became wrinkled, and he felt many thousands of years old.

“Yayati called for his son Yadu and said, ‘I have become an old man by your grandfather's curse. But I have not satisfied my desires; they burn like fire within me. My righteous son, lend me your youth so I can enjoy my life and grow old naturally.'

“But Yadu said to him, ‘How is it, father, that you have remembered me today? Puru is your son whom you love. Ask him to give you his youth.'

“Yayati called for Puru and asked him for his youth. Without a moment's hesitation, Puru said, ‘I am honored that I can serve you. Take my youth and let me be old in your place.'

“So it was. Yayati shed his unnatural age, and Puru received it like a blessing, while he gave his virile youth to his father. Now the son was an old man and the father a young one. Yayati ruled the earth and lived a full life for many thousands of years. He performed a hundred aswamedhas and rajasuyas.

“One day, he called Puru and said, ‘My son, give me back the age I burdened you with so long ago. And receive your youth back from me. You, my faithful child, shall be king.'

“He turned to Yadu and cursed him: ‘You could have been king, if you had obeyed me. But you refused what I asked. You are a rakshasa born from my loins, and you shall father only rakshasas and yatudanas. Your sons shall not belong to the House of the Moon and they will be as evil as you are. I banish you from our city and our kingdom.'

“Yayati himself left Pratishtana and went away to the forest. He took vanaprastha. Puru ruled over the kingdom of Kasi from his throne. In time, after many years of tapasya, Yayati left this world and found heaven for himself.

“Yadu roamed the Krauncharanya: a wild and powerful beggar, a great kshatriya without a kingdom, wealth, or a family. He sired a thousand yatudanas on the demonesses of the accursed jungle. It was rage, my brother, which was the root of the tragedy of Yadu. He pitied himself too much and abandoned his noble nature from anger.”

Lakshmana smiled wanly, “So we must be brave, Rama?”

“We must not commit Nriga's crime. A king's first dharma is toward his people, and I have not behaved like a king for four days now. I have plunged myself in my own grief; I have forgotten that I am a king.”

The night was in its last yaama, the quietest hour. The brothers sat wrapped in a deep, living silence, which bore the grace of ages at this magical hour. It seemed to Rama that his loss had brought him closer to his own soul, and even that his love for Sita had been a subtle and powerful obstacle that stood between himself and his destiny. Now, at the heart of the night, he saw this clearly, and his way ahead as well.

But he also knew that in another sense, his own life had ended. What he had done was irretrievable: from now, Rama the man would hardly exist, only Rama the king.

 

31. The Asura Lavana

The next morning, with the sun, the princes opened the lofty doors of the sabha and came out onto the white marble terrace outside to give audience to the people.

Just then, Sumantra hurried in to them and said, “Rama, some munis have been waiting to see you. They have come from their asramas on the banks of the Yamuna. Bhrigu's son Chyvana is with them and they want to meet you as early as they can.”

Rama said, “Bring them in at once, Sumantra.”

Soon, more than a hundred rishis, their bodies alight with tapasya, filed into Rama's sabha. They brought sacred water in earthen vessels, which they had drawn from all the most blessed tirthas in Bharatavarsha. They brought fruit and rare roots from the forest for Rama of Ayodhya.

Rama received these gifts humbly and in joy. He offered them silken seats in his court, and then asked, “Holy ones, tell me what I can do for you, that you have blessed my city with your auspicious presence. My kingdom and my life are yours to command, O Munis who are the support of the world.”

Chyvana said, “Best among men, greatest of all kshatriyas, we know you will do as you say, unlike some other kings of the earth. Noble Rama, we live in terror and we have come to ask you to deliver us from the fear that stalks our lives.”

Rama said in concern, “What fear stalks your lives, Brahmanas? Surely, we must all fear whatever threatens you.”

Chyvana replied, “It is an Asura. Once, in the krita yuga, Diti, the mother of the Daityas, bore her first son, the awesome Madhu. Madhu was an Asura of flawless dharma, and a Sivabhakta. Rudra appeared before Madhu, who sat in tapasya, and from his own trident the Lord extracted another trisula that shone as if the fire of the sun were held captive within it.

“Siva gave this weapon to Madhu, saying, ‘This ayudha is yours, for your perfect dhyana, Asura. As long as you do not turn against dharma and the Devas who are the guardians of the world, this trisula will make you invincible. For the weapon will turn your enemies into ashes'

“Madhu prostrated himself before the God of Gods. He said humbly, ‘Lord, may this ayudha be with my race forever.'

“But Siva answered him, saying, ‘That cannot be, because the ayudha is too powerful. However, it shall belong to one of your sons and he shall also be invincible.'

“And the Lord vanished before his devotee's eyes. In joy, Madhu returned to the world, and he built a splendid city and a shining palace at its heart. In time, Madhu married the legendary beauty Kumbheenasi, who was the daughter of Ravana's sister Anala and the wise Malyavan.

“Madhu sired a mighty son on Kumbheenasi. He was called Lavana. As the child grew, his father saw he was entirely violent and evil. Heartbroken that his only son was a creature of darkness, Madhu left his city and his kingdom and sought refuge in death by walking into the ocean. Siva's marvelous trisula he left, reluctantly, to his monstrous child.

“Ever since, Lavana has been a terror in the world, most of all to the rishis who live in prayer and are the holders of the earth. Rama, no other kshatriya can rid us of Lavana. He desecrates our yagnas; he kills our brother rishis and feasts on their flesh. He is like death himself, with jaws agape. We have no peace; you must save us from the Asura.”

Rama turned to his brothers and asked, “Which of you will kill Lavana?”

Bharata said eagerly, “I will, my lord.”

Then Shatrughna rose from his golden throne and knelt before Rama. He said, “Bharata has already fulfilled his life's dharma. He ruled Ayodhya when you were away. With a broken heart, he ruled like a lion from Nandigrama. He slept on a bed of grass, ate only fruit and roots, wore his hair in jata, and ruled even as you would have.

“No, Bharata has endured enough for a lifetime. And as for Lakshmana, he went with you into exile. He fought the great war at your side. But I have done nothing yet of any note for you, my brother. I beg you, let me be sent to kill the Asura.”

And his brothers smiled when they saw how he had tears in his eyes. Rama glanced at Bharata, who nodded to say that Shatrughna might be sent to kill Lavana.

Rama said, “Shatrughna, I will make you king of Madhu's sacred kingdom. Take an army with you, go to the banks of the Yamuna, kill Lavana, and establish a city there. And rule from that city, Shatrughna. Yes, you must also be a king.”

He saw Shatrughna hesitate momentarily, and said, “It is my command. I am your older brother and you must do as I say.”

Shatrughna flushed. He protested softly, “But it is not dharma that a younger brother be made a king while his older brothers live. Yet you say I must not disobey you. I should never have spoken when my brother Bharata had already said he would go to kill Lavana. Let this be my punishment: to be sent away from Ayodhya, away from all of you.”

Rama said to Bharata and Lakshmana, “Let everything we need to crown Shatrughna a king be fetched. Call Vasishta and the other brahmanas; they must perform the rituals.”

And so Shatrughna, the scourge of his enemies, was made a king in Rama's sabha, in Rama's name. And he shone even as Karttikeya had, in time out of mind, when he was made Senapati of the army of the Devas. Chyvana and the other rishis felt certain that Lavana was as good as slain.