Rama thanks Kaikeyi

Rama comes back to Ayodhya after 14 long years in exile and winning a fierce and long battle with the demon king Ravana of Lanka Puri. 

He enters the palace. Rama straight away heads towards the place of his step-mother Kaikeyi.  Everybody was awestruck. All people were quite surprised.  This was just not expected. Kaikeyi was completely taken aback. She thought that Rama must have come to reprimand her for by now it is known to all that she played a dirty game in depriving Rama his rightful claim to the royal throne.

There is more surprise in the waiting!

Rama knelt down in front of the queen of Ayodhya kingdom and placed his head at the feet of the mother Kaikeyi. He oozed out all the respect that he could with his bodily gesture.  

Kaykeyi was all frozen head to toes. Her body turned still, tongue jaded and eyes wide open and fixed.  Her mind blank. She even could not bless Rama!   

Rama could easily grasp the inner state the Kaikeyi.  He carefully made her sit on a nearby chair and Rama sat on the floor. 

Rama spoke in deep affectionate voice, “Dear Mother! You must be keeping all well, enjoying good health. I hope your age is not troubling you. There must not have been any discomfort to you. Dear Bharat must have taken best care of you in absence of our beloved father!”  

What a relief! Kaikeyi could breathe easily! She was coming back to her normal self.  

Kaikeyi started mumbling:

“I thought you are sour with me. Dear son! I treated you badly. You faced heaps of tough time in the forest. It is all due to me. Please forgive your poor mother. I know, I am not worthy of being your mother”.  

“Dear mother! You did not do anything wrong to me. A mother can never do wrong to her child. In fact, it is due to your blessings that I have evolved as a better person. Indeed, you have done me a great favour.  I am deeply indebted to you. I have gone through a series of rich experiences and lessons. These are invaluable. I met a large number of people during my forest life.  It added a different meaning to my life. For example, I started realizing how important it is to remain committed to wellbeing of one’s own family.

“Mother! I want to tell you something. I have been quite fortunate to come in contact with a good number of sages (Rishis and Munis) who are engaged in meditation. Most of them don’t consume food at all. They survive just on water or air. Is it not something great to interact with them and receive their blessings for our family and the subjects?

“But let me tell you, I was emotionally moved most to see how so many selfless people (Vanaras then were able to speak just as humans) came to help us without any expectation of any benefit or reward.

“Dear mother! You will certainly be happy to know that we built a bridge with the help of  ‘floating stones’ (this technology is still available). This bridge helped us to go across the sea and reach Lanka Puri.  

“Mother! We certainly vanquished the Rakshasas ruled by Ravana. But you will be very happy to know that we did not pick up even a single blade of straw from Lanka. We did not trouble a single person of that country. We also did not establish any sort of control on people and land of Lanka. Rather we coronated Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka. We maintained the high but humble moral and ethical standard of our dynasty.”

(Note: Rama was offered the kingship of Suvarna Lanka. He quickly retorted to his brother Lakshmana,

अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते |
जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ||  

api suvarnamayi lanka na me lakshmana rocate

janani-janma-bhumis-ca svargad-api gariyasi

O Lakshmana, I am not enamored by this Lanka cover with gold.  For me my mother and motherland are far more valuable).

***