Ayodhya was in a great jubilant mood. All the citizens of the country congregated at Ayodhya to have a glimpse of their beloved princes and spouses. The four couples, all made for each other, were the nucleus of attention.
One day while in solitude, Dasaratha gave vent to his feelings to Guru Vasishta:“Gurudeva, I am getting older and weaker day by day,” he said: “All my subjects unanimously praise Rama and always discourse extempore about his qualities. They love him too much. It is the ardent desire of my subjects that Rama should be crowned as Yuvaraja. This is my opinion too. What is your idea?” “King,” said Vasishta: “What you say is true. Rama is very capable to rule the country. There is a very auspicious muhurta tomorrow for the coronation of Rama. Make all the arrangements quickly and elaborately. Build shamianahs all around the city. Let all the streets be decorated. Let there be festoons on either side of all the highways. Let the national flags flutter everywhere. Let there be drum beatings on all major streets.”
After a brief pause, he gave advice to Sumantra, the chief minister: “In the early dawn tomorrow, you should array sixteen damsels with aarti in their hands in the middle of the court. There should be hundred and one caparisoned pachyderms ready for the procession in the morning. Bring tons of flowers in different varieties and species.
Collect water from all the seven holy rivers in one thousand and eight gold and silver pots dressed by mango leaves. Send summons to all the kings, priests and noble men. Let all arrangements for the yagna be made forthwith. Let there be fireworks all around.”
Manthara, the hunchback and hawk-eyed foster mother of Kaikeyi smelled a rat behind all these hidden preparations. She went on inquiring to everyone the secret of all these large scale preparations. Some did not care to give heed to her. Some abandoned her. But Manthara was the last person to be evaded easily. She finally caught the bird in her nest.
Manthara dashed straight into the inner court of queen Kaikeyi who was a bit surprised to see the nurse in her private room without any notice or announcement. The issue must be something very serious. Thought the young queen.
“What brought you all of a sudden Manthara? What is the news? Is everything okay with you?” asked Kaikeyi.
“Everything is fine with me”, replied Manthara, “but all is going to be wrong with you.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Don’t you know anything?”
“Anything? What? What is wrong?”
“Ha…ha…ha…” cried out Manthara. She posed a gesture, putting her index finger on the nose in strange exertions and rebuked Kaikeyi.
“Here is a queen, the most favorite queen of the king, who does not know what is wrong and what is happening around! You eat your routine food and sleep here always, oblivious of the dangers brewing around you. Lazy girl…” “But what happened? Tell me the fact.” Insisted Kaikeyi. “Do you know that they have fixed the coronation of Rama for tomorrow?”
“Is it so? How nice!” exclaimed Kaikeyi in extreme joy. “This is good news.” She took out a very precious necklace from around her neck and presented it to Manthara as a token of reward for delivering this gladdening news. Warding it off, Manthara gave a burning look at Kaikeyi.
“You are like a frog in the mouth of a snake, half already swallowed, and yet sing the hymns of the same snake.”
“Why do you say so?” asked the curious queen. She added, “Rama is dearer to me than anybody else and he has more love towards me than Kausalya herself. If any good articles come handy he will part them off to others only after offering to me first. He is such a lovely and nice darling and this news of his coronation is nectar to my ears.” She stopped for a while and asked Manthara:
“Yes, what is your reason for fear from Rama?” Manthara said,“O fool , dangers have already befallen you. Why has not the king consulted this grave and most important issue with you? Why has he chosen a time in connivance with the preceptor to coronate Rama in the absence of Bharata? Is it not his evil preplan to bid Bharata away to his uncle at this crucial hour?”
-KK Shanmukhan ( To be concluded )
