Ayodhya Without a King (Ramayana Series 41)

Ayodhya Without a King

News of the king’s death spread swiftly throughout the royal household. Queens led by Kaikeyi rushed into Dasharatha’s inner chambers, wailing in grief. Seeing the lifeless king lying motionless, they were overcome with sorrow and fainted to the ground. The cries of Kaikeyi and the other queens merged with the lamentations of Kausalya and the women of the palace, creating a thunderous echo of mourning that filled the entire palace.

Terrified and bewildered, the people of Ayodhya rushed toward the royal palace, eager to know what had happened. Everywhere, relatives and attendants of Dasharatha wept uncontrollably. Joy had vanished completely from the city. Cries of anguish echoed in every direction.

Realizing that the glorious King Dasharatha had truly departed from this world, his queens surrounded his body in unbearable grief. Holding his lifeless arms, they lamented helplessly like orphaned souls.

Seeing the body of her departed husband—like an extinguished fire, a dried-up ocean, or a sun robbed of its radiance—Queen Kausalya, her eyes overflowing with tears, placed the king’s head upon her lap and spoke bitterly to Kaikeyi:

“O cruel and wicked woman! Obsessed only with crowning Bharata king, you abandoned even your husband to fulfill your desire. Now rejoice in your success. Rule this kingdom free from obstacles!

Rama has left me and gone to the forest. Like a traveler abandoned midway through a dangerous wilderness, I no longer wish to live.

A man who eats the poisonous Kimpaka fruit is tempted only by its momentary sweetness, never thinking of the suffering that follows. Likewise, greedy people gather wealth without considering the destruction it may bring. In the same way, Kaikeyi listened to the words of the hunchbacked maid and became consumed by ambition for Bharata’s coronation. The result of that greed is before us today—the destruction of the entire Raghu dynasty!”

The ministers of the kingdom gently separated the grief-stricken Kausalya from the king’s body through the palace attendants. Following the instructions of Sage Vasishtha, they preserved Dasharatha’s mortal remains carefully in a vessel filled with oil until the royal rites could be performed.

At the time of the king’s death, none of his four sons were present beside him. Rama and Lakshmana had gone to the forest, while Bharata and Shatrughna were staying in the kingdom of Kekaya. Therefore, the wise ministers decided not to perform the final rites until at least one son returned. They safeguarded the king’s body and waited anxiously for the princes.

That entire night passed in ceaseless lamentation. There was not even the slightest trace of joy in Ayodhya. The palace grounds overflowed with grieving citizens whose tears seemed endless. To everyone, the night felt unbearably long.

At sunrise, the royal priests and learned Brahmanas assembled in council. Great sages such as Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamadeva, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Gautama, and the illustrious Jabali gathered under the leadership of the royal preceptor, Sage Vasishtha. Along with the ministers, they began deliberating upon the future of the kingdom.

The elders spoke sorrowfully:

“Our King Dasharatha has died from the grief of separation from his son. Since his passing, even a single day feels impossible to endure. This one night of sorrow has seemed to us like a hundred years.

Rama, the eldest prince, has gone into exile. Lakshmana has accompanied him to the forest. Bharata and Shatrughna remain in Rajagriha, in the palace of their maternal grandfather. The kingdom cannot remain without a ruler. If a king does not govern, the state falls into chaos and destruction.

Just as the world would sink into darkness without the sun, society collapses without a righteous king who distinguishes between dharma and adharma. While Dasharatha ruled, no one dared violate his command, just as the ocean never crosses its shores.

Therefore, revered Vasishtha, one among the princes of the Ikshvaku lineage must immediately be brought back and crowned king. A kingdom without a ruler becomes like a wild forest.”

After hearing the words of the ministers and sages, Sage Vasishtha addressed the assembly:

“Since the eldest prince Rama has gone to the forest in accordance with Dasharatha’s promise to Kaikeyi, Bharata alone must now be crowned king. At present, Bharata and Shatrughna are residing happily in their maternal uncle’s palace in Rajagriha. Swift messengers must depart immediately to bring them back. What else can we do in this situation?”

The entire assembly agreed.

Vasishtha then summoned trusted royal messengers—Siddhartha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Ashoka, and Nandana—and instructed them carefully:

“Travel at once to Rajagriha. Cast aside your grief and convey this message to Bharata on my behalf:

‘Prince, Sage Vasishtha and all the ministers inquire about your welfare. A matter of great urgency awaits you in Ayodhya. Therefore, return immediately.’

But remember carefully—you must not reveal that Rama has been exiled, nor that King Dasharatha has passed away.”

Obeying the sage’s command without delay, the royal envoys mounted swift horses and journeyed rapidly through the night toward Rajagriha.