Rama Grieves his Father's Death
---BHARAT—
Oh, Rama, before I returned
from grandfather’s
City, our noble father, broken-hearted,
Went to heaven. I returned to a kingdom in
shock
From loss of its king and benefactor, and you
Who are, in my heart and theirs, the king by right.
--RAMA—
Dead?
Our father is dead?
--SITA—
Oh
Rama!
--BHARAT—
Yes, our father is dead,
his heart broken
At the loss of you, the prince he raised
To rule a kingdom, not a grove of deer.
--RAMA--
how can you talk of
father's death and my
Return to rule the kingdom, the jewel of his heart?
Ayodhya without father is a sun which can't shine.
It's a mountain without height; it's water which can't wet!
I never wish to see Ayodhya without
Father, now or fourteen years from now!
--LAKSHMAN--
(Crossing to comfort RAMA who goes stage right.)
oh, Rama--
--RAMA--
(Calling out in
sorrow)
I
am just a hurting child!
Who will teach me? Who will bless me?
Who will encourage my growing in goodness, if Father
Is no more? Oh, I am a hurt little boy!
(BHARAT and SITA cross to comfort the brothers.)
Where are the Queen
Mothers? Have they
Died too of sorrow? Oh, father, I am a little boy lost!
--BHARAT--
No. Mother Kausalya is with us now.
(BHARAT, speaking, walks stage right with RAMA,
followed by SITA. LAKSHMAN follows.)
--QUEEN KAUSALYA--
(Entering, enfolds Rama in her
arms)
Ah! Such a cry would make
the birds
Fall silent. Having lost you, how could king,
Father and husband last?
--SITA--
Oh mother, dear mother.
--RAMA—
Mother,
I was
A boy of pranks, bravado and small swaggers
Here with Guruji. Lakshman and I were
feeling
That moments ago and now, with father gone,
I am a little boy lost in the woods, no path
For hands and feet, no clearing for eyes to see
How to lift this crushing weight.
--BHARAT—
Rama,
Rama joined in sorrow, let us offer
Traditional gifts to his passing soul for now
He is near us surely.
--RAMA—
Not even present at his
funeral pyre, we must.
(To SITA)
Can we do this? Have we grain?
(To LAKSHMAN)
What
Of fruit and fuel? Have we tinder enough?
--SITA—
I’ll make balls of
gathered grains to offer.
(SITA exits to the right.)
--LAKSHMAN—
I will
gather ripe sweet fruits to give
And fuel our ritual fire at river’s edge.
(LAKSHMAN exits to the left.)
--BHARAT--
Rama, the people: since you
left, people|
Murmur among themselves that there's evil abroad,
That crops may not grow, animals fall sick, and men
Not live long if righteous Rama can be
So easily replaced. An evil star,
Some say. Some say a curse. People lost
Heart in losing you. A gloom has fallen
Like dusk but neither night nor sunrise follows.
Farmers forget the fields. The women and children
Remain indoors. Few come to market.
--RAMA--
Bharat,
Father talked of me and me alone
As though I only could carry on--
After father’s praise of me as if
We weren’t trained and skilled to lead equally,
Equal in devotion to kingdom and people, how
Would they bear my loss? Would they rebel?
--BHARAT--
Trust in
themselves is lost and trust in the world.
They are loyal but lost without you. You must return.
--RAMA--
In fourteen years, not now.
Staying here,
Is like telling the truth
Is living our honor,
Not just doing father’s wish.
If I return, I make a split inside us all,
The same as comes from telling a lie,
When a person knows the truth,
And also the story told,
And must remember both.
--BHARAT--
Rama, I am already split
inside.
All my boyhood, I saw myself a grown
Prince, your loyal ally, loving brother,
And now? I’m made to be usurper, disloyal.
At least a liar has told the lie himself
And takes the consequence of weakened will
And mind as due him. But this, oh this
Was never even a whim or fancy of mine!
I don't talk of theory or ideals. Our people
Know the theory. Our hearts and minds are split,
Are weakened. Listen; our people do not farm,
They do not buy or sell. Scholars are silent.
Priests stand idle. No even prays.
--RAMA--
Do you think I have no
feelings, brother?
--BHARAT--
Our people are
broken-hearted. You are gone
And now the king. You, it was you
Who said so many times "Perfection marks
Another realm, not this" and now is not
Time to be perfect but now is time for healing.
(SITA enters carrying a tray with grain balls rolled in
nuts for the memorial.)
--SITA—
My lord, some offerings for
the king.
(LAKSHMAN is seen adding fuel to the fire. Smoke rises.)
--RAMA—
We are nearly ready.
(To BHARAT)
We do this rite,
not to keep the letter
But because our hearts feel the pain
Of father’s loss. He kept the pledge to
make
Kingly men of us. How can I
Abandon his promise to your mother now
Of all times. Lakshman?
--LAKSHMAN—
(Enters
with fruit to offer.) Sweet fruits for father.
--BHARAT--
You're
abdicating royal duty, not
Keeping a promise. People's faith is not
So fickle. Heroes can't be switched like cloaks;
Wear one and change. Our family's tradition is that
You, the son first born, alone is king.
This is a promise too: the first born rules.
--RAMA--
As part of
the nuptial agreement with your mother,
Father promised that anyone she chose
Would wear the crown succeeding him. She,
The Queen and mother, has always had a
Right to name his heir.
--BHARAT—
Say
what? When?
--RAMA--
Before our births.
You did not know? Your mother
Was at peace that I would rule for all
These years, but hers is the right to name
The next and promised king. She changed her mind.
--BHARAT--
Oh, the kingdom is lost.
The people forsaken..
--RAMA--
Don't
Forsake your heart or strength, or mine, dear Bharat.
This rite you recommended heals
Our sorrow, honors father. Come and pray.
(Turning to the others)
All is ready then for us to
welcome
Father to the kingdom of the gods.
(RAMA climbs down as though into the river up to his
waist. Cupping his hands, he lifts some river
water lever with his heart. LAKSHMAN breaks
up the fruit.)
Gentle, loving father,
noble king,
You have crossed to the kingdom of our forefathers.
Accept this water which has cooled and cleaned
The saints and sages. Now that you have left
Your body – joyful eyes which watched me grow,
Solid lap on which I crawled and played,
I am like a storm without a rainbow.
No more you are a father to embrace!
--LAKSHMAN—
No more! Now you are in
heaven, a god
To us, protecting, blessing, guiding our days
As only one who loves us can. We offer
You the freshest fruit of the forest to eat.
(LAKSHMAN hands RAMA a piece of fruit which RAMA
ceremoniously raises above the water. RAMA
looks and LAKSHMAN who then also lifts a piece of fruit above the water. SITA gives them
both a grain ball and some leaves.)
--RAMA—
This simple
forest food we offer.
May its scent and flavor nourish you,
Give you strength to travel the realm of elders,
Your new abode. May we not be crushed
By sorrow in crushing this ball of gathered grain.
(RAMA crushes the grain ball so that some falls
in the water and so does LAKSHMAN, SITA, QU. KAUSALYA and BHARAT. RAMA comes out of the water. RAMA and LAKSHMAN stand at either side of the
ritual fire.)
--RAMA—
(Offering a leaf)
Lord of Space, who holds
our father’s subtle Form,
Who makes our ear to hear,
--LAKSHMAN—
(Offering a leaf)
