Kaikeyi

 

Kaikeyi
The untold story of a woman who invited disasters upon her and incessantly suffered to save humanity!

1.

After the fierce battle at the mountain head of Shri Lanka, Rawana finally collapsed as the arrow of Rama pierced his chest. Knowing the last moment has arrived; Rawana summoned Rama close to him and said, “Give my respects to mother Kaikeyi because now I am finally liberated. Thank her on my behalf!” and breathed his last.

Rama was perturbed over why should Rawana thank Kaikeyi when he never has met her in life.

Leaving behind the question for a while Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita and his aides. Ayodhya was decorated to welcome him. The people were rejoicing his return after a long exile and great feats. He had saved mankind by killing an evil Rawana!

As Rama stepped down from the divine plane “Pushpaka”, his eyes searched for Kaikeyi. He didn’t find her anywhere in the royal family gathering which was shouting slogans in his respect.

Without glancing even at his mother Kausalya, he entered the royal palace and desperately searched for Kakeyi. Finally, he found her on the rooftop, alone and face saddened, though her eyes were gleaming with joy.

Kaikeyi heard the footsteps of Rama and trying to control her feelings glanced at him. Rama touched her feet and told her the last message from Rawana. He asked, “Why O mother should he thank you? He was my enemy and I killed him on the battlefield to rescue my wife. Strangely, he thanked you when I am not sure you ever had seen him in person!”

Kaikeyi let out a sigh and refused to talk on that issue. But Rama insisted. Kaikeyi said, “You are doing the same mistake my mother once did. But well, I am overburdened by the secret I have been keeping to myself for a long time. I am called a merciless, cruel greedy woman and have been abused by one and all ever since you left for an exile! Let me release my burden and end the curse of life!” And she began to tell her story.

2.

Kaikeyi was the daughter of mighty Ashvapati, king of Kekya state, situated beyond Gandhar. Ashvapati was a philosopher-king. He owned the largest cavalry in the world. No enemy could ever dare him. He enjoyed his life in the company of his beautiful wife Devavati and daughter young Kaikeyi.

Ashvapati had a boon that he could understand the bird’s language. The caveat was he should not reveal ever whatever he heard to anyone, or else he will instantly die.

Once, on a beautiful evening, he was taking a stroll in the garden around the palace with Devavati. He overheard two swans conversing something in amusement that gave Ashvapati a hearty laugh. Curious Devavati pestered him to share with her what he heard. Ashvapati avoided but when he saw his wife is forcing him to divulge what could take his life for certain, he got angry. He thought his wife doesn’t care for his life. In a fit of anger, he banished her and their daughter Kaikeyi from Kekaya state.

Devavati’s future suddenly had been doomed. Her father too didn’t shelter her. As if all doors to destiny and solace suddenly had closed over her. She had to resort to find shelter in a jungle, in Gandhar kingdom, near a village, and do hard work to feed herself and young Kaikeyi.

Kaikeyi was a brave girl. She fought with the ruthless predators who would try to harm her mother. Soon she grew up and acquired fame as a great archer and charioteer. She even defeated the king of Gandhar in a chariot race and archery competition. The king fell in love with her but she refused to marry him. She had seen her mother’s tragedy and had no intention to get engaged with any man.

Devavati was now getting older and now only desire had haunted her to express her repentance and seek forgiveness from Ashvapati before she dies. Though Kaikeyi had no affection left for her father, she decided to fulfill her mother’s wish. One fine day both left for Kekaya kingdom.

This was the time when King Dasharatha of Ayodhya attacked Kekaya. The mighty Kekaya army was finding it hard to stand before Dasharatha’s valor. In an attack, Kekay army got disintegrated and chose to flee helter-skelter.

The scene was intolerable to Kaikeyi. She rushed to the battlefield, gathering the fleeing army, and to the surprise of Dasharatha, she led retaliation in full vigor. Dasharatha was wonderstruck. He somehow managed to reinforce his army but Kaikeyi’s strategies worked so well on the battlefield that he had to agree to peace.

Ashvapati realized it was his exiled daughter who saved the country from defeat, though still, he had resentment for Devavati. Kaikeyi was welcomed into the city with a grand celebration. She was offered the crown by her father but she humbly denied it and requested her father to listen to her mother and forgive her.

Ashvapati did so. At that moment Devavati was so overwhelmed she breathed her last in the arms of saddened Ashvapati.

Here, Dasharatha had become crazy for Kaikeyi. He was mesmerized by her valor and archery skills. Her beauty had enchanted him. In the court of Ashvapati, he requested the hand of Kaikeyi. Ashvapati was delighted for who else could be the better match for his daughter in the whole world than Dasharatha? He gave his permission.

After Dasharatha and Kaikeyi’s wedding, in the evening, he met his daughter. He had lost all his interest in life after Devavati’s death and all futile life. He shared his boon with his daughter knowing that the act was an invitation to instant death.

King Ashvapati was no more. After a few days, grief-stricken Kaikeyi left for Ayodhya with Dasharatha, accompanied by a maid, a hunchback, Manthara. She knew not what destiny was waiting on her. She was fallen into the realm of uncertainty and gloom as they traveled. Dashratha tried his best to keep her pleased but in vain.

3.

In Ayodhya, she established friendly relations with Dashratha’s other wives Kaushalya and Sumitra. The stories of her valor had already reached Ayodhya hence the people too highly respected her and sang her praises.

Soon, Dashratha had to join God Indra to wage a war against a cruel King Shambarasura. Dasharatha chose Kaikeyi as his charioteer. Kaikeyi accompanied him in the war. She too fought bravely against the demons. At a crucial moment, Dashratha’s chariot wheel got disengaged. Kaikeyi was thrown in the air as the chariot lost balance. Dashratha seemed to lose the battle. Kaikeyi instantly gathered herself and rushed to the chariot and desperately managed the chariot wheel in place using her hand while fighting with the charging enemy with another hand. Dasharatha could return the attack as he regained his balance and composure. Kaikeyi got wounded in this effort but finally, Dasharatha won.

The same evening, victorious Dasharatha offered her two boons. Kaikeyi was about to refuse but she heard a bird saying, “save the boons for later times. Do not refuse them. You are going to need them in the future!”

Kaikeyi followed the instructions and thanked Dashratha for the boons and said, “ I will ask what I want if the time comes. Let them be treasured with you…but do not forget to give if I ask for them!”

4.

Soon after the birth of Rama to Kausalya, Kaikeyi too gave birth to Bharata and Sumitra to Laksman and Shatrughna.  Though Bharat was her son, she adored and loved Rama very much. Most of the time of Rama would be spent in the Kaikeyi’s palace.

Years passed. King Janaka of Videha declared Svayamvara of Sita. Who could be the better choice for Rama than unparalleled beauty, Sita? Swayamvara involved a competition that whoever could wield a heavy bow and string could marry Sita. The bow was presented to Janaka by Lord Shiva after a penance.

Rama was the only young man who could wield the bow but as he tried to string it the bow broke into two pieces making a thunderous sound that shook the earth and heaven.

The sound reached Lord Shiva who got enraged as he saw his bow was broken.  He cursed instantly, “The young man will die soon and disastrous calamities will befall his kingdom.” His consort Parvati got worried over this instantaneous curse and tried to soothe Lord Shiva, begging mercy. Shiva was pacified soon and said, he cannot take back his curse but if he stays away from his kingdom and kills cruel Rawana, he will be safe.  Rawana, my devotee, has become a curse to the earth! He must be killed, but I know this is an impossible feat. Sooner or later, the young man is destined to die!” Parvati wanted desperately to make this known to Rama, but Lord Shiva prohibited her to interfere.

But, as it was destined, a swan returning from Man Sarovara overheard this conversation. Meanwhile, the marriage of Rama-Sita had taken place. The young couple was too happy to get united. They didn’t know what had transpired in the abode of Lord Shiva!

The swan flew to Ayodhya. The divine swan knew the powers Kaikeyi possessed. Kaikeyi was too worried and terrified after listening to Lord Shiva’s curse. Manthara came to her rescue. She reminded her of the boons that Dasharatha had offered her and asked to use them now as this was the only opportune time.

Kaikeyi knew she openly couldn’t give any reasoning for demanding the boons. She loved Rama so much, couldn’t even imagine any slightest harm done to him. Same time she had heard so many horrific stories of Rawana’s cruelty and injustice. He was certainly up to destroying the earth and mankind. She was in a dilemma. But her resolve grew stronger as the night passed by. In the early morning, she sent for Dashratha and reminded him of the boons he had offered her.

She demanded Rama’s exile for fourteen years and the throne for her son Bharata. Kaikeyi was blamed for her being a selfish and cruel woman, but the truth was otherwise. Dasharatha couldn’t imagine any other secret reason behind these sudden demands. Dasharatha cursed her and abused her but she stood strong with her demands. Dasharatha had to concede with her. Knowing this, Bharata too got very much angry with her. Rather, she all of sudden became a wicked woman for all.

Rama and Sita left for exile, accompanied by Laxmana. At that moment the whole city was in anguish and angered by Kaikeyi’s inhuman act. Kaikeyi sat alone in the dark corners of her palace knowing from now onwards she has to live life in the company of hatred.

She knew very well that Bharata would never accept the throne. He couldn’t betray Rama. And Bharata too really rejected the throne to her relief!

Another stroke of destiny on her was, agonized Dashratha died soon after Rama’s departure. The tragedy was, that she was denied seeing him in his last moments.

Afterward, she lived life like an ascetic, secluded and in the company of her grief. She mutely took all abuses and resentments without uttering a word. She kept receiving the news on Rama’s movements through Manthara, was very unhappy when she learned of Sita’s abduction, and was worried and desperately praying when Rama was fighting with Wali and then Rawana!

Now Rama was back. Standing in front of her, both his hands folded and weeping incessantly for what his mother silently had suffered, for the cause of the universe and his life!

He touched her feet. The light grew…the whole earth started shining with the divine light. All surrounding seemed to be melting in that shine. The sky and earth seemed to merge.

She said as she was almost disappearing, “Rawana, a great devotee of Shiva, knew almost everything of this. He knew if he gets killed by you, only then he will attain heaven after death…” Now she was almost disappeared but the sound of Kaikeyi was reverberating across the earth and heaven, “Rama, my boon was associated with a curse. As soon I reveal the truth, just like my father, I too was to die! But I am happy that my suffering has yielded a great divinity like you! The whole universe will sing ballads full of your praises. Let now the universe call me a selfish and cruel mother…forever. I don’t care! Goodbye son!”

 

-Sanjay Sonawani

OBC Literary movement...Why?

In our country, the literature too seems clearly has been divided in the four categories. That is the literature of the upper castes, dalits, tribal and OBC.  At present the so called upper caste and Dalit literature seem to be dominant, though both stand opposite in nature and social doctrine. However, the OBC literature, though a recent concept, has very few takers even among the OBC authors and thinkers. There have been attempts to combine the both, Dalit and OBC literature, but have not been successful. The thinkers those are trying to promote the concept of the OBC literature are also confined to what the ideological base should this literary movement carry. 

Mahatma Phule and Dr. Ambedkar were the obvious idols to them. The ideologies promoted by both the great thinkers could have formed a wider base to bring new literary revolution. The so-called upper caste literature mostly is influenced by the western thought, loaded with Vedicist views, having nothing much new, even in the form and style. Rather it hardly is the literature of this soil. Dalit literature was a ray of hope for it belonged to the human plight of this soil and introduced a new style. However, it remained confined to its initial stage and did not take any progressive direction to get more and more mature. Combining Mahatma Phule and Dr. Ambedkar utterly has failed because of our changed social stratification and viewpoints. Or it can be said that such efforts weren't serious enough. The attempt of domination of one group over other was naturally bound to fail.

However, let us first decide what the OBC literature means? For that let us ask few questions.

1.    Can literature authored only by OBC be OBC literature?

2.    Can the literature in which OBC characters and their strife is depicted and penned by the OBC be the OBC literature?

3.    Can the literature authored by anybody but depicting OBC characters be the OBC literature?

4.    What is meant by the term literature?

Let us discuss the above questions.

-         Technically, any literature written by any OBC writer can become OBC literature. There is no dearth of OBC writers now in the country. There are many poets, playwrights, novelists and story writers of fame that belong to the OBC category. 

However, when we come to the second and third question, we can see clearly that the literature written by the OBC cannot become OBC literature because their characters, the ideologies and social relationships depicted are almost devoid of any OBC aspiration or their strife for the better life.

Then how it can become OBC literature?

The literature in which the OBC protagonists and their aspirations, their strife, their sentiments, their driving forces and their achievements are portrayed can be treated as the OBC literature. 

But what if above criteria is fulfilled but the writer is not OBC? Can still it be called OBC literature? 

Technically it should because the literature in question is all about OBCs and their social relationship with rest of the society.

What is literature? Literature is any form of the written expression in which human life is depicted in creative artistic manner. I exclude autobiographies from this term because it doesn’t fulfill the definition of the literature though it may embrace the some of the essential ingredients of the literature. Autobiographies do expose and explore the social conditions of certain groups those may be unknown to the world. Dalit autobiographies are the fine example of this. However, this is not the case with the OBC though there are many autobiographies, but the expression limited to their own life without relating it to the vision as OBC without any contribution to the ideology, no matter what it is.  

The literature is devoid of the OBC protagonists and their life. Uddhav Shelke’s “Dhag” is an exception that I have come across. There could be other exceptions as well. In rest of the literature, there are OBC characters here and there but their role is subordinate and seems to be picked up randomly to suit the plot. 

Why this could have happened? 

The first thing comes to my mind is OBC community is till now is overburdened with the inferiority complex that makes OBC author reluctant to choose protagonists from his own caste or from OBC community. They do not think the life of the OBC could be or is exciting enough that can provide charming plots to pen novels or plays. They also might be feeling that the readers may not welcome the book if it is on the backdrop of their community as no one would be interested.

I know many OBC authors and poets but they hesitate to present themselves as OBC. Rather they desire upward mobility in the literary circles by adjusting their ideologies accordingly. In fact, they mostly enter the Hindutva camp for they provide stage and fame through their numerous tentacle organizations/groups. Dalit literary movement, though that too has been slowed down recently, is more aggressive, full of Amebedkarite ideology,  cope up some OBC writers who are rebellious and prone to the social change in Ambedkarite order. In a way, OBC writers have no option to belong to this or that camp because they do not have their own. The OBC thus seldom can voice their own thoughts those are independent of both the camps. This is why the ideological construction of the OBC movement could not progress at all!

It may be asked whether there really is a need of independent literary movement of OBC? Why divide literature on basis of the castes? I would like to ask, are the problems, aspirations, social conditions and the sufferings of OBC are as same as writers belonging to the other camps? There won't be any necessity of separate camps if the life of the OBC was portrayed enough with the unprejudiced psyche. Unfortunately this is not the case. 

It is said that the OBC community is a group of so many castes that it is impossible to incorporate them in a single voice. This is not true. The common link between every OBC caste is that they were all creators since Indus times, makers of the innovative, useful commodities those they had invented in the remote past and became the pillar of the economy since then by their immense artistic contribution. Many such castes are included in OBC category and some are excluded. However, the fact remains that all the Creator Communities belong to the OBC category, though legally they might be excluded or thrown in some other category for the constitutional criterion.

Hence Mandal Commissions or later categorization cannot limit the scope of OBC in a social sense.  It has to be broadened to some extent when we speak of OBC literature.

Most importantly OBC has not been cautious about searching their own roots. They either are dependent on the Vedic sources, foreign sources or on the Dalit sources. They do not have their own sources because they never tried it! They are unaware of their cultural history, rather they are least interested in it. They do not know even they were one who are creators of the culture as well. Hence there is no independent research that can throw proper light on their existence and help to understand what they are! Rather they want to connect some or other way with either Kshatriya Race or Brahmin varna and essentially become subordinate to both the communities. OBC are religious but they are unaware of the fact that their deities and philosophies have been hijacked long ago. The rebellion OBC takes the opposite stance and joins the camp that trusts those were Brahmins who forced caste system on them. Both the claims are illogical, unhistorical  and hence no independent ideology of the OBC ever could develop. The lack of the OBC literature was a natural outcome. The OBC literary meets started from past decade but I do not find they have been addressing the root cause. 

Necessity

OBC or creator community is the largest in the country, no matter what religion they belong to today. The common factor is they all are a class of the innovative creators and builders of the economy till the advent of the British Raj.  I call this class as the “Nirmankarta samaj”. Caste meant profession or occupation. There is no question of anybody forcing it to enslave them. The OBCs have seen glorious days right from Indus days till 11^th century AD. There has been a drastic decline in their socio-economical conditions since then. Before that, they enjoyed all the privileges from the Royal courts and honor in the society as they had built powerful guilds of every manufacturing profession. But is there any novel that depicts, for example, invention of the iron, blacksmiths guild, their life and the challenges they overcome to excel? Is there no romance enough to portray for a good historical novel? 

Is history only belongs to the kings, the nobles and priests?

 With wake of the industrial revolution, gradually he lost his businesses and turned to a factory or farm labor for survival. Isn’t there a chance to portray a socio-economic upheaval that drastically affected his life that not only changed his surroundings and the social relationships with his usual way of life in such a manner that he lost his honor and remained only struggler and sufferer? There are so many seeds that can become independent plots for the classic literature if we allow to sprout them. 

The need has arisen because there is no proper depiction of the OBC communities in the literature. Hence there is no reflection of their aspirations, their strifes, dreams and philosophy in the literature. Even, there is no as yet proper research in their history and the changes they underwent through the ages. The cultural roots of the OBC are almost forgotten. The inferiority complex has forced him to build fictitious stories about his origin to counter Vedic explanation to the origin or he is forced to trust whatever is told to him without an attempt to check the reality. So, OBC is the community that is totally confused and hence a OBC writer too does not dare much to portray OBC protagonists and their strife.

In modern era only Mahatma Phule could dare the closed walls of the ignorance and the social oppression.  There has been no attempt to create any ideology out of Mahatma Phule’s works that could attract the writers to make it a part of their literary expressions. In fact, the identity crisis seems to be affecting the Nirmankartas and hence no firm and concrete vision is being developed. 

The tragedy is the creator community utterly have failed in creating literature out of their life.The OBC literature is needed to give new philosophy, the vision and the goal for OBCs life. The literature should be a mirror where a OBC can find his reflection and aspire for new heights. His present condition is terrifically bad as compared with other communities in India. He is almost voiceless, powerless and whatever achievements he embraces are out of his mountainous hard work. Most OBCs are a failure or enjoy the camps where they do not belong.  No matter whether it is literary, education, economic or political world.

And unless this class is empowered in all he will be left neglected forever. Literature, where one can relate and identify….feel his self is a base of the motivations.  Unfortunately, OBC has nothing to relate with in the literature.

OBC literary movement is to inspire OBC writers to change their stance and find material from their own community to do the creative work. The researchers should find time to search for the roots of the OBCs with the unbiased mind and find answers to the present predicament OBCs are facing. There could be many views but those can be debated over for the betterment of the society. 

One thing is clear, unless OBC stands strong and erect India never can become a true Superpower ever!