The Upside-Down King Read online

  Just then, Narada stepped in. ‘I am the one who orchestrated the drama,’ he said. ‘I wanted to prove that it is not you but the power of your name that can protect anyone in difficulty. Now that the point has been made, please forgive Shakuntan.’

  By then, Sage Vishvamitra had also realized his folly. ‘I am an ascetic, and I must gain control over my anger, like Atri and Vasishtha have done. It is my mistake. Please end the battle.’

  ‘No, I can’t. I have promised to bring his head to your feet, Guruji. I come from a dynasty where a given word must be fulfilled,’ responded Rama.

  ‘Then so it will be,’ replied Narada. ‘Let us have Shakuntan place his head at Vishvamitra’s feet. That is all that is really needed for the promise to be fulfilled.’

  Rama smiled and realized the truth in Narada’s words. He nodded.

  Soon, Shakuntan came and bowed his head to Rama and, as the sun began to set, placed his head on Vishvamitra’s feet. The battle ended and everyone smiled at the turn of events.

  The End of Rama

  When Sita, grieved at her word and integrity being questioned again and again, stepped into Mother Earth’s embrace and disappeared, and Luv and Kusha became young boys, Lord Brahma decided that it was the time for Rama to ‘return to Heaven’. He had completed his purpose on earth. So he sent Time in the form of a wandering ascetic to the earth.

  This ascetic came and met Rama and said, ‘I have very important things to discuss with you, my lord, but on one condition: nobody should listen to us or disturb our meeting.’

  Rama smiled and said, ‘That is not a problem. My doorkeepers will take care of that.’

  The ascetic shook his head. ‘No, Rama. When the pressure mounts, the doorkeepers may give way. Hence, I request you to appoint your most trusted person to stand guard at the door, and tell him strictly to not disturb the meeting, else he will meet his death.’

  Rama was surprised by this strange request. He guessed that there was more to the man in front of him than what met the eye. He said, ‘All right. Lakshmana, my brother, will keep guard. He will never disobey me.’

  Rama turned towards Lakshmana and said, ‘O Lakshmana, you have heard the conversation. I request you, brother, to ensure that nobody disturbs us. Be careful not to let our discussion touch your ears, and under no circumstances should you disturb the meeting.’

  Lakshmana nodded and stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and stood guard.

  Once Rama and the ascetic were alone, the ascetic changed and revealed his true identity.

  ‘O Lord Rama, I am Time, and your time as a human is over. You have done your duty. It is time to hand over your kingdom and go back to heaven.’

  ‘I agree. I am ready,’ said Rama unflinchingly.

  Meanwhile, Rishi Durvasa approached Rama’s chambers. He looked at Lakshmana and said, ‘I want to meet your brother right now. It is urgent and critical to the Ikshvaku clan.’

  Lakshmana stopped him. ‘Your Holiness, I cannot disturb him. There is an important meeting going on.’

  The sage was offended. ‘What is the meaning of that? Am I not important? If you don’t tell Rama that I have come to meet him, I am going to curse Ayodhya.’

  Lakshmana thought, ‘If I go disturb my brother, I am sure to die. But if I don’t, the sage will curse Ayodhya. It is better that I suffer than let the people of Ayodhya bear the brunt of the sage’s curse. Ayodhya must always stay prosperous and safe.’

  Thus, Lakshmana knocked on the door. Hearing the knock, Time looked at Rama and said, ‘Now the end has come. It will tell you how you have to go.’

  Saying thus, he disappeared.

  Lakshmana entered the room and told his brother that Sage Durvasa stood outside, waiting to meet him. Rama understood that the sage was the messenger Time had spoken about. He looked at Durvasa, his face calm and stoic, and asked, ‘Sir, how can I help you? It is a pleasure to see you.’

  ‘I have done penance for a long time, and I have realized that Time will come in the form of a sage to meet you. Be careful,’ warned the sage.

  Rama nodded and smiled, and requested Lakshmana, ‘Please arrange everything for the sage.’

  ‘No, I am in a hurry and have done my duty,’ replied Durvasa. Then he turned around and left.

  Rama was in a pensive mood. He reflected on how Lakshmana had always been by his side. Whether it was the gurukul, the exile to the forest, Lanka or leaving Sita in the forest, Lakshmana had been like his shadow, standing silently behind him. Now, he had to sentence Lakshmana to death. If he didn’t do so, he would have gone against the promise he had made to Time. Keeping one’s promise was the custom upheld rigidly by the Raghuvamsha.

  Raghukul reet sada chali aaye

  Praana jaaye par vachan na jaaye.

  This custom of the Raghu or Suryavamshi clan has prevailed. One’s life may be lost, but a promise once made will not be broken.

  Lakshmana looked at his brother and said, ‘Please don’t worry. You are known as a man of your word. Do not lament what has happened. We are destined to follow our paths and we have to accept what falls before us. You taught me that duty must be carried out without attachment or aversion. I accept the death penalty happily.’

  Rama knew all those things, but still it was a difficult task for him. Lakshmana did not wait for his brother’s order. He went to the river Sarayu and began to walk towards the middle of the river. He practised mystic yoga and transformed into his original form of Adishesha (the king of the nagas), on which Vishnu always resides.

  After Lakshmana’s departure, Rama decided to appoint Bharata as his successor and go to the river too, but Bharata refused.

  ‘O Rama! This kingdom is of no use without you. I am always a part of you. Whatever you do, I will follow,’ said Bharata.

  Then Rama looked at Shatrughna. Without hesitation, Shatrughna said, ‘Wherever Bharata goes, so will Shatrughna. I don’t need this kingdom.’

  Finally, Rama decided to divide the kingdom and wealth. He gave Kusha the northern part of Kausala and Luv the southern part, and gave a share of the kingdom to each of the sons of his brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. The citizens learnt about Rama’s plans and were grieved. They gathered at the banks of the Sarayu.

  Rama bid goodbye to everyone and submerged himself in the river. He was followed by Bharata and then Shatrughna in the same manner. Thus, the sons of Dasharatha became one with the river Sarayu and left earth.

  Rama turned into Mahavishnu; Bharata and Shatrughna transformed into the shankha and the chakra. Adishesha hunched his hood over and behind Mahavishnu. Thus they rose up to heaven, much to the awe of all the bystanders.

  Today, Sarayu flows through Faizabad, which is near Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh. On the banks of the river is a ghat and four temples for the four brothers who lived together and went together in death.

  Time Travel

  Whenever Yama, the lord of death, would attempt to visit Rama to tell him the amount of time he had left in his human form, Hanuman would refuse entry to him. Yama was aware of Hanuman’s strength and the boon of immortality granted to him, and did not want to cross him.

  Rama, however, understood that a human life must complete the cycle of birth and death. He knew that Hanuman was trying to protect him from death by avoiding the meeting with Yama, but Rama accepted the fact that he must meet Yama at some point. He realized that it was not possible to do so with Hanuman around.

  One day, Rama and Hanuman went out for a walk. Rama took off his ring and began playing with it. Discreetly, he dropped it into a small crack on the ground. Rama requested Hanuman, ‘I have dropped my ring somewhere. Will you please retrieve it for me?’

  Hanuman nodded and transformed his body to such a small size that he could easily get into the crack in the ground. The closer he got to the ring, the more the ring fell farther and farther down, until he had no choice but to follow it.

  After a long time, the ring reached Patala. There, Hanum