The woman who could have ruled the earth

A story from the Ramayana

Rama, the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, was admired by his people for his character and strength. Acknowledging that Rama was immensely popular, Dasharatha knew that it was time to announce him as “Yuvraja” or heir apparent. The day of consecration is announced and preparations begin with great expectations.

This is where the story takes a fateful turn when Kaikeyi, Rama’s stepmother, reminds King Dasharatha of his old promises to her and demands that her own son Bharata is consecrated instead and Rama is banished from the Kingdom for fourteen long years. Dasharatha can either comply with her demands or be known to break his promise and possibly incur the wrath of powerful enemies, including those from inside his own household. Dutiful Rama relieves the King of this dilemma and accepts the Queen’s orders as coming from his own father and prepares to leave Ayodhya. Rama is told to leave immediately. His beautiful young wife Sita and brother Lakshmana are determined to follow him.

Imagine the particularly fateful day when Rama is leaving Ayodhya for a life of hardships as a forest dweller with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. Everyone is assembled in King Dasharatha’s house experiencing emotions ranging from shock to grief and loss. Dasharatha himself is overwhelmed with grief. Affected by guilt and sorrow, he offers Rama precious gifts including elephants to bring to the forests. Politely declining any such extravagant gifts from the King, Rama requests that he be given appropriate clothes to use in the forest. (चीराण्येवाऽनयन्तु मे|)

At this time, Dasharatha has conceded all his power to his wife Kaikeyi who as though fulfilling Rama’s request, brings clothes made out of bark and flatly (निरपत्रपा) asks Rama to wear them. Rama and Lakshmana wear these clothes. For Sita, who has only dwelled in palaces and enjoyed the fineries of life, these clothes appear different. She is driven to tears and does not know what to do with them. She appeals to Rama to help her with the ragged clothes. As he helps her, the women of the household start pleading with Rama to not take Sita with him for a life in the forest, full of hardships. At this point, Vasistha, the King’s preceptor, tells Kaikeyi that she has exceeded all limits of decency.

Vasistha reminds Kaikeyi that her issue with Dasharatha did not involve Sita and that she could very well remain in Ayodhya and ascend Rama’s throne. (अनुष्ठास्यति रामस्य सीता प्रकृतमासनम् ।) for as Rama’s beloved wife, she was his soul and hence fit to rule the earth. (आत्मेयमिति रामस्य पालयिष्यति मेदिनीम्|).

Vasistha tries to instill fear in Kaikeyi’s mind that her actions would bring about a mass exodus from Ayodhya of people and she alone will be left to rule a kingdom of trees bereft of men and women. He advises Kaikeyi to let her daughter-in-law wear clothes and ornaments fit for a princess. (अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि | देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम्।)

Whether or not Kaikeyi was listening to Vasistha is not known. Dasharatha must have listened though. His own decision as the King of Ayodhya could not be reversed and the news of Rama’s banishment had already reached the ordinary citizens of Ayodhya. Sita had made up her mind to not remain in Ayodhya without Rama. She loved her husband and he, after confirming that she was resolute and steadfast in her decision to accompany him to the forest, did not ask her to remain behind. Dasharath could now only influence how Rama and Sita left Ayodhya and not whether they left or stayed. Following Vasistha’s advice, Dasharatha made sure that Sita was allowed to adorn herself with jewels and clothes fit for a princess. Rama and Sita left Ayodhya on a chariot that Sumantra drove, and not on foot.

Vasistha’s advice to Kaikeyi is also significant as it provides an insight into some ancient practices that might have allowed a loved and powerful queen to legitimately claim her husband’s throne in his absence.

When Vasistha points out to Kaikeyi that Rama’s trusted and beloved wife could rule his Kingdom in his absence, it is not lost on a careful reader that Kaikeyi herself could have been such a wife to a sitting King (Dasharatha) and could have similarly ruled his kingdom in his absence, but Vasistha also makes it amply clear to Kaikeyi that she had deceived the King (वञ्चयित्वा च राजानं) and thereby lost such authority that she might have otherwise enjoyed through her deed of banishing Rama.

His efforts are likely to reduce future potential backlash on the establishment from Ayodhya’s ordinary citizens and to ensure that Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana depart with dignity. Vasistha also points out that Rama’s power is not limited by the event of his ascension to a throne and that he could create nations wherever he went.

तद्वनं भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र रामो निवत्स्यति|

Kaikeyi does not concede her position and Sita does not wish to remain in Ayodhya without Rama. Through Vasistha’s intervention, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana departed Ayodhya with dignity, on a chariot led by one of Dasharatha’s trusted ministers. Sita gets to keep some of her fine clothes and is given ornaments to wear. Sita also does not wish to remain in Ayodhya without Rama.

Whether or not Ayodhya’s citizens would have truly accepted Sita or Kaikeyi as supreme leaders is unclear but it is clear that wise men of the time believed that a wife dear and close to a sitting ruler could legitimately assume power in his absence. This belief is also reflected in the stories of Ahilyabai Holkar and Rani Lakshmibai centuries after the story of Ramayana was first told. Both Ahilyabai and Lakshmibai assumed seats of power upon the demise of their male relative, led dutifully and ably, and were highly respected leaders of their time.

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