Indra: (calmly) Come Prakar, come. I was waiting for you only.

Prakar: Salutations to Devraj Indra. What is the matter, O best of gods? You
seem very worried.

Indra: (In a restless mood) Bound by the responsibility of protecting his god
race and its descendants from the tyrants, this Lord of the Gods Indra is
feeling very helpless today.

Prakar: (With folded hands) Lord of gods Indra and ‘helpless’! What am I
hearing, Devraj?

Indra: (Indicating Prakar to sit on the seat) You are hearing the truth Prakar.
The subject of my concern is the cruelty of the demon race towards the
human race along with the divine race. They are determined to destroy the
entire human race. (Momentary silence) On the orders of the demon king
Ravana, the yagya rituals of the Brahmins are being disrupted on the entire
earth. In the entire Koshala kingdom, small groups of these demons have
gathered and are pointing towards some terrible ominous event and in this
situation of crisis, Devrishi Narad has also gone from Devlok to some
unknown place. I am very worried Prakar, that is why I have organized this
secret meeting.

Prakar: Actually this is definitely a matter of concern but you should be

careful Dev. Definitely Devarshi will be aware of all these things. He will soon
be present in this meeting.

Veerangad: If you order, Devraj, then I will send the gods to all the streets of
Amaravati to inform them about this matter.

Prakar: No Veerangad! If Devarshi was in heaven, he would have definitely

found some way to get out of this disasterous situation.

(Just then Devarshi Narad arrives at the door)

Narayan: Narayan-Narayan. You are speaking the truth like a General

Secretary.

Indra: (Eagerly) Devarshi…. Pranam Devarshi. (At the same time Prakar and
Veerangad also bow down to him in a posture of salutation saying ‘Pranam
Devarshi’.)

Narad: Narayan narayan.

Indra: Great sage. (In short) Where did you go leaving me alone in the
heaven in this time of trouble?
Narad: Narayan-Narayan. (In a very sweet voice) Rajan, the three gods had
sent me to Earth to find relief from the same worry that you yourself are
worried about. I had gone to the three gods with the details of that. I was
returning to Earth from there when the gods gave me the news of your worry.
As soon as I got the news, I am coming straight here.

Indra: Forgive me, Rishivar. (With folded hands asking for forgiveness) I tried
very hard to find you but when I couldn’t find you, I had to convey this news
to you through the gods. I troubled you to come here – Prabhu, please
forgive me.

Narad: No, Devshreshtha, you need not be ashamed of this. I am a

wandering sage. If I myself do not know my place, how can I blame someone
else for it. (momentary silence) And then, one who does not have his own
nest, how can he wait for someone's invitation! Narayan Narayan. That is
why Devraj, you should be free from this guilt.

Prakar: O Brahmin! You have already gained complete knowledge of this

problem by roaming around the earth. Please tell us something about its
solution which can relieve the worry of the king of gods.

Veerangad: And may the clouds of worry be dispelled from the mind of the
Lord of the Megha.

Narad: Narayan-Narayan. First of all, please allow me to take my seat.

Indra: Forgive me, Devarshi. I am sorry. Due to the concern of protecting the
Aryan race, I could not even ask you to take your seat. I ask for forgiveness
for this. Please sit, great sage. (pointing towards his seat.)

Narad: (Taking his seat) Narayan Narayan. You too take a seat and you
scholars too.

(Everyone takes his seat with folded hands. Devarshi raises his hands in a
blessing gesture and takes his seat. For a few moments, there is silence in
the room, after that - )

Veerangad: Devarshi, do not increase our curiosity and tell us some solution
to this problem.

Narad: (He brings a charming smile on his lips and nods his head in
affirmative) As per the plan of the three gods, to destroy these demonic
forces on earth, Ram, the eldest son of King Dasharath, who is the soul of
Lord Vishnu, has now reached a stage where he can kill the demon king
Ravana and free the entire human race and the gods from his injustice. So,
don’t worry. I am going to meet Queen Kaikeyi of the King of Ayodhya to
accomplish this task.

Indra: But Rishivar – what help can Queen Kaikayi give us in this? Why don’t
you meet Lord Ram in person for this task?

Narad: A son has more rights over his mother than he has over himself.

Indra: But he was born from the womb of mother Kaushalya. So, would it not
be appropriate to go to mother Kaushalya?

Narad: Narayan-Narayan. (Standing up from his seat and walking on the

stage) O Lord Rama, the lord of gods, is certainly the incarnation of God on
this earth, but in human form only. Therefore, it is necessary to free this
great man of the human race from the responsibility of his family. Otherwise,
both his dignity and family fame will be destroyed. Then it is difficult to
decide whether his mother Kaushalya, who gave birth to him, should
dedicate him for this task out of attachment or not.

Veerangad: What will be the responsibility of mother Kaikayi in this situation?

Narad: Goddess Kaikeyi is such a Kshatrani woman who does not sit in the
palace during the war and pray to God for the victory of her husband, but
herself takes up arms and supports her husband in the war. Therefore,
despite loving Ram the most, she can certainly give up her attachment to
Ram and moreover, this daughter of King Kaikeyi is fierce, radiant and
stubborn in nature as compared to the other wives of Maharaj Dashrath. That
is why I am going to Goddess Kaikeyi to include her in this plan.

Prakar: But Brahmin – doesn’t the compassionate heart of a woman affect

her bravery?

Narad: No, no. Even brave men have compassion. A brave man without
compassion cannot be associated with the responsibility of welfare and
protection of the society. Compassion gives wisdom to the brave man and he
can take appropriate decisions.

(Indra stands up from his place and with folded hands appeals to Devrishi
Narada.)

Indra: O great sage, if you don’t mind, I too want to accompany you to Earth
so that I can purify my soul by seeing the birthplace of Lord Rama.

Narad: And the rule of the divine realm?

Indra: Prakar and Veerangad can fulfill the responsibility of this system
completely, Rishivar.

(On hearing this statement of Indra, Prakar and Veerangad stood up from
their place and bowed their heads with folded hands in acceptance.)

Narad: (He thinks something within himself and gives his approval to Indra.)
Okay Rajan, but we have to leave now.

Indra: As you command, great sage. (And he stands up and bows his head.)
(Slowly darkness engulfs the stage. The white smoke giving the impression
of clouds on the stage has now been removed. After some time, light is again
slowly spread on the stage with sweet music. When the stage is completely
covered with light, the stage background is clearly visible. In the room,
Devraj Indra is seated on the seat on the left and Devrishi Narad is seated on
the seat on the right. Queen Kaikeyi is standing in a thinking posture at the
back of the room, peeping out of the window. Then Devraj Indra stands up
from his seat and addresses Kaikeyi.

Indra: (To Kaikeyi) Mother, those demons are well aware of the intellectual
power of the sages. That is why they have started committing very cruel and
inhuman atrocities on these sages who give powers to both human and
divine beings.

Narad: O Goddess! Will the ideal kingdom of the great tradition of culture
and the glorious history of the Raghukul bow down before the power of a few
demons? Will this sequence of terrible tortures on the people of Ayodhya
continue? O Goddess, the three gods have also ordered that the destruction
of the demoniac tendencies should be done by Dasharath’s son Ram.
Therefore, Ram’s exile is very necessary.

Kaikeyi: (Turning away from the window) No, Munivar, no. Do not insist me
for this crime. Should I ask the Maharaja for Rama’s exile and Bharat’s
coronation as a boon? I will not be able to do this impossible task. (With
folded hands) O Devarshi, it will be better if you order me to ask for my own
life as a boon. (Momentary silence) Brahmin, even if you had asked me to
ask for my own exile, I would not have felt any pain, but Rama’s exile! My
dear Rama’s exile! O great sage, if you order, I will ask Bharat for a lifelong
exile. If you say so, I will not even see his face for the rest of my life. For the
sake of Ayodhya, my Bharat will gladly accept this. But Rama’s exile, forgive
me, Rishivar, forgive me. I will never be able to do this.
Narad: Narayan-Narayan. (In a sweet tone) O Devi, if it were possible, I would
not have asked for Rama from you. But this is the account of the creation.
You are a Kshatrani. For the sake of the dignity of the Kshatriya clan, you
cannot accept Rama’s exile for the destruction of the demons? Will you let
the clan dignity of the Suryavanshis, who are bound by the promise of
protecting the gods, be broken in your love for Rama?

Kaikeyi: The mothers of the Suryavansh are not averse to the duties and
responsibilities of their clan, Devarshi. They will never let the flag of fame of
their clan go away even for a moment. But why only Ram for this task? You
order Maharishi, I am ready to send Bharat with you right now, this very
moment. So that he can destroy the demons in such a way that their race
can never be born again. (Becoming serious) Brahmin – Bharat’s arms have
so much power right now that for the promise of his clan, to protect the glory
of his clan, he can destroy the entire demon race more than once and then
will Bharat himself give his elder brother a chance to serve in this trivial task!
This will be an unforgivable crime for him.

Indra: Mother, Prince Bharat is your son. How can he oppose your decision to
send Rama to exile?

Kaikeyi: Resistance? Do you think Bharata will accept Rama’s exile? For the
sake of the throne of Ayodhya, will he be able to do this injustice to his elder
brother Rama? Forgive me Devraj, forgive me. Do not take my words
otherwise, but the truth is that your thinking is very limited. (In a slightly
louder voice) Hey, for Rama, Bharata will conquer such countless thrones on
the strength of his bravery and surrender them at the feet of Rama. For
Rama, he can rebel against the entire creation, even his mother and you
think that he will forgive me for the crime of this unfair decision. No Devraj.
No.

Narad: All the Dev Lokas are well aware of Bharat’s bravery Devi. Everyone
knows that he will not even sacrifice his life for the promise of his clan. Not
just Bharat, every clan lamp of Suryavansh has been burning every moment
to free the people from the darkness of the world. Rishis and sages have
been giving life to their spiritual power in their light. I am also aware that
Bharat can rebel against you in his love for Ram, but this war is not just
between humans and demons. Because the clan of demon king Ravana also
has the blessings of Shiva and Shakti. Therefore, his destruction is not as
easy as you are thinking.
Indra: Rishivar, then will the eldest son of Dasharatha be able to fight alone
with the proper blessings of Shiva and Shakti?

Kaikeyi: (In a loud and blazing voice to Devraj Indra) Devraj, you are not
questioning the power of Ram but the unique evidence of the valor of the
Suryavanshis.

Narad: Narayan Narayan. Devraj Devi is speaking the truth. Certainly, seeing
Ram in human form, you are not aware of his power. If he wants, he can
destroy all the worlds with one of his arrows. (Addressing Kaikeyi) But Devi-
this war is not between Ram and Ravana, it is a war between truth and
untruth. It is a war between darkness and light. It is a duel between gods and
demons. It is a war between right and wrong acceptance of power. Therefore,
Ram’s role in this war will not be that of the winner of previous wars. Ram
will have to use the strength of his soul in this task.

Kaikeyi: The power of the soul….? I did not understand, great sage?

Narad: Devi – Ram who loves his brothers and mothers so much, even
though he is spiritually strong, is not so powerful due to human qualities that
he can forget the affectionate memories of his family even for a few
moments. Therefore, he will have to mature spiritually as well. For Ravana’s
worship of Shakti, ‘spiritual affection for Shakti’ is extremely necessary. This
is the union of the soul with the Supreme Being and Shakti with the Super
Power. Therefore, the proper result of this worship is possible only when Ram
will have to be deprived of the affection of his most beloved mother Kaikayi.

Kaikeyi: But Devraj -!

Narad- Goddess, do not get entangled in ifs and buts. This is the wish of the
three gods and then all the divine powers will also remain with Ram every
moment.

Kaikeyi: Still, Mahamuni, I am very worried about Rama. If you say so, the
King of Ayodhya should immediately go with his four-division army to kill him,
but Rama-!!!

Narad: (with a soft laugh) What are you saying? Narayan-Narayan. You are
needlessly worried about Ram’s safety. Worrying about Ram is not your duty
now. He has been born on this earth as a unique image of God. Lord Ram has
been born in the house of Maharaj Dashrath to add ‘more’ radiance to the
peak of Raghukul’s fame. O Devi, Ram has to go to Dandakaranya sometime
or the other. The right time for Rishi Vishwamitra to perform his duty has
come now. Ram’s main task is to follow Rishi Vishwamitra’s orders. Now that
right time has come Devi, so please give your approval for this plan. (Kaikayi
comes into a thinking posture. She wanders here and there for some time.)

Narad: O Devi, Kshatriya women give birth to history. History is such that it is
born only from the strength of the self-power of Kshatriya women. This is not
the time to think, it is the time for the birth of a new consciousness of history.
The consciousness of the glorious history of Ayodhya, the ideological
consciousness of the cultural thought process of the Aryan race, the great
image of the ultimate bliss distributed to the creation by the Dev race.

Kaikeyi: Devarshi! (a slight pained expression on her face)

Narad: Devi! It is not possible for the ascetics of the ashram to fight the
demons. They neither have the strength of arms nor the morale. They only
know how to endure on the strength of their thoughts. But If their actions are
not allowed to reach their peak, then neither they nor the kingdom of
Ayodhya will get the strength of their thoughts.

Kaikayi: O great sage. (Expressing the intensity of pain)

Narad: The public is also upset by this. They want to take revenge but the
power of the demon race does not allow their power to be stable anywhere.
There is an atmosphere of fear among the public due to the terrible atrocities
of the demon race. This fear in the subjects of the state fills their moral and
social feelings with emptiness. They feel as if they are weak and cowards.

Kaikayi: (With folded hands) Enough, O great sage. (The intensity of pain is
clearly visible on his face) So much audacity of the unjust side. Unbearable!
Demonic! Completely inhuman! It has been the sacred duty of the Aryans to
respect the ashrams and sages, then this vile act of the demons on the
people of Ayodhya kingdom. (Suddenly a glow appears on his face) This stain
will never be allowed to fall on the glorious tradition of the Suryavanshis.
(With intensity in voice) The answer to those who enjoy blood sports will be
blood only. If required for the destruction of these demons, then this mother
will not be perturbed even in sacrificing Bharat’s life in this great yagya. Will
the demonic tendencies commit atrocities without any hindrance in the
presence of the Suryavanshis? This will never be possible. But!!!

Indra: But what mother?

Kaikayi: But will the king accept my role for this divine work? Will it be
successful as planned?
Narad: Narayan-Narayan. Devi, I knew that these questions will definitely
arise in your mind. (Seriously) Apart from you, many other characters are
also involved in this plan. Some roles for this work will be fulfilled by King
Dasharath himself. But the things of this divine work which you will be aware
of, the King of Ayodhya will not have any idea about them. He will be your
partner in the beginning of this auspicious work.

Kaikeyi: But how will this be possible?

Narad: As per the plan of the trinity of Gods, Goddess Saraswati will take
away the senses of the king. This will create fear in his mind. In this state of
fear, he will take some wrong decisions which will not create any difficulty in
asking for your boon.

Kaikayi: Wrong decisions..!!! What kind of decisions will they be, Devrishi?

Narad: For example, sending Kaikeyi to Bharat before planning Ram’s

coronation will be his first wrong decision. After that, while informing Ram
about the coronation, he will warn him about some uncertain fear. This will
create a feeling of apprehension in Ram’s mind.

Kaikeyi: But Devrishi, Ram is brave and powerful. Then it is not possible that
the Suryavanshi gets disturbed by just imagining some uncertain fear.

Narad: This is true, Devi. But due to Ram being in human form, this
distraction will definitely occur in his mind, but only for a moment. Maharaj
Dashrath has to play the responsibility of the role. For this, on the night
before the coronation, the prince of Kekai, that is, your brother, will be
kidnapped and imprisoned and a group of his special warriors will be
confined to the border of Kekai territory. This will not make them fear the
leaderless army of Kekai. Certainly, all these circumstances are enough to
give rise to uncertainty in anyone’s heart. You have to fulfill your
responsibility right now.

Kaikeyi: But Devarshi, I must have some means to obtain all this information.

Narada: Manthara…. Manthara, your beloved maidservant and the one who
loves Bharat a lot. She will be suitable for this task. It was my responsibility
to bring the thoughts of Bharat’s coronation and Rama’s exile to the forest in
her mind. I will myself introduce these thoughts to him in his dreams.

Kaikayi: Still, Devarshi, I fear that the king may not be ready for this task.

Narad: You can be rest assured about that. Rama himself will prepare the
way for the tasks that Rama has to accomplish. But!
Kaikayi: But what, Brahmin?

Narad: But as a result of this plan, you will probably be disrespected by both
the royal family and the society. (Kaikeyi walks around the classroom in a
thoughtful posture for a few moments. Then with a deep smile on her lips
and a glow on her face, she speaks to the sage in a serious tone.)

Kaikeyi: If I have to be ostracized from society and the kingdom to free the
Dev and Aryan races from the demons, then I have no worries. Narad: Devi, I
am very impressed by the radiance I see on your face. Although you know
that this decision is likely to destroy your family reputation not only in
Ayodhya but also in the history of the Suryavanshis. Not only this, you may
be insulted by your own son Bharat as well.

Kaikeyi: O Maharshi, if Suryavanshi girls cannot sacrifice themselves for the

honor of their clan, then shame on their lives. (A glow on the face) The
honour of the Suryavanshis’ family is more important for this world than
Kaikeyi’s fame. I will not be offended by Bharat’s disdain, nor by the
contemptuous look of all the people of Ayodhya. I will only feel the pain of
ordering my Ram to go to exile. I don’t know how I will be able to give this
order. (Momentary silence) But you don’t worry. I am also a Kshatrani queen
of the Suryavansh. I do not want to embarrass myself in front of my
ancestors by being free from the responsibility of being a Kshatrani.

Indra: Blessed, Mother, blessed. What can I say about your greatness?
Mother, you will have to write this new chapter of culture. It is true that every
page nourished by truth in this chapter will not be inscribed on the reality of
history, but the glorious story of your sacrifice and great ideal will be
indelibly imprinted on every heart of the Dev-race.

Kaikeyi: Devraj, the life of the Suryavanshis was never for themselves. The
great culture of their race and the purity of thoughts and idealistic deeds
have been more important for them than their lives. For the dignity of the
dynasty, every particle of their blood gets heated and has the ability to dry
up the life source of the oppressors. Devraj! If breaking the formidable plan
of the demonic powers of the demon race is written in the hands of my Ram,
then I swear in the name of my Ram that these tyrants who have filled the
roots of the huge and strong rocks of this united nation will definitely be
freed by the hands of Ram.

Narada: (in a happy voice) Narayan Narayan. Oh Goddess – Oh.

Kaikayi: In the plan of this work of God, I, Kaikeyi, daughter of King of
Ayodhya, wife of King of Ayodhya and mother of Bharat, promise to sacrifice
my life completely. This is the promise of a Kshatrani of Suryavansh. If I go
back on my promise, I will not get a place in any world of the universe.
(Turning towards Narada) Devarshi, you are the witness of this promise of
Kaikeyi and you will also be the witness of the destruction of the demon race
at the hands of Ram.

Indra: (with folded hands) Blessed, blessed mother, blessed. The universe
will always be indebted to you for this unique sacrifice of yours.

Narad: (with folded hands) You are a true Kshatrani Devi. With just this
assurance of yours, all the gods and their subjects will now be free from
worries about protecting the universe. In this war of sacrifice against
injustice and oppression, victory will definitely be yours. The entire universe
will reap the benefits of this yagya for Ram’s journey to Dandakaranya, but
the credit for this will go to you, Goddess. Blessed are you. Now give us your
permission.

(Devarishi Narad and Devraj Indra stand up from their seats. Light music
starts resonating from the background. Kaikeyi bows her head with folded
hands. Devarishi and Devraj raise their hands in a blessing posture and the
stage light dims. After a few moments the light goes off completely. Along
with that the music also slowly fades away.)