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The Marvellous Incident At Kauthukamangal
189
At once, King Shubhmati stood up. Kaikayi was greatly delighted and astonished and she kept looking at Dasarath with fixed eyes. The people who had gathered there were thrilled to hear this.
"I am speaking the truth. Your son-in-law is King Dasarath of Ayodhya".
"I am unable to understand anything. At least, let me know what the matter is", King Shubhmati said again sitting on his throne.
. "You are amazed because you believe that King Dasarath has been assassinated. Even this is not false. The news that has spread regarding this is also true” said Janak giving a clarification.
"King Janak! Please tell us clearly what you want to say. Please do not speak in riddles. What is the truth ?” Shubhmati asked impatiently.
"Oh King! Do not be impatient. The truth is that King Dasarath was not actually assassinated. Even before Vibhishan came to Ayodhya, Dasarath had left the city. Vibhishan merely cut off the head of the clay-image of Dasarath”.
“Then Vibhishan has been deceived !"
"Yes, he was clearly deceived. He thinks even now that he has killed Dasarath. Thinking that he had killed Dasarath, he went away from Ayodhya and the truth is opposite to this.” Then, King Janak narrated the entire story of how Narad came to Ayodhya and of how Dasarath's clay-image was cut by Vibhishan. On hearing the entire story, King Shubhmati, the queen and princess Kaikayi were astonished and delighted. Kaikayi blessed her good fortune for having secured such an ideal hero as King Dasarath for her husband.
The night had far advanced. All were feeling sleepy and were impatient to go to bed. Therefore, postponing further dis-, cussions and deliberations, they all went away.
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