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BIRTH, MARRIAGE, AND EXILE OF RĀMA AND LAKŞMAŅA 209
Question of the succession (418-440) : After hearing that, Anaraṇyaja felt a desire for emancipation and, after paying homage to him, went home to settle the realm on Rāma, wishing to become a mendicant. Then the king summoned the queens, his sons, ministers, et cetera, and took leave of them properly, his speech like nectar.
Bharata bowed and said: "I will undertake complete self-control with you, lord. I will not remain without you. Otherwise, I will have two misfortunes very hard to bear, master. One is separation from you and the other is satiety with worldly existence.” When Kaikeyi heard that, she thought, “In the future I shall have no husband and no son,” and she said, “Master, you remember the boon you gave me yourself because of my work as charioteer at the svayamvara-festival? Give it to me now, O lord who are true to your promise. For a promise of the noble is like a line engraved in stone.” Then Dasaratha said, "I remember the promise. Ask whatever is in my power except interfering with the vow."
: Then Kaikeyi asked, “If you yourself become a mendicant, master, give this earth to Bharata.” Daśaratha
plied to her, "My kingdom may be taken at once,' summoned Rāma and Lakşmaņa, and said:
- "In the past I gave a boon to Kaikeyi because of my satisfaction with her charioteering. Now she has asked for the kingdom for Bharata for this boon." Rāma, delighted, said: “This has been well asked by the motherthe giving of the kingdom to my brother Bharata, powerful. My father asked me about this as a favor. Nevertheless, this grieves me as an indication to the people of a lack of respect (on my part). If my father were satisfied, let him give the kingdom to a bard. There is no lordship on my part either in refusal or consent, considering myself a footman. Bharata and I are the same. The two are not
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