Kaikeyi:I wanted to say 14 days not years of exile

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"Queen Kaikeyi,"I wanted to utter "fourteen days".

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Bharat asks a simple question:

 

"Then instead of Rama, you could have sent me to the forest."

 

Of course, Bharat is also, like Rama, Dasaratha's own son. If it were

so simple as some son going to forest, then any son whether Rama or

Bharata would have served the purpose. But this separation of the son

should cause such an intense grief to Dasaratha that he should become

unable to survive. It should result into his death. Going to the

forest is not an end in itself. It is a means to make the curse of

the blind sage materialise. Could it have resulted by sending Bharata

to the forest?

 

According to Kaikeyi, "no". Why? Because, Dasaratha had become

habituated to remain separated from Bharata who used to stay more

with his maternal uncle than with his father. Hence, Bharata's

departure to forest would not have caused much grief in the heart of

Dasaratha to prove fatal.

 

 

 

 

Now Bharata asks the last question: "Then why did you ask Rama's

forest-life for fourteen years?"

 

And Kaikeyi replies:

 

"Darling, actually I wanted to utter "fourteen days". But at that

moment I had become quite agitated. And there came out

words "fourteen years" instead of "fourteen days" from my mouth."

 

Now Bharata understands the whole position and when he is told that

this was known to even preceptors like Vasistha and Vamadeva who had

approved her conduct, he becomes fully convinced of her innocence and

even of magnanimity. Immediately he falls at her feet and begs her to

pardon. He confesses that he rebuked her, even though she did not

really deserve it, only because of the anger caused by his love and

regard for Rama.

And Kaikeyi pardons:

 

Jata, ka nama mata putrakasyaparadham na marsayati. (p. 309)