Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam
( Translation and Commentary by Scholar,
Sreeman Brahmasree Desiraju Hanumantharao ji
and Sreeman Brahmasree K M K Murthy ji )
Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 61
Rama laments for Seetha and becomes despondent. But at the advice of Lakshmana both of them start a search for Seetha, presuming that she might be available in the proximity. Later they embark on a thorough search in the entire forest and its mountains and at lakesides, but Seetha is unseen. From here, until Rama meets Hanuma in next book Kishkindha, Rama's lamentation is continually portrayed. This may not be taken as a mere 'weeping' or 'bemoaning' of the principal character of the epic, but this has many poetics and romantics of epical poetry imbibed in it. An epic, basically, requires a hero to have his romantic attributes, naayaka lakshaNaaH and these 'wailings' will portray all of them. There are various, numerous and voluminous derivatives, meanings and commentaries, which cannot possibly be included in here, at this stage, except for passing references on them. Hence, this lengthy lamentation has lengthier romanticism. |
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On seeing the vacant threshold of the hermitage and empty cottage of straw, also at the leaf-mat-seats that are utterly shattered, and not finding Vaidehi even on watchfully eyeing everywhere Rama shrieked loudly, and then on clasping the winning shoulders of Lakshmana he said this to him.
"Oh, Lakshmana, possibly where can be Vaidehi? Or, to which place she has gone from here? Or, Soumitri, who stole her away? Or, who has gorged up my ladylove? Oh, Seetha, if you have concealed yourself under trees wishing to poke fun at me, enough is your fun and games, get in touch with me now, as I am highly anguished... Oh, meek Seetha, with which meekly young deer you were playing, all these are now broody with tearfully fluttery looks, without you...
"Really Lakshmana, I will not live long without Seetha, indeed I am enveloped in high anguish caused by the abduction of Seetha, and this alone will become a murderer, and on my going to other world when murdered by my own agony my father and that great king Dasharatha will definitely observe me in the other world...
Some other mms contain the word mR^itam 'dead ...' instead of the word vR^itam 'enveloped...' 'when I am dead and gone to other world, there my father will ask me...' would then be its meaning.
"When I go to other world after my death our father Dasharatha who is already staying there will deride me saying, 'when I have directed you for a fourteen year exile, and when you too have assuredly agreed and promised me for that term, how you have to my presence in this ultramundane world without completing that term of fourteen year exile, besides breaking your own word of honour... thus you have become a wilful disobedient, despicable and dishonest person, such as you are, fie on you...'
"Anguish seared and bewildered me and I am woebegone with broken down buoyancy, and oh, beautiful lady, jilting such an woeful one as I am, where you are going now, as with prestige jilting a prevaricator? And if you shun me I will have to shun my life..." Thus Rama bewailed imaging her right in his front and running away.
Though that legatee of Raghu is desperate for seeing Seetha, though he is highly anguished and agonised, though he bewailed this way, that Rama has not found Janaka's daughter, Seetha. To him who is unable to find Seetha, and who is sinking in sadness as with an elephant sinking in a chasmal mud, Lakshmana spoke to such a Rama in a positive manner desiring his wellbeing.
"Oh, well-informed one, do not get into desperation, you make efforts along with me, and oh, brave one, this best mountain is beaming forth with many caves, she may be there somewhere. Maithili is a fascinated saunterer in woodlands so she might have entered the forest, she is even infatuated with waters, so she might have gone to the fully bloomed lotus-lake, or to the river that is adorned by fishes and cane-breaks. Or, wishing to know our reaction when she scares us with her prank, Maithili might have squirreled away into forest. Oh, honourable brother, let us endeavour quickly to search her.
"Oh, Rama of Kakutstha, if you consider that we shall search the forest in its entirety to locate where she that Janaka's daughter might be, let us quickly do so. But do not engulf your heart in sadness." Thus Lakshmana advised Rama.
When Lakshmana good-heartedly spoke this way, Rama self-collectedly made a headway for the search of Seetha along with Soumitri. Those two sons of Dasharatha have started a thorough search for Seetha in forests, on mountains, also thus at rivers and lakes. On searching whole of mountainsides of that Mt. Chitrakuta, where their hermitage is there, even in its caves, crags, and mountain peaks they have not found Seetha. On exploring everywhere on that mountain Rama said to Lakshmana, "oh, Soumitri, here on this mountain I do not descry auspicious Vaidehi."
While roving searchingly in Dandaka forest Lakshmana who is tormented by anguish said a sentence to his greatly resplendent brother Rama. "Oh, insightful brother, you will reacquire Janaka's daughter Maithili, as Vishnu once subjugated Emperor Bali and reacquired this earth." But when the valiant Lakshmana addressed him in that way, Raghava whose thinking is marred by poignance spoke these pathetic words.
"This forest in its entirety, these lotus-lakes with their blossomed lotuses, and this mountain with its many caves and mountain-rapids, all are evidently searched. But, oh, sensible brother, I do not descry Vaidehi who is loftier than my lives."
Lamenting in this way Rama languished owing to the abduction of Seetha and became a pitiable one, and while sadness besieging him he is perturbed for a moment. All the limbs of Rama are fluttered, his faculty has become functionless, his fervour is frozen, he is forlorn and flustered, and such as he is he sank down suspiring swelteringly and lengthily.
Suspiring repeatedly he that lotus-eyed Rama shrieked repeatedly and loudly thus as, 'ha, Seetha...' with tears stifling his throat. Though Rama has many kinsfolk who hold him dear he is now left with a single one, namely Lakshmana, and that obedient brother Lakshmana who is already anguished for Rama's sadness, then adjoining his palms obediently started to pacify Rama with divers methods.
But disavowing the word of advice that fell out from the cupped lips of Lakshmana, Rama stridently yelled again and again when his dear Seetha has become unseeable.
Thus, this is the 61st chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 62
Rama bewails for Seetha as an ambivert, ambivalent romantic epical hero and asks Lakshmana to return to Ayodhya, as Rama is certain to perish without Seetha. He thinks his agony aloud, weighing pros and cons of his situation. |
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In not seeing Seetha that virtue-souled Rama's sagacity is marred by his anguish and he bewailed with his lotus-like eyes that are reddening like a pair of lotuses, raising is long arms.
Some mms use the word kaama in the compound shoka upahata cetanaH thus it becomes kaama upahata cetana and then it means 'his sagacity is marred by desire for Seetha...' and because of the adjacency of word dharmaatmaa 'righteous one...' 'a righteous desire is no sin to desire for... hence his desire for Seetha is righteous...' Then mahaabaahuu denotes that he is wailing raising his long arms, and kamala locana is indicative of redness of lotuses, thus his eyes are reddening by his wailing.
Even if Raghava is not able to see Seetha in his presence he started talking to her in a kind of inarticulate wailing, as wailing pampered his articulacy because his speech took shelter of wailing instinct, and as he is cowed down by Love-god, and thus he started to vent out his heart in this way.
Here the poet is starting the sixth phase among the ten phases called manmadha avasthaaH 'phases of pangs of love,' and this one is called a + rati 'non-indulgence, the ambivalence, the ambiversion...' of the romantic hero, in romantic epical poetry.
"Flowers fascinate you very much, my dear, hence you veil yourself with the full bloomed branches of Ashoka tree, but that alone is amplifying my anguish because you both have presently became tormentors.
We may recount the idea reg. Ashoka flowers expressed at 3-60-17.
"Maybe, both your thighs liken to the stalks of banana plants, thinking so, now you have lapped them in grovy banana plants, but I can distinguish which is which, thus now I caught sight of them, oh, lady, you are inapt at least to cover them from me. Oh, lady, you are facetiously glorying in the boscage of fully bloomed Karnikaara trees which is really wafting worry to me, rather than the fragrance of those flowers oh, glorious lady, enough, enough is this facetiousness of yours. I am aware of your humour, lady, and I know that you are jocose, but in a place like hermitage unmerited is this sort of raillery, even if it is good-natured. Hence, you come back, oh, wide-eyed one, your cottage is empty.
Be it a cottage or a palace, minus a housewife, it cannot be called a 'home' na g®ham g®ha iti ˜hu× g®hiõŸ g®ham ucyate | g®ham tu g®hiõŸ hŸnam araõyam sad®þamatam || Maha Bharata, 12-144-6; bh˜ry˜hŸnam g®hasthasya þ¨nyam eva g®ham bhavet | 'a house is a house when housewife is there, otherwise it amounts to a forest...' 'a house to the householder is a void, if the housewife is not there...'
"Oh, Lakshmana, very evidently demons have either gorged up Seetha, or perhaps abducted her, because she is not returning to me who am whiny indeed for her. Indeed these teary-eyed mobs of deer look as if to explain that nightwalkers have gluttonised my lady. Ha! My graceful lady, to where you have strayed now... Ha! Chastely and best complexioned lady, now the ambition of my queen mother Kaikeyi will be fulfilled, as I breath my last owing to your straying...
"I have come to forests with Seetha and have to go back to Ayodhya without Seetha. How, in all but name, can I step into an oblivion called my palace-chambers? People will denounce me as a vigourless and pitiless person, and my ineptitude will indeed be self-evident, for Seetha is led away from me by some tactical being... When the king of Mithila Janaka asks after the wellbeing of all the three of us after the completion of forest living, how do I have the face to stand him?
"On seeing me without Seetha the king of Videha will be distraught by the perishing of his daughter, and he defiantly goes under the preponderance of perplexity... Instead, I prefer not to go to the city Ayodhya that is ruled by Bharata, because it must be comforting to one and all under his rulership, but not to me as Seetha will not be with me... else if, that end of my life occurs now and if I were to go to heaven, even that heaven will be a void to me without her... I believe so...
"Hence, Lakshmana, you go back to that auspicious city Ayodhya forsaking me in forests, because I have no existence without Seetha, isn't it! On tightly hugging Bharata you shall tell him these words as I have said, 'Rama authorises you to reign the earth...' Oh, efficacious Lakshmana, on revering my mothers Kaika, Sumitra, and Kausalya justifiably you tell them my good bye, and you as the one who effectuates whatever is assigned to you, you have to effortfully protect my mother Kausalya by doing whatever she says. Oh, the subjugator of unfriendly, Lakshmana... you shall clearly inform in detail about this perish of Seetha, also that of mine, to our mothers.
Thus Raghava, the dejected, neared every corner of the forest in his search, and bewailed because that lady with best plaits, Seetha, is not found and missing from him. Even Lakshmana became whey-faced, frantic-hearted, highly overwrought, by the fear of uncertainty looming large on them.
Thus, this is the 62nd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 63
Rama laments while searching for Seetha and reminiscing over his past, which was spent happily with Seetha. Rama and Lakshmana search for her at riversides of Godavari but she is unseen there. Though Lakshmana continuously encourages Rama for a thorough search without submitting to mere anguish, Rama sinks into his own anguish. |
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That prince Rama whom agony and anguish are distressing has become anxious in his mien, and he again drifted into a dire desperation while despairing his brother Lakshmana. Rama who is sunken in a chasmal sorrow spoke this sentence while wailing sorrowfully, suspiring severely and scorchingly, and which sentence is seemly to his sensitivity, to Lakshmana who is already under the sway of sorrow.
"I am second to none among the blameworthy wrongdoers on this earth, thus I deem, and indeed woe followed by woe are getting at me in seriation to burst my heart and mind... I might have definitely, habitually, and desirably committed damnable deeds in my previous births, and now the result of those impious deeds is very much ripened and has fallen on me, whereby I am entering misery after misery...
As with the accrual of merit by good deeds, sin also accrues with impious or sinful acts anena janm˜ntara k®ta p˜pa anur¨pam phalam bhavati iti artha× - strŸ parv˜õi - n¨nam vyapak®tam p¨rveÿu janm˜su | yena m˜m du×khabh˜geÿu dh˜t˜ karmasu yuktkav˜n - mah˜ bh˜rata - dk and this ripens and bechances at a later time in the shape of misfortune.
"I am deprived of the kingdom, departed from my own people, mainly Seetha, my father departed and I am detached from my mother, and Lakshmana, when all these setbacks are very deeply thought over they are replenishing the haste of my agony... All this sadness of mine has silenced physically and there is some peace on coming to these desolate forests, in association of Seetha, but with the dissociation of Seetha misery is again upshot, as with fire which flares up in a flash when fuel is added...
"My noblewoman might be abducted by a demon, and on reaching the sky that lady who converses with a sweet voice might have wept a lot fearfully, and it is definite that she must have shouted a lot, untunefully... Those two roundish bosoms of my ladylove which always deserved the application of pleasantly looking red-sandalwood's paste might definitely be unshiny, as they might be bedaubed with muddy blood when they are extricated from her body for devouring.
"She has a sweet, softish, and very clear talkativeness on her lips. That visage with such lips is crowned with a hairdo with hair lumped together and plaited, such as her visage is, it must have become unshiny on her going into the repression of demon, as with an unshiny moon when repressed in the mouth of eclipsing planet Raahu, it is definite... The contours of the neck of that strait-laced ladylove of mine are always worthy for necklaces and chain-wears. The bloodthirsty demons would have indeed mangled that neck in a secluded place and they might have drunk her blood, it is definite...
"While I was away from her in this uninhibited forest demons would have forcibly hauled her up when they are abducting that lady with broad-bright eyes, and she would have discordantly shrieked out like a piteous she-dove, it is definite...
"Sitting very close to me on this stone's surface, oh, Lakshmana, she that well-mannered Seetha with bright smiles was speaking to you verbosely with all smiles...
He is recollecting his romantic dalliances with Seetha at the riverside of Godavari. asmin 'in here, hereabouts which now is devoid of Seetha, she used to playfully tease me in our swimming sports in this River Godavari...' maya saartham where maya sa artham 'I thought I was winning... but, she who is used to have an upper hand... hence, then I became secondary...' udaara shiilaa 'well-mannered' Seetha... for she did not bother me for such a frolicking when we were in Ayodhya, and she with all her mannerliness maintained a distance from me, as there were her father-in-law, mother-in-laws in Ayodhya, but here only two of us who are with ourselves, and we rejoiced freely...' shilaa tale upa upa viSTaa 'on the surface of any stone wherever I wanted to gain a foothold after straining myself in swim-games, she used to reach and sit on each and every acclivitous stone, prior to my reaching it, and she used to spatter water on my face, to continue more swimming... but, I was really fatigued...' then she is one jaata haasaa 'in whom laughter took birth...she used to burst out peals of laughter... that declare me as a defeated one...' And then tvaam bahu vaakya jaata aaha 'she used talk to you a lot, with lots of words, as you are in the habit of always extolling me, and she was saying to you... 'you two are mightier than the mighty, but I am a woman, you two are males and can hunt the cruellest animals, but I am woman, a rabbit in the kitchen... but, see how I defeated your almighty brother...' and the like...'
'A very interesting and linguistically important case of a prepositional verb is provided by the verses [that contain] upopaviSTa... upa vish... originally must have meant 'to sit near'. In course of time, the idea of closeness or proximity was lost and it came to be used in the sense of sitting only. Now when the idea of nearness or proximity had to be expressed one more upa was prefixed to it. Thus, we see how tautological tendencies were influencing Sanskrit in the very hoary past. The Ramayana upopaviSTa has its parallel n Hindi paas baiThnaa [where] baiThnaa is upa veshana which itself means to sit near upa= paas. But still paas is used with baiThnaa...' The Ramayana, A Linguistic Study, Pt. Satya Vrat. And to supplement Panditji's above saying, even in English this is evident and Oxford in saying meaning for proximity, says 'sat in close proximity to them' where 'proximity' itself is one upa and 'close' is another upa... Thus tautology is same everywhere.
"Among rivers this Godavari is the best and it is an all the time cherished river to my ladylove, and I think she would have gone thereunto. But, at anytime she did not go there, singly... Or, that lotus-faced, lotus-petal eyed Seetha has gone straight to bring lotuses! Nay, that idea itself is incongruous, for she never goes to get lotuses, indeed without me... But has she really gone to this stand of thicket which is with flowered trees and with birds of divers kind! Nay, that thought also is incongruent, because she as a timid one is much scared of solitude...
"Oh, Sun, you are the knower of performed and unperformed deeds in the world, a wittnesser of good and bad deeds in the world, tell me, who am woefully writhing, to where my ladylove strolled, or is she stolen...
"Oh, Air, whatsoever is there in the world, wheresoever it might be, or whensoever it might have happened, and whichsoever it might be, and whencesoever it might exist, that cannot possibly be unknown to you. Hence, tell me of the lady from noble heritage... is she stolen, or slain, or strayed her steps..." Thus Rama begged of the Eternals for locating Seetha.
To such a Rama whose physique is routed by his anguish in this way and who is insensately bewailing in that way, Soumitri whose courage is un-dispirited gave a justifiable and timely suggestion.
"Oh, noble brother, banish that anguish and brace yourself with fortitude, and let you be with spiritedness in her searching... indeed, there is no backsliding for spirited men in their enterprises in this world, even though the enterprises are highly impracticable..."
Lack of fortitude and spiritedness will sink anyone in a chasmal self-centred subjective grief. anena dhairya uts˜hau þokam apanudya k˜rya s˜dhakau iti s¨citam - tath˜ ca bh˜tate - droõa parv˜õi - abhimanyu vadhe dharma putram prati vy˜sa× - þocato hi mah˜ r˜ja hi adhame abhivartate | tasm˜t þokam parityajya þreyase prayated budha× | praharÿam abhim˜nam ca cintayet | evam jñ˜tv˜ sthiro bh¨tv˜ jahi arŸn dhairyam ˜pnuhi | dk Thus Vyaasa advises Dharmaraja to have fortitude and courage when he was sinking under the grief for the merciless killing of lonesome Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, in Maha Bharata war.
When Soumitri of towering bravery is speaking this way, Rama, the enhancer of Raghu's lineage, gave no heed to it, and since he castaway his fortitude he again encountered an inexplicable anguish.
Thus, this is the 63rd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 64
Rama finds Seetha's flowers and footprints, followed by heavy footprints of some male massive demon. On detailed probing there appear some more ruins of a combat between two warriors. Concluding that Seetha is definitely abducted by a massive demon, Rama wants to countermove the universe, even by waging a war with gods. |
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A pitiable one, such as he is, he spoke to Lakshmana in a pitiable voice, "Lakshmana, go quickly to River Godavari and find out whether Seetha has gone to Godavari to fetch lotuses..."
When Rama said thus to him Lakshmana again went to the charming River Godavari quickening his pace. Searching at many declivities which River Godavari has on its banks Lakshmana said to Rama, "I do not espy her at ghats, declivities of riverbanks, and she is not replying though I shouted for her. In fact, oh, Rama, to which place she that neutraliser of nervousness, namely Vaidehi, has got round to, or where that frailty is, that place is really incomprehensible to me...
Rama who is already stupefied by anguish is now despaired on listening Lakshmana's words and he personally went straight to River Godavari, and staying nearby that river Rama shouted in this way, "Seetha... where are you?"
The forest creatures which were asked earlier have not said to Rama that a deservedly destructible demagogue of demons has divested him of Seetha, likewise now River Godavari which is now being asked has not informed Rama about Seetha. Though the woeful Rama has asked her, and even though all the georgic beings impelled her to inform Rama the fact about his ladylove, River Godavari then remained mouthless about Seetha. She that River Godavari has not informed Rama about Vaidehi just out of fear on recalling the mien and manoeuvres of malefic-minded Ravana, lest Ravana may drain her away. Rama who is already in a rundown condition owing to the non-appearance of Seetha, is further rendered as a hopeless being by River Godavari in the matter of his catching a glimpse of Seetha, and such a Rama spoke to Saumitri.
"Oh, kind Lakshmana, this Godavari is talking to me anything but a reply. In the absence of Vaidehi, oh Lakshmana, really what is that unpleasant word I have to say to Vaidehi's father king Janaka, also thus to Vaidehi's mother-in-law and my mother Kausalya, when I meet them! Which Vaidehi is the remover of all my sadness who am a destitute of kingdom and surviving in forests on forest produce, such as she is, where has she gone, really! Though I am distanced from my relatives I deemed that princess Seetha alone would be an evermore relative of mine. But now when that princess alone is unseen I deem that my sleepless nights would be lengthy. I will search all these places of Godavari, Janasthaana and this mountain with many rapids, perhaps Seetha may be available somewhere.
River Mandakini is River Ganga and here River Godavari is said as Ganga as there are five Ganga-s panca gangaa Cauvery, Tungabhadra, Krishna Veni, Gautami [namely Godavari,] Bhaagiirathi. in Southern India and these are held sacred on par with River Ganga.
"Now all these burly animals are repeatedly looking at me as though to speak to me, oh, brave Lakshmana, this I reckon with their body language as it were. But on seeing them pryingly that tigerly-man Raghava has indeed asked them at once with a voice stifled with tears, "where is Seetha?"
When that best king has asked, those animals rose to their feet in a trice and facing themselves southward showed skyward with their snouts. And while running in the direction in which Maithili is taken away they are stopping to look back at that lord of people, Rama. Thus they are repeatedly running, stopping and staring at Rama. By which reason those animals are going in a southerly course on a southerly terrain, and stopping to peer at Rama, and again clamorously adopting the very same southerly course, Lakshmana ascertained that reason.
On noticing the lingua franca and even the lingua persona of those animals, that imaginative Lakshmana spoke to his elder brother, alike a striver striving hard for some information.
"Oh, godly brother, when you have asked these animals, 'where is Seetha,' they quickly rose to their feet, and as to how they are showing the track on the ground and the southern direction as well, thereby we may, for sure, go south-westward to know whether there is some information about her, or else, even that noble lady herself may be available there..."
On saying "Yes!" to Lakshmana that illustrious Rama of Kakutstha sallied forth to southern direction followed by Lakshmana, scrutinising the earth on his walkway. Those two brothers who are proceeding while discussing among themselves have seen the walkway bestrewn with flowers fallen from a person. That valiant Rama who is anguished to see the drizzle of flowers fallen on the surface of earth spoke this word to Lakshmana who is equally anguished.
"I recognise these flowers that are fallen here, oh, Lakshmana. In forest I gave them to Vaidehi and she tucked these very flowers in her bun. These flowers are carefully safeguarded by the sun, as they are unwithered yet, by air as they are unswept by it, and by the glorious earth, as they are unspoilt by that, thus I deem that these naturals, sun, air, and earth are really proffering a helping hand to me.
On saying thus to best one among men Lakshmana, that virtue-souled and dextrous Rama asked the mountain that is uproarious with rapids.
"Oh, lord among the earth-bolstered mountains, have you somehow seen a beauty by all her limbs, foregone by me in beautiful woodlands?"
This question contains a reply to Rama in a sort of jugglery of words / parsing as in - able was I ere I saw Elba. kshiti bhR^itaam naatha 'of earth, among bolsterers, lord; oh, lordly bolsterer of earth, oh, king Rama; tvyaa virahitaa 'by you, foregone...' maya dR^iSTaa iti kaschit, kaschit= kaama pravedane ' by me, seen...'
Reply of mountain to Rama:"Oh, lordly bolsterer of earth, lord Rama, I have somehow seen a beauty by all her limbs, foregone by you in beautiful woodlands.'
When the question itself becomes an answer it is citra alankaara and the mountain gave that reply in an echo of Rama's verbiage. Rama takes this as a mere echo of the mountain, but not a clear reply, and thus angering at it he wants to splinter it down, as said in next lines.
Because his question is unanswered he is enraged as with a lion enraging at a puny animal, and then he spoke to the mountain, "show me that golden tinged, golden limbed Seetha, oh, mountain, no sooner than I devastate all your apices, apiece..."
When Rama spoke to the mountain in this way, that mountain echoed as if it is revealing Seetha, but actually it has not revealed Seetha to Raghava.
When the mountain replied echoing the same words of Rama, Rama deemed it silent on other account of Seetha, but just said 'I have seen Seetha...' Hence, that mountain said anything but a proper indication, thus it has dishonoured Rama - Maheshvara Tiirtha. The mountain appeared to have said something but kept mum on other details - Govindaraja. In either way it silent on other details for fear of later time atrocity of Ravana, thereby Rama wanted to subject it to his arrows atrocity, now itself.
Then Rama of Dasharatha said to the hefty mountain, "When the infernos of my arrows will burn you down completely and when you will be pared down ashes, you shall be grassless, treeless and tender-leafless, and thus you become a meritless mountain... hence, show Seetha before becoming so...
"Lakshmana, if this River Godavari is not going to tell me immediately about that moonshine-faced Seetha, now I will dry her up...
This way when Rama is highly infuriated and who appeared to burn down anything just with his eyes, then he has seen on the ground gigantic footprints of a demon, and the footprints of Vaidehi, who appeared to have run fearfully here and there in a helter-skelter manner expecting the arrival of Rama, and which footprints are heavily trodden by a demon who followed her. On scrutinising the overly trodden footprints of Seetha and the demon, and a broken bow, broken quiver, and broken and variously bestrewn chariot also, then Rama became baffle-hearted and said to his dear brother Lakshmana.
"See Lakshmana, many beads of jewellery and many bits of garlands of Vaidehi have indeed fallen down, and oh, Soumitri, they are strewn around... Also the surface of the earth is everywhere interspersed with big and small blood drops that are akin to golden droplets, you see them Saumitri... I think Lakshmana, guise changing demons would have ripped and rived Vaidehi, or divided her into pieces, or they might have gluttonised her.
"A deadly clash has occurred here, Soumitri, while two demons were clashing between themselves on account of Vaidehi... Oh, gentle Lakshmana, studded with pearls and gems this great bow of someone is beautifully decorated, but it is fragmented and fallen to earth. Oh, dear boy, Lakshmana, this bow may perhaps belong to demons, or else to gods...
"Studded with lapis gem beads this golden armour of someone is similar to the rising sun in its shine, but it is splintered and fallen to earth... This hundred-spoked regal-parasol of someone is embellished with divine festoons, but oh, gentle Lakshmana, its central-shaft is wrecked and it is felled to earth... These ghost-faced mules with golden breastplates are macabre in form and massive in frame, but they are hewed down in war, whose are they, either... Somebody's combat-chariot is irradiant and similar in shine to the flaring fire with a war-pennon, but it is broken and battered down, as well...
"These frightful looking arrows of somebody are gilded and they are as much as a chariot's axle in their thickness, but their arrowheads are shred and they are manifoldly shredded and strewn around...
The sizes of Ravana's arrows are calculated differently. This ratha aksha maatra is taken as the length of chariot's wheel and thus it is said four-hundred inches or some 33 feet, which is unacceptable to some as Ravana did not travel in his chariot with a mega body. In another way aksha is taken as the 'eye of axle...' Then the diameter of his arrow is said, 'as thick as an axle...' Some others said the size of arrow is eighty-four inches according to shilpa shaastra 'science of chariot making...' taking this 'eye of axle' into consideration.
"Lakshmana, you see these two quivers packed with arrows are completely shattered, and the charioteer is drop dead with whip and bridles still in his hands... whose charioteer he might be!
The word used here for quivers is sharaavara and for this Dr. Satya Vrat says: 'Another word which is also not noticed by Monier Williams is sharaavara. It means an armour kavaca and occurs at least twice in the Ramayana...' Here and at 3-51-14 of this canto and there it was used in the meaning of armour. If this meaning of armour is adopted here also, then the meaning of the above verse may somewhat be,
Lakshmana, you see... these two armours, one belonging to the combatant from this chariot [that is ripped off by Jataayu and fallen from the body of Ravana,] and the other belonging to this charioteer, both are encrusted fully with arrows [when Jataayu winnowed the very same arrows shot by Ravana with both of his wings and thus shot them back,] thus the two armours are completely shattered... and the charioteer is drop dead with whip and bridles in his hand... either he... whose is he... and where is the presiding combatant of this chariot....
"Evidently this is the modus operandi of someone who is a male demon, and you see how my animosity has become hundredfold to eradicate them...
This is the reply to Seetha for she wanted no animosity could be nurtured towards the demons without a cause, in the opening chapters of this Aranya Kanda. When she herself became a cause for that animosity, now Rama is indicating the effect of that cause, in saying: 'I have some animosity towards these demons, but I have not eliminated them sweepingly, but for some demons occasionally... I thought that Seetha strayed her way, or eaten away by some pauperised paltry demon... but on seeing the massive footprints I consider this as a calculated and culpable crime... now that my animosity is multiplied hundredfold, whole of the demonic race will be eliminated...'
"The highly stony-hearted demons that are guise-changers by their wish have either abducted, or killed or gluttonised saintly Seetha... but, they say that rectitude saves such saintly persons... yet that rectitude has not saved Seetha while she is being abducted in great forest...
Dharma or Righteousness does not go on safeguarding either its adherents or antagonists, everyone, everywhere, everlastingly. dharmo rakshati rakshitaH and suchlike sayings are also time-bound and when the time is negative aapatsu raksha ko dharmaH 'in difficulties which rightness safeguards?' is the ensuing dilemma.
"Whether Vaidehi is taken away or taken in by some unknown being, oh, gentle Lakshmana, then who are the gods who can possibly be benignant to me in this world...
'No god can possibly be non-benignant to me, either in this world or in the other...' Govindaraja.
"Lakshmana, someone, even if He were a Creator of Worlds, or an Omnipotent, if He were to be lenient at heart or in His actions, He will be disrespected by all beings, owing to the unenlightenment of those beings...
"I who am mellowly, magnanimous, merciful and yoked only to the wellbeing of all worlds, such as I am, all of the heavenly gods deem me as non-Omnipotent... it is definite...
Annex: 'Even if I am capable of creating, maintaining, and destructing all the worlds, I am lenient, for I am benevolent... but the unwise are unable to know me, the real me... evil-doers are reverenced by one and all, though negatively owing to scare... but a do-gooder is scoffed off, for his deeds are positive and do not yield quick and instant results... and my Omnipotence is looked down as my impotence...' This concept is amplified throughout Bhagavat Gita.
"Have you seen Lakshmana how merits like mercifulness, magnanimity and the like are inverted to become demerits on getting at me, thus I am unmerited in forgoing Seetha. As such, as with the sizzle of sun uprisen quelling all the moonshine, now you may see as to how my irradiance radiates quelling all the merits like softness and fairness for the nonentity of all beings proactive to demons, inclusive of demons.
"Oh, Lakshmana, will the yaksha-s be comfortable now, no; gandharva-s - no; monsters - no; demons - no; either kinnaraa-s or humans - no, none can be comfortable henceforth...
"Now the welkin will be packed with my arrows and missiles, and I will render it as an impassable sphere for the treaders in the triad of worlds...
"I will make the triad of worlds quiescent by completely blockading all the planetary bodies. The night-maker moon will be barricaded, aurae of fire, air and sun will be devastated, and then everything will be overcast with darkness. Mountaintops will be completely pulverised, water receptacles will be dried out, and trees, creeping-plants and shrubberies will be destroyed, and oceans depleted, thus I will bring the triad of the worlds to nought, relative to the task of Time in extinguishing an era...
"If the gods are not going to safely restore Seetha to me, oh, Soumitri, they can see what my blitzkrieg is, at this very moment... All beings cannot fly high in the sky, oh, Lakshmana, as there will be a labyrinth of my arrows released from my bowstring, minus an intercolumniation... Bombarded with my iron-shafts this world will be put to disorderliness, Lakshmana, you may now witness how the animals and birds will be dazed and devastated... Because of Maithili I will render this mortal world de-demonical, de-phantasmal by force-stretching my unstoppable arrows up to my ears to release them forcefully... Let the gods witness now the impact of the blaze-crested, thoroughgoing arrows of mine, projected by my wrath and released by my irascibility...
"That being so, when the triad of worlds is completely ruined by my anger will there be gods, no; demons - no; phantoms - no, none can survive... Whatever worlds of gods, or monsters, or even those of demons are there, they will be splintered and falling down apiece by the fusillades of my arrows... Whether she is abducted, or even if she is killed, oh, Soumitri, if the gods are not going to give back my Seetha I will now jeopardise these worlds with my arrows...
"If my ladylove is not returned indeed in a fine fettle as she was before my running after Golden Deer, I will be annihilating the triad of world in its entirety, together with its mobile and sessile beings, and I will be sweltering the entire universe with my arrows as long as I am not going to get a glimpse of her." Thus Rama gave a vent to his feelings.
Rama on saying thus with his eyes reddening in fury, his lappet-fold of lips jerking spasmodically, he girded up his jute-cloths and deerskin and twined up the mass of his matted-hair. When the disposition of that venturesome and infuriated Rama has become in that way holocaustic, it is like that of Rudra, the All-Inflamer god, when He became like this in earlier times, intending to inflame the Triple-Cities.
On saying so that illustrious Rama, the delighter of world, grabbed his bow from Lakshmana and gripped it tightly, unholstered a deadly and dazzling arrow from his quiver which is like a poisonous serpent, and readying it on the bowstring of his bow, that Rama, the vanquisher of enemies fastnesses, who looked like the Ear-End-Fire, spoke this sentence. .
"As to how all the created beings cannot counteract the ageing, dying, fate and the Time at anytime, likewise I too am non-countervailed, when I am coalesced with fury, no doubt about it..."
Time is the all-transcending factor and none can countervail it. anena m®tyu jara ˜dayo× aþakya pratŸk˜r˜ iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca droõa parv˜õi - na hi eÿa brahma caryeõa na veda adhyayanena ca | na kriy˜bhi× na ca astreõa m®tyo× kaþcin nivartayate | kr¨ra sarva vin˜þ˜ya k˜lo asau na ati vartate | mah˜ bh˜rata - dk
"If that princess of Mithila, who has suavely and toothy smiles and who causes irreproachability to my character if only I can have a glimpse of her, is not returned to me in fine fettle as she was when she was with me, then I will countermove whole of this universe together with its gods, immortals, humans, florae and faunas, mountains and waters... and whatnot...
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The ireful lamentation of Rama
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The expressions of Rama throughout this chapter are not just weeps, wails, or moans... but they have aesthetic values of epical hero. But to take up one in the last stanza, it bears inference like this. puraaH iva 'as before...' caaru datiim 'suavely-toothy-smiling Seetha... when she was smilingly asked me to fetch the Golden Deer, the last glimpse I had of her, still remains on my psyche... hence, in that fine fettle she shall be handed over now...' a+ ninditaam 'she is an irreproachable person for herself, no doubt, but she does not land even me into a reproachable situation even if I were to countermove the routine of universe for her, and my action stands rightful, as I am seeking her rightfully...' This argument is supported by Hanuma when he soliloquised on seeing Seetha in Lanka, saying: yadi r˜ma× samudra antam medinŸm parivartayet | asy˜× k®te jagat ca api yuktam iti eva me mati× || Sundara, 16-13. 'Even if Rama is going to make this earth with its oceans, or even whole of this universe topsy-turvy for the sake of this wide-eyed Seetha, I opine that Rama is right...' Such Seetha is siitaa 'one born in a furrow, a better birth than mine, as I birthed from the womb of my mother Kausalya, like any other human...' Besides, she is maithilii 'the daughter of fitly king Janaka and thus she is a fitly consort of mine... such as she is, she is displaced by you gods in the name of fate, fortuity, and fortune... whatever it might be, bring her back to me, or else be prepared for my irreversible counteraction of this universe's routine, which perchance is manned by you, or even for its entire annihilation...' This is viirocita sambhaaSaNa 'brave talk of a braving hero...' and the mood is viira rasa 'adventurousness...' that too, not at earthly humans or animals or demons, but against the soi-disant gods.
So also is the ire of Arjuna in Maha Bharata. A valiantly victorious person does not sink deep into his own sorrow, but tries to counteract. Here Rama is counteracting with gods and nature, while Arjuna of Maha Bharata had to the same with his brothers and relatives. That is why Gita had to be imbibed into the mind of Arjuna, when he was at loss to know why he shall war his own brothers, teachers, grandparents et al. Having heard whole of Gita and having followed Krishna's advices, Arjuna though bewails a lot when his son Abhimanyu was murdered, becomes infuriated at the treacherous murder of the boy, and then escalated were his guts to fight back his enemies. anena þoka samaye durbala iva prabala× þokena na sŸdati | kintu tat pratŸk˜r˜ya ˜graheõa mah˜ ratha× pravartata iti uktam | ata eva mah˜ puruÿasya arjunasya abhimanyu vadha anantaram evam prav®tti× - droõa parv˜õi d®þyate - h˜ putra iti ni×þvasya vyathito nyapatad bhuvi | pratilabhya tata× saÕj˜m v˜savi× krodha m¨rcchita× || kampam˜no jvareõa ni×þvasantu muhurmuhu× | p˜õau p˜õim viniÿpiÿya - - - api droõa k®pau r˜jan ch˜day˜mi t˜n þarai× - - dk so on and so forth... Thus, Arjuna takes a severe oath to eliminate his enemies. Here Rama too has a Krishna like counsellor in Lakshmana, but less are Lakshmana's chances in convincing Rama, as Rama is a 'doer' rather than a 'preacher' like Krishna, or a 'student' like Arjuna. However, Lakshmana pacifies the fury of Rama in the next episode.
Thus, this is the 64th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 65
Lakshmana pacifies Rama with reasonable argument in saying that, owing to the felony committed by a single soul, the entire world cannot be put to arrow. But a humanly search is to be conducted first to find him out, who abducted Seetha. If she is unavailable even after a thorough search, then that which is appropriate to the situation obtaining then, it can be effectuated. |
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Lakshmana on seeing Rama who is searing and careworn owing to the abduction of Seetha, blazing like the doomsday inferno, twinned with the notion of rendering the worlds into nonentity, kenning at his stringed bow, keen to blaze away entire universe, suspiring again and again, and who is alike Rudra at the end of era, and whose highly infuriated persona Lakshmana has not seen previously, became pale-faced and spoke to Rama with folded palms.
"Previously, you were self-collected and self-controlled and delighted in the wellbeing of all the beings. But presently, slipping into fury you are discarding your own disposition, which is unapt of you...
"Grandeur in moon, splendour in sun, motion in wind, and composure in earth are perpetual and all this perpetuity is available in you, besides an unexcelled honour...
"It will be unapt of you to vandalise worlds for a single-soul's felony. It is unclear as to whose combat-chariot is this, or by whom, or by what reason it is shattered with its weaponry and paraphernalia... This has become a very ghastly place since it is grooved by the hooves of ungulates and by the felloies of chariot-wheels, and it is wetted with drops of blood, oh, prince, thereby a combat is fought and stalled at this place... This is just a solo-combatant's combat but not among duo, oh, best articulator one among best articulators, I indeed observe that no huge army is eventuated here, nor its stamp... It will be inapt of you to wish for wrecking a havoc upon all worlds for an individual's wrongdoing. Why because, the good-hearted, good-natured kings are they who impose tenable punishment...
"You are always the shelterer for all beings, for you're above all the good-natured and good-hearted ordinary kings, and who can really deem the ravagement of you wife as an act of grace... As no altruist can evoke indignation in a hallowed person who is performing Vedic-ritual, honestly, these rivers, oceans, mountains, gods, celestials, and cacodemons too cannot evoke indignation in you, because they are always gentle to you... isn't so...
"Oh, king, it will be apt of you to wield your bow and search for him who abducted Seetha, along with me as your squire and standby, and with the help of sublime sages available in this forest...
"Let us search the oceans, rivers and forests, and even divers dreadful caves and different lotus-lakes... Let us intently search the worlds of gods and celestials as long as the abductor of your wife is unapprehended... Oh, Lord of Kosala kingdom, if the heavenly lords are not going bestow your wife propitiously, rather after our humanly effort, then you may do whatever you want, seasonably...
"If, oh, king, you with your traits of sincerity, solidarity, simplicity, and scrupulosity are not going to get back Seetha, then you may you may put whole of the universe to turmoil with the torrents of your arrows which have swift egress as they are with golden-handles which are stuffed with eagle feathers, and which mirror up the Thunderbolts of Mahendra in their trajectories..." Thus Lakshmana appealed to ireful Rama.
Thus, this is the 65th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 66
Lakshmana reasons with Rama regarding the drastic action Rama is about to take in annihilating the worlds. He says many pithy references in dissuading Rama. This chapter likens to Bhagavad Gita, as its terse version. |
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While Rama is bewailing like a forlorn as his anguish is scorching him, rendered impoverished with an inanimate heart as a high passion possessed him, Lakshmana, the son of Sumitra, suppliantly gripped his feet and started to address him.
"Oh, Rama, as gods have reaped ambrosia after a prolonged churning of Milky Ocean, you are a reap of King Dasharatha's superlative ascesis and even by his superior acts...
The comparison of Rama to ambrosia is noteworthy. Ambrosia is not self-useful but it is manifoldly useful to every other being. If Rama is useful to all created, animate, or inanimate beings, inclusive of gods, and the thought of that prime mover to destruct what it is moving, is self-contradictory. Next, the prime object of ambrosia is to enliven but not to eradicate, thus that thought itself is self-contemptuous. Next, the very same demons turned destructive from day one, and now if Rama destructs everything, it tantamount to brand Rama to have taken sides with demons. This is again a self-critical phenomenon of his incarnation. And so on...
"Our father was an enlivener of all the subjects and that king was beholden only to your rosy endowments, but he obtained godhood by your separation... this is what we heard from Bharata...
Annex: 'You know that our father fought demons on behalf of gods and was an ablest and an impeccable ruler... and you said that our father might deride you in saying: 'you are a wilful disobedient, despicable and even that way a dishonest one, such as you are, fie on you...' [as at 3-61-8b, 9a,] but when you resort to undertake still deplorable devastation of worlds, than that of demons, what will he say of you...
"If you are unable to withstand this anguish chanced on you, oh, Kakutstha, then how a simpleton and whose boldness is meagre can withstand it...
Annex: 'Kakutstha-s are the pure beings shuddha sattva, and you are still purer, because of the speciality of your birth through some divine dessert given by some yaj~na puruSa, a Ritual Deity, therefore you should have some divine endowments, if not all, and why do you compare yourself to a commoner and bewail like this, instead of making humanly efforts... and if a person of your stature sits bewailing and moaning, whereto a commoner has to go in a similar situation...
"Oh, first and foremost man, tell me who is uncaught by mischance, which mischance will be catchy like fire-catch, and oh, king, even that, that lets up momently...
Annex: 'I am not imparting any maiden version of Bhagavad Gita to you in saying that gataasuuna agataa suunau na anushocanti panNDitaaH; maatraa sparshaH tu kaunteya shiita uSNam sukha duHkhadaa... Gita 2-11, 13; 'This that irks- / Thy sense-life, thrilling to the elements- / Bringing thee heat and cold, sorrows and joys, / 'Tis brief and mutable!' but we are in an era of action, let us undertake some action, rather than bewailing... all this is but brief and mutable...' but think yourself, what to do next, in a human way...'
"If you are going to blaze away worlds with your radiance in your ruefulness, to where the ordinary people in rue shall go for solace, really...
Annex: 'A farmer fences his farm to not to allow stray cattle to graze the crop... you are an implicit farmer of this universe and you alone fenced this universe with their respective protective areas or spheres, say stratosphere, troposphere and suchlike... thus you have come here explicitly as a fence to this world, and when the fence alone is trampling the crop of the rightness, who else will come to the rescue of that forlorn elements of crop, called the inmates of worlds...'
"World's disposition is this way only, even if Nahusha, the son Yayaati, has become an egalitarian with Indra, writhe touched him off...
Yayaati attains heaven after performing many Vedic-rituals. But when Indra asked Yayaati 'who is the best personality in your kingdom?' Yayaati, as a straightforward person replied 'I am the best in my kingdom...' Then Indra said 'Self-eulogisers have no place in heaven, hence you return to mortal worlds...' thus Yayaati met with a mischance. Instead of telling as Yayaati, he is said to be the 'son of Nahusha' which expression suggests disobedience. Once Nahusha made the Seven Sages, the stars in Ursa Major, as the bearers of his palanquin and hastened them saying sarpa, sarpa... where that word means 'move fast, move fast...' besides its general meaning 'serpent...' Then Sage Agastya curses Nahusha, 'be like that...' i.e., 'become a serpent...' taking the general meaning of that word. Then Nahusha, though a renowned personality, for he is accursed he had to fall supine as a big serpent. So Lakshmana is obliquely suggesting Rama, 'you may be a god supreme... but it is in your realm... not on earth... on earth you have to behave like an earthling... wrecking the system from within is meaningless... have some obedience to the set order...'
"Which great sage Vashishta is there, who is also the priest of our father, he parented a hundred sons in one day and like that they are all eliminated in one day by Vishvamitra, for which Vashishta also lamented, but not for a long...
Annex: 'world's disposition is such, a hundred living beings may take birth on one day and even die in hundreds, or thousands in one day... birth entails death... you ordained it to be so, but when the problem has come right under your seat, you go on bewailing without undertaking humanly effort... is this befitting...'
"This Mother Earth who is the mother of worlds and venerated by all animate and inanimate, or even celestial beings, oh, king of Kosala kingdom, even she undergoes tremors and earthquakes...
Mother earth is not only held as a mother of living beings on her surface, but even Moon, Mars etc., planets are said to have emerged from her, and she is lone female in planetary system capable enough to produce offspring, and hence she is regarded as the wife of Vishnu, and hence Vishnu has to incarnate Himself on her periodically, to ease her of her problems. As such 'your weeping for your loss is subjective, while putting your other wife, namely bhuu devi, Mother Earth, to suffering by earthquakes, storms, whirlwinds, twisters, and what not... is it appropriate of you to make her suffer periodically, while you say that your one-time-suffering such as this one is nonpareil... or what... world's disposition is as such... not even you can change it, lest it boomerangs...'
"Which duteous pair is the pair of eyes of the world in whom all the systems of world are peremptory, though that pair of Sun and Moon are doughtily influential in this solar system, eclipse draws nigh of them...
Annex: 'for a while you stop thinking that you as Vishnu are reclining on me, aadi sheeSha the Divine-Thousand-hooded-serpent-recline-bed of Vishnu in vaikuNTha, yon the dwaadasha aadtya-s, 'Eleven Suns' and numerous Moons of this Universes... you are now right under the nose of this solar system, and on earth... and in this solar system there is none supreme than this mighty sun, and mellowly moon, a pair of eyes of this system, where one opens one's eye by day and the other closes that eye with his cooling effect by night... and it is also said in Veda-s: ˜dity˜t j˜yate v®ÿ÷i× - v®ÿ÷i× tato annam abhij˜yate - candramasau oÿadhi vanaspatau 'Sun causes rains, rains cause food, Moon causes herbs and plants of condiments...' and even they, they are eclipsed occasionally, for they are around the mortal world... and what if, your anguish eclipses you, temporarily...'
"Even very great incorporates like earth and suchlike planets, oh, bullish man, or even the gods, or even all corporeal beings, cannot get release from the predestine of Supreme Being...
This verse is held as an interpolate or the problem with copyists, by the use of the word bhuutaani twice, and even the last compound is said to be self-contradictory sarva bhuutaani dehinaH or sarva bhuutaadi dehinaH Hence it is up to the grammarians to decide. Some mms use vedaaH for devaaH in first foot, thus 'even all Veda-s put together cannot transcend the Absolute...'
"Oh, tigerly-man, we hear that whether gods like Indra et al., are ethical and/or unethical, yet they too have the resultant agonies and ecstasies... hence, it is inapt of you to fret thyself...
The last compound in second foot na tvam vyathitum arhasi is the 'theme instruction' in Gita na tvam shocitum arhasi which again appears in the next verse. This has a near psalm in The Bible: 'Fret not thyself because of the ungodly...' Psalm 37, v 1.
"Whether Vaidehi is stolen or slain, oh, brave one, it will be inapt of you sadden like this as with any other commoner without tracking her whereabouts... Persons of your like who are always equable in their outlook, oh, Rama, they will remain non-dispirited even if they are undergoing desperate straits, and they will not just sadden like this... Oh, foremost man among men, you ratiocinate in subtle pursuit, objectively and brainily, and great brains will comprehend good and bad in subtlety with their braininess... Indiscernible are the rights and wrongs of actions, and indefinite are the cherished fruits of those actions, and without performing any action, fruits also will be nonexistent...
Vividly: We cannot discern the rights or wrongs of any action we perform now in this lifetime, nor we can recollect the actions done us in earlier births, to asses their rights or wrongs. And they are indefinite and infirm, because any action we perform it ceases to exist on its competition. And if we have not performed such an action in last birth, conducive to yield good result in this birth, its fruition is nonexistent. Thereby we may perhaps muse over our actions basing on the results occurring now. In any case, nonexistent is the fruits of action, may it be right or wrong, if there is inaction. This is according to Govindaraja. He uses word a dhR^itaanaam 'infirm' for a dhR^ivaaNaam 'indefinite' and Tilaka uses word ca vartate 'also, happens' for pravartate 'will be in existence' and in either way the meaning is the same. anena pr˜ptam sukham du×kham v˜ p¨rva karma adhŸnam iti uktam - tath˜ ca bh˜rate - ˜raõyake - y˜ni pr˜pnoti puruÿa× tat phalam p¨rva karm˜õ˜m | dh˜t˜ api hi sva karmaiva tai× tai× hetubhi× Ÿþvara× || dk
Another way of declining the meaning is by ellipting the words from previous verse buddhyaa yuktaa 'with braininess' as below:
mahaa praaj~naa= great, brains; buddhyaa yuktaa= with brain, having [with braininess]; a + dR^iSTa= not, seen [indiscernible]; a + dhR^ivaaNaam ca= not, definite [indefinite,] also [a + dhR^itaanaam= not, firm, infirm]; guNa doSaaNaam= rights, wrongs; karmaNaam= of actions; shubha= rights; a shubhe= wrongs; vi jaananti= clearly, comprehending.
"The great brains with their braininess are clearly comprehending the indiscernible, indefinite or infirm rights and wrongs of their actions, thus they translate their thinking into action... and thus they are undertaking humanly possible action... but not sitting back, unlike you...
There is another shade to this verse with some altered verbiage as below:
ad®ÿ÷a guõa doÿ˜õ˜m karmasu abhirata ˜tm˜n˜m |
na antareõa kriy˜m vŸra phalam iÿ÷am pravartate ||
na antareõa kriy˜m vŸra phalam iÿ÷am pravartate ||
Oh, brave one, to those that are interested in endeavours, whether or not they are uninterested in the results of their actions, either rights or wrongs, but even to them cherished fruits does not occur, effortlessly...
And the commentaries go on expanding these tenets, till this chapter vies with Bhagavad Gita.
"Oh valiant one, indeed you alone have said this way to me previously and repeatedly, who really can profess you even he were to be professedly the Jupiter... Oh, great discerner, your thinking process is non-explicatory even to gods, but now that thinking process is obliquely and utterly slumberous owing to your sadness, hence I am addressing your percipience and this is no schoolteaching...
"Oh, foremost one among Ikshvaku, oh, Rama, contemplate the divineness of those immortals and their pure being in maintaining world order, also consider the humanness of these mortals and their helpless susceptibility to pain, also count on your own valour that which can annihilate the whole of anything... and then come to conclusion whether or not to annihilate everything... but, before that try hard to eliminate the abuser, lest he may abuse many others...
Or
"Oh, best one among Ikshvaku-s, oh, Rama, contemplate the divine valour you have derived, also consider the human valour you have inherited, also count on your own innate valour... hence, try hard to eliminate the abuser...
The second meaning is when 'valour' is taken as main principle. This verse has another shade if the compound in first foot is read as, according to some other ancient mms: divyam ca maanuSam ca astram aatmanaH ca paraakramam | where the word aatmanaH is replaced with astram and then the meaning is 'you have missiles unknown to humans and you also have missiles unknown even to gods, by the courtesy of Vishvamitra and Agastya, and you have your own valour, then try hard for the abuser...'
"Oh, best one among men, what is it you gain on performing a complete annihilation owing to a single soul's malefaction, hence, mark him... that malefactor and a malevolent of yours, and it will be apt of you to uproot him... him alone...
Thus, this is the 66th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 67
Rama spots Jataayu, whose wings are hacked and who is breathless, and is in his last moments. On conceding to the suggestion of Lakshmana that they should search for Seetha, they start searching the forest and at certain place the mountainous Jataayu is seen. Mistaking him to be a demon Rama wants to kill and speedily approaches Jataayu, but on listening Jataayu's words, Rama recognises and laments for his wretched situation. |
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Even though Rama is elder to Lakshmana he gleaned the ultimate tenor of Lakshmana's words when Lakshmana just said them expediently because Raghava is a best gleaner of the gist of advises.
If the advice is with ideation it can be taken form youngsters... yukti yuktam vaco gr˜hyam b˜l˜t api subh˜ÿitam | tathaa ca - anena b˜lot Ÿritam api yuktam vaco gr˜hyam iti uktam - tath˜ ca bh˜rate udyoge - vidura× - api unmatta pral˜pato b˜l˜cca parisarpita× | sarvata× s˜ram ˜dady˜t aþmabhya iva k˜ncanam || iti - dk 'youngsters advices can be taken like gold from the coals...'
Such as he is that dextrous Rama on controlling his highly heightening fury, propping against his bedazzling bow spoke this to Lakshmana. "What is to be done by us, oh, dear boy... or, whereto we might go, or, by which device Seetha is discernable... Lakshmana, now you think of it, clearly...
To such a Rama who is tormented by anguish, Lakshmana said, "it will be apt of you to search this Janasthaana alone which is rife with many demons, and replete with manifold trees and climber-plants...
"Here there are unclimbable mountains, glens and glyphs as well. There are divers and pernicious caverns tumultuous with diverse packs of predators, and here are the mansions of kinnaraa-s and palaces of gandharva-s, as well... It will be apt of you to steadfastly search in them along with me, and oh, best one among men, your sort of literati and clever-souls will be unfluctuating in calamities like the mountains unfluctuating in windstorms..." Lakshmana said so Rama.
When Lakshmana said in this way to that ireful Rama, he roved entire forest along with Lakshmana readying a crescent-shaped razor-sharp deadly arrow on his bow. Then Rama beheld Jataayu who is akin to a mountaintop in his gleam, and a best beatific brave bird among all the birds, but bloodstained and buckling on earth.
On beholding him who is like a mountaintop in his gleam, Rama said to Lakshmana, "This one has gluttonised Seetha, the princess from Vaidehi, there is no doubt about it...
Comment: 'Here is Valmiki's blatant attempt to add too many words for one Seetha...' so some may say them as: 'Stock epithets for Sita are only three in Ayodhya kaanda, but increase in Aranya kaanda and later, all relating to her being Janaka's daughter and belonging to Mithila and Videha...' in some book called ' Epic Threads ' -- John Brockington on the Sanskrit Epics, by Greg Bailey & Mary Brockington, 366 pages, paperback, New Delhi: Oxford Univ. Press 2000; Reviewed by Pradip Bhattacharya. But we are told by tradition that these are neither stock epithets nor metre fillers, but each has its own significance. Here the word 'Seetha' is for the recollected wife Seetha, and 'Vaidehi' is for the reminisced Videha king. In the same numbered sarga of Bala Kanda 67, and even in Bala 66, Janaka harps on that 'Seetha is a valour's bounty... Seetha is a valour's bounty...' And as a son-in-law, if Rama were to face Janaka later, should he be shamefaced in not protecting Seetha... or shall Rama simply tell Janaka that 'a demon took away or ate away your daughter...' If he says so, what happens to his innumerable epithets - will be the collateral question. This is what Rama said "Oh, kind Lakshmana, this Godavari is talking to me anything but a reply, and on coming across Vaidehi's father Janaka, also thus Vaidehi's mother-in-law and my mother Kausalya, really what is that unpleasant word that I have to say to them, in the absence of Vaidehi...' at 3-64-11, 12a. Again, these are often-repeated epithets of Seetha by Rama after the abduction of Seetha.
Seetha is given to Rama presuming Rama to be a true valiant and befitting husband and the saviour of Seetha, as Rama established his superpower in breaking a non-liftable bow, in any dire situation. But reversed are situations in Aranya as she is likely to be abducted in its early chapters, and really abducted in later chapters. Now Rama has actually not protected Seetha, though capable enough. Leave Rama and Valmiki alone for a while in giving so many epithets to Seetha, can any self-respecting son-in-law, a protective husband, more so, a semi-super power on earth, can possibly face his father-in-law and say smilingly, 'your daughter is lost...' Hence, these 'so many epithets... that too, as Vaidehi, in particular, in this particular Aranya...' have their own meanings and subtexts, which can be known only through commentaries, unlike reading a novel. Ramayana is a dhvani kaavya ' epic with allusions...' and which word has which allusiveness is to be known first, before theorising the craft of Valmiki or the crafty interpolators. 'If the interpolators have interpolated unwittingly, will the Sanskrit grammarians and linguists keep quiet, or wage a war, until it is changed...' is the pursuant exclamation. Hence we appeal to the near extinct species called Sanskrit pundits to record somewhere as which epithet functions in which way.
"It is apparent that this demon skulks in the forest in the semblance of an eagle, and having gluttonised that wide-eyed Seetha he is now reposing comfortably. I will eliminate him with deadly arrows, whose arrowheads blaze away and which shoot off straightly..." Thus Rama declared. On saying thus and on readying a crescent-shaped razor-sharp deadly arrow on his bow, that ireful Rama rushed towards the eagle, as though to a-tremble the whole of the earth that which is within the perimeter of oceans. But that bird spewing up frothy blood pathetically appealed to such an ireful son of Dasharatha, namely Rama, in a pathetic tone.
Jataayu is firstly recollecting his friend Dasharatha on his deathbed, then he recounts this Rama as that Dasharatha's son, and hence, the epithet to Rama is non-non-essential.
"Oh, boy Rama, blest is your eternality, for whom you are searching as with the search of a rejuvenescent herb in the vast of forest, Ravana stole that lady and my lives, too... I have seen that lady while being stolen by brute-forced Ravana when you and even Lakshmana absented from her... I outreached to rescue Seetha... and in a combat Ravana is rendered as one with utterly battered chariot... and I felled him and that chariot there... onto earth's surface...
Some mms use Chatram 'parasol...' for the word atra for 'there...' and prabho 'oh, lord...' for mayaa 'by me...'
"This one is his fragmented bow and this is his fragmented armour... oh, Rama, this is his combat-chariot... which, in combat shattered by me...
Some mms use prabho 'oh, lord...' for etat and sharaaH tathaa 'arrows like that' for sharaavaram 'armour...'
"This is his charioteer drop dead onto earth by my wings... when I am overtired Ravana gashed my wings and flew skyward taking Seetha of Videha kingdom with him, and it will be inapt of you to kill me who am already killed by the demon..." Thus Jataayu appealed to Rama.
Rama jettisoned his forceful bow when he heard the much desired news about Seetha while hugging that kingly eagle Jataayu. Even though Rama is comparatively a bold person he involuntarily fell down to ground, as the onefold scorch of anguish for Seetha is doubled by this predicament of Jataayu, and he wept over Jataayu.
Rama's weeping is real or unreal, is a haunted notion for commentators. Here also he is weeping over. For this Maheshvara Tiirtha says that he weeps and bewails when his adherents are ill at ease. In Ayodhya vyasaneÿu manuÿy˜õ˜Õ bh®þaÕ bhavati du×khita× || utsaveÿu ca sarveÿu piteva parituÿyati | 2-2-40 'Rama feels very sad towards afflictions of men, and feels delighted in all functions celebrated by people on the occasions of child birth and the like, just as their own father does...' So, it must be true in respect of Seetha, even. This is agreeable to Govindaraja, too.
Jataayu is supine on a single-strait passable for a single-person and he is suspiring for several times, and on seeing such Jataayu Rama became anguished and spoke this to Soumitri.
Here the words ekaayane kR^irChre may mean differently. kR^iChre 'difficultly...' ekaayane 'one-way breathing, breathing in, inhaling difficultly...' and this way of juxtaposing words, 'Jataayu is struggling for a breath...' would mean more near to the scene, than a single-strait, or a narrow pathway, which are not uncommon in forests.
"Mislaid is my kingdom and I am mislocated into forests, Seetha is misplaced and now this mischance of death on this bird... this kind of misfortune of mine incinerates even Agni, the Divine-Incinerator... Even if it were to be a plethoric and limitless ocean, and now if I were to enter it, or take a swim to the other shore of blissfulness, even that Lord of Rivers runs completely dry, owing to my misfortune, it is definite... There will not be any greater unfortunate being in this world than me, even if all the sessile and mobile beings are put together, by whom such a complicated catastrophic enmeshment as this is derived... This decrepit kingly eagle is the friend of my father who is terminally gashed and recumbent on the floor owing only to the backlash of my fortune..." So lamented Rama for the wounded eagle Jataayu.
Some mms use the word mahaa balaH 'great mighty' eagle king, while others use jaraanvita 'old aged, decrepit...' for a pathetic touch.
Thus, lamenting in that way for many times Raghava patted the body of Jataayu along with Lakshmana instancing his parental regard.
On hugging that kingly eagle whose wings are hacked off and who is bloodstained, and on uttering this much, "she who is identical with my lives,... where is that Maithili..." Rama collapsed to earth.
Thus, this is the 67th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 68
Jataayu names Ravana as the abductor of Seetha while breathing his last. Though he struggles hard to say what all has happened, the Time called death takes him away, at such a time when the important information is about to be said to Rama. Receiving that much information at least, Rama consigns Jataayu to funeral fire, like his own relative and performs other rites, and then proceeds for searching Seetha. |
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Rama on seeing that eagle felled to ground by the atrocious Ravana, said this sentence to Soumitri who is an asset for good companionability.
"While this bird is venturing in my concern the demon felled him in combat and he is leaving off his lives owing to me, definitely... Obviously, lives in his body are very feeble, oh, Lakshmana, it is natural, isn't it, and he looks highly anguished with a dulled voice..." Thus on saying to Lakshmana, Rama then spoke to Jataayu.
"Oh, Jataayu, if you are in fine fettle to further reiterate words, relate about Seetha, let safe betide you, and recount how you are murdered, too... What is the reason for Ravana in stealing that noblewoman, and even what is the wrong I have committed in his respect, keeping which in view that Ravana stole my ladylove... How was that moon similar heart-stealing face of hers at that time of abduction, oh, best bird, and even what are the words she uttered when being abducted... What is his stamina of that demon? What is his form? And what are his strategies? And where is his stronghold? Oh, sire, tell me while I ask you inquisitively..." Rama urged Jataayu thus for information.
Then that warm-hearted Jataayu with his eyes rolling upwards saw Rama and with a fluttery voice said this sentence to Rama who is wailing like an orphan.
"Resorting to his illusionistic devices like creating an immense and tumultuous windstorm and cloud-cover, the flagitious chief of demons Ravana abducted Seetha...
Annex: 'he created such illusion only to render me unsteady in my flight combat... and for his escape in the dark of the day...'
"That night walker hacked both my wings when I was overtired, and went southward taking the princess of Videha, Seetha, along with him... My sight is spinning and my lives are stifled, oh, Raghava, I am now seeing golden trees with cuscus grass as their treetops...
The cuscus grass is the aromatic fibrous root of an Indian grass, Vetiveria zizanaoides, used for making fans, screens, etc., Urdu kaskas. This odd combination of trees of gold, instead of wood, and grass instead of leaves, is an omen of death.
"In which spell of time Ravana has gone taking away Seetha, that spell is named as Vinda... if any riches are lost during that spell, the original possessor of those riches will repossess them very quickly... oh, Kakutstha, he that Ravana is unmindful of that fact and stole Seetha only to loose her...
The daytime has fifteen spells of time that have their own effects on humans. The fifteen are: raudra× sveta× maitra× ca tath˜ s˜rabha÷a× sm®ta× | s˜vitro vaiþvadeva× ca g˜ndharva kutapa× tath˜ | rauhiõa× tilaka caiva vijato nai®iti× tath˜ | þambaro v˜ruõa× ca eva bhaga× pañca daþa sm®ta× || and the Vijaya said above is also called as 'Vinda,' the eleventh spell of the day. bindo n˜ma bindu gulika× | tasmin samaye ˜rabdham k˜ryam kartu× viparŸtem bhavati iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca - utpala parimale gau¹Ÿ prakaraõe - manvarka digdantiras˜bdhi netr˜ s¨ryasya v˜ra ˜di viÿ˜ muh¨rt˜× | gargamarendr˜di munŸdr˜dib®ndai× te nindit˜× karmasu bindasañjñ˜× || - iti - dk Any action initiated in this spell of the day entails adverse effects, in so far as that aim and action of the initiator. Ravana, though an eminent astrologer, and though he is said to have written an astrological treatise called raavaNa samhita, did not care about it.
"On stealing your ladylove Janaki, that chief of demons, Ravana, will ruin himself, as with a fish which swallows a baited fishhook... Impractical is your anguishing for the daughter of Janaka, as you will delight yourself with Vaidehi in no time, on killing that Ravana in the vanguard of a war..." Thus saying Jataayu paused for a while.
Though Jataayu is speaking on to Rama with an alert mind, blood freely flowed from his mouth with shreds of flesh as death verged on him, even then he struggled to say.
"That demon is the son of Vishravasa... literally... the brother of Kubera..." on saying thus, that lord of birds released his lives, which are unobtainable for oneself.
Information about Ravana is given here in the first stanza of the verse, in a half-way-through manner. And the character of Jataayu itself is evanished by a jump cut of the couplet, only to be filled by his brother Sampaati in the later parts of Kishkindha Kanda. In between these two stanzas of one verse, where one brother says one stanza, the other by another, the episodes of Kishkindha come to take part. The second foot just contains the name of Lanka where Ravana dwells. But it is not said here for dramatic effect and for the flow of epic through its own course. Further, Jataayu is not 'dead' but he released his lives. And he is safeguarding his lives so far, only to tell Rama. For this Skanda Puraana says that Seetha blesses Jataayu to live until Rama comes to him, and listens form Jataayu. But she did not stipulate as to how much Rama has to listen or how much Jataayu has to report. devŸ m˜Õ pr˜ha× r˜jendra y˜vat sambh˜ÿaõam mama | bhavata× t˜vat ˜san me pr˜õ˜ iti ˜ha j˜nakŸ || Maheshvara Tiirtha. So, the bird called life flew away for bird Jataayu...
But the lives of Jataayu departing from his body went into thin air before the very eyes of Rama who is still speaking to him with folded-palms, "tell... tell more..."
Jataayu flopped his head on earth, sprawled his feet on ground, and then his body collapsed onto the surface of earth writhing jerkily.
He who is worsened by very many mishaps that Rama, on seeing the mountainous eagle whose eyes are bloodshot and whose lives have gone, said this way to Soumitri...
"This bird which for years together lived fearlessly in Dandaka forest, a habitat of demons, that bird wilted to death, because of me... He who has longevity over many years, who actively strived for a long for rectitude, he is now killed and prostrating before the Time, because of me... alas... it is indeed impossible to infringe the Time... Lakshmana, this eagle which has dashed to rescue Seetha in order to render help to me is slain by that brute-forced Ravana, only because of me, you see... On abandoning great empire of eagles belonging to his father and forefathers this lord of bird has now abandoned his lives too, only for my sake...
"Universally noticeable are the protective, prepotent, principled ones that are the followers of probity, oh, Soumitri, even though their births are avian or bestial... To me, oh, enemy-inflamer, oh, gentle Lakshmana, anguish caused by Seetha's abduction is not that much, when compared with the anguish caused by the perish of this eagle, that too, because of me...
"As to how the celebrated and highly renowned king Dasharatha is venerable and honourable for me, likewise this lord of birds is also a venerable and honourable one to me... Oh, Soumitri, get the firewood and I will produce fire by friction of two sticks, as I wish to cremate this lord of birds who expired because of me...
The fire produced in ritual acts is called araNi where a small concavity is made on one stick, and a pointed end to the other, and this pointed end is rubbed in churning mode in the concavity of the other stick, and then both the dry wood-sticks give out a small fire, which then is taken on cotton, to lit a huge pyre.
"Oh, Soumitri, I will mount this lord of realm of birds onto the pyre and cremate him who is killed by a feral demon..." Thus saying to Lakshmana, Rama said this to dead eagle Jataayu.
"Oh, greatly mighty king of eagles, by me cremated ritually and by me aptly consented to, you depart to the unexcelled heavenly worlds... you depart to those worlds that are destined for the virtuosos of Vedic-rituals, and to those worlds that are destined for the practisers of ascesis amid Five-Ritual-fires, and to those that are destined for un-retreating combatants, and to those worlds that destined for the donors of lands..." So said Rama to the departed Jataayu.
Comment: [Font size can be enhanced under View menu] 'When a Vedic-ritual is performed the resultant factor is undoubtedly puNya 'merit' for those, yaj~naaH shiilam sadvR^ittam yeSaam te and the worlds yaa gatiH gamyata iti gatiH - lokaH. And this is different to that of practising ascesis amid Five-Fires. ahita agne, ahitaaH paristhaapitaaH agnayaH yaH pancaagnayoH yasya saH... 'But animals or birds have no faculty to perform those rituals and they have their own course of lifecycle after their demise. Then where is the question of a bird going to heaven, which heaven is scheduled to some specialists...' is the objection. But Jataayu acquired all those 'merits' when he combated without any retreat a paraa vartinaam and he is getting a short cut without undergoing too many other kinds of births, and he is given mukti 'emancipation' from lifecycles, for his action on behalf of a godlike Rama is justifiable and befitting to get a final release, by word of Rama by me cremated ritually and by me aptly consented to... where He alone can transcend the manmade rules.
'Then the cremation, that too ritualistic one, is unavailable for birds and animals, how then can Rama perform funerals for birds, or get them performed for monkeys, as in the case of Vali...' For this it is said, 'that's why Rama had to cremate Jataayu and further said by me cremated ritually and by me aptly consented to... as sort of special sanction of mukti, because the animality has no authority in scriptures or its rites. Taking some action, endeavouring to protect dharma, or obstructing a dharma, itself is superior to mere reverencing a god, or performing a daily rot of yaj~na, yaaga-s,, etc., which in itself is a subjective performance. Here Jataayu did not attack Ravana keeping Rama or Seetha in view, but attacked Ravana only to play his part in stalling a dharma, which is not that easy, like purchasing some temple tickets to perform some ritual, for and on behalf of ticket holders and their families. For this it is said in nR^simha puraaNa says that mat k®te nidhan yasm˜t tvay˜ pr˜pt˜ tam dvijottama | tasm˜t mama pras˜dena viÿõu lokam av˜pyasi || 'because of me you attained your demise, thereby you get the realms of Vishnu...' where 'because of me' is to be taken not as an individual godhood, but as dharma, 'because of dharma...' itself. Hence the special sanctions to Jataayu, where such sanctions are absent in the case of Vali, as he followed the course of a dharma and there are many scripts that say Rama gave this emancipation to Jataayu, in chorus uv˜ca gaccha bhadram te mama viÿõo paramam padam - ˜dhy˜tma r˜m˜yana - r˜ghavasya pras˜dena sa g®dhra× paramam padam - padma pur˜õa - sugrivo hanum˜n ®kÿo gajo grdhrio vaõik patha - tilaka -teÿu bhagavad aÕþeÿu anur˜giõa× kosala nagara janapad˜× te api tan manas˜× sats˜lokyat˜m ˜pu× || viÿnu pur˜õa
'Has this Rama got no other work than weeping for his beloved ones and patiently performing obsequies to all lowborn, lowly subjects like dead monkey, birds, or even each individual demonic soldiers... they are all shuudra-s' is haunted feeling to some. For this it is said na þ¨dr˜ bhagavat bhakt˜ vipr˜ bh˜gavat˜ sm®t˜ | te þ¨dr˜ ye hi a bhakt˜ jan˜rdane || 'one who is devotee of Vishnu cannot be called a shuudra... he is to be called vipra, Bhaagavata... but a non-devotee, may he be in any caste, he is a shuudra...' And shuudra is upa lakshaNa to birds or animals, thereby even animals and birds are on an even footing, if it comes to paying deference to god, and god alone is capable to decree emancipation to every or any being. 'Again it is said that Rama is god, but yet he weeps... is it not self-contradictory...' Not so, when a neighbour weeps for the hardships of his neighbour, won't the neighbourly god weep...' that too on incarnating as a human... vyasaneÿu manuÿy˜õ˜m bh®þam bhavati du×khita× 'when humans are in difficulties, He wails much...' but waits much also, till those humans can correct or come over their problems on their own, keeping a little faith on Him...' Here also, the sobbing of Rama is comparatively nothing when compared to the sobbing for Seetha, because the action of Jataayu is not that sob-ful, in encountering a dharma... thus Valmiki is aware of 'good' sobbing and 'bad' sobbing in this sob-stuff, called Ramayana. And for this Dharmaakuutam says: anena mahad anujñay˜ uttam˜ gati× bhavati it s¨citam | tath˜ ca adharvaõŸ þruti× - yam yam lokam manas˜ saÕvibh˜ti viþuddha sattva× k˜mayate y˜þca k˜m˜n | tam tam lokam jayate t˜m ca k˜m˜an tasm˜t ˜tmajñam hi arcayet bh¨ti k˜ma× - bh˜ÿyam - ukta lakÿaõam sarv˜tmanam ˜tmatvena pratipanna× | tasya sarva ˜tmatv˜t eva sarv˜ av˜pti lakÿaõam phalam ˜ha - - - ˜tmajñam ˜tmajñatena viþuddha anta×karaõam hi arcet p¨jayet - ata× p¨j˜rha eva asau |
On saying that way, that ethical-souled Rama mounted that lord of birds onto the pyre and he sorrowfully incinerated that eagle in a flaring fire of pyre, as he would do in respect of his own deceased relative. Then that resolute Rama on going into forest along with Soumitri hunted a robust-bodied, big Rohi animal, or, Kesari animal, and then he spread sacred grass on ground to place that offering to the deceased soul of that bird.
On drawing up the flesh of that Rohi animal and lumping it to gobbets, that highly observant Rama placed those gobbets on pleasant greenish pasturelands as obsequial offerings in respect of that bird Jataayu. Rama immediately chanted Vedic hymns that are employed in such funerals of one's own paternal people, as Brahmans say that those hymns are employable in such rites as they lead the soul of the departed to heaven.
Rama chants two Vedic passages yaamya suukta, naaraayaNa suukta - aapastamba sutra-s as they are usually recited by Brahmans in such funeral rites. Here it is 'so imperfectly conducted, because it is for an ineligible bird, that too by an unrelated highborn Kshatriya Rama, reciting unconcerned Vedic hymns...' is the objection. Jataayu is beyond any caste or creed by way his devotion to duty and by his self-sacrifice while on duty. Hence, he is beyond eligibility or opposite of it. Funerals are to be conducted by one's own sons or nearest relatives. If none of the relatives of the dead is present to cremate, they are to be undertaken by the king of that kingdom. When Rama blessed the soul of Jataayu to go to highest realms, which are far beyond the Veda-s of mortals, it is a sacrosanct act to chant those hymns... on human level; hence, Rama's action is clearly pro-Vedic. And in Vaishnavaite tenets everything culminates into one - Vishnu. 'the adherents of Vishnu, may it be an animal, like Gajendra, the elephant, or humans, like Shabari et al., or a bird, like Jataayu, by Him, by Vishnu alone, they are led to the Ultimate course of the realm of Vishnu...'
Then both the sons of that notable man, namely Dasharatha, on going to River Godavari they have oblated waters for that king of eagles, Jataayu. Both of the Raghava-s took funeral baths in the waters of River Godavari and then made water oblations to the king of eagles.
That king of eagle Jataayu, who has performed a creditworthy deed of stalling and combating Ravana, but who is felled by that Ravana, went away to the merited and auspicious heavenly realms of his own, as and when consecrated by sublime sage like Rama.
Even those two, Rama and Lakshmana, on performing water oblations in respect of that best bird Jataayu, and on assertively giving thought to the information given by Jataayu, they like the chiefs of gods, namely Vishnu and Indra, went to southerly woods when their mind is set to search for Seetha.
Thus, this is the 68th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 69
Kabandha captures Rama and Lakshmana while they are searching forests for Seetha. In the meantime, a demoness named Ayomukhi wanted to romance with Lakshmana, but Lakshmana cuts her ear and nose and chases away. The episode of Kabandha has a turning point in the epic. |
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In this way, Raghava-s on offering water oblations to Jataayu went southwestward in the forest and proceeded looking around for Seetha.
They firstly have to go westward in order to go south as said by Jataayu, and as continued in next verse onwards.
On going in southwest direction, both the Ikshvaku-s wielding bows, arrows, and swords, have come about a pathway which is an off the beaten track. That pathway is thickly wrapped in and penned up with numerous trees, climber plants, and hedgerows from all over, thus that is jammed, blocked and horrid in its appearance. On taking up the southern direction, and on crossing over that highly horrendous and thick of the forest, both those spryly energetic brothers moved ahead, speedily. Thereafter, both the highly vigorous Raghava-s have entered the impassable Kraunca forest, on going three krosa-s from Janasthaana.
The Ancient Indian measures for distance, as per Kautilya's Artha Shaastra, a republication of Penguin are: 1 angula = 3/4 of present day inch; 4 angula-s = dharnugraha [bow grip]= 3 in; 8 angula-s = 1 dhanurmuSTi [fist with thumb raised]= 6 in; 12 angula-s = 1 vitasta [span-distance of stretched out palm between the tips of a person's thumb and little finger]= 9 in; 4 vitasta-s = 1 aratni / hasta [cubit]= 18 in; 4 aratni-s = 1 danDa / dhanus [bow]= 6 ft; 10 danDa-s = 1 rajju = 60 ft; 2 rajju-s = 1 paridesha = 120 ft; 2000 dhanus-s = 1 krosa / goruTa = 4000 yards or 2 1/4 miles, nearly 3.66 km; 4 krosa-s = 1 yojana = 9 miles, nearly 15 km; and this being so, the British revenue measured a yojana as a 5 mile distance and Chambers and Oxfords has this 5 mile figure in their dictionaries, while traditionally a yojana is said as a distance of 10 miles.
Those two brothers who are disquieted by the abduction of Seetha are now agog to find her, and they intently explored that forest temporising there and there. That forest is evocative of a congeries of many a black-cloud, and it embodies numerous flowers on many a flowered tree, numerous flights of birds flitting over them, and numerous animals sprawling under them, and with them that forest is as though highly rejoiced everywhere.
Then, both the brothers on passing over that Kraunca forest and on going from there eastwardly on a three-krosha route, those sons of Dasharatha have seen a horrendous forest in between Kraunca forest and Matanga hermitage, which is overspread with various thicketed and impassable trees, and over-sprawled by numerous gigantic predators and vulturine birds, and on scrutinising such a forest everywhere, there they saw a cave in a mountain, which is abyssal, equal to infernal region, and ever enshrouded by gloom.
On getting at that cave those manly-tigers have seen a demoness nearby that cave, who is massive in shape and misshapen in her face. Both the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, have seen a demoness there, who is an inducer of horror to the dunderheaded dullards, traumatic in her acts and truculent in her appearance, pot-bellied, pierce-fanged, overblown, pachydermatous, head hair shaggy, body shape lumpy-bumpy, and she is going on eating massive beasts.
Drawing nigh of those valorous brothers who are journeying on their way, that demoness actually clung onto Lakshmana who is going ahead of his elder brother, saying, "come... let's romance..."
Closeting Soumitri in her embrace she told him this sentence, "I am Ayomukhi, by my name... you won me by your heroic personality, by that way, none can win me over... thus, you alone are my lover... oh, hero, oh, my husband... you will romance with me on mountaintops, in rivers, and on sandy isles, till the end of this life..." So is the love prattle of that demoness Ayomukhi. When said that way that enemy-suppressor Lakshmana became furious, and upraising his sword he sheared off her nose, one ear, and one of her breasts.
When her nose and ear are cut off that demoness of hideous mien yelled highly in a high voice, and she rushed off as she had rushed in at Lakshmana. When she fled those two brothers who are the eliminators of the friends of their enemies, have travelled further into the forest and entered a dense area of that forest, with their spiritedness as their guiding force. Though Lakshmana is the one with preparedness, properness, and pureness and thus a highly fulgent one by his persona, he prayfully said this sentence to his brother Rama whose anima is radiantly fulgorous.
"My left arm is strongly shuddering and my heart is as though distraught... and even undesirable forebodings are also bidding fair... Oh, exalted brother, thereby you be at the ready by paying attention to my expedient words... these forebodings are indeed portending to me as if some hazard is immediately ensuing... This eerily dreadful bird known to be Vanjulaka is loudly ululating as though presaging our triumph in any given conflict that may ensue..." So said Lakshmana to Rama.
When those two brothers are searching entire forest for Seetha in that way, they heard a boisterous brouhaha emanated as though to completely shatter down that forest.
As though an unbearable windstorm muffles up the forest, that forest's cacophony appeared to be unbearably filling up that forest.
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As though an unbearable windstorm muffles up the sky, that forest's cacophony appeared to be unbearably filling up that forest. But desiring to know the source of that noise that sword-wielder Rama has seen a gigantically giant-bodied and gigantesque-chested demon in a section of brushwood along with his younger brother Lakshmana. Then they both had to drew nigh of a waylaying demon Kabandha, who is situated frontally with an overgrown body, which is neckless, ergo headless, ergo mouth in paunch.
That diabolical demon is peaking like a huge mountain, his hair is horripilate and thickset, and his gleam is like a dark cloud, and his sounding is like a thunder.
Only one ochry eye blazing like the tongue of an inferno is there on his forehead, which forehead situated on his chest. That single eye with incisive and sharp-sight is broad beaming and wide angling, on which there are winglike eyelids. That monster is now licking his giant mouth that is stuffed with spearhead like fangs, as he has just finished a gobble, and the brothers had to drew nigh of such a demon. He is eating the highly brutal bears, lions, predators, and elephants, and he is outstretching both of his deadly arms, each of which is stretchable to a yojana distance, and the bothers neared such a demon.
That demon stayed waylaying the pathway of both the brothers who chanced there, while he is catching bears, divers flights of birds, and numerous choicest animals of those and those herds, gripping them with both of his long-reaching hands and hauling towards his mouth at his paunch, or dropping them off if they are unpalatable, and the brothers reached nearby of such a demon. On travelling just a krosha distance, then they have seen Kabandha, whose body is colossal, and who is heinous and hideous, and who is like living trunk fenced by its shoulders and arms, and who by his physique is very deadly in appearance.
Earlier it is said that they saw Kabandha in brushwood and now they are seeing him alone at a distance of 2 1/4 miles away from them. Their seeing him is continuous and thereby the height of Kabandha is established and he can be seen from a distance, as with a hillock. Their pathway is this only and it is waylaid by this demon.
He that overlong-armed Kabandha outstretching his overlong arms snatched both of the Raghava-s, keeping them side-by-side in his fists, and wringing them with his might.
Though both the arms of the demon came to these brothers apart and aside, he snatched them and kept his closed fists together, in which they are wrung, so that he can examine them clearly with his single eye. This also gave a chance for the conversation between the brothers. Otherwise, if one arm goes one way and the other in another way, there will be a gap of 2 yojana-s, as each arm can stretch to a yojana distance.
Though they are the grapplers with swords and brandishers of unerring bows, and though outblazing is their pneuma and outstanding is their dexterity, both of those great mighty brothers lost control and had to yield themselves to that demon when he captured and dragged them. In that situation, that valiant Rama, the legatee of Raghava-s, is not verily anguished owing to his courage, but Lakshmana is very much anguished, as if he is callow and in an unsheltered state, and he that younger brother of Raghava, namely Lakshmana, also dejectedly said this to Rama, the legatee of Raghava-s.
The expression of 'unsheltered one' of Lakshmana is found as a self-sympathetic and unbefitting to him in a crisis. But, when read with the following dialogue of Lakshmana it is correct. He wanted to edge over Jataayu in self-sacrifice for the sake of brotherhood. And the boyish callowness is to tell that Lakshmana has not recollected for a while, as to how they have handled Viradha, in the opening chapters of this canto. His overalled thinking is that his brother should be safe, at the cost of his own self, if that comes to that.
"Oh, valiant brother, see me, who am out of control on my inner-self, and gone into the control of the demon... oh, Raghava, you leave me and get yourself released from the grip of the demon... Indeed offer me as an offering to this quiddity, and you seek safety at your pleasure... and you will reach Vaidehi shortly... this is my belief... Oh, Kakutstha, on regaining the kingdom of our father and forefathers, and when enthroned, oh, Rama, it will be apt of you to reminisce me always..." So said Lakshmana to Rama.
But when Lakshmana said that way, Rama said to Soumitri, "Fret not thyself, futilely... oh, brave one, your king of persons will not get dismayed, futilely... In the meantime, that ruthless, log-armed, fiercest demon Kabandha thunderously asked those brothers, Rama and Lakshmana.
"Who are you two? Your shoulders are akin to the bull-humps, and you are shouldering longbows and brandishing broad swords, how have you come about this province? For god's sake, I come across my most dainty morsel...
The last compound has different compositions in different mms. It is taken here, as 'dainty morsel' as the 'eyes' is ill fitting in the compound, as this demon has only one eye.
"What business you have here, and for which reason you have come here... you chanced for me who am sitting here and painfully ravenous... Though you are with arrows, bows and swords, and though you are like bulls with sharp horns ready to gore... but they are all a waste, as your life has readily become ungainful on reaching nigh of my sight and arms..." So said Kabandha, in his arrogant tone.
On hearing that sentence of that vile-souled Kabandha, Rama said this to Lakshmana with a wilted face. "Oh, truth-valiant Lakshmana, now coming to pass is a worst catastrophe, after a worse catastrophe, after a catastrophe...namely, the expiration at the hands of this demon presently, and the expropriation of Seetha previously, and the expulsion from kingship, still previously... nonetheless, without coming across that ladylove, this disastrous despair of ending our lives is coming about... Oh, Lakshmana, the efficacy of Time is preponderant and proportional among all beings... oh, manly-tiger, why generalisation... see, as to how yourself and even myself are entangled in the tangles of life, even though we assert ourselves to be brave and best...
Oh, Lakshmana, to show its impact on each and every being Time, or God is unencumbered and unremitting... may he be a brave one or a brawny one... or, may they be those that have perfected their missilery... when Time chances their nigh, they have to founder... as with a sandy levee...
The use of word God for Time is to say that time is a created phenomenon, and to say Absolute is beyond time and nature as said na vR^iksha kaalaa prakR^itbhiH yasmaat prapancam parivartae ayam... shvetaashvatara upanishat 6-6.
Rama being the son of Dasharatha is an indomitable one, besides, a firmly and factually valorous one, by which he earned a great renown, and he on telling thus, and on looking over that recalcitrantly vengeful Soumitri, then Rama readied himself by his own steadied thinking.
Thus, this is the 69th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 70
Kabandha's overlong arms are cut off when he wanted to devour Rama and Lakshmana as godsend dainty morsels. Then Kabandha wishes to know who these two are and when Lakshmana informs him of Rama, that demon feels elated for his accursed state is over at the hands of Rama. |
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On prying at those two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, who are completely stowed in the hangman's halter-like arms of the demon, and who are enduring within it, Kabandha said this sentence to them.
"Oh, excellent Kshatriya-s, on seeing me who am miserably famished, really what for you stay cool? You are the godsend gobs of mine, and hence now you are almost dead..." So said Kabandha to brothers.
Lakshmana who is possessed by anguish, and who is determined to wreck revenge on that demon, said these expedient and advisable words to Rama on hearing that demon's word.
"This scurrilous demon quickly hauled in you and me to his face level, and he will quickly take us in, therefore, we will have to swiftly hack off his lengthy arms at his shoulder level... Gruesome is this gargantuan bodied demon, and triumphing over just with his arms he has utterly devastated this province, and he now wishes to end us... Oh, king Raghava, killing the non-aggressive is tantamount to the killing of animals that are led into Vedic-ritual in its midst is despicable to the kings...
The text varies with other mms. kratu madhye upa niitaam will change to kratu madhye apa niitaam in Maheshvara Tiirtha's version, then it translates as 'an animal led out of the ritual half way through the ritual...' meaning that 'the animal unbefitting for sacrifice...' And that is to say 1] an animal not prearranged and sanctified right from the beginning, but brought in the middle of ritual; 2] or, one that is brought for ritual which has to yield without being aggressive pratikaara hiina shakti; 3] or, paryagni kR^itaa na araNyaam utsR^ijyam a himsaayaa 'unsanctified or wild animals brought from wilds are to be let off, unhurt...' 4] or, one that which is not at the sacrificial post - it is not to be sacrificed...' and Lakshmana says addressing Rama as 'oh, king, you have to let off those beasts, but not this beastly demon who is aggressive and contemplating a regicide...'
On hearing all of their conversation that demon is infuriated, and then widely opening his ferocious mouth he started to wolf down both of them. Then both the Raghava-s are very highly gladdened as the demon is hauling them towards his eye at shoulder level, and as they are the brothers with circumspection, they instantly mutilated his arms right at their shoulder joints only with two swords.
This compound su sam hR^iSTau is as per the text of Govindaraja and Maheshvara Tiirtha states this as su sam vignau meaning 'very highly agitated...' agitated at the short time available to cut off his hands, before falling into his well-head like mouth. And this expression 'very highly gladdened' is for the righteous advice given by Lakshmana, circumspectly.
Then that dextrous Rama with an unrestrained speed hacked off the right arm, and valiant Lakshmana on his part hewed down the left arm that speedily. He that overlong-armed Kabandha fell down with mangled arms, reverberated the sky, earth, and all of the ten points of horizon with a cacophonous voice, like a black-thunderous-cloud. That demon on seeing at his dissevered shoulders on which the gushes of blood are overflowing, he self-piteously asked those two bold ones thus as, "who are you..."
When that great mighty Kabandha is asking thus, Lakshmana who has prosperous characteristics has informed him about Rama of Kakutstha, an unremitting dynasty.
"He is known to people by the name of Rama, the legatee of Ikshvaku dynasty, and you know me as his younger brother, Lakshmana, by my name... Countervailed from kingdom by mother this Rama is bluntly sent to forests, and he is on the rove in great forests along with me ad his wife... A demon stole his wife while he whose leverage is like that of god is living in the unpopulated forest... and wishing to retrieve her we came here...
"But who are you? Your legs are broken, and your mouth is infernal, yet it is on your chest, and alike a topless, rootless tree trunk you are sprawling in the forest, how so, or, for what reason?" Lakshmana asked the demon thus.
But Kabandha is highly delighted when Lakshmana spoke that way, as the words of Indra came to his memory, and he said these words in reply. "Oh, manly tigers, by my providence you are revealed to me... welcome to you... and providentially sheared are these shackles, called my two arms, by you...
The arms, mouth-to-stomach, and another organ are the epitomes of mortals. A mortal does everything with arms and devours anything with mouth. martyaa kartaa bhoktaa ca Now those shackles of mortality are severed and he is ready for immortality.
"Oh, manly tiger, actually how this form of mine is disfigured, of course owing to my distrustful behaviour, that you may listen while I narrate it to you.
Thus, this is the 70th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 71
Kabandha requests Rama to incinerate him, so that he would get his divine form and then would be able to give some clues in regaining Seetha. He admits that the present hideous state has chanced only because of his arrogant behaviour, thereby a sort of repentance has occurred in him. A course of conversations occurs among these two, as each is distrustful of the other. |
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"Oh, great dextrous Rama with great daring and dashing, as to how the physique of sun, moon, and even that of Indra is there now, my physique was also like that earlier, an unbelievable mien and renowned in all the three worlds... Such as I was with an admirable body, disguising myself in this kind of horrendous form which is utterly dreadful to the world, I was scaring the forest living sages, there and there... On one day, when a great sage named Sthuulashira was collecting divers forest produce for his Vedic-ritual, I scared him with this ugly form and I even exasperated him... On seeing me that sage who is an enforcer of deadly curse cursed me in this way, 'that which is presently diabolic and despicable form of yours, hereinafter you will abide in this form alone...' When I begged that enraged sage as, 'even if I have committed this blasphemy owing to my blasphemous fate, will there be an end to this blasphemed form of mine, or not...' and then he spoke this word to me... 'When Rama incinerates you in an uninhibited forest on chopping off your shoulders, then you will regain your own grand and auspicious form...' So said the sage to me... Oh, Lakshmana, you may know as the most handsome son of Danu, and this misshapen form has chanced on me owing the ire of Indra in battlefield...
The cause of curse is said so far and now the effect is narrated, and tŸvrataratapa×praty˜hitapit˜mahavaralabh˜þastravadhyabh˜vadarpitena may˜ raõe vikramya pradharÿita þakra× - so says dk about it.
"I have gladdened Grandparent Braham with severe ascesis and He granted longevity to me, and then a kind of recalcitrance touched off in my mind... 'When longevity is acquired by me what Indra can do to me...' thus relying upon that kind of certitude, I jousted with Indra in a bout... But the Thunderbolt that has a hundred cutting edges and that which is launched from Indra's hand has rammed by head and thighs into my body...
"When I begged of him saying, 'lead me to the hell of Yama, rather than making me to live this hell of a body...' Then Indra said this to me, 'Let the Grandparent Brahma's word about your longevity come true...' Thus Indra spared me to me... 'By the impaction of Thunderbolt disarranged are my thighs and head, thereby my mouth went into my stomach... and without thighs how can I prowl, without arms how can I scrabble, and without a mouth how can I guzzle... and how am I capable to live on, and even that living too, is destined for too long a time...'
"When I said to Indra this way, Indra devised for me yojana long arms, also that way a rapier-fanged mouth in my paunch... Such as I am, I have been eating the lions, elephants, animals, and tigers that are on the move in this forest, hauling them in with both of my overlong arms... IIndra has also said to me, 'as and when Rama hacks off your arms along with Lakshmana in a conflict, then you can go to heaven...' Thus Indra said to me and vanished.
"Oh, sire, I am grabbing whatever I see in this forest while living with this body... oh, powerful king, as I feel it meetly and a must for me... I believed that Rama will certainly come nigh of my captivity, and confiding myself in this kind of determination, presaged by sage Sthuulashira, as well... I have been toiling to dislodge this body... Oh, Raghava, as to how this has happened in this way according to the sum and substance told by the sage Sthulashira, you alone are that Rama, let safe betide you, and none other than you is capable to mangle me...
"Oh, impetuous man Rama, if I were to be beatified by you two by incinerating me in Fire, I will advice you about the next course of your action... I will further advise you about your prospective friend..." So said Kabandha to Rama. When Raghava is said thus by that Kabandha, the heir of Danu, that duty-minded Rama said this word to Kabandha while Lakshmana is hearing.
This Kabandha and his lineage is an enigma and variously said at various places, just by deflection of one or two words. This being the riddle of grammarians, we are supposed to know that he is a demon blessed for gandharva-hood, and then accursed to demon-hood, and then becomes a gandharva again and goes to heaven, at the blessing of Rama. The last compound in second stanza differs with that of other mms, in wording, but not in its meaning.
"Ravana conveniently stole my illustrious wife when myself and my brother exited from Janasthaana... I only know his name but not the form of that demon... and we are unaware either of his stronghold or of his staying power...
It appears that Rama is dealing with this Kabandha with a half-belief, because he is rehashing the same good old parroting. Here there is a mutual distrust. 'What if this demon when reduced to ashes cannot say anything... like Viraadha...' is the distrust in Rama, and 'what if I am going to say the name of Sugreeva now itself, before they incinerate me, and on knowing the name of Sugreeva, what if this Rama departs quickly to Sugreeva, without burning me...' is the mistrust of Kabandha. The averral of Rama to Kabandha is unclear so far, and in order to put his case straight Rama has to rehash, so he is going over again. The same is the case with Sugreeva. He blatantly lies to Rama that he does not know Ravana, in Kishkindha Kanda. And if insisted Sugreeva, or to that matter of fact Seetha, both are ready with their self-assertive dialogue: kaH na aparaadhyati 'who errs not...'
"It will be apt of you to show befitting mercy on us who are anguished by agony, running all over helter-skelter like unsheltered ones, and we who will be compliant for your restitution... Oh, brave Kabandha, on bringing dried up firewood that was rent at times by elephants, and on digging a large trench, we will incinerate you in it... Such as you are, if you actually know who stole Seetha, or whereto she is stolen, either... you clearly inform of her when incinerated, thus you will be rendering a most gracious deed to me, and to all concerned..." Thus Rama made clear of his case.
When he is said thus that expert articulator Kabandha replied Rama, who is also an expert enunciator, with expedient words. There is no divine knowledge to me as of now... nor I can identify Maithili... but when I am burnt I assume my own original divine form, and then I will be able tell about him, who will find her out... With this unburnt body, oh, Rama, I indeed have no ability to discern anything, hence oh, lord, I will be able to speak about him who can familiarise you with that great mighty demon, by whom your Seetha is stolen, only after that incineration...
"Oh, Raghava, utterly distorted is my acumen, indeed, by the blemish of curse... and this form which is despicable to world has bechanced only because of my own antics... Oh, Rama, soon you have to toss me into trench to burn me customarily, sooner than the Sun's going to Mt. Dusk when his horses are fatigued...
Now Rama started to believe Kabandha because the simile used by him refers to the dusking Sun with fatigued horses. Though Kabandha is always telling that 'I have no knowledge... I lost my discernment...' etc., half told is the fact that there is someone out there to help Rama. Hence, the believability is bechanced. Sun's horses will never be fatigued, but fatigued is this Kabandha in this grotesque physique, as a vehicle predestined to communicate some information to Rama. And when a dusking Sun is indicated, another dawning Sun is also indicated, in his freshness. So also, Kabandha is about to resurrect after this incineration, as a vehicular messenger for Rama.
"Oh, Rama, the legatee of Raghu, when I am scripturally burnt by you in a trench, oh, great valiant Rama, for sure, I will tell of him, who can quiet fathom that demon... Oh, Raghava, you have to befriend him with an amicable comportment... and that valiantly alacritous one will be gladdened by the sequel of your friendship, and he will evolve a succour to you...
"Oh, Raghava, nothing is there in all the three worlds that is unfamiliar to him, for he circumnavigated all worlds once, in a different context...
Even now Kabandha is not naming Sugreeva, only for fear of loosing Rama, without burning the half dead Kabandha. Kabandha knows that humans do not burn or bury the undead, and Rama may now leave this dying Kabandha to his natural death, and go away. But Rama is already acquainted with the dying ceremonies of demons, where they die only after a physically dead, perforce, by consigning them to fire or burying them alive, as in the case of Viraadha. Hence this stingy maiming and baiting of Kabandha is continued, to burn him down, perforce.
Thus, this is the 71st chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 72
When Rama incinerates Kabandha he resurrects as a celestial being and detailing about Sugreeva he urges Rama to befriend him. He informs Rama that Sugreeva is also in a similar condition and he needs some one to rely upon, in order to overcome his problems, and thus Kabandha asks Rama to help Sugreeva, and get help as requital from Sugreeva. |
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When Kabandha said that way, both those brave men and lords of people, on throwing the body of Kabandha into a mountain cleft and then embedded it with firewood. On his part Lakshmana started to torch that pyre with highly sparkling torches from all over, and even that pyre too suddenly blazed with blazes from all over. That massy body of Kabandha is full with fat and while it is being cooked, it is in simile with a massy gob of ghee. But the Fire had to stew that body tardily, though that stewed meat is Fire's favourite dish, because of that body's massiveness.
In a trice that highly dynamic Kabandha zoomed up shoving off that pyre, and he is now attired in lily-white vestments and angelic garlands, and appeared like a fumeless fire. Then highly gladdened Kabandha jumped up onto sky from the pyre, and there he is irradiant with unsullied clothing, and fineries decorated on every limb. On going to firmament Kabandha is now seated in a dazzling celestial aircraft yoked with swans, which endows renown because it takes the occupants to the realms of Brahma, and sitting in that celestial aircraft he said this sentence to Rama, while his own great glimmer and glitter beamed forth in all ten quarters.
"Oh, Raghava, how you will regain Seetha, that you listen from me in its essence... oh, Rama, by which and which analyses everything will be analysed, six of such ideations are available in this world... and when a person is touched down by a spell of nemeses, he shall adore one who is equally in such spell of nemesis...
The six ideations employed by kings in kingship are 1] sandhi a covenant with adverse kings; 2] vigraha continuing hostilities; 3] yaana waging war; 4] aasana sit out for proper time; 5] dvaidhii bhaava creating factions and vicissitudes in enemy groups; 6] samaashraya taking shelter under a coequal.
"Oh, Rama, you along with Lakshmana went into a spell of nemesis, and thus you have become an underprivileged one, and that spell alone has obtained you this dire straits, in the form of abducting your wife... Oh, best among kind-hearted ones, thereby you have to certainly befriend such a soul in similar dire straits... however deeply I may think, I am not able to perceive your accomplishment if you do not befriended with such a soul...
"Oh, Rama, listen what I tell... a vanara is there by name Sugreeva, who is vengefully reneged by his brother Vali, the son of Indra... That self-respectful valiant Sugreeva is living on the Mt. Rishyamuka, a best mountain available in the lambent fringes of Pampa Lake, along with four other vanara-s. He that Sugreeva is a masterful one among vanara-s, highly mettlesome, self-resplendent, and illimitable is his self-radiance... and he is also truth-bound and culture-bound... a mastermind, master-hand and a taskmaster... He is a capable adventurer, a courageous exploiter and incomparable one in intrepidity and a brave one in incursions, and his personality will be coruscating ever and anon, for he is the son of Sun-god... but he is banished by his self-conceited brother owing to the reasons of kingdom...
"Oh, Rama, he will be your associate and an aid in searching for Seetha, and he conducts himself in your wellbeing, hence let not your heart yield to agony... Oh, tigerly Ikshvaaku, further nothing can be countermanded in this world which is indeed ineluctable, and it is impossible to countervail against Time, isn't it...
"Oh, bold one, you go straight from here to that great mighty Sugreeva, and oh, Raghava, on going from here now and promptly you fraternise with Sugreeva... and to not to bode any ill of unfriendliness among you two, you make him a friend before blazing Fire, making that Fire as an Attestor of your friendship... You shall not look down on that lord of monkeys taking him as a lowly simian, why because that Sugreeva is a valiant one, a guise changing wizard and presently he is in the need of a bolsterer, and if you render help he will be obligated to you for ever... Now you two are capable enough to effectuate the desired task of Sugreeva, isn't it... whether his own purpose is achieved through you or not, he will effectuate your task...
"Sugreeva is the son of Riksharaja, and the direct son of the Sun, but Vali trespassed against him. Wary of Vali's onslaughts Sugreeva is wandering around Pampa... Oh, Raghava, right away and candidly you make that monkey Sugreeva, a wanderer in the forest, sheltering himself on Mt. Rishyamuka, as a friend of yours taking an oath on your weapon besides the Fire-witness...
The compound aayudham sam ni dhaaya can mean in the three possible ways as said above. Any one, or three meanings can be obtained, as intensifiers.
"With his expertise that straightforward monkey Sugreeva is indeed conversant with all of the strongholds of anthropophagite demons in the world in their entirety... Oh, enemy-subjugator Rama, as far as the thousand rayed sun manifestly irradiates the world, oh, Raghava, thus far, nothing in the least is unfamiliar to him, isn't it... He makes the monkeys to purposefully rake over the expansive rivers, extensive mountains and their impassable cliffs and caves in locating your wife...
"Oh, Raghava, he expedites giant bodied monkeys in all directions to search for her, who is agonised by your parting, and he quests after the residence of Ravana for that comely lady Maithili...
"Whether that unreprovable ladylove of yours, Seetha, is located on the tops of Mt. Meru's peaks, or abiding on the planes of nadir of the earth, he that defiant one among fly-jumpers, Sugreeva, on entering there and annihilating the demons, he again bestows Seetha to you..." So Kabandha continued his advise to Rama regarding Sugreeva.
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The Suggestion of Kabandha - right or wrong
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Kabandha's suggestion that 'a bewailer shall befriend another bewailer...' is apparently a meaningless suggestion, keeping mythical imports aside, for a while. Though Kabandha is unaware about Ravana and his activities, he is aware of Vali and Sugreeva, according to his present narration. He should have advised Rama to befriend Vali, who is in power and a powerful one too, instead of Sugreeva. It is not so, is the reply from the viewpoint of dharma. This Kabandha has suffered his best in taking wrong routes and just now, he resurrected after making many amends, and he is supposed to advise Rama to go on a right path and to a right personality as Vali is already established as a pursuer of wrong path. But Vali when talking to Rama at his death time says that 'I would have brought Maithili in a single day, I would have roped Ravana and brought him like an animal tide with roe around its neck...' etc. But they are all his expressions at death-time-wisdom. He did not care for Tara's advices nor bothered to talk to Rama, as to why Sugreeva is instigated upon him. This being so, when immortal wisdom has dawned on Kabandha, he cannot ask Rama to tread a wrong path to get his task done. This is what the viewpoint of Dharmaakuutam. Though untranslated verbatim the above is the gist of the following.
k˜rya siddi artham samprati bh˜tru m˜tra sah˜yyasya durdaþa ˜rambaham pr˜ptasya r˜mabhadrasya d®ÿ÷a balena daiva balena ca upeta durdaþ˜y˜× sam˜pti pr˜ptena sugrŸveõa sandhi k˜rama eva samucitam iti kabandhena uktam | tat anupapannam | yato valŸ sugrŸv˜t adhika bala× - sakala v˜nara sen˜ pari v®ta× - sva r˜jye supratiÿ÷ito - r˜ma k®ta prati upak˜ra nirapekÿo - r˜vaõa nigraha catura bhuja vŸrya upapatteh ca | m˜m eva yadi p¨rvam tvam etad artham acodaya× | maithilim aham eka ˜hn˜ tava ca ˜nŸtav˜n bhave× || 1-17-49 | r˜kÿasam ca dur˜tm˜n˜m tava bh˜rya apah˜riõam | kaõ÷he baddhv˜ pradady˜m te anihatam r˜vaõam raõe || 3-17-50 - iti jŸva gr˜ham g®hŸtv˜ raõe v˜ tan nihatya - - et˜d®þa s˜marthyam avagamane sva k˜rya s˜dhaka× ca | ata eva v˜linam apah˜ya at˜d®þa× sugrŸva× katham upadiÿ÷a iti cet na | satya api s˜mardhye d®ptav˜n - r˜vaõa mitratv˜t r˜jya sthitatv˜t - r˜ma k®ta upak˜ra nirapekÿatv˜t ca r˜ma pr˜thito v˜lŸ sakhyam na angŸkury˜d eva | ˜sanna m®tun˜ v˜lin˜ sakhya karaõam niÿphalam ca || - - - satyapi s˜mardhye sŸt˜m ˜nŸya d˜sy˜mi iti et˜d®þa buddhe× þikÿaõa anantara bhavitvena sakhya asakhy˜y˜m asambhav˜t | sva par˜krameõa vin˜ anyena s˜dhita artha angŸkaraõasya kÿatriy˜õ˜m adharmyatv˜t |
This is to say that dharma is far beyond mere politics, whether monarchical or otherwise. To uphold that dharma, one has to undergo certain painful processes, that may be you, or we, or may they be godlike or godsend Rama or Lakshmana.
Thus, this is the 72nd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 73
Kabandha extols Pampa Lake and details Rama about the course to be adopted to proceed to Mt. Rishyamuka to befriend Sugreeva. He details about Matanga hermitage and implores upon Rama to visit an anchoress name Shabari, who is waiting for ages to have a glimpse of Rama. |
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On showing a concept for questing after Seetha that context-sensitive Kabandha further spoke this sentence which is inclusive of right concept to Rama.
"Oh, Rama, have a recourse to westward, and where the trees of Rose-apple, Priyaala, Jackfruit, Plaksha, Banyan, Tinduka, Pipal, Karnikara, Mango, and others... and even trees like Dhanva, Naaga, Tilaka, Naktamaala, blue Ashoka, Kadamba, Karaviira, Agnimukha, Ashoka, red-sandalwood trees and Neem trees will be heart-pleasingly shining forth in full blossom, that alone is an optimistic course for you.
The botanical terms for some of these trees are given to some of the above in the first chapter of Kishkindha.
"On shinning up those trees, or else, even on forcefully pelting those fruits down onto ground, then you may pelt over, devouring those ambrosial fruits... On crossing over that parkland, oh, Kakutstha, another parkland with blossomy flowers is there, which replicates the heavenly Nandana gardens, and a replica of North-Kuru, an all-endowing province... Wherein the trees fruit all-season fruits that transude nectar, why fruits alone, in that parkland all seasons are coeval, as they will be in Caitraratha, the celestial gardens of Kubera...
"In there, the trees bear enormous branches which will be crouching under the weight of their own fruits, and everywhere such trees will be shining forth like shiny clouds and shining mountains... Let Lakshmana present those ambrosial fruits to you either by climbing up those trees to pluck them, or else by pelting them to ground, according to his convenience... Peregrinating finest places by trekking from mountain to mountain, from forest to forest, oh, valorous ones, you will trek to an auspicious lotus-lake, called Pampa...
"It is un-pebbly, un-slippery, un-weedy thereabouts, oh, Rama, equal are its quaysides and emersed are its sandbanks, red and blue lotuses beautify that Pampa Lake... There the indwellers of Pampa Lake's waters, oh, Raghava, namely the swans, cranes, Kraunca-s and fish-hawks will be letting out peeps in tuneful voice... Thereabout birds will be unflustered on seeing humans, because they are artless to avoid hunting, because none kills them, and you may savour them because those birds will be best and burley, similar to ghee-gobs...
Comment: A word about Rama's vegetarianism or otherwise is incorporated at endnote.
"Oh, Rama in that Pampa Lake there are best fishes, red-carps, and blunt-snouted small porpoises, and a sort of sprats, which are neither scraggy, nor with many fish-bones. Lakshmana will reverentially offer them to you on skewering them with arrow, and on broiling them on iron rod of arrow after descaling and de-finning them. While you eat those fishes to satiety, Lakshmana will offer you the water of Pampa Lake, which will be in the bunches of flowers of that lake, and which will be lotus-scented, pellucid, comfortably cool, shiny like silver and crystal, uncontaminated and that way pristine, by lifting it up that water with lotus leaf, making that leaf a stoup-like basin...
"Oh, best one among men Rama, at Pampa you will see best shaped Vanara-s who have their bunk bed in mountain caves, and who will be coming nearby the lake, greedy as they are for water, and those forest movers will be moving about in evening time of the day, bellowing like bulls... oh, Rama, Lakshmana will show them to you... While roving in the evenings, oh, Rama, should you see the serenely water of Pampa, with her trees garlanded with their own blooms and twigs, you will discard your own dolour...
The word viTapin was originally an adjective of vR^iksha, viTapi VR^iksha, meaning a tree having twigs. In the course of time the sense of vR^iksha was appropriated [by viTapin ] to itself and the use of vR^iksha along with it fell out. There is no more conjecture. Pt. Satya Vrat in 'Ramayana - A Linguistic Study' and here twigs are upa lakshaNa for blooms and then, 'trees garlanded with its own blooms and twigs...'
"Oh, Raghava, there you will see highly delightful and wide-ranging trees like Tilaka and Naktamaala, and fully bloomed red and blue lotuses, as well... Oh, Raghava, there is none someone to inwreathe the garlands of those flowers, and indeed, they neither dry up, nor drop down... Erst there were self-collected sages, the disciples of Sage Matanga, and at one time while they were bringing the forest produce as ritual paraphernalia, they were much wearied by its weight and they were sweating... and all of those earthbound strings of sweat-drops that quickly dropped from their bodies were wafted by air onto trees, and on them they reoccurred as strings of flowers, by the merit of the ascesis of those sages... oh, Raghava, since those flowers have emerged from sweat-drops, they are imperishable, indeed...
The above wafting of sweat drops onto trees is as per Govindaraja. In another way, the sweat drops fell onto ground and from them trees grew up, and they flowered unwithered flowers - Then as they laboured through the dell / From limb and brow the heat-drops fell: / Thence sprang and bloomed those wondrous trees: - R.T.H. Griffith
"Oh, Rama of Kakutstha, albeit the passing of those sages through the pearly gates, their maidservant, a long-lived one and an anchoress, named Shabari, can be seen there, even today... Oh, Rama, she who always stands by probity will depart to the sphere of heaven, on attending to you, for you are the referent to god, and a reverent for one and all... Oh, Rama, thereafter on your taking course to that western bank of Pampa Lake, oh, Kakutstha, there you will see the unequalled and arcane place of hermitage of sage Matanga...
"Sage Matanga so methodised that woodland, where even the elephants are rendered incapable to trespass in that hermitage of sage Matanga disturbing its serenity... Oh, the legatee of Raghu, that woodland which in simile is like a godly forest, similar to the heavenly Nandana gardens, overspread with divers birds is renowned as 'Matanga woodland', and oh, Rama, you will take delight rejoicingly in that woodland...
"In front of Pampa there is a bountiful but an unclimbable mountain is there with trees in full blossom, which is well-protected by baby elephants, and which in earlier times was purposefully created by Brahma, and that alone is Mt. Rishyamuka...
It is difficult to climb this mountain hence Hanuma airlifted Rama and Lakshmana to Sugreeva. Brahma purposefully crafted it, as the only shelter to Sugreeva. Its flowers are ever blossomy and fruited to feed Sugreeva and the other four monkeys in exile. Baby elephants are enough to keep guard for that mountain, then why tell about the capacity of full grown ruttish elephants. This prearrangement is owing to the presage of Brahma.
"And should a man sleep on the heights of that mountain, and should he dream of gaining some riches in that sleep, he gains that much when he wakes up... But he who is diabolic in his deportment and devilish in comportment, climbs that and hopes to sleep soundly, demons capture him while he is in sleep, and rough him up to death, there itself... Oh, Rama, there the blaring trumpet-blasts of baby elephants that amuse themselves at Lake Pampa, and of those that are the indwellers of Matanga hermitage, even there on Mt. Rishyamuka are audible...
"The mighty and massy dark-cloud coloured elephants will be hitting head-on, and with dripping blood streams on their jumbo heads and temples, they disperse and move about separately, only to come together for yet another round of head-to-head collision... There the elephants are quenched on drinking water of Pampa Lake, that is daintily clean, and neatly clear, springlike for touch, and in which all scents of flowers of that lake are included, and then they will be collectively re-entering the forests, for they are forest ranging elephants...
"On your seeing the bears, also thus the tigers and even the exultant sapphire-blue Rurus with black stripes there, you will discard your distress... But oh, Rama, a cavernous cave lidded with a boulder stone outshines on that mountain, and oh, Kakutstha, problematic is an entry into it... On its right at its eastern opening a delightful lake with highly coolant waters is there, fringed with divers trees and fraught with numerous tubers and fruits...
"Sugreeva dwells in that cave along with four other monkeys, and at times he will be available on the peaks of that mountain, even on its bluffs and cliffs, for he is a terrified monkey..." Thus Kabandha informed them.
That impressive Kabandha adorned with divine garlands and abiding in sky scintillating with the grandeur of the dazzle of the sun has bidden both the brothers, Rama and Lakshmana thus, awaited a bid adieu from them. Rama and Lakshmana who started off on their peregrination said this sentence to that highly providential Kabandha, who is temporising in the sky in their vicinity, thus as "you may proceed..."
On getting the orders for departure from those two brothers who are highly gladdened at the information given by Kabandha, he that Kabandha who is ready to exit, he further said to them thus, "proceed for the purpose of achieving your task..."
Kabandha who redeemed his divine form has now got an aureole around him, and while irradiance is tamping whole of his mien, he moved further up on sky and reappeared. And staying in the sky he pointed out at the side of Mt. Rishyamuka, and then he reiterated, "you befriend Sugreeva..."and then he vanished.
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Vegetarianism of Rama
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Lakshmana's killing, dressing of birds and fishes, and Rama's munching them - is a heatedly debated topic in web forums of all sorts. Some commentators of Ramayana have totally contrived the above expressions, to give a touch of vegetarianism. Even when Rama killed Rohi animals as offerings to dead Jataayu, there also it is contrived to mean as some roots or tubers. When Seetha says to Ravana who came in the guise of Brahman friar, that Rama will fetch much meat and I offer that on cooking aamiSam aadaati puSkalam This also is contrived as some tubers and fruits.
This pro-Jain, pro-Buddhist touch of vegetarianism is an enforced virtue on Vedic-ism. The only and real vegetarians of India are the Jains, and Jainism is a 'holier than thou...' sect of Vedic-ism, for their hymns and biija akshara-s are nothing but the derivatives of Vedic hymns. But these are a fed up lot with the then overtures of the practisers of Vedic-ism, and cleaved themselves from Vedic-ism to form Jainism, and even today they stick to their principles of non-violence, even towards the tiniest ant. Then came this Buddhism, a 'peaceable than thou...' sect of the Vedic-ism, for their jaataka katha-s and other teachings are nothing but the Vedic lore. This ism, though called a peaceable one, meaning 'unwarlike...' has conducted many wars and is splintered manifoldly, only because of the overtures of its practisers, allowed by their patronising kings. There used to be another sect caar vaaka-s an 'intellectual than thou...' sect, but they are termed as nihilists atheists, non-believers etc., and their literature is totally ruined as they used to colloid with theists, demanding to prove god, materialistically. These are highly sophisticated, well-versed in all Veda-s, debaters with utmost precision. These three ism are not called separate religions than Vedic-ism, but a vaidika mata-s where mata is not a religion, but a philosophy, viewpoint, a darshana.
Any religion, sect, or a following when patronised by the local sovereign, acquires bullhorns and snake fangs and starts to invade others, keeping themselves under the shade of their patronising king. So is this Buddhism, and it attained its 'warlike' tarnish by the swordsmanship of Ashoka, the Great. Besides spoiling its own original and peaceable tenets, Buddhism has equally spoiled the Vedic-ism, by the time of Ashoka itself. Even Ashoka has not converted himself to Buddhism overnight, but after a series of studies. He was a Buddhist before Kalinga war, but warred and massacred Kalinga, and a Buddhist and butchery - does not go hand in hand. By the way, Buddhists are no vegetarians, including Ashoka, but his edicts ask all others to not to eat meat.
Even today verifiable are the dietary habits in the provinces where the preachers of Buddhism have gone or not sent, or rendered useless, say Bengal. The usual route of Buddhists of Ashoka's period is from Patna to Orissa, and to Andhra. And Andhra was stronghold of Buddhists, once when aacaarya naagarjuna was there, who established a Buddhist University in Andhra, to which students from far Japan used to come. Even today, excavations are going on and Buddhist edicts are coming out, around Naagarjuna Sagar dam. The other route from Andhra is to Sri Lanka, down south. The details about the itinerary of these Buddhists preachers, better call them as door-to-door campaigners of Ashoka's, greatness than Buddhism, can be found in their legend, the third sangiitini, masterminded by the mentor of Ashoka, namely moggali puttastha vira, , someone like Gobbels of Hitler. And rampant was this pseudo-Buddhism in South India, much abetted by the then pseudo-Jainism, to where bhadra saalastha viira was sent on his way to mahaa taamra parNi dviipa present day Sri Lanka, headed by Ashoka's son Mahinda [Mahendra, and along with the sister of Ashoka,] besides, his duuta-s to the court Antiocus II Theos [grandson of Seleucus,] Ptolemy II Philadeliphus, King of Egypt; King Antigonus Gonatus of Macedon; King Alexander of Epirus... so on. Thus, they successfully propagated about Ashoka, rather than the tenets of pure Buddhism, and as a result, that Buddhism is corrupted, back home.
Though Buddha said at his last stage vaya dhamma sankara - appamadena sampadeta 'decay is an innate feature in all beings, acquire your salvation unfalteringly...' where appamaadena is a pramaadena 'without, carelessness...' But the later time overenthusiastic practisers decayed Buddhism carefully and unfalteringly in its homeland. In these times of Ashoka, the customs and habits of Vedic-ism merged into the then pseudo-Buddhism, and a commixture of Vedic-ism and pseudo-Buddhism resurfaced, and Vedic-ism became pseudomorphic Brahmanism. Along with it, the dietary habits have changed completely, and vegetarianism of Jainism has come to stay, and thereafter it just turned to egg-tarianism, and presently going on to hamburger-ism and pizza-ism.
This being so, the orthodox Hinduism lays taboo on meat eating in respect of Brahmans only, that too by reckoning the eras, the Indian yuga theory. In satya yuga no distinctions recorded, in treat yuga, dwaapara yuga-s of Ramayana and Bharata times, Brahmins are permitted only some non-veg items, called prokshita aahaara as can be seen in Rama-Vali conversation, and sage Agastya bans ram's meat, that too only for Brahmins, after Vaataapi-Ilvala episode. In kali yuga non-veg is completely banned for Brahmins, not by scriptures, but by the impact of the then despots of pseudo-Buddhism. The kali puruSa is entered through Duryodhana in dwaapara yuga of Maha Bharata time, but somehow world is saved by Krishna and Arjuna. Now we with a sarcastic affection call that kali has entered through Ashoka, and kali yuga is the period dating from Ashoka's despotic days. When a state of topsy-turviness occurs to Veda-s themselves in kali yuga , where Veda-s are breathing their last at present, there is nothing to speak of dietary habits of those eras.
There are many web pages saying or objecting that Rama is a practiser of a himsa not non-violence of Jains, but non-butchery of living beings. Valmiki never said that Rama is a Buddhist Monk or a vardhamaana, tiirthankara of Jainism, but depicted him as Hindu Kshatriya, and no taboo is prescribed to this warring class in eating meat or chicken. Yet the lamentation will be like this: "Lord Rama, a great, divine exemplar of dharma and virtue for Hindus, himself apparently doesn't care much for vegetarianism and ahimsa..." "[Rama:] 'I must to lonely wilds repair, abstain from flesh, and living there on roots, fruit, honey, hermit's food, pass twice seven years (14 yrs.) in solitude. To Bharata's hand the king will yield the regent power I thought to wield, and me, a hermit, will he send my days in Dandak wood to spend.' " -- Ramayana 2:20. [Griffith, Ralph T.H. The Ramayana of Valmiki: translated into English verse. Benares: E.J. Lazarus & Co., 1895. p.117]. It may please be noted that vegetarianism is different from non-violence and it belongs only to Jain tenets, and later to Gandhian principles, but not to Hindus or Buddhists. The meaning of the above verse is 'being a hermit I will abstain from food that inculcates raajasa, taamasa pravR^itti an aggressive, assaulting mood... where certain kinds of meat stuff cause an aggressive mood...' and Griffith had his own metrical exigencies to incorporate all the subtexts and underlined meanings in those iambics. It is unclear as to why hairs are counted on eggshells, without grasping the essence of the epic's idea of eliminating vice, where vice is Ravana and his diabolic activities. Rama's character may not be taken as a meek, weak, bleak backbencher, but take it as a blitzkrieg assaulter, aggressive invader, that too only on vice. If he were not to kill an edible animal how can he create a holocaustic extirpator of demons in the last episodes of the epic, or shall he start chanting on battlefield dhammam sharaNam gaccaami, sangam sharaNam gaccami that too, to Ravana - needs to be explored. Firstly let us ask ourselves whether we want a Ravana or a Rama, whether they eat meat, chicken 65, or biryaani, or Italian ice creams.
Whether Rama is a god or no god, he is the princely Kshatriya, and if a warrior Kshatriya subsists on tubers and fruits, and on other insipid food, we can imagine how grand his warfare would be. If Rama were to be a god, why God created a big fish that eats a small fish, why birds and animals of prey, and why a niSaada that kills a bird at the start of Ramayana. Hence, taking dietary habits as acquired habits, but not godsend or tabooed ordinances of scriptures, the meanings of these verses of Kabandha are not contrived to establish any vegetarianism. Incidentally, these are the advices of raw-flesh eating Kabandha and we do not see Rama feasting comfortably on birds, fish, or on Kentucky chicken, at Pampa.
Thus, this is the 73rd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 74
Shabari is emancipated from mortality after her showing Matanga hermitage to Rama. Both the brothers approach Shabari as said by Kabandha and she adores them on their seeking her presence. She honours them as visitant guests and expresses her desire to depart to the spheres where her teachers are. Rama gives consent to it, on which she offers herself into fire and emerges as a divine angel, to ascend to heaven. |
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Both the sons of that best king Dasharatha, on taking up westerly path in that forest travelled on the passage to Pampa as shown by Kabandha. Those two, Rama and Lakshmana, while seeing several of the ticketed trees on mountains which have nectarous fruits on them moved forward to see Sugreeva. Those two legatees of Raghu on making a sojourn on the mountaintop, they the Raghava-s drew nigh of the moorland on the westward of Pampa Lake. Then on getting at the westward moorland of that lotus-lake Pampa, there those two have spotted the idyllic hermitage of Shabari.
On getting at that hermitage and on perusing at that picturesque environ that is wreathed round with several picturesque trees, those two came nigh of Shabari. On seeing them that sublimated yogi Shabari instinctively made palm-fold, got up imperatively, and then she braced the feet of Rama, and even that of sagacious Lakshmana, impressively. She gave them water for feet-wash and mouthwash, and other viands customarily affordable to visitants, and then Rama asked after that anchoress who is unflinchingly abiding in her duty.
"Oh, ascetically wealthy lady, perchance your deterrents in ascesis are completely overcome, somehow... your ascetic practises culminating, someway... your annoyances and ailments are adjusted, somewhat... isn't it!
The word kaccit is a phatic expression like 'isn't it?' but without question mark, as a statement of reasoning out as in hai naa, hai kyaa.../ illeyaa.../ kadaa... But it had to be said here in a roundabout way. The detrimental factors for loosing balance of mind, as asked by Rama, are kaama, krodha, lobha: tri vidham narakasya idam dvaaram naashanam aatmanaH | kaamaH krodhaH tathaa lobhaH tasmaat etat trayam tyajet || 16-21 Gita. The Doors of Hell / Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass,- / The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door / Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three! - Sir E. Arnold.
"Oh, suave speaker, mayhap your sacred commitments are achieved, anywise... appeased is your self, anyway... and your subservience to your mentors brought to fruition, perchance... isn't it!" Thus Rama enquired with Shabari. When Rama asked her in this way she that Shabari who is a senescent anchoress, sublimated yogin and an adherent to the sublimated yogis of higher rank, informed Rama remaining in his vis-à-vis.
"Just now, on your pleasing manifestation before me my ascesis is accomplished, and now only my birth is fructified, and now only my subservience to my mentors is well hallowed...
Annex: 'My dear boy, you are so late... having come too lately how is that you ask whether everything is sanctified or beatified long back and there is nothing for you to do... here I am too bored to stay in this withered body and I am longing to go to my gurus' place to serve them... not that they are in need of any maidservant, but I need much to be in their presence as a maidservant... whether you are god or no god... that is not my concern... my teachers told me to stay here until your arrival... and you have arrived now, so fructified is my teachers' saying... what is the result of subservience to teachers... release, deliverance, etc., thus my teachers said... so I got it just now... that way, what is it a commoner birthed on earth wishes... an emancipation from the cycle of births and deaths... so my teachers said... thus I got it just now... on envisioning you... I know that you are unknowable, thus said my teachers, but I have known you, because I have seen you... hence I am redeemed by my gurus... this is the resultant factor of my unswerving servitude to my teachers... by the way, my teachers used to say about it quoting from some sweta Upanishad... now I am unable to recollect it... Lakshmana, can you recite it for me...' Lakshmana: yasya deve par˜ bhakti× yath˜ deve tath˜ gurau | tasya ete kathit˜ hi arth˜× prak˜þante mah˜tm˜× |prak˜þante mah˜tmana iti | shvetaashvataropanishad 6-23 'for a noble soul who reposes devotion in god, and an equal devotion in his teacher, to such a noble soul all truths manifests themselves... to such a noble soul all truths manifests themselves...' Shabari: Yes, yes, so also I stand ennobled after envisaging you, just now...'
"Oh, best one among men, now all my ascesis is fructified when I personally worshiped you, who are none other than the best god among gods, thus the heaven will also be there for me...
Annex: 'thus my teachers were discussing about you when you were in Chitrakuta... but I have no knowledge about you or your Being... as said by my teachers you have come, thus my teachers' words came true... then you must be that 'Being' according to my feminine logic... and I could personally see you with theses hazy, foggy mortal eyes, which my teachers could not... am I to self-ascertain that I edge over my teachers, though I have not performed any rituals or ceremonies, which my decrepit and doddering teachers painfully did... not so, it is their way of knowing you and this my way of reaching you... they also said that there is a returnless sphere, apart from brahma loka, indra loka... 'abode of Brahma or paradise of Indra...' and when I was saying 'heaven to me...' I intended that returnless 'heaven...' to where my teachers have gone, as they did not wish to go to Indra's paradise to enjoy the dance programs of Rambha or Tilottama, as said by Gita 8-16: aabrahma bhuvana lokaaH punar aavartino arjuna | maam upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate || The worlds, Arjuna!- even Brahma's world- / Roll back again from Death to Life's unrest; / But they, O Kunti's Son! that reach to Me, / Taste birth no more. - Sir E. Arnold.
"Oh, kind one, your blessed sight has sanctified me... and oh, endower of respect, by your beneficence I wish to go to those returnless worlds because I have subjugated those enemies of yours, viz., ari SaD varga-s in me, and I think my prayer to you is justified because you are a subjugator of such enemies...
Annex: 'Now that you have come I conclude you to be that "Absolute' and I repose the same faith and confidence in you which I have for my mentors... hence give me the worlds of no return, to where my preceptors went...' 'Or, tava saumyena cakshuSaa by your magnanimous visual acuity, gratis visualis, puutaa asmi I am depurated of all of my three fates, sancita, aagaami, praarabdha karma-s, hence, oh, enemy subjugator, subdue all enemies in me, ari SaD varga - kaama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, maastarya, even the present lobha, moha for a returnless world, and then tvat prasaadaat by your nirhetuka dayaa kaTaaksha prasaadaat, your unconditional salvation, salvas gratis, grant me those returnless worlds...' Govindaraja. Ravana's ten heads are identified with the above six negativities plus four more as - kama : lust; krodha : anger; lobha : greed; moha ; delusion; mada : pride; maatsarya : envy; manas : mind; buddhi : intellect; chitta : will; ahamkara : ego.
"Divine aircrafts of unequalled refulgence have lifted those disciples of Sage Matanga in whose tendance I was, to welkin on your arriving at Chitrakuta...
"Those knowers of probity, highly providential, and eminent-saints have told me, 'Rama will come to this highly blest hermitage of yours along with Soumitri... and you have to cordially welcome them as your guests, and on your seeing him you will go to best worlds, where merit remains undiminished...'
This suggests that subservience to preceptors will generate the merit that causes deliverance to the student or servant by the active participation of the deliverer. The best world or sphere, or state attainable by soul-searching individuals is kaivalya whereas seeing that deliverer with one's own eyes bhagavad avalokana, is far beyond these worlds or states with nomenclature, and it is mukti, salvation from life cycles. Govindaraja
"Oh, best one among men Rama, thus I was told by those highly providential sages, oh, best one among men, oh, manly tiger, and I have gleaned various forest fruits and eatables that occur on the moorlands of Pampa Lake for your sake..." So said Shabari to Rama.
Out of the three epithets for Rama, the twice-repeated epithet is puruSarSabha has two different meanings in vernacular translations. One is the usual intensifier puruSa R^iSabha 'bull among men...' where The Bull is the bull from the zodiacal sign or constellation Taurus to that of stock exchanges. And it is Latin bulla 'rounded object', in medieval Latin 'seal' or Latin bullire 'to bubble', from bulla 'bubble' etc., where Rama is the rounded off seal for kingship, and even known for his bubbly fermentation to deal with atrocities. The other is puruSa tilaka 'the vermilion mark one the forehead of mankind...' rather the husband of mankind, or the husbandman for mankind who cultivates good on the earth as a farmer, after weeding out the weeds called evils. The version of Gita Press has this as the 'flower of humanity...'
And then it is said in vernacular translations as a 'bullish man' is for his impetuousness and aggressiveness towards evil called Ravana, when he started from Ayodhya. The second is to tell that he is a yeoman, a man holding and cultivating a small landed estate, taking care of every weed or withering plant, as he has come to see Shabari, and Shabari like an old plant did not stir out. The third is puruSa vyaaghra 'manly tiger...' but this is actually 'man, the lion...' and if a lion sets out he will not take a back step until his pursuit is fulfilled. Thus Shabari is given the lines with three epithets to Rama, as she is already in the know of this Rama, and now on seeing him personally, some divine wisdom dawned and she is able to foresee what this man, rather this lion, is going to achieve at end point. We glean these meanings, one, or two, and we appeal to Sanskrit pundits to derive which epithet is used with which purpose, once again.
By the way, where is the scene of Rama eating fruits and eatables bitten and tasted by Shabari? Has this old woman not offered the fruits to the guests, or just said that they are available? We listen many stories and see many pictures telling that she gave many fruits after biting them with her own teeth to test the taste. All that is not in Valmiki Ramayana. This amplification is from Padma Purana. phal˜ni ca supakv˜ni m¨l˜ni madhur˜õi ca | svayam ˜s˜dya m˜dhuryam parŸkÿya paribhakÿya ca | paþc˜t niveday˜m˜sa r˜gh˜bhy˜m dh®ýhvrat˜ |
When that graceful souled Rama is addressed thus by Shabari, he that Raghava enquiringly said this to that Shabari who is never ever debarred from esoteric knowledge and gnosis.
'though ignoble by birth...' is the assumed finishing line. There are many exclamations and arguments for and against this caste oriented banalities. So taking by those days we may find the characters of this Shabari, tribal king Guha, Dasharatha's minister Sumantra, and the like and then we may examine how much the so-called outcaste is cared for or sought after. They may be ineligible to perform ritual deeds but none is barred from esoteric knowledge.
"Your and your preceptors' effectiveness is heard in effect from the wraith of the great souled Danu's son, Kabandha, and if you feel showing it like I wish to clearly see it, personally..." Thus Rama asked her to show hermitage.
He is rather showing that hermitage to us in order to emphasise the path followed by the disciples of Matanga, whom this Shabari served that laboriously.
On hearing those words voiced by Rama, Shabari started to show that unique woodland to both of them. Oh, Rama the delight of Raghu's lineage... this one comparable to a crammed cloud that would be ever ready to yield much cherished cloudbursts, and compacted with animals and birds that are ever ready to enjoy seasonable rains, is that hermitage to which you have come, that way this woodland is well known as Matanga, meaning a cloud, or an elephant, or an elephantine cloud that showers blessings on all... and oh, highly resplendent Rama, you may see this nest, snuggery, where those contemplative souls, my teachers, used to conduct oblations into the Ritual-fires, orienting and worshipping them with Vedic hymns...
There is another shade with a little different wording cakruH analam mantravat mantra kovidaaH meaning mantra kovidaaH experts in hymns; mantravat hymn oriented; analam Ritual-fire; juhaavaan oblations in fire; cakruH conducted, worshipped.
"Where those great sages that are highly revered by me used to offer flowers with their extremely doddery hands in the worship the Altar of Fire, this alone is that Altar of Fire raised at western end...
The Altar of Fire is the sanctum sanctorum of Vedic-ritual, like that of present day temples. It took some two hours for Rama to enter such a hermitage of Agastya, that too after Agastya's permission. Now a so-called low-caste woman is able to detail about it, naming by their technical names as pratyak stalii vedi, praacii sthalii vedi, puSpopahaaram, and she is detailing their acts of doddery worship, sympathetically. Hence, she should be in proximity at those places when her preceptors actually worshipped the fire offerings. That way, she is a bahiSkR^itaam - api samiipaat ' not, debarred lady, even, from the proximity' of Vedic-rituals. These Vedic time yanj~na-s were more secular than the present day commercial temple complexes, cf., ashva medha yaj~na in Bala Kanda. Nobody debars any in such Vedic ceremonies, but some are not expected to perform them personally, again cf., Vishvamitra-Trishanku episodes. If everybody becomes a Bishop, who will be remaining for appointment as pastoral staff? The Reverend Bishop is the Bishop, but staffers are many.
"Oh, best one from Raghu-s, by the efficacy of the ascesis of my teachers these Altars of Fire are with incomparable irradiance, and even now they are irradiating all of the directions with solemnity... see them... Enervated by dieting and straining they were incapable to go for sea bathing, and just at their thought process all the seven seas came close by, in coalescence... see them...
That is why Pampa Lake is held sacred. Instead of rivers going into sea, seas flowed back to form this lake for the sake of these old sages. Sea bathing is the best, river bathing is of medium merit, and bathing with well or vessel water is worst, in terms of holy baths.
"On performing holy baths those sages have spread their jute cloths on those trees with their own doddering hands here at this place and oh, Raghu's legatee, those cloths did not dry even now by the touch of their hands... Which garlands they have knotted together with black-lotuses and other flowers while they were worshiping gods, these are really those garlands, and indeed there is no discolouration to them...
"You have seen what is seeable and you have listened what is listenable of this woodland in its entirety... thereby I wish to become a permittee, where you alone are my permitter, as I wish to castaway this sheathe of soul, called my body... to make that soul to move nigh of my teachers feet... Of which sages this hermitage is, and of which sages I am also a maidservant, I soulfully go the proximity of those contemplative souls..." Thus, she appealed to Rama.
Rama on hearing those duty-congruous words of Shabari along with Lakshmana, obtained a uniquely high rejoice and he also said, "astonishing is this..."
Annex: 'astonishing is this hermitage and its inmates... where the inmates praise their bygone masters, as said at gurum prakaashayet dhiimaan 'gurus are to be extolled by true and wise disciples...' and the masters made the environ blissfully livable, all this is without any maya or magic... so, fairness has its own place...'
Then Rama spoke to that Shabari who is firmed up in her faith towards her masters, "oh, saintly lady, you treated me with deference... thus may go to your cherished worlds, where you can solace yourself with your masters...
Thus that way said by Rama in consent, she who is wearing tufty-matted hair, jute-cloths, and deerskin as her clothing, she offered herself as an oblation into Ritual-fire, and then like a flaring fire, she went to heaven alone.
Now she appeared as an angle bejewelled with angelic ornaments, wearing angle's wraparound and angelical flowery tassels, and bedaubed with suchlike cosmetics, and as with the scintillations of electric sparks she scintillated that province.
Shabari who is a perfect yogin with perfected meditative concentration, now went to that sanctum locus where the blest souls of those sublime sages, namely her masters, saunter.
For this Dharmaakuutam says: tat udŸritam ati dharmiÿ÷ham vacanam ˜karõya harÿa nirbhara m˜naso r˜meõa samaujñ˜t˜ þavarŸ bhujagŸ iva jŸrõ˜m tvac˜m tanum hut˜þane nikÿipya divya m˜ly˜ ambara dhar˜ þiras˜ r˜mam praõamya guru jana maõýala k®tam puõya sthalam jag˜ma || dk She left her body as a female serpent does in its ecdysis. This metaphor of a snake shedding off skin is repeated time and again in Ramayana and here the commentator is using it. This is indicative of the thousand hooded serpent aadiseSa who guards Vishnu like a mosquito net. The fibre like sheath released by a snake will be beautiful for a look as it glitters with all the charms of a charming snake. The minute you finger it, of course when snake went a long way off, then that sheath splinters in hundreds of pieces. That is why this metaphor is used to suggest the world as viSNu maya, which remains beautiful and if touched shatters all misconceptions. Saint-singer Tyaagaraaya has a kR^iti on this pannagapu doma tera paikettavemayya… So Shabari is rid of that illusion, or maya…
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The meaningfully meaningless caste system of India
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At the outset let us say that there is no Hinduism as such but bhaaratiiya sanskR^iti is there, and that is not concentrated in an around Indus valley alone. So also there is no caste system in India, but it is to be called varNa, varga categorisation, class, social stratification etc. Oxford has this to say for the word caste - Spanish and Portuguese casta 'lineage, race, breed', fem. of casto 'pure, chaste' and we are still lingering ourselves to the unwitting misnomer of Portuguese. In Ch. 1 of Bala Kanda, we put this as - Brahman - teacher-class; Kshatriya - ruler-class; Vyshya - trader-class; Shudra - worker-class. And if the word 'class' is also a pungent word let us use this Latin word classis 'assembly...' a near relative of varNa, varga and which does not mean the colour of skin, but it is meant to be a group. Thus the groups or assemblages are classis of intelligentsia and classis of sovereignty and classis of commerce and classis of peasantry or smithery or its various branches. Unfortunately, this word is mixed up to mean nonsense, and it remained to mean only as 'casta' of Portuguese. If it were to mean bloodline, race, or caste, then to which bloodline Kshatriya-s belong, either to Solar dynasty or to Lunar dynasty. Likewise to which bloodline the many kinds of Brahmans, say Vaidic, Niyogi, Bhatt, Caturvedi, Dwivedi, Iyer, Iyyangar, Namboodri etc., belong. By the way, what is the caste of Parashu Rama, or Bhaargava Rama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu on earth and generally ascribed as a Brahman? His father is Jamadagni, said to be a Brahman, and his mother is Satyavati, the sister of Vishvamitra, a Kshatriya. Thus, the present day confusion and wrong terminology do not apply to Vedic times, because they believed in the 'seed-and-field syndrome' biija kshetra nyaaya and perhaps a phenomenon recently found may match it - ``when we look at the Y-chromosome DNA, we see a very different pattern. The lower castes are most similar to Asians, and the upper castes are more European than Asian... Further, when we look at the different components within the upper caste, the group with the greatest European similarity of all is the warrior class, the Kshatriya, who are still at the top of the Hindu castes, with the Brahmins... But the Brahmins, in terms of their Y-chromosomes, are a little bit more Asian - So the genetic results are consistent with historical accounts that women sometimes marry into higher caste, resulting in female gene flow between adjacent castes. In contrast, males seldom change castes, so Y chromosome'' so says geneticist Lynn Jorde of the University of Utah.
This discussion has its orientation in the word shramaNii prefixed to Shabari, which originally means a Hindu wandering friar, not to be confused with the monk of Buddhism. Many take her to be a tribal or lowborn woman, and puzzle about the availability of Vedic knowledge or yogic practise to her. It is pertinent to ask why lowborn people and women were not authorised to perform Vedic rituals. We may see the queens of Dasharatha have performed Ashvamedha ritual in Bala Kanda. So women are not barred. Then the classis laboris had a different kind of labour to undertake, than this relax -less labour of rituals. So, their manpower was used that way and the brainpower of these Vedic pundits was used this way. The difference belonged more to the occupational interests than congenital inheritance. The lateral thinking or the vertical thinking changed them, and it is now we have a counter-culture than that of Vedic times. We still see sons and daughter of film actors, industrialists, or politicians becoming father-like, but sons of washermen and shore-makers are turning out differently.
Though Shabari is given a direct charge-free flight to heaven but poor Shambuka, another shuudra, is eliminated by Rama. Shambuka is neither a poor, innocent, meekish shuudra. He had to be eliminated when he was practising haTha yoga 'meditating upside down...' only to conquer the world with his negative logic like Ravana. He is not even a Yogi, but a bhogi, enjoyer and one who started his mission with half-knowledge with para apakaara dharma. But Shabari is a yogin by her aatma samaadhi, that too a reverential lady by her steadfastness in what she believed sva dharma .
Regarding the accessibility of Vedas or Vedic knowledge to each and every body, the first question that arises is 'what for it is required by everyone?' If the answer is 'to know what Vedas say...' then the reply is, 'sun rises in east, cloud brings rain, so it is to be worshipped, and beyond it there are some forces to cause all this, so they are to be known, by which you obtain heaven... this Vedas say...' Therefore, this knowledge was unnecessary for the commoners in those days, because they were on heaven-like earth, so we presume by epics. And there are no such episodes where such questions were raised by some characters. Even Vali, a vanara was an adherer of Veda-s. This knowledge is now sought for because earth is turning into hell. But if Vedas are required for practising to purchase a direct ticket to heaven, the episode of Trishanku is there to tell us what sort of heaven we gain by short-cut methods. Even if they are taught to one and all and all sit chanting those hymns, since it appears to be an easy job to chant un-understandable hymns, gone is the agriculture, commerce, defence etc., to dogs.
Such a state of turmoil has occurred with the advent of Buddhism and its relative conversions. Then the Magadha and Maurya empires have utterly outdone the Kshatriya-s, by hiring mercenaries as their army. When the defence of a tradition itself is defeated then that tradition had to crumble, and in to that crumbling tradition, many outlandish traditions have intruded to intermingle, so says our known history. But when the question of - caste vs. Vedas - arises, there are many caste-less characters in Veda made eligible to learn Vedas, for e.g., Jaabaala Satyakaama, vide channdogya upaishad 4-4-1 to 4-4-5. Adi Shankara's commentary on Brahma sutra-s 34-38 refuses the right of practising Vedas by Shudra-s, but his maniiSaa pancakam salutes a caNDaala - caNDaalo astu sa tu dvijostu... 'may he be a Brahman or a Profaner, salute him [who has right knowledge about the Absolute...] This appears self-contradictory, but not so, because the ritual acts are prohibitive to women and shuudra-s, but not knowledge or personal excellence in it. Admittance of everyone in every sphere of activity is as good as admitting a nondescript into an operation theatre when heart transplantation is going on. Or, asking an airhostess to build a space shuttle because she has more flight hours on her record. Why all of them, some categories of Brahmans are not allowed in certain areas of rituals though conducted by Brahmans. Vedas say that it is a difficult path to follow them: uttiÿ÷ha j˜grata pr˜pya var˜n nibodhata | kÿurasya dh˜r˜ niþit˜ dur atyay˜ duram patha× tat kavayo vayanti || 1-3-14 ka÷hopaiþad 'Arise Awake, resort to best teachers to know 'That...' it is a walk on the razor's edge, difficult to follow, so the wise say...' then, why walk on a razor blade when air-conditioned roads of VB, Java, C , Oracle are there, like Vishvamitra who has taken many chapters to become Brahmin pundit, for no practical purpose. Vedic culture is different to Puranic culture, Puranic culture differs with epical, where examples are Lakshmana's boundary line to Seetha, and Shabari's tasting fruits before giving them to Rama, from Padma Purana, and everything or anything of that time is unavailable now, except these palm-leaf books and this pseudo-casteism. Anyway, let bygones be bygones, and let Veda or Vedic knowledge remain in a showcase of some archaeological museum, and let us revert to the story telling. So in conclusion it is to be said whether Shabari is the Spanish casto lady or Indian shramaNi she got what she wanted by her own sva dharma , and the portrayal of her divinity in the last but one verse is enough to tell whether she is lowborn human, or high-rising angle.
Though we may not elicit the caste, creed, or classis of Shabari, but she is an important Yogic character according the viewpoint of Yoga on Ramayana. In Yoga kunDalini 'the cosmic power in living being...' has a good part to play. It flows though the Sympathetic and Para-sympathetic ganglions though bio plexuses. If we take Ramayana as a humanoid epic, and the gist of the epic as its life force, that force has an upward movement via these ganglions. By the boons of Kaika this élan vital of Ramayana has moved from its serpentine coil reposing in muula aadhaara cakra sacro-coccygeal plexus, and reaches svaadhiSTaana cakra sacral plexus, when Bharata takes Rama's sandals to enthrone, and then it ascends and spends time in maNipuuraka cakra, the lumbar plexus, in the solacing laps of great saints and hermits like Atri, Anasuya, Agastya, and then it ascends and listens to the noise made by Kabandha at anaahata cakra cardiac plexus, where an aahata is 'un beaten...' a sound made without any external beating, the lub-dub beating of heart. That noise of heart will be unbearably noisy for cardiac patients. So is the thunderous voicing of Kabandha on his entry. This élan vital of Ramayana, which started with its primeval pureness, touches water and fire in earlier plexuses and now is ready to touch air at cardiac plexus. And air wants an egress and the story wants to go to the next plexus vi shuddha cakra 'very clean, pure, friendly and pleasant area...' laryngeal plexus, that of clean Pampa, pure vanara-s, friendly Sugreeva, Hanuma, and pleasant Rishyamuka. But where is outlet for that agonised 'airing of heart' of the epic? Frail Shabari is that slender duct-stem of a lotus, and through her, viz., on exiting her, the story enters into an area where the problems of the characters can be explained to other characters. Having spent some time there, then it enters aaj~naa cakra the ordering plexus in between brows. One does what his mind orders. Here that mind is Sugreeva and irrefutable are his orders. When vishuddha cakra is available at throat, svaadhiSTaana cakra is there at sacral place. The area from throat to sacrum is madhya kuuTa Vali's birth is from this place and Sugreeva's birth is from throat of their father turned mother. And what that is throated by Sugreeva is the activity of aaj~naa cakra and Seetha is found thereby... - after raamayaNa paramaartham by Dr. Ilapaavuluuri Panduranga Rao, a T.T.D publication.
Thus, this is the 74th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose
Sarga 75
Rama arrives at the auspicious Pampa Lake according to the suggestion of Kabandha. On seeing that pious environ of that lake Rama has a breather and he expects some good to happen now. On further beholding the ladylike Pampa Lake, his thoughts move to Seetha, and he is again dispirited. However, on overcoming that short spell of his anguish, he proceeds with Lakshmana to the nearby of the lake. |
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While Shabari ascended to heaven with her own divine self-resplendence, Raghava who is with Lakshmana started to cogitate over the magnificence of Matanga disciples. That noble-souled Raghava on thinking about the efficacy of the disciples of Matanga, said to Lakshmana, who is the maintainer of Rama's well being, and who is thinking single-mindedly.
Rama's thinking is that 'I happened to see a lady of unswerving loyalty to her teachers, by which adoration alone she is going to her desired worlds, and seeing such pious people will definitely yield good results from now on... hence some good shall betide us for we could have a glimpse of pious place and person puNya sthala, puNya purusa, puNya aatma sandarshana...' and Lakshmana thinking is 'this lady has served her teachers with such a devotion by which she is going to the heavens she desired, where placements in heavens will usually be determined by their relative merits... am I serving my brother, teacher, god, and the like... namely Rama, to have an iota of Shabari's merit... or, all the problems to Rama have chanced by my neglect of my duty...'
"I have seen a highly astounding hermitage of self-controlled sages, oh, gentle Lakshmana, in which the deer and tigers are at home, and which is adored by divers birds...
"Oh, Lakshmana, holy is our taking a bath in this holy Pampa Lake, for it is formed by the waters of seven seas, and even holier is our oblation of this holy waters to manes... What that was unpropitious for us is completely abated by our holy bath and holy oblations, oh, Lakshmana, propitiousness is standing en face us, thereby presently this heart of mine is highly gladdening... oh, lion-like man, indeed, heart alone hatches hope... Thereby, where Mt. Rishyamuka is beaming forth at its nearby, on which that right minded son of the Sun, Sugreeva, is living along with four other vanara-s, always frightened by the fear from Vali, we will go to her, to that spectacular Lake Pampa, come on, Lakshmana... I am also hasty to see that best one among vanara-s, Sugreeva, for my enterprise called search for Seetha is under his aegis, isn't it...
To that brave Rama who is speaking thus, Soumitri said this, " my heart too is hastening me, let us go there promptly..."
Then that Lord of People and Lord of Nature on exiting from that hermitage, he then came nigh of Lake Pampa along with Lakshmana.
Rama on scrutinising that rosy woodland in which everywhere there are outsized and diverse trees that are thickset with flowers, and different lakes loaded with the trilling birds like plovers, peacocks, waterfowls and suchlike, with which that woodland itself is trilling in much ado, became impassioned as he is instantly rendered thus by Love-god, and thus that Rama went towards that lovely Lake Pampa.
Vividly: The pronoun saH is continuously repeated word denoting 'such as he is...' when used as opening word in first foot, as used in next verse, until the first verse of next canto. This expression, 'such as he is' is to take us back to the olden days when Seetha was found missing and to remind us about his problems from then on. So the above verse is to be said like this: 'Rama who is so far accustomed to see only blood, wraiths, revenants, and souls is fed up and - such as he is, - he has seen a picturesque lake with a backdrop of pristine nature, and with the background music of trilling birds and rustling waters, then his innate need for visualising Seetha sprang up and he rushed towards lovely Lake of Pampa presuming her to be Lady Seetha...' but we usually take liberty to cut off other words and retain 'he' for pain of retyping.
Rama spotted Pampa Lake from a distance which is plethoric with water, but entered into a lake called Matanga Lake on his way to Pampa...
From here the real confusion about the arrangement of verses occurs, which is ascribed to the wrong copying of copyists. No two versions agree on the placement of verses and some from the next canto Kishkindha are also brought in here. With the result parsing of verses also goes wrong. Yet, this goes on.
Though both Raghava-s came there composedly and dispassionately, but Rama, the son of Dasharatha, is ensorcelled by anguish on seeing a ladylike lake Pampa. Rama entered the area of that beautiful lake which is beaming forth with lotuses hemming in from inside, and trees like Tilaka, Ashoka, Punnaga, Bakula, Uddala, are hemming it from outside.
That lake is huddled with delightful fringe lands and lotuses squeeze it from within, and its water is plethoric and crystalline, and its sand is softish all over. It is beautified with packs of fishes and tortoises, and packs of trees on its banks, on which climber plants are wraparound like the ladyloves of those trees. And that is adored by the beings like sylvan, reptilian, celestial, georgic, and elfish beings, and it is overcrowded with trees and tendrils, and it is a trove for fairish and clodish water.
The lotuses of the lake are rich in their fragrance, and with the heaps of clusters of reddish, whitish, and blackish lotuses, and with such pinkish, whitish, and reddish lotuses the sheet of water is like a picturesquely painted canvas and it is surrounded by the orchards of flowered mango trees and sounded much by the screams of peacocks.
Two words used in the verses here udghaaTa a heap of things, which now became 'a public speech or lecture' and the other kuthaa detailed as above are said to be rare Sanskrit words in the book: 'Apart from kutha the verse quoted above contains one more word which unlike kutha is not noticed by Monier Williams in the sense in which it is used in Ramayana. This word is udghaaTa. It means a heap samuuha. This meaning of the word is very rare...' according to the book - Ramayana - A Linguistic Study, by Pt. Satya Vrata.
Then Rama along with Lakshmana on seeing at that Pampa Lake, that self-refulgent son of Dasharatha whimpered over, owing to his passionate recollection of Seetha.
That Pampa Lake is wraparound with the trees of Tilaka, Citron-fruits, Banyan, White-trees, likewise flowered are flowery trees like Red oleanders, Punnaaga, shrubs of Maalati and Kunda, likewise flowered are the trees of Madder, Nicula, Ashoka, and Seven-leaved banana plants, and plants of Mogra and climbers of Maadhavii Lata are also flowered, and with them she that Ladylike Pampa shone forth like a pulchritudinous lady.
From now until the end of first chapter of Kishkindha with a hundred couplets, we will be entering into the beauty of the nature. Poetics require romantic exaltation of nature, as usual, varNana aatmakam kavitvam. Rama as Mr. Green extols it with his own tongue. The commentators are very much enthused by this verbal picturing of Valmiki and they have rendered more complex and beautiful compounds for the same verses. Why commentators, Mahaakavi Kaalidas is tempted to rewrite Ramayana, but he refrained to do so, because he cannot possibly tell Ramayana in such a simple language of Valmiki. Hence, Kalidas gave it up and embarked on to write another master piece Raghu Vamsham, tradition says so. Let us touch Dharmaakuutam, which has many such complexly constructed compounds in Ch. 1 of Kishkindha, and one is brought here for this lady called Lake Pampa, for the reading pleasure our readers.
tdnNtrm! rm[IygNx)ilkakilkam! inkayinkamai-ramm! iÇ-uvnivjyae*tk…sumzrasnq»ar s»avhmdklk{Q inKva[m! AdæmxusMæmщrmr H»aral»¯tm<julmÃrIpu<jipÃirtid'œm{flivkist k…sumsmudyivlashassumnaehrai-rœ llnai- #v ltai-> tadanataram ramaõŸyagandhaphalik˜kalik˜m nik˜yanik˜m˜bhir˜mam tribhuvanavijayodyata kusumaþar˜sana÷aðk˜rasaðk˜vahamadakalakaõ÷hanikv˜õam adabhramadhusambhramdbhramarajhaðk˜r˜ laðk®tamanjulamañjarŸpunjapiñjaritadiðmaõýalavikasitakusumasamudayavil˜sah˜samanohar˜bhir lalan˜bhi iva lat˜bhi×
of which lalanaa iva 'a beautiful lady like...' is our concern.
The aforesaid mountain renowned as Rishyamuka which is abounding with colourful ores and amazingly flowered trees is there on the bank of Pampa Lake. A noble soul by his name Risharaja was there and that monkey's son is the highly valiant Sugreeva, thus he is renowned, and he presides over that mountain. That best one among men Rama, said this way, "oh, Lakshmana, you make a headway for that chief of monkeys, Sugreeva..." and further said this to Lakshmana whose valiance is truthfulness alone, "how can I possibly live without Seetha..."
There is a filler foot in the above verses raajya bhraSTen diinena tasyaam aakskta cetasaa 'lorn of my kingdom, lorn is my heart to her, and a lorn one I am... how can then I possibly live...' In view of mishmashed editing of verses even the critical edition has no perfect order of verses, leave alone ancient copies.
Such as he is whose thinking is applying itself to Seetha alone, and who is vocalising his anguish for her, to whom aa stymie is laid by the Love-god just at the appearance that lake, that Rama on saying that sentence in that way to Lakshmana neared that superb and heart delighting lotus Lake Pampa.
On going step by step, and on going on seeing ardently and intently at that forest which has picturesque visuals of forestry, and which is with hurly-burly birds, not one, but numerous and divers are they, and then Rama along with Lakshmana on entering the area of that lake, has seen that Lake Pampa.
Thus, this is the 75th, and conclusive chapter of Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
om þ˜nti× þ˜nti× þ˜nti×
Om, Let Triple-Peace betide, one and all...
Sree Valmiki Ramayana
courtesy from
Sree Brahmasri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao ji
and Sreeman Brahmasri K M K Murthy ji
I Humbly bow to the lotus feet of both of them
for the collection
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