Post 6
Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
We were seeing how seethaa exhibits her `lakshaNa saasthra
knowledge' - her learnings on beauty of a lady and its phalans - even
though she is in deep sorrow, and how raavaNan sees her beauty, asks
her `who are you? Is it that you are a goddess?'
That means the `divine beauty' of seethaa makes even a kaamugan [lust-
full person] like raavaNan also to show a first reaction
of `divinity' - no `mean lust' for the flesh - later it might be
because of turn of events and time - but first it is very `positive'
reaction. Then you can think of and see in your mental eyes how was
the extolling beauty of seethaa.
And such others like `rukmiNi' - later. Mother rukmiNi addresses to
krishNa `sruthvaa guNaan bhuvana sundhara' - `heard only' - not seen
you oh krishNa - but you, the world's best beauty and then goes on to
plead for their marriage and union - then what to talk of that
krishNaa's beauty and how to express it in words. Oh great. Or
raama's beauty - which makes even the `complete sense controlled'
rishis to desire for a `embrace' - a `physical union' with that
raama.
So the beauty in its abstract wholesome form does not create a lust
or passion for union is the first conclusion. When it gets combined
with ideas of trying to possess such a `beauty' as `my own' then only
it turns out to be lust and bad and leads to disaster.
Perhaps that is why hanumaan when first saw mandodhari - another
beauty - wrongly thinks she is seethaa. And later when he really sees
seethaa, he is simply in all praises for that beauty of seethaa and
that creates a divine feelings in him and he bows down [which also we
will see here now].
Now let us continue seethaa's description of herself -
mama varNO maNi nibhO mrudhooni angaruhaaNi cha |
prathishThithaam dhvadhasabhi: maam oochu: subhalakshaNaam || 6-48-12
meaning: seethaa weeps and says to herself, `I was said since my
colour is of the gem, the hair on body is soft, [10 fingers and the
two feet making the twelve] the total twelve are fully covering the
ground, as such have `supreme perefection' `uththama lakshaNam' for a
woman.
samagrayavam achchhidhram paaNi paadhm cha varNavath |
mandhasmithEthyEva cha maam kanyaa lakshaNikaa vidhu: || 6-48-13
meaning: seethaa continues, `my palms and feet are having yava
rekhaas completely, and are not separated, and are red in colour.
[means having gaps or depth which is not good] Those, who, know the
lakshaNa saasthra of ladies, have said `always I have a smile'.
[whereas now I am weeping because my raama has gone - which is
understood]
points: 1. So `what is the supreme lakshaNams of a women is
completely in seethaa's knowledge - may be somebody said that in
mithila or in ayOdhyaa - she learnt that - she remembers those
points, even at a time of `an imaginary very great loss' - she seeing
raama fallen on ground - whether raama alive or not on which she has
a doubt. In spite of that situation and condition her knowledge
shines about that `lakshaNa saasthram'. Then she says these people
are liars. That is something great. That is what I want to highlight.
2. When raavaNan sees seethaa standing alone in that aasramam, the
lust of raavaNan spearheads, and so he speaks about her beauty - as
in sundhara kaaNdam where raavaNan comes to meet seethaa when
hanumaan is just waiting to introduce himself to seethaa
see both slOkams - both are by raavaNan to seethaa --
chaaru smithE chaaru dhathi chaaru nEthrE vilaasini |
manO harasi mE raamE nadhee koolam iva ambhasaa || 3-46-21
karaanthamitha madhyaa asi sukEsee samhatha sthanee |
meaning: raavaNan to seethaa, `Oh, allurer, your smile is alluring,
teeth are alluring, and your eyes allure, oh, beauty, your waist is
palmful, your hair velvety, your breasts are jostling, and you rob my
soul as a spate robs the riverbank'. [3-46-21, 22a]
chaaru smithE chaaru dhathi chaaru nEthrE vilaasini || 5-20-29
manO harasi mE bheeru suparNa: pannagam yathaa |
meaning: raavaNan to seethaa, `O one with a beautiful smile! O one
with beautiful teeth! O one with beautiful eyes! O charmful one! O
timid one! You are stealing my heart like a serpent stolen by Garuda.
Point 3: On this `smile' `mandha smitha' says seethaa - but raavaNa
says `chaaru smitha'. That is the difference - how each looks at it
fro their own angle. But the smiling face is true - only the
adjective varies.
4. Further see in the above two slokams, there is a `repeat' in both
slOkams, from beginning of slOkam upto that `manO harasi'- repeat of
same words by vaalmeeki - in two different portions of the kaavyam -
which is called `punarukthi dhOsham' in sanskrit grammar. Of course
there are several such `repeats'. Though it is wrong grammatically,
it is not treated as `dhOsham' in `raamaayaNam' and same is treated
as `great kaavyam -composition'. In one place on raamaayaNam, it is
also said the work is `un-paNinian' - perhaps many may know paNini is
the first `grammarian' of `Sanskrit' lanuguage - and vaalmeeki's work
transgresses these later day rules of grammar in many places, that is
why it is said as un-paNinian. [for such minute details and comments,
please see www.valmikiramayan.net <http://www.valmikiramayan.net>
website].
Now let us continue on how raavNa talks to seethaa further --
na Eva dhEvee na gandharhvee na yakshee na cha kinnaree || 3-46-22
na Evam roopaa mayaa naaree dhrushTa poorvaa mahee thalE |
meaning: raavaNan says, `I have not hitherto seen any earthly female
with this kind of features on the face of earth; not a goddess, nor
a gandharva female, nor a yaksha female, nor a kinnaraa female -
no, none whosoever! [3-46-22]
That means seethaa is more than a goddess and et al. that is what is
the reality and we will see more on the beauty in next post.
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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