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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00028 Jan 2007

 
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Post 19



Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,


In the previous 18 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 9 roles. Just for
recollection the 9th role of envoy had 3 assignments,

   - LakshmaNa, the envoy ? while meeting sage agasthya [effective for
   the protocol maintenance]
   - LakshmaNa, the envoy ? while meeting hanumaan before sugreeva
   sakhyam [again for protocol sake]
   - LakshmaNa, the ambassador ? on behalf of raama to remind sugreeva on
   mission 'search seethaa'

Now let us take the role of the *'great warrior'* as the deputy to raama and
second commander of the army. First let us list how many 'fights' / 'near
fights' did raama do in sreemadh raamaayaNam. Then let us study what was
lakshmaNa's contribution in each.

1.      thaatakaa vadham

2.      maareecha ambushed, subhahu killed

3.      viraadha vadham

4.      soorpanakha reprimanded

5.      khara, dhooshaNa vadham

6.      maareecha vadham

7.      khabandhan vadham

8.      vaali vadham

9.      the major lanka war and raavaNa samhaaram



The three other instances when raama had to handle the bow are

1.      siva dhanus breaking ? to marry seethaa

2.      vishNu dhanus handling ? to face that so called encounter with
parasuraama

3.      threatening samudhra raajan with brahmaasthram



Any major or small incident of fight missed out? ? dear bhakthaas, please
comment. Of course as hunters, prince raama and lakshmaNa the companion,
might have handled the bows many times. But since that is 'real sports' for
them. So it is not considered here.



As a clarification ? even though viraadhan and khabandhan were killed by
raama ? it is more an act of self-defence for raama, and incidentally he
gave release from curses for these two.



Now let us take one by one and study what is the role of lakshmaNa in these
fights by raama, and how the 'great warrior' in lakshmaNa shone. First
thaatakaa vadham -

1.      thaatakaa vadham ? sage visvaamithra got the 'two brothers' by
asking for 'one raama' ? from king dhasaratha. The sage desired raama would
be killer of the three - thaatakaa, maareecha and subhaahu, so that he will
free of troubles in his yagnaas.

2.      Then, you may, all, have a doubt as to why we have to deal this
'thaatakaa' vadham separately and then the other two maareecha and subhaahu.
That doubt will come for all who have heard the baala kaaNdam story from
upanyaasakaas.

3.      The clarification on the above doubt is - there is a six day gap
between the thaataka killing and treatment given for other two.

4.      Now let us see thaatakaa killing what is lakshmana's role in that.
As you know sage visvaamithra said to raama, 'the three demons are ferocious
and they pour blood and throw meat in the yagna kundam and pour stony rains
and threaten the sages, that too all in night time, thus spoiling the purity
of yagna. So please kill all three'.



5.      On the first day came thaatakaa roaring

thaam dhrushTvaa raaghava: krudhdhhaam vikruthaam vikrutha aananaam |

pramaaNEna athi vrudhdhhaam cha lakshmaNam so~ abhyabhaashatha || 1-26-9

pa*s*ya lakshmaNa yakshiNyaa bhairavam dhaaruNam vapu: |

bhidhyEran dhar*s*anaath asyaa bheerooNaam hrudhayaani cha || 1-26-10



Meaning: Raaghava on seeing that monstrous-looking demoness with a distorted
face and who by proportions is very gigantic, further more infuriated, spoke
to LakshmaNa. "LakshmaNa, see that yakshee's grisly and ghastly physique,
seeing which, hearts of cowards are prone to burst.



*Point:* So the 'roopam' of the yakshee, the thaatakaa was so fearful. But
these two young 'boys' raama and lakshmaNa were not afraid. Boys? yes - just
recall that famous "oona shOdasa varsha" slOkam - less than 16 years of age
? pleaded king dhasaratha to sage visvaamithra ? so 'boys'. So these two
boys prove themselves they are not cowards.



Ethaam pa*s*ya dhuraadharshaam maayaa bala samanvithaam |

vinivruththaam karOmi adhya hruita karNaagra naasikaam || 1-26-11

na hi Enaam uthsahE hanthum sthree svabhaavEna rakshithaam |

veeryam cha asyaa gathim cha Eva hanyathaam ithi mE mathi: || 1-26-12



meaning: raama says to lakshmaNa, "She is unstoppable and has magical
powers, isn't, you may see now, how I will make her to readily retreat by
lopping off her ears and the tip of nose. As it is her feminineness is
protecting her, and I too do not really attempt to kill her, but I intend to
terminate her impudence and mobility".



Point: so raama's hesitation in killing a woman comes out - that observation
of dharma. Meanwhile the sage visvaamithra cautioned these two, with his
'hoonkaaram' on thaatakaa [which made her a bit afraid] and said 'svasthi ?
mangaLam ? bhadhram - to you both'. Then she started stone raining and so
raama starts the process in her elimination -



*s*ilaa varsham mahath thasyaa: *s*ara varshENa raaghava: |

prathivaaryO apadhaavanthyaa: karou chichChEdha pathribhi: || 1-26-17



meaning: On forestalling her effusive stone storming with his arrow storm,
Raama even mutilated both her arms with arrows, while she rushed towards
them.



thatha: chChinna bhujaam *s*raanthaam abhyaa*s*E parigarjatheem |

soumithri: akarOth krOdhaath hrutha karNaagra naasikaam || 1-26-18



meaning: With her arms severed and fatigued, she started to roar extremely
in proximity [to these two from where they are standing], and then the
provoked LakshmaNa made her loose her ears and the tip of nose by cutting
them off.



*Comment:* Then, she started doing maaya war, [or fight by becoming not
visible to others], by showering stony rain. Then sage again advised raama
not to be sympathetic to a woman. On receiving that command from sage,
Raama, with that special 'sabdha vEdhi' asthram, ? shot the arrow in the
direction of the sound, [aiming in the direction of sound only, to hit on
that unseen object] hit thaatkaa and killed her.



So the point for us the 'lakshmaNa dhaasaas or raamaanuja dhaasaas' [pun
intended] ? is, lakshmaNa was not afraid of that ferocious thaatakaa, when
she directly approached him. And he even cut off her ears and tip of the
nose. That is the 'big' contribution of lakshmaNa in that role.



Now comes a doubt - Is it with sword or with arrows? Vaalmeeki's slokam is
not clear. Shooting the arrow to cut the ears may be possible, but cutting
tip of nose with arrows? Possible? That too when the person thaatakaa
opposing is really rushing towards the two, raama and lakshmaNa?



Perhaps in a whiff lakshmaNa did shoot arrows to do that, when she was just
turning her head towards raama, so that both are saved on being hit from
proximity. This means that ? lakshmaNa is so sharp to act in a swift ? for
the time is night, staying in forest where darkness prevails ? visibility is
poor ? person opposie is ferocious and all that. So that is real 'veeram' ?
bravery ? proof of a 'great warrior' in the young age itself.



Another point likely to be raised by those who are closely reading this
series ? in that 'vazhith thuNaivan' role I said lakshmaNa did not
contribute any thing big. Yes ? true - except this small act of 'cutting the
ears and nose' of thaatakaa ? in comparison to the big things later
lakshmaNa did in the war with indhrajit etc this is insignificant - that is
why I said practically 'nil' there in post 2. But if I miss this, then also
it is not proper on my part  - in not considering this contribution ? big or
small to be decided by you all.



Let us continue the topic in next post.

Dhasan




-- 
Vasudevan MG


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 
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