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*sub: vaalmeeki and raamayaNam*

* *

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,



In the subject of "a question of age" of raama I raised a point on sage
vaalmeeki whether there are two vaalmeekis or only one.

The reasonings I gave  - just for recollection

a.       We all know it is sage vaalmeeki who wrote raamaayaNam ? after
being taught about that by sage naaradha. Brahma also comes and blesses
vaalmeeki, to have a complete flash back of things as it 'happened' without
any secret even between the husband raama and wife seethaa.

b.      In ayodhyaa kaandam, raama meets sage vaalmeeki in his aasramam
during his forest sojourn. Slokam meanings only - are quoted below.



meaning: After deciding thus Seethaa, Raama and LakshmaNa all with joined
palms approached the hermitage and offered salutation to the sage Vaalmeeki.
2-56-16



meaning: The great sage Vaalmeeki, who knew what is right, full of delight,
treated them with honour, offered cordial welcome and requested them to sit.
2-56-17



c.       Later same vaalmeeki gives asylum for seethaa when she is banished.
If we take that it is towards the end of 11000 years, vaalmeeki was also of
same age around 11000 + years.



d.      Is it the same vaalmeeki, who met raama in forest that who gave
asylum to seethaa and later who wrote raamaayaNam as per naaradhaa's
teaching or 3 different persons or at least 2 different persons.



Our respected sri sadagopan swamy of coimbatore said only one. His reply is
quote - It is doubtless the same Valmiki who affords asylum to Sita and
teaches the Rama Charitam to Her sons and the Maharshi is indubitably a
contemporary of Rama. ? unquote.



Now we will see some points on the sage to establish vaalmeeki is a
contemporary of raama and he wrote the raamaayaNam long time after raama's
coronation ? real coronation after raavaNa vadham.



1. The reply as narrated by naaradha, in the first sargam of baala kaandam
to the question of vaalmeeki on that 'Evam vidham naram', the narration by
sage naaradha is *in past tense* upto raama's coronation [real coronation
after raavaNa vadham and not the proposal earlier which resulted in
vanavaasam] and in describing how people are happy in raama raajya.

na cha agnijam bhayam kinchith na apsu majjanthi janthava: |

na vaathajam bhayam kincith na api jvara krutham thathaa || 1-1-92

na cha api kshuth bhayam thathra na thaskara bhayam thathaa |

nagaraaNi cha raashTraaNi dhana dhaanya yuthaani cha || 1-1-93

nithyam pramudhithaa: sarvE yathaa krutha yugE thathaa |



Meaning: In the kingdom of Raama there is no fear for subjects from
wildfires, gale-storms or from diseases, and there is no fear from hunger or
thieves, nor the cattle is drowned in floodwaters, as well. May it be a
township or a remote province, it was replete with coin and grain, and as to
how people lived in high gladness during the earlier Krita era, likewise
people lived in Raama's period also with the same gladness.



*Point:* Then on, it *changes to future tense* that raama 'will conduct
aswamEdhaas', establish the 4 varNaas, etc and then go to brahma lokam. See
slokams



a*s*vamEdha *s*athai: ishTvaa thathaa bahu suvarNakai: || 1-1-94

gavaam kOTyayutham dhaththvaa vidhvabhyO vidhi poorvakam |

asankhyEyam dhanam dhaththvaa braahmaNEbhyo mahaayashaa: || 1-1-95

raaja vam*s*aan *s*atha guNaan sthaapaishyathi raaghava: |

chaathur varNyam cha lOkE asmin svE svE dharmE niyOkshyathi || 1-1-96



meaning: On performing hundreds of Horse-Rituals and rituals wherein plenty
of gold will be bounteously donated, likewise on donating millions of cows
and uncountable wealth to Brahmans and scholars, that highly illustrious
Raama will proceed to Brahma's abode, in future. In this world Raghava will
establish kingly dynasties in hundredfold and he will maintain the
four-caste system positing each in his own probity, may it be caste-bound or
provincial-kingdom-bound probity, in order to achieve a perfect social
harmony.



*Point:* please note the verbs ? *sthaapaishyathi, niyOkshyathi ? *in future
tense ? to be precise 'second future tense' as per dhaathu roopa manjari,
the dealer on 'verbs' in Sanskrit.



This is as said by naaradha - for up to slokam 100 of first sargam, it is
naaradhaa's words and in second sargam second slokam only it is stated
naaradha takes leave from vaalmeeki.



See those slokams also --

naaradhasya thu thath vaakyam *s*ruthvaa vaakya vi*s*aaradha: |

puujayaamaasa dharmaatmaa saha *s*ishya: mahaa muni: || 1-2-1

yathhavath poojitha: thEna dhEvarishi naaradha thathaa |

apruchCha Eva abhyanujnatha: sa jagaama vihaayasam || 1-2-2



meaning: On hearing that sentence of that eminent sentence-maker Sage
Narada, [that contains Ramayana in a nutshell, narrated in the previous
chapter] that great sage of virtuous mind, namely Vaalmeeki, revered the
Divine Sage Naaradha, along with his disciples. That divine sage Naaradha
was worshipped that way by Vaalmeeki in a befitting way, and on seeking
permission of Vaalmeeki to leave, and having been permitted by Vaalmeeki
went away heavenward.



2.. Now my question is "why naaradha should suddenly change from past tense
to future tense?"



My 'guess' as the probable answer -- on which I invite comments from the
learned scholars of the elite groups:



Perhaps the answer lies in that dhasa varsha sahasraani and dhasa sathaani
cha - viz ? when naaradhaa answers vaalmeeki's questions of 'Evam vidham
naram' and continues up to 93 slokams of 1st sargam ? it is well over 10900
years of raama rajya elapsed after raamaa's crowning. May be the figure can
be trimmed to 10800 or 900 or 950 also but definitely more than 10000.



Why this 10900 or above 10000 years ? see below.

Though vaalmeeki is a contemporary of raama and lived in the nearby forest,
since the time of raama taking off from this world is nearing, he got that
instinct, as well naaradha. So naaradhaa came, brahma came, brahma tells {or
orders [?]} vaalmeeki to tell raamaa's story - 'kathaya' says brahma.



vruththam kathaya dheerasya yathhaa naaradhaath srutham |

rahasyam  cha prakaasam cha yadh vruththam thasya dheematha: | [1-2-32b-33a]



Meaning: You shall narrate the legend of Raama, the virtuous, intellectual
and an intrepid one, and a godlike person in this world as well, as you have
heard it from sage Naaradha.



Also the word vruththam ? one among the many meanings is 'something happened
earlier' or legend.

* *

3. So as per that order of brahma, vaalmeeki sang based on inputs from
naaradha and as per vision granted by brahma, and completed the work. Then,
he was thinking on, "hey I have finished telling or composing the poem, who
will render this to all so that they can enjoy?"



At that time lava and kusa touched his feet and then he thought 'let these
two do that' and so taught them. They started singing in assemblies of
scholars, sages, eminent persons etc. The listeners appreciated the story,
the way of singing, the style of the composition etc.



*Meaning:* of slokams 1-4?16 and 1-4-17: On hearing that, the eyes of all
the sages were overspread with tears of happiness, and they appreciated
saying, 'splendid, splendid is this.' All those saints being the
saint-patrons of virtue are pleased at heart, and praised the praiseworthy
Kusa and Lava, while they are singing.



*Important point:* If these comments are just left at that, perhaps, I would
not have got that doubt that the singing is after 10000 or above years after
raama's coronation.



See slokam - On listening some of the rishis say "though this happened *long
ago*, it appears as though this is happening presently" ? when they heard
lava and kusa sing that 'raamaayaNam'.



Now slokam 18

ahO geethasya maadhuryam slOkaanam cha vi*s*eshatha: |

*chira nirvruththam api* Ethath prathyaksham iva dhar*s*itham || 1-4-18



meaning: The melody of the ballad, especially the meaning of verses, aha!
Superb, though this has happened long ago, it is shown like the one
happening presently.



*Point:* Of course some of you may argue the young boys are now only
singing, having learnt them recently, but vaalmeeki might have composed the
raamaayaNam very early.



But it is stated in 4th sargam vaalmeeki after composing was worried, who
will do this presentation of his work and soon he found a reply, when lava
and kusa touched his feet. So that worry should be of recent one and not
very old.



Also that future tense usage of naaradhar about aswamedham and 4 varnams
etc, stand in the way of above argument. You have to consider the
establishment of raama raajyam and people were happy are all in past tense.



*Note:* Actually vaalmeeki describes one aswamEdham. May be in uththra
kaaNdam somewhere inside he says many such yagnaas are repeated after that
eventful first one. For naaradha has said raama will do lot of aswa mEdhams
and that cannot go wrong.



4. Further, daily we recite this slokam before concluding 'raamaayanam
session' of that day -  which also reinforces the above conclusion that it
is 'old story' ? chira nirvruththam as in 1-4-18 quoted - the portion up to
coronation [real one] and establishment of raama raajya - that slokam is



"Evam Ethath puraa vruththam aakhyaanam" - bhadhram asthu va: |

pravyaaharatha visrabdham balam vishNO: pravardhathaam || 6-128 ? 121



So upto this, it is a 'puraa' ? old,

vruththam ? legend.

Aakhyaanam ? done, written.

Balance portion of slokam is phalasruthi portion.



Just for reference that last chapter in uthara kaandam first slokam says



Ethaavath Ethadh aakhyaanam sa uththaram brahma poojitham |

raamaayaNam ithi khyaatham mukhyam vaalmeekina krutham || 7- 111- 1



[again here it is stated written by vaalmeeki, and no points as old or new
but is blessed by brahma]



*point:* this also perhaps answers when lava and kusa were born to the
couple raama and seethaa ? just after coronation or towards the end of that
11000 years period. We can for definite conclude towards end of this 11000
years period. For when they sang in front of raama, they were young and sang
for 32 days in the 'aswamEdha yaaga saalaa'.



I would also like to have some references on research papers, if any, on
this 'time aspect' [apart from Prof. Vartak the contents of which we have
already seen]. Recently smt. Krishnapriya sent a paper on thyaagaraja, which
shows how people from west are interested in thyaagaraaja and our music.
Similar to that is what I seek.



As I already said it is not to raise any controversies but to delve deep
into raamaayanam and enjoy it thoroughly.

Dhasan



Vasudevan.



PS: on this 'cha' in that 11000 years I will add a separate note.


-- 
Vasudevan MG


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



 
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