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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00111 May 2004

 
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Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

While we were discussing few points raamaayaNam as a sequel of sriman 
Sudarsan's "raama a democrat or despot", my learned friend raised this 
question. Since I could not give an answer straightaway, I thought the groups' 
collective wisdom may elicit an answer.

First the "situation" in sreemadh raamaayaNam which lead to the rise of this 
question: 

In the baala kaaNdam, sage viswaamithra walks into king dhasarathhan's sabhaa 
mandapam. King receives him and offers a seat. Sage wants sri raaman to be sent 
with him. First king dhasarathhan hesitates and on the advice of sage vasishta 
he decides to send not only raaman but also "raaman and lakshmaNan" together 
with the sage. 

Now read the slOkams and their meanings leading to the question to be raised at 
the end: [1 is baala kaaNdam - 22 is sargam - 1 again is slOkam no.]

thathhaa vasishtE broovathi raajaa dhasarathha: svayam |
prahrushta vadhanO raamam aajuhaava sa lakshmaNam || 1-22-1

vasishtE thathhaa broovathi = by vasishta, that way, when said 
raajaa dhasaratha: = king dhasarathha 
pra hrushta vadhana: = very satisfied face-expression 
svayam = personally 
raamam sa lakshmaNa juhaava = Raama, with LakshmaNa is called for.

Meaning: When vasishta said that way king dhasarathha with an air of 
satisfaction personally fetched raama along with lakshmaNa. [1-22-1]

krutha: svasthyayanam maathraa pithraa dhasarathhEna cha |
purOdhasaa vasishtEna mangaLai: abhimanthritham || 1-22-2
sa puthram moordhni upaaghraaya raajaa dhasarathha: thadhaa |
dhadhau kusika puthraaya supreethEna antharaathmanaa || 1-22-3

sa: dhasaratha: raajaa = he dhasarathha king 
maathraa = by mother kausalyaa 
pithraa dhasarathEna cha = by father dhasaratha also 
krutha: svasthi ayanam = one [for whom bon voyage is] performed blessing for 
travel - raama 
purOdhasaa vasishtEna = by priest vasishta 
mangaLai: abhimanthritham = blessings [for who they are] rendered vEdhic hymns 
on such son raama's forehead 
thadhaa = then 
puthram moordhni upaaghraaya = son's forehead smelled [kissing forehead] 
su preethEna antharaathmanaa = well pleased with heart of hearts 
kusika puthraaya = to visvaamithra dhadhau = entrusted.

Meaning: raama is blessed for a propitious travel firstly by his mother 
kausalya and then by his father king dhasarathha, thereupon the royal priest 
vasishta rendered vEdhic hymns blessing the journey, then dhasarathha well 
pleased in his heart of hearts kissed his son raama on forehead and entrusted 
him to visvaamithra. [1-22-2, 3]

thathO vaayu: sukha sparsO neerajaskO vavau thadhaa |
visvaamithra gatham raamam dhrushtvaa raajeeva lOchanam || 1-22-4

thatha: = afterwards 
raajeeva lOchanam raamam = lotus eyed one raama 
visvaamithra gatham = after visvaamithra when followed 
dhrushtvaa = on seeing; 
thadhaa = then; 
vaayu: sukha sparsa: = then breeze pleasant to touch 
neerajaska: [nir + raja:] = without pollen / dust - dustless; 
vavau = breezed.

Meaning: Then on seeing the lotus-eyed raama following visvaamithra the breeze 
became dustless and breezed pleasant for touch. [1-22-4]

pushpa vrushti: mahathee aaseeth dhEva dhundhubhi ni:svanai: |
sankha dhundhubhi nirghOsha: prayaathE thu mahaathmani || 1-22-5

mahaathmani = great soul [raama / visvaamithra]
prayaathE tu = forged ahead; 
mahathee pushpa vrushti: = abounding flowers down poured 
dhEva dhundhubhi niswanam = divine drums rumbling 
sankha dhundhubhi nirghOsha: = conch-shell drums [of ayOdhyaa,] whistling 
aseeth = have happened.

Meaning: When the great-soul raama forged ahead there occurred an abounding 
downpour of flowers with the booming of divine drums, together with the boom 
and blare of drums and conch-shells of ayOdhyaa. [1-22-5]

visvaamithrO yayau agrE thathO raamO mahaayasaa: |
kaaka paksha dharO dhanvee tham cha saumithri: anvagaath || 1-22-6

visvaamithra yayau agrE = traveled ahead 
thatha: = next 
kaaka paksha dhara: = crow's wings wearing [having black hair-locks] 
dhanu: dhara: raama: = bow handling raama 
dhanvee saumithri: = with bow sumithraa's son [LakshmaNa] 
anvagaath = followed.

Meaning: raama, with jet-black hair-locks handling his bow, followed 
visvaamithra: who walked ahead, while lakshmaNa handling his own bow followed 
raama. [1-22-6]

kalaapinau dhanush paaNee sObhayaanau dhisO dhasa |
akshudhrau analpa roopa veeryaadhi prabhaavaa ||
visvaamithram mahaatmaanam tri seershau iva pannagau |
anujagmathu: akshudhrau pithaamaham iva asvinau || 1-22-7

kalaapinau = with quivers 
dhanush paaNee = bows in hands 
dhisa: dhasa sObhayaanau = directions ten making lambent 
a + kshudhrau analpa roopa veeryaadhi prabhaavaa = not, with meagre physical 
and vital impact - highly dynamic in physiques and spiritedness; 
tri seershau pannagau iva = three headed serpents as with raama, lakshmaNa
mahaathmaanam visvaamithram = great, souled one after visvaamithra; 
asvinau pithaama: iva = the twin aswin gods, after Forefather Brahma, as with; 
anujagmathu: = followed.

Meaning: raama and lakshmaNa, with two quivers each and two bows in their 
hands, and making all the ten directions of compass lambent followed 
visvaamithra, as if three headed serpents followed visvaamithra, and with their 
highly dynamic physiques and spiritedness they look as if like the aswin twin 
gods of unequal charm following Brahma, the Forefather. [1-22-7, 8]

thadhaa kusika puthram thu dhanush paaNee svalankruthau |
badhDha gOdha anguLi thraaNau khadgavanthau mahaadhyuthee || 1-22-8
kumaarau chaaru vapushau bhraatharau raama lakshmaNau |
anuyaathau sriyaa dheepthau sObhayEthaam anindhithau || 1-22-9
sthaaNum dhEvam iva achinthyam kumaarau iva paavakee |

thatha: = then 
kumaarau = youngsters 
chaaru vapushau = charming, bodied ones; 
svalankruthau = bejewelled ones; 
dhanush paaNee = bow in hands 
baddha gOdha anguLee thraaNau = tied leather fingers covers 
khadga vanthau = swords having 
mahaa dhyuthee = highly resplendent ones 
sriyaa dheepthau = with worth effulgent; 
a + nindhithau = unreprovable ones; 
bhraatharau = two brothers raama & lakshmaNa 
anuyaathau = going while following 
paavakee = birthed by Fire-god 
kumaarau iva = sons like 
a + chinthyam dhEvam = not thinkable - inscrutable potential the god - siva 
sthaaNum iva = siva as with 
kusika puthram sObhayEthaam = kusi's son [visvaamithra] made to shine.

Meaning: Those two youngsters with charming and bejewelled physiques are 
handling bows and swords and their fingers have leathern covers. Both the 
unreprovable brothers raama and lakshmaNa are highly resplendent and effulgent 
by their worth. While they are following visvaamithra they looked like the sons 
of Fire-god, namely skandha and visaakha, following the great god with 
inscrutable potential, namely siva, and thus the brothers have made 
visvaamithra to shine forth in even pose with god siva. [1-22-8, 9, 10a]

Now the point and then question: You have all read the nice description of 
raamaa walking along with lakshmaNa following the sage visvaamithra, who walked 
ahead of these two, people of ayOdhyaa showering flowers and blowing conches 
etc.

The sage first walked into the royal palace. When he left with the princes 
again the sage walked to his place along with the princes. 

The question is "why the king dhasaratha has not offered a ratham - a chariot - 
to carry the sage and the two brothers to the sage's destination of the forest. 
For whenever a respected guest is received it is customary now and then also to 
see him off with proper protocol. 

Why the king allowed his guest to go on foot - that too his own son's walking 
along a long distance to the forests? Does the sage not deserve a chariot ride? 
For the sage was also a king earlier, now only the status changed. 

Why the king did not offer a ratham - a chariot - though not for the sage's 
sake but for his own sons' sake at least. For these young ones were not 
accustomed to walking in forests. [The same king dhasarathha says first they 
were not exposed to fighting with raakshaasaas in forest and offers himself, 
but later allows them to walk in forest as though they were trained for that] 

Is there any specific purpose for allowing king's own sons to walk into 
forests? 

Is it a rehearsal for later stage routine for 14 years?

Just to think in another way - raamaa himself could have asked for the chariot 
- he also simply obeyed to the father's order to follow sage visvaamithra. 

Why this point arises to the mind is - Later when mother kaikEyi said "raama, 
you leave for forest for 14 years, wearing the sages' garments, [without any of 
the king's royal dress etc], and leave the royal throne to bharathaa, raamaa 
availed the facility of the royal throne - by asking minister sumanthra to 
bring the chariot and went in the chariot it along with wife and brother, 
followed by people - again nicely described by sage vaalmeeki. 

Same thing raamaa could have done now also, for he was the son of the king. Now 
here in this situation the king dhasaratha is in throne with full 
consciousness. 
Whereas in the other instance of leaving for forest, the king was not conscious 
enough on what is happening around. 

Since I am unable to get an answer directly or indirectly, I request bhakthaas 
to offer clarification points including points from versions of other 
raamaayanams, if any, as well.

Dhaasan

Vasudevan m.g.




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