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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