Dear devotees,
The Raamaayana of Vaalmiiki is truly a magnificent work, being not just a story but a perfect exposition of dharma, jnaana, and bhakti/sharanaagati. Just a little bit of reading of it yields immense fruit in understanding the culture of our ancestors and the philosophy of vedas upon which their actions were based.
Currently I am reading Ayodhya-kaanda dealing with Raama's exile to the forest. It is amazing how Raama, playing the role of the ideal kshatriya prince, shows us how to deal with unspeakable adversity. Mahaaraaja Dasharatha was the emperor of the known world, and neither he nor his sons lacked for anything in terms of opulence, strength, or fame. His youngest wife Kaikeyii, being under unholy influence, manipulates him into granting her a boon that Raama should be banished to the forest for 14 years while her son Bharata should be made the heir-apparent. These demands are so cruel and unprecedented that the whole population of Ayodhya is thrown into grief. Yet in the person of Raama we see no such hesitation to carry out Kaikeyii's wishes in order to redeem his father's pledge. Let us delve into the Raamaayana and see how Raama deals with these troubling matters. The setting is Dasharatha's palace. Mahaaraaja Dasharatha has just been awake all night with Kaikeyii on the eve of Raama's installation, being manipulated into cancelling His coronation and banishing him. The emperor, who previously fought alongside devas and was known to be unconquerable in battle, was lying tormented and unconscious at the thought of Raama's upcoming banishment and his separation from Him. Sumantra is sent to Raama's palace to bring him before Dasharatha, and the Aadi-Kavi uses this opportunity to describe in great detail the opulence surrounding Raama:
How does our royal prince, who lives in such opulence on a daily basis, react to the news that He must renounce it? On arriving in the palace of His father, His first thought is one of alarm at seeing Dasharatha in such an unconsoleable state. He then wonders if he committed some offense to His father. He states that a father is one's worshipful deity and one must always desire to fulfill the father's command:mahaakavaaTapihitaM vitardishatashobhitam || 2-15-32
kaaJNchanapratimaikaagraM maNividrumatoraNam |
shaaradaabhraghanaprakhyaM diiptaM meruguhopamam || 2-15-33
maNibhirvaramaalyaanaaM sumahadbhiralaMkR^itam |
muktaamaNibhiraakiirNaM chandhanaagurubhuushhitam || 2-15-34
gandhaanmanojJNaan visR^ijaddhaarduraM shikharaM yathaa |
saarasaishcha mayuuraishcha vinadadbhirviraajitam || 2-15-35
sukR^itehaamR^igaakiirNaM sukiirNaM bhaktibhistathaa |
manshchakshushcha bhuutaanaamaadadattigmatejasaa || 2-15-36
chandrabhaaskarasaMkaasham kuberabhavanopamam |
mahendradhaamapratimaM naanaapakshisamaakulam || 2-15-37
merushR^iN^gasamam suuto raamaveshma dadarsha ha |
upasthitaiH samaakiirNam janairaJNjalikaaribhiH || 2-15-38
upaadaaya samaakraantaistathaa jaanapadairjanaiH |
raamaabhishhekasumukhairunmukhaiH samalamkR^itam || 2-15-39
mahaameghasamaprakhyamudagraM suvibhuushhitam |
naanaaratnasamaakiirNaM kubjakairaatakaavR^itam || 2-15-40
Rama's palace was beautiful with large doors and adorned with hundreds of raised quadrangular seats. There were festooned decorations over doorways with gems and corals. It was adorned with various precious stones and the best of garlands. Pearls were scattered all over abundantly. It was decorated with sandal and aloe woods, spreading out beautiful smells like the peak of a Darddura Mountain. Cranes and peacocks were singing sweetly. Figures of wolves and other art forms were sculptured here and there. It was attracting the eyes and minds of living beings by its brilliance. It was shining like a constellation of moon and the sun. It was full of various kinds of birds. It was as high as Meru mountain. Sumantra saw such a palace of Rama. People who came from different rural parts to see Rama's coronation were waiting with different gifts in their hands. That house decorated with various diamonds, was looking high like a great cloud. Hunch backed servants and servants of kirata tribe were moving all over the house.
Kaikeyii then explains the boon Dasharatha gave her, and states that Raama must give up the throne and all of its attendant luxuries and be banished to the forest for 14 years. How does Raama take it?atoSayan mahaa raajam akurvan vaa pitur vacaH |
muhuurtam api na iccheyam jiivitum kupite nRpe || 2-18-15
"If our father becomes angry, I do not desire to live even for a moment without satisfying him or without fulfilling his command."
yataH muulam naraH pashyet praadurbhaavam iha aatmanaH |
katham tasmin na varteta pratyakSe sati daivate || 2-18-16
"Man sees father as the visible god who is the root cause of one's own coming into existence and how else can he behave towards him other than like that?"
In other words, without so much as a blink, His response is, "Oh, all I have to do to please father is go to the forest for 14 years and live like a hermit? So be it! But, why is father himself not saying this to me... is he displeased with me in some way?"tat apriyam amitraghnaH vacanam maraNa upamam |
shrutvaa na vivyathe raamaH kaikeyiim ca idam abraviit || 2-19-1
Rama the annihilator of enemies heard those harsh and deadly words but was unruffled. He spoke these words to Kaikeyi.
evam astu gamiSyaami vanam vastum aham tu ataH |
jaTaa ciira dharaH raaj~naH pratij~naam anupaalayan || 2-19-2
"Let it be, as you said it. I shall fulfil the king's promise, go to the forest from here to reside there, wearing braided hair and covered with a hide."
idam tu j~naatum icchaami kim artham maam mahii patiH |
na abhinandati durdharSo yathaa puram arim damaH || 2-19-3
"But I want to know why the king, the inviolable and the subduer of enemies, is not greeting me today as before."
Indeed, obedience to His father being foremost on His mind, Raama, who was by all rights the heir to the throne, expresses sorrow that He did not get invited to see his younger brother being coronated!manyur na ca tvayaa kaaryo devi bruuhi tava agrataH |
yaasyaami bhava supriitaa vanam ciira jaTaa dharaH || 2-19-4
"Oh, queen! you need not be indignant. I am telling before you that I shall go to the forest, wearing rags and braided hair. Become delighted well."
hitena guruNaa pitraa kRtaj~nena nRpeNa ca |
niyujyamaano vishrabdham kim na kuryaat aham priyam || 2-19-5
"How can I not do faithfully an action dear to my father, as commanded by him as well-wisher, venerable man, as person with right conduct and as king."
But none of this deters Him from His readiness to renounce everything merely to satisfy the wishes of His father, which had only been expressed to him merely seconds ago:aliikam maanasam tu ekam hRdayam dahati iva me |
svayam yan na aaha maam raajaa bharatasya abhiSecanam || 2-19-6
"My heart is burning indeed with one sorrowful feeling that king himself has not informed me about Bharata's coronation."
Note the unconditional nature of Raama's devotion to His duty as a son. It does not require that Dasharatha's command be moral or just. Dasharatha is His father and the emperor, and He will gladly lay down even His life.aham hi siitaam raajyam ca praaNaan iSTaan dhanaani ca |
hRSTaH bhraatre svayam dadyaam bharataaya apracoditaH || 2-19-7
"Without being asked, I myself would have gladly offered even Sita with kingdom, even my life, loved ones and wealth."
kim punar manuja indreNa svayam pitraa pracoditaH |
tava ca priya kaama artham pratij~naam anupaalayan || 2-19-8
"Being directed by king, who is my father himself, how much more should I tell that I can give everything to Bharata, duly obeying father's promise to fulfil your beloved desire."
tat aashvaasaya hi imam tvam kim nv idam yan mahii patiH |
vasudhaa aasakta nayano mandam ashruuNi muncati || 2-19-9
"That is why, you console him. Why indeed the king is thus slowly shedding tears, with eyes gazed upon the floor?"
gacchantu ca eva aanayitum duutaaH shiighra javaiH hayaiH |
bharatam maatula kulaat adya eva nRpa shaasanaat || 2-19-10
"Let messengers go now itself on fleet horses to bring Bharata from maternal uncle's house as per orders of the king."
daNDaka araNyam eSo aham itaH gacchaami satvaraH |
avicaarya pitur vaakyam samaavastum catur dasha || 2-19-11
"Immediately, I shall go to live in forest of Dandaka for fourteen years, without reflecting on whether my father's words are right or wrong."
All glories to Lord Raamachandra, the son of Mahaaraaja Dasharatha, the Lord of Siitaa, the sovereign ruler of Ayodhya, and the One who shows the true path of dharma!
All translations are from the online www.valmikiramayan.net.
Please click here to listen to pure nectar - Thyaagaraaja's composition "challare" in rAgam ahiri (lyrics and translation available at the link).
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