jaya jaya shrI rAmachandra!
In the last posting, it was seen how Raama is an embodiment of all good virtues. He is full in respect of both opulence and renunciation and He had no qualms about giving up the former in favor of the latter. He is absolutely committed to carrying out the wishes of His elders. In this posting, we will continue with an exposition of how Srii Raama teaches dharma by His words and example.
A kind request: Since I cannot prevent people from posting replies which take the subject onto all sorts of tangents, I request posters to begin any reply with some words glorifying Shrii Raama.
The setting is Ayodhya. Raama has just heard the news that He is to be banished to the forest for 14 years, and has not even blinked. He has only asked to have the time to take leave of Kausalyaa and His wife Siitaa. Leaving Dasharatha's palace, He arrives in Kausalyaa's palace where He finds the noble lady engaging brahmins in a fire-sacrifice meant for bringing blessings on Shrii Raama's coronation. She has not heard the terrible news yet.
Note Vaalmiiki's use of irony in the above shloka. The noble Kausalyaa has not yet heard the bad news, and is still acting on the assumption that Raama is to be crowned that very day. The Adi-kavi frequently employs irony to establish contrasts. In this case, the contrast is between Kausalyaa's joy and the stabbing sorrow she is about to hear when Raama breaks to her the bad news.taam shuklakshaumasamviitaam vratayogena karshitaam |
tarpayantiim dadarshaadbhiH devataam devavarNiniim || 2-20-19
Kausalya, who became lean because of observance of vows, was shining like an angel with her white silk sari and was satiating gods by presenting to them libations by water.
saa cirasya aatmajam dRSTvaa maatR nandanam aagatam |
abhicakraama samhRSTaa kishoram vaDavaa yathaa || 2-20-20
By seeing her son who came after a long time and who gave delight to mother, Kausalya was pleased and approached towards him, like a female horse approaching her young colt.
sa maataramabhikraantaamupasamgR^ihya raaghavaH |
parishhvaktashcha baahubhyaamupaagraatashcha muurdhani || 2-20-21
Rama offered salutation to the approaching mother by touching her feet. Then, she took him into her arms and smelt his head.
tam uvaaca duraadharSam raaghavam sutam aatmanaH |
kausalyaa putra vaatsalyaat idam priya hitam vacaH || 2-20-22
Kausalya spoke these pleasing words affectionately to her son Rama, who was unassailable by enemies.
vRddhaanaam dharma shiilaanaam raajarSiiNaam mahaatmanaam |
praapnuhi aayuH ca kiirtim ca dharmam ca upahitam kule || 2-20-23
“Obtain long life and glory, as obtained by the aged , the virtuous, the great souled and the royal sages. Protect the righteousness engrained in your race”
satya pratij~nam pitaram raajaanam pashya raaghava |
adya eva hi tvaam dharma aatmaa yauvaraajye abhiSekSyati || 2-20-24
“Oh,Rama ! King Dasaratha ,your father is a man of true promise. Today itself, you will be installed as successor to the kingdom by your virtuous father.”
Note here how Shrii Raama maintains His word, not just the letter but also the spirit of it. His forest exile has not yet started, and yet already He is refusing creature comforts.dattamaasanamaalabhya bhojanena nimantritaH |
maataram raaghavaH kimcit prasaarya anjalim abraviit || 2-20-25
Kausalya asked Rama to take food , but Rama just touched the seat offered by her and after performing salutation to her, spoke thus to his mother.
sa svabhaava viniitaH ca gauravaac ca tadaa aanataH |
prasthito daNDakaaraNyamaaprashhTumupachakrame || 2-20-26
That Rama , being humble in nature , became still modest due to respect for his mother and was set about to ask her permission before setting forth his journey to Dandaka forest.
devi nuunam na jaaniiSe mahad bhayam upasthitam |
idam tava ca duhkhaaya vaidehyaa lakSmaNasya ca || 2-20-27
“Oh,mother! You do not know that a great dismay is approaching now. It brings grief to you, to Sita and to Lakshmana”
gamishhye daNDakaaraNyam kimanenaasanena me |
vishhTaraasanayogyo hi kaalo.ayam maamupasthitaH || 2-20-28
“I am going to Dandaka forest. Why this seat for me? Time has come for me to sit on a seat made of Kusha grass.”
Kausalyaa does not deserve to hear this terrible news. She laments that as her husband's first wife, she had to endure Dasharatha's favoring of his younger wife Kaikeyii, and that her only happiness was to see her son growth and eventual installation as heir. She argues that she will now become the bitter target of many sharp-words from her co-wife Kaikeyii, and now that her son is being banished, what joy will she have? She then concludes that she will accompany Raama to the forest.saa nikR^ittaiva saalasya yashhTiH parashunaa vane |
papaata sahasaa devii devateva divashchyutaa || 2-20-32
The queen Kausalya fell on the floor all at once like the branch of a tree, cut down by an axe and as an angel dropping down from heaven.
taam aduhkha ucitaam dRSTvaa patitaam kadaliim iva |
raamaH tu utthaapayaam aasa maataram gata cetasam || 2-20-33
Seeing Kausalya who was fit to be free from sorrow, Rama lifted up her, who had fallen unconsciously on the floor like a plantain tree.
Now, up until this point, Lakshmana, who was present with Raama upon hearing the bad news from Kaikeyii, was silent. But Kausalyaa's pitiable wailing finally breaks his resolve. As Raama's brother, companion, and protector, he flies into a rage at the injustice of it. He accuses the king of having become influenced by sensual delights and losing his good sense. He threatens that he will help Raama take father's kingdom by force (practically unheard of in those times) and wipe out anyone who stands in their way. Even Kausalyaa maintains a glimmer of hope that this course of action will allow Raama to avoid exile. She argues, based on her motherly position, that Raama should respect her wishes to say in Ayodhya:
Note that fidelity to parents' wishes was the point by which Raama agreed to banishment in the first place. But Raama will hear none of it. To Lakshmana He says:bhraatus te vadataH putra lakSmaNasya shrutam tvayaa |
yad atra anantaram tat tvam kuruSva yadi rocate || 2-21-20
“Oh, son !You have heard the words of Lakshmana .If you agree, you do what is to be done, immediately.”
na ca adharmyam vacaH shrutvaa sapatnyaa mama bhaaSitam |
vihaaya shoka samtaptaam gantum arhasi maam itaH || 2-21-21
“It is not proper for you to go away from here, leaving me afflicted with grief, after hearing the un-just words spoken by my co-wife.”
dharmaj~na yadi dharmiSTho dharmam caritum icchasi |
shushruuSa maam ihasthaH tvam cara dharmam anuttamam || 2-21-22
“Oh, Rama! You are righteous man. If you desire to practice virtue, be a virtuous man and stay here serving me thereby practicing the best morality in the form of serving your mother.
shushruuSur jananiim putra sva gR^ihe niyataH vasan |
pareNa tapasaa yuktaH kaashyapaH tridivam gataH || 2-21-23
“Oh, son! Formerly Kasyapa was staying in his own house itself with self restraint, performed great austerity by serving his mother and went to heaven”
yathaa eva raajaa puujyaH te gauraveNa tathaa hi aham |
tvaam na aham anujaanaami na gantavyam itaH vanam || 2-21-24
“Just as the king, by respectable feeling to you is worthy of worship, so also being your mother, I am worthy of worship to you. Hence, do not go to the forest”
yathaiva te putra pitaa tathaaham |
guruH svadharmeNa suhR^ittayaa cha |
na tvaanujaanaami na maaMvihaaya |
suduHkhitaamarhasi gantumevam || 2-21-51
"Oh, son! I am also as respectable a person to you as your father, in my own right and due to great affection. I do not give permission to you. You cannot thus go away, leaving me in great sorrow."
Then to Kausalyaa, who correctly points out that duty to mother's wishes is at least as strong as duty to father's wishes, Raama counters by citing the principles of strii-dharma:tava lakshmaNa jaanaami mayi snehamanuttamam |
vikramam chaiva satyam cha tejashcha suduraasadam || 2-21-38
"Oh, Lakshmana ! I know your highest affection towards me, your heroic valour ,your strength and your unassailable splendour .”
mama maaturmahadduHkhamatulam shubhalakshamNa |
abhipraayam avij~naaya satyasya ca shamasya ca || 2-21-39
" Oh, Lakshmana, with good attributes! My mother is feeling a great and unequalled sorrow, by not knowing the secret of truth and tranquillity."
dharmaH hi paramaH loke dharme satyam pratiSThitam |
dharma samshritam etac ca pitur vacanam uttamam || 2-21-40
"Righteousness is the best of all qualities in the world. Truth is established in righteousness. Even these best words of father are enjoined with righteousness."
samshrutya ca pitur vaakyam maatur vaa braahmaNasya vaa |
na kartavyam vR^ithaa viira dharmam aashritya tiSThataa || 2-21-41
"One who follows righteousness, does not waste his promise given to one's father or mother or Brahmana."
so aham na shakSyaami pitur niyogam ativartitum |
pitur hi vacanaat viira kaikeyyaa aham pracoditaH || 2-21-42
" I cannot transgress my father's command. On the word given by my father only, Kaikeyi instigated me to go to the forest."
tat enaam visR^ija anaaryaam kSatra dharma aashritaam matim |
dharmam aashraya maa taikSNyam mad buddhir anugamyataam || 2-21-43
"Hence, leave this mean mentality of military heroism. Observe righteousness and not rudeness. follow my perception."
Thus, Raama is bound to follow the wishes of father and mother, which in this case are at odds. Therefore, He argues that mother should stay and look after her husband, because this is the duty of women. He specifically states that this is "sanAtana-dharma," and this is one of several references which emphasizes the importance of the moral code.kaikeyyaa vancitaH raajaa mayi ca araNyam aashrite |
bhavatyaa ca parityaktaH na nuunam vartayiSyati || 2-24-11
"Kaikeyi already deceived the king .He will not be alive, when I leave for the forest and you also leave him .It is certain."
bhartuH kila parityaago nR^ishamsaH kevalam striyaaH |
sa bhavatyaa na kartavyo manasaa api vigarhitaH || 2-24-12
“To a woman, abandonment of husband is entirely a cruel act. That bad act is not to be perceived even by mind.”
yaavaj jiivati kaakutsthaH pitaa me jagatii patiH |
shushruuSaa kriyataam taavat sa hi dharmaH sanaatanaH || 2-24-13
"Till Dasaratha, my father and the great king is alive, you should serve him well. It is eternal justice."
Note the "wife should serve the husband" logic, though true, will backfire on Raama when He tries to convince Siitaa to stay behind! (we will discuss that later)
jaya shrI rAma!
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