Smt.Lavanya Ratnam"s question .

[Guest guest]

Smt . Lavanya Ratnam asked an important question that has

attracted the attention of commentators of Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam

such as Govindaraja, Jayatheertha, Uthari and Periya Vaccchaan Pillai.

There are atleast three bewildering situations , where the Conduct of

Sri Ramachandra is difficult to understand from the modern day point of

view. One of them is the banishment of pregnant Sita near Valmiki Asram.

The others are the Vali Vadham and the abandonment of Lakshmana , when

he interrupted the conversation between Rama and Dharmaraja due to the

pressure from Durvasa Muni. I will provide some background to show how

Rama Bhakthas have grappled with these questions and resolved them .

It may be long-winded, but may come in handy for future discussions

on Ramayana and Rama's nature as the embodiment of Dharma.. .

 

Many offshoots of Valmiki Ramayanam like Ananda Ramayanam, Adhyatma

Ramayanam,Gayatri Ramayanam, Rama Charita Manas of Tulsidas Goswami,

Kamba Ramayanam and Rama Nataka Kirthanam in South and the

Maha Natakam in Maharashtra either side stepped the issues or

gave a different twist to the events that are found in the Uttara Khandam

and Kishkinda Khandam. Number of them stop at the Rama Pattabhishekam

and ignore Uttara Khandam events altogether..

 

The Azhwars and the Acharyas and the commentators of the South

have explained the abandonment of Sita along the reasons summarized

excellently by both Sri Vidyasankar and Sri Tatachar. One of the five

preceptors of

Acharya Ramanuja was Thirumalai Nambi, who instructed him on the

esoteric meanings of Srimad Ramayana. Both of these intellectual giants

are said to have gone over the verses of the epic one by one. They together

have

agreed with Nammazhwar's view that there is nothing more profound to learn

other than Rama's story. (Thiruvaimozhi 7.5.1: Karpaar Ramapiranai allaal

marrum Karparoh--).In the next verse ,the Azhwaar says;

Nattil Pirandhu Padaathana pattu --to refer to the sufferings of Rama ,

when he was born as a human on this earth as the son of Dasaratha .

Even in all the trials and tribultions he was subjected to,

he upheld the highest principles of his Dharma as a King , His personal

sufferings

took a second place, when he had to follow the dictates of Raja Neethi. Once he

determined, what was correct according to the Pre-Kali Yuga Dharma, he never

hesitated to carry out his duties. He suffered immensely from the separation

from

his beloved Sita. He never married . It was permitted as we guess from the

example

of his father, who had three wives. He placed the golden statue of Sita as his

existing Dharma Patni ,while performing the Aswamedha Yaga and Savana Yagas.

He invited her later back from Valmiki"s hermitage with the sons . She came and

 

decided to seek the shelter form her Mother, Bhoomi Devi and her wish was

granted. Rama lost her and lamented his profound loss once again.

 

Swami Desikan following the sampradhyam of Ramanuja has clearly

stated Rama as the embodiment of Dharma (Dharmo Vigrahavaan). He

also composed a stotra on the Archa murthy of the Divya Desam known as

Thirupputkuzhi and named it Paramartha Stuti or the stotram on the

most profound meaning of the attributes of Vijaya Raghavan. He salutes

the Lord of this Divya Desam as Aahava Pungan . Aahavam means both War and

Yajnas. Swami Desikan also called Ramayana,the Saranagathi Sastra and wrote

another masterpiece known as Abhaya Pradhaana Saram to salute the

Kalyana Guna of Rama rooted in Dharma(Saranagatha Vrathi ).He has

named his stuti on Thirupputkuzhi Perumal

as Paramartha Stuti from the inspiration he got from the passages of

Rama Rahasya Upanishads..

 

In recent times, Saint Thyagaraja has pondered over these questions and has

unequivocally established Rama as the supreme embodiment of Dharma

in his mind.. He points out inhis SANKARABHARANA kRITI "BUDDHI RAADHU" that

One might have read Ramayana and Bhagavatha , but he or she will not

understand the TRUE knowledge of their significance

unless they grasp the meanings of the Avatars in the human forms

(Manusha Avatara Charitamulu ). In Todi Raga Kriti,

EMI JESITI, he asks : Of what avail is anything done, when one does not

understand the Sastric command of Sri Rama as a King .In the Harikambhoji

kriti, Undenthi Ramudu , he saluted Rama as Dahrmathmudu, Sarva Samudu.

Here , he describes Rama as the soul of all Dharma and he looks evenly on all.

He hails Rama Rajyam as the most benovolent rule by any king and says in his

Mukari Kriti (Karu Bharu ), that he protected his subjects and exercised supreme

authority

impartially and cared about the happiness of townsmen and Rishis alike.

He says that the rains fell three times a month and there was abundant

prosperity

due to the strict adherence to Dharma by the Ruler. In his Gowlipantu kriti,

Kasicchedhe , He points out that the Kings of the Kali age are vainglorious

and they do not protect one and all like Rama , who was a master of the

science of Polity (Raja Dharmam). In one of his Suprabhatham kriti, he says

that

the kings of the Universe were assembled in front of Rama's bed chamber to

learn about the intricacies of Raja Neethi.

 

Regarding Vali Vadham,Saint Thygaraja asks in his Vakulabharanam kriti

: "Is it not correct that Rama killed

Vali for having deprived Sugriva of the company of his wife

and children and made him run to the mountains?

 

Regarding Lakshman's abandonment, Vasishta advised Rama that he had no choice,

since Lakshmana transgressed the promise made to Yama Raja that no one

should interrupt his conversation with Rama and those , who did would

have to be sacrificed. When Durvasa demanded Lakshmana guarding the gate of

the conference chamber and threatned to curse Rama , if he did not see him

immediately,

Lakshmana broke the rule and interrupted the conversation, fully knowing that

he has to be sacrificed..

 

In summary, Rama's acute sense of carrying out his Raja Dharma

put him under tremendous emotional distress and suffering, But he put his

duties as a king first and executed the course of Action without hesitation..

 

There is an explanation in Uttara Khandham about Rama's separation from Sita

through the words of the royal charioteer of Rama a she drove Lakshmana back

from his assigned duty to abandon Sita. Sumantra explains that Sage Bhrigu had

cursed

Vishnu , when he cut the head of Bhrigu's wife with Sudarsanam . Vishnu was

angry at her for

protecting the Daityas, who were foes of the Devas.Bhrigu cursed that Rama will

be

born as a human son of Dasaratha and will be separated from his wife for

causing such an anguish to him (51st chapter of Uttara Khandam). This seems to

be

a easier explanation to accept .

 

Sri Ranmachandra Parabrahmaneh Nama:

Sadagopan