good gevernance - raamaa's style - post 12

[Guest guest]

Post 12

 

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing the topic of "good governance- raamaa's style", we saw in post 11,

the points on the defence commandant and how the king dhasaratha ruled by

winning over the enemies, not only in war but in peace also. In this post, we

will see the king's defense preparedness all the time, so that safe governance

is assured to the sovereign's subjects.

 

King dhasaratha equipped his army by having best among the horses, elephants

etc: see slOkam 1-6-22 [baala kaaNdam sargam 6 slOkam 22] [for in those days,

the modern day mass destruction weapons were not known, missiles with nuke power

not thought about].

 

kaambhOja vishayE jaathai: baahleekai: cha haya uththamai: |

vanaayujai: nadheejai: cha poorNaa harihaya uththamai: || 1-6-22

 

kaambhOja vishayE = kaambhOja the country

jaathai: = born in

baahleekai: = in baahleeka country

haya uththamai: = the best ones of horses

vanaayu jai: = born in the country vanaayu

nadhee ja: = born in rivers [banks]

cha = also

poorNaa = full with

hari haya uththamai: = like Indhra's horse the best one.

 

meaning: king dhasaratha brought horses born in countries like kaambhOja,

baahleeka, vanaayu, and also in countries along river-beds, the best ones, like

the horse of Lord Indhra [called ucchiasrava]. That city of ayOdhyaa was full

with such classic horses. [a proof for the defense preparedness]

 

vindhya parvathajai: maththai: poorNaa haimavathai: api |

madhaanvithai: athibalai: maathaNgai: parvatha upamai: || 1-6-23

 

maathangai: = elephants

vindhya parvatha jai: = born in Vindhya mountains

poorNa maththai: = full of vigor

haimavathai: api = Himalayan born also

madha anvithai: = fattened fully

athi balai: = most mighty

parvatha upamai: = comparable to mountains in similitude.

 

Meaning: king dhasarathaa had elephants born in vindhya mountains, also from

himalayan regions. Mighty were the elephants, fully vigorous and fattened ones,

and they were most powerful in their strength and each in similitude to a huge

mountain.

 

airaavatha kuleenai: cha mahaapadhma kulai: thathaa |

anjanaadh api nishkraanthai: vaamanaadh api cha dhvipai: || 1-6-24

 

dhvipai: = the elephants.

airaavatha kuleenai: cha = from that breed of airavatha [the elephant of indhra]

mahaa padhma kulai: = from mahaapadhma breed

thatha anjanaath api = thus from anjana breed also

nishkraanthai: = derived from

vaamanaath api cha = from vaamana breed too

 

Meaning: king dhasaratha had high bred elephants of the class of airaavatha, the

elephant of Lord Indhra, and from mahaapadhma, anjana and vaamana, too.

 

Just a point on the elephant clan: It is said that eight elephants from eight

corners called ashta dhiggaja support the universe. These eight elephants have

their presiding deities. Out of those eight elephants, four are prominent. They

are 1] airavata, the elephant of indhra, lord of heavens, 2] anjana, the

elephant of varuNa, the raingod 3] vaamana, the elephant of yama, the lord of

dharma and death, 4] punDareeka. Thus, the elephants of king dhasaratha in

ayOdhya are identified with these and termed as 'divine bred' - means of very

high class breed.

 

Bhadhrai: mandhrai: mrugai: cha eva bhadhra mandhra mrugai: thathaa |

bhadhra mandhrai: bhadhra mrugai: mruga mandhrai: cha saa puree || 1-6-25

 

Bhadhra = of the class of Bhadhra

mandhra = of the class of mandhra

mruga = of the class of mriga

cha eva = like that

bhadhra mandhra mruga: tathaa = a mixture of these three;

bhadhra mandhrai: = bhadra and mandra;

bhadhra mrugai: = bhadra and mriga;

mruga mandhra cha = mriga and mandra also

saa puree = that city.

 

Meaning: That city is full with mountain like elephants bred mainly from three

classes viz., Bhadhra, mandhra and mriga. And [inter-bred among these three main

classes are] Bhadhra-mandhra, mandhra-mriga, Bhadhra-mriga etc. [1-6-25]

 

Point on the elephant breed: bhadra is the elephant class for King's ride,

called bhadra gaja. It is a state elephant with high honours and for occasional

or ceremonial use [bhadhram also means mangaLam so also these are used in

ceremonial occasions.

Mandhra and mruga are classes of breed, tamed and used in wars or for the ride

of other nobility. These are the essential mammals used for other lifting and

carrying works.

Also note that one clan is intermingled with the other and a hybrid variety is

also produced even in those days - like mandhra mriga etc. So the "knowledge"

and "technology" on cross breeding was well known and used to produce efficient

animals during raamaayaNa days.

 

Dear bhakthaas, you may ask why so much on the breeds of elephants and horses.

For raamaa asks bharatha- hey dear brother and king of ayOdhyaa - be never

satisfied that you have adequate number of horses and elephants - which leads to

the point on defence.

 

kachchin naaga vanam guptham kachchith thE santhi dhEnukaa:|

kaschinna gaNikaa asvaanaam kunjaraaNam cha thrupyasi|| 2- 100 -50

 

kachchin naaga vanam = the forests where elephants are available

guptham = safe and nicely protected

kachchith thE dhEnukaa: santhi = do you have enough female elephants

kaschin asvaanaam gaNikaa = on the number of female horses

kunjaraaNam cha = and male elephants

na thrupyasi = do not be satisfied

 

meaning: raamaa asks bharatha - hey king are you checking that forests where

elephants are available well protected [so that you can catch enough numbers

when needed]. Are enough number of feamle elephants available to you [so that

they will be yielding calves in good numbers]. Please do not be satisfied that

you have enough of female horses, female elphants, also on the male elephants.

 

Point: this also means the forest wealth should be managed well so that enough

number of elephants are available / living in these forests. Also the female to

male ratios are to be ensured so that the breeding of these animals take place.

Similar is the case with horses. That way, raama gives important points on the

governance of department of forestry, animal husbandry, and defense preparedness

all combined in one stroke.

 

Now see the point on protection to the capital city.

 

nithya maththai: sadhaa poorNaa naagai: achala sannibhai: |

saa yOjanE cha dhvE bhooya: sathya naamaa prakaasathE |

yasyaam dhasarathO raajaa vasan jagath apaalayath || 1-6-26

 

nithya maththai: = always vigorous

sadhaa poorNaa = always full with

naagai: = elephants

achala sannibhai: = mountain like

saa = that ayOdhyaa

yojane cha dhvE bhooya: = two yojanaas further

sathya naama = true to its name

prakaasathE = radiant

yasyaam = that which

dhasaratha: naama raajaa = named dhasaratha the king

vasan = residing

jagat apaalayat = ruled the world [kingdom].

 

Meaning: Full with the elephants that are always vigorous and mountain-like, the

radiance of ayOdhyaa is true to its name, because, further two-yojana distance

[of its circumference] none can assail [hence the name a+yodhya =

un-assailable]. Residing in that Ayodhya, the king named Dasharatha, ruled the

world.

 

The point here is that not only the borders have been sealed and well protected,

the capital is more protected by elephants on the circumference of two yOjanaas.

Because those days [and even now] when the capital of a country is seized by the

enemy, it is deemed that the whole country is taken over. That is why the

capital is more protected.

 

Thus in this post the defense preparedness and points on forestry etc are seen.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.