raamaa walking - why

[Guest guest]

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.