The date of Raama - 6

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

The life span of people in different yugas are said to run in thousands of years.

In his description of Jambhoo dweepa , Sanjaya says that people of

Satya yuga lived for 4000 years, those of Thretha yuga for 3000 years

and those of Dwapara yuga for 2000 thousand. But while talking about

people of Kali yuga, he gives a mixed outlook. He says that there is

no limit for the life span for the people of Kali yuga. Some are born

dead and some die after birth. And there are those born to live with

‘maha satvam’ and great valour. They multiply in hundreds and

thousands.

 

This description was given by Sanjaya after he looks at distant lands

at distant time periods with Doora dhrushti.

 

We find here the 4:3:2 ratio with reference to the first 3 yugas and a

not-too-clear vision of Kali yuga. By implication and continuity of

the previous yugas, the life span in Kali yuga must be 1000 years.

This makes the calculation complete as 4:3:2:1.

 

But going by what he says about progeny, we seem to get a clue. It is

impossible for a human being to live for 1000s of years. It might be

possible in a different universe with people formed of different

cellular formations. But the kind of evolution of species in this

earth rule out such existence. Since progeny is being talked about

Kali people, it may be assumed that any particular race or generation

of people will last for so many number of years. In Kali yuga there is

no certainty that all people will live 1000 years long by way of their

progeny. (A man is born as his son, so goes a dictum in our texts).

The lineage might get cut short, is the implication.

 

Another way to look at it is that the name and fame of a person in

the respective yugas will live on for so many thousands of years.

Raama’s story seem to imply this. In his concluding words in the

Pattabhishka chapter, Valmiki speaks of Raama ruling the world for

11,000 years. In the beginning too, Narada while narrating the story

of Raama to Valmiki says like this.

 

“ dasha varSa sahasraaNi dasha varSa shataani ca |raamo raajyam

upaasitvaa brahma lokam prayaasyati || “ (1-1-97)

97. dasha+varSa+sahasraaNi= ten, years, thousand;

dasa+varsha+sataani+ca= ten, years, hundred, also; raamaH= Rama;

raajyam+upaasitvaa= kingdom, on reverencing; brahma+

lokam+gamishhyati= Brahma's abode, voyages.

"On reverencing the kingdom for ten thousand years plus another one

thousand years, [i.e. for a total of eleven thousand years,] Rama

voyages to the abode of Brahma... [1-1-97]

Comment: In rama raajyam upaasitvaa... the word used is upaasana is

not ruling by sceptre but 'reverentially idolised the kingdom...' as

one would regard or treat his personal god with reverence. Rama thus

reverenced his kingdom as a devotee of his subjects and this is the

concept of raama raajya.

 

 

The commentary above puts the entire issue in a different perspective!!

Raama established Raama rajyam for 10,000 + 1000 years after which He

left for His Abode. Raama rajyam stands for Raama’s ideals in

different spheres of life and governance. Even at the time of Vali

vadam it is said that since the entire earth was under Ikshvahu hold,

Raama was bound to establish its dharma by slaying Vaali. It is well

known that the entire land mass was not under Ikshvahu dynasty. The

implication was that the dharma, the ideals and values systems which

the dynasty stood for , was followed throughout the land mass.

 

A similar prevalence of Raama’s ideals is bound to exist till 4098 AD.

Perhaps after that, there might take place a further deterioration.

It is said at many places in the texts that Raama’s story will live

as long as Himalayas and the Ganga live. Perhaps the Ganga might

vanish at or around 4098 AD like how the river Saraswathi of the

Vedic age vanished. (There is proof now that this river did indeed

exist and was the hub of growth of Vedic civilisation, perhaps in

Satya yuga). The vanishing of the Ganga is possible since Bhagirathan

is supposed to bring her down in Satya yuga, in the next cycle. (I am

not sure about the time period). Perhaps the ganga will dry up in

Thretha yuga of the night duration of the mini yuga and might get

enclosed at higher levels in the Himalayas..

 

The strong indicators for believing that the life span in those days

could not have been in thousands but within or around a hundred are

as follows:

 

Ø Brahma devan is said to live for 100 years in his time scale.

Therefore 100 is the standard year duration for longevity. Since man

is at a micro cosmic scale of the Cosmic god Brahma, and since

man’s life is shaped by the influence of each of the nine planets

which runs into a total period of 120 years as calculated by sage

Parashara in the Vedas and Ithihasas, this span is roughly around 100

years.

 

Ø The blessings given by elders when one prostrates is of Vedic

origin (of satya yuga). It is (“Shatamaanam bhavathi shataayu:

purusha:…”) to invoke 100 years of life for the one so blessed. This

blessing is repeated in several places in the Upanishads too.

 

Ø When one performs the daily midday supplication, the individual

prays to the sun when he is in full bloom that he may be blessed to

see him for a full life of nearly 100 years. (“PashyEma sharada:

shatham… jIvEma sharada: shatham.. etc ) This prayer also has its

origin in Vedic yuga.

 

Ø We can quote an example from Ramayana itself. In Sundhara

khandam (sargam 34) On seeing that Raama dhoothan has come to redeem

her distress, Sita says, “ yethi jivantha aanandham naram

varshashathadhabhi.” (If only a person were to live for a 100 years,

he would sure have ‘aanandham’ sometime even after a 100 years.) Here

‘if only a person lives for a 100 years ‘ make it clear that the

average life span of a person in Thretha yuga had not been in 1000s

of years.

 

Ø But that it has been said so, can be understood in the way it

has to be, if we look into an episode involving sages Vasishta and

Vishwamithra. They once had an argument regarding which is superior -

sat-sangam or years of tapas. Vasishta said it was sat-sangam while

Vishwamithra said it was years of tapas or meditation. They went to

meet Adhisesha who was carrying the World on his shoulder, to settle

this issue. He said how he could solve this issue when he was

carrying a heavy burden. For this, Vishwamithra said that he would

give 16,000 years of his tapas to support the weight and did give.

But the world could not be held aloft. Vasishta gave a second of

satsangam and Adhisesha was relieved of the weight. But since

Adhisesah continued to remain quiet, Vishwamithra asked impatiently

why he was not giving his solution, for which sesha replied that

reply was already given. While a second of sat-sangam was able to

hold the world, 16,000 years of tapas could not!

 

We have our lessons in this. Counting of years rarely matter. It is

about what you gather by being in the company of good people (this

includes all that imparts goodness, including knowledge acquired by

reading etc). What one does in a 100 year life span must be worthy of

lasting for 1000s of years. That is what happened to people (sages) of

Staya yuga.

 

At another level, what we gain in an entire life time may be had in

few years’ satsangam. By sat sangam, we, in this age of Kali may gain

values and knowledge that can otherwise be got in 1000 years. Such is

the greatness of satsangam. Such is the implication of living for

long!

 

But the true nature of this is something which even Maharishis may

not have known. Bhagawan conveys this in BG 10-2 – “ Neither the host

of gods nor the great seers know my Prabhavam.” This word, prabhavam,

connotes various meanings at various levels but suffice it to say

that the way of His creation at the bottom-most layer of yuga

classification is something that is bound to be as ever – a mystery.

 

But this mind shrouded with agynanam wishes to believe that Raama was

there just in the yester years!!

Vaanam thodum dooraththil-dhan irukkiradu,

Aanaal, thoda mudivathilai.

Raaman thodum dooraththil-dhan irukkiraan.

Avani-th-thoda mudiyum - thoda vEndum..

 

But this can not happen if He were to come only 71 times in a kalpam!

What chance would I then have to see Him? If the possibilities are for

150 x 71 times, wont I at least get a chance to be present

– as a flower in Sita’s garland?

– as a tree in front of the ParNa shala in Dhandaka vanam?

– as the squirrel in Raama kaaryam, that Raama would be

pleased to hold in His hands and stroke?

– as a cuckoo sharing His ‘soham’ by a melodious weep, when He

would look through the window of His room at the late moon, well past

midnight, thinking of Sita whom He left in exile as a pregnant woman?

– Or atleast as a raakshasa of Janasthana to be killed by Raama

so that I can somehow attain my moksha padavi?

Hey Raam, nee thodum dooraththil-dhan irukka vEndum…..

 

With my pranams to all in this satsangam,

Jayasree saranathan.