protocol 2

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing the discussion on the observation of 'protocol' by raama, we will now

see how raama has NOT observed any protocol in meeting sage bharadhwaaja, [like

the occasion of meeting sage agasthya, where he observed all that].

 

[As already stated 2 is ayodhyaa kaaNdam, 54 is sargam number, and 8 is slOkam

number]

 

dhanvinou thou sukham gathvaa lambamaanE dhivaakarE |

gangaa yamunayO: samdhou praapathur nilayam munE: || 2-54-8

 

meaning: Having walked comfortably, Raama and LakshmaNa wielding their bows,

reached the abode of the sage Bharadhwaaja, near the confluence of rivers Ganga

and Yamuna, while the Sun was falling to the west.

 

raama: thu aasramam aasaadhya thraasayan mruga pakshiNa: |

gathvaa muhoortham adhvaanam bharadhvaajam upaagamath || 2-54-9

 

meaning: Having reached the hermitage and scaring the animals and birds (by his

very appearance as a bowman) and having proceeded on the intervening path for a

while, Raama approached the vicinity of Bharadhwaaja.

 

thatha: thu aasramam aasaadhya munEr dharsana kaankshiNou |

seethayaa anugathou veerou dhooraath Eva avathasthathu: || 2-54-10

 

meaning: Arriving at the hermitage, the two valiant princes, who wished to see

the sage, accompanied by Seetha, halted at first at some distance off.

 

Point 1: may be, some shrewd reader pick up this 'stopping for a while' as

having observed the first protocol of waiting or stopping in front of the great

person who is to be met, so that the great person's attention is caught.

Just compare the protocol what raama observed while meeting agasthya. Stopped at

the door, sent lakshmana the assistant, informed agasthya about his and his

wife's arrival and then went in. Whereas here only stopped for a while, and see

what happens next. [as sage vaalmeeki described].

 

sa pravishya mahaathmaanam risheem sishya gaNair varutham |

samsitha vratham Ekaagram thapasaa labdha chakshusham || 2-54-11

hutha agni hOthram dhrushtvaa Eva mahaa bhaagam krutha anjali: |

raama: soumithriNaa saardham seethayaa cha abhyavaadhayath || 2-54-12

 

meaning: Entering the hermitage and beholding the high-souled sage

[bharadhwaaja] who was austere and contemplative, his glance sharpened through

severe meditation, surrounded by a group of disciples, who had kindled

sacrificial fire, the highly fortunate man as he was, Raama, together with

LakshmaNa and Seetha, greeted him with joined palms.

 

Point2: All the three [raama lakshmaNa and seethaa] together they get in and

straight away greet the sage. So no previous information that so and so has come

etc by an assistant like sage's disciples or lakshmaNa as in the case of

agasthya.

 

nyavEdhayatha cha aathmaanam thasmai lakshmaNa poorvaja: |

puthrou dhasarathasya aavaam bhagavan raama lakshmaNou || 2-54-13

 

meaning: Raama (the elder brother of Lakshmana) introduced himself to the sage

as follows: "Oh venerable sage! We both Raama and LakshmaNa, are the sons of

Dhasaratha."

 

bhaaryaa mama iyam vaidhEhee kalyaaNee janaka aathmajaa |

maam cha anuyaathaa vijanam thapO vanam anindhithaa || 2-54-14

 

meaning: Here is my blessed and irreproachable wife Seetha, daughter of Janaka

who has accompanied me to the lonely forest suitable for religious austerities."

 

Point 3: Now see, straight away raama introduces himself and lakshmaNa to the

sage, and then introduces this is seethaa, daughter of janaka. Just compare with

the previous - then can realize what a difference it makes.

 

Now let us take up the next meeting of another great rishi Sarabanga.

 

kashtam vanam idham dhurgam na cha smO vana gOcharaa: || 3-5-2

abhigacChaamahE seeghram sarabhaNgam thapO dhanam |

 

meaning: Difficult is this impassable forest, nor we are forest inhabitants

either. Let's go quickly to that ascetically rich sage Sarabhanga.

 

aasramam sarabhangasya raaghavO.abhijagaama ha || 3-5-3

thasya dhEva prabhaavasya thapasaa bhaavitha aathmana: |

sameepE sarabhangasya dhadharsa mahath adhbhutham ||3-5-4

 

meaning: On his approach at the hermitage of Sage Sarabhanga, a sage with a

divine effect and the one with a purified soul, saw a great wonder at the nearby

of that hermitage of Sarabhanga.

 

Point 4: That wonder is king of dhEvalOkam indhran came with his large number of

attendants, to take sarabhanga on indhra's chariot which is drawn by green

horses. Then sage replies to indhra that he will come after meeting raama, whose

arrival the sage has sensed [through his sixth sense or thapasic capacity].

Raama wonders at the horses, the gleaming chariot, the attendants of indhra who

are young as though of age 25 etc. Since these slOkams 5 to 18 take us out of

our context, I am not giving these but the point only. Then raama gives an

instruction to lakshmaNa to stay put,

 

Meaning of 3-5-19: "Stay for a moment LakshmaNa along with VaidhEhi, until I

know clearly about that resplendent one on that chariot".

 

Point 5: here also it is only on knowing who is on the chariot and has nothing

to do with the protocol in meeting the sage.

 

tham Evam ukthvaa soumithrim iha Eva stheeyathaam ithi |

abhichakraama kaakuthstha: sarabhanga aasramam prathi || 3-5-20

 

meaning: On saying to LakshmaNa 'stay there only...' Raama proceeded towards the

hermitage of Sage Sarabhanga.

 

thatha: samabhigacChantham prEkshya raamam sachee pathi: |

sarabhangam anujnaapya vibudhaan idham abraveeth || 3-5-21

 

Meaning: Then, on seeing Rama arriving there, Indra, bade farewell to Sage

Sharabhanga and said this to the celestials attending him. [3-5-21]

 

Point 6: In slOkams 3-5-22, 23, 24 indhran says [to whom is ? - perhaps to his

attendants, for then they all leave] "raama comes here and since he is to

perform something great, let me not meet him' and goes away bidding bye to the

sage.

 

prayaathE thu sahasraakshE raaghava: saparicChadha: |

agni hOthram upaaseenam sarabhangam upaagamath || 3-5-25

 

meaning: On the transit of that thousand-eyed Indhra, Rhaghava with his

adherents [viz. LakshmaNa and Seetha,] came nearby the Sage Sarabhanga, who is

sitting nearby the altar of fire.

 

thasya paadhou cha sangruhya raama: seethaa cha lakshmaNa: |

nishEdhu: thadh anujnaathaa labdha vaasaa nimanthrithaa: || 3-5-26

 

meaning: Touching the feet of that Sage Sarabhanga Raama along with Seetha and

LakshmaNa, and duly permitted and invited by that Sage Sarabhanga they sat

there, as they obtained a shelter.

 

thatha: sakra upayaanam thu paryaprucChatha raaghava: |

sarabhanga: cha thath sarvam raaghavaaya nyavEdhayath || 3-5-27

 

meaning: Then, Raaghava enquired with sage about the arrival of Indhra and Sage

Sarabhanga narrated all that to him. [3-5-27]

 

So dear raama bhakthaas, see the difference in observance of protocol between

agasthya and these two sages. We will see one more - sage sutheekshaNa in next

post.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER:

This Message and its contents is intended solely for the addressee and is

proprietary.Information in this mail is for L&T Business Usage only. Any Use to

other than the addressee is misuse and infringement to Proprietorship of L&T

ECC.If you are not the addressee please return the mail to the sender.L&T ECC

DIVISION