The Bow and Arrow

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Bow and Arrow

 

Notwithstanding all the productive uses they have been put to, modern

science and technology have also multiplied manifold weapons of mass

destruction. We live in constant terror of the day when our nuclear neighbour

would unleash mindless atomic anarchy. Not a day passes without bomb blasts in

many parts of the world, claiming countless victims. Though Hiroshima and

Nagasaki are stark reminders of how generations of people could be killed,

maimed and ruined by a nuclear fall out, nations still go on merrily stockpiling

atomic arsenal of formidable proportions, in the name of self-defence and

defence of "strategic interests". It would appear as though we have perfected

the art of mass murder, though we are never satisfied with the level of

advancement and continue intensive research into newer and newer techniques of

annihilation. All these cost billions of dollars, astronomical sums beyond

anyone's imagination.

 

It is interesting to note that the ancients too were in possession of weapons

of mass destruction, capable of destroying whole nations at a time, acquired at

a negligible fraction of the cost it involves today. The Ramayana speaks of a

weapon capable of killing hundreds people at a time-"Shataghni". When we read of

the effects of the nAgAstra, the AgnEyAstra and the ultimate among weapons, the

BrahmAstra, their impact seems to have been none the less than that of an atom

bomb.

 

The important difference between weapons now and then is that while they were

used in the ancient past to establish the rule of Dharma and to eliminate evil,

today we find them being used for all and sundry reasons in furtherance of

narrow, parochial ends, with nary a thought on their deleterious effect on the

human race. Such weapons could be acquired only after a lot of penance in the

past, and there were always accompanying stipulations for their use, limiting

the possessor's damage potential.

 

The Bow and Arrow appear to have been the favourite weapons of the past, simple

to use but none the less effective. As indicated above, their destructive

capability was practically unlimited, especially when the right type of astrAs,

accompanied by meditation on the astra dEvatas, were deployed.

 

When we think of a Bow, the name that automatically jumps to our mind is that of

Sri Rama. When we picture Him in our mind's eye, we always see Him stylishly

holding a beautiful bow in His hand, a cylindrical container for arrows strapped

to His back. His prowess with the bow was legendary. Though we come across quite

a few weapons in the Yuddha KAnda of Srimad Ramayana, the Bow takes the pride of

place, with all the principal characters using the weapon in conjunction with a

variety of astrAs. While elaborating on the numerous attainments of the Prince

of Ayodhya, Sri Valmiki remarks, "VEda VEdAnga tatthvagya: DhanurvEdE cha

nishttitha:", attesting to Sri Rama's proficiency with the art of wielding the

weapon. Azhwars too wax eloquent about "Valvil irAman" and "Kolavil irAman".

 

The importance this simple weapon was given, can be understood from the fact

that its study was given the status of an auxiliary Scripture ("upa Vedam").

Along with AyurvEda (the art of healing), GAndharva Veda (the study of uplifting

Music), DhanurVeda or the pactice of Archery was given a pride of place in the

curriculum of the warrior class. Thus it is no surprise that Sri Rama was an

expert in the art of wielding the bow and arrow.

 

It is this prowess of Sri DAsarati that prompts Sri VisvAmitra to seek the

former's services for YAga samrakshaNam. And it is this proficiency in Archery

that nets Sri Rama the prize catch of Sri Janakanandini. The mighty bow of Shiva

was so big and heavy that it has to be wheeled in on a huge eight-wheeled

barrow. And it takes five thousand repeat five thousand men, all strong as oxen,

to pull the vehicle laden with the bow, with very great difficulty. Lifting the

mighty bow of Shiva and fitting it with an arrow were considered to be extremely

difficult, if not impossible. The bow is so heavy that some rulers just stagger

under its weight and fall, while most can not move it at all. Though the cream

of the ruling class is represented on the occasion, none is able to accomplish

the task, attesting to the arduousness of the endeavour. Even Sri Janaka,

witnessing the abject inadequacy of even the mightiest of kings in this regard,

wonders whether he had set an impossible task -

 

"na Etat sura gaNA: na asurA na cha rAkshasA:

Gandharava Yaksha pravarA: sa Kinnara mahOragA:

Kva gati: mANushANAm cha dhanushOsya prapooraNE

ArOpaNE samAyOgE vEpanE tOlanEpi vA"

 

When kings who were veritable mountains of flesh could not even lift the Shiva

Danus, and neither could brawny asurAs, beefy rAkshasAs, GandharvAs, KinnarAs or

YakshAs, the slender Sri Rama, still not out of His teens, could heft the

mammoth bow effortlessly. In one fluid and seamless motion, He drew the

bowstring back with such force as to break the massive bow into pieces, unable

to withstand the pull of His mighty arms. It is a measure of the hugeness of

this bow that the noise of its breaking filled all the worlds with a terrifying

blast of sound, scaring even the most hardened of men out of their skins. The

entire mission was accomplished with such effortless ease that those present in

the royal court of MithilA only saw the bow being lifted: the next they heard

was the clamour of its shattering to pieces, says Sri Kamban-"edutthadu kaNdAr,

ittradu kEttAr". The RaghuvIra Gadyam describes this impressive event

thus-"Khanda parasu KOdanda prakANda khandana shouNda bhuja danda!". Another

poet tells us that it is only the bow of Rudra which knows the real might of the

Lord's sinewy shoulders-"jAnAti dOrbala parAkramam Isa chApa:".

 

The Challenge of the Bow doesn't end here for Sri Rama, with His having proved

His valour with the Shiva Dhanus. When the marriage party is on its way back to

Ayodhya from Mithila in all gaiety, Sri Rama is confronted by Sri Parasurama,

who feels that Sri Raghava's exploit with the Shiva Dhanus was nothing

remarkable, as the bow was already damaged. The angry son of Jamadagni

challenges the young Prince to display His prowess with the mighty bow of

Vishnu, which Parasurama holds in his hand. Unfazed, Sri Rama lifts the Vishnu

Dhanus too and inserts an arrow, demonstrating His strength and might

conclusively, for all world to see. This incident is extolled by Swami Desikan

as follows, in "MahAvIra Vaibhavam"-

"shata kOti shata guNa katina parasu dhara munivara kara dhruta duravanamatama

nija dhanurAkarshaNa prakAsita pAramEshttyA!".

 

We heard Parasurama telling the Prince of Ayodhya that the Shiva Dhanus was

already damaged. When we look into the background, we find another episode,

which proves that the Bow and Arrow have been used as instruments of testing the

bravery, might and prowess of warriors, from time immemorial. The DEvAs, in an

effort to establish the supremacy of Lord Vishnu for posterity, induced a sort

of exhibition match between the Lord and Rudra, who was also a facile wielder of

the bow, as attested to in the Rudra Prasna of the Yajus Samhita. The battle

lines were drawn and the opposing deities were arrayed on either side, with bows

drawn and at the ready. All Sri Mahavishnu did was to snort, with a "hunkAram"

emanating from His divine nostrils, and the bow held by Rudra broke, unable to

bear the intensity of the sound. Thus, even before the battle began, it ended,

with the Devas declaring Sri Vishnu to be the Supreme Power-"adhikam mEnirE

Vishnum" says the Valmiki Ramayana. We thus see that the association of the Bow

with the Lord has time and again served to demonstrate His supremacy, whether

over deities or mortals.

 

One more occasion when the Lord's might is put to test, again with the bow and

arrow, arises out of SugrivA's doubts about Sri Rama's prowess-"SugrIva:

shankita: Aseet nityam veeryENa RAghavE". When these doubts are not dispelled

even with Raghava hefting the gargantuan carcass of rAkshasa Dundhubi with His

toe and hurling it to fall ten miles away, Sri Rama lets loose a simple, single

arrow from His mighty bow, which pierces seven tall trees, not even standing in

a straight line, and returns to Rama's arrow-container. This conclusively

convinces the monkey king, who lauds the Prince's prowess. Azhwars chronicle

this event thus-"puNarA nindra maram Ezh eida oru vil valavAvO!" "Ezhu mAmaram

tuLai pada silai vaLaitthu".

 

The Lord's association with His bow is so close, that He is often known by a

related tirunAmam, like SArngapANi, KOdandapANi etc. People who have visited

the Tirukkudandai sannidhi would attest to how stylishly the Lord holds the bow

SArngam in His hand and how beautifully it rests on His mighty shoulders. This

bewitching pose so impresses Sri TirumazhisaipirAn that he lovingly confers the

name "SArngapANi" on Sri ArAvamudan. Another Azhwar to call Him bow-related

names is Sri Kulasekhara Perumal, who describes the Lord variously as "Emaruvum

silai valava!Silai valava!", "Evari vem silai valava!" etc. In fact, Azhwar

affords the entire credit for the destruction of Lanka to the Lord's magnificent

Bow-"vaLaya oru silai adanAl madiL ilangai azhitthavanE". This Azhwar also

records that it is the famed Agastya Muni, from whom Sri Raghava obtains the

Bow, which stands Him in such good stead in the battle of Lanka-"vaN Tamizh Muni

koduttha varivil vAngi".

 

As He holds the Bow constantly and with its prolific use in the elimination of

the evil-minded, it is but natural that the Lord's palm and especially the thumb

bear deep and indelible scars. Such scars are marks any warrior worth his salt

would be extremely proud of, for they are no less than shining medallions

attesting to his bravery and prowess. Sri PoigayAzhwar says that the Lord's

palms abound with such scars-"tazhumbu irunda SArnga nAN tOyndavAm angai". This

is confirmed by Sri Alavandar, who terms these scars beautiful and auspicious

too-"chakAsitam jyAkiNa karkasai: shubhai:".

 

The author of "RAma ashta prAsam" says that the Lord holds a bow not only in His

right hand, but in both hands, implying perhaps that He was equally versatile

with either hand, in handling the KOdanda-"Savya asavya karAttha chApa visikha:

kravyAcha vAirI vibhu:". To this bhakta, the snake-like, bent Bow adorning

Emperuman's hand appears verily to be AdisEsha-"SEshAkAra karAttha bhIma

dhanushE!".

 

Sri Ramabhadra Dikshita considers the glory of the Lord's Bow to be so vast,

that he devotes an entire stotra to the weapon, known as "Sri Rama ChApa Stavam"

and has authored another, dedicated to the splendour of His Arrow, named "Sri

Rama BANa stavam". Here is a sample from the Sri Rama ChApa Stavam-

 

"Yat moolE Raghunandanasya jagatAm trAtA iti keerti ankura:

DEvI cha arcchati JanakI savinayam yat gandha pushpa akshatai:

Yat kOtyA krita lAnchanaccha jaladhou sEthu: jagat pAvana:

BhadrAyAstu jagat traya stuti padam tat RAghavIyam dhanu:"

 

It is from this glorious bow that Sri Rama's fame as the Universal Saviour

stems. Because it is the Bow which was responsible for the elimination of Ravana

and the rescue of Sita, Piratti performs arcchanA to this Bow with devotion. It

is from the bottom of this bow that the bridge across the ocean to Lanka was

built. May this beautiful Bow, which is the object of universal adoration, bless

us with all that is auspicious.

 

Our elders have taught us to call upon for protection, Sri Rama and Lakshmana,

resplendent with their long and magnificent bows reaching up to their ears,

whenever we step outside our homes-

 

"agarata: prishttataschaiva pArsvatascha mahAbalou

AkarNa poorNa dhanvAnou rakshEtAm Rama lakshmaNou".

 

The Rama ChApa is as much a weapon as an adoring adornment to the Lord's arm,

says Sri Rama KarNAmritam-

"vandE chApaka lambakOjwala karam vandE jagan mangaLam".

 

The glory and splendour of the Lord's bow is indeed beyond recitation. The

PanchAyudha Stotram, the ShOdasAyudha Stotram etc. chronicle the magnificence of

this inseparable adjunct of the Lord, which serves both as a weapon for

protection of the devotees from forces of evil, as well as an adornment par

excellence. It would be no exaggeration to say that the entire Ramayana is

founded upon the KOdanda, which plays a stellar role throughout. It is this Bow

which brings the Lord and His Consort together, it is the Bow which establishes

the Supremacy of the Lord in the comity of deities and shows Him up as the

Paramapurusha, it is this very Bow which eliminates the RAkshasAs and sets free

the imprisoned Piratti. It is the Bow again which brings name and fame to

warriors like Arjuna and KarNa and brings the KurukshEtra yuddham to a decisive

end in favour of the Pandavas.

 

I would like to end this piece with a final tribute to the Bow, from no less a

source than the MundakOpanishad, which, in an excellent allegory, portrays the

PraNava mantra as the Bow, the seeking soul as the Arrow and the lofty target as

the Parabrahmam-"PraNavO dhanu: sharO hi AtmA, Brahma tat lakshyam uchyatE".

This mantra beautifully summarises the strategy of SharanAgati. The same

Upanishad picturises the Bow and Arrow as the very image of the Vedas, with the

Rig Veda representing the Bow, the YajurvEda the Arrow and the Sama Veda, the

majestic twang of the Bowstring-"Rig Dhanu: Yaju: BANa: SAma jyA ghOshaNAdinA".

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan