winning ways -post 2

[Guest guest]

Post 2

 

Dear srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw raamaa's first win in previous post by his "sonic archery power".

Raamaa's next win is the heart and mind of king of vaishaalee on way to mithila,

when he accompanied sage visvaamithra after thaataka vadham. This is before he

won the hearts of people of mithila, and eventually the heart and hands of

seethaa. See slOkam in baala kaaNdam - this is just on way to mithila after the

ahalya saapa vimOchanam. King sumathi: of vishaala dhEsam receives vsage

visvamithra and entourage along with raama and lakshmaNa. After the athithi

sathkaaram - receiving the guest - by ginving argyam paadhyam aachamanam etc

king asks

 

prushtvaa thu kusalam thathra paraspara samaagamE |

kathaa~anthE sumathi: vaakyam vyaajahaara mahaa munim || 1-48-1

 

prushtvaa + thu + kusalam = asking after but well-being

thathra = there

paraspara [para: + para:] = one with the other

samaagamE = on meeting

kathaa + anthE + sumathi: + vaakyam = episode end of [at end of the episode of

reciprocal greetings,] Sumathi words

vyaajahaara + mahaa munim = raised topic of [raama and lakshmaNa,] with

great-saint.

 

Meaning: There, on meeting one another, and asking after the well-being of the

great-saint, Vishvamitra, King Sumati raised the topic of raama and lakshmaNa,

at the end of the episode of their reciprocal greetings.

 

imou kumaarou bhadhram thE dhEva thulya paraakramou |

gaja simha gathee veerou saardhoola vrushabha upamou || 1-48-2

[munE] = oh, sage

imou + kumaarou = to these youngsters

bhadram + thE = let safety betide

dhEva + thulya + paraakramou = god [vishNu,] balance-able [matching] valorous

ones

gaja + simha + gathee = [audacious] elephant, [arrogant] lion, strides are

veerou + saardhoola + vrushabha + upamou = two brave ones, [adventurous] tiger,

[adamantine] Holy Bull, in similitude.

 

Meaning: Oh, Sage, let safety betide you, these two youngsters, matching vishNu

in their valour, the strides of these two brave ones are in similitude with that

of an audacious elephant, arrogant lion, adventurous tiger, and an adamantine

Holy Bull. [1-48-2]

 

padhma pathra visaalaakshou khaDga thooNee dhanur dharou |

asvinou iva roopENa samupasthitha youvanou || 1-48-3

 

padhma + pathra + visaala + akshou = lotus petal broad eyed ones

khaDga + thooNee + dhanu: + dharou = sword quiver bow shouldering

asvinou + iva + roopENa = asvini the twin brother gods like in form

sam upasthitha + youvanou = in the offing youthfulness.

 

Meaning: Their eyes are broad and lotus-petal like, shouldering quivers, swords,

and bows, and in their form they are like asvini-brothers, [the

twin-god-brothers, whose aspects will be par excellence] and their youthfulness

is in the offing.

 

yadhruchchayaa Eva gaam praapthou dhEvalOkaath iva amarou |

katham padhbhyaam iha praapthou kim artham kasya vaa munE || 1-48-4

 

yadhruchchayaa + Eva + gaam + praapthou = at their pleasure only on earth

chanced

dhEvalOkaat + iva + a + marau = from gods' abode as though not dying ones

[deathless, immortals]

katham + padhbhyaam + iha + praapthou = how walking with feet here chanced;

kim + artham + kasya + vaa + munE = for what, reason, whose [scions,] are they,

or, oh, saint.

 

Meaning: how they have walked all over and chanced here, as though the immortals

from the abode of gods chancing on earth at their pleasure, and for what reason,

oh, saint, and whose scions are they.

 

Point: No father accepts his young ones to walk miles and miles, that too if he

is the king like dhasaratha. The sages and saints do not observe and care this

aspect by others, because all of them are 'footsloggers'. May be this is one of

the reasons for king dhasaratha in refusing to send raama with visvaamithra for

he knows this very well. Also he knows well the practices of sages. But King

Sumathi, being a glorious and fatherly king brought up this topic to the sage.

 

May be sage visvaamithra is giving a 'rehearsal' for the two brothers for their

later 'forest trekking'. Also, if a divine deed is to be carried out and a lot

benefit there from is to be acquired, one has to do thapas. This walking is a

thapas for these two. raama is just going to perform that divine feat 'bending

the bow of siva' and leading to the winning the hand of the unusual princess

seetha, in marriage. Hence, he walked or footslogged that much distance for

seethaa kalyaaNa artham, loka kalyaaNa artham for seetha's marriage, is for the

'universal goodness'.

 

Of course these points are not relevant to the topic we have taken up but see

the attitude of the kings those days in caring for others.

 

bhooshayanthou imam dhEsam chandhra sooryau iva ambaram |

parasparENa sadhrusou pramaaNa ingitha chEshtithai: || 1-48-5

 

bhooshayanthou + imam + dhEsam = refurbishing, this, province;

chandhra + sooryou + iva + ambaram = Moon, Sun, like, to firmament;

parasparENa + sadhrusou = one another, alike;

pramaaNa + ingitha + chEshtithai: = by proportions, body-language,

gesticulations.

 

Meaning: These are refurbishing this province like the moon and sun in

firmament, likeness is there in one another, in their proportions, in their

facial-language, and in their gesticulations.

 

kim artham cha nara srEshtou sampraapthou dhurgamE pathi |

vara aayudha dharou veerou srothum icChaami thaththvatha: || 1-48-6

 

kim + artham + cha = for what, reason, also

nara + srEshtou = two best ones among men

sampraapthou + dhur + gamE + pathi = came about, not, passable, route

vara + aayudha + dharau + veerou = best, weapons, wielders of, brave ones

srOthum + icChaami + thaththvatha: = to listen, I wish, in its significance.

 

Meaning: Also for what reasons these two best ones among men and brave ones

wielding best weapons, have come about in this impassable route, I wish to

listen, in its significance". [Thus King Sumathi asked visvaamithra]

 

POINT: Thus you can see the king sumathi is bowled over by the beauty of the two

in particular about raamaa. This means that raama has won king sumathi by his

beauty, the walking style and appearance. Perhaps dear bhakthaas, may be this is

a surprise to you all, for the role of vaishaalee king is only a passing

reference. But king janaka, the eventual father in law of raama is also going to

say same lines as king sumathi, which we will see in next post.

 

Dhaasan

Vasudevan m.g