Srimad Ramayana Tathva Deepika #70 Ba:la Ka:nda

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Srimathe Ramanujayanamaha!!

Sri Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!!

 

This sloka is expounding Valmiki’s mental state. In Bhagavan’s divine body

called ‘viswam’ the bird is one part. Valmiki is one part. When a sting pricks

the leg, the eyes shed tears and the mouth cries. The bird was hurt. The female

krouncha lamented unbearably. Valmiki was drowned in grief. Only one who reached

this state could compose Sri Ramayana. That is enunciated in this incident.

What Valmiki uttered to the hunter was not a curse. This is the first sloka

uttered by Valmiki.

 

Valmiki’s grief overflowed his heart and outpoured as words. This is only

‘ka:vya’. As the kavi witnesses the world, his heart fills with emotions; there

they are recollected repeatedly; the feelings unable to stay there within, gush

out in the form of words. That is the ‘ka:vya’. One feeling takes form of

words. That feeling is filled with emotion. But behind that a secret meaning is

hidden. Exterior meaning is one. The inner meaning is different. What the writer

had experienced, if he gets a reader with an equally sensitive heart , then he

too feels alike. The grief felt by Valmiki would be felt by the good-hearted

reader too. This is called ‘rasa’. This can only be felt or experienced but

cannot be determined by words. Word is the means. Word is the carrier. Without

‘Sabda:rdha’ no feeling will be expressed. It comes out along with ‘Sabda

ardha’. Again the Sabda:rdha after enrapturing the reader with that emotion

withdraws. Thus the rishi felt in his heart the pain a bird underwent, the grief

a bird experienced, and conveyed it to another heart – this cannot be called

So:ka ! It cannot be called pain! It can neither be called misery.

It is called ‘Slo:ka’ . It is called ‘ka:vyam’. Such ka:vyam emerged first with

this first slo:ka. This is the opening sloka of Sri Ramayanam.

 

To be continued…….

Jaisreemannarayana!!

Ramanujamma Mudumbai, Ramanuja Dasi