lakshmaNa 3

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

 

In the previous two posts we saw on lakshmana donning two roles, one the

baalya sakhaa, the friend in young or childhood days of raama, the second

being the vazhith thuNaivan – companion for raama in a long trekking along

with sage visvaamithra. In this post we will see lakshmaNa, in the role of

husband of oormiLa, and as an assistant administrator. Perhaps these two

roles were NOT listed in the first post.

 

 

 

Dear readers, you will all immediately say, 'what is there to say on

lakshmaNa as husband? For, he left his wife oormiLa behind in ayOdhyaa,

while going to forest with his brother raama, for 14 years. And that 'poor

lady' was all alone in the ayOdhyaa'. 'Yes', to some extent and 'no'to some

extent.

 

 

 

We have to see the large data given by vaalmeeki. While we had a discussion

earlier on raamaa's date, we saw seethaa, in the introduction of herself to

raavaNa, says to raavaNa, 'we [raama and seethaa] enjoyed all that a young

couple would like to enjoy, in ayOdhyaa for 12 years, before my respected

father in law, king dhasaratha, in the 13th year proposed the crowning of my

raama as a prince, [which finally resulted in this exile in forest – that is

to be understood].

 

 

 

That slOkam is reproduced here just for reference.

 

thasya bhooyO vi*s*EshENa ushithvaa dhvaa dha*s*a samaa: ikshvaakooNaam nivE

*s*anE |

 

bhunjaanaa maanushaan bhOgaan sarva kaama samrudhDhinee || 3-47-4

 

 

 

meaning: "On residing in the residence of ikshvaku-s in ayOdhya for twelve

years, I was in sumptuosity of all cherishes, while relishing all humanly

prosperities. [3-47-4]

 

 

 

Note added after this slOkam in the valmikiramayan website reads: Mythically

Seetha is Goddess Lakshmi and an accorder of prosperity. Here she is saying

that she had to enjoy 'humanly indulgences...' because her husband

incarnated himself as a man, and since she had to enjoy along with him in

her in-law's place, she enjoyed those luxuries.

 

 

 

Or, if this is read as *a+maanusha bhOgaan *'superhuman delights...' [of

course, not 'inhuman delights...'] she enjoyed heavenly comforts as she was

enjoying as Lakshmi in *vaikunTha *'Milky Ocean of Vishnu.' And then, she is

indirectly telling Ravana that she has come now as Seetha, after immolating

herself as Vedavati, in an earlier incarnation, only to end Ravana. [MGV

adds please recall the discussion on this vedhavathi story also]

 

 

 

*Point*: So, when raama and seethaa enjoyed their life in the kingdom of

ayOdhyaa, the lakshmaNa - oormiLa couple also was there in ayOdhyaa, all

along enjoying their time. Can we conclude now, without any trace of doubt,

that they also enjoyed their married life together.

 

 

 

Or is it wise enough to close our eyes and ears, and then say they did not

enjoy their married life.

 

 

 

So lakshmaNa did effectively his role as a husband. There is no doubt that

lakshmaNa was successful in his role as a 'husband' to oormiLa in

procreation also. For later in the uththara kaaNdam, it is said lakshmaNa

also had 2 sons [like raama had 2 sons viz. lava and kusa]. In sargam 102

of uththara kaaNdam raama says to lakshmaNa -

 

 

 

imou kumaaraou soumithrE thava dharma visaaradhou |

 

angadhas chandhakethu: cha raajyaarthE dhruDa vikramou || slokam 2

 

 

 

Just do a little anvyam to understand better – raama says to lakshmaNa -

 

soumithrE – hey lakhmaNa –

 

imou thava kumaarou angadha chandhrakethu: cha - these two angadha and

chandhrakEthu, your two sons.

 

dharma visaaradhou, raajyaarthE dhruDa vikramou---

 

 

 

*Point*: On this 'twelve years' of 'bhunjaan maanushaan bhOgaan' of seethaa

and raama, there is yet another reference available in baala kaaNdam itself

- and of course of lakshmaNa and oormiLa – our topic here. Perhaps it is not

explicitly said as 12 years but as 'bahoon rithoon' - meaning many seasons -

rithoos – [rithu or ruthu is a two month period and we have 6 rithus in a

year of 12 months – for those not familiar with this word please refer the

panchaangam].

 

 

 

The two sons raama and lakshmaNa lived in ayOdhyaa and the other two

bharatha and sathrughna lived in kekaya dhEsam during this 12 year period.

 

 

 

raama: cha seethayaa saardham vijahaara bahoon rithoon || 1-77-25

 

manasvee thadh gathamaanasya thasyaa hrudhi samarpitha: |

 

 

 

meaning: Also, that hearty Raama who permeated into the heart of Seethaa is

ensconced in Seethaa's heart alone, and he disported [meaning enjoyed] for

many seasons along with Seethaa. [1-77-25b, 26a]

 

 

 

While enjoying the married life for 12 years, what they did is also worth

recollecting – see here – [bharatha and chathrughna left for kEkaya dhEsam,

along with uncle, on the advise of king dhasaratha after they reached back

from mithila just after wedding]

 

 

 

gathE cha bharathE raamO lakshmaNa: cha mahaabala: || 1-77-20

pitharam dhEva sankaa*s*am poojayaamaasathu: thadhaa |

 

 

 

meaning: After the departure of Bharatha, then the masterly proficient Raama

along with LakshmaNa started to square with the plans and programs of his

godly father for an ideal-sovereignty. [1-77-20b, 21a]

 

 

 

pithu: aajnaam puraskruthya poura kaaryaaNi sarvasa: || 1-77-21

 

chakaara raama: sarvaaNi priyaaNi cha hithaani cha |

 

maathrubhyO maathru kaaryaaNi kruthvaa parama yanthritha: || 1-77-22

 

gurooNaam guru kaaryaaNi kaalE kaalE anvavaikshatha |

 

 

 

meaning: Raama, keeping his father's directives in view, undertook welfare

activities for the people, that are agreeable and even advantageous to them,

and in the entirety of those activities, and he undertook activities to

humour motherly affection with his mothers, and educational activities with

educators, and in a highly self-disciplined manner he used to review them

carefully from time to time. [1-77-22b, 22, 23a]

 

 

 

Thus lakshmaNa got trained through his elder brother and father in the

administration of the kingdom, before the two brothers left for forest. It

not that lakshmaNa was only a person carrying out orders of his elder

brother as an ardous servant, which role we will see later.

 

 

 

Let us continue in next post on lakshmaNa.

 

 

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG