lakshmana 6

[Guest guest]

Post 6

 

 

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

 

In the previous 5 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 5 roles, and the

descriptions on 5th one not finished yet. Same is being continuedin this

post also. The fifth role is the 'angry young brother', ready even to fight

against the revered father, out of love for his elder brother. We saw that

when kousalyaa was weeping heavily on hearing the news of raama had to set

out for forest, instead of climbing the throne, lakshmaNa burst out stating

'I am ready to even kill father' etc.

 

 

 

After lakshmNa's first round of outburst, mother kousalyaa quoted examples

of how sons served their mothers' wishes. In reply to this, raama quoted

examples like parasuraama, on how sons served fathers' wishes even at the

cost of 'going against mothers'. Then raama turned to lakhmaNa and spoke

thus.

 

 

 

thaam Evam ukthvaa jananeem lakshmaNam punar abraveet |2-21-37

 

thava lakshmaNa jaanaami mayi snEham anuththamam ||

 

vikramam chaiva sathyam cha thEja*s*cha sudhuraasadham || 2-21-38

 

 

 

meaning: Raama, the best of those who speak skillfully, and the best of all

those wearing the bow, spoke thus [MGV adds here - about sons serving

father's wishes] to his mother and turned round to Lakshmana to speak. 'Oh,

Lakshmana! I know

 

· your highest affection towards me,

 

· your heroic valour,

 

· your strength and

 

· your unassailable splendour".

 

 

 

*Point:* Please see raama acknowledges the 'highest affection' shown towards

him by lakshmaNa, but he alo advises lakshmaNa. See next slokam

 

 

 

thath Enaam visruja anaaryaam kshathra dharma aa*s*rithaam mathim |

 

dharmam aa*s*raya maa thaikshNyam madh budhDhir anugamyathaam || 2-21-43

 

tham Evam ukthvaa souhaardhaath bhraatharam lakshmaNa agraja: |

 

uvaacha bhooya: kousalyaam praanjali: *s*irasaa aanatha: || 2-21-44

 

 

 

meaning: Hence, leave this mean mentality of 'military heroism'. Observe

righteousness and not rudeness. Follow my perception. Raama spoke thus to

his brother affectionately, bowed to his mother and with folded hands, spoke

again to Kausalya as follows.

 

 

 

*Point:* After raama spoke on dharma etc, then also kousalyaa could not

control weeping and the separation and since raama was firm in his decision,

she fell unconscious. So raama started looking towards lakhmaNa, who, by

that time, was disturbed very highly. So my point of lakshmaNa's electrified

reaction is on account of kousalyaa's position is reinforced further.

 

 

 

sa maatharam chaiva visamjNa kalpaa | maatharam cha soumithrim abhi

prathaptham |

 

dharmE sthithO dharmyam uvaacha vaakyam | yathaa sa Eva arhathi thathra

vakthum || 2-21-54

 

 

 

meaning: Raama, who was established in righteousness, spoke these words

endowed with virtue, to his mother, who was looking unconscious, and to

LakshmaNa, who was disturbed and exhausted with distress. He was the only

person worthy of speaking thus at that time.

 

 

 

aham hi thE lakshmaNa nithyam Eva | jaanaami bhakthim cha paraakramam cha |

 

mama thva abhipraaya masan nireekshya | maathraa sahaabhyardhasi maa

sudhu:kham || 2-21-55

 

 

 

meaning: Oh, LakshmaNa! I always know your devotion towards me, as well as

your strength. But now, you are joining with mother in afflicting much

trouble to me, without looking at my opinion."

 

 

 

sa: vai na *s*aknOmi pithu: prathijnaam | imaam akarthum sakalam yathaavath

|

 

sa hi avayo: thaatha gurur niyOgE | dhEvyaa*s*cha bharthaa sa gathis sa

dharma: || 2-21-59

 

 

 

meaning: raama says to lakshmaNa, 'I cannot avoid fulfilling the father's

command completely. For both of us, he is an important person indeed to

command us. To mother Kousalya also, he is the husband, the resource person

and the personified law."

 

 

 

*Point:* Yes. Till now lakshmaNa or for that matter mother kousalya also did

not ask 'what was raamaa's position on father's directive?' And hence raama

openly said that to lakshmaNa – further he puts across the reality, 'hey, he

is also a father to you, oh lakshmaNa, and as such you are also to obey his

command besides mother kousalyaa. Influenced by her reactions you are

talking like this, that too without knowing my position'.

 

 

 

Whether after this, the reality 'gnaanam' dawned on lakshmaNa – we have to

see vaalmeeki again – perhaps NO – see the description -

 

 

 

atha tham vyathayaa dheenam savi*s*esham amarshitham |

 

*s*vasantham iva naaga indhram rOsha visphaaritha eekshaNam || 2-22-1

 

aasaadhya raama: soumithrim suhrudham bhraatharam priyam |

 

uvaacha idham sa dhairyENa dhaarayan saththvam aathmavaan || 2-22-2

 

 

 

meaning: Afterwards, the self composed Raama, by controlling his thoughts

with courage, approached the kind–hearted and affectionate brother LakshmaNa

and spoke the following words - lakshmaNa who was distressed with agony, who

was very much angry like a hissing king cobra, with his eyes dilated with

wrath.

 

 

 

*Point:* see here the adjectives used while describing lakshmaNa – kind

hearted, affectionate but now he is distressed, angry and full of wrath – so

he burst out – all due to affection towards raama and nothing else. After

this 2-22-2 raama went on suggesting to lakshmaNa about the effect of time

and destiny on individuals [vidhi to be precise] and cancelling of

arrangements made for coronation. But see how lakshmaNa reacts. Vaalmeeki

describes lakshmaNa as an angry snake first, next lion, subsequently an

elephant – all his anger is due to 'excessive love' [or is it obsessive

love?] towards his elder brother.

 

 

 

Then lakshmana takes on his elder, saying, 'why to talk of destiny, you are

not seeing the wickedness in kaikEyee?' and goes on to say 'I, with my

prowess, will see raama's coronation, no body in all the 3 worlds can stop

that, why to talk of father'.

 

 

 

See the amount of 'heroism' – all out of love for his eelder – perhaps all

the present day movie makers have taken cue from raamaayanam - in particular

the lakshmana's love to put all sorts of heroisms in front of their

ladyloves [ L's love for his elder brother].

 

 

 

ithi bruvathi raamE thu lakshmaNO adha: *s*iraa muhu: |

 

*s*ruthvaa madhyam jagaama iva manasaa duhkha harshayO: || 2-23-1

 

 

 

meaning: While Rama was thus speaking, Lakshmana heard, bowed down his head

and got into the midst of pain and pleasure effecting his mind again and

again.

 

 

 

thadhaa thu badhDhvaa bhrukuTeem bhruvOr madhyE nara rishabha |

 

ni*s*a*s*vaasa mahaa sarpO bilasthaiva rOshitha: || 2-23-2

 

thasya dhushprathi veekshyam thath bhrukuTee sahitham thadhaa |

 

babhou krudhDhasya simhasya mukhasya sadhrusam mukham || 2-23-3

 

 

 

meaning: Lakshmana then firmed up his eyebrows and sighed with frown, like

an angry snake from its hole. His wickedly looking face with eyebrows

contracted, then appeared like the face of an angry lion.

 

 

 

[dhushprathi - is it really wicked – no – perhaps the translation is a

little weak here not conveying properly]

 

 

 

agraha: tham vidhunvamsthu hasthee hastham iva aathmana: |

 

thiryag oordhvam *s*areerE cha paathayithvaa *s*ira: dharaam || 2-23-4

 

agra akshNaa veekshamaaNa: thu thiryag bhraatharam abraveeth |

 

 

 

meaning: Seeing Raama with the tip of his eyes obliquely, Lakshmana spoke to

him moving his forehand like an elephant moving its trunk and causing his

head to fall in oblique and upward direction.

 

 

 

[in between slOkams 4 to 20 he goes on to describe how it is not acceptable

to him about kaikeyee's actions, raama's talking on destiny and dharma]

 

 

 

athyanku*s*am iva udhdhaamam gajam madha bala udhdhatham |

 

pradhaavitham aham dhaivam pourushENa nivarthayE || 2-23-20

 

 

 

meaning: By my prowess, I shall turn back this destiny, as framing back an

elephant, which is not caring for a hook, and, which is fiercely running

with violent force."

 

 

 

lOka paalaa: samasthaa: thE na adhya raama abhishEchanam |

 

na cha kruthsnaa: thrayO lOkaa vihanyu: kim puna: pithaa || 2-23-21

 

 

 

meaning: Neither all the guardians of the world nor the three worlds put

together can withhold Raama's coronation today. Why to talk about father."

 

 

 

sa chEdh raajani anEka agrE raajya vibhrama *s*ankayaa |

 

na Evam ichchhasi dharmaathman raajyam raama thvam aathmani || 2-23-27

 

prathijaanE cha thE veera maa bhoovam veera lOka bhaak |

 

raajyam cha thava rakshEyam aham vElaa iva saagaram || 2-23-28

 

 

 

meaning: lakshmaNa continues, 'If you think that you do not want kingdom

because of your doubt that the kingdom will get disturbed due to unstable

mind of king Dasaratha, you need not fear. I am promising you. I shall

protect the kingdom as a sea coast protects the sea. If not, I will not

obtain the heroic world of heaven."

 

 

 

Point: Then lakshmaNa goes on speaking, 'why I should have weapons without

any use and I do not have it for decoration etc'. In between these

assertions, he also says, 'oh raama, after you have ruled for 1000s of years

and your retiring to the forests, your sons will rule this kingdom'. That

shows even per chance, neither he, nor his sons, have any intentions on the

kingdom.

 

 

 

Dear bhakthaas, that is lakshmaNa – that once raama is not there, there is

no question of anybody else going up the throne or taking to the throne.

 

 

 

My intention here is to glorify lakshmaNa and his love towards his elder

brother and that is why the length of posts also grow. Hence please excuse

me for that. Perhaps we have to continue this 'angry young brother's role'

in one more post also, for when bharatha visits forest with his army again

lakshmaNa is furious.

 

 

 

Dhasan

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG