lakshmaNa 11

[Guest guest]

Post 11

 

 

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

 

In the previous 10 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 7 roles, and had an

introduction of that 8th role of vettiyaan. Just for recollection, the

different roles are

 

- bhaalya sakha to raama – playmate in young days,

- vazhith thuNaivan to raama – companion in long trekking,

- husband of oormiLaa

- assistant administrator in ayOdhyaa,

- angry young brother to raama

- the boat or barge or raft builder / oarsman.

- The Engineer to construct a wooden house with leafy roof – parNa

saalaa

 

Now we are continuing the role of lakshmaNa – the scavenger [vettiyaan]..

Since MGV has placed these two vettiyaan-works or roles of lakshmaNa

together or side-by-side, if you think these two happened timewise close to

each other, then, for sure, you are wrong. Viraadhan killing happens at

the beginning of the vana vaasam – [aaraNya kaaNdam beginning] may be within

2 months or 3 at the most – viz, [of kaikEyee ordering that harsh sojourn]

· bharatha came back on receiving father's death news [roughly 15

days], · bharatha doing karmas for father [another 10 or 13

days], ·

bharatha came to forest [nearly 20 to 25 days or even 30 days, for new roads

were built into forest by cutting trees etc – fully described by vaalmeeki],

· bharatha returned back with paadhukaas to nandhi graam [may be a

week], · raama desiring to move deep into forest after this – [why

the above points - is to measure approximately the time involved, for

vaalmeeki did not indicate the time involved since the trio started to

forest], · lakshmaNa built the parNa saala etc. [may be the job of a

week's duration]

 

 

 

Whereas kabhandhan's burning by lakshmaNa or doing that vettiyaan's work for

the second time is towards the end of 13th year or the beginning of 14th

year - viz

 

· after Soorpanakha entering the story

 

· followed by kara dhooshaNa vadham,

 

· then soorpanakha going to raavaNa and instigating him

 

· Raavana lifting seethaa with maareecha's help,

 

· raama goes searching his wife deep in the forest, and there meeting

kabhandhan, then kill him, get his suggestion to meet sugreeva.

 

This portion of story is all in the 13th year-end or 14th year beginning.

 

 

 

So there is a gap of nearly 12 and a half or almost 13 years. But since

vaalmeeki just passes of 10 [or 11 years?] of vana vaasam in one or two

slokams, this "time gap" may not really 'click' in the flow of story of

raamaayaNam. [readers may refer sri vivek's question and my replies few

weeks back]

 

 

 

ithi ukthvaa lakshmaNam raama: pradhara: khanyathaam ithi |

 

thasthou viraadham aakramya kaNThE paadhEna veeryavaan || 3-4-12

 

thath sruthvaa raaghavENa uktham raakshasa: pra*s*ritham vacha: |

 

idham prOvaacha kaakuthstham viraadha: purusharshabham || 3-4-13

 

 

 

meaning: On saying to Lakshmana that 'a trench shall be dug' then Raama

repressively placed his foot on the throat of Viraadhan, and stood by.

[3-4-12] On hearing those words said by Raaghava, demon viraadha sincerely

spoke these humble words to Raama, the finest one from Kaakuthstha dynasty.

[3-4-13]

 

 

 

*Point:* see now the reaction of viraadhan – when raama's feet touched him,

he says, 'oh raama, I know you, lakshmaNa and seethaa'. Then he says the

reasons for his demonic roopam by way of a kubEra curse to him, and his boon

of killing not possible by any weapon except a simple burial, So he says to

raama and lakshmaNa, 'please bury me, then you go and meet sage sarabhanga'..

 

 

 

kousalyaa suprajaa thaatha raama: thvam vidhithO mayaa |

 

vaidhEhee cha mahaa bhaagaa lakshmaNa: cha mahaa ya*s*aa: || 3-4-15

 

 

 

meaning: Oh, sire, I know you to be Raama, the son of Kousalya and even

propitious Seetha. I also know the greatly renowned one Lakshmana. [3-4-15]

 

 

 

avaTe cha api maam raama prakshipya ku*s*alee vraja |

 

rakshasaam gatha saththvaanaam Esha dharma: sanaathana: || 3-4-22

 

avaTe ye nidheeyanthE thEshaam lOkaa: sanaathanaa: |

 

 

 

meaning: Raama, you go safely on burying me in a pit. This is the age-old

custom for those demons who lost vitality. For those that are inhumed in

pit, to them there will be the worlds of manes.

 

 

 

thatha: khanithram aadhaaya lakshmaNa: *s*wabhram uththamam |

 

akhanath paar*s*vatha: thasya viraadhasya mahaathmana: || 3-4-27

 

tham muktha kaNTham uthkshipya sanku karNam mahaaswanam |

 

viraadham praakshipath shwabhrE nadhantham bhairava swanam || 3-4-28

 

 

 

meaning: [already we saw raama telling lakshmaNa dig a pit in previous post]

 

 

Then, on taking a digging tool Lakshmana dug a deep pit beside the great

soul Viraadha. On releasing his throat from the stamping of Raama, lakshmaNa

pushed that long eared, lurid voiced Viraadha in that pit while he is still

blaring with his horrific voice.

 

 

 

tham aahavE dhaaruNam aa*s*u vikramou sthirou ubhou samyathi raama

lakshmaNou |

 

mudhaanvithou chikshipathur bhayaavaham nadhantham uthkshipya bilEna

raakshasam || 3-4-29

 

* *

 

meaning: Those deftly victorious ones Raama and LakshmaNa who compose

themselves in a given fight, both gladly raised that Viradha, a ghoulish one

in fight, a terrifying demon, who is still blaring, with all their might and

hurled him into the pit. [3-4-29]

 

 

 

prahrushTa roopou iva raama lakshmaNou viraadham urvyaam pradharE nipaathya

tham |

 

nanandhathu: veetha bhayou mahaavanE *s*ilaabhi: anthar dhadhathu: cha

raakshasam || 3-4-33

 

* *

 

meaning: Raama and LakshmaNa felt happy in burying Viraadha in the pit of

the earth, and they felt rejoiced for gone is the 'fear in that great

forest'. And within the pit they also concealed him with boulders in order

to make it a tomb [burial-chamber] to the departed soul.

 

 

 

*Point 1:* It is seen that for different persons killed or given mOksham,

raama paid the last respects fittingly and properly. See here, vaalmeeki

says he placed stones to make it as a tomb or a burial chamber. For jataayu

he did the karmas like the son. For the vaanaraas in the end of war, he gave

fresh life. For people of ayOdhyaa he gave mOksham.

 

 

 

*Point 2:* A note from skandha puraaNam added in valmikiramayan web site is

worth quoting here, since it also gives a phala sruthi – results, also to

the readers and listeners.

 

 

 

On seeing Seethaa Viraadha thought, "She is the Supreme goddess through whom

heavens can be obtained by salvation and also release from the bondage [of

demon's body] On just seeing Her, relieved is this body cage, so with all my

devotion, I steal Her" etc. Hence vi raadha meant to be verily, devout, like

Raadha of KrishNa. When chased and hurt by Raama and LakshmaNa, the demon

releases Seethaa, but carries both the brothers away. For this distancing

Raama and LakshmaNa from Seethaa, it is said that Raama does not kill any

demon in the presence of Seethaa, for she graciously condones the mischief

of the demons, if they are true devotees.

 

 

 

Again at the end of this Viraaadha episode, the phala shruti [Fruit of

Listening] is narrated as: "Those who always listen or let listen, all their

sins are absolved, undoubtedly'.

 

 

 

With that quote I also end this post.

 

 

 

dhaasan

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG