Guest guest Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Post 12 Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer, In the previous 11 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 7 roles, and had part of that 8th role of 'vettiyaan'- scavenger. 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] for the second time. This time, he is to bring firewood and burn the body also besides digging a pit, [not just digging a pit to bury like the earlier time for viraadhan, but dig the pit, place the wood, place the body over wood and then burn]. Going back a little, to have continuity and proper understanding, the kabhandhan-burning episode, that part of previous happenings in the raamaayaNam goes like this -- - seethaa was abducted / kidnapped by raavaNan, - raama and lakshmaNa came back to find seethaa missing in the aasramam / the residence, - then they started searching everywhere [with raama expressing his deep sorrow of separation of seethaa – this stretches in more than one sargam]. - now they meet kabhandhan on way in that search. He has such long arms, big mouth and completely disfigured massive body, and can grab even lions, elephants and other animals, for eating with those long arms. 'How he got his form and how he will get his release from that form' is a sort of flash back, which khabandhan tells raama and lakshmaNa. For these two have cut his two long arms, when he tried to grab them and pull them into his mouth. To do this cutting of arms, nobody else is capable except these two, raama and lakshmaNa [as stated by him]. Then he describes his story to the two. Son of Dhanu, a gandharva, [Khabandhan now] did long thapas towards brahma and brahma gave varam – boon - of longevity of life. With that in mind this jr.Dhanu disfigured himself and was frightening all sages in forest. Once in such a frightening act, a rishi by name sthoolasira [meaning big headed or large headed] cursed jr.dhanu to remain in that form and not comeback to his original ghandharva form. When dhanu asked how can he get his release from that curse, then the rishi said, 'when raama burns you, after cutting your arms, you will get back your form' – ref slOkam below [which this disfigured and arms cut khabandha relates to raama and lakshmaNa now] - yadhaa Chiththvaa bhujou raama: thvaam dhahEth vijanE vanE || 3-71-6 thadhaa thvam praapsyasE roopam svam Eva vipulam *s*ubham | * * meaning: [khabandhan says to the duo] " 'When Raama incinerates you in an uninhibited forest on chopping off your arms, then you will regain your own grand and auspicious form' - so said the sage to me". Then he addresses lakshmaNa -- *s*riyaa viraajitham puthram dhano: thvam vidhdhi lakshmaNa || 3-71-7 indhra kOpaath idham roopam praaptham Evam raNaajirE | meaning: Oh, LakshmaNa, you may know me as the most handsome son of Dhanu, and this misshaped form has chanced on me owing the ire of Indhra in battlefield. *Comment:* With that disfigured form and because of longevity of life, he fought with celestial king dhEvEndhra. DhEvEndhra with his vajra aayudham – thunderbolt – stuck Dhanu. thasya baahu pramukthEna vajrENa shatha parvaNaa || 3-71-10 sakthinee cha *s*ira: caiva *s*areerE sampraveshitham | anaahaara: katham shakthO bhagna sakthi *s*iro mukha: || 3-71-12 vajrENa abhihatha: kaalam su dheergham api jeevithum | meaning: [khabhandhan says story to raama and lakshmaNa] - But the thunderbolt that has a hundred cutting edges and that which is launched from Indra's hand has rammed my head and thighs into my body. [slokam 10] Then I asked indhra – 'By the impact of thunderbolt disarranged are my thighs and head, thereby my mouth, went into my stomach. And without thighs how can I prowl, without arms how can I scrabble, and without a mouth how can I guzzle, and how am I capable to live on, and when that living is also destined for too long a time to come' [slokam 12] sa Evam uktha: mE *s*akrO baahoo yojanam aayathou || 3-71-13 thadhaa cha aasyam cha mE kukshou theekshNa damshTram akalpayath | meaning: When I said this Indhra, Indhra devised for me a 'yojana long' arms, and also that way a rapier-fanged mouth in my paunch. [so these long arms stretching to a yojana – {one yojana I read somewhere as 10 miles} and blade like teeth in the fang etc are indhra given and see in next slokam what he is eating] so~aham bhujaabhyaam dheerghaabhyaam sankrushya asmin vanE charaan || 3-71-14 simha dhvipi mruga vyaaghraan bhakshayaami samanthatha: | sa thu maam abraveeth indhrO yadhaa raama: sa lakshmaNa: || 3-71-15 ChethsyathE samarE baahoo thadhaa svargam gamishyasi | * * meaning: Such as I am, I have been eating the lions, elephants, animals, and tigers that are on the move in this forest, hauling them in with both my overlong arms. [slokam 14]. Indra has also said to me, 'as and when Raama hacks off your arms, along with LakshmaNa, in a conflict, then you can go to heaven...' and vanished. anEna vapushaa thaatha vanE asmin raajasaththama || 3-71-16 yath yath pa*s*yaami sarvasya grahaNam saadhu rOchayE | * * meaning: Oh, sire, I am grabbing [and eating] whatever I see in this forest while living with this body, oh, powerful king, as I feel it meekly and a must for me. [it is understood from this statement - that is how I caught you two, also, by which act of mine, now you could chop off my long arms and make me realize you are my mOksha adhikaari – the 2 liberators - raama and lakshmaNa] sa thvam raamo asi bhadhram thE na aham anyEna raaghava || 3-71-18 *s*akyo hanthum yathaa thaththvam Evam uktham maharshiNaa | meaning: Oh, Raaghava, as to how this has happened in this way according to the way told by the sage Sthula*s*ira, [i know] you are that Raama, let safe betide you, and none other than you is capable to mangle me. *Point:* Upto this stage, it is a self-explanation by khabhandhan, as to how he got his form, what was the curse and how it could be resolved only at the hands of raama etc. But now he throws a barter, a sort of bait also - to these two – 'hey raama if you burn me, I will also guide you to get a new friend, who will help you in your search of your wife. As a price for that guiding message, you, with your brother, have to do this burning of me – that vettiyaan's job'. aham hi mathi saachivyam karishyaami nara rishabha || 3-71-19 mithram chaiva upadhEkshyaami yuvaabhyaam samskrithO agninaa | meaning: 'Oh, impetuous man Raama, if I were to be beatified by you two by incinerating me in fire, I will advice you about the next course of your action. I will further advise you about your prospective friend" So said Khabandha to Raama. *Point:* raama did not straightaway accept that – started explaining how he knows the only portion of story 'that raavaNa lifted seethaa and left, and beyond that he does not know any thing'. This also leads all, to think a sort of mutual distrust existed between raama and khabhandhan - for a shortwhile – for - if I burn him then perhaps he will be released from his curse and may not be able to remember what information he had or has collected earlier with or in that body. On the other hand khabandhan had the distrust, 'if I tell the guiding message now, after receiving it, if these two vanish, without burning me, then my release is not there'. That kind of 'mutual distrust situation'. After a while, raama asks khabhandhan, 'please show mercy' and assures 'we will fulfill your request'. Perhaps you may have another opinion also, 'why should raama ask for mercy or beg before such fellows like khabandhan' and not show his super human power. Please recall that statement – 'aham maanusham manyE' - 'think that I am a man' - even at the end of the great war with raavaNan and that too after brahma says you are so and so and not simply a man - so he acts like a man having doubts and distrust and all that -- *s*Oka aarthaanaam anaathhaanaam Evam viparidhaavathaam || 3-71-23 kaaruNyam sadhru*s*am karthum upakaarE cha varthathaam | kaashTaani aaneeya bhagnaani kaalE sushkaaNi kunjarai: || 3-71-24 dhakshyaama: thvaam vayam veera *s*vabhrE mahathi kalpithE | * * meaning: It will be apt of you to show befitting mercy on us, who are anguished by agony, running all over helter-skelter like unsheltered ones, and we will be compliant for your restitution. Oh, brave Khabandha, on bringing dried firewood that was rent at times by elephants, and on digging a large trench, we will incinerate you in it. *Point:* see the words 'sOka arthaanaam anaathhaanaam' – one who has all the wealth at his command says I have only sOkam – deep sorrow only as my wealth, the whole world looks upon him as their lord and he says I am anaathha – lordless. [Yes of course he has no one above him so he is lordless]. sa thvam seethaam samaachakshva yEna vaa yathra vaa hruthaa || 3-71-25 kuru kalyaaNam athyartham yadhi jaanaasi thaththvatha: | meaning: Such as you are, if you actually know who stole Seethaa, or where to she was stolen, either, you clearly inform about her, [when incinerated], thus you will be rendering a most gracious deed to me, and to all concerned". Thus Raama made clear of his case. Comment: when raama thus agreed 'to concede to khabandhan's request' for inceneration, see now khabandhan commands 'please do it fast before sun sets'. kim thu yaavath na yaathi astham savithaa *s*raantha vaahana: | thaavath maam avaTe kshipthvaa dhaha raama yathaa vidhi || 3-71-31 meaning: "Oh, Raama, soon you have to toss me into trench to burn me customarily, sooner, for the Sun is going to Mt. Dusk when his horses are fatigued. Dhagdha: thvayaa aham avaTE nyaayEna raghunandhana | vakshyaami tham mahaaveera ya: tham vEthsyathi raakshasam || 3-71-32 meaning: "Oh, Raama, the legatee of Raghu, when I am burnt by you in a trench as per rituals, oh, great valiant Raama, for sure, I will tell of him, who can quiet fathom that demon [who carried your wife seethaa]. Evam ukthou thu thou veerou kabandhEna nara ee*s*varou | giri pradharam aasaadhya paavakam visasarjathu: || 3-72-1 lakshmaNa: thu mahaa ulkaabhi: jvalithaabhi: samanthatha: | chithaam aadheepyaamaasa saa prajajvaala sarvatha: || 3-72-2 meaning: When Khabandha said that way, both those brave men and lords of people, on throwing the body of Khabandha into a mountain cleft and then embedded it with firewood. On his part Lakshmana started to torch that pyre with highly sparkling torches from all over, and even that pyre too suddenly blazed with blazes from all over. thath *s*areeram kabandhasya ghritha piNDa upamam mahath | mEdhasaa pachyamaanasya mandham dhahathi paavaka: || 3-72-3 meaning: That massy body of Khabandha is full with fat and while it is being cooked, it is in simile with a massy gob of ghee. But the Fire had to stew that body tardily, though that stewed meat is Fire's favourite dish, because of that body's massiveness. Thus lakshmaNa had his duty of 'vettiyaan' fulfilled along with raama in case of khabandhan. Perhaps another doubt will come whether they dug the pit, for it is said in the above slokam that they threw the body into mountain cleft. Raama when he says a word he keeps himself fit to that and hence we can conclude he and lakshmaNa did it. Further it is also clear that lakshmaNa only did the torching. Any specific reason why raama did not do? Learned bhaagavathaas can comment. In next post we will see more on lakshmaNa. Please excuse me for the length of the post since I wanted to conclude this role in this post. dhaasan -- Vasudevan MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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