lakshmaNa 17

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Post 17

 

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

In the previous 16 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 8 roles. The discussion

on the 9th role of 'the emissary' is continuing. Just for recollection,

latest 2 of the different roles are

 

- The Engineer to build the wood house – parna saalaa

- scavenger to dig pits and bury / burn viraadhan, khabhandhan.

 

 

 

*The envoy role for the third time:* LakshmaNa received raamaa's message

containing his anger [slokams 4-30-81, 82] on sugreeva for his time delay in

fulfillment of his commitment made on mission 'search seethaa'. This time

delay is mentioned in slokam 4-30-69, but when raama expressed about his

prattling and his fury, that only remained in lakshmaNa's mind. After

receiving raama's message [81, 82 slokams], see how lakshmaNa reacts to that

-

 

 

 

sa poorvajam theevra vivrudhdhha kOpam laalapyamaanam prasameekshya dheenam

|

 

chakaara theevraam mathim ugra thEjaa hareeshvarE maanava vamsa varthana: ||

4-30-85

 

 

 

meaning: On clearly examining his elder brother Raama, who has become

ruthlessly incompassionate and pitiably prattling, the mood of that

intensively resplendent LakshmaNa, who is an augmenter of Manu's dynasty,

has *become hostile* towards the monkey-king Sugreeva.

 

 

 

*Comment:* Like the earlier situation of mother kousalyaa weeping, which

made lakshmaNa angry and made him say, 'I will kill father', here also it is

raama's prattle on seethaa and sorrow on account of her separation [raama's

pulambal to say it in tamil] made lakshmaNa angry.

 

 

 

Now please analyse why lakshmaNa should get angry – as an envoy, for which

he is deirected by raama - he has to simply convey raama's anger to sugreeva

and then make sugreeva work.

 

 

 

The point here is - out of that love for his elder brother and seeing his

varuththam and pulambal – prattling, made him react - nothing else. 'When my

raama suffers, I must act to alleviate that' is that attitude of lakshmaNa.

A very well-attached brother and also a true servant will not be able to

bear the sufferings of his elder, who is also his master.

 

 

 

LakshmaNa was critical of sugreeva and then said angrily, 'I will kill

sugreeva for his inaction, let vaanaraas under leadership of angadha the

prince search seethaa'. Is this not similar to the earlier situation of 'I

will kill father, oh raama, if you have to lose your right to throne'.

 

 

 

na dhaarayE kOpam udheerNa vEgam nihanmi sugreevam asathyam adhya |

 

hari praveerai: saha vaali puthrO narEndhra puthryaa vichayam karOthu ||

4-31-4

 

 

 

meaning: Unbearable is this anger that is tiding quickly, now I shall kill

that unfaithful Sugreeva and the best brave monkeys shall search for

princess Seethaa, remaining under the command of Vaali's son, Angadha", Thus

said LakshmaNa to Raama.

 

 

 

[Now raama is trying to pacify lakshmaNa]

 

tham aaththa baaNa aasanam uthpathantham nivEdhitha artham raNa chaNDa kOpam

|

 

uvaacha raama: para veera hanthaa sva vEkshitham sa anunayam cha vaakyam ||

4-31-5

 

 

 

meaning: Raama, the slayer of braving enemies, spoke this well thought

sentence [see below] that includes persuasiveness to LakshmaNa, who is with

an irrepressible wartime anger, who has apprised his intention to slay

Sugreeva, and who, on taking his bow, is now leaping at Kishkindha.

 

 

 

na hi vai thvath vidhO lOke paapam Evam samaacharEth |

 

kOpam aaryENa yO hanthi sa veera: purushOththama: || 4-31-6

 

na idham athra thvayaa graahyam saadhu vruththEna lakshmaNa |

 

thaam preethim anuvarthasva poorva vruththam cha sangatham || 4-31-7

 

 

 

meaning: Raama says to LakshmaNa, 'Certainly none of your kind shall commit

this sort of sin in this world, and if such a situation occurs, he, who by

his noble gesture kills his own anger is a valorous one, and he really

becomes the best one among men. Lakshmana, as person with righteous conduct,

you are not supposed to understand this matter in this way, or undertake in

this way, but you are supposed to adhere to those aspects of friendliness

with Sugreeva, and the affinity earlier existed in dealing with him'.

 

 

 

*Point:* In 4-30-80 and 81 slokams, Raama only said that he wants to kill

Sugreeva for his faithlessness. Now LakshmaNa is just repeating or parroting

same. But Raama is applying brakes on lakshmaNa, telling that 'killing a

friend is a sin, so do not commit it'.

 

 

 

Is Raama contradicting his own statements? Actually it is not so. Raama gave

a picture of his anger about Sugreeva, to the extent of eliminating him, if

Sugreeva still delays or avoids any arrangement.

 

 

 

Actual situation is that there is no knowledge on the part of these two,

raama and lakshmaNa, whether any arrangement is already made or nothing on

that mission 'search seethaa'. To collect that information only lakshmaNa is

being sent. But grounds are made ready to express the extent of anger and

dissatisfaction. But LakshmaNa, being a straight-to-nose person and a

textualist, has started to Kishkindha to eliminate Sugreeva and to enthrone

Angadha, so that mission 'search seethaa' can be taken up under angadha's

leadership. Thus, Raama is pacifying LakshmaNa in saying that 'my words

shall not be understood that way, and killing of Sugreeva is not to be

undertaken forthwith.' Now see next slokam where it is said raama is

'teaching' lakshmaNa.

 

 

 

Looking at in another way, the king may throw some harsh comments to his

envoy, about the other king, to whom the envoy is being sent, or make some

critical remarks or even urge some secret actions also, in the other place.

The envoy should not act verbatim on the words of king, but use his

discretion according to the circumstances in the other arena. That is the

lesson given here.

 

 

 

saama upahithayaa vaachaa rookshaaNi parivarjayan |

 

vakthum arhasi sugreevam vyatheetham kaala paryaye || 4-31-8

 

sO~agrajena anu*s*ishTa arthO yathaavath purusharshabha: |

 

pravivE*s*a pureem veerO lakshmaNa: para veera haa || 4-31-9

 

 

 

meaning: Raama says to LakshmaNa, "It will be apt of you to speak to that

reneger Sugreeva with conciliatory words rather than with caustic remarks,

as his sin is no more than flouting the timeframe". That brave one and the

slayer of braving enemies Lakshmana, thus *schooled expediently* by his

elder brother about the means of gainfulness, that best one among men

proceeded to enter the city of Kishkindha.

 

 

 

*Point:* see the words used by vaalmeeki, 'lakshmaNa being schooled – 'anu*s

*ishTa'. Here in vaalmeeki also portraitshow an envoy should act with

restraint even though the king may pass critical remarks, harsh comments

etc.

 

 

 

Again - look at the other side – even though raama only said that I am

furious, he immediately comes down and cools himself and also cools

lakshmaNa – means he is so balanced that when required he will boil up, next

minute will cool down. This sort of character analysis is what we have to

enjoy in such beautiful narrations.

 

 

 

thatha: *s*ubha mathi: praajnO bhraathu: priya hithEratha: |

 

lakshmaNa: prathisamrabdhO jagaama bhavanam kapE: || 4-31-10

 

*s*akra baaNaasana prakhyam dhanu: kaalaanthaka upama: |

 

pragruhya giri *s*rungaabham mandhara: saanumaan iva || 4-31-11

 

 

 

Meaning: That right-minded and well-informed LakshmaNa, who is bent on doing

only that which is agreeable and beneficial to his elder brother, then

swallowing his exasperation and wielding a bow which is shining forth like

the bow of Indra, and which is standing out like a peaking mountain

proceeded towards the palace of the monkey, viz. Sugreeva, and with such a

bow he appeared to be the peaking Mt. Mandhara and like the Era-Ender.

 

 

 

yathaa uktha kaaree vachanam uththaram chaiva sa uththaram |

 

bruhaspathi samO budhdhhyaa maththvaa raamaanuja: thadhaa || 4-31-12

 

kaama krOdha samuththena bhraathu: kOpaagninaa vrutha: |

 

prabhanjana iva apreetha: prayayou lakshmaNa: thadhaa || 4-31-13

 

 

 

Meaning: LakshmaNa, the non-defying adherer of Raama, a coequal of

Brihaspathi - Jupiter, in intelligence, then mulled over the exact words of

Raama to be spoken to Sugreeva, possible reply of Sugreeva on them, and his

own sensible counter-reply to them, enwrapped as he is in a furious fire,

fired up by the desire of Raama for Seethaa, proceeded to Sugreeva's palace

like an embittered whirlwind aided and abetted by a furious fire.

 

 

 

*Point:* Already lakshmaNa is titled 'vaakyajna', now it is 'bruhaspathi

sama' – equal to Jupiter the dhEva guru in intelligence. How this sudden

transformation in description of lakshmaNa - for he is basically all that –

see slokam 10 above again - that love for his elder brother and bent in

doing what is agreeable and beneficial to raama, makes him at one moment

furious – then cool – then he shines – that is all. That is all due to his

identity with snake – dear lakshmaNa bhakthaas, this 'identifying' is by

vaalmeeki - see slokam

 

 

 

baaNa *s*alya sphurath jihva: saayaka aasana bhogavaan |

 

sva thEjO visha sanghaatha: panca aasya iva pannaga: || 4-31-30

 

tham dheeptham iva kaalaagnim naagEndhram iva kOpitham |

 

samaasaadhya angadha: thraasaath vishaadam agamath param || 4-31-31

 

 

 

meaning: LakshmaNa has become identical to a five-faced serpent as his

curvi-bow looked like the curvi-hood of a serpent, arrowheads looked like

the poking tongues of the serpent, and as his own fervency is proliferating

as that serpent's venom. Angada succumbing to high despair caused by the

scare neared LakshmaNa who is aglow like the Fire of Perdition and

likeaadhi sEsha,

the Thousand-hooded King of Serpents, who is perforce infuriated.

 

 

 

sO~angadham rOsha thaamraaksha: sandhidhE*s*a mahaaya*s*aa: |

 

sugreeva: kathyathaam vathsa mama aagamanam ithi utha || 4-31-32

 

 

 

Meaning: With his eyes reddened in rancour that highly adorable LakshmaNa

sent a word through Angadha, saying "oh, boy, let Sugreeva be informed about

my arrival," and said this way.

 

 

 

The angry young brother and servant and envoy all in one lakshmaNa stands at

the entrance in kishkindha. Let us see what happens in next post.

 

 

 

Dhasan

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG