lakshmaNa 18

[Guest guest]

Post 18

 

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

wish you all the seasons greetings and a very happy new year.

In the previous 17 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 8 roles. The discussion

on the 9th role of 'the emissary' is continuing. This is the third time

lakshmaNa is carrying out that role. Just for recollection, latest 2 of the

envoy roles are

 

- LakshmaNa the envoy – while meeting sage agasthya [effective for the

protocol]

- LakshmaNa the envoy – while meeting hanumaan before sugreeva sakhyam

[again for protocol]

 

 

 

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

containing his anger [slokams 4-30-81, 82] on sugreeva. When lakshmaNa

reacted saying 'I will kill sugreeva' and let search seethaa mission can

start with angadha in lead, all on account of raamaa's sOkham [due to

separation from seethaa and on account of 'no action' response from

sugreeva], raama pacified him saying sugreeva's failure, as of now, is only

'a delay on the time scale'. So raama wanted lakshmaNa to inform about

sugreeva's inaction and anger arising out of that inaction.

 

 

 

We just left lakshmaNa standing at the entrance of sugreeva's kingdom

'kishkindha' in the previous post - having sent angadha, the prince of

kishkindha, to inform king sugreeva in his palace, about lakshmaNa's arrival

at the entrance to the capital. Now let us proceed.

 

 

 

Here is one of the very beautiful slOkam by vaalmeeki – of course all his

24000 simple Sanskrit ones are beautiful – but here is one – of a

superlative grade - which enhances the linguistic, figurative and

imaginative beauty - enjoy that -

 

sa Esha raaghava-bhraathaa lakshmaNO vaakya saarathi: |

 

vyavasaaya ratha: praaptha: thasya raamasya *s*aa*s*anaath || 4-31-47

 

* *

 

thasya raamasya *s*aa*s*anaath = by that raama's decree

 

raaghava-bhraathaa = Raaghava's brother

 

sa: Esha lakshmaNa: = he - this LakshmaNa

 

vaakya saarathi: = word [of raama] as charioteer

 

vyavasaaya ratha: = endeavour as chariot

 

praaptha: = has come.

 

 

 

Meaning: This LakshmaNa, the brother of raaghava, has arrived here at the

decree of raama, on the chariot called his 'endeavour', driven by the

charioteer called 'the word of raama'.

 

* *

 

*Comment:* For more information – this slokam is uttered by hanumaan, the

'vaakyagna' – sollin selvan in tamil - the minister in the king sugreeva's

cabinet, on hearing angadha's words about lakshmaNa's angry arrival, talk to

sugreeva, to drive home the reality, since sugreeva is intoxicated. He

continued to tell him, 'please go and meet lakshmaNa, and sort out the

matter of his anger' [sargam 32 in full deals with that hanumaan's talking]..

 

 

 

 

*Continuation:* Then angadha invited lakshmaNa inside the kingdom, and he

entered, walked thru to reach the palace. On seeing lot of ladies around -

inside the palace – 'anthappuraththil' in tamil - he felt shy. Since the

noise of jewels of the ladies and their uncaring movements inside the

palace, about the presence of a new person in lakshmaNa, their behaviour

irritated him more. Further the thought that the king is not responding even

at this stage, made him angry. To make his presence felt, he just made a

twang noise on his bow. From that the king realised lakshmaNa's level of

anger, and he feared, and then commissioned thaaraa as his envoy to meet

lakshmaNa saying

 

 

 

thvath dar*s*anE vi*s*udhdhha aathmaa na sa kOpam karishyathi |

 

na hi sthreeshu mahaathmana: kvacith kurvanthi dhaaruNam || 4-33-36

 

* *

 

Meaning: sugreeva says to thaaraa, 'Just on seeing you, he, that highly

pure-souled LakshmaNa, will stop venting his anger. By the way, great-souls

will not be rampageous with women, isn't it!'

 

 

 

Point: see here, sugreeva has a great opinion about lakshmaNa – says

vi*s*udhdhha

aathmaa. On such a direction from king, thaaraa appeared in 'as is where is'

condition – that is not ina queen's presentable condition before others.

[please read slokam 4-33-38 and commentsin website].

 

 

 

Now she asks lakshmaNa

 

kim kOpa moolam manujendhra puthra ka: thE na santishThathi vaak nidhE*s*E |

 

ka: *s*ushka vruksham vanam aapathantham dhavaagnim aaseedhathi nirvi*s*anka:

|| 4-33-41

 

 

 

meaning: thaara to lakshmaNa, "Oh, prince, what is the cause of your anger?

Who is not abiding by your oral order? And who is he that draweth nigh of a

wildfire that is befalling on a forest of dried-up trees, without a shadow

of doubt?"

 

 

 

*point:* usually lakshmaNa treats all ladies, except his wife, as mothers.

So when thaaraa appeared in front of him, that itself brought his anger

level down. The way she came and the way thaaraa addressed him placed him

cool – she said

 

manujEndhra – king of humans,

 

puthra – son,

 

or combined as a single phrase manujendhra puthra – son of king of humans..

 

 

 

Anybody praised like this will naturally become easy to the person opposite..

Then, she, even though in intoxicated condition, gave that information,

which will appease lakshmaNa instantaneously. and raama too, which is the

very purpose of this mission - that piece of information - that action is

already taken by king on raama's mission 'search seethaa'. See slokam

 

 

 

udhyOga: thu chira aajnaptha: sugreevENa narOththama |

 

kaamsya api vidhEyEa thava artha prathi saadhanE || 4-33-59

 

aagathaa hi mahaa veeryaa haraya: kaama roopiNa: |

 

kOTi *s*atha sahasraaNi naanaa naga nivaasina: || 4-33-60

 

* *

 

meaning: thaaraa says to lakshmaNa, "On the part of his endeavour in your

task, oh, best one among men, the king has ordered long before for its

operation aiming to achieve your objective, despite the fact that he is

servile to overindulgence. By all means, marvellously intrepid Vaanaraas,

who are the residents of various mountains, and who can change guise just by

their wish, have come in hundreds, in thousands, in millions'. [4-33- 59,

60]

 

 

 

*point:* this is the real information which is required by the two brothers

for which raama wanted to express his anger, and lakshmaNa showed it. [This

is even before lakshmaNa met king sugreeva]. Then thaaraa invited lakshmaNa

to the inside of palace where sugreeva was. Both went inside. And on seeing

sugreeva in drunken condition, with rumaa his wife and other ladies hanging

on him, lakshmaNa expressed his anger, conveying raama's anger in the

process.

 

 

 

krudhdhham ni*s*vasamaanam tham pradheeptham iva thEjasaa |

 

bhraathur vyasana santhaptham dhrushTvaa dha*s*aratha aathmajam || 4-34-2

 

uthpapaatha hari*s*rEshTho hithvaa souvarNam aasanam |

 

mahaan mahEndhrasya yathaa svalankrutha iva dhvaja: || 4-34-3

 

 

 

meaning: On seeing LakshmaNa, the son of dha*s*aratha, who is exasperated

and exhaling heavily, and who searing in the anguish of his brother is

flaring up like a firestorm, Sugreeva hopped up from his golden seat and

tottered like the highly decorated flagstaff of Indhra, which will be wobbly

just before it is thrown to ground after the ritual.

 

 

 

*Point:* see here the reason for lakshmaNa's anger is due to 'the anguish of

his brother'. And lakshmaNa is simply doing his role effectively as per his

brother's directions – the dutiful servant, the angry young brother, and the

envoy to convey what master and king raama said, - all combined in one form

– lakshmaNa.

 

 

 

nanu naama kruthaarthEna thvayaa raamasya vaanara |

 

seethaayaa maargaNE yathna: karthavya: krutham ichChhathaa || 4-34-14

 

 

 

meaning: Oh, Vaanara, you achieved your means through Raama, and Raama is

wishing for his endeavour through you, and I wonder whether the search for

Seethaa is not your duty? [4-34-14]

 

 

 

*point:* lakshmaNa expresses the thrust or crux of the matter or the basis

of his angry words. Now with this conveying portion is over. An envoy's role

is not over just by conveying his master's voice alone. He must also receive

information. That is what is happening now. Already some portion is over.

 

 

 

Again thaaraa pacified lakshmaNa, giving some more information, which will

appease both raama and lakshmaNa --

 

 

 

*s*atha kOTi sahasraaNi lankaayaam kila raakshasaam |

 

ayuthaani cha shaT thrim*s*ath sahasraaNi *s*athaani cha || 4-35-15

 

a-hathvaa thaam cha dhurdharshaan raakshasaan kaama roopiNa: |

 

na *s*akyO raavaNO hanthum yEna saa maithilee hruthaa || 4-35-16

 

 

 

meaning: It is said that the demons in Lanka are a trillion, plus 36

thousands of units of military, where one unit consists of a ten-thousand

warriors, and hundreds and thousands of other demons are there, thus they

say. Without eliminating those unassailable and guise changing demons, it is

impracticable to eliminate him, viz. Raavana, who has abducted Maithili.

[4-35-15, 16]

 

 

 

thE na sakyaa raNE hanthum asahaayEna lakshmaNa |

 

raavaNa: kroora karmaa cha sugreevENa vi*s*Eshatha: || 4-35-17

 

 

 

meaning: thaaraa continues, "Oh, Lakshmana, it is impossible to kill those

demons, or that Raavana, the evil-doer and abductor of Seethaa, without any

assistance, more so to Sugreeva".

 

* *

 

Point: what thaaraa says is interpreted or commented upon as bothways –

raama needs sugreeva's assistance first in searching and locating her

condition. Then possibly he can singlehandedly fight with raavaNa, evn

without sugreeva's help. Similarly sugreeva cannot fight without raama's

leadership and help. So it is a mutual helping situation. That is what

khabandan told raama that both will be benefitted by coming to

understanding.* *

 

* *

 

thvath sahaaya nimiththam hi prEshithaa haripungavaa: |

 

aanEthum vaanaraan yudhdhhE subahoon haripungavaan || 4-35-19

 

 

 

meaning: thaaraa continues, "Intending that assistance to you in war, best

monkeys are hastened in all directions, to muster up very many best of the

best monkeys. [4-35-19]

 

* *

 

thaam cha pratheekshamaaNO ayam vikraanthaan sumahaa balaan |

 

raaghavasya artha siddhyartham na niryaathi hari ee*s*vara: || 4-35-20

 

kruthaa susamsthaa soumithrE sugreevENa yathaa puraa |

 

adhya thai: vaanarai: sarvai: aaganthavyam mahaabalai: || 4-35-21

 

* *

 

meaning: thaaraa continues, "Determined to achieve the objective of Raghava

this king of monkeys Sugreeva has not bestirred himself while awaiting the

return of those venturesome and very great mighty monkey-warriors who are

sent out. According to the well-organised groundwork earlier made by

Sugreeva, oh, Soumithri, all of those great-mighty monkeys have to arrive

here today itself".

 

 

 

*Point:* 1. Just see how well informed is this queen thaaraa, even though

there are very able ministers like hanumaan and others.

 

2. She is described as 'in drunken state' and dressed not properly or not in

a queen's presentable condition when first she appeared before lakshmaNa. In

spite of that she performs herself.

 

3. Thaara is an envoy equal or more in match to that lakshmaNa, the envoy,

in handling the matters on hand – [just that envoy role alone, not to speak

of others of lakshmaNa at this moment]. Similar to hanumaan when they first

met.

 

 

 

So lakshmaNa got the information what is really required for which he played

the envoy role - in the mission 'search seethaa'. Balance is all simply

conveying these to raama and then raama to decide on the next course.

 

 

 

When lakshmaNa talked angrily to sugreeva, he also talked about the duties

of a king and all that. This is similar to what soorpanaka talked to

raavaNa. This we can see when lakshmaNa plays the role of a minister or

adviser or counsel talking on saasthra, political and apolitical. With this

the envoy or emissary or ambassador role gets completed.

 

 

 

dhaasan

 

 

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG