rama's age

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer, and respected sri sadagopan swamy,

 

 

 

Read with interest the article on the question of age.

 

 

 

The following points I would like to add.

 

1. on the 'dhasa saptha cha' – that 'cha' figure to be added can be any

thing and not necessarily 7. This is what I added in my ongoing lakshmaNa

series and then said an old book published in 1940, by its author, who was

late then itself, the author has taken this 'cha' as 7, without explaining

how it can be 7 only and not any other figure.

 

 

 

2. Once the vanavaasam beginning date is wrong by 12 years, all other

dates like dates of war etc are also 'on way out'.

 

 

 

3. That this 'age of raama' was the subject in june 2005 in about 7 or

8 mails by smt jayasree saranathan and my article in 2003, and I am sure

will be available in archives.

 

 

 

4. Another interesting point related to this 'age business' – when was

the two sons lava and kusa born, at what age of raama and seethaa?

 

 

 

5. My points are given now on the above question for your consideration

and elaboration.

 

a) By the time they returned back to ayodhyaa after 14 years sojourn,

their age was 38 or 39 as could be concluded from above discussion. Then

raama ruled for 11000 years on which sage valmeeki places the slokams in

affirmative without ambiguity. When he conducted the aswamedham with

seethaa's golden image and the two boys lava and kusa sang the entire

raamaayaNam story, the boys were young. After that raama installed these

boys in the throne and left this world. [For it is not said that when the

lava and kusa were ruling, raama was in retirement in the kingdom enjoying

his leisure time or retired life].

 

b) So is it that towards the end of 11000 years that raama and seethaa

felt the need for a 'vaarisu' – 'next generation', so that the ward could be

installed on the throne.

 

c) Or is it once they returned back to ayodhyaa after the forest

sojourn.

 

d) If it is towards the end of 11000 years, then this vaNNaan's doubts

and accusation about chastity of his wife in comparison with seethaa and the

resulting banishment of seethaa by raama – still fresh in his thoughts with

that fellow – that too in that golden 'raama raajyam' – golden rule of raama

- where anyone and everyone was happy - except this PP.

 

e) The birth of lava and kusa so late - Is it similar to the 3 mothers

who had their 4 children after 60000 years of the king dhasaratha's rule,

that seethaa also had her two children after about a little less than 11000

years.

 

 

 

6. One more riddle – may not be relevant to this 'age' question of

raama and seethaa but on the author of this raamaayaNam –

 

a) We all know it is sage vaalmeeki who wrote raamaayaNam – after being

taught about that by sage naaradha. Brahma also comes and blesses vaalmeeki,

to have a complete flash back of things as it 'happened' without any secret

even between the husband raama and wife seethaa. That means, the entire

raamaayaNam is a thing of past, which brahma wants vaalmeeki to write so

that it is available to us today, for us to cherish and enjoy on such a

'raama' – 'karpaar raamapiraanai allaal maRRum karparO'.

 

b) In ayodhyaa kaandam, raama meets sage vaalmeeki in his aasramam

during his forest sojourn. Slokams are quoted below.

 

ithi seethaa cha raama*s*cha lakshmaNa*s*cha kruthaanjali: |

 

abhigamya aa*s*ramam sarvE vaalmeekim abhivaadhayan || 2-56-16

 

 

 

meaning: After deciding thus Seethaa, Raama and LakshmaNa all with joined

palms approached the hermitage and offered salutation to the sage Vaalmeeki..

 

 

 

thaan maharshi: pramudhitha: poojayaamaasa dharmavith |

 

aasyathaam ithi cha uvaacha svaagatham thu nivEdhya cha || 2-56-17

 

 

 

meaning: The great sage Vaalmeeki, who knew what is right, full of delight,

treated them with honour, offered cordial welcome and requested them to sit..

 

 

 

thathO.abraveeth mahaa baahur lakshmaNam lakshmaNa agraja: |

 

sannivEdhya yathaa anyaaya mahaathmaanam rishyE prabhu: || 2-56-18

 

 

 

meaning: Then Rama, the lord with mighty arms, according to tradition,

reported to the ascetic all that concerned them and spoke to Lakshmana as

follows: [his idea to settle in chithrakootam and build the parna saalaa]

 

 

 

c) Later same vaalmeeki gives asylum for seethaa when she is banished.

If we take that it is towards the end of 11000 years, vaalmeeki was also of

same age around 11000 + years.

 

 

 

d) Is it the same vaalmeeki, who met raama in forest that who gave

asylum to seethaa and later who wrote raamaayaNam as per naaradhaa's

teaching or 3 different persons or at least 2 different persons.

 

 

 

I would like to have comments from the elite group.

 

 

dhasan

 

--

Vasudevan MG