lakshmana 21

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Post 21

 

 

 

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

In the previous 20 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 10 roles. The 10th role

as a great warrior is continuing. Just for recollection

 

- the envoy role had 3 occasions,

- in the great warrior role, lakhsmaNa had a part in cutting ears and

tip of nose of thaatakaa,

- as deputy warrior in the maareecha ambush and subhaahu killing, our

hero did not have any role except as an 'onlooker'.

- In viraadha vadham, we saw lakshmaNa first cutting the arm of

viraadhan as warrior and then the role changed from warrior to scavenger..

 

 

 

Now let us continue the role of the 'great warrior', in the reprimand

of *s*oorpanaka.

See the chief commander [raama] introducing his deputy to *s*oorpanaka and

his wife – our raama anuja, and raama's wife seethaa –

 

 

 

bhraathaa ayam lakshmaNO naama yaveeyaan maam anuvratha: |

 

iyam bhaaryaa cha vaidhEhee mama seethaa ithi vi*s*ruthaa || 3-17-16

 

 

 

meaning: raama to *s*oorpanaka, "He is LakshmaNa by name, my younger

brother, and a devoted follower of mine, and she is my wife, well-known as

Seethaa, the daughter of VidhEha's king,.

 

 

 

*Point:* when *s*oorpanakha asked, 'hey, who are you, looking like a sage,

also one with a wife here' – raama talked about himself, first, then is not

talking about the wife, but about the brother and then only about wife. Even

while introducing to a third party, see raama's claim on lakshmaNa, first as

a brother and then as a devoted follower. That love and affection between

the brothers is spelt first by raama. That again indicates what extent is

their intimacy.

 

 

 

Then soorpanaka introduces herself to raama, saying 'I am raavaNa's sister'

etc, and ends up with saying 'I love you' like a modern day cinema, and says

'want to be your wife'. She further says 'when this lady is here, perhaps

you may not like me' so --

 

 

 

imaam viroopaam asatheem karaalaam nirNatha udhareem |

 

anEna saha thE bhraathraa bhakshayishyaami maanusheem || 3-17-27

 

 

 

meaning: Shall I eat up this disfigured, dishonest, diabolical human female

with a hallow stomach, along with him, that brother of yours, to make you

free - *s*oorpanaka asks raama.

 

 

 

For this raama replies, 'I already have a wife, why you want to become a

cowife, only this lakshmaNa is not having a wife, so you become a wife to

him'. She, in good faith, approaches lakshmaNa, and see what he replies to

*s*oorpanaka --

 

 

 

katham dhaasasya mE dhaasee bhaaryaa bhavithum ichChhasi |

 

sO~aham aaryENa paravaan bhraathraa kamala varNinee || 3-18-9

 

 

 

meaning: lakshmaNa to *s*oorpanaka, 'How you wish to become a female

servant, oh, [black] lotus-coloured one, by becoming the wife of a servant

like me? I am just a vassal of my adorable brother'.

 

 

 

*Point* here is that lakshmaNa says 'he is paravaan – para adheenan – under

the control of raama – cannot take a decision on his own - in the forest –

'I came as a servant, so I cannot act independendly', that consciousness is

there in him. So he says, 'why do you want to become a wife of a servant

like me?

 

 

 

Here the yajamaanan raama only says to the third party to approach

lakshmaNa. Still lakshmaNa says I cannot take a decision on my own, and

until raama permits. That servant role is simply shining in front of a third

party – that too, when an 'offer of marriage' is being tossed upon by the

girl [?] herself – just leave aside for a moment whether the proposal is

suitable or not - 'poruththamaanadhaa illaiyaa' – look at that attitude of

lakshmaNa – I am a servant, so you want to become a servant's wife? – that

is more important.

 

 

 

Then lakshmaNa says to soorpanaka suggesting go back to raama --

 

 

 

Enaam viroopaam asatheem karaalaam nirNatha udhareem |

 

bhaaryaam vrudhDhaam parithyajya thvaam Eva Esha bhajishyathi || 3-18-11

 

 

 

meaning: On discarding her [seethaa] who is disfigured, dishonest,

diabolically deleterious old wife, with a hallow stomach, that Raama will

adore you alone.

 

 

 

*point:* See this slokam is more or less a repeat of what raama earlier

said. LakshmaNa tolerates anything but lets no insects to fly over Seethaa.

He may defy his brother Raama, but never tolerates belittlement of Seethaa,

and lets none to insult her. Now he is retorting *s*oorpanaka in the same

words, she used – seen in the previous sargam - last chapter - when she was

speaking about Seetha. Then soorpanaka says, 'I will eat up this human

lady', so saying she also makes advances --

 

 

 

adhya imaam bhakshayishyaami pa*s*yatha: thava maanusheem |

 

thvayaa saha charishyaami niHsapathnaa yathaa sukham || 3-18-16

 

 

 

meaning: Now I wish to eat up this human female right before your very eyes,

and, then I can blithely make merry along with you, without the botheration

of a co-wife" said *s*oorpanaka to Raama.

 

 

 

ithi ukthvaa mruga*s*aavaaksheem alaatha sadhru*s*a eekshaNaa |

 

abhyadhaavath susamkrudhDhaa mahaa ulkaa rohiNeem iva || 3-18-17

 

 

 

meaning: Speaking that way she that torch-eyed *s*oorpanaka dashed towards

the deer-eyed Seethaa in high exasperation as a great meteor would dash

towards Rohini, the brightest star in the sky.

 

 

 

Now raama commands his deputy – do the aggression like this – why – as

already stated in viraadhan episode, raama would not tolerate somebody even

touching seethaa – but now this raakshasi wants to eat her up. So, for the

deputy the command has come and now it is he to act -

 

 

 

kroorai: anaaryai: soumithrE parihaasa: kathamchana |

 

na kaarya: pa*s*ya vaidhEheem kathamchith soumya jeevatheem || 3-18-19

 

imaam viroopaam asatheem athimaththaam mahOdhareem |

 

raakshaseem purusha vyaaghra viroopayithum arhasi || 3-18-20

 

 

 

meaning: oh, gentle Soumithri, make note of VaidhEhi, she is somehow

surviving. Punning in any way with the base and brutish is inapposite, [This

soorpanaka] is freakish, knavish and overtly ruttish, oh, tigerly man, it

will be apt of you to deface this paunchy demoness" Thus Raama said to

LakshmaNa. [3-18-19, 20]

 

 

 

point: Already lakshmaNa is in a furious mood for this demon is trying to

damage the safety of seethaa, that too in front of him – and raama is also

punning and tossing her back and forth. So when the command also received

then he immediately acted – that is that great warrior – see - he raised the

sword – [viraadhan also was dealt with sword – the bow is taking a bit of

rest].

 

 

 

ithi ukthO lakshmaNa: thasyaa: krudhdhO raamasya pa*s*yatha: |

 

udhdhruthya khaDgam chichChEdha karNa naasam mahaabala: || 3-18-21

 

nikruththa karNa naasaa thu visvaram saa vinadhya cha |

 

yathaa aagatham pradhudhraava ghOraa surpaNakhaa vanam || 3-18-22

 

 

 

meaning: Thus said to that mighty LakshmaNa, he infuriately drew sword and

chopped off her ears and nose before the very eyes of Raama. On hewing off

her ears and nose, she, that ghastly Soorpanakha, blared highly and

discordantly, and very speedily fled into forest as she came.

 

 

 

Now the small point here is – this is the small beginning of the Great War

to come in future – that khara dhooshaNa vadham soon and later raavaNan.

Whose contribution paved the way? It is the deputy's, viz. *lakshmaNa's *and

not raama, the commander.

 

 

 

Then, she who is deformed reached her brother Khara, who possess violent

vigour, who is bidding in Janasthaana and who is presently surrounded by his

band of his hench-demons, and before him, that Shuurpanakha fell onto ground

like a thunderbolt from the sky - Says slokam 3-18-25.

 

 

 

We will see more on lakshmaNa's contribution as a warrior in next post.

 

Dhasan

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG