Namasthe-Raamaayanaparam -13

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

One of the readers of my mails told me that more than any other character in Ramayana, she feels bad for the unsung heroine Urmila, Lakshmana's wife. When she expressed that , I was actually thinking of writing about Urmila and her greatness. So this is an attempt to glorify that unsung heroine.

 

When the coronation of Rama was cancelled due to Kaikeyi's interference with King Dasharatha's decision, everybody was mourning like a death happened in the palace. Even Vasishtha and Sumantra cried. But three people did not cry. Queen Kiakeyi, Manthara and Urmila. We know why Queen Kaikeyi and Manthara did not cry. So let us go to Urmila.

 

When Lakshmana went to the anthapuram of Urmila, she was painting a huge picture. She was almost half way through it. Lakshmana came inside the room looking sad and extremely stressed and ran towards Urmila. He dashed into her and the pot of paint in her hand spilled over the picture she was painting. Lakshmana asked: " What are you painting? " Urmila said that she was painting a picture of Rama's coronation and wanted to give that a s a gift to Janaka Maharaja. Lakshmana could not utter another word for a few minutes. Then with a trembling voice he said: " Urmila, coronation is cancelled. Rama is going to the forest for 14 years to fulfill King's order and Bharatha will be the yuvaraaja. I am going to accompany Rama and Sita to serve them in the forest and I came to take leave of you. Now I have spoiled the beautiful picture you were painting " .He literally wept on Urmila's shoulders and requested her to stay back and take care of the the parents and others.

 

Does Urmila's response make us cry or inspire and fill us with an attitude of Thyaagam and service? Urmila said " Beloved, do not feel bad about this picture. If there is no coronation, I cannot send this to my father. Now about your going with Rama with out me, that is the last thing you should worry. You are going to serve Rama and Sita in the forest, and my presence will definitely distract your uninterrupted service to them. You are very lucky to have got this great opportunity. Please follow them without wasting a minute.. I am not coming there even to bid good bye to Rama and Sita because then Sita will insist that I sshould accompany you like she was accompanying Rama. If I come, you may not be able to devote your entire time for their service. Please do not think of me or my name during these years, just remember Rama's name constantly and both of us will peacefully survive these 14 years. Lakshmana did not say anyhting more and left the palace with Rama in his heart and Rama naamam on his lips. (this story is based on an old Telugu poem called Urmila Devi's Nidra ir Urmila Devi's sleep)

 

In the battlefield in Lanka, Lakhmana fainted by Indrajit's arrow and Hanuman went to get Mruthasanjeevani. When Urmila heard about this, she was not perturbed and said to Bharatha: " I am not at all worried about this, for my husband is with Lord Rama Himself. In fact, every cell of his body is filled with the divine Name of Rama. Hence, I am sure that nothing untoward can happen to him. No one in this world can understand the Divinity of Rama and the nature of my husband. Rama is Paramatma . "

 

This unshaken faith and unconditional love gave Urmila all the courage to go through the most difficult phase of her life. Everybody including Lakshmana cried and all of us are crying for her, feel extremely sad about her fate, but she never shed any tears because the unswerving faith in Rama and His power protected her. Kaalachakram did not hurt her because the person controlling the kaala chakram was bhaktha paraadheena.

 

Om Bhaktha paraaheenaaya Nama:

 

Regards and prayers

 

savitri

 

 

P.S.I have heard about a different version of Ramayanam by Hindi writer Mythili Saran Guptha. The name of the book is Saket and Urmila is the central figure in that story. But I never got a chance to read that.