Ramayan of valmiki and Kamban-Aranyakanda-5.Rama goes to see Agasthya

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5.Rama goes to the hermitage of Agasthya

 

Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha lived in Dandakaranya for ten years among the asramas of the rshis. After that they returned to the asrama of Sutheekshna and asked him about the great sage Agasthya who was supposed to be living in Dandakaranya. Sutheekshna told him to travel towards south to reach the asrama of Agasthya.

 

Valmiki describes Rama , lakshman and Seetha walking towards the asrama of Agasthya.

 

agrathaH pryayou raamaH seethaa maDhye sumaDhyamaa

prshTathasthu DhanushpaaNiH lakshmaNo anujagaama ha (Aranyakanda-sarga11-sloka 1)

 

The direct meaning of this verse is as follows:

Rama went in front, Seethaa, with beautiful waist, was in the middle and Lakshmana followed behind with bow in hand.

 

The commentators attribute an inner meaning to this sloka which could possibly be hinted by the partcle `ha' of Valmiki , denoting wonder.

 

This sloka explains the meaning of Pranava, which has three syllables, `a', `u' and `ma'. The akaara denotes Narayana, as it is said, `akaaro vishNuparyaayaH.' That is agrathaH, the first. The word Rama means one who protects and also the association with Lakshmi. The word sumadhyamaa, denotes the middle syllable `u' which stands for Lakshmi, Seetha implying the purushakara of the divine mother by which she recommends the devotees to the Lord. Lakshmana is the syllable `ma' which denotes the jeeva, whose lakshya, aim of life is to serve the Lord and hence he is described as dhanushpani, ready to do the bidding of the Lord.

 

The last sloka of the Bhagavtgita, is, `yathra yogesvaraH krshNaH t yathrapaarTho DhanurDharah thathra SreeH vijayo bhoothiH Dhruvaa neethiH mathih mama .' Wherever there is Krishna , the Lord of yoga, and Arjuna with his bow ready, there will ever be fortune, victory, wealth and dharma. This means, when the jeeva is ready to do the command of the Lord, success in the form of wealth, victory and fame is assured. This concept is illustrated by the word dhanushpaaNiH.

 

They walked for awhile and came across a hermitage which Rama recognized as that of the brother of Agasthya, as decribed by Sutheekshna.

Here Rama narrated the story of the demons Vathapi and Ilvala to Lakshmana. Those two were brothers and Ilvala used to take the form of a brahmin and would ask the rshis to come and take food for the sraddha ceremony of his father. Then he used to cut his brother and cook him and serve the food to the unsuspecting rshis. When they have eaten he would call his brother who would come out of their stomach thus killing them. Devas requested Agasthya to punish them and Agasthya went to their abode. When he had eaten the food, Ilvala called Vathapi to come out but Agasthya laughingly said that Vathapi had been digested and could not come out,. When Ilvala rushed towards him Agasthya burned him with his power of penance.

 

Rama was thus talking to Lakshmana when they neared the asrama of the brother of Agasthya. After seeing him and receiving his blessing Rama started for the hermitage of the sage Agasthya the next morning.

 

When they neared the asrama of Agasthya, Rama told Lakshmana that Agasthya got his name because he quelled the pride of Vindhya mountain, agha. That mountain went on growing in order to be equal to the mount Meru. It grew so tall that even the Sun was obstructed on his path. So the devas asked Agasthya to stop its growth. When the sage went near the mountain it bowed down to give way to him and he told Vindhya to be like that till he came back. But the sage stayed in the south and never came back .Out of the fear of the sage the demons never entered the asrama and the place was fertile and peaceful.

 

(agham sThambhayathiithi agasthyaH- one who stopped the mountain)

 

Thus talking they came to the hermitage of Agasthya. Rama told Lakshmana to go in and inform the sage that he had come with Seetha. The implication here being that through Seetha the destruction of Ravana was going to take place.