champion of champions 7

[Guest guest]

Post 7

 

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw how kaartha veerya arjuna was defeated and killed by parasuraama. And in turn parasuraama was overpowered by raama – kousalyaa raama. While others are killed viz. raavaNna, kaartha veerya, and vaali, parasuraama was not killed but subdued.

 

That leads us to 2 questions.

 

Why parasu raama was left out by raama?

Is it because parasu raama is also another avathaaram of same supreme lord vishNu?

Then the second question also leads us into another question – if both are one and same vishNu avathaarams,

 

did they not recognize each other once they met?

and if so why then they chose to fight?

Is it because of that 'aathmaanam maanuham manyE' of raama of ayodhyaa that he missed to recognize other raama?

Or is there any other reason?

 

These questions were lingering in my mind. So I went into vaalmeeki's raamaayaNam again and again. There he provides the answer in no uncertain terms as -- see below--

 

 

1-76-6.

raama= oh, Raama of Bhaargava;

 

braahmaNaH + asi = BraahmaNa, you are;

 

ithi = thus [even if, you are killable];

vi

svaamithra + kruthEna + cha = Vis

vaamithra, owing to [your relationship,] also;

mE + poojyaH = to me, venerable;

 

thasmaath = thereby;

thE + praaNa + haram +

saram = your, life, removing [exterminating,] arrow;

mOkthum = to release;

na +

sakthaH = not, capable [disinclined to.]

 

meaning: Oh, Raama of Bhaargava, even though you are a BraahmaNa [you are fit to be eliminated, but] owing to your relationship with Vi

svaamithra, you are venerable one for me... thereby I am disinclined to release this arrow that terminates your life. [1-76-6]

 

 

Comment

on this slokam in ramayan web site:

Bhaargava-s are BrahmaNa-s and a Braahmana cannot be killed. braahmaNO na hanthavya -- then how Raama is prepared to eliminate a BraahmaNa, subjecting himself to the sin called 'BraahmaNa killing...' brahma hathyaa paathaka...

 

There is no sin in eliminating a BraahmaNa who is armed with weapon and warring.

 

Mahaa Bhaaratha, saanthi parvam says. 'It is no sin to eliminate fathers, grandfathers, teachers, and the like [even if they are BraahmaNas,] for they are under an illusion, called war...' So said Bheeshma to Krishna and thereby PaaNdavaas have eliminated DhroNa, and likes who carried weapons and took part in war, [braahmaNa in war], but not in peace. There are many more such sayings of Bheeshma.

 

Here Parasu Raama said that he will give a duel to Raama, hence he is no more a BraahmaNa when he raised the weapon. But since he is a blood relation of Vi

svaamithra, and that created a soft corner - mercy - in not allowing Raama to release that arrow on Parasu Raama.

 

 

 

Point:

raama is a dharmajna – one who knows dharmam – even when he was told to kill thaatakaa – he hesitated for a while to kill her because she is a woman – for that point on dharmam – sthree hathya should not be done. After sage visvaamithra advised to eliminate her, raama did – that is obedience to the guru – gave 'bala athibala manthra updhEsam'.

 

Similarly here also – see – dhaasarathee raama says killing a braahmaNa is not adharmam since that brahmaNa has resorted to fight – in war.

But because he is related to guru visvaamithra, raama leaves him without killing. Oh great – every step according to dharmam.

 

1-76-7.

raama = oh, Bhaargava Rama;

 

imam = this;

vaa + thvath + gathim = either, your, motility [at the speed of mind, cf., verse 15];

vaa + api = or, even;

thapaH + bala + samaarjithaan = by ascesis, power of, earned;

a + prathimaan + lokaan = un, paralleled, worlds [realms of heavens];

hanishyaami= I will to eliminate;

 

yath + ichChhasi = whichever, you wish.

 

 

Meaning: Oh, Bhaargava Raama, either this motility of yours [at the speed of your mind,] or even those unparalleled realms of heavens, which you have earned by the power of your ascetic bent, whichever you wish, I will to eliminate... [1-76-7]

 

 

Point: But how come this relationship – between parsuraama and visvaamithra - both had very long lives – for that we have to go to bhaagavatham again – king pururava and urvasi that famous dhEva loka dancer had 6 sons and in that lineage came king gaadhi father of visvaamithra. In valmeeki raamaayanam sargam 18 [re slokam 1-18-40] visvaamithra introduces himself to the gate keeper of dhasaratha's royal chambers to go and announce to king dhasaratha – 'son of gaadhi has arrived at your door step'.

 

meaning of slokam 9-15-4 in bhaagavatham

The son of Jahnu was Puru, the son of Puru was Balaka, the son of Balaka was Ajaka, and the son of Ajaka was Kusa. Kusa had 4 sons, named Kusambu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kusanabha. The son of Kusambu was Gadhi.

 

 

Slokam 5-6

meaning: King Gaadhi had a daughter named Sathyavathi, whom a braahmaNa sage named Richika requested from the King to be his wife. King Gaadhi, however, regarded Ricika as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the braahmaNa, " My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kusa. Because we are aristocratic kshathriyaas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least 1000 horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left. "

 

 

Slokam 7, 8

meaning: When King Gaadhi made this demand, the great sage Richika could understand the King's mind. Therefore he went to the raingod VaruNa and brought from him the 1000 horses that Gaadhi had demanded. After delivering these horses, the sage married the King's beautiful daughter.

 

Thereafter, Ricika Muni's wife and mother-in-law [gaadhi's wife], each desiring a son, requested the Muni to prepare an oblation. Thus Richika Muni prepared one oblation for his wife with a braahmaNa mantra and another for his mother-in-law with a kshathriya mantra. Then he went out to bathe.

 

 

Slokam 9

Meaning: Meanwhile, because Satyavati's mother thought that the oblation prepared for her daughter, Ricika's wife, must be better, she asked her daughter for that oblation. Satyavati therefore gave her own oblation to her mother and ate her mother's oblation herself.

 

 

Slokam 10, 11

meaning: When the great sage Richika returned home after bathing and understood what had happened in his absence, he said to his wife, Sathyavathi, " You have done a great wrong. Your son will be a fierce kshathriya, able to punish everyone, and your brother will be a learned scholar in spiritual science. "

 

Satyavati, however, pacified Richika Muni with peaceful words and requested that her son not be like a fierce kshathriya. Richika Muni replied, " Then your grandson will be of a kshathriya spirit " . Thus Jamadhagni was born as the son of Sathyavathi.

 

 

Slokam 12-13

Meaning: Sathyavathi later became the sacred river Kousiki to purify the entire world, and her son, Jamadhagni, married Renuka, the daughter of Renu. From Jamadhagni, many sons, headed by Vasuman, were born through Renuka. The youngest of them was named Raama, or ParasuRaama.

 

 

Point here is - king gaadhi's son is visvaamithra, gaadhis' great grandson is parasu raama – [gaadhi – sathyavathi – jamadhagni – parasuraama] so that way visvaamithra is parasuraama's maama thaathaa – being paatti sathyavathis' brother. That relationship raama is in the knowledge and hence this concession granted to parasuraama – of not being killed.

 

 

Now tell me, is raama not 'a champion of champions' – to show mercy also at right time - not only valor – and not only beauty.

 

With this I conclude this series. The basic spark input for this series is provided by sri Anjaneyalu of Itarsi Madhya pradesh in India - my good friend and a voracious reader of raamaayaNam. Many thanks to him.

 

 

Regards to all readers.

 

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.

-- Vasudevan MG