desire 20

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw in post 18 and 19, how

kaikEyee has changed because of her desire to get bharatha crowned?' Since

mantharaa's and kaikEyee's 'kaamam' are twined together, really, they cannot be

dealt separately. We saw how mantharaa touched on kaikEyee's "mistakes" - if

these can be called that way

–

her 'dharpam' - pride,

–

keeping away bharathaa for a long time in kEkaya raajyam -

her 'pirandha veedu' thereby denying father's attention and love which will be

created by the very proximity.

 

See now manthara throwing another

bomb –

hrishTaah khalu bhavishyanthi raamasya paramaah

sthriyah |

aprahrishTaa bhavishhyanthi snushaah thE bharatha

kshayE || 2-8-12

 

meaning: Raama's wives will

get delighted. Your daughters-in-law will be unhappy because of Bharatha's

waning position. "

 

Point:

1. See how mantharaa creates an illusory fear in kaikEyee's mind – possibility

of raama taking more wives once he becomes a king, and thereby all these wives

will have upper hand since raama is the king.

 

2.

Manathara refers to a possible future action, where Raama, being a King, may

marry more women, like his father [since it was a practice then for a king to

have many wives].

 

3.

She adds 'bharathaa's wives getting belittled' in same vein. That means

bharatha also likely to add numbers to wives.

 

4.

Usage of the words 'Raama's wives' and bharatha's here do not indicate that

Raama had multiple wives, neither bharatha, as we know when we read full

raamaayaNam. Mantharaa creates a sort of 'scene' to drive home her point.

 

As

a final advice mantharaa says --

 

prapathsyathE raajyam idham hi raaghavah |

yadhi dhruvam thvam sa sutha cha thapsyasE |

athO hi kalyaaNee yathasva thath thathhaa |

yathaa suthasthE bharathO~abhishEkshyathE || 2-9-61

 

meaning: If Raama becomes king, Oh, KaikEyee of

auspicious qualities! you and your son will be destroyed. Hence you try for

coronation of your son, Bharatha.

 

But same mantharaa praises raama

earlier during the course of conversation between herself and kaikEyee --

 

vidhushah kshathra chaarithrE praajnasya praaptha

kaariNah |

bhayaath pravEpE raamasya chinthayanthee thava

aathmajam || 2-8-8

 

meaning: Raama is a learned man and a political

statesman. His actions are timely and appropriate. When thinking of your son's

calamity to be resulted from Raama, I get shaken with fear " .

 

Point: 1. Why this praise by mantharaa of raama as a

'learned and political statesman'. Raama once anointed as a crown prince –

being shrewd and learned will consolidate himself in the throne by getting the

people's affection etc. So, before he being crowned, should be stopped at that.

 

 

2. Even while advising kaikEyee to ask for '14 years

duration' of forest sojourn, mantharaa trots out that collecting people's good

will as a point. So how good she is in

political science, is a point to be appreciated. See slokam

 

yEna kaalEna raamah cha vanaath prathyaagamishyathi

|

thEna kaalEna puthrasthE kritha moolO bhavishyathi

|| 2-9-34

sugriheetham anushyascha suhridhbhih saardham

aathmavaan |

 

meaning: When Raama returns from forest, your wise

son will accumulate friends and draw people to his fold, thus establishing the

roots himself.

 

3. why mantharaa advises kaikEyee so much - – her

'kaamam' – mantharaa's kaamam - of kaikEyee being benefited – by that raama has

to be kept away and bharatha has to become the king, even though raama is a

good person and having all auspicious and noble qualities.

 

4. see kaikEyee's kaamam glowing –

as well mantharaa's --

 

saa dheenaa nischayam krithvaa mantharaa vaakya mOhithaa |

naaga kanyaa iva nihsvasya dheergham ushNam cha

bhaaminee || 2-10-3

muhoortham chinthayaamaasa maargam aathma sukha

aavaham |

 

meaning: Being stupefied by the words of Mantharaa,

that KaikEyee became dejected, made firm resolve, with deep and warm sigh, like

a maiden-serpent and thought for that moment about the ways, which can lead to

her happiness.

 

saa suhridh cha artha kaamaa cha tham nishamya sunischayam || 2-10-4

babhoova parama preethaa siddhim praapya iva

mantharaa |

 

meaning: Mantharaa, who is KaikEyee's companion and

who is desirous of getting benefit, heard of KaikEyee's firm resolve and became

very much pleased as if she achieved success.

 

Dear readers, please note that

kaamam – desire when become intensified and going to result in an action sage

vaalmeeki changes the words from kaamam to moham – earlier also we have seen

that – in the case of the 2 birds, soorpaNakhaa, raavaNa, sugreeva and here

also. See here also he has used "vaakya mOhithaa" – to identify kaikEyee – because

she is lured by talks of mantharaa [kooni] - for her as well mantharaa's kaamam

are going to be fructified.

 

Let us continue dhasaratha's kaamam

in next post.

 

dhasan

-- Vasudevan MG