desire 24

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

We are discussing on how the

kaamam laden dhasaratha promised on 'raama' [2-11-6] that he will fulfill

kaikEyee's wishes, even if it is at the cost of his life [2-10-35], for, she is

dearer to him [2-10-23].

 

When kaikEyee insisted to her

husband dhasaratha, "you promise first that you will fulfill my wish, then only

I will tell you what is my wish to be fulfilled by you", that dhasaratha who

was in 'kaamam', addressed her, 'oh proud woman' [2-11-5] and reiterated that

she is dearer to him and second to raama and none else - in 2-11-5.

 

avalipthE

na jaanaasi thvaththah priyatharO mama |

manujO

manuja vyaaghraadh raamaadh anyah na vidhyathE || 2-11-5

 

Then also she did not reveal what

is her wish to be fulfilled but preceded it by

 

sathysandhah

mahaa thEjah dharmajnah susamaahithah |

varam

mama dhadhaathi Esha thanmE sriNvanthu dhevathaaah || 2-11-16

 

meaning: kaikEyee says, "King

Dasaratha is giving boon to me, that king

who has true promise,

who has great valour,

who knows righteousness

who has good equanimity of mind.

Let the celestials hear it for my

sake. "

 

Point: kaikEyee calls the

dhEvaas as witness to the promising dhasaratha --

 

ithi

dhEvee mahEshvaasam parigrihyabhishasya cha |

thathah

param uvaacha idham varadham kaama mOhitham || 2-11-17

 

meaning: KaikEyee made Dhasaratha

to hear these words, praised him too much and thereafter spoke these words to

him who was ready to give boons as he was infatuated by lust.

 

Point: "hear these words"

– the words of dhasaratha's promise by the dhEvathaas. Again she threatens

dhasaratha that she will die immediately, if he is not fulfilling her wish and

then only starts revealing what is her wish. By that time dhasaratha is fully

trapped and see how vaalmeeki uses for second time the golden words "kaama

mOhitham" – which he repeatedly uses --

 

thathah

param uvaacha idham varadham kaama mohitam |

varou you

mE thvayaa dhEva thadhaa dhaththou maheepathE || 2-11-23

thou

thaavadh aham adhya Eva vakshyaami sruNu

mE vachah |

 

meaning: There-afterwards,

KaikEyee spoke these words to Dhasaratha who was ready to give boons and who

was infatuated by lust: " Oh, King! the lord of Earth, now only I am asking

for those boons which were given by you then. Listen to my words " .

 

Point: then what are

the boons etc we know and as such we will now move to kaamam of dhasaratha on

raama – he says [as already seen] 'he is the most dear one to his life' in

position as numero uno. Please see, after kaikeyee expressed her varams, see

how dhasaratha places his kaamam on raama –

 

thishTEth

lOkah vinaa sooryam sasyam vaa salilam vinaa || 2-12-13

na thu

raamam vinaa dhEhE thishTEth thu mama jeevitham |

 

meaning: The world can exist without the sun, a crop

without water. But life cannot continue in my body, without Raama. "

 

So such a kaamam laden dhasaratha – let it be on raama or kaikEyee -

when he pleads for relaxation in her boons, says

 

mama

vrudhdhhasya kaikEyee gatha anthasya thapasvinah |

dheenam

laalapyamaanasya kaaruNyam karthum arhasi || 2-12-34

 

meaning: Oh, Kaikeyi! You ought to bestow mercy to me, and

old and miserable man who reached his end and is coaxing painfully to you "

 

point: When he came to palace of kaikEyee, he, that

old man, wanted union with a tharuNee, a young woman in kaikEyee – when the

situation has gone out of hand - now suddenly he remembers he is an old man and

at the end of his life and deserves sympathy etc.

 

oh, what a great 'normalised' human characterization by

vaalmeeki. Why I say normalized is – raama, being the supreme lord, having

selected dhasaratha as his father, plays for his avathaara kaaryam and has to

go forest and eventually reach lanka etc are there – but just keep aside all

that - see only as a normal human story

– then also the kaamam exhibited by characters and how effectively it is

picturised in the kaavyam is very great.

 

Let us see in next post what dhasaratha gets in return for

his pleading as above.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan MG