desire 28

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

A note first – since ayOdhyaa kaaNdam is full of

conversations and few points during the conversations are really great and are

interpreted in grand manner, the number of posts are increasing. Otherwise could

have completed these topics in two or three posts.

 

Since raama has expressed his kaamam by promising to do

what father dhasaratha desired, now kaikEyee tells him her kaamam – about the

two boons – and adds

 

yadhi sathya prathijnam thvam pitharam karthum ichchhasi |

aathmaanam cha nara srEshTa mama vaakyam idham sruNu || 2-18-34

 

meaning: " Oh, Raama! If you want to make yourself and

your father faithful to a promise, listen to these words of mine.

 

Point: kaikEyee is now armed with two promises -

from both father and son. So both cannot go back. All 3 are fully bound by

their own kaamam.

 

Now it is simply 'dharmam' to adhere to promises, rather

than going back on promises. But on the other side if 'dharmam' has to achieve

its success see what are the results

 

a. in kaikEyee's side, though her kaamam is getting

fulfilled, she has to pay heavy price for that dharmam by other two – by way of

sufferings – of losing initially her husband and then bharatha refusing the

crown. So though initially it may look as success for her kaamam, it is a great

failure only. So when dharmam of raama and dhasaratha succeeds it takes a heavy

toll on kaikEyee.

 

b. Just think for a moment - even if raama has to fulfill

his dharmam – promise – he has to undergo 14 years of forest life. And on the

other side father is severely affected and he may die [that is what eventually

happens]. So there is again a heavy toll on raama – on two counts.

 

c. On the other hand is father fails to fulfill his

promise, son need not go to forest, so a happy ending - to both father and son.

In that case also again dhasaratha fails on two counts – one he becomes a liar,

and two perhaps he may lose his pet queen kaikEyee- for she has already

threatened that she will commit suicide thenand there itself. Then also it is a

suffering only for dhasaratha.

 

d. On the other hand kaikEyee reverses her kaamam – then

all ends well.

 

See the beauty of the conflict between 'dharmam' and

'kaamam'.

 

Continuation: KaikEyee tells raama, he has to go to

forest immediately and stay for 14 years and with the arrangements already made

for crowning of raama, bharatha will be crowned. KaikEyee says, 'since you are

the affected party father does not want to tell you directly' –

 

EthEna thvaam narEndhrah ayam kaaruNyEna samaapluthah |

sOka

sanklishTa vadhanah na saknOthi nireekshithum || 2-18-39

Ethath kuru narEndhrasya vachanam raghu nandhana |

sathyEna mahathaa raama thaarayasva narEsvaram || 2-18-40

 

Meaning: " For this reason, king Dasaratha who is

overwhelmed with sympathy towards you, and is not able to see you face to face,

and as such afflicted with grief. Oh, Raama! Do as per the words of the king

and liberate him by giving your father an opportunity to maintain the

truth. "

 

Point: See again

'kaamam' leads to 'kaaruNyam' on the part of dhasaratha to son.

 

Continuation: When

kaikEyee said this, raama expresses few words, which may lead to an

interpretation that he doubted whether it is his father's words or kaikEyee's

own words – for the slokam reads

 

dhaNDaka araNyam Eshah

aham gacchaami Eva hi sathvarah |

avichaarya pithur vaakyam samaavasthum chathur dhasa || 2-19-11

 

Meaning: " Immediately, I shall go to live in forest

of Dandaka for fourteen years, without reflecting on my father's words. "

 

Point: This 'avichaarya pithur vaakyam' – is commented by

govindaraja as 'pithraa na uktham ithi vichaaram akruthva ithi arthhah – that

raama did not think on the veracity of kaikEyee's words – whether it is by

kaikEyee or by father – any how he will go to forest.

 

Perhaps this gave kaikEyee a little doubts that raama has

statrted thinking on her words and not father. In next slokam viz. 2-19-12

kaikeyee urges raama to go at once. In 2-19-16 again she urges to leave

immediately to forest, saying 'otherwise father dhasaratha will not bathe or

eat'. On hearing this dhasaratha murmured 'oh what a pity' and fainted. Raama

tried to help his father but again kaikeyee insisted to leave – vaalmeeki

states this as though raama is a horse, kaikEyee whips him – see slokam

 

raamah api utthaapya raajaanam kaikEyyaa abhiprachOdhithah

|

kashayaa iva aahathah vaajee vanam ganthum krutha thvarah

|| 2-19-18

 

meaning: Raama lifted up the king and soon was told to

hurry up to leave to the forest, since he was again instigated by KaikEyee like

a horse was hit by a whip.

 

How the 'whipped horse' like raama reacts – we will see in

next.

Dhasan

Vasudevan MG