bharatha doubts raama

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishnava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

We in present days make

many a bad comments about the supreme lord, when we undergo some

major setbacks in our lives. And we really do not understand why such

steps or stands being given to us by the supreme lord. Then we start

expressing doubts about capacity of the lord, his character etc.

 

 

Many a times the

aachaaryaas advise us these are tests bhagavan hands over to test our

bhakthi, and thereby our bhakthi is strengthened.

 

 

But is it necessary that

such a test or punishment is to be given to dear wife of the lord

himself – as in the case of seethaa in that agni pareekshaa – has

she doubted the character of her husband to undergo such a

punishment.

 

 

In fact it is the other

way that raama doubted and sent seethaa for a test but once she came

out successfully through it, raama says to seethaa – 'I know you

are pure but it is for other's sake' - but he is the only one and

supreme authority – “sa Ekah” - so he has his own

justification.

 

 

But same cannot be said

for bharatha – for he doubts the very character of raama. But what

punishment he got? Readers have to enlighten this poor fellow.

 

 

In fact bharatha was

favoured with paadhukaas – the charaNams – and recognised as the

foremost bhaagavatha.

 

 

May be we can say the

punishment was - he was not crowned as desired by his mother

kaikeyee?

 

 

While this bharatha

doubts that very raama - this bharatha is considered as that very

raama's life. Again this is not my imagination, dear sirs and madams

- Recently I read this in ramanuja – quote --

 

 

Bharatha met Sri Rama in

the forest and asked Him to come back with him. When Rama refused,

Vasishta maharishi tells Him " Do not be false to Yourself "

('a:tma:nam na:ti vartetah' - Ayodhya Kanda 111-7). There were some

who interpreted this as 'Bharata is verily the life of Rama.

Therefore, Vasishta is telling Him " Do not disagree with Bharata

who is Your life " ( " Atmabhu:tam bharatam na:ti vartetah " ).'

When this was told to Bhattar, he said " Rama's nature is that He

is subject to His devotees. Therefore, Vasishta is saying 'Do not

decline Your brother's word and lose Your nature' " . That is,

Bhattar is taking the meaning of the word Atma to be the nature of

the soul. His nature is being 'Ashrita paratantra'. Bhattar is using

this interpretation to bring out the greatness of Rama's qualities.

-- unquote.

 

 

Such a bharatha - who is

considered as raama's life - doubts the very character of raama and

asks kaikeyee his mother. This happens

on dhasaratha the

king having passed away and vasishTa wanted bharatha to take over

reigns of the kingdom and as such called back in an urgent manner

when he returned

from his uncle's kingdom

having learnt king

passed away and

was informed by

kaikeyee that raama was also not there since sent to forest --

 

 

 

bharatha doubts the

character of raama --

thath Sruthvaa bharathah thrasthah bhraathuh

chaarithra Sankayaa |

svasya vamSasya maahaathmyaath prashTum

samupachakramE || 2-72-43

[2 is ayodhya kaandam 72 is sargam and 43 slokam]

meaning: Hearing these words, Bharatha being aware

of the glory of his race, doubted and feared whether Raama was sent

to exile because of his unrighteous conduct, if any and again asked

his mother as follows:

kachchin na

braahmaNa vadham hritham raameNa kasyachith |

kachchin na aaDhyO dharidhrah vaa thEna apaapO

vihimsithah || 2-72-44

meaning: “Has Raama indeed stolen the wealth of

some BrahmaNa - na? Has he done any harm either to a rich or to a

poor virtuous man - na?”

kachchin na

para dhaaraan vaa raaja puthrah abhimanyathE |

kasmaath sa daNDaka araNyE bhrooNahaa iva

vivaasithah || 2-72-45

meaning: “Has the prince indeed longed for the

wife of another - na? Why was my brother Raama expelled to the forest

of Dandaka?”

points:

Though all the 4

brothers were born together and brought up together till the age of

12 [or 16 – re that oona shODasha varshO] [upto the marriage of

the 4 brothers] and had the tutelage under same guru vasishTa,

bharatha expresses his doubts very peculiarly.

 

 

May be bharatha's

doubt arise in these lines - since 12 years time has passed after

the marriage. And he was not there in ayodhyaa during the said

period to konow how raama behaved during this period. [he was in his

uncle's house along with sathrughna. For he had left soon after the

marriage and was brought back only in the 13th year when

the coronation was proposed for raama and all these happenings took

place].

 

It is normal for

kings to take more than one wife those days. So perhaps bharatha

doubted that way.

 

But my point is -

Even the questions could have been more straight to kaikeyee

- hey ammaa, why was

raama sent to forest -- in a more straight and very simple manner?

 

Or hey ammaa - what

was raama's crime that made raama to get such a punishment as to be

sent to forest? Instead why should he ask kaikeyi like “raama,

did he do this, this, etc”.

 

 

 

vaalmeeki adds a

qualifying statement there - being aware of

the glory of his race – bharatha

doubts raama's character. Just for argument sake, we

accept bharatha knows the glory of the race of ikshvaaku – then he

should have put a straight question as above and not list a crime

series in this manner.

 

The commentators –

the threesome whom I refer often do not add some comment why

bharatha should express his doubts like this – except that being

aware of the glory of the race which vaalmeeki says. [Of course I

finished referring ramapiraanaik karpom vol 2 also].

 

 

 

Any comments from poorva

aachaaryaas on this “doubting bharatha” and the punishment he got

for this doubting – I welcome from the elite readers of the groups.

 

 

 

dhasan

Vasudevan MG