Baratha doubts Rama?

[Guest guest]

Dear Vasudevan Swamy

 

Adiyen dasan. Thank you for raising an interesting question. I lack the scholarship to quote Poorvacharyas commentary and verses from Ramayana. Nevertheless I have heard Ramayana from elders who learnt Poorvacharyas' works and were Anushtana shreshtas. Based on their renditions, an untrained mind like mine does not think for even a second that Baratha doubted Rama and the reasons are as below:

 

1. 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]

Thath Sruthvaa - immediately upon hearing 'that' ('that' = that which was said by Kaikeyi that Rama was also not there since he was exiled) - Baratha even though he had some amsam of Lord Narayana was more a 'man/human' and less of a god - on hearing the extremely shocking news of Lord Shri Rama's exile from his own Mother (who until then was god like to him), his 'Manas' went in all directions and thought all unwanted things - remember Baratha has been presented to us like an ordinary being and not Brahma Rishi - it is only natural for a human's mind to wander in all directions - but how someone manages to bring back the wandering mind back into discipline and what he/she does subsequently determines the character of the person. Rama's exile was the weakest moment of their respective lives for the entire Royal Household of Ayodhya - how they dealt with it defines their personality/character.

Lord Dasaratha deals with it by giving into extreme grief and eventually dies - that shows his weakness inspite of being a Chakravarthy. Lord Rama/Sita Devi deal with it by demonstrating discipline of mind, obedience thereby exhibiting their divine personality, Lakshmana deals with it through anger and how Baratha who was more a man and less of Lord Vishnu deals it is being demonstrated in the passages 2-72-43/44/45

 

2-72-43 Like any ordinary being his Manas throws up multitude of possibilities including (this so called) doubt on Lord Rama - this demonstrates his Kshatriya quality - that he is able to think rationally without partiality - Just because Lord Rama was his brother he does not meekly think Lord Rama was beyond question. This shows that 'he is upto the job' of being a legitimate heir to the throne based on 'merit' - however inspite of his merit he does not wish for the throne (which is revealed subsequently) defines his credible/genuine character. Also he is very aware of his Vamsham/lineage which he cherishes above anything else

 

2-72-44 kachchin na braahmaNa vadham hritham raameNa kasyachith | kachchin na aaDhyO dharidhrah vaa thEna apaapO vihimsithah ||

2-72-45 kachchin na para dhaaraan vaa raaja puthrah abhimanyathE | kasmaath sa daNDaka araNyE bhrooNahaa iva vivaasithah

Our Itihasas should be interpreted not just by taking word by word meanings, but also by looking at the background setting , usage of words, tone etc etc. Baratha only asks Kaikeyi these questions but did not ever 'ACCUSE' Lord Rama (1. Has Rama stolen wealth of a Brahmana? 2. Has he harmed to virtuous person? 3. Has he longed for another man's wife? etc ) - these questions reveal many brilliant aspects of Barahtha namely

 

a. if Baratha infact desired the throne, the first reaction would have been that of joy and not that of doubt/fear and questions

b. it shows he is able to think logically and also shows his expertise in Raja neethi - that he is aware of situations upon whose happening alone can his brother be exiled

c. the list of offences he mentions are grave indeed - he lists them to (i) impress upon Kaikeyi that by sending Lord Rama to exile, she has infact accused Lord Rama or one or more of these apacharams (ii) impress upon the kaikeyi the grave apacharam she has committed by sending Lord Rama to exile and (iii) build up a logical case based on which he could punish Kaikeyi suitably (that he ventures to kill his own mother is well known) and (iv) eventually by pointing these logical reasons, all of which has not happened, he was hoping to convince lord Rama to comeback which he tries to and fails eventually

 

Thus Swamin, in Adiyen's ignorance, Baratha has never doubted Lord Rama even once and the reward for which was Lord Rama's paduka given by swavayam Lord Rama to Baratha - a great honour and privilege indeed.

 

As an aside, i'd like to mention a conversation between King Parikshit at the end of Dvapara yuga, when Kali defends his virtues. Kali says that his yuga is superior, because in Satya Yuga for a single mistake committed by an indivudual, the whole kingdom will suffer; In Treta yuga for a single mistake committed an individual, the whole city will suffer; In Dvapara yuga, for a single mistake committed by an individual his whole family will suffer but in Kali yuga for a single mistake committed by an individual only he/she will suffer.

 

The reason i mention this is because: for a single act of apacharm committed by Kaikeyi the whole City of Ayodhya (this was in Treta Yuga) including Baratha suffered the pain of separation from Lord Rama. So Baratha did suffer not for his offence but for the offence committed by his mother.

 

Hope the learned members find this acceptable - i haven't quoted any Poorvacharyas work because, i am sure by now all of you would have guessed it, i haven't read them myself and lack the scholarship. But i have faithfully adhered to upanyasams/explanations of my elders who i can vouch are scholars and anushtana seelars.

 

Adiyen Dasan

Ramji