Srimad Ramayana Tathva Deepika #70 Ba:la Ka:nda

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Srimathe Ramanujayanamaha!!

Sri Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!!

 

This sloka is expounding Valmiki’s mental state. In Bhagavan’s divine

body called ‘viswam’ the bird is one part. Valmiki is one part. When a

sting pricks the leg, the eyes shed tears and the mouth cries. The bird

was hurt. The female krouncha lamented unbearably. Valmiki was drowned

in grief. Only one who reached this state could compose Sri Ramayana.

That is enunciated in this incident. What Valmiki uttered to the hunter

was not a curse. This is the first sloka uttered by Valmiki.

 

Valmiki’s grief overflowed his heart and outpoured as words. This is

only ‘ka:vya’. As the kavi witnesses the world, his heart fills with

emotions; there they are recollected repeatedly; the feelings unable to

stay there within, gush out in the form of words. That is the ‘ka:vya’.

One feeling takes form of words. That feeling is filled with emotion.

But behind that a secret meaning is hidden. Exterior meaning is one. The

inner meaning is different. What the writer had experienced, if he gets

a reader with an equally sensitive heart , then he too feels alike. The

grief felt by Valmiki would be felt by the good-hearted reader too. This

is called ‘rasa’. This can only be felt or experienced but cannot be

determined by words. Word is the means. Word is the carrier. Without

‘Sabda:rdha’ no feeling will be expressed. It comes out along with

‘Sabda ardha’. Again the Sabda:rdha after enrapturing the reader with

that emotion withdraws. Thus the rishi felt in his heart the pain a bird

underwent, the grief a bird experienced, and conveyed it to another

heart – this cannot be called So:ka ! It cannot be called pain! It can

neither be called misery.

It is called ‘Slo:ka’ . It is called ‘ka:vyam’. Such ka:vyam emerged

first with this first slo:ka. This is the opening sloka of Sri

Ramayanam.

 

To be continued…….

Jaisreemannarayana!!

Ramanujamma Mudumbai, Ramanuja Dasi