lakshmaNa 19

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Post 19

 

 

 

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

In the previous 18 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 9 roles. Just for

recollection the 9th role of envoy had 3 assignments,

 

- LakshmaNa, the envoy – while meeting sage agasthya [effective for

the protocol maintenance]

- LakshmaNa, the envoy – while meeting hanumaan before sugreeva

sakhyam [again for protocol sake]

- LakshmaNa, the ambassador – on behalf of raama to remind sugreeva on

mission 'search seethaa'

 

Now let us take the role of the *'great warrior'* as the deputy to raama and

second commander of the army. First let us list how many 'fights' / 'near

fights' did raama do in sreemadh raamaayaNam. Then let us study what was

lakshmaNa's contribution in each.

 

1. thaatakaa vadham

 

2. maareecha ambushed, subhahu killed

 

3. viraadha vadham

 

4. soorpanakha reprimanded

 

5. khara, dhooshaNa vadham

 

6. maareecha vadham

 

7. khabandhan vadham

 

8. vaali vadham

 

9. the major lanka war and raavaNa samhaaram

 

 

 

The three other instances when raama had to handle the bow are

 

1. siva dhanus breaking – to marry seethaa

 

2. vishNu dhanus handling – to face that so called encounter with

parasuraama

 

3. threatening samudhra raajan with brahmaasthram

 

 

 

Any major or small incident of fight missed out? – dear bhakthaas, please

comment. Of course as hunters, prince raama and lakshmaNa the companion,

might have handled the bows many times. But since that is 'real sports' for

them. So it is not considered here.

 

 

 

As a clarification – even though viraadhan and khabandhan were killed by

raama – it is more an act of self-defence for raama, and incidentally he

gave release from curses for these two.

 

 

 

Now let us take one by one and study what is the role of lakshmaNa in these

fights by raama, and how the 'great warrior' in lakshmaNa shone. First

thaatakaa vadham -

 

1. thaatakaa vadham – sage visvaamithra got the 'two brothers' by

asking for 'one raama' – from king dhasaratha. The sage desired raama would

be killer of the three - thaatakaa, maareecha and subhaahu, so that he will

free of troubles in his yagnaas.

 

2. Then, you may, all, have a doubt as to why we have to deal this

'thaatakaa' vadham separately and then the other two maareecha and subhaahu..

That doubt will come for all who have heard the baala kaaNdam story from

upanyaasakaas.

 

3. The clarification on the above doubt is - there is a six day gap

between the thaataka killing and treatment given for other two.

 

4. Now let us see thaatakaa killing what is lakshmana's role in that.

As you know sage visvaamithra said to raama, 'the three demons are ferocious

and they pour blood and throw meat in the yagna kundam and pour stony rains

and threaten the sages, that too all in night time, thus spoiling the purity

of yagna. So please kill all three'.

 

 

 

5. On the first day came thaatakaa roaring

 

thaam dhrushTvaa raaghava: krudhdhhaam vikruthaam vikrutha aananaam |

 

pramaaNEna athi vrudhdhhaam cha lakshmaNam so~ abhyabhaashatha || 1-26-9

 

pa*s*ya lakshmaNa yakshiNyaa bhairavam dhaaruNam vapu: |

 

bhidhyEran dhar*s*anaath asyaa bheerooNaam hrudhayaani cha || 1-26-10

 

 

 

Meaning: Raaghava on seeing that monstrous-looking demoness with a distorted

face and who by proportions is very gigantic, further more infuriated, spoke

to LakshmaNa. "LakshmaNa, see that yakshee's grisly and ghastly physique,

seeing which, hearts of cowards are prone to burst.

 

 

 

*Point:* So the 'roopam' of the yakshee, the thaatakaa was so fearful. But

these two young 'boys' raama and lakshmaNa were not afraid. Boys? yes - just

recall that famous "oona shOdasa varsha" slOkam - less than 16 years of age

– pleaded king dhasaratha to sage visvaamithra – so 'boys'. So these two

boys prove themselves they are not cowards.

 

 

 

Ethaam pa*s*ya dhuraadharshaam maayaa bala samanvithaam |

 

vinivruththaam karOmi adhya hruita karNaagra naasikaam || 1-26-11

 

na hi Enaam uthsahE hanthum sthree svabhaavEna rakshithaam |

 

veeryam cha asyaa gathim cha Eva hanyathaam ithi mE mathi: || 1-26-12

 

 

 

meaning: raama says to lakshmaNa, "She is unstoppable and has magical

powers, isn't, you may see now, how I will make her to readily retreat by

lopping off her ears and the tip of nose. As it is her feminineness is

protecting her, and I too do not really attempt to kill her, but I intend to

terminate her impudence and mobility".

 

 

 

Point: so raama's hesitation in killing a woman comes out - that observation

of dharma. Meanwhile the sage visvaamithra cautioned these two, with his

'hoonkaaram' on thaatakaa [which made her a bit afraid] and said 'svasthi –

mangaLam – bhadhram - to you both'. Then she started stone raining and so

raama starts the process in her elimination -

 

 

 

*s*ilaa varsham mahath thasyaa: *s*ara varshENa raaghava: |

 

prathivaaryO apadhaavanthyaa: karou chichChEdha pathribhi: || 1-26-17

 

 

 

meaning: On forestalling her effusive stone storming with his arrow storm,

Raama even mutilated both her arms with arrows, while she rushed towards

them.

 

 

 

thatha: chChinna bhujaam *s*raanthaam abhyaa*s*E parigarjatheem |

 

soumithri: akarOth krOdhaath hrutha karNaagra naasikaam || 1-26-18

 

 

 

meaning: With her arms severed and fatigued, she started to roar extremely

in proximity [to these two from where they are standing], and then the

provoked LakshmaNa made her loose her ears and the tip of nose by cutting

them off.

 

 

 

*Comment:* Then, she started doing maaya war, [or fight by becoming not

visible to others], by showering stony rain. Then sage again advised raama

not to be sympathetic to a woman. On receiving that command from sage,

Raama, with that special 'sabdha vEdhi' asthram, – shot the arrow in the

direction of the sound, [aiming in the direction of sound only, to hit on

that unseen object] hit thaatkaa and killed her.

 

 

 

So the point for us the 'lakshmaNa dhaasaas or raamaanuja dhaasaas' [pun

intended] – is, lakshmaNa was not afraid of that ferocious thaatakaa, when

she directly approached him. And he even cut off her ears and tip of the

nose. That is the 'big' contribution of lakshmaNa in that role.

 

 

 

Now comes a doubt - Is it with sword or with arrows? Vaalmeeki's slokam is

not clear. Shooting the arrow to cut the ears may be possible, but cutting

tip of nose with arrows? Possible? That too when the person thaatakaa

opposing is really rushing towards the two, raama and lakshmaNa?

 

 

 

Perhaps in a whiff lakshmaNa did shoot arrows to do that, when she was just

turning her head towards raama, so that both are saved on being hit from

proximity. This means that – lakshmaNa is so sharp to act in a swift – for

the time is night, staying in forest where darkness prevails – visibility is

poor – person opposie is ferocious and all that. So that is real 'veeram' –

bravery – proof of a 'great warrior' in the young age itself.

 

 

 

Another point likely to be raised by those who are closely reading this

series – in that 'vazhith thuNaivan' role I said lakshmaNa did not

contribute any thing big. Yes – true - except this small act of 'cutting the

ears and nose' of thaatakaa – in comparison to the big things later

lakshmaNa did in the war with indhrajit etc this is insignificant - that is

why I said practically 'nil' there in post 2. But if I miss this, then also

it is not proper on my part - in not considering this contribution – big or

small to be decided by you all.

 

 

 

Let us continue the topic in next post.

 

Dhasan

 

 

 

 

--

Vasudevan MG