Guest guest Report post Posted April 20, 2007 Post 47 Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer, Perhaps I will be the only foolish fellow to say 'I conclude the series with this post' and then continue the series again. Let me called a fool rather than I miss something great. For, if I miss that important 'servant's role' of arranging the 'chithaa' – the funeral pyre – for seethaa, - set to do that much debated 'agni pravEsam' - I would have done a great mistake to conclude without touching this important point. This I realized after clicking the send button in the mail. So I seek a big pardon from you all. Up to this stage, in sreemadh raamaayaNam, perhaps seethaa, as the 'madam boss' for lakshmaNa, [being boss raama's wife] has not explicitly ordered anything to servant lakshmaNa. [of course she ordered lakshmaNa to leave in that maareecha maan episode – but at that stage lakshmaNa was not a servant but a 'security officer' appointed by raama 'specifically' at that time which we have seen in detail] When raama was so harsh in his words on seethaa, she says 'oh raama, I have grown with you' in slOkam 6-121-11 – 'saha samvrudhdhha bhaavaath cha' – may be during that stage she might have commanded lakshmaNa to do something but vaalmeeki is not really putting it across in clear terms. Experts can point out my mistake in saying these assertive words. Evam bruvaaNaa rudhathee baashpagadhgadha bhaashiNee | abraveeth lakshmaNam seethaa dheenam dhyaanaparam sthhitham || 6-121-18 meaning: seethaa who was weeping and spoken as above, said in a choked voice to lakshmaNa, who was also meek and in a pensive mood. Point: lakshmaNa was totally upset the way the conversation went on between the husband and wife. As already seen in that soorpanakhaa episode, and in that khara dhooshaNa episode, anything even 'thinking of harming seethaa' will upset lakshmaNa. Now raama himself uses all sorts of harsh words to seethaa. LakshmaNa is a grand witness of all that is happening – but cannot react – for the offender – if you want to call it so - is none other than raama the loving husband of his manni seethaa. So he is meek, in pensive mood and all. Then comes the order on him by that highly regarded manni – chithaam mE kuru soumithrE vyasanasyaasya bhEshajam | mithhyaa upaghaathOpahathaa na aham jeevithum uthsahE || 6- 121 - 19 apreethasya guNair bharthu: thyakthaayaa janasamsadhi | yaa kshamaa mE gathirganthum pravEkshyE havyavaahanam || 6-121- 20 meaning: hey lakshmaNa, please create [or do] the pyre, that relieving medicine for me from this sadness. I cannot live with these lies and resulting ill will heaped on me. Being discarded by the dissatisfied husband, I will go to that place of fire where it suits me'. Point: just see the servant lakshmaNa's position – being ordered to create the pyre for the sake of sacrificing, in full, that seethaa, on whom he will not tolerate even a harsh wind – that lady in full is set to enter fire in front of his own eyes – he, standing helpless – cannot go to rescue of her – for, it is all due to lakshmaNa's loving elder's words, whose words he has not disobeyed even once. When I say lakshmaNa has not disobeyed raama, somebody may say to me, 'hey, you are wrong'. But the onus lies on them to prove it. May be lakshmaNa has argued vigorously, but finally he was simply subdued by that wisdom of raama, love of raama, grandeur of the guNams of raama and all that. So arguing is not disobeying. Again another point - why lakshmaNa only was selected by seethaa and not others – like hanumaan, vibheeshaNa, sugreeva, or angadha, or for that matter the senior most in age jaambavaan. 1. hanumaan – even though obedient to seethaa, if hanumaan lights the fire, the fire has to be 'cool'. Fire cannot go against orders of this very same seethaa, that too involving hanumaan. So the purpose of creating the pyre will not be served. 2. vibheeshaNa – he is interested in the welfare of raama and seethaa, their uniting only and not a separation – so he would not like to create a fire for one's destruction - if it comes to, he may even disobey seethaa's or raama's orders – for his interest is in their union [of both raama and seethaa] and not separation. 3. sugreeva – he is the king and a friend of raama, so cannot be ordered just like that – further he is another party whose wife was snatched by somebody and he has simply accepted her without much of a fuss. Also he has presently another's wife joined with him. So he has no locus-standi. Also seethaa may have her own doubts on whose side he is – on raama's or seethaa's. 4. angadha – he is the prince - perhaps seethaa has heard about him – cannot take for granted that he will obey – that too in the presence of king sugreeva whose orders are more important to him rather than seethaa's. 5. jaambavaan – too elderly, and also a person interested in their joining together and not in separation. 6. lakshmaNa – the best known source – an obedient servant – will not defy orders of her, even if it is not good in taste - like the earlier situation of leaving her – [because of which all these]. As already stated 'saha samvrudhdhha bhaavaath' – having grown with him she knows him too well. For a moment think the words of her, saying 'what my father will think of a sthree in purusha roopam, I will drink poison' etc, when she wanted to come to forest and argued with raama – lakshmaNa was there listening all talks – which we saw in previous post – a special servant entering the anthappuram even when the couple is in Ekaantham. Apart from these lakshmaNa knows very well the words of raama about that 'enterprise' in which she is the main part – just recall raama's words before leaving behind the maareecha maan. That is why lakshmaNa and not any other. [sorry – I will not go into that 'getting or receiving a punishment from his own hands - for the bhaagavatha apachaaram which she committed by that tongue lashing and all that' – that is too much for me] Further see what lakshmaNa does next when he is so ordered – Evam ukthasthu vaidhEhyaa lakshmaNa: paraveerahaa amarshava sam aapannO raaghava aananam avaikshatha || 6- 121 - 21 sa vigjnaaya thatha: chandham raamasya aakaara soochitham | chithaam chakaara soumithrE: mathE raamasya veeryavaan || 6-121- 22 meaning: that lakshmaNa, who is capable of subduing enemies, being ordered so by seethaa, with anger, looked at raama's face. Then that valorous lakshmaNa understanding raama's communication given thru, created the pyre. Point: dear sirs, see how beautifully vaalmeeki uses his words – lakshmaNa is capable of subduing enemies – he was angry – seeing raama's face that brave lakshmaNa understood and lit the fire. Like how lakshmaNa subdues his enemies, now he, who is angry because of seethaa's position, killed off his anger also and then did create that fire. For raama's face has become cool by that time. When seethaa was lashed raama was very angry. But when seethaa reacted by saying lakshmaNa light the fire, raama became cool. That cool face conveyed a lot. Ok. Why bravery here? A 'veeran' must also analyse the situation, then show his veeram – also think on the consequences – strategies, actions and results or consequences. Oh, What a beauty. Dear sirs, just recollect how raama pushed up lakshmaNa to show his anger to sugreeva [both raama's as well his own] and thereafter immediately said there is no need to act as said, for he is very much our friend and his only fault is about time factor. Again see the means of 'communication' – it is thru body language – lakshmaNa looked at raama's face – that face gave the message to go ahead – 'aakaara soochitham chhandham' – [the Monier Williams dictionary meaning is just quoted for this aakaara and chhandha] - to impress. Ä-kÄra m. (ifc. f. Ä R. i, 28, 24 Ragh. xii, 41) form, figure, shape, stature, appearance, external gesture or aspect of the body, expression of the face (as furnishing a clue to the disposition of mind) Mn. MBh. & c chanda chánda mfn. pleasing, alluring, inviting RV.i, 92, 6 ; viii, 7, 36 • â—‹ndá, praising ( chánda Naigh. iii, 16) RV.vi, 11, 3 • cf. madhu-cchâ—‹ • m. appearance, look, shape Hariv. 8359 ff • cf. prati and vi-cchâ—‹ • pleasure, delight, appetite, liking, predilection, desire, will YÄjñ.ii, 195 MBh. & c • ( ena), instr. ind. [also with svena, viii, 1249 R. ii, 83, 25 • or ifc. with sva- (Hariv. 7017) or Ätma- MBh.v, xiii R. v, 26, 18] according to one's own wish Mn. viii, 176 Nal. xxiii, 15 R.v • according to the wish of (gen.) MBh. iii, 7096 Hariv.7097 hey nothing will happen to your loving manni seethaa and my dear wife - it is all part of a drama – so no worry, go ahead – that strategy – that is veeram. So the servant lakshmaNa is also a good startegist and understood body language properly and did things in this scene of agni pravEsam. Next the same servant lakshmaNa let off seethaa when she was pregnant and that again was as per orders of raama. Perhaps we have to see one more post on that and then only really conclude the series. Dhasan vasudevan MG -- Vasudevan MG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
