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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00143 Jan 2007

 
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Post 22

 

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In the previous 21 posts, we saw 'lakshmaNa' donning 10 roles. The 10 th role as a great warrior is continuing. Just for recollection

 

Just compare the situation and the results of two 'ladies' being punished by lakshmaNa in the same mode – both had same treatment – cutting of nose and ears - one thaatakaa and second soorpanakaa.

 

1. First lady - thaatakaa – raama and lakshmaNa were young ones – giving punishment to thaatakaa lead to the best reward - a gift for one's life – gift in the form of wives to both – seethaa for raama, oormiLa for lakshmaNa -

 

just that slokam of the act of cutting for recollection -

thatha: chChinna bhujaam sraanthaam abhyaasE parigarjatheem |

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

 

meaning: With her arms severed and fatigued, she [thaatakaa] 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.

 

2. Second lady - soorpanaka – raama and lakshmaNa matured – enjoyed 12 years of life and then spent almost 13 years in forest on that 'sentence' of 14 years vanavaasam - lead to that worst part in life of raama - seethaa being snatched – ravaNa abducting seethaa on being instigated by soorpanakaa – that too when raama says 'even touching of seethaa by others is intolerable and creates a grief in me than losing father or kingdom' - that seethaa is totally lost. For lakshmaNa – raamaa's sOkham is his – just recall that role of angry young brother – whenever raama is in sOkham he gets so wild.

 

So the nose and ears of two ladies play very important turning points in the course of raamaayaNam.

 

Before proceeding further, Mrs. Vedha Venkatesh asked two interesting questions on this soorpanaka episode, and since we have not yet completed that topic, I thought it is prudent to answer those questions here itself. The two questions are -

  1. Why do Raama and LakshmaNa "play" with Soorpanakhaa when she is obviously love-smitten - as any lady might be - on seeing the charming form of Raama? 
  2. When LakshmaNa could not tolerate any disrespect towards Seethaa, why does he use the raakshasi's words regarding Seethaa, when they are so belittling towards her?

 

My answer: As already seen in thaatakaa case, raama is observing the dharmam of 'not killing or harming any women' - unless they do some harm to someone close to raama, raama does not venture to punish them. Also for the first time if some harm is done, then also he is ready to forgive them - in the same lines of 'inRu pOi naaLai vaa' to raavaNan. But when it is repeated he punishes severely. In thaataka episode also, he waited till she rained stones, thus obstructing the yagnam of sage visvaamithra. And sage also got annoyed and warned her with his hoonkaaram as we have seen. When she repeated that act of stone rains, and then raama took on to fight thaatakaa, with lakshmaNa contributing his part, and kill her.

 

It is a chance given to the offender to realize who is there in front – raama – that 'world charmer' – may be - by his beauty – by his attraction - or by valour - or by having heard about him   - or some such thing, - raama makes the offender to realize who is in front and thus gives a chance to save his / her own life.

 

In soorpanakaa's case also it is the same. The question of inducing soorpanaka to do some harm for the second time by sending her to lakshmaNa, so that she is punished for the offence of that comment on seethaa. As stated in viraadha vadham post, raama will get upset even if somebody touches her. So also is with lakhsmaNa.

 

So first time when soorpanakaa said 'what is the use of this frail lady, shall I eat up her?' [as in slokam 3-17-27] she is being sent away – to lakshmaNa, so that, it is a chance for her to get away. Now, for sure, raama knows, lakshmaNa will be furious for having insulted seethaa and he will punish her. But before either raama or lakshmaNa does that act of punishing, a chance is given to soorpanaka – why this kind of 'kaama' laden acts – 'please go away' kind of warning – and when she still insists then punish.

 

Also raama sending soorpanakaa to lakshmaNa is to glorify lakshmaNa – even though lakshmaNa is alone, without the wife, when a lady is offering herself, then also he is turning down and not willing to take her, that requires a high degree of moral and characteristic strength - to prove that lakshmaNa is of that kind of a person with 'sterling character'. This 'piran manai nOkkaa pEraaNmai' – not looking at other's man's wife - is not only with raama, with lakshmaNa also it is same – to prove that.

 

Another great point is to just bring out to the world about that lakshmaNa's 'dhaasathvam' to raama – it is but natural for somebody to be tempted when get an offer of marriage, irrespective of own status, the figure or beauty of a lady coming as offer etc. But lakshmaNa says to soorpanakaa, "I do not have any freedom to decide things on my own – in such a condition you want to become my wife? Hey, want to be a servant's wife?' so go back to raama who can decide for himself".    

 

2. For question 2 of Mrs. Vedha, using the same sentence or repeating the same line shows 'richness of language' and 'poetic skill' – for same sentence is to be understood in a totally different way now – see the interpretation -

 

Enaam viroopaam asatheem karaalaam nirNatha udhareem |

bhaaryaam vrudhDhaam parithyajya thvaam Eva Esha bhajishyathi || 3-18-11

 

the first line of this slokam is the repeat   and same is interpreted as 'Seetha is one with a particular excellence in her beauty in all three worlds, none is equalling or higher to her in husband-adoration, a tallish lady, slender-waisted and in her enriched are intellect, character and conduct'. How can she be left off for your sake?' This is the innuendo of Lakshmana's wording - Maheshvara Tiirtha.

 

Earlier it was –

imaam viroopaam asatheem karaalaam nirNatha udhareem |

anEna saha thE bhraathraa bhakshayishyaami maanusheem || 3-17-27

meaning: " Shall I eat up 'this disfigured, dishonest, diabolical human female with a hollow stomach', along with him, that brother of yours, to make you free" - s oorpanaka asks raama.

 

Trust I have answered both questions. Since the questions were glorifying lakshmaNa which is the main aim and function of this series I added the clarifications here.   Let  us continue with the warrior's role in next post.

 

Dhasan



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