Dear Jayasree Saranathan madam and sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,
On the point of relying on age of 17 based on slOkam 2-20?45 of
ayOdhya kaaNdam, by Prof: Vartak, I have to add following.
First what Smt. Jayasree said. Quote:
Coming to the points raised in your mail, Prof Varthak has been right
in having taken the age of 17 as the time when the coronation was
fixed. The sloka, he has quoted in support of this, runs like this.
"dasha sapta ca varSaaNi tava jaatasya raaghava |
asitaani prakaankSantyaa mayaa duhkha parikSayam || 2-20-45
"Oh, Rama! I have been waiting for seventeen years after your second
birth of thread ceremony, with the hope that my troubles will
disappear at one time or the other." (unquote)
Please note the word used by Kausalya. "tava jaatasya" has been
translated as the thread ceremony here.
I request scholars to explain the usage of this term to mean the
thread ceremony.
Unquote:
MGV: I would like to add from same 20th sargam next slokam
thadhakshayam mahaa dhukham nOtsahE sahithum chiram |
viprakaaram sapathneenaam Evam jeerNaapi raaghava || 2-20-46
raaghava = oh, Rama!
thath = for that reason,
Evam = in the way
jeerNaapi = even if old aged,
na uthsahE = I do not wish
sahithum = to bear
viprakaaram = insult
sapathneenaam = of co-wives,
akshayam = un-ending
mahath = great
dhukham = sorrow
chiram = for long time
meaning: Oh, Rama! In this old age, I cannot bear insult from co-
wives and this unending sorrow for a long time.
sthhiram hi noonam hrudhayam mama aayasam | na bhidhyathE yadh bhuvi
na avadheeryathE |
anEna dhukhEna cha dhEham arpitham | dhruvam hi akaalE maraNam na
vidhyathE || 2-20-51
51. anEna dhukhEna = By the grief,
dhEham = body
arpitham = is pierced.
noonam = indeed
mama = my
hrudhayam = heart
sthhiram = which is hard
aayasam = is made of iron.
yath = for which reason
na bhidhyathE = it is not broken
na avadheeryathE = it has not fallen into pieces,
bhuvi = on the floor
na vidhyathE = There is no
akaale = untimely
maraNam = death
dhruvam = It is certain.
Meaning: This grief has gone into my body. Even then, my heart is
stable. It has not broken into pieces and fallen on the floor. It is
indeed made of iron. There is no untimely death, it is certain".
Comment: 1. In the mood of so much grief, mental strain and agony of
separation, perhaps the figure of 17, what a mother says, can be
taken as incorrect. That too, of mother kousalya, when she is
sorrowful, for she is seeing her son off, when she was just
anticipating the happy news of raamaa's coronation. She says my heart
is of iron and not breaking ? so much sorrow. In that stage, chances
are very bright that figures are likely to be misquoted. [But that 17
years is also correct as per derivation given below].
2. Against this scene, Just compare this with a wife introducing
herself in clear terms to a third party, "that we lived happily for
twelve years after our marriage and in the thirteenth year, king
monarch proposed the coronation" as given in my earlier post. If
those are to be discounted ? means something concrete is being
brushed aside.
3. Further one more argument can be advanced ? seethaa is also in a
stressed mood after having heard raama is in trouble against the
golden deer, because his voice of distress. But in reality, seethaa
is not that grieving situation, like kousalya, for she is in her
clear terms. That is understood from the way she introduces herself
to raavanan, carrying out the athithi samskaaram to raavaNan thinking
that he is a real sanyaasi. Later when he reveals himself as 10
headed only, she becomes afraid.
On to this `jaata' ? Monier Williams dictionary gives following
meanings.
jāta
jātá mfn. (√jan
? ifc. Pāṇ. 6-2, 171) born, brought into existence by (loc.),
engendered by (instr. or abl.) RV. &c
? grown, produced, arisen, caused, appeared ib.
? ifc. (cf. Pāṇ. 2-2, 5 Kāś. ; 36 Vārtt. 1 ; vi, 2,
170) See māsa-,
saptâha-, &c
? appearing on or in VarBṛS. lī, 5 ff
? destined for (dat.) RV. iv, 20, 6 ; ix, 94, 4
? turning to (dat.) Sāh. iii, 58/59
? happened, become, present, apparent, manifest TS. VS. &c
? belonging to (gen.) RV. i, 83, 5 ; viii, 62, 10
? ready at hand Pañcat. ii, 16
? possessed of (instr.) MBh. iv, 379
? often ifc. instead of in comp. (cf. Pāṇ. 2-2, 36 Vārtt. 1 ;
vi, 2,
170 f
? g. āhitâgny-ādi), e.g. kiṇa-, danta-, &c., qq.vv
? m. a son RV. ii, 25, 1 AV. xi, 9, 6 ŚBr. xiv Pañcat.
? a living being (said of men, rarely of gods) RV. iv, 2, 2 ; v, 15,
2 ; x, 12, 3 AV. xviii VS. viii, 36
? N. of a son of Brahmā PadmaP. v
? n. a living being, creature RV.
? birth, origin, i, 156, 2 and 163, 1 ; iii, 31, 3
? race, kind, sort, class, species, viii, 39, 6 AV. &c
? a multitude or collection of things forming a class (chiefly ifc.,
e.g. karma-', the whole aggregate of actions' Mn. vii, 61/62 sukha-
, 'anything or everything included under the name pleasure' Gīt. x,
3) Mn. ix MBh. &c
? individuality, specific condition (vyakta) L.
? = -karman NārS.
? (impers. with double instr.) it turned out or happened that Rājat.
v, 364 [Page 417, Column 3]
? (ā), f. a daughter W.
? [cf.-? ; Germ. Kind ; Lith. gentis.]
So on a first study this `jaatha' means born, brought into existence.
But how this jaatha is taken as second birth is some thing to be
probed further.
On a further analysis, the `jaatha karman' is performed immediately
or on the day of a child's birth. That is confirmed as in `manu
smruthi' chapter 2, which reads as follows.
Quote:
2.2.1 Jatakarman
Before the navel-string is cut, the Jatakarman (birth-rite) must be
performed for a male (child); and while sacred formulas are being
recited, he must be fed with gold, honey, and butter. [v.2.29.].
unquote:
Now smt. Jayasree's point: quote:
If it is taken as jaata karma - naama karma done soon after birth,
Raama's age can be literally taken as 17 as per this sloka. Again if
we look into the Valmiki Ramayana for the time of thread ceremony for
Raama, we come across this verse.
"braahmaNaan bhojayaamaasa pauraan jaanapadaan api |
udadad braahmaNaanaam cha ratnaugham amalam bahu || 1-18-23
teSaam janma kriya aadIni sarva karmaaNi akaarayat |
The king feasted Brahmans, urbanites and villagers and he gifted many
valuable gems to Brahmans in an unlimited way, and all the rituals of
birth and ceremonies sequel to it like naming ceremony, first-food-
feeding ceremony, first-hair-removal ceremony, and sacred thread
ceremony are performed in respect of the princes. [1-18-23, 24a]
The years in which these have been done is not mentioned, but sounds
that the thread ceremony was pretty early considering the sequence of
ceremonies mentioned in this verse. Unquote:
MGV: I wish to add the next slOkam of baala kaaNdam same sargam -
sarvE vEdha vidha: sooraa: sarvE lOkahithE rathaa: || 1-18-25
sarvE j~naanOpasampannaa: sarvE samudhithaa guNai: |
25b, 26a. sarvE vEdha vidha: = all princes are, in VEdhaas, scholars;
sooraa: = valiant ones;
sarvE lOka hithE rathaa: = all are, in worlds', welfare, interested;
sarvE j~naana upa sampannaa: = all are, intellectual ones;
sarvE samudhithaa guNai: = all are, possessors of, with merits - air
of probity.
Meaning: All the princes are scholars in VEdhaas, valiant ones, all
are interested in the welfare of the world, all are intellectuals and
all of them possess an air of probity. [1-18-25b, 26a].
Point: So, one to become qualified to study vEdhaas, as per manu
smruthi, they should be initiated. That has to be done, as per manu
smruthi, in the age of SIX [6] for kshathriyaas [raama being a
kshathriya]. See portion of manu smruthi
Quote: Part 2: The Brahmacari Asrama
2.3 Upanayana
2.3.1 The time
In the eighth year after conception, one should perform the
initiation (upanayana) of a Brahmana, in the eleventh after
conception (that) of a Kshatriya, but in the twelfth that of a
Vaisya. [v.2.36.]
(The initiation) of a Brahmana who desires proficiency in sacred
learning should take place in the fifth (year after conception),
(that) of a Kshatriya who wishes to become powerful in the sixth,
(and that) of a Vaisya who longs for (success in his) business in the
eighth. [v.2.37.]
The (time for the) Savitri (initiation) of a Brahmana does not pass
until the completion of the sixteenth year (after conception), of a
Kshatriya until the completion of the twenty-second, and of a Vaisya
until the completion of the twenty-fourth. [v.2.38.]
After those (periods men of) these three (castes) who have not
received the sacrament at the proper time, become Vratyas (outcasts),
excluded from the Savitri (initiation) and despised by the Aryans.
[v.2.39.]
With such men, if they have not been purified according to the rule,
let no Brahmana ever, even in times of distress, form a connexion
either through the Veda or by marriage. [v.2.40.]
4.3 First, second & third birth
According to the injunction of the revealed texts the first birth of
an Aryan is from (his natural) mother, the second (happens) on the
tying of the girdle of Munja grass, and the third on the initiation
to (the performance of) a (Srauta) sacrifice. [v.2.169.]
Among those (three) the birth which is symbolised by the investiture
with the girdle of Munja grass, is his birth for the sake of the
Veda; they declare that in that (birth) the Savitri (verse) is his
mother and the teacher his father. [v.2.170.]
They call the teacher (the pupil's) father because he gives the Veda;
for nobody can perform a (sacred) rite before the investiture with
the girdle of Munja grass. [v.2.171.]
(He who has not been initiated) should not pronounce (any) Vedic text
excepting (those required for) the performance of funeral rites,
since he is on a level with a Sudra before his birth from the Veda.
[v.2.172.]
The (student) who has been initiated must be instructed in the
performance of the vows, and gradually learn the Veda, observing the
prescribed rules. [v.2.173.]
Whatever dress of skin, sacred thread, girdle, staff, and lower
garment are prescribed for a (student at the initiation), the like
(must again be used) at the (performance of the) vows. [v.2.174.]
Unquote:
Note: the manu smrithi translation is taken from internet.
MGV: Now, my point is as stated by kousalya she waited for 17 years,
after raamaa's second birth ? that is the initiation in study of
vEdhaas is done to raama as per manu smruthi or saasthraas, [we can
definitely take that, for raama, the rituals are all done as per
saasthraas ? that was derived from the composition of the gurus and
the super cabinet, king dhasaratha had, consisting of vasishta and
other rishis] - not like kali ? this era.
So now raama is 24 ? for kousalya waited for 17 years after
initiation in study of vEdhaas at the age of 6, and now it is 18th
year ? the period of coronation and being exiled. This CAN DEFINITELY
BE TAKEN AS CORRECT.
The other point of raamaa's marriage is at 12 + lived for 12 years as
per seetha slokam already quoted and repeated here, also more or less
tallies. So this `thava jaathasya' as the second birth - thread
ceremony also appears ok.
mama bharthaa mahaathEjaa vayasaa pancha vimsaka || 3-47-10
aSTaa dasha hi varshaaNi mama janmani gaNyathE |
Meaning: My great-resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age
[at that time] and to me, eighteen years are reckoned up from my
birth.
But leaving for forest at 17 is the thing, which is not ok. So we
have to look for more evidence. The intention of writing this, is not
to bring in any controversy etc but go into some more `depth' of
raamaayaNam.
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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