Post 4
Dear Sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
Continuing on the topic of seethaa's learnings, we were referring in the
previous post, the conversation between seethaa and raama. This conversation is
taking place in the dhaNdaka forest, after raama assured the sages 'protection'
and 'elimination of the raakshasaas'. Seethaa says, 'I am incapable to tutor
you, oh raama, but, out of affinity I tell you'. She continues exhibiting her
wisdom -- her level of learning -
kshathriyaaNaam thu veeraaNaam vanEshu niyatha aathmanaam |
dhanushaa kaaryam Ethaavath aarthaanaam abhirakshaNam || 3-9-26
meaning: For the valiant kshatriya-s who are inclined in forests heartily, the
purpose of the bow is this much - 'safeguarding the sufferers.'
kva cha sasthram, kva cha vanam, kva cha kshaathram, thapa: kva cha |
vyaavidhDham idham asmaabhi: dhEsa dharma: thu poojyathaam || 3-9-27
meaning: Where is that weapon? Where is this forest? Where are the principles
of Kshatriya? And where is sageness? All this is inconsistent; let us esteem
the laws of the land.
Comment: when seethaa says, 'let us esteem the laws of land', that shows
adequately to us, that, she knows 'what are different laws of different lands,
when to practise it, etc'. Without that basic knowledge, how can she question
raama about that? Further how can she comment without an all-encompassing
knowledge on these, as 'all this is inconsistent?' That indicates her level of
wisdom, that she is fully conversant with these laws, tenets etc - may be
learnt from father janaka or raama himself.
thathaa aarya kalushaa budhDhi: jaayathE sasthra sEvanaath |
puna: gathvaath thath ayOdhyaayaam kshathra dharmam charishyasi || 3-9-28
meaning: Weapon admiring mind becomes maligned with avariciousness, you may
therefore follow the tenet of Kshathriya-s on going back to ayOdhyaa again.
Comment: MGV adds - that means, seethaa says to raama, 'hey raama, please stop
now your kshathriya dharma of protecting and going to eliminate raakshasaas for
you are NOT the king of this land, you can continue later when you have
returned to ayOdhyaa. Also she comments on the 'human psychology' of a person
wielding armoury - just recollect that tamil proverb - irumbu pidichavan kai
summa irukkaadhu - one who weilds an armour cannot keep quiet.
Point: The following slOkam is really a great one in their conversation - just
recall what krishNa says to arjuna in detail about kuladharmam, karmam,
gnaanam, sam-nyaasam, bhakthi yOgam, etc in his 'geethaa' - similar 'pouring'
out so effortlessly is from seethaa, here. Perhaps, even a learned minister
would not have administered the king, such a counsel, but seethaa, here, simply
pours out her genius in all the philosophy, tenets, rules and regulations. In
particular slOkam 30 holds the testimony of her depth of learning - on
'dharmam'.
dharmaath artha: prabhavathi, dharmaath prabhavathE sukham |
dharmENa labhate sarvam, dharma saaram idham jagath || 3-9-30
meaning: From virtuousness prosperity emanates, from righteousness happiness,
and by honorableness all are achieved, and this universe is the essence of
probity.
aathmaanam niyamai: thai: thai: karshayithvaa prayathnatha: |
praapyathE nipuNai: dharmO na sukhaath labhathE sukham || 3-9-31
meaning: Experts will make efforts to exhaust their own selves with those and
those principles, thus they realise sublimity, unachievable is pleasure by
pleasuring alone.
nithyam suchi mathi: soumya chara dharmam thapO vanE |
sarvam hi vidhitham thubhyam thrailOkyam api thaththvatha: || 3-9-32
meaning: Always tread along the righteousness with a pure mind, oh, gentle one,
and specially in these sagely forests. You know everything in all the 3 worlds,
in all its nuances.
Comment: seethaa's 'you know every thing, who am I to teach you in particular
on dharma' is not a simple lip level praise to raama. After the exposition of
her depth of knowledge on dharma, she says, 'thava dharmam vakthum ka:
samartha:' who is capable of teaching dharma to you?'
Seethaa does not offer this comment in desparation, for, any how raama is not
going to listen to her. Perhaps she has already realized the real impact of
that statement 'raama: vigrahavaan dharma:' It means she has realized that she
has done her dharmam of that 'saha dharma charee'. That's it. Oh, simply
great. Then she says - hey, do what you want, but do it in time - again a good
counsel on the 'time aspect' - exhibition of wisdom in another dimension -
timeliness of actions -
sthree chaapalaath Ethath udhaa:rutham mE dharmam cha vakthum thava ka:
samartha: |
vichaarya budhDhyaa thu saha anujEna yath rOchathE thath kuru ma achirENa ||
3-9-33
meaning: seethaa finally says, 'oh raama, I cite all this with my womanly
waver, and who is capable to talk to you about dharmam? Ponder mindfully along
with your brother, and you do it what that is appropriate, but not belatedly'.
Comment: We, common folks, would not have realised the impact of janakaa's
words 'thava saha dharma charee' at the time of 'raama seethaa kalyaaNam' [in
that slOkam]. When we read above conversation and understand it fully, then we
realize what weight these four words carry [bold in the following slOkam -
uttered by janaka] and how naively janaka has put it across saying 'raama, you
have a partner in this seethaa, my daughter, in your life, on 'dharmam chara' -
dharma way of life'.
iyam seethaa mama suthaa saha dharma charee thava || 1-73-26
pratheechCha cha Enaam bhadhram thE paaNim gruhNeeshva paaNinaa |
Meaning: This is Seetha, my daughter, she acquits herself in whatever duty you
undertake. Take her wishfully, let safeness betide you, take her palm into your
palm..."
OR
Meaning: Here Seethaa stands, my daughter, fair, to share the duties of thy
life, take from her father, take thy bride, Join hand to hand, and bliss
betide! - Ralph T. H. Griffith [taken from www.valmikiramayan.net
<http://www.valmikiramayan.net> web site]
Seethaa, being a 'saha dharma charee' of raama is confirmed and reconfirmed in
more than one place, by none other than raama, apart from janaka at the time of
marriage.
1. when after an argument raama gives his aceeptance for seethaa's
coming to forest, he says 'saha dharma charee bhava' in slokam 2-30-40.
2. after this kind of advising, counseling by seethaa, raama tries
to justify his line of thinking in making seethaa accept the promise to the
sages of the task of elimination of raakshasaas, and in that raama says
sadhrusam cha anuroopam cha kulasya thava sobhanE |
saha dharma chaariNee mE thvam praaNEbhyO api gareeyasee || 3-10-21
meaning: Appropriate and seemly is your word of caution, according to your
bloodline, oh, graceful Seethaa, you are the co-pursuer in dharma with me,
hence you are loftier to me than my own lives", so said Raama to Seethaa.
Let us continue with more on seethaa's knowledge in next post.
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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