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The Incredible Reaction

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sadagopan iyengar • August 25, 2002 


               Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta
Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

                The Incredible   Reaction

      Reactions of aggrieved people differ: when one
is insulted by others, the natural tendency is to
fling back words of venom, infinitely more insulting.
There are some who react more violently, with blows
aimed at the offender.
Other, more mature people just donÂ’t react, taking the
insult in their stride. This is so even if the
accusation or insult is unjustified. However,
paradoxically, we find that the truer the insult, the
stronger the reaction thereto, indicating peopleÂ’s
intolerance for unpalatable truths, especially about
themselves. 
  While the height of tolerance one may display
towards an aggressor is to keep quiet, it is almost
impossible to find an aggrieved person bursting into
song and dance about the offender. In fact, it appears
to be an extremely inappropriate reaction, even from
one who is Tolerance personified. We are surprised to
find in Srimad Ramayana one of the characters, a
Rakshasi at that, displaying the improbable reaction
indicated above.
  Shoorpanaka develops infatuation for Sri Rama at
first sight, and resolves to get Him at any cost. She
assumes the appearance of a delightful damsel, and
tries to persuade Chakravartthi Tirumagan to abandon
the “unseemly” Sita and to cohort with herself.
Unwilling to hurt even the murderous Shoorpanaka, Sri
Rama tries to fob her off, and when she is insistent,
asks her to approach Sri Lakshmana, who is equally
handsome and without the inhibiting company of a wife.
And when she does that, Lakshmana, not having the
compunctions of his brother, and perceiving the threat
she poses to Sri Mythili, cuts off ShoorpanakaÂ’s nose
and ears.
 From the way poets wax eloquent about nasal beauty
(we  hear that CleopatraÂ’s nose launched a thousand
ships), it is evident that the worst insult a woman
could suffer is disfigurement of her nose. When
additionally the ears were also cut off, we can
imagine ShoorpanakaÂ’s feelings in the matter. Enraged
beyond imagination, she rushes to her beloved brother,
Khara, for redressal. 
Startled and pained at the insult to his sister, Khara
enquires of her as to who was foolish enough to cause
her harm, knowing full well what awaited the offender.


It is to this question that Shoorpanaka gives a reply,
which is fit to be included in our daily parayanam.
Given her nature and the indignity and injury she had
just then suffered, we would expect her to have burst
into a stream of invective, not fit for the ears of
gentlemen. We are extremely surprised therefore, when
she starts singing Sri RamaÂ’s praises, especially of
His handsomeness. In Srimad Ramayanam, Chakravartthi
TirumaganÂ’s beauty has been extolled by many (Sri
Sita, Tiruvadi,Sri VibhIshaNa, etc.) in differing
contexts. However, ShoorpanakaÂ’s description is unique
both from the points of view of the author and the
context. Here are the beautiful slokas:

“TaruNou roopa sampannou sukumArou mahAbalou
  PundarIka visAlAkshou cheera krishnAjina ambarou”.
.
“TaruNou”- despite her agony, Shoorpanaka recalls
vividly the bewitching youthfulness of Sri Rama and
Sri Lakshmana.
 “Roopa sampannou”- the sons of Dasaratha are blessed
with a beauty that is unparalleled. This is beauty
beyond compare, which enthrals not only women but men
too-(“pumsAm drishti chitta apahAriNam”). This beauty
comes from symmetrical limbs and body parts
(“sama:sama vibhaktAnga:), and pleasing complexion
(“snigdha varNa:).
High shoulders, long arms reaching down to the knees
(“AjAnubAhu:”), chubby cheeks, broad chest, beautiful
forehead (“sulAlata:”), broad eyes (“VisAlAksha:”),
majestic demeanour and gait (“suvikrama:”)- all these
combine to make Sri Rama the perfectly proportioned
male and the personification of beauty. And, more
relevant, it is beauty that floors even His sworn foes
and those who have suffered at His hands.
“SukumArou MahAbalou”- despite their formidable
strength, the brothers are delicate. Their figure is
not gross, which often accompanies strength, but looks
as if sculpted out of some fine material. Their
appearance makes one wonder what such delicate youth,
who so obviously belong to the palace with all its
creature comforts, are doing in such inhospitable and
dangerous forests. Lest Khara be misled by the
appearance of delicacy, Shoorpanaka hastens to caution
him about their redoubtable might-“MahAbalou”.
“PundarIka VisAlAkshou”- more than anything else, it
is the LordÂ’s broad lotus eyes that captivate
everybody, right from Rishis hardened by years of
penance, to the ordinary citizens of Ayodhya, to
RAkshasa prakritis. And Shoorpanaka is no exception-
she too is floored (“JitamtE PundarIkAksha!”, “tOtrOm
mada nenjam emperumAn NAranarku”). These are eyes,
which can drive one crazy with their beauty and depth
of expression, as Sri PAN PerumAl attests_”KarivAgi
pudai parandu milirndu sevvariOdi neenda ap periavAya
KaNgaL ennai pEdmai seidanavE”. 
 
It is indeed extraordinary that Shoorpanaka says not a
single word denouncing the brothers instrumental for
her indignity. If it were an isolated instance of such
conduct (praising the aggressor), we may dismiss it as
an aberration. However, we find Shoorpanaka repeating
herself before Ravana, to whom she rushes for
redressal, after Khara, Dooshana, Trisiras and
fourteen thousand of their ilk are destroyed
single-handedly by Sri Rama. In RavanaÂ’s court too,
before even apprising him of what happened, she waxes
eloquent about Sri RamaÂ’s handsomeness:
“Deergha bAhu: VisAlAksha: cheera krishNAjina ambara:
  Kandarpa sama roopascha RamO DasaratAtmaja:”
Unable to forget those bewitching eyes, Shoorpanaka
mentions them again with fascination, and, admitting
failure to describe Sri RaghavaÂ’s beauty adequately,
concludes lamely that He equals Manmata, the
personification of all beauty. And she pays an implied
compliment to Sri Dasarata too, as the father of such
a striking son could have been of no ordinary
handsomeness himself. The repetition of the words
“Cheera KrishnAjina ambarou” is significant, for they
embody the RAkshasiÂ’s sorrow that such compelling
beauty was clothed not in the finery it deserved, but
only in tree bark and deerskin.
 It would appear that Sri RamaÂ’s beauty is better
described by His detractors than by those close to
Him. Shoorpanaka is not alone in this regard, and
another Rakshasa, MarIcha, shares her feelings about
Raghunandana. When his assistance is sought by Ravana
in the abduction of Sri Mythili, MarIchA does his best
to dissuade Ravana from the foolhardy endeavour, and
in the process, showers the choicest words of praise
on Chakravartthi Tirumagan, encompassing not only His
handsomeness, but also His kalyANa guNAs.
“na noonam budhyasE RAmam mahAveeryam guNOnnatam
 ayukta chAra: chapala: mahEndra varuNOpamam”
Propelled further by the enjoyment occasioned by the
auspicious attributes of the Lord, MArIchA launches
into a detailed account of Sri RamaÂ’s sterling
qualities, comparing Ravana unfavourably with his foe,
in the process:
“RamO vigrahavAn dharma: sAdhu: satya parAkrama:
  RAjA sarvasya lOkasya dEvAnAm MaghavAn iva”.

For those with an unvetted appetite for Bhagavat
gunAnubhavam, adiyen would recommend the thirtyseventh
sarga of Aranyakanda, incorporating MarIchAÂ’s detailed
and eloquent portrayal of the Lord, His strength,
bravery, righteousness, etc.
In the great epic, it is the foes of Chakravarti
Tirumagan, rather than His friends, who are more
effusive in their depiction of His auspicious
attributes. Shorn of their undesirable qualities, the
characters of Shoorpanaka, MarIchA, KumbhakarNa,etc,
are outstanding for their fairness and truth,
especially when it comes to praising the Lord and His
greatness, despite their animosity.
The greatness of Sri ValmikiÂ’s work is such that each
word of it is pregnant with meaning, and even an
uninitiated and ignorant explorer like adiyen is
tempted to delve deeper and deeper in search of
greater bliss. While in search of a particular pearl,
one is often distracted by numerous other
scintillating gems, which has in fact led to the
considerable digression in this piece. 

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka
SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya
Nama:
Dasan,sadagopan.

  

 
  


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