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The Bonds of Brotherhood

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sadagopaniyengar • January 9, 2003 


                
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

  The Bonds of Brotherhood                         

 

          We saw how deep Sri Rama's feelings were for His beloved brother, so much so that Sri Sita regarded her husband to be closer to Sri Lakshmana than to Her. What were the factors that prompted in Rama such profound emotions? And what was the attitude of the younger brother towards his elder?

 

To Sri Lakshmana, his elder brother is everything. He is not merely a brother whose words are to be obeyed; He is the doting mother, protective father and guiding Guru. All other relationships are subordinated by the son of Sumitra to the overriding affiliation he has with Sri Rama. He proudly proclaims this at every available opportunity. The sort of conviction he displays in regarding Rama as the Ultimate Relative, is a role model for all Jeevatmas. Sri Tirumangai Mannan obviously paraphrases Sri Lakshmana when he declares, "empirAn endai ennudai chuttram enakkarasu ennudai vANAL, ambinAl arakkar verukkoLa nerukki avar uyir seguttha em aNNal".

 

Sri Lakshmana's unflinching devotion to Rama is occasioned not merely because He is a blood brother. Nor is it due to the bewitching appearance of Sri Rama, which, by itself, is enough to floor even the most stony-hearted of men ("PumsAm drishti chittha apahAriNam"). Sri Lakshmana is enslaved by the glorious guNAs of Sri Raghava, the innumerable auspicious attributes of which He is the sole repository ("GuNai: dAsyam upAgata:"), much like the Rishis of SvEta dveepa, who are won over by the Lord's kalyANa gunas ("JitantE PundarIkAksha!").  Sri Lakshmana takes pride in being an abject slave to his elder brother, being at His beck and call at all times of the day, for whatever purpose ("aham sarvam karishyAmi jAgrata: svapatascha tE"). The ideal attitude the Jeeva should adopt towards the Lord is brought out by Sri Lakshmana's declaration that he is after all Sri Rama's property, to be used at Sri Rama's discretion-  "ParavAn asmi KAkuttsttha..kriyatAm iti mAm vada"

 

 Thus "Kainkaryam" is the cornerstone of Sri Lakshmana's existence. At several places, Sri Valmiki attributes riches to Sri Lakshmana-"LakshmaNO Lakshmi vardhana:", "LakshmanO Lakshmi sampanna:" etc. We are puzzled. What sort of riches can we expect in a person who has willingly forsaken a princely life for the severe austerity of the forest? Acharyas tell us that Sri lakshmana was endowed with the most magnificent of bounties-"Kainkarya LakshmI". The good fortune of being of constant service to the Lord is not something everyone can aspire for, and it is with this priceless treasure that Sri lakshmana was endowed, in bountiful measure. We must remember here that KaikEyi's order of banishment applied only to Sri Rama. And if Sri Janaki too chose to share the exile, it is nothing remarkable, for the place of a dutiful wife is by her husband's side, whether he is the emperor of the three worlds or a mere pauper eking out his livelihood.

 

It is Sri lakshmana's voluntary offer to accompany his brother to the jungle, and his insistence upon its acceptance, that demonstrate his selflessness and readiness to forsake the pleasures of the palace and the company of a recently- wedded wife, all for the sake of Sri Rama's company and for the opportunity of being of service to Him. Sri Lakshmana looks askance at even Paradise and immortality, if it meant separation from his idol-

"na dEvalOka AkramaNam na amaratvam aham vruNE

Iysvaryam vApi lOkAnAm kAmayE na tvayA vinA"

 

Sri Ilaya PerumAl's penchant for kainkaryam is so marked that he even declines the coveted position of the Crown Prince, offered to him during Sri Rama's Coronation. It is his confirmed opinion that the entrapments of Princely office would come in the way of his kainkaryam to Sri Raghava. He demonstrates too that all kainkaryam is to be done to the Divine Duo, and not merely to the Lord-"bhavAnstu saha VaidEhyA giri sAnushu ramsyatE-aham sarvam karishyAmi jAgrata: svapatascha tE"

 

His deep attachment to his hero makes Lakshmana come across as a person with a virulent temper, ready to commit mayhem at the mere suggestion of harm to Sri Rama. His uncontainable anger is on full display when he hears of the machinations of Kaikeyi aimed at preventing Sri Rama's coronation. He swears to Sri Rama that he would annihilate not only the scheming stepmother, but also her husband and son, oblivious to the fact that they are his own father and brother respectively. Sri Rama restrains him with very great difficulty, pointing out that it is the hand of fate that enacts a play through the medium of Kaikeyi, who is but an instrument. In the beautiful words of KambanAttAzhwan,

 

"Nadhiyin pizhai andru narum punal inmai, attrE

Patiyin pizhai andru, payandu namai purandAL

 mathiyin pizhai andru, magan pizhai andru

 vidhiyin pizhai idarkku ennai nee vegundadu, endrAn"

 

Another occurrence, which attracts Lakshmana's anger, is Sugriva's failure to honour his commitment to search for Sri Vaidehi. Once he becomes the undisputed king of Kishkinda, he immerses himself in ceaseless merrymaking, completely forgetting his promise to the suffering Sri Rama. Describing Sri Lakshmana's virulent anger, Sri Valmiki says,

"Sva tEjO visha sanghAtha: panchAsya iva pannaga:

 tam deeptam iva kAlAgnim nAgEndram iva kOpitam"

  

Burning with anger at Sugriva's ingratitude, Sri Lakshmana resembles a venomous five-headed snake, emitting poisonous fumes. With his breath being exhaled fast and with fury, Sri lakshmana verily resembles an enraged King Cobra. Here, Sri Valmiki's comparison of Sri Lakshmana to a snake is extremely significant and is meant to remind the reader that Sri Ramanuja (Lakshmana) is indeed the avataram of Sri AdisEsha, the most protective of the Lord's eternal servitors.

 

It is said that nitya SurIs like Sri Adisesha, Sri Garuda and Sri Vishvaksena are "astthAne bhaya shanki"s. Their boundless love for the Lord makes them suspect danger to the Supreme Being, even where there is none. Who can harm the Parabrahmam?

("BrahmaNA ka: arhati spardhitum?" enquires the Shruti rhetorically, discounting drastically the possibility of anyone daring to oppose the Lord). Sri Lakshmana's concern for Sri Rama's welfare is so overwhelming that he tends to suspect danger lurking everywhere, and is always at the ready in the Lord's defence. It is this deep concern for his elder brother's well being that makes him suspect the motives of even a dharmAtmA like Shri Bharata, when he comes in search of Sri Rama to persuade Him to return to Ayodhya and to accept the Crown.

 

In a moving display of love and concern, Sri lakshmana never lays down his head for sleep during the entire fourteen years Sri Rama spent in exile, and guards the Lord with unrelaxing and constant vigil with his bow always at the ready. This labour of love has earned him the sobriquet "urangA Villi" (the Archer who never sleeps) and stands testimony to his admirable kainkarya ruchi.

 

One could perhaps go on and on about the unique relationship that subsisted between these illustrious sons of Dasarata.  Their matchless mutual love and affection, their unparalleled concern for each other's well being, their complementary and supplementary natures and their identity of thought-all these make for an exceptional relationship, the likes of which have never been recorded in the history of mankind, nor will ever be. It is futile to compare their association with any other, for such comparison can never do justice to its avowed objective. Taking a small liberty with Sri Valmiki's words, we can only affirm, 

"RAma LakshmanayO: sambandham RAma LakshmanayO: iva".

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, Sadagopan.

 



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