Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Ramayana doubt...

From the Bhakti List Archives

Balaji Srinivasan • January 29, 2003 


SrImate rangarAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

In a recent mail by Sri Krishnaswamy there were a few comments by Rajaji:

"In Valmeeki's work Rama is portrayed as a great and unique man, not as an
incarnation of God. True, in some chapters there are references to him as
an avataar of God"

"Even during Valmeeki's days, the idea was prevalent, to some extent, that
Rama was an avataar. Centuries later, Kamban and Tulsidaas sang the
Ramaayana, and by that time it had come to be accepted that Sri Rama was
an avataar of Vishnu."

I had held similar views in the past about his divinity.  However, even on
my (very) limitedly reading/hearing the RaamaayaNa, I found instances
where he acted as an avatAra and not "merely" an ideal man. These
typically subtle instances, (unlike the more explicit ones like
Brahma/Garuda revealing Rama's avatAra, that Rajaji seemingly refers to)
seem more to be inadvertent ( :-) ?) slip-ups on the part of Sri Rama in
keeping up the act, rather than deliberate incorporations by poets or
popular folk stories.

Amongst the many such instances the one that, to me, has been the most
striking and definitely the subtlest is Sri Rama's behaviour when Bharata
takes up a vow to fast unto death (in order to force Rama to return to
AyodhyA) and sits on Kusha grass. Keeping in mind that none of the
Raghukula people gave up their vows that easily, Sri Rama gives a very
peculiar "prAyashchittam" after coaxing him to give up his obstinacy:

"uttiShTha tvam mahAbAho mAm ca spRisha tathodakam"
--"Oh might armed one! Get up, touch *me* and water"..

 Now, I do not see how touching one's elder brother or a debtor (as
reading the slokas preceding this one in the Ramayana could contextually
indicate) is any way of breaking a solemn vow of fasting unto death.

Are there actually Smriti statements that justify breaking one's vow in
this fashion?
If not, Sri Rama speaks in this instance in a manner very different from
what would be expected of a man (even an ideal one).

I would be very grateful if learned members could elucidate
on how this verse has been interpreted by our AcAryas or commentators.
I would also be very grateful if bhaktas could privately send me
more such instances that I am sure are sprinkled throughout Valmiki
Ramayana..

adiyen rAmAnuja dAsan






--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/