Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Doubts reg: Vali Vadham

From the Bhakti List Archives

Hari Krishnan • January 31, 2003 


Dear Sri Nanmaaran and friends,

My extremely tight schedule did not let me go through the mails for quite some time.  I have not read all the mails under this caption and am not aware of when and how this deviation into the question of golden deer came up.  I have a good leeway to make up and hope to catch up with the thread soon.  

In the meanwhile, from whatever I have gathered from the mails that I could read, let me try to go into the questions one by one:

1) Why did Rama go after the deer?  Why could he not ask Lakshmana to go instead?

The episode of the Golden Deer has to be looked at from the perspective of a couple, at least as far as Rama and Sita are concerned.  It was the request of a wife who had so readily and joyfully accompanied him to the jungle, spent a good eleven years with him there, without complaining or railing the life in the jungle.  A loving husband and a very affectionate wife.  As far as Rama is concerned, this is a gift - the only gift thus far - that she is asking for from him in the last about (a little more than) ten years that they have spent in the forest.   She is pleading with him like a child.  Which husband would say 'no' to that request?  

Lakshamana did offer to go himself to capture the deer.  But neither Rama nor Sita was for his going behind it.  I will come to this point a little later.

2) Why did Rama kill the deer, when Sita asked him to capture it?  And why did he skin it?

Sita gave him both the options.  Listen to her.  She sounds like a joyous and excited child - the emotions reverberate even through the translation.  "Wondeful is its colour and marvellous its splendour.  The richness of its sound is also lovely.  Endowed with spotted limbs, this wondeful deer captivates my heart as it were.  **If the deer is caught by you alive, it will be a miraculous feat (on your part) and will cause wonder.**  When we have concluded  the term of our exile and are installed on the throne again, this deer will serve as an adornment to our gynaeceum.  This weird and excellent deer will cause wonder, my lord, to Prince Bharata, to yourself, to my mothers-in-law and myself."  (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Canto XLIII, Sloka 15-18)

My limited time does not permit me to elaborate on this beautiful portion.  Anyway, this would be discussed in detail in the series of articles I am presently writing.  Sita does not stop there.  She continues:

"If (on the other hand) the jewel among the deer does not allow itself to be captured by you alive, its skin itself will afford delight, O tiger among men!  When this animal has been killed by you, I long to sit with you on its golden skin spread on a mat of young grass." (Ibid, Sloka 19 and 20)"

Sri Rama himself is of the same view.  Listen to him, answering Lakshmana, who stops him saying that it is Marica who has come in the form of a deer.  "Sita (a princess of the Videha territory) who is endowed with a slender waist, will sit with me on the most excellent golden skin of this jewel among the deer." (Ibid, Sloka 35)

We have to understand one thing very clearly here.  Sri Rama was born in the family of Kshatriyas.  Hunting was a favourite sport of Kshatriyas.  It was also a part of their duty, when coming to killling wild animals.  Please bear with me for saying this.  We should be wise enough to accept what the great Poet, Valmiki, has depicted. None of us is as competent as Valmiki, or more devoted to Sri Rama than him.  Non-vegetarianism is sanctioned in the case of Kshatriyas.  Right Hon'ble Srinivasa Sastriyar has pointed this out in his Lectures on the Ramayana.  Therefore, let us not confuse ourselves with qualities like mercy, killing innocent deer et al.  He was a kshatriya.  Hunting was part of his life.  He did not violate any dharma in killing 'an innocent deer.'  

3) Did he not know that it was Marica, who has assumed this form, especially in the light of what Lakshmana said?

He did not care, at least at that time.  'Either way, killing the deer is justified,' he says.  'If it is a true golden deer, let me try to capture it.  If it evades me, I will kill and skin it.'  "If, O Lakshmana, if this deer is such as you tel me, it must be put an end to because it is a phantom conjured up by an ogre." (Ibid, Sloka 38)

'If it is Marica, then he deserves to be killed. I have a valid reason for killing it.'  I had occasion to point anther thing when I wrote on Marica in ChennaiOnline.  Marica had, earlier, at the commencement of the period of exile, attempted to attack Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, along with two of his friends, assuming the form of three deers.  The two friends were killed by Sri Rama and Marica evaded his arrows once again.  This is mentioned by Marica to Ravana, by way of advice, asking him to go back without pressing much on his plan.

Kamban adheres to all that Valmiki has said.  He does not deviate here from the core of the issue.  There of course are other deviations, like the manner in which Sita applied pressure on Lakshmana to go in search of Rama, later.

Now coming back to why Lakshmana was not allowed to go after the deer.  Please remember once again that this is something very personal between the two of them.  What she wanted was a gift and nothing could match the pleasure that a wife gets from her loving husband.  She wanted him to do so personally.  Ask any of our sisters here.  They would acknowledge - as does the wife of every single one of us - that such a small thing as a string of flowers not more than six inches long becomes something very special, when it comes from the hands of the husband.  Should we exclude Sita from this joy?  Is she not fond of her own Rama?  Is she not eligible for fulfilment of this simple desire of hers?  

The particular reference in Valmiki evades me now.  I am not able to spot it.  I have a vague recollection of having seen it.  Since it is getting very late in the night, I have postponed the search for a later day. But Kamban does mention this very clearly and here is his verse.

Ayidai annam annAL amuthu ukuththanaiya seyya
vAyidai mazalai insol kiLiyinin kuzuRi mAzki
**nAyaka nIyE paRRi nalkalai pOlum** ennA
sEyarik kuvaLai muththam sinthupu sIRip pOnAL.

When Lakshmana offered to go behind the deer, she was unhappy.  Words dipped in nectar - the babble of a child - fell from the mouth of Sita whose gait resembled the swan.  'So my lord!  Won't you go yourself to capture it and give it to me?' So saying she went towards the parna-sala, with feigned anger.  What is known as Udal in Tamil literature.  Which husband would say 'no' to these words!  Does it not delight the heart of the reader to hear these words and to think of the way Rama's heart would have melted at these words!  It is joy, pure joy ineffable, that is suffused in the verse above.  

4) Why did Rama skin the deer?

Kindly do tell me where either Valmiki or Kamban show Rama skinning the deer.  Where did he have the time for it!  He was alarmed when Marica mimicked his voice and came running back.  The first thought that struck him was the way in which Sita would react.  He thinks, "Since this notorious ogre has breathed his last uttering a loud wail: 'Alas Sita! Ah Lakshmana!' how will Sita feel on hearing it?  And what moods will the mighty armed Lakshmana pass through?" (Ibid, Canto XLIV, Sloka 24 and 25{part})

Kamban shows him deriving consolation from the fact that the sagacity of Lakshmana would be able to put her at ease.  Nonetheless Sri Rama virtually runs back to his abode, alarmed and anxious about the safety of Sita.  When such being so, how could he have skinned the deer?

Another interesting thing.  Rama had not hesitated to cremate ogres that he had killed.  That is shown explicity in the cases of Viradha and Kabandha! But he was left with no time to do so here, which he would doubtless have performed otherwise.  And so, who cremated Marica!  Not even Ravana!  Ravana forced him into doing this against his will and promised him of kingdom, if he could achieve his purpose.  He did not even have the basic courtesy, or the gratitude, or the need to comply with the demand of duty, to his maternal uncle, of cremating him.  He could have assigned this job to someone else, at least after reaching Lanka!  But that was Ravana.  

Anbudan,
Hari Krishnan





--------------------------------------------------------------
           - 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/