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how could such a raama do that - post 8

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • March 25, 2003 


Post 8
Dear sree vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
In post 1 to 7, we saw sree vaalmeeki maharishi, king dhasaratha and people of ayOdhyaa described the guNangaL of sree raamaa - various charecteristics. In continuation of posts 5 to 7, in this post also, we will study and conclude the study of raama gunam description by the assembled kings, ministers and people of ayOdhyaa [as described by sri vaalmeeki maharishi in his raamaayaNam ayOdhyaa kaaNadm 2nd sargam].

balam aarOgyam aayuscha raamasya vidhithaathmana: |
dhEva asura manushyEshu sa gandharva uragEshu cha || 2-2-50

aasamsathE janaa: sarvO raashtrE puravarE thathaa |
aBhyantharascha baahyascha poura jaanapadhO jana: || 2-2-51

sarva jana: = all the people, 
raashtrE = in the state, 
thathaa = and, 
puravarE = those in the capital, 
aBhyanthara: cha = those in nearby places, 
baahyascha = and, 
poura jaana padha: jana: = rural and urban people, 
aasamsathE = desire, 
raamasya = of Rama, 
vidhitha aathmana: = having reputed nature, 
dhEva asura manushyEshu = in celestials, demons and men, 
gandharva uragEshu cha = including divine singers and serpents, 
balam = strength, 
aarOgyam = health, 
aayushcha = and long life.

Meaaning: "All people in the state including those in the capital as well as those in the nearby and in the far off places, desire Rama, who is reputed among celestials, demons, men, divine serpents and singers, and who has long life, health and strength. "

sthriyO vridhDhaas tharuNyas cha saayam praatha: samaahithaa: |
sarvaan dhEvaan namasyanthi raamasyaarthE yasasvina: || 2-2-52

vrudhDhaa: = aged, 
tharuNya: cha = and youthful, 
sthriyaa: = women, 
namasyanthi = are praying, 
saayam = evening, 
praatha: = morning, 
sarvaan = all, 
dhEvaan = celestials, 
samaahithaa: = with stable mind, 
arthE= for the benefit , 
yasasvina = renowned, 
raamasya = of Rama.

Meaning: "Both young and aged women are praying with a stable mind each morning and evening to all celestials, for the benefit of renowned Rama."

thEshaam aayaachitham dhEva thvath prasaadhaath 
samridhDhyathaam raamam indheevara syaamam sarva sathru nibarhaNam | 
pasyaamO youvaraajyastham thava raajOththamaa aathmajam || 2-2-53

raaja uththama = oh! best of the kings, 
dhEva = king Dasaratha, 
pasyaama: = we shall see, 
raamam = Rama, 
indheevara syaamam = who is having the complexion of black lotus, 
sarva sathru nibarhaNam = who annihilates all the enemies, 
thava = your, 
aathmajam = son, 
youvaraajyastham = adorned with princely kingdom, 
aayaachitham = prayer, 
thEshaam = of those people, 
samrudhDhyaam = be fruitful, 
thvath prasaadhaath = by your grace.

Meaning: Oh best of kings, Dasaratha! we shall see Rama adorned with princely kingdom. Your son Rama has the complexion of a black lotus flower and annihilates all his enemies. Let the wish of the people be fulfilled by your grace."

tham dhEva dhEva upamam aathmajam thE | 
sarvasya lOkasya hithE nivishtam |
hithaaya na: kshipram udhaara jushtam | 
mudhaa abhishEkthum varadha thvam arhasi || 2-2-54

varadha: = Oh , fulfiller of desires, Dasaratha!, 
na: hithaaya = for our benefit, 
thvam = you, 
kshipram = immediately, 
mudhaa = gladly, 
abhishEkthum = to inaugurate, 
arhasi = are fit, 
tham = that, 
thE aathmajam = your son Rama, 
dhEva dhEva upamam = equal to the god of gods, Vishnu, 
nivishtam = who is interested, 
hithE = in the benefit of, 
sarvasya = the entire, 
lOkasya = world, 
udhaara jushtam = who is possessing the best of virtues.

Meaning: Oh satisfier of people's desires, Dasaratha! for our benefit, you gladly and immediately inaugurate your son Rama, who is equal to Vishnu, who is interested in the welfare of the entire world and who is possessing the best of virtues."

Now to list the guNams in the above slokams:
1.	dhEva asura manushyEshu gandharva uragEshu vidhitha aathmana: = raama is reputed  among celestials, demons and men including divine singers and serpents 
2.	balam aarogyam cha aayushmaan = raama has strength health and long life.
3.	raashtrE sarva: jana: thathaa puravarE abhyanthara: cha baahyascha poura jaana padha: jana: raamasya aasamsathE = all the people in the state and those in the capital, those in nearby places and rural and urban people - all desire raama, 
4.	yasasvina: = renowned, 
5.	indheevara syaamam = has complexion of black lotus, 
6.	sarva sathru nibarhaNam = annihilates all the enemies, 
7.	dhEva dhEva upamam = is equal to the god of gods, Vishnu, 
8.	sarvasya lOkasya hithE nivishtam = who is interested in the benefit the entire world
9.	udhaara jushtam = possessing the best of virtues.

|| ithi sree madh raamaayaNE ayOdhyaa kaanDE dhvitheeya sarga: || 
Thus concludes the second sargam of sree vaalmeeki raamaayaNam ayOdhyaa kaaNdam.

Now to share the question(s) asked by the senior person to me -  we will have it as statement of facts and points for clarification.

Statement of Facts - no 1. we have seen raamaa being described adequately as 
*	saanga vEdhavith, 
*	saasthrajna, 
*	thathvajna, 
*	Dharma arthha dharsiBhi: 
*	Dharma Bhruthaam varam
Etc, meaning raamaa knows all vEdhaas including their branches, saasthraas, knows the rules, knows dharmam, , one who follows dharmam - righteousness etc. 

All these mean he knows and follows all dharmam to their core. 

Point no. 1 for clarification: presume this includes the varNaasrama dharmam also.

Statement of facts - no. 2: - We also know that there is NO such classification in the "chaathur varNa" classification, called raakshaasa. Because what is available in bhagavath geethaa as chaathur varna classification is 
*	braahmaNa, 
*	kshathriya, 
*	vaisya, 
*	soodhra. 
Slokam which gives the above is 
chaathur varNyam mayaa srushtam guNa karma viBhaagasa:| 
thasya  karthaaram api maam vidhDhykarthaaram avyayam || - 4 -13 

Point no. 2 for clarification: Since there is no separate classification as raakshasaas, wherein these raakshaasaas raavaNa and his team will be grouped in the above 4 classification. Though it is said based on gUna - character, and karma - the actions, this classification is done, wherein the raakshasaas will fall in B or K or V or S. 

Can it then be concluded that there are no separate rules or "varNa aasrama dharma" for that particular classification of people named "raakshasaas".

Point no.3 for clarification: In Monier Williams dictionary page 817 col 3 for the word - raakshasaas - a point is given "it is also said to be born out of feet of brahma". 

Since "soodhra" is said to be born out of the feet of the viraat purusha as we find in purusha sooktham, does this mean whatever varna aasrama dharma rules are applicable to "soodhraas"- viz. serving to people of other three varNa - is the only vaRna aasrama Dharma - rule applicable these raakshasaas. Is it correct. 

Statement of facts no.3: - Since raama is adequately knowledgeable in the rules of dharmam,  being a kshathriya, follows his varNa aasrama dharma - 
*	of protection of people as a king, 
*	punishes the wicked who deserve to be punished, 
*	supports and helps braahmanaas to perform the yagnaas etc, which they are supposed to do, besides his own duty of doing his rituals according to his varNa dharma 
*	learning asthra sasthra vidhyaa, 
*	learning political knowledge, 
*	put to practice the above etc. 
[As already we have seen]

Statement of facts: no. 4 - We all know raavaNa is a brahmin by birth, being son of visravas the rishi and kEsini. Visravas is son of pulasthya a maharshi- a brahmaNan. We also know raavana is a fully learned person of vEdhaas, saasthraas, music etc. We also know that brahma was pleased with his yagnam [performing rituals] thapas [penance] and siva with music etc. Also we know brahma granted several boons to raavana, the brahmin, besides the main boon of "not being killed by anybody except by a manushyan" - human. So raavaNa is a braahmaNan by birth as well as anushtaanam also.

We also know that this was the main reason for his enormous audacity leading to snatching the kingdom of lanka from his brother kuBhEra. [kubEra is born to visravas and ilaavitha- another wife of visravas - born as a yaksha, not a BhoolOka man and as such beyond the chaathur varNa classification which is applicable for this BhoolOkam]. 

Following para you can consider as point of fact as well point for clarification - 
- Here itself the transgression of varNa aasrama dharma happened - a brahmaNan doing the kshathriya's job of ruling the kingdom. Since raavaNa usurped power from kubEra his own brother, the question of observing the varNa aasrama dharma - is it therefore applicable to raavaNa? Or a straight transgression? 
[Of course I am not so serious on this particular question.]

Statement of fact no. 5: Since viBheeshaNa is the brother of king raavaNa, he is also a braahmaNan by birth and also by anushtaanam. viBheeshaNa carries out his dharma of doing thapas, yagnam etc, without failure. There is also adequate evidence as seen by hanumaan in sundhara kaaNdam,  - that - even in the mid night, in vibheeshaNan's house the yagna dhoomam was coming out from yagna khundam [smoke from the fire place], when hanumaan was roaming in the streets of lankaa in search of seetha in and around  viBheeshaNa's house. 

The point for clarification no 4 is [or the main question]: - how could the saasthragNa dharmagna- such a raamaa can go beyond the established "varNa aashrama dharma rules" and perform the raajya abhishEkam to viBheeshaNa, a brahmanan by birth and also by anushtaanams. This means raamaa himself flouted the rules of "varNa aasrama dharma rules".

See slokam - raama to viBheeshaNa- "raajaanam thvaam karishyaami sathyam Ethath sruNothu mE" - 19 -19 yudhdha kaaNdam- I make you king - this is truth - please listen.

A braahmana is not supposed to rule the country and if he does it is not dharma, saasthra virOdham - opposition to varNa aasrama dharmam. 
Or we can name it as "doing varna misra kaaryam" - doing some other varna's work. 
Raama was instrumental in making some body do this varNa misra kaaryam. 

[this varna misram is happening now every where in kaliyuga - but that is some thing different about which we can see later, but raamaayaNa happened in thrEthaayuga]. 

One more fact: This "varna misra kaaryam" has happened, 
*	not when raama was not that much matured 
*	or 
*	that much knowledgeable 
*	or was considerably young 
May be if happened at the raama pattaaBhishEka proposal stage - wherein we have seen all these guNa descriptions - then also we can say the immaturity or the typical youngster's enthusiasm has overtaken raama to do. 

Just we can consider that argument that at that stage raamaa was agewise some what tender and can take it lightly also. That is more of a support argument - like the juvenile argument. 

But actually this kaaryam happened at a later stage - viz. towards the end of his tenure of 14 years - means by that time, raama has become more matured, more learned. 

For he also met lot of rishis in the forest, like Bhaaradhwaaja, agasthya, sarabhanga, and others who advised him on the dharma rules, discussed with them a lot, including a naasthika vaadham with jaabaali maharshi, etc. 

So the question is "How such a raamaa could do the raajya aBhishEkam to viBheeshaNa a brahmin transgressing the varna aasrama dharma rules". 

Now that you have understood how great raamaa was, let us have a fruitful discussion. 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.



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