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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 When we put this question to Lakshmana, we know we can expect only one answer. “Rama.” Nothing else. There is no Dharma greater than Rama for him. There is no relation superior to Rama for him. There is no duty better than standing in readiness by the side of Rama for him. Rama was his all. He would boil with rage. He would speak unkindly words. He would bend his bow in readiness even before a danger comes in sight - or whenever he perceives that a danger is in sight. But every single one of his acts would have only one person behind it. Rama, Rama and none but
Rama.
As we saw when we discussed Bharata, Lakshmana did not have the temerity to speak against Rama and convince him against his will. Just a smile, just a word of reproach or ‘enough of it’ from Rama. That would be sufficient to stop Lakshmana. In the discussions between Rama and Bharata we see the latter proffering one argument after the other and finally makes Rama to accept the proposition that Bharata would rule the kingdom as his representative through his sandals.
Not so for Lakshmana. He would not protest. He would of course murmur; he would express his helplessness in not being able to do as he would like to; but would never argue against Rama. His words are final for him, whatever be his own ideas on the issue. Only twice we find him in the entire epic speaking against the decision of Rama. The first one is when they leave on exile and the second instance is when the brothers are caught by Kabandha and Rama in utter dejection decides to die at the hands of the ogre, advising Lakshmana to return to Ayodhya. I hasten to add that this second one is found only in Kamban whereas Valmiki gives us a different picture altogether.
How many times could Lakshmana be found guilty of not carrying out the order of Rama properly? Only twice. The first one was under extreme and agonising pressure when Sita wanted him to go in search of Rama when Märïca called out their names, mimicking the voice of Rama at the time of his death. The second one occurs in the Uttara Kanda. That is, at the very end of the epic. Lakshmana was under a different kind of pressure at that time and had to break the order of Rama and accepted the penalty - death. We will take them up all one by one.
 But for that, Lakshmana is never found wanting in any respect in the entire epic. We have seen how he restrained himself from using the Brahmastra in his fight against Indrajit, risking his life, just because Rama forbade him from doing so.
If Rama followed Dharma, Lakshmana followed just Rama. For Rama was his Dharma, Rama was his father, Rama was his mother, Rama was his master and it was service to him that was supreme to him in all respects. And for what? Rama doesn’t even praise him for all that he does, when he is present. If at all Rama praises him in his presence, it was just a ‘praise before criticism’ in most places. There is only one instance in the epic when Rama praises Lakshmana in his presence. Otherwise, his admiration for his younger brother, his words of praise, all his expressions of affection, love and tender feelings are in the absence of Lakshmana - either as soliloquy or as part of an observation made while speaking to others. Not that Rama’s love was any lesser. He never believed in praising Lakshmana, his own alter ego, in his presence. And that never made a difference to
Lakshmana!
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Hari Krishnan
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