|
Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 Valmiki elaborately dramatises the agony of Rama, who runs in the wild and enquiries about Sita to every little deer, squirrel, plant, flower et al, giving vent to his anger everywhere, scoffing at the mountains, swearing at the valleys and threatening the directions with dire consequences for five long cantos. Such a strong and sagacious person as Rama loses his grip on himself and ceases to be the stoic that he used to be hereunto. Such is the loss and such is the grief that wells up in him.
After all, it was for his Sita that he undertook this adventure of going behind the deer, as any normal husband would do, to please her, she who has been going through all the travails of the jungle life never once complaining of the discomforts. If at all she had anything to complain, it was only once about Rama’s assurance to the sages to protect them from the asuras and killing them in the jungle. Even that was silenced by Rama’s firm answer. But that is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana only. And now when Sita has vanished all of a sudden, his mind runs wild and he torments himself and weeps inconsolably, his mind freezing and he forgetting the need for action. ‘I will destroy the whole universe,’ he declares in his agony.
It was Lakshmana who came to his rescue at that time and pulled him out of the morass. “People like you, who perceive everything (with their intuitive eye), do not really give way to grief even in the face of gravest perils, O Rama, but ever remain undepressed in their outlook. Discriminate between right and wrong in the true perspective by recourse to reason. Actions whose merits and demerits have not been perceived (except through the scriptures) and which are not everlasting (inasmuch as they cease after yielding fruit) cannot be performed without individual effort. And (once they are performed) their welcome as well as unwelcome fruit is inevitable (and must be reaped). ………What object of yours will be achieved) through universal destruction wrought by you? Therefore, finding out your sinful adversary, you ought to root out him alone. (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Canto LXVI, Sloka 15-17 and 21)
 It is this moment at which a person needs to remain focussed. Rama displays a human quality at this time and is pulled by the strong currents of emotions. It is now the turn of Lakshmana to turn his mind towards action. ‘Of what avail is this lament my brother! What can we achieve by expending our energy in pointless grief and wasting our time in inaction when we have to be up and doing. We have to quickly look for evidences. It is obvious that Sita has been taken away by someone.
‘thErin aazhiyum therindhanam.’ Here do we see the wheel marks of a chariot.
‘theeNdudhal anjip paarinOdu agazhndhadhum paarthanam.’ And we see that the hermitage is missing. It is because that that person was afraid of touching Sita and has carried her away with the cottage.
‘payan indru Orum thanmai eedhuen enbadhu uran ilaadhavar pOl.’ There is no use in standing here and mulling over (letting our mind waste itself in pointless endeavours) like someone who is weak. It is for the weak to stand like this.
‘dhUram pOdhal mun thodardhum.’ Let us quickly follow the mark on earth for it can take us to the chariot in which Sita is being carried away now, before it goes far, far away!
That is the first step in reasoning and directing the energies towards action. And in a number of scenes we see Lakshmana’s mind very active, and giving conclusions very logically.
More follows...
Published on 20th March 2002
Hari Krishnan
Previous
Articles
|
|
