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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 Rama is soon overtaken by depression, grief and self-pity. If Rama is called exemplary it is not because he remained unaffected by the calamities that visited him. He was affected very much like any of us and underwent all the turbulent ups and downs that we go through. But he is a role model in that he soon came out of them and set his mind on action rather than giving up himself into self-pity.
Strangely, self-pity and remorse are a kind of intoxicant which most of us willingly submit unto and tend to immerse ourselves in that feeling. Lakshmana comes wonderfully up and measures up to the occasion, not showing a trace of agony of the uncompromising and merciless words that Rama uttered just moments ago. “If you, O scion of Kakutstha, you are not able to endure this suffering that has befallen you, what other man, who is of the common run and of meagre strength, will bear it? Take heart, O flower of man! What living beings do calamites not visit? They impinge on a man like fire and recede in an instant. If when afflicted, you actually consume (all) the worlds with your heroic lustre, where O tiger among men, will created beings in distress get relief?” (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Canto LXVI, Sloka 5-7)
Lakshmana stands tall like a tower of strength by the side of Rama now. In fact, he is the only source of Rama’s very existence now. From this point onwards, till they meet Sugriva, we see on numberless occasions Lakshmana comforting Rama, again and again reminding him of his core strength and the need for keeping his mind focussed on what is to be done rather than frittering the energy in pointless anger and remorse. We are soon going to see Lakshmana in action in the Ayomukhi and Kabandha incidents.
 Now there is something very interesting at this point in the story, a tinge of science - aeronautical science for that matter - which surprises us. The brothers follow the track of Ravana’s chariot -
pushpaka vimana - and at a particular point, they are shocked to find that the tracks are not visible any more on earth!
‘maNNin mEl avan thEr sendra suvadu elaam maayndhu,’ The track of the chariot that was visible on earth (till that point) suddenly stopped
‘viNNin Ongiya oru nilai mei uRa,’ and it could be perceived that it has taken off into the sky. If
pushpaka vimana was a mere poetic concoction, how come the Poet describes the
‘vimana’ (aircraft) taxied before it took off? If it was a mere figment of imagination, by what means he knew the fact that an aircraft has to first run on earth before taking off! This something very strange and leaves us perplexed.
‘Do not give up. Push ahead,’ says Lakshmana.
‘therkku nOkkiyadhu enum poruL therindhadhu ath thiN thEr.’ It is simply obvious that that chariot was south bound.
‘vaanam virkku nOkkiya pagazhyin nedidhu andru.’ The sky is not so far away as not to be reached by our arrows. Move ahead. Let us go further.
The brothers are left without any further evidence for some distance but they soon reach the spot where Jatayu intercepted Ravana and engaged him in a fight for a long time before being killed by Ravana with the sword of Lord Shiva. Rama saw the number of diadems that were found lying on the ground and armlets that lay scattered. ‘It looks like many persons have come here and fought, going by the number of crowns,’ concluded Rama. ‘No,’ says Lakshmana. ‘It was only one person and it was Ravana and nobody else,’ he says firmly. Let’s see how he deduces and reasons out in our next instalment.
More follows...
Published on 22nd March 2002
Hari Krishnan
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