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 Such
conflicts do occur in life, for good persons. We are often witnesses to the
sufferings of the good and we also see the not so good, prosper in life. The
validity of following righteousness often arises in our minds. Turpitude seems
to be a better and wiser option for rectitude at such times. It is natural says
Valluvar. The worthless do not have any standards to live up to!
nandru
arivarin kayavar thiru udyaar
nenjathu avalam ilar. (Kural 1072)
Happier than men of conscience are these despicable
ones! For they never have any pangs of the heart to feel. (Tr. by Sri VVS Aiyar)
You
have a conflict only when you know the difference between the right and the
wrong. When one does not know the difference and is happily oblivious of what he
is doing, where is the question of conflict and where are the resultant pangs of
heart? Womanising and having a desire for another man’s wife, for instance,
did not involve any moral issue for Ravana, though Vibishana and even Kumbakarna
spoke against it. They were as regular and habitual for him, as are morning
ablutions for any of us. He naturally did not and could not see what was wrong
in him. There was no conflict for him. On the other hand, the extremely good
also do not have any conflict for they do not swerve. ‘Devar
anayar kayavar’ – ‘Like unto very Gods are the base on earth’
– said Valluvar, ‘For they too are a law unto themselves!’ Conflicts occur
only when our convictions are not strong enough.
But
in the case of Lakshmana he was not speaking out of frustration. It was an
outpouring of boundless love for Sri Rama. He could not tolerate the agony of
Rama. His burden is  greater than that of Rama. Because he is burdened at
Rama’s burden! You could not see a single instance in the entire epic where
Lakshmana is angered or frustrated for a personal reason. All his joys and
sorrows were intertwined with Rama. For him, there was no Dharma that is greater
than Rama. It is apt to recall his words, when Rama pacified him when he was
exiled and when Lakshmana rose against Dasaratha, here. When Rama said that he
should not speak ill of his father, Lakshmana retorted ‘That doesn’t matter
to me. You are my father
(nal thadhyum nee). You are my master (thani
naayagan nee). You are the mother that bore me (vayitril
petraayum neeyE).
His love for Rama was so well known that Sumitra, Lakshmana’s mother,
told him ‘Accompany Rama to the forest as a servant. Come back when he comes
back. If anything happens to him, give up your life in his service.’
When
on a later occasion, after Sita was taken away by Ravana, Rama laments saying,
‘It is only appropriate that I die now. You go back to Ayodhya,’ Lakshmana
recollects these words. ‘If you are bound by the words of your father, I am
bound by the words of my mother. I can’t leave you.’
For
Lakshmana therefore, it was a choice between Dharma and greater Dharma. It was
not unnatural for him to speak in that manner.
(To be continued)
Hari Krishnan
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