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Baala Kaanda - Sarga 23
Children want to move out of the overbearing shadow of parents as they get older. Though they need the support of their parents, they do not enjoy their company as much, any more.
But they get fascinated with other elders that come into their lives. They listen to the stories told by other elders (such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, sports coaches, motivational speakers and so on).
Rāma and Lakshmaṇa grew up in palaces and in a formal environment thus far. Starting in this Sarga, they are on their own. No servants. No cooks. No teachers. No trainers. No regal formalities.
They are out on their own, one with nature and with a pleasant, story-telling, grand uncle-like Viṡwāmitra.
Rāma and Lakshmaṇa learn a series of stories from Viṡwāmitra starting from this Sarga, for many Sargas to come. Of course, we will also learn those stories along with Rāma.
It is these kinds of stories that we hear in our childhood that contribute to our imagination of the world, regarding not only what it is, but what it could and should be.
Once we become adults, we try to extend and use that imagination for achieving many significant things in life. As our faculties develop, we see gaps and contradictions in those stories. It is in sorting out those contradictions and filling those gaps, that our personalities get matured and ultimately defined.
It is in this Sarga that you find the famous Ṡlōka 'Kousalya Suprajā Rāma!'
1.23.1
ப்ரபாதாயாம் து ஸர்வர்யாம் விஸ்வாமித்ரோ மஹாமுநி: ।
அப்யபாஷத காகுத்ஸ்தௌ ஸயாநௌ பர்ணஸம்ஸ்தரே ॥
prabhātāyāṃ tu ṡarvaryāṃ viṡvāmitrō mahāmuniḥ ।
abhyabhāṣata kākutsthau ṡayānau parṇasaṃstarē ॥
As the night passed, yielding to dawn,
the great Muni Viṡwāmitra addressed
the princes of Kākutstha who were sleeping on the bed of leaves:
1.23.2
கௌஸல்யா ஸுப்ரஜா ராம பூர்வா ஸந்த்யா ப்ரவர்ததே ।
உத்திஷ்ட நரஸார்தூல கர்த்தவ்யம் தைவமாஹ்நிகம் ॥
kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrvā sandhyā pravartatē ।
uttiṣṭha naraṡārdūla karttavyaṃ daivamāhnikam ॥
O Rāma, the celebrated son of Kousalyā!
It is dawn, and the signs of the
sun raising in the east are evident!
O tiger among men, may you be awakened
to perform the daily oblations to the Dēvas.
1.23.3
தஸ்யர்ஷே: பரமோதாரம் வச: ஸ்ருத்வா நரோத்தமௌ ।
ஸ்நாத்வா க்ருதோதகௌ வீரௌ ஜேபது: பரமம் ஜபம் ॥
tasyarṣēḥ paramōdāraṃ vacaḥ ṡrutvā narōttamau ।
snātvā kṛtōdakau vīrau jēpatuḥ paramaṃ japam ॥
Hearing that affectionate and doting voice of the Ṛshi,
the Veera princes got up, took bath
and gave water (to Surya), and performed Japa.
We normally serve a drink like coffee or tea to a guest or a friend, as a gesture of respect or affection. In a similar way, in the Indic tradition, we offer pure water to gods, to show our affection and respect. It is a gesture that binds us with the gods.
1.23.4
க்ருதாஹ்நிகௌ மஹாவீர்யௌ விஸ்வாமித்ரம் தபோதநம் ।
அபிவாத்யாபிஸம்ஹ்ருஷ்டௌ கமநாயாபிதஸ்தது: ॥
kṛtāhnikau mahāvīryau viṡvāmitraṃ tapōdhanam ।
abhivādyābhisaṃhṛṣṭau gamanāyābhitasthatuḥ ॥
The mighty strong duo
completed their daily oblations,
paid respects to Viṡwāmitra, who was rich with Tapa,
and became ready to follow him enthusiastically.
1.23.5
தௌ ப்ரயாதௌ மஹாவீர்யௌ திவ்யாம் த்ரிபதகாம் நதீம் ।
தத்ருஸாதே ததஸ்தத்ர ஸரய்வா: ஸங்கமே ஸுபே ॥
tau prayātau mahāvīryau divyāṃ tripathagāṃ nadīm ।
dadṛṡātē tatastatra sarayvāḥ saṅgamē ṡubhē ॥
Those two mighty Veeras travelled further
and saw the divine river (Gaṅga)
that courses in three realms,
near its auspicious confluence with the Sarayu.
Unlike any other river, Gaṅga has the distinction of flowing in heaven, earth and nether world. Hence it is known as Tripatha Gāmini, one that courses through three realms.
1.23.6-7
தத்ராஸ்ரமபதம் புண்யம்ருஷீணாமுக்ரதேஜஸாம் ।
பஹுவர்ஷஸஹஸ்ராணி தப்யதாம் பரமம் தப: ॥
தம் த்ருஷ்ட்வா பரமப்ரீதௌ ராகவௌ புண்யமாஸ்ரமம் ।
ஊசதுஸ்தம் மஹாத்மாநம் விஸ்வாமித்ரமிதம் வச: ॥
tatrāṡramapadaṃ puṇyamṛṣīṇāmugratējasām ।
bahuvarṣasahasrāṇi tapyatāṃ paramaṃ tapaḥ ॥
taṃ dṛṣṭvā paramaprītau rāghavau puṇyamāṡramam ।
ūcatustaṃ mahātmānaṃ viṡvāmitramidaṃ vacaḥ ॥
There they saw a sacred Āṡrama with many Ṛshis
glowing with the radiance of performing
Tapa for thousands of years.
They were amazed and fascinated seeing it
and asked Viṡwāmitra, the Mahātma:
1.23.8
கஸ்யாயமாஸ்ரம: புண்ய: கோ ந்வஸ்மிந் வஸதே புமாந் ।
பகவந் ஸ்ரோதுமிச்சாவ: பரம் கௌதூஹலம் ஹி நௌ ॥
kasyāyamāṡramaḥ puṇyaḥ kō nvasmin vasatē pumān ।
bhagavan ṡrōtumicchāvaḥ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi nau ॥
O Bhagawan! Whose is this sacred Āṡrama?
Who is living there? We are curious to know about it.
1.23.9
தயோஸ்தத்வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா ப்ரஹஸ்ய முநிபுங்கவ: ।
அப்ரவீச்ச்ரூயதாம் ராம யஸ்யாயம் பூர்வ ஆஸ்ரம: ॥
tayōstadvacanaṃ ṡrutvā prahasya munipuṅgavaḥ ।
abravīcchrūyatāṃ rāma yasyāyaṃ pūrva āṡramaḥ ॥
That eminent Muni, in response to their question,
said with a smile on his face:
1.23.10-11
கந்தர்போ மூர்திமாநாஸீத் காம இத்யுச்யதே புதை: ।
தபஸ்யந்தமிஹ ஸ்தாணும் நியமேந ஸமாஹிதம் ॥
க்ருதோத்வாஹம் து தேவேஸம் கச்சந்தம் ஸமருத்கணம் ।
தர்ஷயாமாஸ துர்மேதா ஹுங்க்ருதஸ்ச மஹாத்மநா ॥
kandarpō mūrtimānāsīt kāma ityucyatē budhaiḥ ।
tapasyantamiha sthāṇuṃ niyamēna samāhitam ॥
kṛtōdvāhaṃ tu dēvēṡaṃ gacchantaṃ samarudgaṇam ।
dharṣayāmāsa durmēdhā huṅkṛtaṡca mahātmanā ॥
The learned say that once upon a time Kandarpa had a
form (physical body) and was known as Kāma.
That prankster tried to take on Sthāṇu (Ṡiva), the lord of Dēvas,
who was performing Tapa with strict observances
and with a very focused mind,
after he was married and going along with the Maruts.
Then that Mahātma, Ṡiva, frowned upon him.
Maruts are wind Dēvas. There are seven of them.
We will learn more about them in Sarga 47.
Kandarpa is another name for Manmatha, the god of love.
Kandarpa taking on Ṡiva implies that he
tried to incite romantic or lustful urges in him.
Every culture in India has one or other festival or ritual related to Manmatha. Some are raw and some are refined. They are all in celebration of the eternal and spontaneous love between male and female.
The 'learned' started migrating to cities over the past 100+ years leaving those rituals and festivals to the rustic and uncouth rural inhabitants. Their children, who then populated the urban lands, felt the void. They could not escape that rustic longing for romance, infatuation and innocence, but could find no social expression for it.
The void, of late, is being filled by St. Valentine. The needs are universal. The solutions are local. If we lose the local and native solutions, we are bound to adopt the loudest solution of the day from somewhere.
Conventional wisdom is to put Kāma on equal footing along with Dharma, Artha and Mōksha. Celibate Swamis cannot be expected to lead us in that direction, as their focus is Mōksha. But poets can certainly do. We should start reviving our interest in poetry. We should reestablish our connection with Kālidāsa as much as we do with Vyāsa.
1.23.12
அவதக்தஸ்ய ரௌத்ரேண சக்ஷுஷா ரகுநந்தந ।
வ்யஸீர்ய்யந்த ஸரீராத் ஸ்வாத் ஸர்வகாத்ராணி துர்மதே: ॥
avadagdhasya raudrēṇa cakṣuṣā raghunandana ।
vyaṡīryyanta ṡarīrāt svāt sarvagātrāṇi durmatēḥ ॥
O prince of Raghu dynasty! Then that prankster
got burnt by the anger (of Ṡiva) that emerged
from his fierce eye, and lost all the limbs of his body.
1.23.13
தஸ்ய காத்ரம் ஹதம் தத்ர நிர்தக்தஸ்ய மஹாத்மநா ।
அஸரீர: க்ருத: காம: க்ரோதாத்தேவேஸ்வரேண ஹி ॥
tasya gātraṃ hataṃ tatra nirdagdhasya mahātmanā ।
aṡarīraḥ kṛtaḥ kāmaḥ krōdhāddēvēṡvarēṇa hi ॥
Burnt by the anger of the Lord of Dēvas,
and losing the body, he became formless (bodiless) henceforth.
1.23.14
அநங்க இதி விக்யாதஸ்ததாப்ரப்ருதி ராகவ ।
ஸ சாங்கவிஷய: ஸ்ரீமாந் யத்ராங்கம் ப்ரமுமோச ஹ ॥
anaṅga iti vikhyātastadāprabhṛti rāghava ।
sa cāṅgaviṣayaḥ ṡrīmān yatrāṅgaṃ pramumōca ha ॥
O prince of Raghu dynasty!
From then on, he was known as Anaṅga,
and the area where he lost his Aṅgas,
is known as blessed Aṅga Dēsa.
Aṅga is limb. Anaṅga means limbless.
As you note in these Ṡlōkas, Viṡwāmitra addresses Rāma in doting terms, such as 'dear son of Kousalyā, dear prince of Raghu dynasty, etc.'
I grew up in a village and I can easily relate to this. In my childhood, all the adults in the neighborhood used to call me as 'grandson of Appavadhanulu, or simply the lad of Gollapudi lineage, and the lad of Brahmin community', etc.
People, traditionally in India, used to acknowledge (not discriminate) the social identity of a person on every occasion. But, there are always bad apples, who did address me using those terms to discriminate.
To protect against those discriminatory tendencies, we formulated laws and adapted the etiquette against referring to social identities. We threw the baby with the bath water. We burnt the house, because it became infested with rats.
Now, a generation of populace is growing underneath our feet, that is deprived of social identity, and hence craves for it, and hence gets drawn to organized cults, religions, etc. This phenomenon is subtle and pervasive, and I would think it does not miss the eyes of sociologists.
We think that we are freeing the next generation from social boundaries. But we are ending up depriving them of the pride, reassurance and sense of belonging that comes with a social identity.
At times, in the workplaces we even have to drop our human identity and have to behave like programmed machines.
1.23.15
தஸ்யாயமாஸ்ரம: புண்யஸ்தஸ்யேமே முநய: புரா ।
ஸிஷ்யா தர்மபரா நித்யம் தேஷாம் பாபம் ந வித்யதே ॥
tasyāyamāṡramaḥ puṇyastasyēmē munayaḥ purā ।
ṡiṣyā dharmaparā nityaṃ tēṣāṃ pāpaṃ na vidyatē ॥
This is the sanctified Āṡrama of that Ṡiva.
All these Munis used to be his disciples.
They are fully devoted to Dharma
and have no Pāpas of any sort.
1.23.16
இஹாத்ய ரஜநீம் ராம வஸேம ஸுபதர்ஸந ।
புண்யயோ: ஸரிதோர்மத்யே ஸ்வஸ்தரிஷ்யாமஹே வயம் ॥
ihādya rajanīṃ rāma vasēma ṡubhadarṡana ।
puṇyayōḥ saritōrmadhyē ṡvastariṣyāmahē vayam ॥
O fine and pleasing Rāma! For this night,
we will take rest between these two sacred rivers.
We will cross the river tomorrow.
1.23.17
அபிகச்சாமஹே ஸர்வே ஸுசய: புண்யமாஸ்ரமம் ।
ஸ்நாதாஸ்ச க்ருதஜப்யாஸ்ச ஹுதஹவ்யா நரோத்தம ॥
abhigacchāmahē sarvē ṡucayaḥ puṇyamāṡramam ।
snātāṡca kṛtajapyāṡca hutahavyā narōttama ॥
O best among men! We will go to that sacred Āṡrama
after taking bath and becoming clean
and after doing Japa and completing the fire rituals.
1.23.18
தேஷாம் ஸம்வததாம் தத்ர தபோதீர்கேண சக்ஷுஷா ।
விஜ்ஞாய பரமப்ரீதா முநயோ ஹர்ஷமாகமந் ॥
tēṣāṃ saṃvadatāṃ tatra tapōdīrghēṇa cakṣuṣā ।
vijñāya paramaprītā munayō harṣamāgaman ॥
Through their inner eye, which they attained
after performing Tapa for a long time,
the Munis (of the Āṡrama) came to know
about that conversation and felt very happy.
Inner eye is like sixth sense.
1.23.19
அர்க்யம் பாத்யம் ததாதித்யம் நிவேத்ய குஸிகாத்மஜே ।
ராமலக்ஷ்மணயோ: பஸ்சாதகுர்வந்நதிதிக்ரியாம் ॥
arghyaṃ pādyaṃ tathātithyaṃ nivēdya kuṡikātmajē ।
rāmalakṣmaṇayōḥ paṡcādakurvannatithikriyām ॥
(After they reached the Āṡrama)
The Munis gave the son of Kuṡika,
water to drink and to wash, and food to eat.
Then they also gave due hospitality
to the duo of Rāma and Lakshmaṇa.
1.23.20
ஸத்காரம் ஸமநுப்ராப்ய கதாபிரபிரஞ்ஜயந் ।
யதார்ஹமஜபந் ஸந்த்யாம்ருஷயஸ்தே ஸமாஹிதா: ॥
satkāraṃ samanuprāpya kathābhirabhirañjayan ।
yathārhamajapan sandhyāmṛṣayastē samāhitāḥ ॥
They were given hospitality. They entertained them telling stories.
They performed Japa to Sandhya with focus and sincerity.
Dawn and dusk are referred to as Sandhya.
Doing Japa to Sandhya is chanting Mantras invoking the Sun god.
This Ṡlōka prompts me to give one specific advice to youngsters, which is: "Spend time hanging out with older people. They love to tell you stories and you would learn a lot about life from them."
1.23.21
தத்ர வாஸிபிராநீதா முநிபி: ஸுவ்ரதை: ஸஹ ।
ந்யவஸந் ஸுஸுகம் தத்ர காமாஸ்ரமபதே ததா ॥
tatra vāsibhirānītā munibhiḥ suvrataiḥ saha ।
nyavasan susukhaṃ tatra kāmāṡramapadē tadā ॥
They enjoyed spending time in that Kāma Āṡrama
along with those very disciplined and accomplished Munis.
1.23.22
கதாபிரபிராமாபிரபிராமௌ ந்ருபாத்மஜௌ ।
ரமயாமாஸ தர்மாத்மா கௌஸிகோ முநிபுங்கவ: ॥
kathābhirabhirāmābhirabhirāmau nṛpātmajau ।
ramayāmāsa dharmātmā kauṡikō munipuṅgavaḥ ॥
The descendent of Kuṡika, the eminent Muni and the Dharmātmā,
entertained the wonderful sons of the King
by telling fascinating stories.
I have to confess that I could not carry the beauty of this Ṡlōka into my translation. May I urge you to try reading this Ṡlōka aloud, to enjoy its rhythmical beauty!
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
ஸ்ரீமத்பாலகாண்டே த்ரயோவிம்ஸ: ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ṡrīmadbālakāṇḍē trayōviṃṡaḥ sargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the twenty third Sarga
in Bāla Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
We completed reading 777 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.