Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Journey of Rama & the Story of Seeta: Made Easy - 2
|| श्री गुरुभ्यो नम: ||
Koojantam Raama Raameti Madhuram Madhuraaksharam |
Aaruhya Kavitaashaakham Vande Vaalmiki Kokilam ||
I bow down to Valmiki, who is the cuckoo, singing the sweetest syllables "राम", perched on the branch of poems* Note: The verses and the translations have been taken from http://www.valmikiramayan.net/
बाल काण्डम_
सर्गं-2
naaradasya tu tadvaakyam shrutvaa vaakya vishaaradaH |
puujayaamaasa dharmaatmaa saha shishhyo mahaamuniH || 1-2-1. naaradasya+tu= of Narada, but; tat+vaakyam+shrutvaa= that, sentence, on hearing; vaakya+ vishaaradaH = sentence-maker, the eminent [Valmiki]; dharmaatmaa= virtue minded one [Valmiki]; mahaa muniH= great sage [Valmiki]; saha+shiSyaH= along with, disciples; puujayaamaasa = started to revere [Narada.]
On hearing that sentence of that eminent sentence-maker Sage Narada, [that contains , or Ramayana in a nutshell, narrated in the previous chapter,] that great sage of virtuous mind, namely Valmiki, revered the Divine Sage Narada, along with his disciples. [1-2-1]
Yes, Narada's words had had an impact on Valmiki. This chapter speaks how Ramayana came to be written. Though Narada, had just related the story of Rama, Valmiki still hadn't taken the initiative to write the epic. For those, who can follow sanskrit as such, will know that in Sanskrit language, each letter/word has several meanings. This characteristic played an important role in this epic being written. How, well the following verses can explain this...
yathaavat puujitaH tena devarshhiH naaradaH tathaa |
aapR^icChaiva abhyanujJNaataH sa jagaama vihaayasam ||1-2-2
deva+R^ishi= divine, sage; saH= he, Narada; tena= by him [by Valmiki]; thathaa= that way; yathavat+ puujitaH= befittingly, when worshipped; apR^icCha+eva= on seeking [permission to leave, ] only; abhyanuj~nataH = having permitted [by Valmiki]; vihaayasam= heaven-ward; jagaama= went away.
That divine sage Narada is worshipped that way by Valmiki in a befitting way, and on seeking permission of Valmiki to leave, and having been permitted by Valmiki went away heavenward. [1-2-2]
Please note this: VAlmiki worshipped Narada befittingly and Narada asked Valmiki's permission to go away. Folks, these two souls who were greatness personified( yes, they're great because we still talk about them, thousands of years later) showed utmost respect and most importantly, modesty in their conduct... True knowledge will make a person honest and humble... Our forefathers had this wonderful method of teaching stuff: they practised and showed the youngsters, how something is to be done.
sa muhuurtaM gate tasmin devalokam muniH tadaa |
jagaama tamasaa tiiram jaahnavyaat aviduurataH || 1-2-3
3. tasmin= he, that Narada; muhuurtam+devalokam+gate= in a moment [after,] god's world, heavens, having gone; tadaa= then; saH+muniH= he, that sage Valmiki; jaahnavyaat+avi + duurataH= from Jahnavi river, not, far-off from [nearby to Jahnavi river]; tamasaa+tiiram+ jagaama= Tamasa, riverbanks, proceeded to.
In a moment after Narada went to the World of the Gods, the sage Valmiki proceeded to the banks of the river Taamasa, which was not far from the banks of the Ganga
sa tu tiiram samaasaadya tamasaayaa muniH tadaa |
shishhyam aaha sthitam paarshve dR^ishhTvaa tiirtham akardamam || 1-2-4
4. saH+tu= he [Valmiki,] but; muniH+tadaa= sage, then; tamasaayaa= of Tamasa; tiiram+ sam aasaadya= riverbank, drawing nigh of; a+kardamam= not, filthy; tiirtham= strand [n. esp. poet. the margin of a sea, lake, or river, esp. the foreshore]; dR^iSTva= on beholding; paarshve +sthitam+shiSyam+aaha= at his side, available, to disciple, spoke to.
Valmiki approached the banks of the Taamasa and on seeing the crystal clear water, spoke to his disciple who was by his side
akardamam idam tiirtham bharadvaaja nishaamaya |
ramaNiiyam prasanna ambu san manushhya mano yathaa || 1-2-5
5. Bharadwaja; san+manuSyaH+manaH+yatha= noble, man's, bosom [heart,] as with; a+kardamam = not, filthy; prasanna+ambu= with pleasant, waters; ramaNiiyam= heart pleasing; idam+ tiirtham = this, watery foreshore; nishaamaya= you behold.
Oh Bharadwaja, look at this water, which is not filthy, pleasing to the heart, as if the mind of a good human
nyasyataam kalashaH taata diiyataam valkalam mama |
idam eva avagaahishhye tamasaa tiirtham uttamam || 1-2-6
6. taata= my dear; nyasyataam+kalasaH= be kept [there,] handy-vessel [kamanDulu]; mama= to me; valkalam+diiyataam= jute loincloth, be given; idam= this; uttamam= best one; tamasa+tiirtham +eva= Tamasa, ford, only; avagaahiSye= I will enter.
My dear, let my Kamandalu be kept there, give my jute loin cloth, i will enter the best waters of Taamasa, here only
(you'll find that the prose is a bit unusual.. thats because, its the exact translation of how things are spoken in sanskrit... or to tell the truth, english doesn't have sufficient words to bring out the exact expressions of certain words in sanskrit)
7.evam uk{}to bharadvaajo vaalmiikena mahaatmanaa |
prayachchhata muneH tasya valkalam niyataH guroH || 1-2-7
7. mahaatmanaa+valmiikena= by great-souled, Valmiki; evam+uktaH= that way, when said; bharadwaajaH = bharadwaaja; guroH+niyataH= to his mentor, humble one; tasya+muneH= to that, saint; valkalam+ prayacChata = jute-cloth, gave.
Bharadwaaja , who was thus spoken to by the humble, great souled Valmiki, gave to the Sage with humility the jute cloth
sa shishhya hastaat aadaaya valkalam niyatendriyaH |
vichachaara ha pashyan tat sarvato vipulam vanam || 1-2-8
8. niyata+indriyaH= who controlled, his senses [self-controlled]; saH= he, Valmiki; shishya+hastaat= from disciple's, hands; valkalam= loincloth; aadaaya= on taking; pasyan+sarvataH = looking, everywhere; tat+ vipulam +vanam= that, wide, of forest; vichachaara + ha= ambled [towards waters,] indeed
Then, Valmiki, who has controlled his senses, took the loincloth from his disciple's hands, and gazing all around the wide forest, walked towards the waters
tasya abhyaashe tu mithunam charantam anapaayinam |
dadarsha bhagavaan tatra krau~NchayoH chaaru nisvanam || 1-2-9
9. bhagavaan= godly sage; tatra= there; tasya+abhyaase+tu= in its [in foreshore's,] vicinity, but; an+ apaayinam= not, leaving one another [or, not fearing any danger]; charantam= moving about, flying there about; chaaru+nisvanam= charmingly, calling; krounchayoH= two krouncha birds [ a lovely birds, not herons]; midhunam= a couple; dadarsha= he saw.
Thoe godly sage. saw in the vicinity, a couple of Krouncha birds, fearlessly flying about the place, not leaving one another
tasmaat tu mithunaat ekam pumaa.msam paapa nishchayaH |
jaghaana vairanilayo nishhaadaH tasya pashyataH || 1-2-10
10. papa+nischayaH= evil, in intent; vyra= enemy of; nilayaH= abode of birds and animals [foresters]; nishaadaH= a tribal hunter; tasmaat+midhunaat+tu = of them, but, of couple; ekam= one; pumaamsam = male one; tasya+pasyataH= on his [Valmiki's,] while looking on; jaghaana= killed.
As Valmiki was looking on, a tribal hunter with evil intent, killed the male of the couple of Krouncha birds
tam shoNita pariitaaN^gam ceSTamaanam mahiitale
bhaaryaa tu nihatam dR^iSTvaa ruraava karuNaam giram || 1-2-11
viyuktaa patinaa tena dvijena sahachaariNaa
taamra shiirshheNa mattena patriNaa sahitena vai || 1-2-12
11-12. patinaa= with husband; saha+chaariNa= along with, moving - together with husband; which husband is with; taamra+siirSeNa= red, crested [hence, a proud male bird]; matten= lusty one; patriNaa= with good wings; sahitena= always has his heart for her; tena+ dvijena= from that, bird [male bird]; viyukata= separated; bhaarya + tu = wife of, [female bird,] but; nihitam= slain; mahii+tale= on ground, surface; ceSTamaanam= reeling; shoNita+ pariita + angam= blood, covered, wings [or body]; tam+dR^iSTva= him [male bird,] on seeing; karuNaam + giram= with piteous, utterances; ru+raava= lamented, wailed sounds; vai= really.
She( the female bird) who was moving along with her husband, who was red crested ( i.e a proud male bird), with good wings and smitten with lust; and always had his heart for her; And now she was seperated from her husband, who was slain and had fallen on the ground, and on seeing his blood covered wings, she wailed with piteous cries.
tathaa vidhim dvijam dR^ishhTvaa nishhaadena nipaatitam |
R^isheH dharmaatmaanaH tasya kaaruNyam samapadyata || 1-2-13
13. tathaa+vidhim= that, way; niSadena+nipaatitam= by hunter, felled; dvijam+ dR^iSTvaa= at bird, on seeing; dharma+aatmaanaH= for that kind, hearted one; tasya+ R^isheH= to that, sage; kaaruNyam+ samapadyata = compassion, occasioned.
On seeing the bird, which was hit down by the tribal hunter, the Rshi's (Valmiki) heart is filled with compassion
tataH karuNa veditvaat adharmo ayam iti dvijaH |
nishaamya rudatiim krounchiim idam vacanam abraiit || 1-2-14
14. tataH= then; dvijaH= sage Valmiki; rudatiim+krounchiim+nishaamya= wailing, female bird, on seeing; karuNa+veditvaat= compassion, haunting him; ayam+adharmaH+iti= this is, unjust, thus thinking, thus apperceiving; idam+vacanam+abraiit= this, sentence, said, uttered.
Then when Valmiki saw the wailing female bird (krounchi), filled with compassion, thinking that this is unjust, he spoke the following sentence
maa nishhaada pratiSThaamtva magamaH shaashvatiiH samaaH |
yat krau~Ncha mithunaat eka mavadhiiH kaama mohitam || 1-2-15
15. ama= oh, ill-fate one; niSaada= oh, hunter; tvam= you; yat= by which reason; krau~Ncha+ mithunaat = of krouncha, couple; ekam= one; kaama+mohitam= in lustful, indulged in; avadhiiH= killed; [tat= by that reason]; shaashvatiiH= ever lasting; samaaH= ages to come; pratiSThaam+tu= reputation, but; maa+gamaH= don't, get.
Oh ill-fated hunter,by which reason you killed one of the krouncha couple, when it was indulged in lust, because of that for ages to come, you will be remembered ( in simple words, valmiki out of compassion curses the hunter with ill-reputation for killing one of the krouncha birds, when they were in the process of making love, and more importantly because they were defenseless)
Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for the first shloka that was ever composed in the history of mankind. Its said that, prior to this lyric, no lyric/poem ever existed except for the vedic lore. This is the first piece of poem that was ever composed, which follows the proper grammar, accepted for a lyric.
And this celebrated verse that was uttered out of Valmiki in compassion and anger , was how he started narrating the Ramayana, though he never realised it until much later.
These lines can be interpreted in several ways. The first being, that this verse is an auspicious beginning to the epic.. How? Well, this where the game's played with the language...
valmikiramayan.net gives the following explanations:
1] This verse is taken as mangal˜carana to Ramayana, for any epic has to have mangala ˜aadi mangala madhy˜ni mangala ant˜ni [A good pious beginning, pious middle and pious ending.] Thus this verse has the letter maa at its start and maa is lakÿmŸ v˜caka in Sanskrit. It is ˜di varõa× The first letter - loka maataa maa ramaa˜ mangala devataa thus amara kosha says for Goddess Lakshmi.
ma= Goddess Lakshmi; nisaa˜da= Oh! Vishnu [ for Goddess Lakshmi resides in the heart of Vishnu - nisadati asmin iti nisaada ]; yat = by which act; krounca midhun˜t = the couple of demons, namely Ravana and Mandodari; k˜ma mohitam= that impassioned one and stole Seetha; ekam= that one, Ravana; avadhŸ= you killed; by that act of yours þaþvatŸsam˜= everlasting for ages; pratiÿ÷˜m= divine sanctity; tvam agama= you, get.
"Goddess Lakshmi's abode... Oh! Vishnu, by which act of your killing one male demon named Ravana, who in his passionabducted Seetha, and thus you eradicated the vice from the earth, for that you get an everlasting divine sanctity, as Rama, for ages to come."
2] There is another declination attributing this to Ravana. Ravana is the one who tortures others for his benefit. itaraam saadayati piiDayati iti niSaada - thus: Oh! Ravana; krounch+ midhunaat= from the couple of Rama and Seetha, who are flying from forest to forest like nest-less birds; ekam= one is, Seetha is; avadhii =as good as killing [her with your torture of abducting; pratiSTaam= your glory in Lanka, at its zenith, as per the kindness of Brahma; ma+agama= never get, hereafter. But this declination is not held right, for it is like a curse, shaapa, and no epic shall start with a bad omen.
3] Next, this verse is said from the perspective of Rama alone. Sage Narada gave the details of the legend to Sage Valmiki and Brahma orders that the legend of Rama is to be recorded. But Ramayana is full of pathos, karuNa - shoka rasa prathaana. If it is to be penned the writer too shall have heart that can outpour that mood. So when Valmiki is at the river banks Rama, say Vishnu, came in the guise of a tribal, as with other mythological episodes like kiraataarjuniiya etc., and killed one bird. Valmiki reacted immediately and Vishnu's test is complete. But in exciting the mood of such holy sage, Rama gets a curse in this verse - maa nishaada.
nishaada= oh tribal: to Valmiki / Vishnu to mythology; for your killing one bird of the couple, to the misery of the female one; shaashvatii = as long as you live on this earth; samaaH+pratiSTaam= togetherness, with your wife; ma+agama= do not get.
Oh! Rama, as long as you are on earth, you do not get the love of being together with your wife... for you have to live with your wife departed [to Lanka,] come again and departed [to forests.]
But this is differed statement, since Vishnu do not require any personal testing of the capabilities of the writer of Ramayana. Brahma will look after such literary things.
4] The generally accepted meaning of this verse is this. Any epic's gist is to be said at the start or, at its commencement --- k˜vya artha s¨canam kascin ˜dy˜m eva nir¨pyate --- Thus the above verse included the meaning of whole of the epic, Ramayana.
i] maa+niSaada= Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu's marriage in their incarnations as Rama and Seetha - depicts -- Bala Kanda.
ii] pratiSTaam+tvam+agama= renown, you get - by following your father's orders you have repaired to forests, without any political upheaval, thus get an everlasting renown as an obliging son --- depicts-- Ayodhya Kanda.
iii] shashavatii+ samaa= by dwelling in forest and eradicating demons and helping the saints and sages thus, you achieve an everlasting praise - depicts - Aranaya Kanda.
iv] krounchayoH= from the atrocious couple; -- krunca gati kau÷ily˜ alpŸ bh˜vayo× ; the atrocious Vali, and Tara couple; ekam+kaama+mohitam = one, passion filled, i.e., Vali, avadhii= you killed Vali - depicts - Kishkindha Kanda.
v] krouncha +mithunaat= from the couple of lovely passionate birds - here Rama and Seetha; niSaada he Ravana, kaama mohitam lustfully, ekam one [i.e., Seetha]; avadhii = almost killed, i.e., her residing in Lanka is as good as death; this depicts - Sundara Kanda.
vi] krouincha+mithunaat = from the atrocious, couple - Ravana and Mandodari; ekam avadhii one - Ravana, is killed - depicts - Yuddha Kanda.
vii] kaama+mohitam= by desire, fascinated [ kama also means a longing, desire, let alone lusting]; Seetha is fascinated by her desire to see sage's wives in uttara Ramayana and thus she is left in hermitage by Lakshmana. Hence vii canto uttara Ramayana is also suggested.
tasya evam bruvataH chintaa babhuuva hRidi viikshataH |
shokaartena asya shakuneH kim idam vyaahRitam mayaa ||1-2-16
16. evam+bruvataH= thus, having said; viikshataH= while pondering; tasya+hR^idi= in his, heart; asya+ shakuneH= for that, bird; shoka+aartena+mayaa= in anguish, annoyed, by me; vyahR^itam= uttered utterance; idam= this [verse, sentence]; kim= what is it; [thus] chintaa+ babhuva =cogitative [of the lines,] he became.
Pondering in his heart over what he said, out of anguish for the bird, Valmiki became aware of the lines he had just uttered
Valmiki out of compassion for the bird, uttered a curse, meant for the hunter... He didn't notice that he had uttered a curse, till he actually said it... And hence, he regrets for the words that he had uttered..
chintayan sa mahaapraajnaH chakaara matimaan matim
shishyam cha eva abraviit vaakyam idam sa munipuNgavaH || 1-2-17
7. chintayan= on thinking; saH= he; mahaa+praaj~naH= eminently, astute one; matimaan = intellectual sage; chakaara+matim= made up, his mind; saH+muni+pu.ngavaH= he, saint, the erudite one; shishyam= to disciples; idam+vaakyam+abraviit+cha+eva= this, sentence, spoke, also, thus.
On thinking, the highly perceptive and intellectual sage, made up his mind and spoke this sentence to his disciple :
paada baddhaH akshara samaH tantrii laya samanvitaH |
shokaartasya pravRitto me shloko bhavatu na anyathaa || 1-2-18
18. me= while I was; shoka+aartsya= by anguish, annoyed; pravR^ittaH= emerged; paada +baddhaH = foot [of stanza,] arranged well; akshara+samaH= letters, metrically posited; tantrii= [tuneful like] string [instrument]; laya= rhymed well [of syllables]; samanvitaH= having in it; slokaH+bhavatu= verse, it shall be; na anyatha = not, otherwise.
"(What) emerged while I was anguished, is tied to a stanza( ie well arranged), the letters are equally poised, and has in it the rythm of a stringed instrument, and that shall be a verse, not otherwise"
Sanskrit language has this concept called Chandas; the letters that form the lyric, should be equally distributed in the Paada. The Paada ( literally meaning foot) is a portion of the entire sentence. The sentence may be divided into four parts , as in the case of verse 15, so each part is a paada. And the letters in the Paada are equally distributed:
maa ni saa da pra ti shtaam tva | ma ga ma shaa shva tii sa maa
Each paada has 8 syllables, and so this verse is said to be in the Anushtubh metre or Anushtubh Chanda:
Besides, Saints and Sages need to be really careful with their speech; for words uttered by them always become true. Hence Valmiki all the more regrets for his earlier utterance and affirms that those words will not be a curse but a shloka.
The verse uttered by Valmiki, was out of sorrow( shoka) hence its a shloka.. But shloka also means kirti, yashas, i.e renown
shiSyaH tu tasya bruvato muner vaakyam anuttamam
prati jagraaha sa.ntushhTaH tasya tuSToaH abhavat muniH ||1-2-19
19. shishyaH+tu= disciple, even; bruvataH= what is articulated; tasya+muneH= by that [Valmiki's,] saint; santuSTaH+pratijagraaH= felt happy, received; vaakyam+aunuttamam= word [verse,] unique one; tasya= by that; tuSTaH+abhavat+muniH= happy, became, saint.
The disciple, satisfied and happy, received the unique articulation of the Saint, by which the Saint too became happy.
so.abhiSekam tataH kRitvaa tiirthe tasmin yathaavidhi
tam eva chintayan artham upaavartata vai muniH || 1-2-20
20. tataH= then; saH+muniH= that, saint; tasmin+tiirthe= in that, ford; yathaa+vidhi= as per, custom; abhishekam+kR^itva= bathing, on performing; tam+ardham+eva+chintayan= its, purport, alone, on thinking; upa+aavartata+vai= back, he came, really [returned to hermitage.]
Then taking bath in the ford as per custom, the Sage, thinking on about his utterance, returned back to his hermitage
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