Saturday, August 13, 2011

Was it a vision or a waking dream

स्वप्ने ममायं विकृतोद्य दृष्टः शाखामृगः शास्त्रगणैर् निषिद्धः।
स्वस्त्यस्तु रामाय सलक्ष्मणाय तथा पितुर्मे जनकस्य राज्ञो॥९॥
स्वप्नो हि नायं नहि मेऽस्ति निद्रा शोकेन दुःखेन हि पीडितायाः।
सुखं हि मे नास्ति यतो विहीना तेनेन्दुपूर्णप्रतिमाननेन॥१०
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे सर्गः ३२

swapne mamaayaM vikR^itodya dR^iSTaH shaakhaamR^igaH shaastragaNair niSiddhaH.
swastyastu raamaaya salakSmaNaaya tathaa piturme janakasya raaj~no..9..
swapno hi naayaM nahi me.asti nidraa shokena duHkhena hi piiDitaayaaH.
sukhaM hi me naasti yato vihiinaa tenendupuurNapratimaananena..10
shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe sundarakaaNDe sargaH 32

Hanuman, on the sacred mission of discovering Seetha, jumped over the sea from the southernmost tip of India and reached Lanka.  After very meticulous search in the alien land, He found Seetha in a garden named Ashokavana and with a view not to frighten her by appearing before her and suddenly announcing about the arrival of Rama's emissary, he simply stole into the garden maintaining His body-size to minimum and perched atop the Shimsupa tree under which Sita was sitting, in utter dejection and agony.  To win her confidence, Hanuman, like a bard, sang the story of Rama upto the point of Hanuman's arrival in Lanka for the rescue of Sita.  Sita was still in a daze to decide whether what he heard from the monkey sitting atop the tree was true or was it mere hallcination.  She tells herself.." I have seen a monkey in my dreams.. Such dream is probhited by the scriptures and is declared as inauspicious.  May only good things happen to my Lord Rama and his dear brother Lakshmana and also to my father, the king Janaka. "  Further she tells herself." How can I have a dream? I have never had any sleep after getting torn away from my lord Rama who is having a face as resplendent as the full moon.  I am always tormented by grief and mental agony. and how could I find enough comfort ever to fall asleep for a single second.

Human mind when it becomes strained beyond a certain stage of endurance, just refuses to entertain comfortable thoughts even when the release from torment is so near.  Even real things are viewed as hallucinations... The thoughts find its parallel in Keats "Ode to a Nightingale, where he says. "Was it a vision or a waking dream, fled is the music, do I wake or sleep"
However it would appear queer that  Sita should, on her first encounter with Hanuman, think that  He is an ugly monkey who had intruded into her dreams.  As Ramayana advances further, it will be evident that it was Hanuman who brought back life and happiness for Sita and Rama  from the abysmal state of desperation to which they were subjected to.


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