Thursday, July 05, 2012

Sita's Praise for Lakshmana


स्रजश्च सर्वरत्नानि प्रिया याश्च वराङ्गनाः।
ऐश्वर्यं च विशालायां पृथिव्यामपि दुर्लभम्॥५७
पितरं मातरं चैव संमान्याभिप्रसाध्य च।
अनुप्रव्रजितो रामं सुमित्रा येन सुप्रजाः॥५८
आनुकूल्येन धर्मात्मा त्यक्त्वा सुखमनुत्तमं।
अनुगच्छति काकुत्स्थं भ्रातरं पालयन् वने॥५९
सिंहस्कन्धो महाभाहुर्मनस्वी प्रियदर्शनः।
पितृवद्वर्तते रामे मातृवन्मां समाचरन्॥६०
ह्रियमाणाम् तदा वीरो न तु मां वेद लक्ष्मणः।
वृद्धोपसेवी लक्ष्मीवाञ्च्छक्तो न बहुभाषिता॥६१
राजपुत्रः प्रियः श्रेष्ठः सदृशः श्वशुरस्य मे।
मत्तः प्रियतरो नित्यं भ्राता रामस्य लक्ष्मणः॥६२
नियुक्तो धुरि यस्यां तु तामुद्वहति वीर्यवान्।
यं दृष्ट्वा राघवो नैव वृत्तमार्यमनुस्मरेत्॥६३
स ममार्थाय कुशलं वक्तव्यो वचनान्मम।
मृदुर्नित्यं शुचिर्दक्षः प्रियो रामस्य लक्ष्मणः॥६४
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिये रामायणे आदिकाव्य् सुन्दरकाण्डे सर्गः ३८
srajaśca sarvaratnāni priyā yāśca varāṅganāḥ|
aiśvaryaṁ ca viśālāyāṁ pṛthivyāmapi durlabham||57
pitaraṁ mātaṁ caiva saṁmānyābhiprasādhya ca|
anupravrajito rāmaṁ sumitrā yena suprajāḥ||58
ānukūlyeana dharmātmā tyaktvā sukhamanuttamaṁ|
anugacchati kākutsthaṁ bhrātaraṁ pālayan vane||59
siṁhaskando mahābhāhurmanasvī priyadarśanaḥ|
pitṛvadvartate rāme mātṛvanmāṁ samācaran||60
hriyamāṇām tadā vīro na tu māṁ veda lakṣmaṇaḥ|
vṛddhopasevī lakṣmīvāñcchakto na bahubhāṣitā||61
rājaputraḥ priyaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sadṛśaḥ śvaśurasya me|
mattaḥ priyataro nityaṁ bhrātā rāmasya lakṣmaṇaḥ||62
niyukto dhuri yasyāṁ tu tāmudvahati vīryavān|
yaṁ dṛṣṭvā rāghavo naiva vṛttamāryamanusmaret||63
sa mamārthāya kuśalaṁ vaktavyo vacanānmama|
mṛdurnityaṁ śucirdakṣaḥ priyo rāmasya lakṣmaṇaḥ||64
śrīmadvālmīkiye rāmāyaṇe ādikāvy sundarakāṇḍe sargaḥ 38



We all know Lakshmana as a very important character in Ramayanam.  But usually he is not accorded the place of honour he deserved in the epic for his sheer devotion and the voluntary sacrifice of all that is best in life for the sake of his elder brother who is just two days older than him. Most of the time it would appear that even Rama and Sita were treating him only as a utility man.  In fact, when Maricha appeared before Sita in the disguise of a Golden deer and she prompted Rama to run after the deer and fetch it for her, Rama had asked Lakshmana to ensure the safety of Sita in his absence.  The wily Maricha, when he was ultimately hit by the arrow of Rama in a far off place, shouted out the names of Sita and Lakshmana in the voice of Rama giving a false impression that Rama was in mortal danger.  Lakshmana knew that this was only a bait by the dying demon.  But Sita insisted that Lakshmana should go for the rescue of Rama and when Lakshmana was reluctant to leave sita unguarded, she used the worst language accusing him of having ulterior intentions on her.  Lakshman had to go away and this made the entry of Ravana into the Ashram and abduction of Sita. Maybe, she remembered the ungrateful treatment she meted out to Lakshmana, and therefore when Hanuman reached Lanka in search of he and she was asked to give messages to her Relatives and friends on the Indian Subcontinent, she showers all praise on Lakshman.  It is a fact that Lakshman deserved this and more

"The faithful Lakshmana had voluntarily abandoned all comforts, gems and jewels, affluent life which is not even thinkable for ordinary persons, and company of noble maidens in Ayodhya, and accompanied Rama and Me for a life of complete austerity and physical denial in the forest, that too for fourteen years. This was done by him after convincing his parents. He is the darling child because of whose birth Devi Sumitra attained great fame. He is now wandering in the forest, after giving up all the comforts of Royal life, and his only mission in life is to protect Rama in the forest.  He is a valorous hero with the shoulder s resembling a lion, having long hands and also a mind and character of the highest order, and he is very pleasing person to the eyes. For him Rama is his father and I am his mother. When I was abducted, he was not present in the ashram ( implying that had he been present the dastardly action could have been thwarted and also that She had force him to go away).  Lakshma is considerate and would be of great service to elder people, he carried in him all the marks of prosperity and he is very powerful. However, he is a man of few words, and is softspoken.He is a real Prince of Kshatriya  blood, he is dear to all, he is of sternling character, and he resmbles Dasartha, my father in law very much. I feel Lakshman is even more dearer to Rama than  me his wife. Lakshmana is a hero who will execute whatever directions are given to him apply his ingenuity and would emerge as as achiever at any cost. Rama is forgetting the grief of having lost his father only by being in the company of Lakshmana. Oh Hanuman, please convey my best wishes to him in endearing words. He is soft always, a very clean and efficient person  and is the cynosure of the eyes of Rama.

This was quoted because, most of the other characters except Urmila, Shatrugna, and the two daughter-in-laws of Dasartha apart from sita, who, along with Laksmana, had   all undergone great sacrifices in life during the fourteen years of exile of Rama, and they have not been given sufficient footage in the epic.

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