the acid test..

the acid test..

धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामो दाशरथिर् यदि

पौरुषे च अप्रतिद्वन्द्वः तदैनं जहि रावणिं॥

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे युद्धकाण्डे ८७-- ३१ 

dharmātmā satyasandhaśca rāmo dāśarathir yadi

pauruṣe ca apratidvandvaḥ tadainaṁ jahi rāvaṇiṁ||

śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe yuddhakāṇḍe 87-- 31

The star-fight in the entire scenario of the war for defeating Ravana and retrieving Sita from Lanka is considered by many as the fight between Lakshmana and Indrajit.. Indrajit, the valorous son of Ravana, in facts exceeded his father in his physical prowess and adroitness in war-craft..

The arrows and other weapons and missiles possessed by him were without match .And it was Lakshmana, the young prince and the darling brother of Rama who led the fight against the young Rakshasa prince..

Lakshmana had valour, and to condition himself for the fight, he had done penance of taking no food, and observing strict celibacy for fourteen years..

But when the fight started, the victory appeared to tilt in favour Meghanadha the Indrajit, and with each arrow being sent, each missile being hurled, the wily demon appeared to gain the upper hand.

Lakshmana was completely exhausted and was at his wits end..

Then he thought of the glory of his own elder brother, Rama, the Divinity standing in the battleground just to establish truth and order.. He takes an arrow, and as the invocations before mounting it on the bow he says

" If it is true that Rama, the Son of Dasaratha, is the embodiment of Dharma, if He is always truthful, and if he is without any match in valour, may this arrow hit and annilhilate the son of Ravana."

And the nature is truthful.. The universe is truthful.. And words loaded with truth cannot be contradicted.

Hence the arrow found its target effectively,

and

Indrajit fell lifeless on the battleground.

Here we have to ponder over the various underlying factors that ultimately decides human action and success thereof.

1.. The faith of Lakshmana in the greatness of his elder brother and master..was limitless..When everything else had gone out of his control , still he has the confidence that the mere assertion of the greatness of Rama could gain back anything for him..

And such faith stems out of reality.. Rama represented all that his younger believed him to be..Even the mention of such potent truths can control the balance of Dharma in the universe.

In fact this is basic psychology guiding the chanting of mantras and other intonations.. as we find in all religions..

2. Earlier in the epic, we find that Lakshmana, on the face of mounting obstacles leading even to a state of virtual death for himself and Rama, the mock killing of Sita, etc, had got depressed for some time and had even spoken in contempt of Dharma, and the righteous path followed by the elder brother..But ultimately he had to come round to trust in the efficacy of dharma and then alone he could vanquish his enemy.

3. Lakshmana was not a rabbit..He was a very astute person, a well-educated prince and an eminent warrior himself..

And he had lived with Rama all his lifetime but for a single day.. because he was born the next day after Rama..

Still, even after so many years, Lakshmana could have complete faith in the loftiness of Rama's character and valour..We look at icons, and form our views on them without adequate data and observation..Our judgements can be faulty.And usually a younger brother is programmed with jealousy for his elder sibling even as the former is born..

But Lakshmana could assert the greatness of Rama his elder brother with no doubt whatsoever.. This should speak volumes for the greatness of Rama.

4. It has to be noted that Lakshmana did not assert that he was Bhagavan Sehsa himself or that Rama and Sita were Narayana and Lakshmi., the supreme Divine Couple..Lakshmana asserted the glory of the race of Dasaratha and the personal qualities of Rama. adherence to Dharma, Truth and Valour.

Maybe such great qualities in men put them even above the Godhead.