Hari Om.
Let us begin the ninth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The trio after spending a night at the hermitage of sage sutIkshNa took his permission the next morning to tour the hermitages in the danDaka forest. They came to this hermitage from the hermitage of Sarabhanga where they were approached by a number of sages belonging to different orders for protection. The trio traveled to the sutIkshNa ASram with the sages and from there with a desire to experience the life in various hermitages and also offer protection to them from the demons, they wanted to move around and not be rooted in one hermitage. The sage sutIkshNa offered his blessings and told them that they were welcome there anytime. Onwards…
As the trio took leave of sage sutIkshNa to tour the hermitages, sItA affectionately and earnestly addressed her husband –
“O rAma, this great path of dharma that you are following can be attained by subtle and nuanced means and possible only when one desists from the addiction to passion. Passion can lead to three types of dangers – speaking untruth, having extramarital affairs with others wives and resorting to unprovoked violence. The latter two are more serious than the first. You have never resorted to untruth nor will you ever do. And the very thought of destroying someone’s chastity never arose in your mind nor will it ever. O prince rAma, elder brother of lakshmaNa, you are always faithful to your wife, your righteous, truthful and always obedient to your father. You are a stickler to truth and as such are the embodiment of dharma and truth. You are a repository of virtues. I am fully aware of you unmatched sense control.
स्वदारनिरतस्त्वं च नित्यमेव नृपात्मज।।3.9.6।।
धर्मिष्ठस्सत्यसन्धश्च पितुर्निर्देशकारकः।
सत्यसन्ध महाभाग श्रीमल्लक्ष्मणपूर्वज।।3.9.7।।
त्वयि धर्मश्च सत्यं च त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्।
The third vice – that of resorting to unprovoked violence afflicts you. You have offered protection to the sages of the daDaka forest from the demons. You have promised to vanquish those demons and said you were on that mission and hence entered the danDaka forests! When I think of this and your welfare and safety, I am troubled in my mind. Hence I do not like the idea of you entering the danDaka forests. Further, when you go out into the forest wielding your bow and arrows and see forest dwellers you may feel like making use of those. Weapon in the hands of kshatriya is like fuel for the fire – it sure enhances his strength and brilliance.
Here is a fable – once upon a time, a noble ascetic who was ever truthful was performing penance in a forest. In order to disturb his penance, indra came there on a chariot in the form of a soldier. He entrusted the ascetic with his sword to keep. Having been entrusted with the weapon, earnest to safeguard it, the ascetic always moved around in the forest carrying the sword, even while going to gather fruits and roots. By constant company of the sword and his mind ever devoted to safeguarding it, the ascetic developed a violent nature, got distracted from his penance and ultimately ended up in the hell!
This old fable makes it clear that touching a weapon and touching fire lead to the same result.
Out of my love and earnestness I just thought of reminding you and am certainly not instructing you.
स्नेहाच्च बहुमानाच्च स्मारये त्वां न शिक्षये।।3.9.25।।
When you wield your bow and go into the danDaka forest, you may see demons and even kill those who have no enmity towards you. That won’t count as valor for sure and I don’t desire that you do it. It is the dharma of a kshatriya warrior to wield a bow and protect the sages who are in a state of self control and penance. But where is the question of those living like ascetics to wield weapon in forest, how can you perform dharma of a kshatriya while living life of an ascetic in the forest. you must honor the law of the land and desist from wielding your weapons.
क्वच शस्त्रं क्व च वनं क्व च क्षात्रं तपः क्वच।।3.9.28।।
व्याविद्धमिदमस्माभिर्द्देशधर्मस्तु पूज्यताम्।
O venerable one, the mind gets polluted by virtue of handling weapons and you can always revert to the dharma of kshatriya when you go back to ayOdhyA. My father-in-law and mother-in-law will be very happy if you live like an ascetic without worrying about the kingdom and duties of kshatriya.
It is dharma from which emerge the means and it is from dharma that happiness arises. In fact everything in this world can be attained to dharma and this world itself is the essence of dharma.
धर्मादर्थः प्रभवति धर्मात्प्रभवते सुखम्।।3.9.31।।
धर्मेण लभते सर्वं धर्मसारमिदं जगत्।
आत्मानं नियमैस्तैस्तै कर्शयित्वा प्रयत्नतः।।3.9.32।।
प्राप्यते निपुणैर्धर्मो न सुखाल्लभ्यते सुखम्।
And this dharma (and the consequent happiness) is attained by the diligent by means of self discipline and emaciation. Happiness hardly begets happiness. O gentle one, with a pure mind, do roam the forests. You know the actuality of everything in the three worlds.
स्त्रीचापलादेतदुदाहृतं मे धर्मं च वक्तुं तव कस्समर्थः।
विचार्य बुद्ध्या तु सहानुजेन यद्रोचते तत्कुरु मा चिरेण।।3.9.34।।
I spoke these words to you out of my womanly fickleness, otherwise who is capable of articulating dharma to you. Please ponder over my suggestions along with your brother and unhesitatingly do what appeals to you as fitting.
Here we conclude the the ninth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.10. Of bounden duty and promise
Previous: 3.8. Off to tour the hermitages
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 