September 20 - Sargas 33 and 34 of Kishkindha Kanda.
Valmiki gives another description of a great city - this time Kishkindha. I continue to marvel at his wordsmithery and also at the ancient Indian "totally urban" mindset.
Whereas our scriptures are replete with great descriptions of the circle of life in the forest, they also contain frequent references to how man lives in the city. In fact, Purusha, or man, means one who lives in the city! Even in the Bhagavadgita, Sri Krishna says, "navadvaare pure dehii", meaning that this body with nine apertures is the city in which the human soul dwells.
Then Valmiki goes on to report a very interesting dialogue between Lakshmana and Tara.
***
Lakshmana entered Kishkindha. Although described as a cave, inside it was a full-fledged capital city, full of wonderful mansions, studded with precious stones, well-appointed, and laid out for all the various vanara chiefs. (Specific references are made to the important vanaras' mansions, eg Nila, Nala, Tara, Hanuman, and even the mansion of Jambavan is mentioned). There were trees full of fragrant flowers and delicious fruits. Valmiki says that the citizens of Kishkindha were divinely endowed vanaras capable of changing their form at will, looking very healthy and handsome, and all looked very happy. The women are especially mentioned as very attractive, confident, and very well dressed, and wearing many ornaments. There was music and dance everywhere and in fact, the sound of dancing bells increased Lakshmana's anger!
हरिभिः संवृतद्वारं बलिभिः शस्त्रपाणिभिः ।
दिव्यमाल्यावृतं शुभ्रं तप्तकाञ्चनतोरणम् ॥
सुग्रीवस्य गृहं रम्यं प्रविवेश महाबलः ।
अवार्यमाणः सौमित्रिर्महाभ्रमिव भास्करः ॥
"Lakshmana entered the front door of Sugriva's white palace which looked very beautiful, with a torana of golden flowers, and with divine garlands strung everywhere. It was guarded well by strong vanaras bearing weapons. But the mighty Lakshmana was like the effulgent sun who enters even a dense black cloud easily."
Lakshmana passed many chambers full of a variety of beautiful women, sporting, and singing. Hearing their anklets he was bashful. At the same time, he was greatly provoked. He held his bow and gave a mighty twang to its string that resonated frighteningly everywhere.
This alarmed Sugriva who was still getting out of his inebriation. He knew from Angada and others that Lakshmana had arrived. But he was unable to understand this extreme anger. He pleaded with Tara, "oh, please explain what wrong I have done to Lakshmana! Why is he angry? Tara, you had better go at once and meet Lakshmana and find out why he is so upset. I know his nobility and that he won't harm a woman."
Tara too was inebriated, with her girdle loosened. She was ashamed of her wardrobe malfunction as she went to Lakshmana and bowed. Lakshmana was bashful and did not look up at her. Tara asked, " Oh, Lakshmana, what has occasioned this great anger in you!? Who dare approach you, looking like a forest fire ready to burn down everything?"
Lakshmana spoke. "Oh lady, do you realize that your husband is totally engrossed in sense pleasures and is so busy with drink and women that he has ignored his royal duties as well as his responsibility towards us? It is already four months!"
नहि धर्मार्थसिध्यर्थं पानमेवं प्रशस्यते ।
पानादर्थश्च कामश्च धर्मश्च परिहीयते ॥
"Oh lady, you should know that drinking and inebriation ruins a man's prospect of discharging his Dharma. Indeed, drinking compromises one's pursuit of righteousness, enterprise, and even true enjoyment of life."
Lakshmana urged Tara that not fulfilling one's promise to one's trusted and close friends was ruinous and most unworthy. She is wise and should therefore school Sugriva appropriately.
***
Tara now replied.
"Oh, Prince, this is not the time to get angry with your friends. Indeed Sugriva is committed to carrying out his duty. So even if he has made some mistake you should forgive him. Indeed you are pre-eminent in your virtues and have performed great austerities. So you should not yield to anger.
"I know that Sugriva has crossed the four months time limit. But you see, he has given in to carnal desires and voluptuousness. So he has forgotten to act. Being immune to carnal desires, you do not understand the predicament of Sugriva."
न देशकालौ हि यथार्थधर्माववक्षते कामरतिर्मनुष्यः ।
तं कामवृत्तं मम संनिकृष्टं कामाभियोगाच्च विमुक्तलज्जम् ॥
क्षमस्व तावत् परवीरहन्तस्त्वद्भ्रातरं वानरवंशनाथम् ।
"Oh, slayer of mighty foes, you ought to realize that neither the question of the appropriateness of time and place nor whether such action is in accordance with one's righteous obligations can hold back a man who is overcome with carnal passion. Realising that Surgiva is in my company and fully surrendered to sexual desires, with no sense of shame, please do forgive Sugriva, the chief of vanaras, considering him your brother."
Tara argued that even ascetic sages after long periods of penance had not escaped carnal temptations. And by the way, Lakshmana would be glad to know that Sugriva had already given orders and a great many vanaras and others in his army had started assembling nearby for the intended mission.
Tara invited Lakshmana to set aside his bashfulness and come into the women's quarters to meet Sugriva.
***
Sugriva jumped out of his bed, rising with Ruma and other women whom he was sporting with, on seeing the mighty Lakshmana spewing anger. Sugriva was like a tall tree shaking in the wind.
Lakshmana did not mince his words.
पूर्वं कृतार्थो मित्राणां न तत्प्रतिकरोति यः ।
कृतघ्नः सर्वभूतानां स वध्यः प्लवगेश्वर ॥
गीतोऽयं ब्रह्मणा श्लोकः सर्वकालनमस्कृतः ।
दृष्ट्वा कृतघ्नं क्रुद्धेन तन्निबोध प्लवङ्गम ॥
गोघ्ने चैव सुरापे च चौरे भग्नव्रते तथा ।
निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्भिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः ॥
"Oh Vanara, Sugriva, listen. Having once secured favours from a friend and got what one wanted, if one does not repay the debt by discharging his commitment to that friend, he is indeed punishable by the death penalty.
"Let me quote to you a famous shloka attributed to a brahmin who had been angered by the betrayal shown by his friend.
"The killing of a cow, or misdeed of inebriation by drink, or theft, or breaking one's religious vows - all of them have rituals that have been prescribed by the wise for penitence and absolution. But the deed of betraying someone's friendship is indeed beyond penitence or forgiving."
***
Lakshmana reminds Sugriva that he owes all his good life now to Sri Rama. If Sugriva does not keep his side of the commitment, he will quickly go where Vali went. If only Sugriva had known the true power of Sri Rama's arrows, he would not have been so deficient in his behaviour.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
