March 23 - Sargas 73,74 and 75.
The strange story of a brahmin boy's death. Sage Narada asks Sri Rama to find out what ritualistic transgression has occasioned it.
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One day, an aged brahmin came wailing to the royal gate, holding the corpse of his son, bemoaning his untimely death, blaming his own past lives' karmas.
अकाले कालमापन्नं मम दुःखाय पुत्रक "Oh, son, you have died too young, giving me great grief."
"Surely, your mother and I will die of grief soon. I cannot recollect any evil act that would have incurred this bad karma in this life - no untruth, no violence towards animals. You, who should have conducted my last rites, have now gone to the next world! I have not seen such untimely death occurring thus far in Sri Rama's kingdom. This must have been caused now by some wrong act of Sri Rama alone! Oh, Sri Rama! Boys don't die like this in other kingdoms. So you should take responsibility and bring my son back to life! Woe to us who suffer like this in your kingdom! If people sin in your land, and you have no law and order to regulate people, this will be the outcome."
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Sri Rama was moved by this distress. He called all the sages like Vasishtha, Gautama, Vamadeva, and so on, into his assembly. Even the great divine sage Narada was present. Sri Rama honoured them and narrated this episode. He wanted them to throw light on this event. Seeing Sri Rama himself gloomy, Sage Narada spoke:
"Oh, King! I shall explain for what reason young boys die. Listen to it and then decide on your next course.
पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्ब्राह्मणा वै तपस्विनः ।
अब्राह्मणस्तदा राजन्न तपस्वी कथञ्चन ॥
"Oh, King, in the Kritayuga (the first epoch in the universal four epoch-time-cycle of Brahma), only brahmins undertook tapas (severe asceticism and austere practices). Others, i.e. non-brahmins, never undertook asceticism.
"Brahmins enjoyed a high status by virtue of their meritorious lives. Their pure practices conferred immortality and omniscience on all men. Then came the Tretayuga. This was the epoch of the kshatriyas with able bodies and valour. In that epoch, even kshatriyas undertook asceticism. But there were more holy men in the first epoch than in the second. In Treta, the two orders, brahmins and kshatriyas had valour and brilliance. But adharma had taken one step forward. Then Manu and others established the four order system. Treta yuga gave space for adharma to take a foothold with one leg.
"In Krita/Satya yuga, farming and trading activities were considered acquisitive activities and "untrue". Those activities were looked down upon as dirty. This type of engagement in the Treta yuga caused people to live shorter lives.
"In this Treta yuga, only brahmins and kshatriyas engaged in asceticism. Other orders like men in trade and commerce served them with prosperous activities. The fourth order practised duties of service to the other three orders. The start of the third epoch, Dwapara, allowed a second foothold for adharma, and further reduced the spiritual ardour of men and gave rise to further "untrue" activities. The Dwapara gave an opening to even vaishyas (those in commerce and industry) to undertake asceticism. Thus far, know that the fourth order has no scope for asceticism. In the future, Kali yuga may come and further weaken the social order. Even men of the fourth order may undertake ardent asceticism in Kali yuga. If that be the degradation in Kali, and progressing from Dwapara, what to speak of the present Treta? If one of unsuitable social order undertakes asceticism in this age, it seems to be a good cause for this boy's death. "
यो ह्यधर्ममकार्यं वा विषये पार्थिवस्य तु।
करोति चाश्रीमूलं तत्पुरे वा दुर्मतिर्नरः ॥
क्षिप्रं च नरकं याति स च राजा न संशयः ।
"If a man with a corrupt attitude undertakes adharmic or proscribed acts for his own social order, it will lead to the poverty and downfall of the kingdom, and drive the king to hell. There is no doubt about this."
We need to understand this. The social order and division of responsibilities were rigid 5000 years ago. The collective wisdom of the time was that adherence to prescribed roles conferred prosperity. It was therefore not egalitarian in our sense but egalitarian in the sense each social order accepted their own role and discharged it well for all-around good. Nobody felt low or high in that sense.
Narada continued, "The king collects one-sixth of all the accumulated merit or wealth from asceticism, study of Vedas, and righteous conduct of their roles by his citizens as his levy. That behoves the king to ensure proper social order. Find out, Sri Rama, if the order has been transgressed anywhere in your land. Stop it at once. This will halt the downward slide in your people's fortunes. It will bring this boy also back to life."
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Sri Rama felt cheered to understand this from Sage Narada. He asked Lakshmana to go and console that old brahmin at the gate. He asked that the dead body of the boy be preserved well with unguents in a tub of oil. The body should be preserved such that it can be restored to life.
Sri Rama called the Pushpaka in his thought to appear for his service. The Pushpaka came instantly. He bowed down to the Pushpaka. Entrusting the management of the kingdom to Lakshmana and Bharata in the interim, he boarded the Pushpaka and travelled in search of the dharmic transgressor, first far into the west, and then toward north, and then toward east. He found all the people to be spotless like mirrors, says Valmiki.
Then Sri Rama rode on the Pushpaka towards the south. Just north of the Shaivala mountain, he spotted an ascetic. There was a huge lake there. On its bank was the ascetic, hanging upside down from a tree holding on to one of its branches with just his entwined legs.
Sri Rama approached the one engaged in such severe asceticism.
"Oh, sir, you are blessed. You have advanced in asceticism, and have ardour. What social order do you belong to? I am Rama, son of King Dasharatha. I have this question. What do you wish to accomplish through this? What order does this body belong to that you subject thus to severe austerity? Are you a brahmin? Or kshatriya? Or vaishya? Or shudra? Tell me what is your order and why you are thus engaged."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
