March 26 - Sargas 80,81 and 82 of Uttara Kanda.
The sordid story of Danda.
Sri Rama is blessed in a special way by Sage Agastya as he takes leave and proceeds to Ayodhya.
***
Sage Agastya proceeded with the story of Danda.
After ruling his kingdom well for several years, once Danda went to the hermitage of Sage Shukracharya (he was also called Ushana and Bhargava) in the forest. It was spring and all nature was exhilarating.
It was a beautiful hermitage, situated in the lap of exultant nature full of beauty. There, King Danda saw an incomparable beauty of a young maiden, Arajaa, daughter of Sage Shukracharya. She was moving about and caught the roving eye of the king. The king was at once smitten by the arrows of Manmatha and his lust for her was uncontrollable.
The young lady realized who he was and what was happening and started shaking in fear.
कुतस्त्वमसि सुश्रोणि कस्य वासि सुता शुभे।
पीडितोऽहमनङ्गेन पृच्छामि यत्त्वां शुभानने ॥
"Oh, lady with the lovely hips! Who are you, where have you come from? Whose daughter are you!? I am smitten by Cupid and keenly desirous of knowing you, oh, one with such a lovely face!"
"Ok, King! I am the daughter of the great sage Shukracharya, for whom nothing is impossible (we read elsewhere that he was a past master in the art of bringing back the dead!). My name in Arajaa. I live here.
"Take care not to come near me or touch me. I am solely under the care of my father, and you are also his disciple. You have to conduct yourself as a worthy disciple of the great-souled Shukracharya.
"If, oh, king, there is any cause provoking anger in my father, his spiritual power is such that he can destroy you. If indeed you want me, you should approach properly my father and seek my hand in marriage with his blessings. Instead, if you succumb to your carnal desires now, you will surely reap a terrible consequence.
"Oh king with a handsome appearance, my father if enraged can burn down the three worlds. If you go and beg him, he may graciously give me in marriage to you."
Danda was beyond the point of return. Folding his hands, he said, "Oh, lovely lady, please come to me, don't delay. My passion is bursting my heart. I don't care even if I have to die after uniting with you." Saying this, Danda grabbed Arajaa with both hands, and raped her even as she was writhing in utter distress. His molestation left Arajaa in a terrible condition.
Danda quickly left the place and returned to his capital, Madhuvantanagara.
***
Just a while later, Shukracharya returned to his hermitage, surrounded by his disciples. He came to know from one of the inmates that King Danda had come and raped his daughter Arajaa. Then Shukra saw her, looking drained of all sanguinity, looking like the moon under an eclipse.
Shukra was also very hungry. Therefore imagine his burst of rage now. "Oh, disciples, for his unprincipled and sacrilegious act, hear my terrible curse on Danda. He has embraced the blazing fire of the sacrificial altar! He will be annihilated with all his people within the next seven days. Indra will rain a deluge of dust and cover Danda's entire kingdom of a hundred by hundred yojanas and exterminate all animate life. All forms of life will be buried alive and no trace of the kingdom will survive after seven days."
Shukra ordered all his inmates to move at once beyond the border of Danda's kingdom and save themselves. He now turned to his blighted daughter in rage. "Oh, you witless woman, your future is in this hermitage. Spend it in prayer to the Almighty. There is a beautiful lake nearby. You shall get fruit and root and live safely as you last out this period of penitence. If any animals seek your shelter at night, they will also be saved from being buried in the dust." The poor Arajaa had no option but to accept the order. All the while, she wept uncontrollably.
Sage Shukracharya moved out of the kingdom. His curse worked precisely as he had foretold and nothing was left of Danda or his people or his kingdom except a terrible forest full of dust and with no animate life. It came to be called Dandakaranya.
That beautiful lake and its surrounding area became the Janasthana, which attracted ascetics over a period of time.
***
Sage Agastya had satisfied all the curiosity of Sri Rama. He asked him to go and say his evening prayer on the bank of the lake. Later, Sri Rama had a great feast offered by Sage Agastya with much affection. Sri Rama spent a peaceful night in that sacred hermitage, and next morning, he requested the sage's kind permission to leave, immediately after completing his prayers.
Sage Agastya had a special word for Sri Rama.
पावनः सर्वभूतानां त्वमेव रघुनन्दन ।
मुहूर्तमपि राम त्वां येऽनुपश्यन्ति केचन ।
पाविताः स्वर्गभूताश्च पूज्यास्ते त्रिदिवेश्वरैः ॥
"Dear Sri Rama, you are the sole refuge and saviour of all creation. Whoever is blessed to be in your presence even for a short while will earn the merit of passage to heaven, and will be worshipped by the gods!"
"And, Sri Rama, if any creatures look at you with evil eyes, they are bound to be killed by Yama's inviolable staff of death and rot in hell."
"Sri Rama, whoever hears your story in this world will be blessed. Please go ahead and travel well back to Ayodhya. Your path will be free of any impediments and fears. Rule Ayodhya well and provide refuge for all!"
Sri Rama felt fulfilled as he ascended the divine Pushpaka and proceeded quickly to Ayodhya. There were auspicious chants of benediction by sages and commonfolk who looked up and saw his aerial travel.
Bidding that celestial carriage Pushpaka goodbye, he arrived in his palace. Sri Rama then sent word to his brothers of his return.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
