SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam – 7 – bAla kANdam 20.2 – UnashOdaSa varsha: Part 2

_{SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:}

UnashOdaSavarshO mE rAmO rAjeevalOchana: |
na yudhdhayOgyathAmasya paSyAmi saha rAkshasai: ||

King dhaSaratha says, “My son SrI rAma, who is lotus eyed, has not even completed 16 years of age and therefore is not fit to fight with the rAkshasas.”

The following were explained in the previous article.

The pramANams which describe the thirunakshathram (age) of SrI rAma at the the time of his marriage to sithAp pirAtti.
The discrepancy that arose in this regard with respect to the words UnashOdaSavarsha, dhaSa saptha cha, panchavimSaka was reconciled.
Through analysis and correct interpretations of the pramANams, it was confirmed by periyavAchchAn piLLai that SrI rAma’s age was 12 at the time of marriage and 24 years at the time of going to the forest with sIthAp piratti.
King dhaSaratha’s intention of referring to SrI rAma’s age as ‘UnashOdaSavarsha’ (less than sixteen years) instead of 12 years was also explained. This was to emphasise the eligibility/status of a person who is less than sixteen years of age. This was also explained through the pramANams that a person under sixteen is not considered independent to take on responsibilities without being under supervision.

Notes from periyavAchchAn piLLai’s vyAkhyAnam

UnashOdaSavarshO – less than sixteen years of age – SrI rAma was at a young innocent age where one consumes milk, when he accompanied sage viSwAmithra to the forest. This is explained through the following pramANams.

bAla rAmAyaNam “krutham thath kshIrakaNtEna” (one with still milk in the throat).

anargarAghavam 1 “kshIrakaNtashcha rAmabhadhra:” (SrI rAma is still young with milk in his throat)

UnashOdaSavarshO – SrI rAma was so young that the signs of boyhood were not conspicuous. Even the hair growth was not long enough to be tied.

SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 19-9 “kAkapakshadharam vIram” (one with short hair).

raghuvamSam 11-1 “thEjasAm hi na vayassamIkshyathE” (intelligence or wisdom should not be judged/ ignored because of age).

periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1-4-8 “siRiyanenRenniLam singaththai igazhEl kaNdAy” (don’t ignore my son thinking him to be a small boy, says mother yaSOdhA).

As such, king dhaSaratha says that SrI rAma is a young boy and so doesn’t have the courage needed to fight with the asuras.

Sage viSwAmithra responds by saying that just like how even a small spark is capable of producing a fire, SrI rAma’s abilities are hidden by his youthful appearance at this age. SrIrAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 19-9 “SakthOhyEsha mayA gupthO dhivyEna svEna thEjasA”. (without disclosing his natural abilities he is appearing to be a small boy in accordance with his incarnation). Sage viSwAmithra says with love he can facilitate SrI rAma to understand his innate greatness, with that he will have all the skills required to fight with the asuras.

mE rAma:– my SrI rAma

King dhaSaratha says, “Don’t think that he is parasurAma who punished 21 generations of kings by killing them with his axe. He is my SrI rAma.”

King dhaSaratha being possessive of his son calls him as “my SrI rAma”.

King dhaSaratha says it is unmerited to take away the joy of looking at SrI rAma who was born after 60,000 years with lots of efforts. It is like holding a hungry person’s hand when he is about to eat.
- SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 20-11 “dhu: khEnOthpAdhithaSchAyam” (he had his son SrI rAma after much difficulty/hardship).
- thiruviruththam – 37 “nedungAlamum kaNNan nINmalarppAdham paravippeRRa” (mother talks about her daughter – by emperumAn’s grace, by offering prayers at his lotus feet for very long time I got her).

mE rAma:

“anupahathAm vruththim charEth” (should survive only on what is allowed by the scriptures). The rishis are not allowed to accept things that are given to them with a sense of possessiveness. As such, sage viSwAmithra cannot accept SrI rAma as he is addressed with possessiveness as ‘my son’.

rAma:

King daSaratha says that SrI rAma’s beauty is meant to be enjoyed. Sending SrI rAma to the battlefield without looking at him and enjoying his beauty is analogous to crushing and keeping an attractive garland under the sun without wearing it. Statements similar to this are also found in the following pramANams. chAndhOgya upanishath 3-10 “EthadhEvAmrutham dhrushtvA thrupyanthi” (the mukthAthmAs and nithyasUrIs continuously enjoy the amrutham/emperumAn by constantly looking at him). SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 13-104 “nandhAmi paSyannapi dharSanEna” (looking at SrI rAma with my inner eyes gives me immense happiness; looking at him with my external eyes makes me younger).

Sage viSwAmithra says, “SrI rAma can win over everyone with his beauty and therefore there is no harm in taking him to fight with the asuras. He will make the enemies retreat by his beauty. Even the flowers worn on his curly hair will not wilt. There will not even be a drop of perspiration on his face when he fights.” Similar references can be seen in yudhdha kANdam and sundhara kANdam.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 106-6 “ranjanIyasya vikramai:” (even the enemies find happiness in his prowess).

SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 30-41 “rAmamaklishtakarmANam” (can accomplish monumental tasks at ease).

rAjeevalOchana: – lotus eyed

King dhaSaratha and sage viSwAmithra are both attracted to SrI rAma’s lotus eyes. King dhaSaratha sees them with fatherly affection whereas sage viSwAmithra looks at them as all powerful. The following dialogue between them elaborates their perspectives vividly.

King dhaSaratha says, “SrI rAma’s lotus eyes blossom just at the glance of sun. Therefore being exposed under the sun for a long time, while fighting, will cause discomfort to the lotus eyes.”

Sage viSwAmithra says, “Just as a lotus is happy to blossom at the sight of sun, the sight of enemies in the battlefield will only make SrI rAma happy.”

King dhaSaratha further says, “His eyes are very delicate like a lotus and hence they turn red when exposed to sun.” (Source unknown) “rAjeevam rakthapadhmam syAth” (his eyes will become reddish when exposed to the sun).

Sage viSwAmithra responds, “His eyes turn red only because of anger in the battlefield”. References – SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-13 “rAmO rakthAnthalOchana:” (his eyes have turned red). hanuman nAtakam 11 “kinchitha bhrUbhangaleelAniyamithajaladhim” (just by a squeeze of his eyebrows he quietens the raging sea).

King dhaSaratha doesn’t agree with sage viSwAmithra and the conversation continues.

King dhaSaratha says, “SrI rAma is still young and therefore his eyes turn red only because of exposure to the sun and not due to anger.”

Unable to convince king dhaSaratha with above arguments, sage viSwAmithra says, “The battle can be arranged to be fought during night time, so the sun will not trouble SrI rAma.”

King dhaSaratha seeing him at odds with sage viSwAmithra continues, “UnashOdaSavarshO mE rAmO rAjeevalOchana:” (The asuras are nocturnal; they will use their strength and power during night and may harm SrI rAma. SrI rAma being a young boy cannot fight during nighttime, he is lotus eyed. Just as the lotus closes at night, SrI rAma cannot be awake during nighttime to fight”. “thiruppAvai – 22 “kingiNi vAich cheidha thAmaraippUp pOlE sengaN siRuchiRidhE emmEl vizhiyAvO” (like the small opening of ‘kingiNi’, open your lotus like reddish eyes and bless us little by little).
King dhaSaratha further elevates and enhances the beauty of SrI rAma’s lotus eyes as follows. “SrI rAma’s eyes are so beautiful that we must be the target of his vision and not the battlefield. Just as the lotus wilts when taken out of water, my SrI rAma, who is cheerful/radiant by my side, will lose his radiance if taken away from me”.
Sage viSwAmithra says, “These lotus eyes have the power to defeat the enemies.”
- jithanthE 1-1 “jithanthE puNdarIkAksha” (lotus eyed one! Everything has been conquered by you).
- thiruvAimozhi – 10.3.1 “thAmaraik kaNgaL koNdu IrdhiyAlO!” (these lotus eyes cause pain to the ones looking at them).
Without being able to reconcile, king dhaSaratha continues, “na yuddhayOgyathAmasya paSyAmi.” (I don’t see him fit to fight this battle). These may be true with respect to people who are his well-wishers. But the asuras may not get captivated by those lotus eyes. So, I don’t see him fit to fight the asuras.

Sage viSwAmithra quotes SUrpaNakhA who was attracted to SrI rAma’s eyes. SUrpaNakhA even though she belongs to the asura clan has also described SrI rAma as “puNdareeka viSAlAkshai:” (lotus eyed). He says, “SrI rAma not only can use his lotus eyes against the asuras but I can also give him weapons to fight with them”

King dhaSaratha says, “asya yudhdhayOgyathAm na paSyAmi” (the one who is here, I don’t see him as fit for combat). asya – this SrI rAma who is young and tender. “How is it possible to include him in combat, when in his youth he is not even strong to support big weapons?” asya – this SrI rAma who is close to him, who is standing right next to him. “He is right here, so you see for yourself the truth”.
King dhaSaratha continues, “Rather than taking him to the battle, you can lovingly have him sit on your lap and show your affection by smelling his forehead.” SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 22-3 “svaputhram mUrdhnyupAghrAya” (to feel the forehead with affection). This youthful age is more appropriate for play than to be engaged in fights. SrI bhAgavatham 3-2-30 “bAla: krIdanakAya(niva?)” (like a boy’s play thing) mahAbhAratham sabhA parva 40-78 “bAla: krIdanakairiva” (like playing with his play objects)

King dhaSaratha adds further, “currently you are motivated towards completing your yAgam. You are not able to see my position because you are mainly driven by this goal of completing your yAgam”. Similar reference can be seen in ALavandhAr’s AgamapramANyam introduction “abhinivESavaSIkruthachEthasAm bahUvidhAmapi sambhavathi bhrama:” (excessive adoration/ reverence can cause some disorientation/confusion even for the great sages)

Sage viSwAmithra is not convinced by king dhaSaratha’s words, he continues. “Your statement that he is not fit for combat is not true. There are many instances of SrI rAma and lakshmaNa being involved in fights.”
- SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 2-36 “rAmO vrajathi sangrAmam grAmArthE nagarasya vA | gathvA saumIthrisahithO nAvijithya nivarthathE” (if they happen to go for a battle for the sake of a city or village, SrI rAma along with lakshmaNa will always return victorious)
- SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 2-37 “sangrAmAthpunarAgamya” (after returning again from the battlefield).

King dhaSaratha tries to appease sage viSwAmithra by saying, “The examples cited by you are all correct except that those battles were not fought against the asuras. I didn’t say that SrI rAma cannot fight at all, it is just that at a young age he cannot fight with the asuras. “rAkshasai:” “kUtayudhdhA hi rAkshasA:” (they do not fight in a righteous manner). SrI rAma always fights a dharmic battle, but the asuras may use magic or even attack from a concealed position and fight in an evil manner. It will not be fitting for SrI rAma to fight against them. Hence, I will not be able to send SrI rAma with you.

asya rAkshasai:
- asya – SrI rAma, rAkshasai: asuras
- asya – refers to singularity, meaning SrI rAma is alone
- rAkshasai: – is mentioned in plural, asuras are many in number.
- SrI rAma as a human is facing the asura clan. King dhaSaratha says for this reason also, it is not appropriate for SrI rAma to be engaged in a fight with them.

This concludes king daSaratha’s conversation with sage viSwAmithra. vyAkhyAnam for the next SlOkam will be continued in the next article.

Source – SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam’ – 7 – bAla kANdam 20.2 – UnashOdaSavarsha: – Part 1 Audio Video

adiyEn chithrA rAmAnuja dhAsi

Proofreading/Curating done by – kOsalEndhra rAmANuja dhAsan, krishNan rAmAnuja dhAsan

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