Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in ProseSarga 11

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Rama travelled ahead, while the glorious Seetha in middle and Lakshmana on the rear, wielding bow following on, verily journeyed...

Comment: Please refer to the verse in any verse pages. This verse is commented specially by the ancient narrators. It is said that Om, praNava is reflected in this verse. The Om is the compound of three letters a+u+ma, and the first letter in the verse is a, in agrataH. The second letter of Om, u is in su+sobhanaa, [other versions contains this as su+madhyamaa.] The letter before last ha, [where ha is meter-filling letter,] is ma, as in jagaama. These three letters put together is Om. So the three, Rama, Lakshmana, Seetha are compared with these three letters of Om. 

ak˜rocyate viþõu× sarva lokaika n˜yaka×|
uk˜reõa uccyate lakÿmŸ mak˜ro d˜sa v˜caka×||

 Vishnu/Rama is in letter a and he is coursing ahead, agrartaH prayayau, followed by u, Lakshmi/Seetha, who is an embodiment of the Absolute's karuNa, benevolence, lakshmyaa kaaruNya ruupayaa... And also she is illusory aspect of that Absolute, Maya, yaa maa ye mè, and being so, she will be the veil in between that Absolute and Innate Soul. The last letter ma is makaaro jiiva vaacaka, makaaro daasa vaacaka, is the sign for the servitude of the Innate Soul to the Absolute. That is what Lakshmana is.

ak˜ro viÿõurityukto mak˜ro jŸva v˜caka×|
 tayo× tu nitya sambandha uk˜reõa prakŸrtita×||

And anujagaama means that which follows without any 'I' or 'Mine-ness' as a total surrender, kainkarya. This agrataH prayayau raamaH is said to be the leadership quality of Rama, where he does it himself without preaching, like Krishna. Previously when they entered forests, Lakshmana was leading and showing the way, as a dutiful servant. During next phase all three walked in line. Now, Rama wanted to wage war with demons, thus he leads the way, keeping Seetha in centre, followed and guarded by Lakshmana. This is the view point of the sages following them, for they the sages always meditate about that Absolute, in terms of Om, and these three appeared as the three letters of Om.

They, seeing many mountain peaks, forests, and rivers too, that are diversely enchanting ones, they journeyed on... With water-birds like saarasa, chakravaaka that move on the islands of rivers, and also lakes that contain with lotuses and water born birds, are also seen... Spotted deer is banded in herds, and by virility maddened are the large horned buffaloes, and also the wild boars and elephants...the enemies of trees...[for they rub against the tree and fell them...]

They on going far on their way, and when the sun is hanging [in the western skies in evening time,] they saw together a charming lake of one yojana in its width...

Fully overloaded with red and white lotuses, bedecked with elephants and flurried with the saarasa birds, swans and kaadamba water fowls, and with other water birds too, is that lake... In the tranquil and enchanting waters of that lake, emanating are verily audible melodies of singing and of musical instruments...but none is visible...

Then inquisitively Rama and also Lakshmana, the great charioteer, well started to ask about it with the Sage named Dharmabhrita...

"On hearing this greatly amazing music from lake, for all of us, oh, great saint, inquisitiveness is intensively coming on ... why this, please clearly tell us..." asked Rama...

Thus said by him, that Raghava, then that virtuous sage quickly started to tell about the influence of that lake... "This one is named as Five Apsara Lake and it is an all-time one, and oh, Rama it is built by the ascetic power of the sage Mandakarni... He practised rigorous asceticism for ten thousand years... that great saint Mandakarni... consuming air alone and staying in the waters of the lake...

"Then verily worried are all the gods, and with Lord Fire at their helm, all of them conversed the following words, meeting together... "For someone's place among us... this sage is praying for..." thus perturbed are all of them at their heart, those heaven-dwellers..." The gods decided thus.

"Then to effectuate hindrance in that penance, all gods assigned five Apsara-s, [the celestial courtesans,] whose shine is like the sprint of the lightning... "Then by them the celestial apsarasa-s, that sage who discerned this and other [worlds' nature, or good and bad, or the nature of Absolute-Soul and Body-bound Soul,] is towed in to the restraint of cupid, to achieve the function of those gods...

"Also to them, the five celestial apsarasa-s came about is the wifehood of that sage, and for them built inside the lake... in there, kept in... is a house... There alone those five celestial apsarasa-s live in, as for gratifying that sage's happiness, and that sage retrieved his youthfulness with his asceticism... Those apsarasa-s, who are at play with the sage, and while they thus playing musical instruments coming out and is being heard by us is that melody, mingled with the tinkling of their ornaments, and that singing is melodious and heart-stealing... "Said the Sage to Rama.

"Amazing is this..." Said Rama, on listening those words of that contemplative-souled sage, and thus Raghava, the great renowned one, along with his brother acknowledged the sage's words...

Thus saying, Rama has seen a cluster of hermitages nearby, encircled with sacred grass and jute cloths, and also encompassing Brahma's Vedic solemness... On entering with Vaidehi, Lakshmana also, that Raghava then therein, he that Kakustha, in that august cluster of hermitages... is received well... He very happily residing over there, venerated by those great saints, Rama also went successively to the hermitages of the sages...

With whom he stayed earlier, to those hermits that great Knower of missiles, Rama [again gone in order to diffuse the terrorism of demons...] and in some hermitages he stayed for nearly ten months, and elsewhere for one year... At some place four months, and five, six also later in some, there therein some other place, more than a month, and more than one and half months, elsewhere... Three months at some place, and eight months also at some other place, Raghava lived there comfortably, staying in the hermitages of those sages... Also delightedly Rama stayed there, and smoothly elapsed are ten years, thus overtly meandering by that virtue-knower, along with Seetha...

Comment: The count, as per the above months, comes to sixty months, i.e., five years. But it is said that ten years are elapsed comfortably. There are a good number of arguments counting the months said above and the aspect of ten years, said finally. Dharmaakuutam puts it as ten years only: tata× pary˜yeõa nikhila muni jana nilayeÿu nŸtv˜ daþa samvatsar˜n punar˜gamya tŸkÿõatapasa× sutŸkÿõam|| Thus ten full years are spent only in around these hermitages, peregrinating from one to the other. The total period of exile is fourteen years. Here ten years ar sad to have been completed. It is said that in Chitrakuta two years are spent. Bharata's vow is to self-immolate, on the next day of fourteen year-time of exile, if Rama would not come back. Then the Rama-Ravana war should have concluded within this fourteen year-time of exile, for Rama returns to Bharata's place on the scheduled day, the next day after that fourteen year exile time, as promised.

To the hermitage of Sage Suteekshna, that glorious Rama has come back [from his ten year stay in other hermitages,] and on his coming at that hermitage, the sages verily adored him...  Rama also resided there for some time, that enemy destroyer, Rama... then staying there in that hermitage, on one day submissively to that great saint Suteekshna, Rama approached and...

That Kakustha sitting nearby the sage, submissively enquired with Suteekshna, "In this forest, oh, god, the pre-eminent sage Agastya is said to live,  and thus I always hear the narratives narrated by other sages, but I know not that place of Sage Agastya,] in this extensive forest...

Comment: The above meaning can also be said, "Sage Agastya forever lives here...thus I heard..." by joining the word nityam with vasati+iti+nityam. This is connected with the legend of Agastya. Agastya coming from the terrains of Ganga, where he curses Tataka, mountaineering Mt. Vindhya duly curbing the escalating size of Mt. Vindhya, he settles down in these forests of Dandaka. Here Rama's saying, "I always heard the narratives about Agastya..." is coherent, with that nityam in conjunction with mayaa.

"Where is that pious threshold of hermitage of that great astute sage...desiring that godly sage's graciousness, with my brother and along with Seetha... To approach Sage Agastya and to venerate that sage, a great ambition is thus well-ruminating in my heart...

Comment: The word manoratha is used in the verse. manaH+rathaH= Will's, chariot. Five horses, namely the five sensory organs, draw this Will-chariot. It is up to the charioteer of this Will-chariot to let loose the reins or hold them tight. Here Rama's Will-chariot is racing towards that Sage Agastya, in all its piety.

"If I were to propitiate that supreme sage, in person even... [I would be delighted..." Said Rama.] Thus that sage on hearing the words of the virtue-minded Rama... Sage Suteekshna in turn said this, gladdened, to Dasharatha's son, "Even intended to say to youI, that only, and to Lakshmana also... to approach Agastya along with Seetha, oh, Raghava, but providentially in the same import, you alone spoke to me this topic yourself... I tell you Rama where Agastya, the great sage is... four yojana-s from this hermitage oh, dear, you go, there from southerly, the great and glorious hermitage of Agastya's brother is there...

"On a plateau in the forest area adorned with pippalii tree thickets, and with many flowers and fruits spectacular it is with the callings of various birds... With pools of lotuses, lakes with tranquil waters, where swans and partridges are teemed in, and glistening with ruddy gees...  There staying for one night, in the morning oh, Rama, be gone southward taking course on the side of the forest's clump... There is that Agastya's hermitage's threshold, on going one yojana afterward [the clump of trees,] set in the pleasant forest, simmering with its divers trees...

"You amuse there, along with Vaidehi and Lakshmana also, in that really delightful woodland abounding in with divers trees... If your mind is made up to see Agastya, the great sage, resolve your thinking in going today only...oh, great ingenious one...[So said the Sage Suteekshna.]

Thus Rama, listening the sage, reverenced that sage with his brother also, and journeyed aiming at Sage Agastya and his hermitage, with his following journeyer Lakshmana and with Seetha.

Viewing the marvellous forests, mountains clouds alike, lake and rivers also on the pathway, and depending on the walkway, journeyed following [that pathway as indicated by the sage...] Indicated by Suteekshna is that way, and going on that pathway comfortably, these very cheerful words Rama spoke to Lakshmana...

"All this is his hermitage's threshold, of that great soul, Sage Agastya's brother, obviously...of that sage of pious works... Apropos, verily by these trees of this forest, as perceived by me are these thousands of trees, well bowing down by the weight of their fruits and flowers...[thereby this must be the hermitage of Agastya's brother...thus I perceive...]

"Also ripened are the pippali fruits, and coming from that forest is their aroma, upraised by the wind, but quickly becoming sour to smell... Also there and there, visible are the well heaped heaps of firewood, and all over visible is the snipped darbha, the sacred grass gemlike in their tinge...[thus Lapis lazuli-like in whiteness of snipped dry blades, and emerald like in greenness of fresh grass...]

"Also in the midst of the forest, alike the vertex of black cloud the smoke's vertex, coming from the sacred Fire within the hermitage is clearly visible... Also in sacred streams one performing bathing, the twice-born, Brahmins are making flower offerings [to gods, called puSpa bali,] with the flowers that are personally nipped by them...

Comment: If flowers for worship are taken from someone else, half the merit of that worship goes to the one who gave those flowers. Hence the flowers are to be plucked by the worshipper alone, that too from his flower garden. They are not to be carried in palms, or in upper cloth, but in a big size leaf.

uttamam sv˜rjitam puÿpam madhyamam vanyam ucyate |
adhamam tu kraya krŸtam p˜rakyam tu adham˜dhamam ||

"Best are the flowers brought personally, medium is the forest-born, purchased are the worse, and those that are brought by others, the worst..."

"Thus by the words of Sage Suteekshna, oh, gentle one, as I have heard, this hermitage shall definitely be that of Sage Agastya's brother... Whose brother, by his meritorious deeds, wishing to favour the world who controlled the death by his efficacy and who made this region liveable...[that Sage Agastya's brother's hermitage is this...]

"Here, once upon a time, verily cruel Vaataapi and also Ilvala, two brothers were here together, and they the Brahmin killers were the dreadful demons... Disguising in Brahmin's semblance that Ilvala speaking sophisticatedly used to invite Brahmins for the purpose of an obsequial ceremony, [where Brahmins are fed after usual ceremony to appeases their manes...]

Then that other brother, namely Vaataapi, is made into the form of a ram, perfecting [that ram's meat into a finely cooked food, Ilvala] was feeding those Brahmins in view of the ceremonial rites... Then on devouring by them the Brahmins [the ram's meat, which is nothing but Vaataapi, the demon,] Ilvala was saying "Oh, Vaataapi...come forth..." vocally loud in speaking... Then on listening brother's words Vaataapi bleating like a ram, tearing and renting the bodies of those Brahmins verily rushes out... Thousands of Brahmins, thus by them the guise-changers are verily ruined, by them together and always...by those raw meat-eaters...

"Then by Sage Agastya, who is prayed by gods [to end this demonic menace, and who is also invited to feast of rites by that Ilvala, the demon,] it is said that Agastya also relished and eaten that fiendish demon in rites... "Is the rite's feast fulfilled?" thus Ilvala conversed while giving lateral hand-wash into the palms of the Sage, also said to his brother to come forth...

Comment: In these rituals the Brahmins who are invited to the feasting will be given water for hand-wash prior and later to the meal intake. While giving water for lateral hand-wash, it is usual to ask or pray, "Whether you are satisfied, if so my ritual is fulfilled...and my manes will also be satisfied..." The same conversation this demon undertook, in a sophisticated way with Agastya.

He thus when conversing with his Brahmin-killer brother, that wise Agastya, Saint, the eminent, said smilingly... "Where is the energy to come out as he is digested by me, for that demon brother of yours is in ram's state, and gone is he to Yama's residence...[in hell...]

Comment: This saying of Agastya has remained as an epigram till date. That demon Ilvala called out, "Vaataapi..." for which Agastya replied "jiirNam..." and after repeating this exchange for some time, Agstya says as above. And in the present period after feeding the babies with milk or other nourishments, mothers giving a mild exercise to that baby used to say, "jiirNam jiirNam Vaataapi jiirNam...." playfully for many times. It comes to mean that any indigestible or ruinous to health shall get digested, as has been done by Sage Agastya. It is said Agastya prohibited meat to Brahmins in any kind, for it will shear the stomachs with it ram's horns. He is also said to have cursed Brahmins to be diverse, braahmaNaanaam anekatvam...

"Now on hearing his words affirming brother's demise, that that night-walking demon commenced to assault the sage, in anger... that demon rushed towards that best Brahmin, and him [the demon,] that sage who is flamelike with his radiance, and whose eyes are file-like, fully burnt down [that demon with the firelight of his eyes, and that demon] went into doom...

"This one is hermitage is his brother's...embellishing with lakes and woods, by whom [by that Agastya,] with compassion on Brahmins, this impossible feat is done... "

Thus in the narration of Rama to Lakshmana, the Sun went into his eternal home and recurred is the vesperal time... Reverencing the western twilight with brother as per custom, Rama entered that hermitage's threshold and hailed that sage also...

In turn, duly received by that sage is that Raghava and thus sojourned that one night there, eating tubers and fruits also... On passing that night and when sun rose in solar orbit, taking leave of the brother of Sage Agastya... saying the following...

"I hail you, oh, god...we stayed comfortably in night, and taking leave of you I go to see your mentor and elder brother...

"Begone..." thus said by the brother of Sage Agastya, Raghava journeyed on the path as directed, viewing that forest also...

Comment: The name of this brother of Agastya is Sudarshana. But none calls him by that name and he is to be called Agastya bhraata, Agastya's brother.

And the wild grass [that grows on its own giving wild grain,] Jack-fruit trees, sala trees, asoka trees lemons trees, saplings of bilva trees and also madhuka and bilva trees, the also the madhuka trees, are seen by Rama...Flowered are they with flowered creepers and well garnished with climbers, Rama saw in hundreds, there at those forest trees... Verily battered are they the trees with the trunks of elephants and well adorned with monkeys, and also by bird folks, in hundreds, callings and answer-callings...

Then said to the one near at hand, Rama, the lotus-eyed, and who is following behind, that Lakshmana, the valiant and glory-enriching one...

"Delicate are these leaves, and how trees are solemn, and how gentle are the animals and birds, that hermitage is not very distant [from here, as could be seen by this sobriety...] of that great sage and a contemplative-soul... In the world renowned as Agastya only by his own deed, and his hermitage is seeable, one that wear off well, the weary of wearied one...

"Brimming is this forest with the vast of smoke from Altars of fire, mantles of jute cloth garlands, peaceful deer-herds, and also with sonority of the birds... Impeding the death by his [yogic] might and wishing favour for worlds he, by whom this southern extent is made liveable by his pious deeds...

"His is this hermitage's threshold, with whose influence, by demons this southern side is seen in scare but not enjoyed [by them the demons in residing here are for their other activities...] Also from when he walked into this side, that pious deeded one, namely Agastya, from then without feud verily calmed down, are those night walkers...

"By his name also this southern region, of that godly-saint and a very worthiest one, renowned in three worlds being an unattackable region for the evildoers... To obstruct the route of Sun, that highest mountain [tried but lowered its height at the directive of Agastya, and that mountain] always complying Agastya's directive that Mt. Vindhya is not heightening...

Comment: The name Agastya is derived from a famous act of this Sage. Mt. Meru is the highest peak on earth. By its nature it grows day by day and stands first to be saluted by the rising sun in east every day. Jealous of this Mt. Meru, Mt. Vindhya started to rise to exceed the height of Mt. Meru, thus obstructing the sun's path. Then the day changed for night and the travel of Sun and Moon, the performance of Vedic rituals, which bound with the solar lunar movement, went topsy-turvy. Then the gods prayed Agastya to do something to decrease the height of Mt. Meru. Agastya and his wife then coming to Mt. Vindhya and seeing its height, requested Mt. Vindhya, "Oh, Mountain King Vindhya, myself and my wife are going southward, and we are not able to climb this much height... kindly lower yourself, so that we old people climb you and go to the other side..." Mt. Vindhya being an ardent worshipper of sages and saints immediately lowered his height to the ground level, so that the old couple need not climb but just walk over him. Agastya and his wife on coming to the southern side of the mountain again requested Mt. Vindhya to be at this height only, for they the couple are returning soon to north. Mt. Vindhya readily agreed for that also, and lain like that even today, because Agastya, on coming to south, did not return to north. So the solar and lunar movement, seasons' revolve, Vedic calendars etc. are again put to normalcy. Thus the name Agastya, aga+stya= mountain, subduing one, a+gam+styati [or stabhnaati] iti agastyaH. He played an important role in uplifting southern regions of India, namely Dravidian cultures. Hid wife is Lopaamudra, the saintly lady quoted in Lalitha Sahasra Naamaavali.

"His is longevity, and by his deeds verily renowned in worlds, and this glorious one is Agastya's hermitage abounding in with well-behaved animals... He is thus esteemed in the world, who is always committed to favour the gentle, for ever, and for us nearly approaching him, he wishes to add some beneficence...

"There I wish to worship that Agastya, that great saint, and the remainder of this forest dwelling, oh, Gentle and Adept Lakshmana, I live here... There gods with gandharva-s, siddha-s and also, exalted sages, at Agastya of controlled dietary, surrounding him, they worship...

"There lives no liar, cruel one either, or even a deceiver, man-torturer, or with sinful behaviour...and he that sage is of that nature... There, the gods, yaksha-s, naagaa-s, patagaa-s inhibit with their dietary controlled, [with their senses controlled,] and wishing to worship [Absolute] dharma... There the great souls of accomplished penance, by aircrafts similar to sun in their resplendence, relinquishing [their mortal bodies and obtaining] new bodies, they rode to heavens...those blest sages...  The state of yaksha-s, also immortality and many a realms of divine living there verily endowed by gods to those propitious beings worshipping them the gods... We arrived at the threshold of the hermitage, oh, Soumitri, you enter firstly, and submit to Sage Agastya, of my advent here, along with Seetha....

Comment: This is an important point of Rama's speaking to Lakshmana for a protocol to enter the hermitage. Earlier all the three used to enter together, releasing bowstrings and in all their submissiveness. But here Rama wants to follow and imperial protocol to announce his arrival there. Rama is said to have asked Lakshmana to inform the sage that karta [subject] and kaarayitri [object] to eliminate Ravana, have come. Rama says in above verses that he would like to spend rest of the exile here in this hermitage. But Sage Agastya later asks him to proceed to Panchavati, i.e., towards the dominions of raakshasa-s. For that and for keeping the sage informed about the arrival of time to eradicate Ravana, Rama seeks this protocol.

Thus, this is the 11th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

© 2001, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao