The Other first impression...
g k kaushik
Having seen the impact of the first impression of the first meeting of Lord
Rama and Anjaneya described, in the Kishkintha Kanta of Ramayana, we move to
the next kanta of Ramayana namely Sundra Kanta, to see other meetings. Sundra
Kanta describes Anjaneya's visit from mount Mahendra to Lanka island and back
to tell Rama that Sita had been seen in her purity.
The very first sloka of Sundra Kanta tell us what to expect in this kanta,
and had been well described in the commentary –Govindarajeeyam. It is said a
Guru (Anjaneya) wan off the AgGnana, taking the path shown by purvaachairyaas
(Saranas) to rescue the jeevathma (Sita) from the clutches of
aviveka (Ravana).
Having undergone the turmoil of not seeing Sita anywhere in Lanka Anjaneya
Swami prays to his lord Shri Rama and enters Asokavana. In the Asokavana,
hiding on the top of a well grown Simsubha tree near a lotus pond with
Ramanama in his mind Anjaneya decides to wait for Janaki, who has moon like
face, to come to the lotus pond for her prayers.
Adi kavi Valmiki describes the beauty of the Asokavana vividly through the
eyes of Anjaneya Swami. He sees a structure of a temple with thousand pillars
as big as mount Kailasa, with all brightness and best of all it is 'vimala'
(rid of any impurity). Then he sees a lady who resembled the beam of a waxing
moon which is rid of any impurity (suklapakshathaw chandraraka- mivamalam).
Anjaneya Swami concludes after careful thought that this should be the one
who is ever residing in the thoughts of Shri Rama though separated from him.
Anjaneya Swami there-after witnesses the threat given by Ravana and the acts
of rakshasis on his instruction . He is also a witness to the narration of
the dream by Trijata, who narrated Ravana's approaching end, Rama's coming to
Lanka and rescuing his wife Sita; Sita's attempt to give up her life, and on
sensing the good omens her second thought on giving up life. He ponders upon
the ways he could pacify Sita and tell her the purpose of his visit to Lanka
and news about Shri Rama. He finally decides to recite the story of Shri Rama
and recites in a sweet tone the truly delightful words (Mathuram -aviththam -vakyam).
Mind fully occupied with Shri Rama's thought, Sita looks in the direction
from where the mathura vakyam was coming and found the Vayusutha:, who
resembled that of a rising Sun. Look at the simile used here, one sees a
waxing moon and the other a rising sun, probably since both are bridged by
Ramanama in their mind. The first impression about the other we get can be
clear if meeting of mind is there and the vision with which we look is pure.
If the vision is clear and thinking is clear we tend to estimate the other
truly and our evaluation is bound to be accurate, true, and pure.
Sita gets into confusion whether what she is hearing is true or an illusion
as she was uttering Ramanama all the time. But concludes it can't be
illusion, since the monkey is talking with a clear vision. This meeting
brings in the end of all sorrows Sita was undergoing.
Contrast to this meeting , was the meeting of Ravana with Anjaneya who was
brought to his court room. Valmiki has devoted an entire sarga to describe
Ravana's qualities through the eyes of Anjaneya. "thejasA thsya mohitaha" is
the discription, that is to say even Anjaneya was stunned, but Anjaneya was
quick to add if only his adharma was less he could have equaled Indra.
Contrarily, Ravana on the first sight of Anjaneya the thejasvi, doubts
whether it is that Nandi Bhagavan himself who had come directly here in the
form of a vanara? He after hearing the message of Lord Sugreeva and Lord Rama
through Anjaneya the Ramadoota, orders killing of the emissary. Vibhishana
intervenes and advises Ravana that the emissary can not be killed and should
be spared as a rajadharma. Heeding to the advice of his brother Vibhishana he
looks at Anjaneya and wonders whether he is seeing a param-brimha or
paranjothi of Lord Vishnu? He concludes that it is paranjothi of Lord Vishnu
(vishnava-thejas). This thought angers him and orders that the tail of
Anjaneya be set on fire, since most loved of any monkey is its tail.
Anjaneya sees thejas so also Ravana in one another, the thejas seen in
Anjaneya is compared with vishnava-thejas even. But what followed this is
quite contrast in both. While Anjaneya who had pure vision took pity on
Ravana for his acts of adharma and advised him to take a right path, Ravana
who was riding on his pride, envied Anjaneya and could not bear any injury to
his pride and ordered Anjaneya's killing first and then to setting fire to
his tail as a concession to ambassador.
This clearly shows that unless meeting of mind is there and the vision with
which we look is pure the impression about the other we get can not be true.
If the vision is clear and thinking is clear we tend to estimate the other
truly and our evaluation is bound to be accurate, true, and pure.