 Rama – Dasaratha and Rama
An inseparable pair
What he asked for was only one; what he got was two! Be it according to Valmiki or according to Kamban, Viswamitra specifically asks for Rama alone to be sent with him.
“sthiram icChasi raajendra raamam me daatum arhasi” is what he solicits, “If at all you seek the acquisition of religious merit as well as the highest renown for you on earth for all time to come, O king of kings, be pleased to make over Rama to me.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, Canto 19, Sloka 16).
‘nin siruvar nAlvarinum, kariya semmal oruvanaith thandhidudhi,’ is the specific request in Kamban. ‘Give me one (only one) of your four sons. That black, handsome, upright boy.
And here comes the interesting point. Dasaratha, who was at first a bit hesitant and even showed resistance, was relieved and felt satisfied at the saner counsel tendered by his master, Vasistha. He went to fetch Rama, personally. Listen to
Valmiki.
tathaa vasiSTe bruvati raajaa dasharathaH svayam |
prahRiSTa vadano raamam aajuhaava sa lakSmaNam
(Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, Canto 22, Sloka 1)
‘When Vasistha spoke thus, with an air satisfaction, king Dasaratha himself personally –
raajaa dasharathaH svayam – called for Rama,
sa lakSmaNam along with
Lakshmana.’
Viswamitra did not ask for Lakshmana. What he wanted was only one of the four boys. But Dasaratha, while ‘personally’ calling for Rama, asks Lakshmana to arrive along with him.
‘vandha nambiyaith thambi thannodum mundhai naanmarai munivarkkuk kaatti,’ is the way in which Kamban follows the footsteps of Valmiki. ‘Dasaratha showed (presented) Rama who came, along with
Lakshmana.
This is the first instance in the epic that goes to show that the mention of the name ‘Rama’ includes the name ‘Lakshmana’ in it. There is no need to utter his name; there is no explicit order, or even gesture required. Where there is Rama, there stands by his side Lakshmana. Any word or order pronounced on Rama goes to Lakshmana, by implication. It is so natural for Lakshmana to follow Rama that there was no need to call for him at all, separately. If something is spoken to Rama, it included Lakshmana. And that’s how we see Viswamitra addressing Rama – of the two – by name and speaking to him most of the times. It is quite amazing in that this is the introductory scene for the two to venture together, two youngsters following the sage, one is always spoken to and the other is included by what is known as
upalakshana in Sanskrit – or the English equivalent figure of speech, synecdoche.
“Lakshmana was so much a part of Sri Rama and the fact, apparently, was so well known to everybody that as the story develops from sarga to sarga and Sri Rama and Lakshmana under the guidance of Viswamitra go through various adventures, observing great vows and learning great things and adding to their knowledge of everything,
we find curiously enough that Viswamitra, who did not invite Lakshmana, takes notice of him only very rarely. If he talks to them, he only says, ‘Rama, Raghava’ addressing the elder brother. It would be uncharitable to assume that he did not like the presence of Lakshmana or that he wished intentionally to ignore him. I suppose in his mind too, as in the minds of everybody else, to speak of Rama was to speak to the other brother too. You need not specially have a form of address for it.”
Sastriyar then points to the fact that even when Viswamitra taught the mantras,
balä and atibalä he did so to Rama. He points to the difficulty of the commentator who is faced with quite a curious situation. “The commentator,” he observes, “hard put to explain the matter, says that Lakshmana is also included in the word Rama by
upalaskhana, the Sanskritic equivalent for one of the forms of the English figure of speech, synecdoche.”
Synecdoche is a figure of speech by which you mean the whole by referring to the part. Like in the phrase ‘The head-count came to fifty,’ or ‘we propose to add some hands,’ the words heads, or hands, representing the whole, namely, persons. In other words, Rama and Lakshmana made for one whole; and whenever the name Rama is mentioned, it meant Lakshmana too, for that was included in that term.
This initial scene itself emphasises that inseparable bondage between these two. But one has to be wakeful too. There are times – very crucial times for that matter – when the alter ego, Lakshmana is seen more by his absence. The most crucial turn that the epic took was one such moment.
That’s for a later day. Let’s now come back to Sri Rama’s first encounter. Let us watch what shape does this ‘impatient and instant incendiary of an anger, inflammable at the quietest flutter of leaves’, that Viswamitra displayed in the court of Dasaratha, take in the presence of Rama.
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