Continuing from my last post 203. I am covering now, some items which could not be covered therein.
Question: How will you relate the above picture of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India women sitting in queue outside a Bank, waiting to draw their Rs. 500/- from their Jandhan account; the amount of Rs. 500/- credited by Government of India as Covid-19 help, by the Government of Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Ans: There is not much difference in the poverty + hope of the poor between Valmiki Ramayana Period (may be happening period of VR, or the evolution of VR as an Epic), and 2020. The above waiting photo is very obvious about the poverty+hopes of poor in Vijayavada, and probably all over India, among its 1.30 billion.
Poverty and hopes during Valmiki Ramayana period
Prince Rama seems to have prima facie assisted his father King Dasaratha in administering his Kingdom, for about 17 years, after Rama's marriage with Sita. Similar situations of Post-Independent India: Late Sanjay Gandhi/Rajiv Gandhi helped Late PM Indira Gandhi. Sachin Pilot-Rajesh Pilot. Jyothiraditya Sindhia-Madhavrao Sindhia. Akhilesh Yadav-Mulayam Singh Yadav. Jaganmohan Reddy-YS Rajasekhar Reddy KTR-KCR. Lokesh-Nara Chandra Babu Naidu. Omar Abdulla-Farooq Abdulla.
On 8th June 2008, in our blog post No. 082 References 2 below, I wrote about this. The Context was: Lord Shri Rama decided to go on 14 year exile to Forest. He and his younger brother Lakshmana distributed their wealth to Priests class of People. Relevant verses:
2-32-32, Sanskrit Verse
Sa bhaaryaa vachanam shrutvaa
s`aat`iim aachchhaadya dushchhadaam
sa pratishht`hata panthaanam
yatra Raama niveshanam.
CONTEXT:
Rama was giving away his wealth to Priests, before embarking on the journey to forests, One Brahmin named Trijata approached him. He was son of Gargi. He lived by digging soil in the forests carrying axe, plough and spade. His wife and children accompanied him. Wrapped in a strip of cloth that could hardly cover his body, he came to Rama’s palace. Rama gave him a staff and promised him cows to such an extent (length of distance) that the Brahmin will throw the staff (stick). The Brahmin threw the staff beyond the Sarayu river. It fell in a flock of cows on the other bank. Rama gave him all the cows needed for spreading over that distance..
ENGLISH:
Having heard his wife’s word, the Brahmin wrapping a loin cloth not adequate to cover him started on the path towards the Rama’s Palace.
2-33-3, Sanskrit Verse
Tataha praasaada harmyaan`i
vimaana shikharaan`i ca
adhiruhya janaha shriimaan
udaasiinoo vyalookayat
Context:
People were watching Rama going to Kaikeyi’s palace to take parting permission from Dasaratha. People watched him from seven storied buildings in Ayodhya.
ENGLISH:
Then, wealthy people ascended mansions and tops of seven storied buildings and watched saw Rama and Lakshmana on the street.
During the Ramayana period, the Brahmin wife prodded her husband to approach Shri Rama for help. In 2020, women themselves are sitting outside Banks in queues for help of Rs. 500/-.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS FROM THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA'S VERSES
Verse 2-32-29 from Book 2 , Book of Ayodhya, Chapter 29, Verse No. 29: Source: valmikiramayan.net. Reference link 3 below.tatra aasiit pingalo gaargyaH trijaTaH naama vai dvijaH |
kshatavR^ittirvane nityam phaalakuddaalalaaN^galii || 2-32-29
29. tatra= there; aasiit= remained; dvijaH= a brahmana; trijaTonaama= by name Trijata; gaargyaH= who was born in garga community; piNgaLaH= reddish-born in color; kshata vR^iHiH= with an occupation of digging the soil; vane= in the forest; nityam= always; phaala kuNdaalalaaNgalii= having an axe, a spade and a plough.
"There lived a brahmana by name Trijata who was born in garga community and was reddish born in colour. He used to make his living in the forest by digging the soil, always carrying an axe, a spade and a plough."
ybmad's personal views not intended to be imposed on Readers
The word PINGALAHA used in the verse is important. I do not know the intent or purpose of Valmiki, in his pointing out the body birth color of the poor Brahmin Trijatu as REDDISH. This indicates that there was skin-color-consciousness during Valmiki Ramayana period or its evolution period. This may be because of the color and racial consciousness of Aryans who migrated from Nordics, Baltics, Greece, Macedonia, Iran, Iraq, the black color of Native Indians, and the Hybrid colors of the subsequent Indians. Surprising thing is that some white and red Aryans of Valmiki Ramayana period lived in abject poverty. There are numerous problems here , which I am too small to analyse, but the Learned Historians of 'Saffron and Red' have to resolve. While Dasaratha himself seem to be an White Aryan, his Queens Kausalya and Sumitra appear to be black / hybrid colors of gray and red. The youngest Queen Kaikeyi, her father Asvapati, her brother Yudhajit appear to be White Rulers of Punjab/HP/Uttarakhand Gharewal Kumavan Region. There seem to be two views of Kosala being in Punjab-Hariyana or Chattisgadh-Jharkhand-Orissa.
Fortunately, by 2020, this color-consciousness has by and large disappeared. Color preferences for WHITE AND RED seem to continue only in fixing matches for weddings.
Issue of Agastya and Kausika.
First I shall quote the relevant verse from Book 2, Book of Ayodhya, Chapter 32, Verse 13. Source: same valmikiramayan.net referenced at the bottom.
agastyam kaushikam caiva taav ubhau braahmaNa uttamau |
arcaya aahuuya saumitre ratnaiH sasyam iva ambubhiH || 2-32-13
13. saumitre= Oh, Lakshmana! aahuuya= call; tau= those; ubhau= two; brahmaNottamau= excellent brahmanas; agastyam= Agastya; kaushikam chaiva= and Kausika; archaya= worship; ratinaiH= with; ratnaiH= valuable gifts; amububhiH iva= as water; sasyam= to a crop of corn.
"Oh, Lakshmana! Call those two excellent brahmanas Agastya and Kausika and worship them with valuable gifts as water is poured to a crop of corn."
tarpayasva mahaabaaho gosahasaraishcha maanada |
suvarNai rajataishchaiva maNibhishcha mahaadhanaiH || 2-32-14
14. maanada= Oh Lakshmana, the honour-giver; mahaabaaho= with great arms! tarpayasva= satiate them; tarpayasva= with thousands of cows; suvarnaiH= with gold; rajataishchaiva= and silver; maNibhishcha= and gems; mahaadhanaiH= and gems; mahaadhanaiH= of great value.
"Oh, Lakshmana the honour-giver, with great arms! Satiate them with thousands of cows, gold, silver and with gems of great value."
kausalyaam ca yaaashiirbhir bhaktaH paryupatiSThati |
aacaaryaH taittiriiyaaNaam abhiruupaH ca vedavit || 2-32-15
tasya yaanam ca daasiiH ca saumitre sampradaapaya |
kausheyaani ca vastraaNi yaavat tuSyati sa dvijaH || 2-32-16
15,16. saumitre= Oh, lakshmana! yaH= which brahmana; taithiriiyaNaam= studying Taittiriya ( a schoolf yajurveda); aachaaryaH= a preceptor, abhiruupashcha= a man of conformity; vedavit= a knower of Vedas; paryupatishhTati= seving; kausalyaam= Kausalya; bhaktaH= with his blessing; tasya= to him; sampradaapaya= in duly gifted; yaanamcha= conveyance; daasiishcha= servant-maids; kaushayaani vastraaNicha= silken clothes; yaavat= till; saH dvijaH= that brahmana; tushhyati= gets satisfied.
"Oh, Lakshmana! Which brahman is studying Taittiriya(a school of yajurveda), a preceptor, a man of conformity; a knower of Vedas, serving Kausalya with his devotion and blessing, to him see that he is duly gifted conveyance, servant maids and silken clothing till he gets satisfied."
ybrao-a-donkey/ybmad contg.:
First of all, we may have to recognise that, there seem to be more than at least two Agastyas. One Agastya was Sage Agastya whom SitaRamaLakshmana visited during the 13th year of their exile. This Agastya we can call VaishNava Agastya or VisHNu Agastya. The second Agastya is Saiva Agastya or Siddha Agastya of Tamil Sangam Literature. This Agastya was sent , according to scriptures, by Lord Shiva to South India. Now, the Agastya in the above verse is Brahmin Agastya.
ybmad's Note: The word Brahman's original genetic meaning is Supreme Soul (i.e. parabrahmam in the sens of aham brahma asmi). As Priest class/caste persons were entrusted with the task of exploring about Supreme Soul, they seem to have become BrahmaNas. Subsequently, the word Brahmins seem to have evolved over Centuries. The words Brahmana and Brahmin seem to be used synonymously with Rishi and Muni in scriptures, though there appear to be subtle distinctions among the three i.e. Brahmin, Rishi, Muni terms.
Any way this 3rd Agastya i.e. Brahman Agastya seem to be different from the other two Agastyas. Similarly Kausika seems to be a generic term referring to Son of Kusika, hence Kausika. The most prominent among Kausika-name-holders is Sage Visvamitra. We can, call him Kausika-1. In Vyasa Mahabharata, there was a Brahmin Kausika, who was taught about numerous things by Meat Seller Dharma Vyadha. We can call him Kausika 2. This Kausika , who is also a Brahmin like Dharmavyatha Kausika 2, Both Agastya and Kausika referred to in the above verses are Vedic Scholars.
Here we have to see what Lord Shri Rama is highlighting:
In 2-32-25, Lord Rama is telling Lakshmana: kausalyaam ca yaaashiirbhir bhaktaH paryupatiSThati. The Agastya and Kausika are serving Kausalya. Valmiki's word 'bhaktaha' in the above Verse , the Great Scholar Translator Desiraju Hanumantha Rao translated as 'WITH HIS BLESSING'. I shall prefer to interpret this to mean 'with devotion'. They are serving Kausalya with devotion and dedication. I do not expect Great Sages like Sage Agastya and Kausika to serve Queen Kausalya .They appear primarily to be just Vedic Scholars. Because: Kausika-1 (Visvamitra) has his own Ashram, his own sacrifices to perform. For protecting his Sacrifices he took Shri Rama and Lakshmana to Tataka Forest, taught them some magical weapons, and got Tataka and Subahu slain.Back to apparently VaishNava Agastya
On 19th April 2008, in my post No. 055 at this blog, I dealt with the Hermitage of Sage Agastya. Reference No.4 below.. More analysis was made in 2012, vide Post No. 129. Further analysis I made at Post No. 125. Ref. 6 below. More to write ,Doesn't Shri Rama trust Bharata's Guards to protect his Palace (Rama's Palace)?
Source of the verse, and its translation: ValmikiRamayan.net, Book 2, Chapter 32. Reference is at the bottom.
atha abraviid baaSpa kalaams tiSThataH ca upajIvinaH |
sampradaaya bahu dravyam ekaikasya upajiivinaH || 2-32-24
Rama, after giving abundant wealth to each one of the dependents, standing there with tears in their throats, spoke to them as follows;
The word 'upajIvinaha' is important. This has been translated as 'dependents'.
lakSmaNasya ca yad veshma gR^iham ca yad idam mama |
ashuunyam kaaryam ekaikam yaavad aagamanam mama || 2-32-25
25. mama yaavadaagamanam= till my return; ashuunyam kaaryam= not to be made empty; yat= in; lakshmaNasya= Lakshma's veshma= house; yat= in; idam= this; mama= my; gR^ihamcha= house; ekaikam= one by one.
Till my return, the house belonging to Lakshmana and also this house which is occupied by me, should be guarded by each one of you, by turn."
ybrao-a-donkey-alias-ybmad, contg.
Lord Shri Rama is asking his Dependents (servants etc.) to guard his, and Lakshmana's House, and ensure that THEY ARE NOT MADE EMPTY. Here, we can make a somewhat by-default inference. Who has to guard Shri Rama and Lakshmana's Palaces when they are on a long exile of 14 years? Royal Guards. If Bharata becomes King, Bharata's Royal Guards have to protect all Royal Palaces including the Palaces of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita's gynesium. If Shri Rama has some trust in Bharata's Guards, he would not have asked his own (Rama's own) dependents to guard them, and ensure that they are not made EMPTY. I may be wrong, but I get a feeling that 'Was Lord Shri Rama apprehensive that Bharata's Guards will EMPTY the Palaces during the 14 Years exile? Does Shri Rama want his Dependents (better word may be SUPPORTERS) to prevent the ransacking of his and his brother's Houses by anybody including Bharata's Guards?
We can also make another interpretation. Shri Rama being an incarnation of God Vishnu, might have in his mind that Bharata would return with his footwear (Rama's footwear pAdukAs) and will be staying in the outskirts of Ayodhya at a village called Nandi-gaon. But then also, even if Bharata had to stay in the outskirts, Royal Palaces in Ayodhya, including Bharata's Palaces will be guarded by Royal Forces.
It is good that Shri Rama distributed most of his Wealth to Brahmins , Old Aged, and Needy. Else, the risk of the Palaces being EMPTIED during the 14 years would have been higher.
21st Century 2020 Comparisons
In 2019 May General Elections to Andhra Pradesh State Assembly, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri Nara Chandra Babu Naidu lost power. He will be on a five year exile till 2024 Elections. In his place, Y.S.Jaganmohan Reddy has become CM. The first thing he did as CM was, in a frenzy, he has ordered demolition of a part of an Assembly Hall annexure to his predecessor Naidu's Residence on the banks of River Krishna, quoting some River-bank Regulations, ignoring several other multi story structures raised on the River-bank with permissions from his father Late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's days. If River-Bank rules are to be enforced, every violating Structure is to be demolished. But, our New King Shri Jagan chose only the Annexure to Naidu's Residence built with State Government's funds. Though some Telugu Desam Workers and Leaders made some Protests, they could not stop the new CM from demolishing a building used by Old CM.
References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agastya.2. a href='http://ramayanayb.blogspot.com/search/label/082
3. http://www.valmikiramayan.net/ayodhya/sarga32/ayodhya_32_frame.htm
4. http://ramayanayb.blogspot.com/search/label/055.
5.
6. http://ramayanayb.blogspot.com/search/label/125
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