LAKSHMANA

LAKSHMANA

In the Ramayana, when Rama and Lakshmana were going in search of Sita, suddenly Lakshmana felt tired and told Rama that he was fed up with the search and that he would like to go back to Ayodhya to have a more comfortable time. Rama smiled and said, "Let us proceed, I shall explain everything later." How did Lakshmana, who previously had declared that Rama was everything to him and that he would not live without Rama, even for a moment, suddenly develop this attitude? How did this concern for bodily comfort arise? After they had walked some distance they sat under a tree. That moment Lakshmana felt the pangs of repentance. He realised his mistake, clasped Rama’s feet and said, "Brother! Forgive me for what I had said, I cannot understand how this bad thought came to my mind; what was the reason?" Rama then replied, "Lakshmana! The region through which we passed recently was the haunt of Surpanakha. Surpanakha used to rest under the tree there. That place is surcharged with all her evil qualities. Those vibrations aroused in you the bad thoughts. The moment you came out of the place, your inherent good nature asserted itself."

Lakshmana is one who had good qualities by birth. He so controlled his senses that he had acquired further good qualities. He was a person of good conduct and good thoughts and was always ready to obey Rama’s orders. He was Sumitra’s son. From his very birth, he never knew separation from Rama. Lakshmana was such that during the first two days after his birth, he was not taking food and was crying for the sake of Rama. Sumitra, the mother and Dasaratha, the father, wanted to know what was the reason for this incessant crying. Dasaratha and Sumitra were trying to give him various kinds of medical attention. They tried many tantras, mantras and yantras but in spite of all that Lakshmana’s crying did not diminish.

When this news was conveyed to Vasishta, the Guru, he thought for a moment and tried to understand the situation by his divine vision. He saw that the cause for this situation was the physical separation of Rama and Lakshmana and he advised that they both be made to sleep in the same cradle. Thus, when Sumitra took Lakshmana to the mansion of Kausalya and put him in the same cradle, where Rama was sleeping, Lakshmana not only stopped crying, but also began taking food and enjoying the bliss of the company of Rama. To Lakshmana, separation from Rama was as distressing and troublesome as the joining with Rama was blissful.

From that day, Lakshmana was following Rama as if he was Rama’s shadow. Lakshmana would not sleep for a moment when Rama was not present. Lakshmana would not eat, if Rama was not present. Devotion to Rama was so intense in Lakshmana that he filled his heart with a feeling that everything that was present belonged, in reality, to Rama.

Kaikeyi had asked for two boons. The first one was, Bharatha her son,should become the king, and the second was that Rama should go to the forest and live there as a sanyasi for 14 years. There was no place for Lakshmana in these two desires for Kaikeyi. But when Rama was preparing for the journey, Lakshmana also accompanied Rama. He also wore clothes of bark in the manner of Rama. Looking at the kind of clothes Rama was wearing and the kind of appearance that Rama had, Lakshmana also decided that he should wear similar clothes and have a similar appearance.

For all the fourteen years in the forest, Lakshmana conducted himself, as if he was one with Rama. He was spending all his energy and time in taking care of and serving Rama and Sita. Truly, if Lakshmana was not present, how Rama and Sita would have spent their lives? This important role of Lakshmana was beautifully described by Tulasidas in his narration of Ramayana. Tulasidas describes that when Rama was returning victoriously to Ayodhya with his flag flying high, the people of Ayodhya were reverentially saluting the flag and the pole on which the flag was flying. This description of Tulasidas has a significant inner meaning. The pole here signifies Lakshmana. The pole is as important as the flag. In fact, if the pole did not exist, the flag cannot fly at all. Thus, Lakshmana became the steadfast support for Sita and Rama. In this story of Ramayana while the Lord in human form, was playing the role of Rama, Lakshmana also has an important role to play.

On two occasions Lakshmana had to obey the command of Rama, though personally he did not like it. That occasion arose when Sita was in the family way in an advanced stage. It was Rama’s command that he should take Sita into the forest. He did not like to do this, and yet he took her into the forest. He did this just for obeying Rama’s orders. Again, on the occasion when Sita returned from Lanka and when she was preparing to jump into the fire to prove her purity, Lakshmana was asked to prepare the fire. Although Lakshmana did not like to do this, he did prepare the firewood for the test just for obeying Rama’s orders. However difficult the situation was, he always followed the orders of Rama.

The entire life of Lakshmana was devoted to obeying the orders of Rama. However, on two occasion knowing that what he was doing was wrong, Lakshmana had to disobey the orders of Rama. The first occasion relates to the incident when Maricha appeared as a deer. When Maricha was being pursued by Rama, both Lakshmana and Sita heard the voice of Rama (which was actually Maricha’s) asking for help. What were the orders that Rama gave to Lakshmana on that occasion? He was to remain and protect Sita. He tried his best, but when Sita spoke harsh words and even threatened by saying that if Lakshmana would not go, she would commit suicide by burning herself, Lakshmana left the place and thus disobeyed Rama’s orders for the first time.

Another occasion when he had to disobey the order of Rama was towards the end of Rama’s mortal life. Rudra, the God of Time, came to meet Rama. Before he started the conversation, he said that no one else should enter the room while they were conversing. So Rama called Lakshmana and asked him to stand at the entrance and see that no one disturbs them. Rama realised that this was a difficult task, and that only Lakshmana could do it effectively. At this time, when Lakshmana was standing guard, Durvasa came and wanted to meet Rama. Lakshmana, who was under orders to keep out visitors, told Durvasa in great humility that as Rama was in conversation with someone else, he should wait for a while. Durvasa, however, became angry and threatened to destroy Rama, Lakshmana and indeed the whole city of Ayodhya in a moment. Lakshmana then thought that it would be better to let Durvasa into the room rather than invoke his anger and get the entire city into trouble. In this manner, Lakshmana spent all his life in the service of Rama and rarely disobeyed His orders, and even when he did disobey, it was only for the sake of others. All the work that he did was for the good of others.

During the Lanka war, the fight between Lakshmana and Indrajith lasted for three full days after which finally Indrajith was killed. Rama came and embraced Lakshmana and said that he was as happy as he would be when he found Sita. In the entire battle, the most difficult thing was to defeat Indrajith. Infact, it was easier to kill Ravana. When Rama saw that Lakshmana was victorious, He was overjoyed. To others like Vibhishana, Rama frequently stated that it is very difficult to find a brother like Lakshmana. He has been telling Sugriva and others, that the task which he has completed could be so handled only because of the presence of Lakshmana, and that He by himself could not have done it.

During all the years of his service to Sita and Rama, he was sitting at their feet and did not even look at Sita’s face. When Sita was been carried away by Ravana over Rishyamukha mountain, she dropped several of her jewels so that people could find them and convey the news to Rama. When Rama and Lakshmana became friendly with Sugriva, the latter had a chance to bring the jewels, which his followers had gathered. He showed them to Rama. At that time Rama asked Lakshmana if he could recognise the jewels. Lakshmana said that while he could not recognise the other jewels, he could certainly recognise those which Sita wore on her feet. When Rama asked how he could recognise these, he said that every morning he used to go and touch her feet in reverence; hence he was quite familiar with them.

Lakshmana looked upon the wife of his brother as his own mother and and looked only at her feet. He never looked at her face. He would always bend his head low if he found some other woman coming infront of him. Lakshmana was a person of exemplary character. He had such sacred thoughts and mind. If only he is taken as an ideal example and we follow him, there will be no doubt of our own elevation.

There is another example. On one night, when matters of state were being discussed, there was a delay and Lakshmana was returning home rather late. At the mansion of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Satrughna were all alone and by mistake Lakshmana walked into Rama’s palace. When he saw Sita sleeping, he realised his mistake and quickly rushed out and fell at Guru Vasishta’s feet and prayed to him, so that he could tell him how this mistake could be corrected and atoned for.

Lakshmana had a pure heart. Hence he could consider entering the room where his brother’s wife was sleeping, as the greatest sin which one could commit. Such ideals, at the present time, would not be seen as rare examples. If the brother goes out on camp, the younger brother will be taking out his sister-in-law to the cinema. The code of conduct which Lakshmana set, should be followed by every human being. Although Lakshmana had a spark of Divinity in him, this could come out and be seen only in the Divine presence of Rama. At all other times, when he was alone, he was like an ordinary person, in fact weaker than an ordinary person.

When Indrajit and Lakshmana were fighting; Lakshmana fell into a swoon. Indrajit tried his best to carry away Lakshmana to Lanka. Although Indrajit had all the strength, he could not move Lakshmana even a little. However when Hanuman entered the scene, uttering the name of Rama, Lakshmana became so light that he could be carried on the shoulders of Hanuman to the camp of Rama. Lakshmana was one who had such an attachment to the name of Rama that if Rama’s name was mentioned, Lakshmana’s strength would re-appear.

Lakshmana used to display his strength only in the presence of human beings or rakshasas, but would never display even a fraction of his strength in the presence of Rama. Lakshmana had such noble and good qualities.

Lakshmana is the supreme example of the doctrine of surrender, "I offer my wealth, family and everything to you, Oh Rama! Protect me who has taken refuge in you." It was this total surrender which impelled Rama to observe, when Lakshmana lay stricken on the battlefield in Lanka, "wives and kinsmen can be got in any country. But, where can one get a brother like Lakshmana?" Rama thus exemplified the depth of fraternal attachment. The mutual love between Rama and Lakshmana was of the highest order.