SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI (ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ವಿರಚಿತ “ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ ಮಂಜರಿ ಅರ್ಥವಿವರಣೆ)

SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI

(ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ವಿರಚಿತ “ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ ಮಂಜರಿ ಅರ್ಥವಿವರಣೆ)

  The hidden meaning in this stanza is as follows (as mentioned by Sri P.P. Lakshminarayana Upadhyaya):

  AnEna “RAmasya rAjyABhiShEkE ManTharayA bODhitayA KaikEyyA patidattavaradwayabalAt ‘RAmaha chaturdashavarShANi vane vasatu. MatsutO BharatO rAjyamavEt’ iti vichChinnE sati, RAmaha RAvanasamhArAdi surakAryasidDhayE mAtApitruBhyAmanujnAtaha, sahAgatAn pitrAdeen sajjanAnanujnApya LakShmaNaseethAsahitO GangAm teertvA, vaTakSheerENa jaTAm DhrutwA guhAdinA krushAm pUjAm sweekrutya, ChitrakUTE suKhEna sThitavAn, RAmaviyOgaduhKhAddasharaThE mrutE, VasiShThAdiBhihi KaikEyyAdEshAt KEkayadEshAdAkAritO Bharataha ShatruGhnEna sahitaha, AyODhyAm prApya, sarvam ShrutwA pitrukAryam krutwA, RAmavanavAsaklEshEna kliShTastannivruttayE, RAmam draShTum, mAtrAdisarvajanaihi saha, RAmamArgENaiva ChitrakUTam prApya, RAmam sharaNam prAptavAn”, ityAdi kaThA sUchitA|

  The expression “ManTharayA bODhitayA KaikEyyA”, which means Manthara taught Kaikeyi, indicates that Kaikeyi was originally modest, kind, virtuous and compassionate. She was misled by Manthara.

  Manthara: When deities, gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean of Milk, the tree of Parijata, Kamadhenu, Airavata elephant and horse named Uchchaishravas, Mahalakshmi and Apsaras emerged out in that order. Later, a woman came out. While Mahalakshmi was in-charge of wealth, the woman who came out after her was in-charge of poverty. Mahalakshmi was a manifestation of good virtues and noble attributes, while the other woman was a symbol of negative qualities and therefore she was named as “Alakashmi”. Since she was the first woman to have emerged as an embodiment of negative qualities, she was also known as Jyeshtha. While Mahalakshmi chose Sri Hari as her husband, Alakshmi married Kali, the supreme leader among wicked people.

  Both Kali and Alakshmi had ugly and awkward shape. After seeing most charming, attractive and beautiful Apsaras and other celestial women a desire to have a charming physique and attractive face sprouted in the mind of Alakshmi. She also came to know that by the grace of Lord Hari, the celestial women could get salvation. She wanted to earn a status that would be equal to the status of celestial women. She did penance and impressed Lord Brahma with her devotion. Hence, Lord Brahma blessed her to become an Apsara. Although she got a beautiful and attractive body that was similar to that of Apsaras, there was no change in her qualities. She was born with negative qualities. In fact, her negative qualities increased after she became beautiful. Lord Brahma noticed this development or transformation and decided to push her into the hell of eternal pain at the earliest.

  Lord Brahma once summoned Alakshmi and told: “You want to attain a reasonable status very soon. Lord Sri Hari is going to incarnate as Lord Sri Rama on earth as the son of King Dasharatha. At that time, you should take birth on earth as a Shudra woman and become a maid servant of Kaikeyi, an aunt of Sri Rama. You should impress her with your service and speech and develop intimacy with her. You should make her dance to your tunes and through her, you should conspire to stop Sri Rama from ascending the throne as successor of King Dasharatha. If do this job successfully, you may quickly attain the desired status.”

  Alakshmi thought that her goal was to attain Moksha like celestial women. “Lord Brahma has promised that I will attain the desired status after accomplishing the task he has assigned me. While deceiving Lord Hari, I must become eligible to get Moksha or salvation like celestial women. To join Kaikeyi, impress her and gain her confidence, I must take birth in her native place, grow with her and impress upon her with my attitude.” As per her plan, she took birth in Kekaya and joined the royal court at a very young age. Her name in this new form was Manthara. Concealing her original negative attributes, Alakshmi pretended as though she was a very obedient, kind, honest, sincere and dedicated servant. She attracted the attention of Kaikeyi and became her bosom friend, guide and philosopher. Kaikeyi married Dasharatha. At the time of going to Ayodhya with Dasharatha, Kaikeyi said that she could not live for a while without Manthara. In Ayodhya too, Manthara gained prominence as the most beloved servant of Kaikeyi.

  “KaikeyeepreetihEtuhu” indicates this attitude of Manthara. Although Kaikeyi loved Manthara for her services and developed a strange attachment for her, Manthara never loved Kaikeyi. All conversations and actions of Manthara were aimed at impressing Kaikeyi. She was highly pretentious. What she did and how she behaved were aimed at self-transformation.

  Lord Brahma was aware of the intention of Lord Hari and therefore, he blessed Manthara with the requisite skills to prevent the coronation of Lord Sri Rama from happening.

  Dasharatha had many wives. Yet, Dasharatha had special attachment with Kaikeyi.

  Sri Rama saw Manthara and decided to expose her corrupt motive. Once, when Sri Rama was still a young boy, he kicked Manthara under some pretext. This triggered a sense of hatred in Manthara towards Sri Rama. On many occasions, she exhibited her dissent and hatred towards Rama.

  Manthara was waiting for an opportunity to execute her plan. When she saw entire Ayodhya preparing for the coronation of Sri Rama,

Manthara rushes to Kaikeyi, convinces her that a conspiracy had been hatched to deceive her and deprive her son Bharata the throne. Initially, Kaikeyi was delighted to hear the news of the coronation of Sri Rama and honored Manthara with a gold necklace for bringing such grand information. But, Manthara was quite tactful to convert the mind of Kaikeyi. She went on to remind Kaikeyi about the two boons Dasharatha had promised to give her on demand. Finally, Sri Rama was informed of the so-called, fabricated “desire” of Dasharatha to banish him for fourteen years and to install Bharata on the throne by Kaikeyi as Dasharatha was choked in depression and distress. Sri Rama was happy because his incarnation had finally come on the right track.

  Further course of Ayodhya Kanda will be discussed in the next episode. Please read, comment and share. SDN