Dasaratha’s earlier Sin
After 1 ½ hours Dasaratha woke up and was thinking of all that happened. Rama & Lakshamana who were like Devendra(God of Celestials) were sent to forest, since then like Rahu covers Sun during Solar eclipse, the grief of separation from children over took Dasaratha. On the 6thmidnight after Rama left the city,he remembered his past Sin and called “ Kaushalya! Now it looks like your anger towards me has subsided. Hence I am emboldened to tell you. In this world a person who does good and bad gives him it’s consequence without fail. Before starting to do Karma(activity) one should assess if the benefit will be small or big or will it conclude or can’t be completed; if one doesn’t weigh these,then he is a fool. With stupendous efforts getting paltry benefit; doing useless activity, are those who do not have intellect. Wise men with least effort achieve huge benefit, and carryout beneficial activities. With a view to satisfy Kayikeyei , to achieve paltry benefit, committed the great Sin of sending Rama to Forest and now I am suffering for that. There is no other fool like me. There was a Phalasa tree and around that there were many Honey like Mango trees. In flowering season, the Phalasa tree leaves were not visible and were covered with beautiful Flowers, whereas the floweres of Mango trees were ordinary to look at. Seeing that that wise man thought ‘ this tree which is filled with such beautiful flowers will have much more beautiful Fruits,so the Fruits of the Mango tree also will be only less tasty; so what is the purpose of having all these Mango trees which is blocking the Phalasa tree ‘ hence he cut of all the Mango trees, and very carefully nurtured the Phalasa tree by putting fertilizer and watering it regularly. When the time came the Phalasa tree shed it’s flowers and filled with useless Fruits. Whereas the neighbour’s grove was filled with nectar like Mango fruits. Can you tell how much grief that fool would have had then? If one start the activity without knowing the fruits of his actions,he will be like the fool who watered and nurtured the Phalasa tree and grieve for it. I have cut the Mango trees and thrown them and nurtured the Phalasa tree by watering it; since birth of Rama I have brought him up and when I would have benifitted I have driven him out to Forest. Now I am repenting. Can there be a wise man like me? Stopping Rama’s coronation and sending him to forest I tried to earn Kayikeyie’s Love.
In my youth I learnt the Shabdhavedha and became an expert . (Shabdhavdehan :Even if the animals were hidden,shooting the Arrow in the direction, by using the sound emanating side as direction and killing the animal). Since all praised me I became haughty with Pride and I committed a Big blunderous unpardonable Sin. Just like a child unknowingly drinks the poison and suffers, likewise I am suffering due to that Sin. One’s Sin and Punya will give it’s benefit either in it’s next birth or in some other world. Where as my sin is Gory. It has come into effect now. The fool gets enticed by beauty of Flowers of Phalasa tree and believing that it’s fruits will also be equally tasty, I obtained the Shabdhavedhan Arrow, and was overawed by the Laurel & Fame it will bring me and I failed to anticipate the damage it would cause me at a later date along with Pain & Anguish and Infamy and was unaware of same.
Before marrying you when I was the Crown Prince, during monsoon time People get intoxicated with haughtiness and the desire also grows. The Sun drank the juices in the earth and evaporated the water with it’s rays and went down south. There after there was no trace of the heat. Dark clouds came out. The frogs and Chathak birds were happy seeing them. The Birds which got wet because of rain as though they took bath suffered by the rainy storm slowly went and sat on the branches which were drenched by the raindrops. Due to rain that had poured till that date and also due the pouring rain the mountains where the rogue Elephants live were coverd by myst, and looked like the sea with waves just abated. The waterfalls which ran clear water for some time , while flowing over the soil containing minerals white and red in colour along with ashes of the forest Fire looked like Serpents of different hue(colour) I had decided to hunt then, fully armed got into my Chariot, and went along the Sarayu river bank. Night either Wild Bison, or Elephant, or some other may come to drink water; then I can kill them. So i was very carefully waiting, when I heard a sound as though the elephant is drinking water. Since it was pitch dark, nothing was visble. Actually it was girgling sound which emanated when a pot is filled. I heard and thought that it was an elephant and aimed at the direction of the animal (from where sound was coming), I strung the bow and released my deathly serpant like arrow. it was early dawn. There was a human crying aloud “ My God I am dead” and then there was a falling sound from that direction.
“ Oh my god ! I am a Thapasvi (Saintly Mendicant known for his Penance) ; I have not harmed anyone;I do not have any enemy;I thought in the night there will not be any human, hence I came to take water. Who hit me with an arrow? What harm did I do to anyone? I had overcome harming anyone either by action or speech or even by thought; in this forest I am living on Fruits, Roots and I am a saint doing penance, What is the reason I should die now being killed by an arrow? I am wearing Deer Skin, dress made of Wooden barks/leaves, what is the purpose in killing me & what benefit one will get by killing me? What Injury did I cause anyone? With no purpose to serve this action which is going to cause only harm, will anyone accept it as good? Will anyone appreciate a person who has spoilt the teacher’s wife? i have no qualms about my death. I am worried about the fate my Mother and Father will meet, when I die? They are very old; for a long time I have been protecting them; if I die how will they survive? I am the only son for them. Who is the sinner who wanted to kill all of us with a single arrow? Only a fool, and a unsteady person must have carried out this injustice.” These words fell on my ears.
I am a person who would never like to deviate from Dharma. When I heard these pitiable words the bow and arrows slipped and fell from my hands. At night hearing these heart rending words caused me fear and anguish. I lost my senses. I went towards the direction of the sound slowly with Varutham (Upset, regret, perturbed, feel sorry, sad,pained )
There I saw a Saint who has been hit by an arrow and in agony having thrown the vessel and unbraided his matted hair and rolling on the ground in pain. His whole body was smeared with Blood,with dust, Seeing me afraid and standing by totally shaken up, that Tapsvi saint with Aura radiating scorned at me as though he will burn me “Hey King! I am living in the forest alone, what harm I have done? when I have come to get water for my Father and Mother why did you hit me?Payfully you have killed me with an arrow; but do you know my weak parents are blind and with a single arrow you have killed them also? They must be expecting that I will very soon bring water for them. What is the use of my learning sashtras, and having done severe penance? My father does no know my rolling on the ground. Even if he comes to know what will he do? He does not have strength;he can not walk; When a tree is being felled by Air can the other adjacent Tree save it? Dasaratha you yourself may go urgently to my Father and tell him what happened to me. Or else like the Forest Fire with his anger he will turn you into ashes. His Hermittage is at the end of this single lane pathway. You plead with him not to curse you and pacify him. This arrow has pierced the Nodal nerve of my body , like the fast flowing river which erodes small sand mounds, is causing unbearable pain. Please remove the arrow and go.’ Said the fatally injured Thapasvi Saint.
If I do not remove the Arrow he will suffer; if I remove he will die; hence I will get the greatest Sin of Brhamahathi Dosha(Killing a Human); he saw me hesitating and afraid . He knew his death has neared; he looked at me “ DasarathaI unnecessarily do not grieve, summon courage and control your Dhukkam (Grief, Pain, Anguish,sorrow, suffering,worry, unhappiness,heart rending situations ). Do not fear that you will get Sin of Brhamahathi Dosha(Killing a Human). My Mother was born in 4thVarnashrama; my father is a Vaishya(Trader) and telling this, unable to bear the pain he rolled on the ground . Then I pulled the Arrow and threw it. Immediately he saw me afraid and died.Thus seeing that Thapasvi’ body which was smeared with Blood and was lamenting myself and was in deep sorrow.(Slokas 54).
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