Originally posted by: chen2chic
The celebrated stanza of Sanskrit literature, and controversial too, in deciphering its meaning....
maa nishhaada pratiSThaamtva magamaH shaashvatiiH samaaH |
yat krauNcha mithunaat eka mavadhiiH kaama mohitam || 1-2-151] maa - Goddess Lakshmi; nishaada - Oh! Vishnu; yat - by which act; krauncha mithunaat - the couple of demons, Ravana and Mandodari; kaama mohitam - that impassioned one who stole Seetha; ekam - that one, Ravana; avadhiih - you killed; shaashvatiih samaah - everlasting for ages; pratisthaam - divine sanctity /glory; tvam agama - you get.
"Goddess Lakshmi's abode... Oh! Vishnu, by which act of your killing one male demon named Ravana, who in his passion abducted Seetha, and thus you eradicated the vice from the earth, for that you get an everlasting divine sanctity, as Rama, for ages to come."
2] Attributing this to Ravana-Ravana is the one who tortures others for his benefit and is hence niSaada - Oh! Ravana; krouncha+ midhunaat- from the couple of Rama and Seetha, ekam- one, Seetha; avadhii-as good as killing her (by your act of abducting); pratiSTaam tva- your glory in Lanka; ma+agama- never get, hereafter. But this declination is not held right, for it is like a curse, and no epic shall start with a bad omen.
3] From the perspective of Rama - Sage Narada gave the details of the legend to Sage Valmiki and Brahma orders that the legend of Rama is to be recorded. But Ramayana is full of pathos, karuNa - shoka rasam. If it is to be penned the writer too shall have heart that can outpour that mood. So when Valmiki is at the river banks Rama, it is said that Vishnu, came in the guise of a tribal, and killed one bird. Valmiki reacted immediately but then Rama gets a curse in this verse - maa nishaada.nishaada= oh hunter / Rama; for your killing one bird of the couple(R&M), to the misery of the female one; shaashvatii = as long as you live on this earth; samaaH+pratiSTaam= togetherness, with your wife; ma+agama= do not get.
Oh! Rama, as long as you are on earth, you do not get the love of being together with your wife... for you have to live with your wife departed (firstly to Lanka, and again to forests)
4) The best one acc. to me....i] maa+niSaada= Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu's marriage in their incarnations as Rama and Setha - depicts -- Bala Kanda.ii] pratiSTaam+tvam+agama= renown, you get - by following your father's orders you have repaired to forests, without any political upheaval, thus get an everlasting renown as an obliging son --- depicts-- Ayodhya Kanda.
iii] shashavatii+ samaa= by dwelling in forest and eradicating demons and helping the saints and sages thus, you achieve an everlasting praise - depicts - Aranya Kanda.
iv] krounchayoH= from the atrocious couple Vali and Tara; ekam+kaama+mohitam = one, passion filled, i.e., Vali, avadhii= you killed Vali - depicts - Kishkindha Kanda.
v] krouncha +mithunaat= from the couple of lovely passionate birds - Ram and Sita; niSaada he Ravana, kaama mohitam lustfully, ekam one [i.e., Seetha]; avadhii = almost killed, i.e., her residing in Lanka is as good as death; this depicts - Sundara Kanda.
vi] krouincha+mithunaat = from the atrocious, couple - Ravana and Mandodari; ekam avadhii one - Ravana, is killed - depicts - Yuddha Kanda.
vii] kaama+mohitam= by desire, fascinated; Sita is fascinated by her desire to see sage's wives and thus she is left in hermitage by Lakshman. Hence Uttara Kanda is also suggested.
Anupamaa
Book Talk
