On listening to the grief of the gods, Brahma replied: “When Ravana asked for his inviolability by gandharvas, yaksas, devas, and danavas, I agreed to it. He, again, begged for his security against everything perceived. I granted him his demand”. It was the will of Rama, the protector of the gods, that Ravana, on getting birth in the demon’s race, will not realise Rama, or will know little of him, or will perceive everything except Rama. That is why he, while asking for the boon, did not count two-armed Rama, the Supreme Self in human form who was predestined to cause his death, since no other person than Rama was potent to annihilate him. This conveys the idea that Raghunatha, the Lord of Saketa was different from Visnu and other gods.
This interpretation refutes Govindaraja’s view: ‘Ravana disregarded Rama owing to his human form’. In fact, Dasaratha, Nahusa, etc., assisted the gods in war. Here the question arises “Why did Ravana make little of Rama? Was it so on account of either acquisition of the boon, or the power of his own, or both? The first alternative is not worth a straw. Ravana’s annihilation was to take place by a human body. Otherwise, the gods’ request to Brahman regarding Ravana’s extermination will make no sense. The second one is meagre since he was defeated by Valin and others. Ultimately, the third option does not stand in the absence of both. Furthermore, had Ravana begged his inviolability in the hands of Visnu and other gods, he would not have been killed by Rama, the embodiment of Visnu, manifest in human form at that time. Had he not begged so, the question of Rama’s dishonour would have not arisen. Thus our statement is in consonance with the poet’s intention.
The poet also, later on, narrates how Ravana, struck by Visnu’s potent wheel, did not lose his life and bore merely its wound mark on his body.
Visnu’s appearance at the sacrifice 1.15.16
Soon after the conversation between the gods and Brahma, Rama, appeared at the sacrifice. Visnu, wielding or armed or marked with a conch, a wheel, and a club for the protection of the world praised him. Rama, who wore a yellow garment, was Visnu or the illuminator of Visnu. Or, one may say, he was the most pervasive of the trio Brahma, Visnu, and Mahesa.
Here the expression antare- Visnuh refers to Rama who pervades Visnu, since the syllable ‘r’ of his name controls all-pervading Visnu, or spreads through all. Thus the word Visnu meaning ‘all-pervasive’ refers to Rama who pervades the three gods.It does not, at all, refer to Visnu with four arms. Otherwise, the word Narayana in the later expression tato narayano Visnuh will seem insignificant. Had both ‘Visnu’ and ‘Narayana’ signified one of them would have obviously become superfluous like “prabhoh prabhuh”. It favours the context.
The Gods appeal to Visnu 1.15.18-19; 20-24; 31
They said to him, “O Lord, You are omnipotent. With a longing for the welfare of mankind, we make an appeal to you. The magnanimous Dasaratha is the visible king of the visible Ayodhya. Learned in the Vedas, he always initiates dharma. Equal to the exalted seers in brilliance, he is pre-eminent among kings. He has four wives resembling Hri or Modesty, Sri or Glory, and Kirti or Fame as personified merits. You bestow four purusarthas, viz. dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Be visible in Dasaratha’s wife as his eternal son to guide the people. Or, manifest fourfold through yourself and your own elements in the form of Bharata and others”.
The verb niyoksyamahe alludes to the ideas: The gods were the householders of Raghunatha’s abode in the Saketa. The sacrifice took place for acquiring the Lord of Saketa. Further, the priests of the sacrifice were the residents of Saketa. They again requested, “O Lord, you are everywhere - manifest the Trinity. You are Rama, the one and the whole residing in all. You are the Supreme Self in human form with two arms. You manifest yourself absolutely or partly in bodily form. Mighty Ravana is a curse to the world. He is inviolable by the gods and their lords, viz. Brahman, Visnu, and Mahesvara. Kill him in the battlefield”.
The word Madhusudana means ‘Rama slew the demon Madhu through Narayana’. Or, it consists of two words, viz. madhusu and udana. The former means that Rama was born in the month of Caitra, while the latter means that he brought up the gods gracefully. Or, the latter conveys the idea that the protective Rama-chant ‘Ut’, which Sambhu uttered day and night, ended the cycle of birth and death of his refugees.
Brahma’s plan to put an end to Ravana 1.15.12-14
On listening to the grief of the gods, Brahma replied: “When Ravana asked for his inviolability by gandharvas, yaksas, devas, and danavas, I agreed to it. He, again, begged for his security against everything perceived. I granted him his demand”. It was the will of Rama, the protector of the gods, that Ravana, on getting birth in the demon’s race, will not realise Rama, or will know little of him, or will perceive everything except Rama. That is why he, while asking for the boon, did not count two-armed Rama, the Supreme Self in human form who was predestined to cause his death, since no other person than Rama was potent to annihilate him. This conveys the idea that Raghunatha, the Lord of Saketa was different from Visnu and other gods.
This interpretation refutes Govindaraja’s view: ‘Ravana disregarded Rama owing to his human form’. In fact, Dasaratha, Nahusa, etc., assisted the gods in war. Here the question arises “Why did Ravana make little of Rama? Was it so on account of either acquisition of the boon, or the power of his own, or both? The first alternative is not worth a straw. Ravana’s annihilation was to take place by a human body. Otherwise, the gods’ request to Brahman regarding Ravana’s extermination will make no sense. The second one is meagre since he was defeated by Valin and others. Ultimately, the third option does not stand in the absence of both. Furthermore, had Ravana begged his inviolability in the hands of Visnu and other gods, he would not have been killed by Rama, the embodiment of Visnu, manifest in human form at that time. Had he not begged so, the question of Rama’s dishonour would have not arisen. Thus our statement is in consonance with the poet’s intention.
The poet also, later on, narrates how Ravana, struck by Visnu’s potent wheel, did not lose his life and bore merely its wound mark on his body.
Visnu’s appearance at the sacrifice 1.15.16
Soon after the conversation between the gods and Brahma, Rama, appeared at the sacrifice. Visnu, wielding or armed or marked with a conch, a wheel, and a club for the protection of the world praised him. Rama, who wore a yellow garment, was Visnu or the illuminator of Visnu. Or, one may say, he was the most pervasive of the trio Brahma, Visnu, and Mahesa.
Here the expression antare- Visnuh refers to Rama who pervades Visnu, since the syllable ‘r’ of his name controls all-pervading Visnu, or spreads through all. Thus the word Visnu meaning ‘all-pervasive’ refers to Rama who pervades the three gods.It does not, at all, refer to Visnu with four arms. Otherwise, the word Narayana in the later expression tato narayano Visnuh will seem insignificant. Had both ‘Visnu’ and ‘Narayana’ signified one of them would have obviously become superfluous like “prabhoh prabhuh”. It favours the context.
The Gods appeal to Visnu 1.15.18-19; 20-24; 31
They said to him, “O Lord, You are omnipotent. With a longing for the welfare of mankind, we make an appeal to you. The magnanimous Dasaratha is the visible king of the visible Ayodhya. Learned in the Vedas, he always initiates dharma. Equal to the exalted seers in brilliance, he is pre-eminent among kings. He has four wives resembling Hri or Modesty, Sri or Glory, and Kirti or Fame as personified merits. You bestow four purusarthas, viz. dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Be visible in Dasaratha’s wife as his eternal son to guide the people. Or, manifest fourfold through yourself and your own elements in the form of Bharata and others”.
The verb niyoksyamahe alludes to the ideas: The gods were the householders of Raghunatha’s abode in the Saketa. The sacrifice took place for acquiring the Lord of Saketa. Further, the priests of the sacrifice were the residents of Saketa. They again requested, “O Lord, you are everywhere - manifest the Trinity. You are Rama, the one and the whole residing in all. You are the Supreme Self in human form with two arms. You manifest yourself absolutely or partly in bodily form. Mighty Ravana is a curse to the world. He is inviolable by the gods and their lords, viz. Brahman, Visnu, and Mahesvara. Kill him in the battlefield”.
The word Madhusudana means ‘Rama slew the demon Madhu through Narayana’. Or, it consists of two words, viz. madhusu and udana. The former means that Rama was born in the month of Caitra, while the latter means that he brought up the gods gracefully. Or, the latter conveys the idea that the protective Rama-chant ‘Ut’, which Sambhu uttered day and night, ended the cycle of birth and death of his refugees.