Fasting to Death - a Ramayana episode

[P.K.Ramakrishnan]

With the background of various dignitaries resorting to fast to death, I am giving be low an episode of attempting a fast unto death from Valmiki Ramayana.

Valmiki Ramayana Ayodhya Kanda Sarga 111

 

Slokas  13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18

 

Bharata tells his charioteer Sumantra -

 

इह मे स्थण्डिलॆ शीघ्रं कुशानास्तर सारथे /

आर्यं प्रत्युपवेक्ष्यामि यावन्मे न प्रसीदति //  13

अनाहारो निरालोको धनहीनो यथा द्विज: /

शेष्ये पुरस्तात् शालायां यावन्मां प्रतियास्यति //  14

स तु राममवेक्षंतं सुमंत्रं प्रेक्ष्य दुर्मना: /

कुशोत्तरमवस्थाप्य भूमावेवस्थितस्वयम् //  15

तमुवाच महातेजा रामो राजर्षिसत्तम: /

किं मां भरत कुर्वाणं तात प्रत्युपवेक्ष्यसि // 16

बाह्मणोह्येकपार्श्वेन नरान् रोद्धुमिहार्हसि /

न तु मूर्धाभिषिक्तानां विधि: प्रत्युपवेशने // 17

उत्त्तिष्ट नरशार्दूल हित्वैतद्दारुणं व्रतम् /

पुरिवर्यामित: क्षिप्रमयोध्यां याहि राघव // 18

 

Here Bharatha proclaims his intention to

fast unto death if Rama does not retrun

to Ayodhya.  Rama rebukes Bharatha

that a Khatriya is not entitled to take recourse

to this and sticks to his resolve to stay in

the forest.

 

 

 ----------------

P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com

[hnbhat B.R.]

2011/6/11 P.K.Ramakrishnan <peek...@yahoo.com>

Is it the same Rama who himself fasts on the banks of the ocean to get way through it at a later in YuddhakaaNda:

ततः सागरवेलायां दर्भानास्तीर्य राघवः । 
अञ्जलिं प्राङ्मुखः कृत्वा प्रतिशिश्ये महोदधेः । 

इति रामो मतिं कृत्वा महाबाहुर्महोदधिम् । 
अधिशिश्ये स विधिवत् प्रयतो नियतो मुनिः ।। 6.21.9 ।। 

तस्य रामस्य सुप्तस्य कुशास्तीर्णे महीतले । 
नियमादप्रमत्तस्य निशास्तिस्रो ऽतिचक्रमुः ।। 6.21.10 ।। 


स त्रिरात्रोषितस्तत्र नयज्ञो धर्मवत्सलः । 
उपासत तदा रामः सागरं सरितां पतिम् ।। 6.21.11 ।। 

when it comes to his personal case as a King?

--
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R.
EFEO,
PONDICHERRY

[P.K.Ramakrishnan]

 

-----------------------------------
P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: P.K.Ramakrishnan <peek...@yahoo.com>
To: hn bhat <hnbh...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sat, 11 June, 2011 1:27:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Fasting to Death - a Ramayana episode

That is a good one. We have to ask Rama and Valmiki but both of them are

no more !
 

-----------------------------------
P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com

---

From: hnbhat B.R. <hnbh...@gmail.com>
To: sams...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sat, 11 June, 2011 1:08:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Fasting to Death - a Ramayana episode

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[hnbhat B.R.]

And when Shambuka a shUdra, resorted to tapas, Rama cut his head off, to save the worlds. But I think he was not yet born, when it was of his own caste, Vishvamitra, who succeeds in tapas, to get BrahmarShi status.

(With apologies requested from Valmiki, by whose time Vishvamitra, should have been confirmed in his new status from Rajarshi to Brahmarshi, approved by the real Brahmarshi, Vasishtha).

Great people like his own mother say "Raamo vigrahavAn DharmaH" 

when she insisted him to stick to his fathers promise to his step mother.

 

So beyond any questioning, he himself is the embodiment of Dharma.