Chapter 20 - Greatness of Bālamaṇḍana Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: The legend herein is a glaring example of how in their exaggerated enthusiasm in gloriyfìng a particular Tīrtha (here a well called Pitṛ-kūpikā) the Purāṇa-authors get insensitive to the defamation of respectable persons. Here Lakṣmaṇa is shown to have planned Rāma’s murder and abduction of Sītā as wife. Any reader of VR knows the great sacrifice made by Lakṣmaṇa for Rāma, who immortalised himself as the ideal of brotherhood.

Sūta said:

1-8. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, who had undertaken the vow of exile in forest, was wandering over the earth in the company of Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa.

In the course of his peregrinations, he came to the place where there was Pitṛkūpikā. Weary and distressed with thirst, he sat down on the ground.

In the meantime, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the Lord of the day came to the mountain of sunset. He appeared like a Japā flower.

After completing the religious rites of the evening, he spread leaves on the ground beneath a Plakṣa tree. There (on them) the scion of the Raghu family had his sleep.

There in his dream, he saw Daśaratha with a very delighted mind. He was eager to speak in affectionate words, as before.

When the day dawned clearly and the solar disc came up, Rāghava summoned some Brāhmaṇas and told them everything (about the dream):

“O Brāhmaṇas, in the course of a dream to-day my father was seen by me wearing white garlands and unguents. He was excessively delighted in his mind and he was eager to speak pleasing words. Therefore, tell me, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the result of this dream. I have a great curiosity in this respect.”

The Brāhmaṇas said:

9-18. O king, we have heard that Pitṛs who yearn for a Śrāddha or who foresee prosperity appear to their sons.

Gayā Tīrtha is present itself in this Kūpikā. Therefore, your father who yearns for a Śrāddha was seen by you in the dream.

Hence, O excellent one among the descendants of Raghu, do perform the Śrāddha in the prescribed manner. You can perform it with Nīvāra rice, Śākas (greens), roots as well as gingelly seeds from plants grown in forest.

Presently the most excellent one among the descendants of Raghu, invited the Brāhmaṇas.

“You may be pleased to grant me your faithful favour in the Śrāddha rites.”

They assented saying “So it shall be.” The excellent Brāhmaṇas then went for their bath towards their hermitages with very great delight.

When those Brāhmaṇas had gone the most excellent one among the descendants of Raghu said to Lakṣmaṇa who was standing with modesty at his side:

“O son of Sumitrā, fetch greens, roots and fruits quickly for the sake of the Śrāddha. The splendid lady Vaidehī will cook them herself.”

On hearing it Lakṣmaṇa went to the forest immediately. He soon brought various kinds of fruits for the sake of the Śrāddha. There were mangoes, embilic myrobalan, Iṅguda, Cirbhaṭa, Karīra, Kapittha and many other fruits in plenty.

At the behest of Rāma, the modest lady, the chaste daughter of Janaka, cooked them for the sake of Śrāddha.

19-27. When the appointed Kutapa hour arrived the excellent Brāhmaṇas endowed with great devotion of Rāma, came there after duly concluding their routine rites.

In the meantime Sītā stood behind the Plakṣa tree and hid herself. Rāghava could not see her.

He repeatedly called “Sīta, Sītā.” Then he thought that she was probably in her monthly period and said to Lakṣmaṇa: “Dear Lakṣmaṇa, it behoves you to attend to the Brāhmaṇas, as required by the Śrāddha rite, for washing their feet etc.”

Saying “Yes”, Lakṣmaṇa of auspicious characteristics did everything like an efficient woman.

Thus the Śrāddha was duly concluded and the Brāhmaṇas went away. Immediately thereafter the chaste daughter of Janaka appeared.

On seeing Sīta then, Rāghava became furious with reddened eyes. He rebuked her repeatedly in harsh words:

“O sinful woman, tell me where you had gone leaving me far behind at the time of the Śrāddha when the Brāhmaṇas had come. This is not proper on the part of a woman of noble family especially here in forest, to be going about far in the desolate land. Now, O daughter of the king of Mithilā, you deserve to be abandoned.”

28-38. On hearing his words, the daughter of Janaka became frightened. Trembling in limbs and faltering in her speech, she said: “O excellent one among the descendants of Raghu, you do not deserve to despise me in this matter. Listen, why I went away from this place. Your father Daśaratha was seen directly by me stationed in the body of a Brāhmaṇa. The grandfather was stationed in the body of a second Brāhmaṇa and the grandfather of the father in the body of a third Brāhmaṇa. Three others on a par with kings were seen in the bodies of three other Brāhmaṇas by me. They were highly delighted. I think that those three were maternal grandfathers evidently. I disappeared due to bashfulness on seeing the assembled fathers in-law. Your father by whom various kinds of sweet foodstuffs to be chewed, sucked, licked etc. were enjoyed before, (I thought,) will not find it proper to eat these bitter and estringent things given (served) by me with my own hands. O Lord, it Was for this reason that I disappeared from your presence although the time for Śrāddha had come. I promise that this is the truth.” On hearing this, the lotus-eyed Rāma became highly pleased in his mind. He embraced her frequently and said “Well! Well!” Thereafter in the company of Lakṣmaṇa, Rāma took his food.

In the evening he performed the requisite rites and said to Lakṣmaṇa: “Dear one, spread the leaves on the ground and prepare our bed. Bring good water for washing the feet.”

39-48. Then the son of Sumitrā became extremely angry and said to Rāghava: “I will not spread the bed (leaves). Nor will I fetch water for washing the feet, I will not at all do any other bit of work, O Lord. Due to this slavery I have been tormented much. I will leave you and go somewhere. This is the truth I speak. Why don’t you ask Sītā to do anything? Even the meanest bit of work, why do you compel me to do?”

Even though his words were foul, the intelligent Rāghava smiled slightly to himself and kept quiet. He got up and arranged his own bed as well as he could. He got his feet kneaded by Sītā and thereafter went to sleep.

With his eyes burning red with anger, Laksmaṇa went to the root of a tree farther away and thought thus lying down for sleep:

‘Rāghava is asleep. I shall kill him and make Sītā my wife and then go to my abode or to some far-off alien land.’

O Brāhmaṇas, Laksmaṇa went on thinking thus and the night rolled by with some difficulty. He did not come to any decision regarding what he proposed to do. Only, he did not get any sleep due to the anger and he heaved hot sighs frequently.

The day dawned clearly. Rāma concluded his rues of the morning and taking Sītā with him went towards the south.

49-58. Lakṣmaṇa fitted an arrow to the well-strung bow and closely followed him watching for a loophole to strike.

Râghava went to Gokarṇa and bowed down to Maheśvara and set off.

Then the son of Sumitrā came there with the face drooping down due to shame and with the eyes turned turbid due to tears.

He bowed down to Rāma in great sorrow and said: “O Lord, I have been disloyal. Give me the punishment for the same, O excellent one among the descendants of Raghu. I am a big sinner, wicked and ungrateful. I have made antagonistic retorts many times. Without any guilt on your part I thought of the means of killing you.”

Thereupon Rāma embraced his brother. With tears drenching his face he said: “Dear brother, I have forgiven you. I know fully well that you have no one dearer than I. Hence come on. Let us go along our path. It may be late.”

Lakṣmaṇa said:

O Lord, if you do not execute me now, I will take away my life. I will cast myself into fire for the sake of purifying the soul.

Even as Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were thus conversing together in the forest, the excellent sage remembered as Mārkaṇḍa, happened to come there. Thereupon Rāma in the company of Sitā and Lakṣmaṇa bowed down to him and said, “Welcome to you, O excellent Sage. Whence do you come now?”

Mārkaṇdeya said:

59-69. O Raghunandana, I am coming now from Prabhāsa. I shall now go to my hermitage situated here itself in this holy spot. O Rāghava, Great-Grandfather (Brahma) has been installed by me. His Yatrā (religious festival) which is to be held this day, is remembered as bestowing great welfare. Hence do come with me quickly. From my hermitage you can view Lord Pitāmaha. Thereby, O one foremost among the descendants of Raghu, you shall be unapproachable unto all your enemies.

If the eldest son takes his holy bath with great concentration there on the full-moon day in the month of Jyeṣṭhā, he need not be afraid of death.

Today happens to be the full-moon day in the month of Jyeṣṭha. The constellation too is Jyeṣṭhā. It behoves you to take the bath.

On seeing Rāma who had already started.

Lakṣmaṇa said:

O Lord, execute me first and then go to the Tīrtha.

Rāma said:

Dear Lakṣmaṇa, this tiger among sages being present here, it is not proper on my part to do something by way of punishment. Do request him.

Lakṣmaṇa said:

O holy Sir, give me that expiatory rite which is to be observed when betrayal of master has been perpetrated. Thereby my body shall become purified.

Mārkaṇḍeya said:

There is an excellent Tīrtha named Bālamaṇḍana near my hermitage. If those who were engaged in treachery towards the master, take their holy bath there, they are liberated from their sins.

O most excellent one among the descendants of Kakutstha, formerly Śakra had killed the foetus of Diti. She was careless as she was his own mother. But he became free from sins by taking the holy bath there

Hence, O highly intelligent one, go there quickly and take your holy plunge. Thereby you will become rid of the sin arising from committing treachery unto the master. Moreover there is no sin in you. You have committed the sin only mentally.

70-81. This is the opinion of learned men that mind becomes purified by repentance. In respect to Rāma, your disloyalty is only mental. From such a sin you are now purified, O Lakṣmaṇa, due to your mental repentance.

Listen to another statement of mine. O sinless one, really you are not at fault. The power of this holy spot excludes fraternalities. O Lakṣmaṇa, there is no brotherly affection in persons staying in the holy spot extending to five Krośas. A man is friendly, a man speaks tender words as long as he does not tread on the holy spot of Camatkāra with his feet. The animals, birds and beasts that live here are utterly devoid of friendliness. They are mutual rivals. No one has any fraternal feeling towards anyone else. Hence it is not your fault. This is the nature of the Kṣetra. Still if any lurking suspicion persists in your mind, go to that excellent Tīrtha and take your holy bath.

It was there that Śakra had become rid of sins after committing the terrible act of treachery in the form of destroying the foetus of Diti who had been confident and careless.

On being told thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the son of Sumitrā became pure through his holy plunge in the Tīrtha that had been resorted to by Śakra.

Rāma too hastened to the excellent hermitage of Mārkaṇḍeya, duly had his holy bath and visited Pitāmaha. Thereafter he went in the southern direction, in the company of Sīta and Lakṣmaṇa.

It was by the power of that holy spot that he could kill great Rāksaṣas like Khara and Rāvaṇa, the terrible one, along with Meghanāda(?)^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

According to VR Lakṣmaṇa killed Meghanāda.