Synonymous with dharma

April 08, 2015 09:37 pm | Updated 09:37 pm IST

In the Yuddha Kanda, Valmiki captures the excitement and expectation characteristic of war narration. The sage describes in detail the battle between the vanaras and the rakshasas that is replete with war strategies, the use of magic by the rakshasas, the monkeys fighting with uprooted trees and the remarkable display of valour by Rama and Lakshmana against the tough enemy attack. Even as the war advances with gains and losses on both sides, it only becomes fiercer and more difficult. At one stage Lakshmana finds Indrajit an invincible enemy and Vibhishana urges him to somehow kill him as soon as possible lest he gains more power with his magic techniques of warfare. Lakshmana now uses the powerful Indra’s astra and he sanctifies it with the power of Rama’s commitment to dharma to win in this fight, said Sri K. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse.

Lakshmana pledges thus before aiming the astra to clinch a decisive victory for him and proclaims: “If it is true that Rama who has incarnated as Dasaratha’s son never swerves from the path of dharma, and if His valour is aligned to Truth and He never thinks of untruth even in His mind, and if Rama has fought this battle in the most righteous manner, let this arrow kill the target, Indrajit without fail.” When the astra is launched, the arrow hastens towards the target and severs Indrajit’s head from his body for sure.

Dharma is difficult to define though it is that which holds the entire universe. Dharma is indispensible, though the rules of dharma are not clearly defined. Yet, all are aware of the fact of a collective code of ethics that governs all existence inclusive of nature and human life. It is seen that in extreme situations people invoke the universal dharma and truth for support. The Lord Himself holds the responsibility of establishing dharma in this universe and none can escape the consequences of its effects that arise from an individual’s thought, word and deed. Bhishma merely says that dharma’s workings are subtle and cannot be analysed in black and white.

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