Mareecha in Valmiki and
Adhyatma Ramayana
M. Lakshmi
In his
Ramayana, Valmiki is concerned with social life. He desires to portray ideal and real characters. Literature is a mirror to life. His aim is to show the world the good and
the bad. He describes how great
personalities live and face challenges and also reveals how bad characters harm
the innocent and the weak. He hopes ‘As long as mountains and rivers are there on
the earth, the Ramayana lives to that time’ (Bala Kanda, Sarga 2, Slokas 36,37, p16).
In obeying
words of a father, sacrificing everything for virtue, in acting as an ideal
brother and husband, Rama depicted as an ideal man. All characters in Valmiki Ramayana respect the mankind and they
are immortal.
In course of
time the story told by Valmiki got changed in the hands of subsequent
poets. Adhyatma Ramayana is the outcome of the trends of the society. Rama attained the position of Paramatma with
self-knowledge and the work swayed the hearts of all. Valmiki made Ramayana immortal.
Adhyatma Ramayana adored the
‘Paramatma Tatva’ of Rama. Valmiki
described the bad and the good. By
birth everybody seems equal. But by the
deeds of an individual we recognise him as human or as ‘Rakshasa’. Cruel nature is
natural to Rakshasas. But the
over-whelming Bhakti tatva in Adhyatma
Ramayana made Mareecha a Rama Bhakta.
Commentators tried to find the clues even in Valmiki Ramayana
itself. It is common that some poets or
critics try to attribute some kind of critical meaning to suit their
argument. The popular ‘Bhagavadgeeta’, no wonder, gets,
different commentaries in the hands of eminent personalities.
Did not Rama
intend to kill Mareecha?
According to Adhyatma Ramayana, the arrow of Rama threw
Mareecha into the Ocean (Bala Kanda,
Sarga 5, Sloka 7, p37).
In Valmiki
Ramayana ‘By that highly excellent
Manavastra, Mareecha was flung in Ocean, a distance of hundred yojana’s’ (Bala Kanda, Sarga 30, Sloka 17, p106).
Most
Ramayanas narrate this episode, in that manner. But commentators made much
fuss. They say that Rama did not desire
to kill Mareecha.
To go back,
Viswamitra requested Dasaratha to send his son to kill Mareecha and
Subhahu. All Ramayanas agree to this
point. Regarding Mareecha, Adhyatma Ramayana speaks less about
this. But Valmiki writes vividly. Mareecha escapes from the arrow of
Rama. Then Rama says ‘See Lakshmana! My arrow has not deprived him
of his life. These Rakshasas are
wicked, sinful, cruel and live on human blood and flesh’ (Bala Kanda, Sarga 30, Sloka 19,
20p). So, the intention of Rama is to
kill Mareecha.
In Aranya Kanda, Mareecha talks about the
power of the arrow of Rama. ‘Rama discharged a sharp arrow capable of
destroying the enemy’ (Aranya Kanda,
Sarga 38, Sloka 19, p120).
While slaying
Tataki, Rama used a Sastra. Arrows may be divided as Sastras and Astras. A Sastra can only be used once. An Astra
can be used again and again. If one
uses the Astra, it does its work and
comes back to the user. By chanting the
prescribed Mantra one has to purify the Astra. There are grades to the Astras. Astras should be used according to the
might of the enemy. BrahmAstra should not be used on enemies
with little strength. As Tataki died of
an Astra, Rama thought that he could
kill Mareecha by using ManavAstra. This miscalculation saved Mareecha from
death. When he failed in his attempt,
Rama used AagneyAstra to kill the
rest of the Rakshasas. So it will be pure imagination to say that
Rama did not intend to kill Mareecha.
There is one
more point to reckon. Ravana approached
Mareecha seeking his help to kidnap Sita.
Mareecha after some discussion says, ‘soon after killing me, Rama will kill you also. But as I get the death in the hands of an
enemy my aim shall be fulfilled’.
(Aranya Kanda, Sarga 42,
Sloka 17, p129). Here the actual words
used by Valmiki are ‘Arina’ and ‘Kruta Krutyosmi’. But subsequent poets and commentators bring
out the meaning unsuitable to the context.
Adhyatma Ramayana says ‘If I die in the hands of Rama, I shall be
relieved from the Ocean of rebirth. If
Ravana kills me I shall go to hell’ (Aranya
Kanda, Sarga 6, Sloka 36, p145).
Valmiki
desires to present to the world a permanent and ideal Kavya with a divine suggestion.
Later on Vidyanatha in his poetic work determines that ‘a Kavya without the history of a great
person may be denounced’.
Among all Ramayanas Adhyatma Ramayana has a supreme place. It has its base from Upanishads and puranas, especially the Bhagavata purana. This Ramayana preaches Bhakti and Jnana Margas
and adored the paramatma tatva of
Rama and occupied the first place among Ramayanas. Adhyatma Ramayana says
that Mareecha, after saving himself from Rama, changed his mind, became a sage
and worshipped Rama. Mareecha while
talking to Ravana says ‘I am averse to
worldly pleasures and always in meditation of Rama (Aranya Kanda, Sarga 6, Sloka 22, p143). He also says ‘Get rid of
enmity towards Rama, pray him, he is very kind and benevolent. I heard from the sages here, that Rama is
none other than paramatma’ (Aranya
Kanda, Sarga , Sloka 26, p144). Adhyatma Ramayana made Mareecha a great
worshipper of Rama. Rama killed
Mareecha. Then ‘Light from the body of Mareecha entered Rama. The whole world has seen it and all gods felt astonished’. (Aranya
Kanda, Sarga 7, Sloka 20, p147).
Both
Ramayanas described Mareecha as cruel, an enemy to the good and the sages who
undoes sacrifices, and lives only on humans blood and flesh. All these are his in born qualities. Valmiki described his life style in
Dandakaranya. ‘Quaffing the blood of sages practicing virtue in Dandaka and eating
their flesh, I roamed at will’ (Aranya
Kanda, Sarga 39, Sloka 5, p123).
This is Mareecha in Dandakaranya.
Like a beaten cobra his heart was filled with fire to take revenge upon
Rama. ‘Having heard the news from the
sages that Rama has come to Dandaka, recalling my past enmity I rushed towards
him in the form of a sharp horned deer to kill him (Aranya Kanda, Sarga 39, Sloka 9, p123).
However, a
sloka in Valmiki Ramayana Mareecha says to Ravana ‘Having somehow got back my life, I am practicing ascetics (Aranya Kanda, Sarga 39, Sloka 13, 14,
p123). This sloka in Valmiki Ramayana
was misinterpreted by commentators. To
speak the truth, one cannot say that Rakshasas never performed Tapas. All mighty Rakshasas were those who
performed Tapas and got boons from Brahma etc.
Mareecha might have practiced Tapas.
But that was not worshipping of Rama. Mareecha was never a Rama Bhakta
according to Valmiki. However, Adhyatma Ramayana says that Mareecha
was a Rama Bhakta and when he was slain by Rama, the atma from the body of
Mareecha entered into Rama.
But the pity
is, ‘Perceiving what was opportune,
Mareecha uttered a cry precisely resembling the voice of Rama saying Sita!
Lakshmana!’ (Aranya Kanda, Sarga
44, Sloka 19, p139). Mareecha was
crueler than Subhahu, Tataki, Khara etc. towards Rama. But reading between lines is possible only
in the case of Mareecha. So some poets
and commentators utilised the opportunity to picturise him as Rama Bhakta. Mareecha, even in the last minute, did the
utmost possible harm to Rama.
There is a
gradual evolution in the character of Mareecha. He is an enemy to Rama from the beginning to the end. Adhyatma
Ramayana starts Mareecha’s character and ends as in Valmiki Ramayana. Adhyatma
Ramayana changes its course and says that Mareecha is a Rama Bhakta. After Valmiki, Rama was described as Paramatma. He has become ‘Patita
Pavana’. He purified and blessed
the sinner Ahalya. Likewise, Rama
bestowed salvation on Mareecha. The aim
of Adhyatma Ramayana is to praise
Rama as being benevolent even to the greatest sinner, If he turns to Rama
worship.
The author
says ‘Its birthplace is Kailasa, the
abode of Siva. It unites with the Ocean
that is Rama. The Ganges of Adhyatma Ramayana purifies the three
worlds’ (Bala Kanda, Sarga 1,
Sloka 5, p). The influence of Adhyatma Ramayana is so great that even
while commenting Valmiki Ramayana scholars only picturise Mareecha according to
Adhya Ramayana episode. As far as India
is concerned, the contributions of Adhyatma
Ramayana are invaluable. But in the
world’s literature Valmiki Ramayana has a unique place. ‘Be a Rama not as one Ravana’ is Valmiki’s
divine suggestion. This virtue goes
in-vain if the heart of the Valmiki is forgotten.
‘To protect the good and to slay the evil to
establish the virtue I am born again and again’ (Geeta, 4th Canto, Sloka 8).
Society
should be afraid of committing a sin and should be aware that good shall be
awarded.