Pushpak Justice in Rama Rajya

 Pushpak Justice in Rama Rajya

All time great epic Ramayana is full with hyperbole and metaphors. King Dasharatha was sixty thousand years old and Lord Rama ruled Ayodhya Kingdom for eleven thousand years. There was a Plane Pushpak flew by Swans. It was made by Vishvakarma Brahma and was used by two sons of Sage Vishrava (Kubera and Ravana) and by Lord Rama after winning the battle of Lanka. It was a plane moved by the will of its master and was expandable or squeezed as per the need and number of passengers. 

Ravana flew on Pushpak Plane to kidnap Sita. He wanted to take revenge of the insult of his sister Shurpanakha and killings of fourteen Rakshashas including Khar and Dushan in Jansthana by Rama. The kidnapping by cheating was an act of Adharma (iniquity). He was killed in the battle of Lanka, Sita and Pushpak were won and the Dharma (path of rightness) was restored. 

After banishing Sita in forest and sending Shatrughana in Mathura Rama ruled Ayodhya kingdom with Bharata and Lakshmana for many years following good virtues. It was Rama Rajya where people were disease free, healthy and had high longevity. The deliveries of women were painless. Rainfall was normal and regular, and the touch of breeze was giving pleasure of life. 

One day an old Brahmin came to the gate of Rama with a dead body of his thirteen years ten months and twenty days old son. It was a premature death in Rama Rajya. He demanded to resurrect the dead otherwise he and his wife would commit suicide in front of the gate. Lord Rama called a meeting of Ministers, Guru Vasishtha and eight important Sages: Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamdeva, Kashyap, Katyayan, Jabali, Gautam and Narada. Narada then opined that the act of Adharma in the kingdom might be the reason for the premature death of the Brahmin boy. He explained that it was Treta (second) Yuga in which Brahmin and Kshatriya had right to become Tapasvi. The Vaishyas were allowed to do farming to serve the upper two Varnas and the Shudras were to serve them all. Agriculture was considered rajas act and was considered one step of Adharma in Treta. Satyug was free from Adharma as only Brahmins had a right to Tapa. In Dwapar the Adharma put two steps therefore, Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaidhyas got the right to Tapa. In Kaliyuga (present era) with the three steps of Adharma, all the four Varnas got the right to Tapa. 

Rama ordered to keep the dead body of the Brahmin in herbal oil. He then took his bow-arrows and a sword (धनुर्गृहीत्वा तूणी च खड्गं च रुचिरप्रभम) and flew on Pushpak Plane (विमानं सोडध्यरोहत) with brothers Bharat and Lakshmana for checking of the act of Adharma in his kingdom. He checked West, East and North directions but couldn’t find anything wrong. But when he went to the South direction, he saw a man on a lakeshore to the north of Shaival mountain doing Tapasya to get into Heaven. Lord Rama went to him and asked his identity and the purpose of his Tapa. The Tapasvi introduced himself as Shudra named Shabooka. Rama took his sword and beheaded him (भाषतस्तस्य शूद्रस्य खड्गं सुरूचिरप्रभम्। निष्कृत्य कोशाद् विमलं शिरश्चिच्छेद राघव।). Indra and other deities present rejoiced the act and gave a boon to Lord Rama for killing the Shudra (गृहीत च वरं सौम्य यं त्वमिच्छस्यरिंदम; स्वर्गभाड् नहि शूद्रोडयं त्वत्कृते रघुनन्दन।) Rama encased the boon by demanding life of the Brahmin boy. Tapasvi Shudra Shabooka died and the dead Brahmin boy was resurrected. (यस्मिन मुहूर्ते काकुत्स्थ शूद्रोडयं विनिपातित:; तस्मिन् मुहूर्ते बालोडसौ जीवेन समयुज्यत।) Dharma of Rama Rajya was restored. 

Punamchand 

25 November 2020

1. Shrimadvalmiki Ramayana, Uttarkand, Verses 73-75.