||om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 27

Tattvadipika
Trijata's dream

"ततो रावण नीतायाः ... (1.1)
The first Sloka in the first Sarga of Sundarakanda is a Mantra for many.
Among many other thoughts about that first Sloka,
it is also accepted as the first sloka of the 12th thousand of Slokas,
It contains "va/ व" the 12th syllable of the Gayatri.
Govindaraja in his commentary identifies the first sloka of the 13the thousand of Slokas ,
According to his count it is in the 27th Sarga.
It is the fourteenth Sloka of the 27th Sarga.
It also contains the 13th syllable of Gayatri "sya/ स्य".

The fourteenth Sloka in the 27th Sarga is,

"ततस्त्य नगस्याग्रे ह्याकाशस्थस्य दन्तिनः।
भर्त्रा परिगृहीतस्य जानकी स्कन्धमाश्रिता॥

"Then Janaki, from the top of that mountain, mounted the back of elephant
that was positioned in the sky with the help of her husband".
This is part of a narration by Trijata about her dream .

That, Gayatri is part of Ramayana, is also part of the folklore.
That every 1000th Sloka has a syllable of Gayatri is also part of the folklore.
Gayatri has twenty four syllables.
That matches with the nearly 24000 Slokas of Ramayana.
With so many versions of Ramayana in different regions,
the first sloka of the 13th thousand of Slokas may be different for different versions.
This is one specifically mentioned in Govindaraja commentary.
అత్ర ద్వాదశ సహస్రం శ్లోకా గతాః| త్రయోదశసహస్రాదిమోఽయం శ్లోకః| Specifically saying that twelve thousand slokas are comopleted. And that this one is the beginning of the thirteenth thosand of Slokas, meaning that the sloka number is 12001.
Govindaraja commentary is cited by many for its authentic explanations.

Moving away from the 13th syllable of Gayatri,
we come back to the happenings of the 27th Sarga.
The main event of the Sarga is Trijata's dream,
which also spanned many subthemes.

The Trijata's dream , an early morning dream,
accurately foretells what is likely to happen.
There are comments about 'early morning' dream portending future.
We can only wonder if Triajata dream is the basis for such a belief.
If the belief was there from much earlier times,
the Poet would have hinted about the same.
Valmiki already a recounted a few beliefs such as,

' नाकाल मृतुर्भवतीति सन्तः '(28.3)
'एति जीवन्तमानंदो नरं वर्ष शतादपि'(34.6)

Even if that is not the case several parts of the Trijata dream are cited.
They are cited as references for dreams realizing fruitful results.
Those too will be seen as we go along.
First we go with the main theme of Trijata dream.

The Sarga starts with Rakshasa women threatening Sita.
"पुनः परुषमेकार्थं अनर्धार्थम् .."
"again using harsh words with one meaning... "

Hearing those rants one old Rakshasa woman by name Trijata,
who just woke up speaks.
"आत्मानं खादतानार्या न सीता भक्षयिष्यथ"
"you eat your selves , not Sita".

Why?
Because she had a dream.
What did she see in her dream ?
"राक्षसानां अभावाय
भर्तुः अस्याः भवाय च"॥
" fear for the Rakshasas and victory for this woman's (Sita's) husband"

Immediately the Rakshasa women ask her to tell the dream.
Trijata narrates the dream.

In that dream,
"राघवश्च मयाद्रष्टं" , she saw Raghava.
How was that Raghava ?
"आरुह्य पुष्पकं दिव्यं" -
" having mounted the celestial Pushpaka."

"उत्तरां दिशंमालोक्य जगाम पुरुषोत्तमः "
" moved in Northern direction and the best of men went away".
Moving in Northern direction is symbol of victory.
This is foretelling Rama's victory.

The opposite happens to Ravana.
"गर्धभेन ययौ शीघ्रं दक्षिणां दिशमास्थितः"
"Mounted on a donkey, went quickly in the Southern direction"
Moving in a southern direction is a symbol of defeat.

Not only that all of the Ravana's followers too move in that direction.

वराहेण दशग्रीवः शिंशुमारेण चेन्द्रजित्।
उष्ट्रेण कुम्भकर्णश्च प्रयाता दक्षिणां दिशम्॥
The ten headed Ravana on a pig, Indrajit on a crocodile,
Kumbhakarna on a camel were all moving in southerly direction'.

There is an exception, that is Vibhishana.
"एकस्त्रत्र मया द्रष्टः
श्वेतः छत्रो विभीषणः ।
"I saw Vibhishana with a white umbrella"
White umbrella is indicative of an auspicious event.

What about Lanka?
लंका दृष्टा मया स्वप्ने रावणे नाभिरक्षिता॥36||
दग्धा रामस्य दूतेन वानरेण तरस्विना ।
"in my dream I saw Lanka, protected by Ravana,
burnt down by a messenger of Rama"

This is a well painted picture of destruction of Rakshasas.
So Trijata advises all the Rakshasa woman guarding Sita to run away.
She tells them not to speak harshly and apologize for all that is done.
She assures them Sita will oblige.

प्रणिपाता प्रसन्नाहि
मैथिली जनकात्मजा।
अलमेषापरित्रातुम्
राक्षस्यो महतो भयात्॥

"Maithili daughter of Janaka is pleased by humble submission.
She alone can protect the Rakshasas from the great calamity "

Here Valmiki painted a picture of Sita.
A Sita who can forgive even her own tormentors.
And she can protect them from impending calamity too.

In Yuddhakanda after the war,
Hanuma wants to go after the Rakshasa women who tormented her.
Sita does not agree. She asks
"न कश्चिन्नापराध्यति".
"who did not commit a mistake?"
That is Sita's motherly form.

Trijata also details the auspicious omens she is seeing for Sita.

"अर्थसिद्धिंच वैदेह्याः
पश्याम्यहमुपास्थिताम् "
I am seeing the fulfilment of wishes for Vaidehi".
Also the destruction of the king of Rakshasas.
She sees omens predicting good time for Sita.
"दृश्यते स्फुर चक्षुः"
"ईषच्च हृषितो वास्या दक्षिणाया ह्यदक्षिणः"
"lotus petal like eye which is throbbing"
"left shoulder has started throbbing"

At the end we hear again more about impending arrival of Rama..

पक्षी च शाखा निलयः प्रहृष्टः
पुनः पनश्चोत्तमसांत्व वादी ।
सुस्वागतां वाच मुदीरयानः
पुनः पुनश्चोदयतीव हृष्ठः॥

"The bird nestled in branches of the tree, delighted,
is uttering comforting sounds again and again,
delivering a welcome words and stirring her up excitedly".

This is as though the bird is welcoming Raghava.
And also stirring up happy tidings for Sita.

The words "पक्षी" , "शाखानिलयः" and , "प्रहृष्टः"
generate very many echoes.

The bird in the branches of that tree reminds us of Hanuma.
In the first Sarga we noted a line of thinking.
The line of thinking is about the inner meaning of Sundarakanda.
In that by Lanka we understood as the body.
Ravana & Kumbhakarna as Ahankara and Mamakara
Indrajit etc as Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada Matsarya
Comparable to Lanka as body , Sita is regarded as Chetana or Self.
In that progression, the one to lead us towards Brahman and Jnyana is the Acharya-
That Acharya is Hanuma as we heard in the first Sarga.
Here "पक्षि", Pakshi, is that man of wisdom .

A teacher having followed the rigour of Brahman is man of wisdom.
"पक्षि", Pakshi, is that Acharya, the man of wisdom.

पक्षि means , the one which has wings.
It flies in the sky , in the आकाश.
The tools for flying the आकाश are its wings.
आकाश consists of आ which means fully and ; काश which means illuminating.
thus आकाश also means fully illuminating Brahman.
The the tools for flying are the two wings,
namely the wisdom ( Jnyana) and action (Karma).
The man with those two wings will attain freedom.

Acharya, after following the rigors of penance,
attains tranquility of mind and then attains wisdom.
With that wisdom realizes the Brahman.
Having realized and performing actions is the "Siddhi".
Siddhi is the attainment of perfection or goal.

"आचनोति हि शास्त्रार्थान् आचारे स्थापयत्यपि
स्वयमाचरते यस्मात् तस्मात् आचार्य उच्यते" ॥

Having known the scriptures,
having followed the same,
having others established in them too
is the hallmark of teacher.

The "Pakshi" is symbol; of that teacher.
Hanuma in those branches is that teacher.

That "Pakshi" is "शाखानिलयः" - in the branches.
The branches are the Vedas and Vedangas.
The one deeply embedded in those is the teacher - Hanuma.

The "Pakshi" in those branches is "प्रहृष्टः"
"प्रहृष्टः" means one who is happy in his heart.
Who is "प्रहृष्टः" ?
Not one who is filled with desires,
not the one who has fulfilled those desires.
The one who has experienced "Self",
and continues to perform actions that do not create bondage.
He is the one who is truly happy or "प्रहृष्टः".

What is the "pakShi" who is "प्रहृष्टः" saying ?

"पुनः पुनश्च उत्तम सांत्ववादि"
"saying again and again comforting words "
Only a teacher can say such comforting words.

He is the one who can with experience tell,
that realizing Bhagavan is not difficult,
that he is present every where ,
that he needs no offerings,
that he is easy to please .

What are those comforting words the teacher saying here?

"सुस्वागतं वाचं उदीरयानः"

सु= correctly following the tradition.
स्व= the one he( knows ).
आगतं= knows.
वाचं = words or the mantra.
उदीरयानः = telling.

Following the tradition of learning,
teacher keeps teaching those mantras.
The teacher keeps teaching.
That is the teacher's method or way.
Here too the the teacher is telling the mantra.

How is he telling ?

"पुनः पुनश्चोदयतीव "
He is telling it again and again.
That is the teacher.
He teaches again and again so that disciple does not falter.
He is like a farmer who keeps tilling a land.
He does not stop tilling because land may not have given fruits.

That teacher in the form of "पक्षि", "शाखानिलयः" is telling.
Telling Sita, who is in sorrows.
Telling comforting words by cooing again and again.
Those comforting words seem to forecast happy events.

The Sloka comes as a statement of Triajata,
who is forecasting bright future for Sita,
based on her dream.
Sita too delighted offers protection to all,
if Trijata's dream comes true.

Thus the Sarga, which started on a note of continuing threats against Sita,
ends on a note of cooing "Pakshi" in the branches above,
as though singing a welcome song.

one more thing.

Trijata in her narration says the following.
"यस्या ह्येवं स्वप्नो दुःखितायाः प्रदृश्यते .. "
"Whoever in sorrow gets this kind dream ,
that one will be free from various sorrows and attain excellent supreme joy".
This is almost like "फ्हलशृति", the fruits of listening an auspicious story.
Accordingly the complete Triajata Dream is related at the end.

According to some commentaries,
Several of Triajata's dream sequences have morphed into folk lore.
That is folklore for predicting fortunes based on dreams.
Some of them are related in the following.

After the explanation of Sita on a mountain and climbing on to an elephant etc., Tilaka Tika adds the following.
||ति. टी ॥तदुक्तम् - hence it is said
'आरोहणं गोवृषकुङ्जराणां प्रासादशैलाग्रवनस्पतीनां ।
धृवमर्थलाभम् 'इति।
"( in a dream) "Mounting a cow , boar or elephant, being on top of a building, a hill or a tree, assures gaining of riches."

There is another dream sequence.
After mounting the elephant in the sky with the help of Rama,
Trijata in her dream saw Sita springing up from husbands lap
and touching the Sun and Moon as if she was caressing them.

According to Ramayana Siromani Tika,
this dream sequence became a part of the lore in the following words.
||रा.टी॥ तदुक्तम् , Hence it is said,
"अदित्य मण्डलं वापि चन्द्रमण्डलमेववा।
स्वप्ने गृह्णाति हस्ताभ्यां महद्राज्यं समाप्नुयात्॥"
"if one snatches the Sun or moon in their hands in a dream,
they will gain big kingdom."

Raamayana Siromani in its commentary elaborates on Trijata words about the result of seeing similar dream by others who are in difficulty .
||रा.टी॥ सुस्वप्नफलमाह-
यस्याः दुःखितायाः एवं विधः स्वप्नो दृश्यते
सा बहुभिः दुःखैः मुक्ता सती अनुत्तमम् प्रियं प्राप्नोति॥
It says "they will be free of sorrows and attain exceptional favor"

The above are some of the dream scenes that morphed into the lore.

In the following the full dream of Trijata is recounted.

Then seeing those evil ones threatening Sita, an old Rakshasi by name Trijata said the following words. 'Eat yourselves, Do not eat the daughter of Janaka and the favoured daughter in law of Dasaratha. Today I have seen a terrible dream. It is terrible and hair raising. It portends the destruction of Rakshasas and victory for her husband'.

Hearing those words of Trijata , all the Rakshasis over whelmed with anger and scared, said these words to Trijata. ' What is the dream you saw in the night , please tell'. Hearing those words from the mouth of Rakshasis, Trijata told them everything about the dream.

'Raghava arrived along with Lakshmana wearing a garland of white flowers and clothes, himself climbed the Palanquin made of ivory, drawn by thousands of swans moving through the sky. Today in my dream I saw Sita wearing white clothes siting on a white mountain surrounded by the ocean. Sita is united with Rama like the luster and Sun. I saw Rama mounted on a huge elephant with four tusks along with Lakshmana. Then the two tigers among men, wearing garlands made of white flowers and clothes, shining with their own effulgence came near Janaki'.

'Then Janaki from the top of that mountain supported by her husband mounted the elephant and took a seat on the elephant standing in the sky. Then I saw the lotus eyed woman Sita springing up from husbands lap was touching the Sun and Moon as if she was caressing. Then the elephant mounted by the two princes and the wide eyed Sita stood over Lanka. The Kakutstha, with wife Sita came on a chariot pulled by eight white bulls . Rama, the heroic one, the best among men, along with Sita and brother Lakshmana mounted on the celestial Pushpaka Vimana resembling the Sun, went in northerly direction'.

' Thus I saw Rama , as powerful as Vishnu, along with wife Sita and brother Lakshmana in my dream. Rama is very brilliant. It is not possible for Rakshasa or Devas and demons or anybody else to attain victory over Rama , just like sinners cannot attain heaven'.

' I saw Ravana on the ground, wearing red clothes, drunk, intoxicated, wearing a garland of lilies and smeared with oil. Today I saw Ravana with shaven head, wearing black clothes, being dragged by a woman. I saw Ravana fallen on the ground from the Pushpaka Vimana. Ravana was wearing red garlands and unguents, drinking, laughing, dancing , with a confused mind and senses, on a chariot pulled by donkeys. He went in southerly direction quickly mounted on the donkeys. I again saw the king of Rakshasa Ravana deluded by fear, falling down from the donkeys. I saw that Ravana quickly getting up , surprised, scared , intoxicated with wine, without clothes, saying several unbearable bad words like a mad man. He entered a dark hell like pool of filth emitting bad smell and there he drowned. The ten headed who is smeared with mud, who was tied at the neck by a black woman clad in red clothes, that Ravana was being dragged in southerly direction. There I saw the night being Kumbhakarna and all other sons of Ravana smeared with oil. The ten headed Ravana on a pig, Indrajit on a crocodile, Kumbhakarna on a camel were all moving in southerly direction'.

'There I saw Vibhisahana wearing garlands of white flowers and clothes , smeared with white sandal paste under a white umbrella. Vibhishana mounted on a wonderful elephant with four tusks trumpeting like huge cloud , accompanied by sounds of conches and drums, singers and dancers was seen. He stood there in the sky along with four ministers'.

'A group of Rakshasas drinking, wearing red garlands, red clothes , singing and dancing were seen. The beautiful city of Lanka, with horses elephants and chariots was seen falling into the sea with crumbling archways and towers. I saw the Lanka protected Ravana burnt by a powerful Vanara who is a Rama's messenger. Saw all the Rakshasas women having drunk oil, laughing away with loud sounds and dancing too in the Lanka which was turned into ashes, Kumbhakarna and all other Rakshasas without clothes entered into a pool of cow dung'.

'Oh Rakshasis ! You will be destroyed , go away from here. Raghava will get back Sita. Being very angry he will destroy all Rakshasa along with you. Raghava will not approve of any one who threatened or abused his dear highly respected Sita living in forest'.

'So enough of the cruel words. You may say in polite manner. Beg Vaidehi. I like only this. Whoever in sorrow gets this kind dream , that one will be free from various sorrows and attain excellent supreme joy. O Rakshasa having threatened her, (you may) beg her. Why say any more. Rakshasas will face terrific threat from Rama'.

' Oh Rakshasis ! This Maithli while pleased with your salutations is enough to protect you from the threat. There is not even a little signs of inauspiciousness seen in this wide eyed lady. Only a shade of her complexion is changed in this lady who does not deserve to suffer, though a great misfortune happened for her'.

'I am seeing the fulfilment of wishes for Vaidehi. Also the destruction of the king of Rakshasas. And the victory of Raghava. Look at her lotus petal like eye which is throbbing to portend the good news'.

'This capable lady's left shoulder has started throbbing indicating sudden happiness. The left thigh comparable to the trunk of an elephant is trembling as though Rama is standing in her presence. One can see the bird sitting in the branches of the tree which utters sweet notes indicating happy tidings, as if it is prompting Sita to rejoice again and again'.

Thus, ends the 27th Sarga of Sundarakanda

||Om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||

||Om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||