#3 - MANDODARI

In my last article I have failed to mention Tara as one of the Pancha Kanyas of our Hindu mythology. Mandodari is another woman in that list, taken for present study. Others in Pancha kanyas are Ahalya, Kunti, Draupadi. They are supposed to signify the Pancha Bootha, and it is felt that our sins are washed off simply by uttering the name of these Pancha Kanyas.
Tara was one of the few persons who could recognize Rama as Lord Vishnu, and not a mere man. Tara knows of all exploits of Vali and she had a correct estimate of his heroic stature. Tara told Sugriva’s summon has the support of Rama, and not to risk. Tara had knowledge of correct position of Rama..."Rama parabalamathi " Ram's power is irresistible. Tara's advice to Vali to avoid confrontation with Sugriva who is supported by Rama falls on deaf ears. Tara recognizes that Rama is no other than supreme and bursts out in praise of him. She sees before her the invisible, infinite, invincible, changeless Lord in all his unfading splendor. She sees Rama who keeps his senses under control, who observes righteousness. Tara thus in all her intense grief and bitterness able to discover Rama is the supreme in human form.
Similar to Tara , Mandodari is one who knows fully about Rama.

WEDDING

The present day ordeals such as love on seeing a boy or girl, father’s anxiety for daughter’s wedding, lot of dowry in kind were found even at that time. Though finding suitable alliance for the wedding of their daughters was a problem to many parents,. Mandodari’s case was very easy one. Mayasura was telling Mandodari as “With all aspects of beautiful, handsome, able, and learned, it is difficult to find out a suitable husband for her. “She had such a lot of radiance and beauty. One day, when he just walked about in the gardens, with her, Ravana the demon king met her in that dense forest. In his self introduction, to Mayasura replied him, as “Mandodari is my daughter. I came to this place only to find a suitable husband for her”.Then Ravana sought for a marriage proposal with her. Noting her acceptance, he jumped out with happiness and then wedding took place on an auspicious day. Handsome dowry including the famous spear which Ravana used to fight with lakshmana was also one of that item in that. .

RAMA BHAKTHI

Ravana married many women who hailed from the demigods, god and Naga communities, but his favorite was Mandodari only. He never scolded Mandodari for he knew for certain that his wife had always wished well for him in her heart. She always directed him only on good paths and maintained a pious path only. Mandodari knows well that the Supreme Maha Vishnu as all-pervasive almighty, Lord Rama had taken birth in Ayodhya. She knows the fact of when Lord Vishnu takes the incarnation of Rama, he is obliged to take birth as a human child, as the son of Dasaratha, and act throughout as a man. Ravana enjoys immunity from death from all species, except the humans. So, if the purpose of His self imposed mission , the elimination of Ravana to rid the world, the dominance of wicked forces is to be accomplished. He has no alternative bu to assume human form and his part in life. Mandodari then warned Ravana when he abducted Sita and tried to correct him. She said " Shri Rama is omnipotent, omnipresent, supreme being and not an ordinary person. Disrespecting or having enmity with Him is always a dangerous one and disaster prone. Rama's wife Sita is Jaganmatha, Yogamaya herself . so enmity or fighting against him is not good and so better to return Sita to Rama voluntarily. ". In Bagavad Geetha, Adharmabhibhavat krishna pradyushyanthi kulastriyah strisu dushtasu varshneya jaayate varna sankarah 1-40, what Krishna told as “Vice takes hold the entire race, when age long family traditions disappear due to the destruction of a family and its loosing the virtue’ Mandodari warned Ravana. But Ravana showed deaf ear on all her advices and invited death. But this intervention of Mandodari caused Sita's stay in captivity as comfortable one.
When Ravana was killed by Rama , Mandodari was mourning on the dead body of Ravana when Shri Rama saw her with grace. Lord Rama bestowed the full grace on the daughter of Maya and instantly the mantle of illusion that was surrounding her disappeared. Nothing then remained like mourning or attachment.

FRIEND PHILOSOPHER AND GUIDE

Once Ravana was travelling in Pushpaka vimanam , to capture Padmai. As she vanished into agnikndam, Ravana added water in kundam and searched in ashes. There he found five beautiful ratnams and took them to Lanka to give it to his wife Mandodari. Bur she felt it as heavy loaded and sought Ravana's help. Ravana too found very difficult to handle it even with his 20 arms. Padmai later came out in full radiation. Mandodari on hearing the whole story adviced Ravana to be very careful as Padmai right from her youth is capable of destroying the entire race. Death may cause because of her, and so to throw away the box with her inside or bury the box inside the earth. Mandodari orders then to carry away in a casket by an aircraft and to get rid off it. The casket was then buried in the fields of Janaka's empire by demons. Such precautions of Mandodari were always helpful to Ravana.

Kaikeyi ,Tara, and Mandodari were acting as a friend, philosopher and guide to their husbands and thus kept their pathivratha Darmam. Mandodari was entirely dependent on Ravana, and dedicated to his service for ever. She avows that as his wife, it is her cherished privilege and inescapable obligation to be with him always, in weal or woe; she must be allowed to fall to float or sink with him. That was her greatness.

Readers may enlighten me if anything is left out, and it can be carried out in next topic on AHALYA