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Dear Srivaishnavas,

It was a great anubhavam reading about the boundless Souseelyam that Sri Rama 
personifies. I remember a related verse from Kambaramayanam. Seetha in 
Ashokavanam thinks of the great qualities of Srirama.

meith thirup padham mEvu endra pOdhilum
ith thiruth thurandhu Egu endra pOdhilum
chithiraththu alarandha sen thaamarayai 
oththirukkum mugaththai unnuvaaL

Rama's face remained unchanged resembling the lotus in bloom, painted on a 
canvas on both the occasions.

Adiyen,
Raghava dasan.


sadagopaniyengar <sadagopaniyengar@xxxx> wrote:

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:





"The Second Slip"




The slings and arrows of Fortune affect not only mortals, but divine beings 
too. Even the Lord demonstrates during the Ramavatara that no human being is 
beyond the grasp of the long arm of Fate. And it is this Fate or Fortune that 
was responsible for turning a Prince into a pauper and the First Citizen of 
Ayodhya into a nomadic jungle-dweller.



The entire city of Ayodhya was decorated with festoons, the homes freshly 
whitewashed and sporting gay flags fluttering from their tall domes. Men and 
women were bedecked in the finest of clothes and most opulent of ornaments: 
more than their physical adornments, everybody's face was wreathed in smiles. 
Everyone, from babes in arms to doddering old grannies, was looking forward to 
the great event. There was great rejoicing among the populace, which shed all 
its inhibition to sing, dance and make merry. Scholars and the unlettered alike 
were in great cheer at the impending event. Even the trees of Ayodhya were in 
full bloom, many of them sporting colourful flowers despite it not being the 
season for flowering. It was as if they didn't want to be left out of the 
merriment and revelry.

Everyone was excited and enthusiastic, tingling with anticipation. 



It was a great day for a great event. The Sun was shining brightly but without 
the customary heat. A cool and pleasant wind was blowing and all rivers were 
filled with crystal clear and plentiful water. It was as if Nature herself was 
taking an active part in the festivities.



It is at this juncture that Fate decides to take matters into its hands. 
Mantara, the hunchback, who has absolutely no business on the palace terrace, 
takes it into her head to climb there-"yadrucchayA" says Sri Valmiki-apropos of 
nothing, the deformed maid servant climbs on top and finds the city in the grip 
of a festive fever. Curious to know the reason (nobody thinks Mantara important 
enough to tell her things), she inquires and finds out that it is the day of 
Sri Rama's coronation as the Prince of Ayodhya. What happens later, with 
Mantara working through Kaikeyi to ensure Rama's banishment to the jungle and 
Bharata's ascent to the throne, is recorded history.



What we are concerned about here is the victim's reaction to the body blow 
dealt to Him, and how He responds to the proverbial slip between the cup and 
the lip.



When He is summoned by Kaikeyi to meet His father, Sri Rama has absolutely no 
inkling of the impending misfortune. He goes gaily, with the notion that the 
Chakravartthi has called Him to discuss some minor detail about the Coronation. 
When Kaikeyi lowers the boom on Him, telling Him that it is His lot not to rule 
Ayodhya, but to live in exile in the inhospitable jungle for fourteen long 
years, how does Sri Rama react?



He is pained, very much so, not at the sudden change in programme transforming 
Him from Prince to pauper, but at Kaikeyi's words that it was His father's wish 
that Sri Rama should abdicate the throne in favour of Sri Bharata. He enquires 
of Kaikeyi, " Do you have to cite father's instructions that I should live in 
exile? Could you not have said so yourself? Would I not have obeyed implicitly 
even if these were your own words of command? ("mannavan paNi endrAgil num paNi 
maruppEnO?") You are my revered mother and your word to me is greater than any 
scripture. I am pained that you did not instruct me yourself, which obviously 
shows your lack of confidence in my implicit obedience. Be that as it may, I 
shall carry out Father's instructions to the letter and make arrangements for 
departing to the forest, immediately."



Raghava assures Kaikeyi that she need entertain no doubt about her wishes being 
carried out, irrespective of the great sacrifice it called for on His part. "I 
am not after riches or regal splendour, but am equal to Rishis in observing 
austerity, with a clear mind fixed firmly on Dharma" says Sri Rama-



"nAham arttha parO dEvi lOkam Avastum utasahE

viddhi mAm rishibhi: tulyam vimalam dharmam Astthitam"



What overwhelms our hearts is the equanimity displayed by Raghunandana on the 
occasion, when the entire world comes crashing down on Him, all the days of 
anticipation and expectancy suddenly proving futile. Imagine yourself in His 
place- would you have been able to bear the shock with even a semblance of 
fortitude? From the acclaimed "Prince-in-waiting" one moment, He is transformed 
into an exiled person, persona non grata in His own kingdom-to-be.

His face betrayed no emotion, nor did He appear to have been affected in anyway 
by the sudden and cataclysmic change-"na cha Eva Rama: pravivEsa shOkam"

Kaikeyi's words, cruel and deadly as they were, did not cause any adverse 
change in the Prince-



"tat apriyam amitraghna: vachanam maraNOpamam

shrutvA na vivyathE Rama:"



His habitual good humour and cheer do not forsake Him even at this moment of 
trial and tribulation of the most unbearable dimensions-"uchitam cha MahAbAhu: 
na jahou harsham AtmavAn". In Sri Rama's perception, exile in the jungle, 
undertaken at the behest of one's parents, is indeed the happiest of lives, and 
it hardly matters if it is at the cost of Princedom-"vanavAsO mahOdaya:". And 
what matters to Him is the unquestioning implementation of parents' desires, 
however cruel, unjust, unreasonable and patently partial they might be. 
Adducing reasons for Sri Rama's abject acceptance of the unjust instructions, 
Sri Valmiki says "pitu: vachana nirdEsAt, KaikEyyA: priya kAraNAt".



However, for all His iron control over His feelings and absolute equanimity in 
the face of unprecedented adversity, Sri Rama's heart is heavy and filled with 
sorrow-

"dhArayan manasA duhkham indriyAni nigrihya cha". This is sorrow occasioned by 
the thought of the crushing disappointment He would be causing to the expectant 
citizens of Ayodhya and to His own mother Kousalya, who would be anticipating 
His return from the Coronation ceremony, bedecked in finery befitting a Prince, 
with a glittering headgear, the regal staff held aloft in His long hand, with a 
distinguished entourage fanning Him and singing His praises, the tall and broad 
decorated umbrella protecting Him from the elements and all attendant 
paraphernalia as behoves the Prince of Ayodhya.



Here are the heart-rending lines of Kamban, describing the return of Raghava 
from the Emperor's palace, uncrowned and unsung, as perceived by an expectant 
Kousalya waiting with HArati in her hands to welcome the Prince-



"kuzhaikkindra kavai indri, kottra veN kudayum indri

azhaikkindra vidhi mun chella, Dharumam pin irangi Ega"



The sight of Sri Rama's return is poignant enough to move even the stoniest of 
hearts. There is none of the numerous symbols that herald the arrival of the 
Prince. Gone is the festivity from the air, to be replaced by spreading gloom. 
Eager anticipation has given way to deadly disappointment. The sky has suddenly 
become gloomy and glowering, rivers full of muddy water. The cool and balmy 
breeze has changed into an unpleasant heat and humidity, in which not a leaf 
stirs. As if in sorrow, all the colourful flowers on the trees of Ayodhya have 
withered suddenly, leaving the trees standing bare and forlorn, portending 
sinister and sorrowful events ahead.



To Kousalya, it appears as though cruel Fate is prancing ahead of Rama, intent 
on leading Him on from trouble to trouble, each more severe and insurmountable 
than its predecessor-"azhaikkindra vidhi mun chella".



Dharma, on the other hand, sorrowed at the dreadful turn of events and crushed 
by the cruel blow dealt to its principal votary and personification ("RamO 
vigrahavAn Dharma:"), trails behind the Prince, portraying a picture of 
dejection and dismay-"Dharumam pin irangi Ega".



We thus see that the proverbial slips between the cup and the lip affect the 
Lord Himself (due to His own sankalpam). The difference however is how we 
respond to such disappointments and how the Lord did- undeterred by the loss of 
the crown, the banishment to the jungles, the benumbing death of His revered 
father, the abduction of His beloved Sita, the insurmountable difficulties in 
tracing Her and the apparent impossibility of battling with the powerful Ravana 
with an army of mere monkeys at His command-undaunted by all these adverse 
developments and handicaps, Sri Raghava went on to achieve all His goals, 
displaying admirable equanimity, devotion to righteousness and sticking to the 
narrow, inconvenient and often razor-edged path of Dharma. He never took 
recourse to the popular maxim of convenience that people quote to justify 
unjustifiable actions-"All is fair in love and war". In love, as in war, 
Chakravartthi Tirumagan never abandoned His eminent fairness and espousal of 
Dharma, whatever be the occasion and however grave the provocation. The 
exemplary bravery He displayed in battling with all foes, be they external like 
the innumerable asurAs He felled with His arrows, or the internal ones like 
Kama, Krodha or Moha, which he quelled with an iron will, is what entitles Him 
to Swami Desikan's eloquent tribute-"Jaya Jaya MahAvIrA! MahAdhIra dhourEya!"



Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



Dasan, sadagopan







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