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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

                            Rama the Fourth
 

 

It has been fashionable among Kings and Emperors of yore to name themselves 
after their illustrious predecessors, perhaps to perpetuate their memory or for 
other reasons. We thus find several KulOtthungAs in the ChOzha lineage, several 
Sundara PAndyAs in the dynasty of the PAndyas who ruled with Madurai as their 
capital, two or more Chenguttavans in the ChEra kulam and at least two Chandra 
GuptAs. The practice doesn't seem unique to India, as we find English 
sovereigns too preferring to bear the names of their ancestors, finding the 
same to be tried and tested than some strange name, which might bring 
misfortune. The name of Henry appears to have been extremely popular among 
English Kings, closely followed by Edward, with Henry VIII being perhaps the 
last of the Henries, having mired himself in controversies. Though America is 
supposed to be a democracy, we find the strange phenomenon of some of its 
illustrious sons calling themselves Rockfeller III and so on, in an attempt to 
imitate kings of yore. With the widely prevalent South Indian practice of 
naming the male offspring after their grandfathers, I could probably call 
myself Satakopan the 23rd or some such thing.

 

Going back to times past, let me ask you a question, in a general sense-Who was 
Rama the first?

 

This might sound strange, for there do not appear to have been two or more 
Kings of the name in the Ikshvaku dynasty. And if this question were to be 
asked in the buzzer round of a quiz programme, participants' fingers would race 
to the buzzer and pat would come the answer, identifying Sri Rama, son of 
Dasarata, as Rama the First. And the quiz master would promptly declare it to 
be wrong answer.

 

>From time immemorial, the name Rama has always signified to us the Magnificent 
>Monarch of Ayodhya, the distinguished son of Dasarata, the apple of Kousalya's 
>eye, the heartthrob of Sri Janaki and the revered ruler who was a model for 
>all to follow, in all aspects of human life. The name appears as though 
>fashioned specifically for the Prince of Ayodhya, so much so, that Visvamitra, 
>dissatisfied with the name bestowed on the Prince by arch rival Vasishtta, 
>thinks long and hard for an alternative sobriquet, but fails miserably to come 
>up with a credible alternative and ends up calling Him by the very same name.

 

However, Vasishtta himself doesn't appear to have been very original in naming 
the Prince of Ayodhya as "Rama", for there was already a famous entity with the 
sobriquet, who was known in all the three worlds. In fact, His very name evoked 
awe and terror in everyone, especially in ruling clans. Long before Dasaratha 
begot Sri Rama, this other Rama was quite well known. Born to Jamadagni and 
RENukA, this child was also named Rama by His parents. This is clear from the 
Ramayana sloka, where the Rishis call him by the name "Rama"-"RishayO Rama Rama 
iti madhuram vAkyam abruvan"And because He wielded the axe with telling effect, 
He was known as "Parasu Rama". 

 

There must be something in the name "Rama" which prompts instant and implicit 
obedience to parents. Just as Dasaratha Rama was famed for His "pitru vAkya 
paripAlanam" and treating His father's words as holier than the scripture, 
BhArgava Rama (Parasurama was so called because of his descent from Sage 
Bhrigu) too carried out His father's wishes instantly and without question, 
even though they involved the beheading of His mother and brothers. Enraged by 
his wife's delay in bringing water for his Vaidika kriyAs, Jamadagni asked his 
five sons to behead their beloved mother. Baulking at this cruel command, four 
of the sons would not carry out the heinous act. His rage fuelled by this 
refusal, Jamadagni ordered Parasurama to kill not only His mother but also the 
disobedient brothers. Without batting an eyelid and without a moment's 
hesitation, Parasurama carried out His father's orders. And when a pleased 
Jamadagni sought to bestow boons on his obedient son, Parasurama sought as the 
one and only boon the restoration of His mother and brothers to life. 
Parasurama knew His father's psychology very well and acted instantly and with 
alacrity in carrying out the distasteful orders, knowing full well that the 
executions could be reversed.

 

And the name "Rama" also appears to signify exemplary bravery and exceptional 
prowess. While Dasaratha Rama single-handedly destroyed fourteen thousand 
rAkshasAs at JanasthAnam, Parasurama too appears to have disposed of seventeen 
battalions of KartaveeryArjunA's army and later the thousand-armed King 
himself, when the latter tried to abduct the KAmadhEnu in Jamadagni's 
possession. And when the dead King's son killed Jamadagni and his wife in a fit 
of rage, Parasurama took a vow to destroy the ruling class for twenty-one 
generations and wreaked sweet revenge by filling a tank at KurukshEtra with the 
blood of all the beheaded kings and performing "Pitru tarpaNam" with the same.

 

Struck by the contrast between Rama the First and Rama the Second, Swami 
Desikan conveys his wonderment through the sobriquets he bestows on them-while 
Parasurama is described as "ROsha Rama:" or anger personified, Dasaratha Rama 
is termed "KaruNA KAkuttstha:" or the embodiment of Mercy. While Sri Rama had 
to bring on anger with difficulty ("kOpam AhArayat teevram"), Parasurama is 
said to be consumed by the blazing fire of anger ("KrOdhAgnim Jamadagni peedana 
bhavam"). While Sri Rama is the support and sustenance of hundreds of princely 
dynasties ("RAja vamsAn shata guNAn stthApayishyati Raghava:"), Parasurama's 
sworn mission is the annihilation of all rulers, for twenty-one generations. 

 

A legitimate doubt plagues us as to how the Lord assumed such a dreaded and 
awesome avatAra, whose sole purpose appears to have been to rid the worlds of a 
degenerated ruling class. How could Emperuman, who is normally a cool and 
inviting ocean of Mercy ("KaruNA varuNAlayam"), indulge in such mass 
destruction, even granting that it was to remove the painful, princely thorns 
in the flesh of BhoomAdEvi?

 

The answer is easy to find. In Sri Ramavatara, the constant presence of Piratti 
ensured that divine justice was liberally tempered with Mercy, as in the case 
of KAkAsurA and the RAkshasIs of AshOka vanikA.  In Parasuramavatara, without 
the benefit of intercession by the Divine Consort, the KshatriyAs were exposed 
to the full force of the Lord's anger at wrongdoing by those who were expected 
to set an example to their subjects. It is thus the mitigating presence and 
mercy-filled words of Sri Mahalakshmi that make all the difference between our 
receiving punishment commensurate with our innumerable transgressions and 
getting off lightly with just a word of caution. 

 

Passing on to Rama the Third, we find Him to be the constant companion of Sri 
Krishna, whose life-mission is to afford protection to Sri Krishna. Balarama 
destroyed the dreaded PralambAsura, who had arrived at Gokulam to eliminate 
Krishna. Compared to Krishna's traits of thieving, faithlessness to girl 
friends, incurable fibbing, etc., Balarama appears to have been a paragon of 
virtue. Krishna had a healthy respect for His elder brother and appeared to 
obey the latter implicitly, always-this is evident from Sri Andal's lines 
"BaladEvarkku Or keezh kandru". And if Sri Krishna's entire life, words, deeds 
and looks were incredibly sweet ("MathurAdhipatE: akhilam madhuram"), it is 
because of the inseparable company of Sri Balarama, says Swami Desikan, 
likening Sri Krishnavatara to milk and the Balaramavatara to Sugar, which makes 
milk more of a pleasure to consume.  If Sri Rama wielded the bow and arrow with 
telling effect and if Parasurama was a terror with his axe, Rama the third 
carried a Plough, with which He destroyed many an enemy of Krishna. Balarama 
was so powerful that once He dragged the entire city of HastinApuram with His 
plough and dumped it into the Yamuna.

 

One wonders whether it is to these three Ramas that the Vishnu Sahasranama 
Stotram refers, when it quotes Rudra as saying

"SrI Rama Rama Rama iti ramE rAmE ManOramE

 SahasranAma tat tulyam Rama nAma varAnanE"

 

Going beyond the Divine Trio of Ramas, we are told that there is a Rama the 
Fourth, who has all the positive traits of the first three, but none of their 
apparent blemishes. This fourth Rama is virtue personified and greater than his 
three namesakes. If you find this difficult to believe or digest and consider 
it to be a product of my imagination, here is confirmation from an impeccable 
source-

 

"anujjita kshamA yOgam apuNya jana bAdhakam

 asprishta mada rAgam tam Ramam turyam upAsmahE"

 

 

Says Swami Desikan in Sri YatirAja Saptati-

 

"I pay obeisance to Rama the Fourth, who is much greater than the three Ramas 
put together. Sri Parasurama lacked tolerance and mercilessly eliminated the 
ruling class for twenty-one generations. Our fourth Rama, however, is patience 
and tolerance personified. Sri Dasaratha Rama vowed to rid the world of bestial 
rAkshasAs and carried out His vow effectively, resulting in a massacre of the 
race. The Fourth Rama, however, would not harm even an ant, leave alone cause 
distress to people, good or bad. Sri Balarama was known for His partiality to 
"madhu", with eyes reddish and demeanour affected by imbibing such beverages. 
Rama the Fourth, however, is purity personified, unaffected by baser 
instincts". 

 

And who is this fourth Rama, who is so great as to overshadow even His divine 
predecessors? It is none other than Sri MaNakkAl nambi, otherwise known as Sri 
Rama Misra. This Acharya was such a paragon of virtues and so untouched by any 
inauspicious traits, that Swami Desikan considers him to be superior to the 
Divine Trio, in tune with the dictum, "AchAryAt iha dEvatAm samadhikAm anyAm na 
manyAmahE" (we do not recognize or worship any deity as being superior to our 
magnificent Acharya). The words "Ramam turyam upAsmahE" (we worship Rama the 
fourth) indicate, by implication, that adulation should be only for Sri Rama 
Misra and not the other three, distinguished though they are. 

 

A legitimate doubt that may arise in readers' minds is whether the Deities 
mentioned ahead should be portrayed in such poor light, merely for the sake of 
highlighting the greatness of the Acharya. Swami Desikan adopts here what is 
known as the "nahi nindA nyAyam", which means that absolutely no disrespect or 
insult is meant towards the Divine Trio, the emphasis here being on stressing 
the glory of Sri Rama Misra, who was indeed an Acharya beyond compare. But for 
his diverting Sri Alavandar from mundane pursuits and exposing him to Bhagavat 
anubhavam, our Sampradaya would have been much poorer. The immense contribution 
of Sri Alavandar would have been totally unavailable to us, but for the stellar 
role played by Sri Rama Misra and this is the reason for Swami Desikan's 
glowing tribute to the Acharya, putting him on a pedestal higher than that 
occupied by even the Lord.

 

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

dasan, sadagopan

 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




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