SrI:
SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 05 dated 28th October 2007
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. SUNDARA KHAANDAM PART - 3 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE
HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)
2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 35 - SLOKAM 16 -PART 1
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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ISSUES RELEASED
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15 Issues of Vol. 2
42 Issues of Vol. 3
35 Issues of Vol. 4
28 Issues of Vol. 5
30 Issues of Vol. 6
50 Issues of Vol. 7 and
36 Issues of Vol. 8
05 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)
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1. "KISHKINDHAA KHAANDAM" PART - 2 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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16. SUICIDE IS SUICIDAL; STAYING ALIVE MAY BRING A GOOD
TURN. Hanumaan visualizes the consequences of his
return without any news about Sri Sita. He feels that he would
become responsible for the demise of the members of the entire
Ikshvaaku Vamsam and the entire Vaanara Vamsam, if he were to report
a "No show" about Sita. At first, he thinks of self-immolation but
then he decides that only if one were to be alive, one would be able
to see good times. With renewed determination, he proceeds on his
mission.
vinaasO bahavO dOShaa: jeevan bhadraaNi
pasyati /
tasmaat praaNaan dhaarayish yaami dhruvO jeevita sangama: //(Sargam
13- 47-48)
17. ASHOKA VANA
In the AshOka vana, AnjanEya saw wild streams rushing down a slope
of rocks. This looked like a girl who was resting on the lap of her
lover, suddenly feeling offended at some of his off-the-cuff remarks
and jumping out from his lap and running away in a fit of anger.
There were branches of trees on the banks that dipped into the
stream that prevented the flow of water and made the waters swirl
and return back. This looked like the lass being pacified by her
peers to return to her lover.
18. DESCRIPTION OF
SITA
The description of Sri
Sita's plight in the AshOka vana is most heart rending.
Her famished appearance looked like-
(i) Waned fortune
(ii) Fair name besmirched by the leprous fingers of slander
(iii) Vedic hymns losing their value through improper recitation and
disuse
(iv) Hopes and desires laid bereft of results
(v) Profits and gains too far below expectations
(vi) The commands of the master defied and set at naught
(vii) The quarters all ablaze at inauspicious moments
(viii) Articles of worship snatched away by unholy hands
(ix) Lovely lotus blackened with the fire of frost
(x) An army widowed of its brave Soldiers
(xi) Brilliance and glory darkened beyond recognition
(xii) A river running dry devoid of water
(xiii) The sacred fire-place polluted by impure things
(xiv) Mighty flames sunk into cinders
(xv) A lotus pool in which mad elephants worked their will, tore up
the stalks and frightened away the gentle birds
(xvi) The sweet waters of a stream hustled away by the raging flood
(xvii) Tender lotus uprooted and thrown on the ground
(xviii) Fierce heat drying up the life-waters of bodies of water
(xix) The lordly she elephant driven away from her mate and lashed
firmly to the strong posts and heaving hot sighs of impotent grief
(xx) Success barred by obstacles
(xxi) Earnestness and faith sinking under the crushing blows of
ridicule
(xxii) Noble intellect bewildered and befuddled
(xxiii) Fair name blasted by foul blasphemy
(xxiv) A lordly titanic steamer battered on the rough seas and
sinking
(xxv) A star that had fallen to the ground at the expiry of its
merit.
(xxvi) A lute stripped of its strings
(xxvii) A tender plantain in the grasp of a mighty gale
(xxviii)A she-elephant in the vice grip of a lion
(xxix) An innocent girl abandoned by her parents in the dark woods
during a famine
(xxx) Learning of one who recites Vedas on "Prathamai thithi"
and many more. (VR 14 et seq)
19. DO YOU KNOW- THAT SRI SITA DID SANDHYAVANDANAM?
As Hanumaan was searching for Sri Sita in Lanka, he suddenly came
across Ashoka vana where he found a brook with crystal clear running
waters. He was sure that Sita must be around the brook and said to
himself that if Sri Sita were there, she would surely come to the
brook in the evening to perform her Sandhya-vandanam and was
patiently waiting her arrival there.
Sandhyaa kaala manaah syaamaa dhruvam yEshyati
jaanaki / Nadeem cha imaam
siva jalaam sandhyaartE vara
varNinee //
(Sundara KhaaNdam 14. 50)
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
It is said that
women were doing Sandhya-vandanam in those days just like men folk.
In fact, there were numerous women Rishis like Aditi, Anasuya
Arundati, DaakshaayaNi, KEsini, Lopaamudra, Madayanti, MEdhaa,
ROmasa, Saramaa, Sraddhaa, Sukanyaa, Suvarchalaa and many others,
some of whom were known to have performed Nityakarma AnushTanams
ordained in the Vedas. And, Sandhya-vandanam is a Vedic karma.
20. HANUMAAN SEES
SITA
Until he saw Sita,
Hanumaan was wondering why Rama should be so depressed at his
separation from her. On seeing her and her beauty, Hanumaan started
wondering how on earth Rama could manage to live even for a second
without the noble lady by his side and yet count himself among the
living! She was exactly like how Rama described her!
Raamasya cha yathaa roopam tasyEyam asitE
kshaNaa/
tEnEyam sa cha dharmaatmaa muhoortham api
jeevati//
dush kritam kritavaan raamO heenO yad anayaa prabhu:// (VR 15/51-52-
53)
An ideal pair these, in age, beauty, excellence, character, conduct
and ancestry.
tulya seela vayO vrittaam tulyaa abhijana
lakshaNaam/
raaghavO arhati vaidEheem tum chEyam asitE kshaNaa// (VR 16-5)
21. THE GUARDS, NOT
GUARDIANS!
Sita was guarded by fierce looking
Raakshasis, some with single eye, some with single ear, some with
fan-like ears, some with nose pointing upwards like chimneys in a
factory, some with necks like those of giraffes while others were
short-necked like bulls, some had sparse hairs on their heads and
some others had none of it at all, some with matted hairs, some with
hanging ears, hanging lips, hanging breasts and bellies. In short,
there was none with a normal appearance of women and were a total
anti-thesis of Sita, the quintessence of pulchritude. (VR 17)
22. RAVANA IN THE ASHOKA
VANA
Suddenly, Hanumaan heard the tinkle of anklets and
waist bonds that emanated from Ravana who was hastening with proud
and lordly steps to meet with the lady Sita. His mind was burning
with unholy and unbridled lust. Sita was petrified with fear and was
trembling. (VR 18-19). He tried to convince Sita to accept him.
Unabashedly describing her anatomy, he said that Brahma after
creating her "went out of business" of creation since he could not
do any better anymore, that Rama was lost forever and she could not
dream of Rama's ever coming to her rescue and that her youth would
fade away ere long and entreated her to take him for husband. (VR
20) Sita in utter scorn threw a blade of grass before him and said
that just like the brilliance of Sun cannot be separated from the
Sun, she could not be separated from Rama. "If you wish to live in
this world, better change your mind, make peace with Rama by
restoring me unto him". "nivartaya manO matha: svajanE kriyataam
mana:" "Reverse your mind" she says. When the word "mana" is
reversed, it would become "nama" which implies that he should
surrender to Rama because he is "vidita: sa hi dharmagjna:
SaraaNaagata vatsala:" meaning: "compassionate to one who
surrenders" (VR 21). Sternly warning Sita that he was granting her
two months' time to "change her mind" and if she did not do so, he
would order his chefs to cook her for his breakfast! On the
persuasion of Raakshasis, he left the place in a huff, instructing
them to somehow make her compliant. (VR 22)
23. RAAKSHASIS TAKE TURNS IN TERRORISING
SITA The
Raakshasis called Eka-jaTa, Hari- jaTaa, Praghasaa, VikaTaa, Dur-
mukhee, Vinataa, ChaNDOdari, Ajaa-mukhi, and Soorppa-Nakha take
turns to brainwash Sita alternating between soft words to motivate
her and harsh words to threaten her. (VR 23 and 24). Sita patiently
bore all the insults. She did not curse them because she had no
mandate from Rama to do so. Instead she cursed only her own fate for
her plight. (VR25). At one stage, she felt so dejected as to
determine that the only way to escape was to commit suicide but then
remembered that she had no mandate from Rama for doing this either.
24. THE DREAMS OF
TRIJATA
TrijaTa was the daughter of
VibheeshaNa. She said "I had a dream" early in the morning and
started narrating them.
NOTE: It is believed that dreams seen early in the morning would
come true in the immediate future.
- Rama and LakshmaNa came to Lanka in a golden palanquin borne
by swans and later mounted on lordly elephants.
- Sita clad in spotless white and was seated on the top of a
white mountain by the side of Rama.
- Both got into a golden chariot drawn by eight snow-white
colored bulls.
- All the three - Rama, Sita and LakshmaNa took off in the
PushPaka Vimaana to their home.
- Wicked Ravana was covered with oil; clad in dress of blood-
red color and was wandering on the face of the earth like a lunatic.
- He fell down headlong from his chariot and then from the
back of a donkey and was dragged by a woman towards the South (The
direction of Yama, the Lord of death).
- He and KumbakarNa were in the same predicament and both were
trembling with fear. So did the sons of Ravana.
- VibheeshaNa with his 4 ministers was clad in white robes,
wearing garlands and were welcomed by the players on Conch, drum and
other musical instruments.
- This Lanka was drowned into the sea. There was nothing but
ruin for the Raakshasas
She said to the Raakshasis: "If you fall at the feet of Sita, she
alone can save you from the wrath of Rama".
Alam Eshaa pari traatum raakshaseer mahaTo
bhayaat/ api
cha asyaa visaala akshyaa na kinchit upa lakshayE// (VR 27-46)
25. DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS INTERNAL EVIDENCE TO CONCLUDE THAT SRI
RAMA KNOWN AS CONFIRMED MONOGAMIST (EKA PATNI VRATAN) HAD WIVES
OTHER THAN SRI SITA?
In total dejection at her plight, Sri Sita at one stage tells
Hanuman to inform Sri Rama to carry out his pledges to his father
and then go back to AyOdhya and live happily with the ladies there.
Some critics gleefully interpret this as meaning that the ladies
mentioned by Sri Sita pointed to his having had other wives!
Sri Sita's words:
pitur nidEsam niyamEna kritvaa vanaat nivrittas charita vratas cha /
Streebhis thu manyE vipulE kshaNaani tvam ramsyasE veeta bhayaa:
krita artha: // Sargam 28. 14
COMMENT:
The term "ladies" in this context refers to the ladies of AyOdhya
including Sri Rama's mothers, Kousalya, Sumitra and kaikEyi. As the
ruler of the land, once his work in the forest got finished he had
to return to his Capital and it was his duty as the ruler to make
his subject citizens under his protection happy and contented
including womenfolk.
26. GOOD
OMENS:
For
Sita who was totally dejected, there appeared some good omens to
cheer her spirits up: Her left brows, left arm and left thigh
twitched fast and frequently; the golden hued dress she wore slipped
a little from her body.
MESSAGE: For WOMEN, twitching on the LEFT side of the body is
considered to predict some happy happening while for men, such
twitching is considered inauspicious. It would be considered
auspicious for MEN only if occurring on the RIGHT side of the body.
For both, twitching on the opposite side is considered to forebode
some undesirable outcome.
She suddenly felt a surge of happiness like a parched earth being
drenched with welcome showers. (VR 29)
27. HANUMAAN DECIDES TO TALK TO
SITA
Hanumaan got into a dilemma whether and if so, how to strike a
conversation with Sita because
- He could not do so when the guards were wide awake.
- If he delayed talking to her, she might rush to commit
suicide as she had already wished in which case; his whole mission
would be set at naught.
- If he speaks in the dEva baasha (Sanskrit), she might
suspect that it was Ravana himself (a Brahmin by birth) who had come
before her in the disguise of a monkey which could not be expected
to converse in Sanskrit.
- Also, if he were to appear or talk in any other manner, she
might suspect him to be a messenger of Ravana who was capable of
taking any form desired.
- If in the process, he is captured, he may not be able to
convey his message to her at all.
- If he were to be killed, none else in Rama's army would be
able to cross the ocean or have any clue as to the fate of Sita or
himself.
- If after a stiff fight, he might get so exhausted that he
may not be able to cross back to Rama's place to convey the news
about Sita.
- His most important duty was to devise a "Confidence
building" strategy to reveal his identity.
Finally, he hid himself behind a tree and started chanting the name
and fame of Rama. (VR 30)
Hanumaan saw that after a while the guards had fallen asleep and an
opportune moment had arrived for him to commence his contact with
Sita.
Kamban, however, says that Hanumaan invoked a Mantra that induced
sleep in them which made them appear as if they were all dead!
kaaNDarkku otha kaalamum eedE teru kaaval/
thooNDarkku otha chintaiyinaarum thuyil gllaar/
vEND thunjaar enru ori vinjai vinai seidaan/
maaNDarkku utraaraam ena ellaam mayarvu utraar (UrukkaaTTu PaDalam
488)
He slowly began to narrate all the events that happened after her
abduction right up to that moment and concluded by saying that he
was a messenger of Rama who had come to convey the good news. (VR 31)
28. SITA'S SUSPICION
Sita, however, was not totally free from her doubts about the
monkey. In fact, she was scared that she might be witnessing a
monkey in a dream ? a dream that is said to forebode ill luck. But,
she changed her impression thinking that a person or thing seen in a
dream will not have a physical appearance while here was Hanumaan in
his real form of a monkey; Further, how could she ever sleep when
immersed in sorrow all the time so that it could not be a dream at
all (VR 32).
dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
(To be continued)
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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 35 - SLOKAM 16 -PART 1
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.
tiruvAimozhi 1.5 - pASuram-s 1.5.1, 1.5.2.
Slokam 16 - tiruvAimozhi 1.5:
kshudra AhvAna AbhimukhyAt (1.5.1) nija mahima
tiraskAraka arcA
priyatvAt (1.5.2)
sarvatra api anghri dAnAt (1.5.3) savidha Sayanatah
(1.5.4) svAghri
sakta aikarasyAt (1.5.5) |
gopAdyApteh (1.5.6) aSesha IkshaNa vishayatayA (1.5.7)
bhakta
vastu prasakteh (1.5.8)
Slishyan-nASa vyapohAt (1.5.9) tad ahita SamanAt (1.5.10)
prAha
nAtham su-Silam (1.5) ||
The guNa of bhagavAn that is sung in this tiruvAimozhi is identified
by svAmi deSikan as sauSIlyam. His ability to be able move with even
the lowliest of lowly beings without any differentiation (indicated
by prAha nAtham su-Silam at the end of the above Slokam). As in
previous Slokam-s, svAmi deSikan identifies the guNa-s sung in the
ten pASuram-s of tiruvAimozhi, and show that all of these lend
support to perumAL's guNam of sauSIlyam sung at the daSakam level.
pASuram 1.5.1:
vaLa Ezh ulagin mudalAna vAnOr iRaiyai aru vinaiyEn
kaLavEzh veNNai toDu uNDa kaLvA enban, pinnaiyum
taLavEzh muRuval pinnaikkAi vallAn Ayar talaivanAi
iLa Ezh ERum tazhuviya endAi enban ninaindu naindE.
vaLam Ezh ulagin mudalAya vAnOr iRaiyai aruvinaiyEn kaLavEzh veNNai
toDu uNDa kaLvA enban; pinnaiyum ninaindu naindu, taLavEzh muruval
pinnaikkAi vallAn Ayar talaivanAi iLa Ezhu ERum tazhuviya endAi
enban bhagavAn is the Lord of all the seven worlds, as well as the
Lord of all the beings in nitya vibhUti; but I, full of all sins,
call Him a cheat who stole butter in AyarpADi. Then again I think
of His greatness, and realize that He is my Lord who took birth
among the cowherds, and as the Leader of the cowherds, destroyed the
seven mighty young bulls through His valor for the sake of the sweet
smiling nappinnai.
svAmi deSikan presents the guNam enjoyed by AzhvAr in this pASuram
through the words kshudra AhvAna AbhimukhyAt; kshudra means lowly;
AhvAna means being called; Abhimukhyam means favorable
disposition. The phrase means that He brings Himself down to the
level where many call Him lowly names such as kaLvA - a butter
thief, Ayar talaivan- chief of a bunch of (illiterate) cowherds,
etc.; yet He treats them as His friends, interacts with them at
their level, and blesses them. This is because of His extreme
sauSIlyam.
SrI venkaTeSAcArya explains svAmi deSikan's words as akhila jagad
eka kAraNa bhUtanAi, ayarvaRum amarargaL adhipatiyAnavanai, veNNai
kaLavu koNDu amudu Seyda kRtrimanE enRu kshudramAna pErAlE Solla,
adu koNDu abhimukhan AgaiyAlum When this Lord of all worlds and Lord
of all the gods and nitya sUri-s gets called by lowly names such as
the mischievous one who stole butter. He still is favorably disposed
to them. This behavior is clearly indicative of His sauSIlyam.
Other well-known instances of His sauSIlyam are His letting Himself
be tied to the mortar by yaSodA with a rope, and then feigning fear
and crying after He got tied just to satisfy her; His introducing
guhan to pirATTi as His friend, and introducing pirATTi to guhan as
Your friend. svAmi deSikan gives a few other instances in his dayA
Satakam Slokam 65:
nishAdAnAm netA kapi-kulatapaih kApi SabarI
kucelah kubjA sA vraja-yuvatayah mAlya-kRt iti ||
amIshAm nimnatvam vRsha-giri-pateh unnatimapi
prabhUtaih srotobhih prasabham anukampe samayasi ||
(dayA. 65)
Instances mentioned in the above Slokam are: His closeness to guhan
the chief of hunters, sugrUvan the leader of monkies, SabarI a
huntress, the hunch-backed woman, the utterly poor kucelar who did
not have decent cloths to wear, the gopi-s who were too ignorant to
be even capable of distinguishing their right hand from their left
hand, the poor mAlAkArar who lived by making flower garlands, etc.
svAmi deSikan points out that the greatness (unnati) of emperumAn on
the one hand, and the lowliness (nimnatvam) of the likes of us, are
just made equal (samayasi) by dayA devi's anukampA (dayA). That is
His sauSIlyam.
Kshudra lowly; Abhimukhyam favorable disposition; AhvAnam
invitation, summons.
pASuram 1.5.2:
ninaindu naindu uL karaindu urugi imaiyOr palarum munivarum
punainda kaNNi nIr SAndam pugaiyODu Endi vaNaâ??nginAl
ninainda ellAp poruLgaLukkum vittAi mudalil SidaiyAmE
manam Sei j~nAnattu un perumai mASUNAdO mAyOnE!
mAyOnE! ninainda ellAp poruLgaLukkum vittAi mudalil SidaiyAmE manam
Sei j~nAnattu un perumai, imaiyOr palarum munivar palarum ninaindu
naindu uL karaindu urugi punainda kaNNi nIr SAndam pugaiyODu Endi
vaNanginAl mASUNAdO? - The Lord of prakRti! Your paratvam
(Supremacy) that is evidenced by Your being the Material cause of
everything that exists through Your sheer will, while not undergoing
the slightest change Yourself, is beyond the comprehension of all
gods and Rshi-s. No matter what kind of superior and well-planned
worship is offered by all these imperfect beings using flowers,
water, sandalwood paste, incense etc., they can't do justice to Your
greatness, and it will end up being totally inadequate. (Yet you
willingly take the arcA form as desired by them, and make Yourself
available to them for worship).
Ideally, it would make sense if emperumAn takes into consideration
the fact that the worship offered by even the best of gods and Rshi-
s is only going to end up being at so low a level that it will end
up being an insult to His true greatness, and He desists from taking
His arcA form and being insulted with lowly and inadequate worship.
But on the other hand, because of His sauSIlyam, He makes Himself
available to us through His arcA incarnation, because He wants to
come and be in our midst and be accessible to us easily. It is this
aspect that svAmi deSikan captures as the essence of this pASuram
nija-mahima-tiraskAraka arcA priyatvAt. He gladly accepts the arcA
form, even though the worship offered to Him totally abuses His
Supremacy. This is in the same category as the insult to His
greatness by His being called a thief the leader of a set of
uneducated cowherds, etc., that AzhvAr referred to in the previous
pASuram. In both instances, it would be appropriate if bhagavAn
decides to keep away from the likes of us, but on the other hand,
because of His sauSIlyam, He loves to come down to our level,
associate with us and bestow His blessings on us. Even abandoning
the ArAdhanam performed by the nitya sUri-s who truly know His
greatness, He comes down to us samsAri-s, and accepts our inadequate
worship with delight a reflection of His unlimiteds sauSIlyam.
-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)
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