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- Subject: SRI RANGA SRI VOL.03 / ISSUE # 40 d/09/06/02-SPECIAL SRI JAYANTHI ISSUE # 3
- From: "Ram Anbil" <Ramanbil@xxxx>
- Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 20:50:16 +0000
- Bcc:
SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
===========================================================
SRI RANGA SRI VOL.03 / ISSUE # 40 dated 6th September 2002
SPECIAL SRI JAYANTHI ISSUE # Part 3
===========================================================
EDITORIAL:
Dear Bhagavatas:
IN THIS ISSUE:
1.RAMAMRUTHAM AND KRISHNAMRUTHAM ? PART 3
(Extracted from my speech delivered on the occasion of ?Dolai? to
?Navaneetha Krishnan? held at the home of Sri Deepak Raghavan
on 7th October 2001)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the 3rd Special Sri Jayanthi Issue. Hope you enjoyed the earliertwo
parts released on 30th August 2002 and 1st September 2002. We conclude this
series with this posting. We would welcome your valuable feedback.
Because we do not wish to convert the Journal into a discussion forum, your
comments may be sent as a personal mail to ?Ramanbil@xxxx? and NOT to
?Srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The Regular features could not be accommodated in this Issue.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
=============================================================
In this part, let us ponder over an alternative viewpoint:
1. A coin has two sides. Can you imagine a coin with just one side only? If
yes, it cannot be a coin! The whole universe revolves around a binary scheme
of things. Day - Night, Heat - Cold, Male ? Female and many more. It is this
that gives life a holistic and wholesome meaning. The one cannot exist
without the other.
So also, Rama and KrishNa represent the dual facets of the same
?Paramaatma?. The two roles are complementary and not contradictory as it
might appear superficially. The two roles are meant to supplement and not
supplant each other. Let us see how.
2. Even at the outset, Swami Desika in his Dasavataara Stotra makes it clear
that just like actors donning several roles and act on the stage, Perumal
and Piraatti take ten different roles and enact this spectacular drama with
ten successive scenes.
?DEvO na: subham aatanOthu dasadhaa nirvartayan bhoomikaam
RangE dhaamani labda nirbhara rasai: adyakshitO bhaavukai:?
(Even today, we see actors in double, triple and even multiple roles within
the same drama or movie).
They do this for their own pleasure and the pleasure of the Rasikas. This is
part of Lord?s ?leela? or sport as indicated by Bhagavad Ramanuja in his
invocatory slOka of Sri Bhashyam ?akhila bhuvana sthEmapankhaadi leelE?
3. We saw that Rama set an example of rectitude and right conduct more by
practice than by precept while KrishNa preached (as in Bhagavad Gita) more
than ?setting examples?.
Why was this so?
The gaping time divide between Treta Yuga in which Rama lived and Dvapara
Yuga in which KrishNa appeared seems to give a clue.
?Setting an example? was good enough in Treta Yuga. People were sensible
enough to observe and learn (ingitam) and follow. The words ?Abhayam Sarva
bhootEbhyO: dadaami? were enough to put them on the right track.
In Dvapara Yuga, people had to be told several times to mend their ways. It
was out of sheer exasperation with the stupidity of mortals that the Lord
(through Arjuna) had to offer his peroration to the hapless and helpless
souls incapable of adopting any yoga, not to worry. As a last resort, he
asks them to resort to him. He prescribes a short cut, a panacea ?
?Having given up all Dharmas, Surrender unto me and me only (Maam ekam
SaraNam vraja).
- He promises in so many words that he would take the entire burden off
their shoulders (aham tvAaa Sarva PaapEbhyO mOkshayishyaami).
- Still not satisfied, he buttresses it with a solemn assurance not to
grieve (Maa sucha).
It is easier to guide the intelligent; it is very difficult, if not
impossible, to drive home his message to the stupid and he takes pains to do
this like a painstaking schoolteacher!
This perhaps is the Sankalpam of the Lord who designed the Yuga Dharmas in
this fashion from the golden age of Satya yuga (that is virtuous beyond
words) to the dark age of Kali Yuga in which we live (about which the less
said the better)!
In fact, Dharma is characterized as a cow standing on all its four legs in
Satya Yuga, three in Treta Yuga, two in Dvapara Yuga and on a single one in
Kali Yuga.
We can notice this steady deterioration in the value systems even between
Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga. The Rama - RaavaNa Yuddha was fought on Dharmic
lines (e.g.) Rama asking the disarmed RavaNa to go home and come replenished
the next day.
As we see in Mahaabhaaratha, all canons of Dhaarmic conduct were
progressively thrown to the winds as the war progressed and KrishNa himself
had to devise and design strategies and stratagems to suit the demands of
each occasion!
In our own Kaliyuga, it is doubtful even if Rama and KrishNa were to come
together armed with both precept and practice, we would ever mend our ways.
Such is our addiction to sin and depravity that it appears that even ?God
cannot save our souls?!
That is probably why the Lord deputed Azhwaars and Aacharyas who represent
his ?alter ego?, while at the same time appearing as human as we are, (like
in ?operation jedda? in which trained elephants are used to catch elephants
in the wild),in order to strike an empathetic chord in our hearts by
pandering to our human frailties ? all, in an effort to salvage us from
going down the drain!
It is intriguing why the Lord should so patiently wait and strain every
nerve to do this! May be this is also, a part of his ?leela?!
4. As mentioned earlier, true to his declaration ?Aatmaanam Maanusham
ManyE?, Rama depicted how one ?would? and how one ?should? react to
circumstances. Finding the incapacity of poor mortals to adopt the ?should?
and their propensity to assiduously cling on to the ?would? part of it, with
a craving for the ?easy go lucky? attitude,, as KrishNa, the Lord literally
?played to the gallery? by ?hunting with the hound and running with the
hare? - so as to be acceptable to their ridiculous perceptions. At the same
time, he made sure that people did not take him too lightly, exhibited his
?Paratvam?, whenever the occasion demanded like lifting the Govardhana
mountain, KaaLinga Narthanam, Draupadi maana SamrakshaNam. etc.
5. In Dasavataara Stotra, Swami Desika alludes to the Paratvam of Rama in
first 2 lines:
?Paaraavaara payO visEshaNa kalaa paareeNa kaala anala
jwaala jwaala vihaara vsikha vyaapaara karma:?
And, immediately switches over to show how in spite of his ?Paratvam?, the
Lord promised protection to anyone who deemed oneself as belonging to Rama
(Tavaasmi iti yaachatE). In the case of KrishNa, he gives the reason why he
calls KrishNa as ?Naathayaiva nama: bhavatu? and draws attention to the
countless superhuman feats the Lord as KrishNa.
?Sarva avastha sakrut Prapanna janathaa SamrakshaNaika vratee
DharmO vigrahavaan Dharma: tanveeta Dhanvee na:?
This once again underlines how due to deterioration in perception from Treta
Yuga to Dvapara Yuga (like dancing on the hoods of KaaLinga), when people
tend to believe and respect only when someone performs a miracle!
?KaaLindee Rasikaaya KaaLiya PaNi spaara spaTaa vaaTikaa
RangOtsanga visanka sankrama duraa paryaaya charyaa yatE?
6. Further, it is said ?LokO bhinna ruchi?. People have different interests,
different tastes, different levels of mental and spiritual evolution based
on their individual karmas. Some are serious and sober with lofty ideals;
others, mediocre and yet others irredeemably indulgent and depraved
faculties. To appeal to these different segments, the Lord had to present
himself in a manner to satisfy the needs of each. Naturally, he acts
differently in different Avataras ? but with the single objective to
emancipate the fallen souls.
It is worth noting that Swami Desika wrote prodigiously different works, in
various languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Praaakrit, MaNipravaaLam, in
different styles like prose, poetry, Gadhyam, in short, medium and long, in
highly intellectual to the rational so that people with different acumen
could grasp the truths ?each according to his capacity?!
7. As mentioned earlier, Rama as a prince had to maintain a high standard of
demeanor befitting his majesty while KrishNa had no such inhibitions and as
a cowherd boy had the license, as it were, to move with ordinary folk more
freely. But, even so, we find Rama also making friends with the Guhan, the
hunter (Ayodhya KhaaNdam, Guha PaDalam 674), Sugriva the monkey king
(Kishkindaa KhaaNDam NatpukOt PaDalam 104) and VibheeshaNa, the Raakshasa
?guhanoDum aivar aanOm munbu, pinn kunru soozh
maganOdum aruvar aanOm Yemmugai anbin vanda
agan amar kaarEl Aiya! NinnoDum ezhuvar aanOm
pugal arum kaanam thandu pudalvaraal polindaan nundai?
(Yuddha KhaaNDam VeeDaNan aDaikkalap PaDalam 446)
?Oh! Aiya! When we made friends with Guhan, we four brothers became five in
number; Later, with Sugriva, we became six. Today,with your friendship we
have become seven brothers. We are seven now. Because of sending me to the
forest, Dasaratha has become the blessed father of seven sons?
This is what prompted Azhwar to exclaim his astonishment in the Paasuram
?Yeshai, Yetalan, Keezh magan ennaadu irangi matru avarkkaa innaruL
surandu??etc.?
?Oh! Lord! Did you not bestow mercy on Guhan without minding his lack of
learning. his ignorance, and his lack of contact with the great men of the
times, without any thought of his low birth??
(Tirumangai Azhwar?s Periya Tirumozhi 5.8.1)
8. We mentioned Ramayana is like a long but well-connected novel while the
life history of KrishNa is like a string of short stories. The two together
have provided the needs of both the avid novel lover and the skit ?reader in
a hurry?. Despite its 24,000 slokas, Ramayana holds the interest of readers
in a firm grip by the sheer felicity of the composition.
The Dhyaana Sloka describes how syntax and prosody, the word formations and
the sweetness and depth of meanings vied with each other to find a place in
the work of the primordial poet (Aadhikavi)
?Tad upaagata samaasa Sandi yOgam
sama madhurOpanatha artha vaakhya bhaddam
Raghuvara charitam muni praNeetam??
The quality and content of the Aadhikavi, has ignited the imagination of a
galaxy of innumerable poets and writers, throughout the world and over the
ages and in a variety of languages. We are told that there are at least 50
versions of Ramayana to mention a few like
- Aanada Ramayana by Pasaurama
- Adbutha Ramayana, by Valmiki himself
- Adhyaatma Ramayana by Sage Viswamitra
- AgnivEshaya Ramayanam (author unknown)
- Anargha Raghavam of Murali,
- BhaTTi Kaavya by BhaTTi Kavi
- Jaina Ramayanam by Hemachandra
- Kamba RamayaNam in Tamil by Poet Kambar
- Mantra Ramayanam by LakshmaNa Arya
- Sangraha Ramayanam by Narayana PaNDita
- Raghuvamsam of KaaLidaasa,
- Ramacharita maanas in Hindi by Tulasidaasa
- Yoga vaasisTam by Valmiki
and many others. It is doubtful if any other work of religious literature
enjoyed such a fascination. (Of course, Bhagavad Gita has been translated in
several languages but perhaps, not so prolific like Ramayana).
There is a song in Tamil detailing the various names of Rama that asks
?Raaman ethanai RaamanaDi?? We may perhaps ask similarly ?RaamaayaNam
ethanai RaamaayaNam aDi??
9. If KrishNa had a long list of Bhaktas, Rama had and has an equally long
list of Bhaktas like
- Bhadraachala Ramadasar
- Tulasidasar,
- Kabirdasar
- Baaji Rama BhaTtar
- GOrakhar
- Raamabaai
- Padmanaabha Vediyar
- Raamaraajar
and many more.
10.In an earlier posting, we saw how the ?HarE KrishNa? movement had caught
up the imagination of the present generation. Though the main emphasis of
the movement is on KrishNa, they have not left our Rama. In fact, their
mantram is
?HarE Rama! HarE Rama! Rama! Rama HarE! HarE!
HarE KrishNa! HarE KrishNa! KrishNa KrishNa HarE! HarE!?
11. If Rama was subjected to tests to prove his mettle, KrishNa was not
free from them
- He was tied to the mortar by his own mother,
- He was a butter-thief as a boy,
- He was suspected to have stolen the Syamantaka maNi,
- He was suspected to have stolen Paarijaatha. etc.
- If Rama had to send an arrow through seven Saala trees,
KrishNa had to control seven unruly bulls to gain the hand of
Nappinnai.
12. Since Rama?s emissary, AnjanEya succeeded in his mission, the Lord was
tempted to himself go as an emissary to the court of DuryOdhana. But, what
happened? He miserably failed to deliver the goods and returned empty
handed. But, this was deliberate and it was his own making. He had to
destroy the ?axis of evil? and discharge his role as ?World teacher? -
(Jagad guru and Gitaachaaryan). If he had averted the war, he would not have
succeeded in his Avatara Rahasyam.
13. Rama obeyed his father even when he was a Brahmachaari. Both when
Dasaratha declined and when he agreed to send him with SageViswamitra, he
never demurred; Similarly, when Dasaratha offered to crown him as Yuvaraja
and when he was banished (by order), he never demurred.
In fact, when Bharata argued with him to return to AyOdhya, Rama could not
refute any of his arguments. But, finally, he flung a bombshell saying, ?How
could I transgress our father?s wish?? Bharata was flabbergasted at this and
reconciled himself to taking Rama?s Paduka and go back.
(Let us visualize what would happen in similar circumstances in this
Kaliyuga. First, Kaliyuga Rama would have refused to go to forest and
Kaliyuga Dasartaha would have been shown his place! Such was the Yuga
Dharmam then and such it is today)
14. We mentioned in the previous posting that KrishNa Avatara seemed to be
?more complete? than Rama Avatara. Rama Avatara was equally ?PoorNa Avatara?
in the sense that the Lord needed different complementary roles for
different purposes and so he cast himself in different characters:
Rama - Bhagavaan
LakshmaNa -Bhagavad Seshatvam
Bharata - Bhaagavata and
Satrugna - Bhaagavata Seshatvam
Taken together, Rama Avatara was equally ?PoorNa Avatara?.
15. If Azhwars and Acharyas went into rapturous moods in KrishNa anubhavam,
they were equally carried away by Rama anubhavam.
- Kulasekara Azhwaar, who wrote the ?Lament of DEvaki? also wrote an equally
moving piece depicting the ?Lament of Dasaratha? on his separation from
Rama. Similarly, other Azhwars have enjoyed ?Rama anubhavam? as much as they
enjoyed ?KrishNa anubhavam?
- Periyaazhwar wrote a whole poem in which he fondly and graphically
describes the growth of Rama from his babyhood.
- His ?Mannu Pugazh Kousalai thun? is the lullaby that rings in every home
today when the mothers lull their children to sleep.
- It is the same Nammaazhwaar hailed as ?KrishNa thrishNaa Tattvam? who
asked ?Raamapiraanai allathu matrum karparO?
meaning ?Will anyone learn anything other than Rama?s example?? signifying
that Rama by his character was equally a world teacher like KrishNa.
16. ?Why did he say this?? is the next question. Azhwar himself answers:
? pul paa mudalaap pul erumbu aadi onru inriyE
narpaal AyOdhiyil vaazhum chara acharam mutravum
nar paalukku Uithanan naanmuganaar petra naaTTulE?.
(Tiruvoimozhi 7th Pathu 5)
When he left for his eternal abode, he took all the sentient beings and
insentient things (the human, the fauna and the flora) to the abode of
Brahma en route to Sri Vaikuntam all merely because of the fact that they
were the inhabitants of AyOdhya.
What did KrishNa do? He left his yaadhava kula heroes to die fighting among
themselves. (May be this was also part of his hidden agenda!)
16. IF KrishNa?s name is incorporated in so many mantras cited in the
earlier posting,, Rama?s name itself is hailed as ?Taaraka Mantram?
What is a ?Taaraka Mantram??
It means that it is a mantram that carries one from this world (Prakrita
lOkam) straightaway to SrivaikunTam (Apraakrita lOkam). It is therefore,
equal to AshTaksharam or Moola Mantram which is known as ?Taaraka Mantram?.
The Charama SlOkam of Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the ?Poshakam? and
the Dvaya Mantram to be the ?BhOghyam?. Thus, its preeminence surpasses the
other two!
THINK OF IT! YOU GET THERE! WHAT MORE IS NEEDED?
---------------------------------------------
(Concluded)
---------------------------------------------
Dasoham
Anbil Nadaur Krishnaswamy Ramaswamy
===============================================================
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