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// ===================================================================== SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 16 dated 14th January 2008 ===================================================================== IN THIS PONGAL ISSUE: 1. SARVAJIT ? THAI MAASA PANCHAANGAM DETAILS 2. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 6 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI) 3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 46- SLOKAM 18 -PART 3 (SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO) ===================================================================== ISSUES RELEASED With this issue, about 279 Regular issues of SRS have been released so far, apart from numerous "Special Issues" as indicated below: 27 Issues of Vol. 1 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 16 Issues of Vol. 9(including this) --------------------------------------------------------------------- You may view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia maintained By Sri Srinivasan Sriram We strongly urge you to kindly peruse the "Regular Issues" archived in the Files Section and view the Contents at srsindex.html (Not the individual postings allowed for encouraging "Reader participation"). We are sure that you will be convinced of the quality of the contents. IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of "Sri Ranga Sri" - Tell your friends to join by sending an email to Srirangasri-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx IF NOT: Tell us, as to how we may improve. Ever at your service Moderator "Sri Ranga Sri" ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== 1. Sarvajit varsha thai maasa Panchangam: January 15, 2008 ? Tuesday ?thai month begins- Sankaraanthi uttharaayaNa puNya kaala January 16, 2008 ? Wednesday ? kanu pongal January 19, 2008 - Friday ? Ekadasi January 22, 2008- Tuesday- Embaar Thirunakshthram January 25, 2008- Friday ? Thirumazhisai AzhwAr Thirunakshthram January 28, 2008 ? Monday ? Kuresar Thirunakshathram February 3, 2008 ? Sunday ? Ekadasi February 6, 2008 ? Wednesday ? amavasyai ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== 2. "YUDDHA KHAANDAM" PART - 6 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM (ANBIL RAMASWAMY) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 29. WRESTLING BETWEEN SUGREEVA AND RAVANA The moment he saw LankEswaran looking at them, Sugreeva pounced on him and pelted his shining crown made of rubies and other precious gems. A fearful and unprecedented wrestling duel erupted in which both sides played out strategies like forward, backward and side thrusts, cross cuts, circles, catches, hugs and holds, besides devices such as Pari-moksha, Vajra, Pari-dhaavana, Athi-dravaNa etc. Unable to defeat Sugreeva in a fair war, Ravana resorted to magic and created an illusion as if he was on every side. Sugreeva thought that it was not worthwhile to continue the fight and promptly returned to Rama. He spared Ravana's life as he wanted to make Rama's vow true that he would himself finish off Ravana. (40) 30. THE SIEGE OF LANKA - ANGADA, THE EMISSARY Though he was happy at the successful encounter with Ravana, Rama advised Sugreeva that he should not have been so rash and cautioned him against such adventures. The siege of Lanka began. The monkey army covered the whole space like the flight of locusts. As per "Yuddha Dharma" at the time of besieging a city, the enemy should be informed, Rama sent Angada as an emissary to convey the message to Ravana that he would have to surrender and return Sita to Rama or face Rama's sharp arrows. Should Ravana surrender, it was Rama's intention to offer him Kosala kingdom because he had already promised Lanka to VibheeshaNa. Ravana was defiant and his stooges caught hold of Angada. Angada lifted them up, threw them down as if they were just dust and reached Rama (41). 31. THE WAR DECLARED The sounds of war cries raised by both sides reverberated the whole atmosphere. The grim prospect of deadly clashes was looming large. Raakshasas and Vaanaras individually and collectively pounced on and tore each other to pieces whatever they could get hold of - weapons on the Raakshasas' side and trees, rocks and even mountains on the monkeys' side. The heads and other parts of the bodies on either side strewn all over were practically floating in the rivers of blood (42). There were fierce wrestling slings as follows: Angada with Indra- jit; Prajanga, the Raakshasa with Sampaati, Jambumaali with Hanumaan; VibheeshaNa with Mitra-gna; Gaja with Tapana; Neela with Ni-kumbha; Sugreeva with Prakasa; LakshmaNa with Virupa-aksha; Rama with Agni-kEtu, Rasmi-kEtu, Supta-gna and Yagjna-kOpa; Maindan with Vajra-mushTi; Dvi-vida with Asani-prabha; NaLa with Prataa-pana; SushENa with Vidyun-maali and many others with many others. (43). In the melee, the Vaanaras and Raakshasas could not tell friend from foe and on occasions, indulged in throwing "same side goals"! 32. NAAGA PAASAM The Raakshasas gain strength after dusk. Also, they could use their weapon of illusion more effectively in the dark. So, they were waiting for Sunset. There were innumerable casualties on both sides. At one stage, unable to continue the war on Dhaarmic lines, Indra- jit hid himself from sight by his magical powers and used the famous serpent Astra (Naaga-paasam) that bound Rama and LakshmaNa (44). Rama sent SushENa's two sons with Neela, Angada, Vinata, Jaambhavaan, Saanu-prasta, Sarabha, Rishaba and Rishabha-skanda to trace the whereabouts of Indra-jit. But, they could not locate him. Indra-jit roared from his hiding place at the group and threatened to finish them off. Rama-daasas desisted from using the "SabdavEdi" (spotting a target by its sound) because it was against the rules of Dhaarmic warfare. With a shower of poisonous arrows like Naaraacha (arrows with round heads), Artdha-Naaraacha (same with a cleft in the middle), Bhalla (an arrow with the head of a hatchet), Anjalika (a shaft with the head fashioned like clasped hand in appeal), Vatsa- danta (resembling the teeth of a horse), Simha-damshTra (resembling the tusks of the lion) and Kshura (sharp razors), Indra-jit pierced Rama and LakshmaNa. With blood oozing from their bodies, both swooned and fell to the ground. Hanumaan and others surrounded them with a heavy heart not knowing what to do. dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy (To be continued) ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== 3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 46 - SLOKAM 18 -PART 3 (SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO) --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH. tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 46, Slokam 18 -Part 3, tiruvAimozhi 1.7, pASurams 1.7.5 - 1.7.7. pASuram 1.7.5: viDuvEnO en viLakkai en Aviyai naDuvE vandu uyyak koLginRa nAdanai toDuvE Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuL viDavE Seidu vizhikkum pirAnaiyE. en viLakkai, en Aviyai, naDuvE vandu uyyak koLginRa nAdanai, toDuvE Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuL viDavE Seidu vizhikkum pirAnai, viDuvEnO? ? I will never leave my Lord who is my guiding light, my soul's Soul, One who voluntarily comes and retrieves me from my indulgence in materialistic pleasures, and One who indulges in acts like stealing butter and then attacts the gopi-s by the very beauty of His very looks. svAmi deSikan conveys the message of this pASuram through the words `pravahad upakRteh' ? `pirAn' - He whose help to His devotees is an unending and unstoppable stream. SrI PBA explains this as: pravAha rUpeNa SenRu koNDirukkiRa upakAra paramparaikaLaic ceidu koNDiruppavan. The word `pirAn', which is the key word that svAmi deSikan seems to have captured as the main thought from this pASuram - `pravad upakRteh', is explained in irupattu nAlAyirappaDi vyAkhyAnam as "upakAraka Sabda paryAyam" ? means the same as "One who helps". The meaning `piRarukkAgavE iruppavan pirAn' ? He who devotes His existence purely for the sake of others, explains the word very well. SrI UV also gives the meaning "paramopakAra' to the word `pirAn' ? `One who renders immense and supreme help'. Examples given by AzhvAr in this pASuram for this are: He removes our ignorance ? our aj~nAnam (en viLakkai); He is the sole Support for our existence (en Aviyai); He is our Lord and we are His possessions and His eternal servants and He considers it His duty to protect us - kAkkum iyalbinan kaNNa perumAn (en nAthanai); He creates every opportunity for Him to interact with us and to be easily accessible to us (toDuvE Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuLviDavE Seidu vizhikkum pirAnai). Thus the help He gives us is like a stream flowing with an unstoppable great force ? pravAha upakRteh. pASuram 1.7.6: pirAn peru nilam kINDavan pinnum virAi malart tuzhAi vEinda muDiyan marAmaram eida mAyavan ennuL irAn enil pinnai yAn oTTuvEnO. pinnum virAi(virai) malar tuzhAi vEinda muDiyan, peru nilam kINDavan, marAmaram eida mAyavan, pirAn, ennuL irAn enil pinnai yAn oTTuvEno? ? If my emperumAn - who wears the flower garland made of the fragrant tulasi leaves on His crown, retrieved the Earth from the depth of the ocean in His varAha incarnation, has to His credit amazing acts such as piercing the seven dense and strong trees with just one arrow, and One who is ever helpful to His devotees (pirAn) ? if He does not stay in my mind always, then will I continue to live this life? There is no way that I will agree to His leaving me. svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the words `dus-tyaja sva anubhUteh' - One who gives us the experience of Himself such that it is impossible to give Him up after having experienced Him (anubhUti means anubhavam ? experience; tyaj ? to give up; dus-tyaja ? impossible to give up); - ennuL irAn enil pinnai yAn oTTuvEno? "I will not let Him go, and He cannot go without my consent since He is `pirAn' ? One who is dedicated only for others". The examples that AzhvAr gives in this pASuram that support His acts that endear Him as `pirAn' to the devotees are His retrieving the Earth that had been taken into the depth of the ocean by a demon, and the act of His `proving' to sugrIvan that He can help sugrIvan against vAli, by piercing the seven sAla trees with one arrow. PurvAcArya-s point out that He, with His beautifully decorated tirumEni with the fragrant tulasi garlands etc., did not mind tht He would be covered with the moss etc., and went into the depths of the ocean to retrieve Earth from the ocean just because of His nature of providing help. He did not have to `prove' anything to sugrIvan, but still proved His strength to sugrIvan to make him feel that He is `worthy' of sugrIvan's friendship. Just as he dug out bhUmi from the deep oceanm He digs out His devotee from the ocean of samsAra. Such are His acts by which He gives the experience of Himself to His devotees and makes it impossible for them to part with Him even if they want to ? dus-tayja sva anubhUteh. pASuram 1.7.7: yAn oTTi ennuL iruttuvam enRilan tAn oTTi vandu en tani ne'njai va'njittu UnoTTi ninREn uyiril kalandiyal ? vAnoTTumO ini ennai negizhkkavE. I did not make any effort to retain Him in my mind; He Himself has undertaken the effort to endear Himself to my `independent' mind (unwilling to entertain Him) through His kalyANa guNa-s and His leelA-s; He Himself took the initiative to mingle with me and became part of my AtmA associated with my impure body; after doing all this, ther is no way that He will let me get away from Him. svAmi deSikan describes the thought from this pASuram through the words "tyAga AkA'ngkshA niroddhuh" ? He who prevents any desire to leave Him (nirodhah, nirodhanam ? confinnment; restraint, check; obstruction) - yAn negizhkka avan ennai oTTmO? AzhvAr says: "BhagavAn fully knew that neither I nor my mind had any interest in getting Him and keeping Hin in my mind. Yet He cheated me (va'njittu), and through His leelA-s and His kalyANa guNa- s, He succeeded in getting into my mind even though I am associated with an impure body etc. I am deeply attached to this body of mine, and so He is attached, too, to my body. He has taken a vow to enter into me and mingle with me. Having done all this, He has made sure that He will not let me have the slightest desire to wish to let Him get away now" ? tyAga AkA'ngkshA niroddhuh Regards dAsan kRshNamAcAryan (To be continued) ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== Yahoo! 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