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                    SrI:
SrImate ra?ngarAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH
SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH
SrImate VedAnta rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH
SrI ra?nganAtha divya MaNi PAdukAbhyAm namaH

AcArya rAmAmRtam  - (from SrI ra?nganAtha PAdukA  dt. Jan. 08  Part 1)

               English Translation of 
SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam in tamizh by SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan

        As published in SrI ra?nganAtha pAdukA by
SrI u.ve. nATTEri KiDAmbi rAjagopAlAcAriyAr  (Editor of SrI ra?nganAtha
pAdukA)

(Please set your encoding to Unicode UTF-8)

SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDi,
kalyANi kRshNamAcAri
=====================================
                    SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan?s SrImad rAmAyaNa
upanyAsam

"This ViSvAmitrar is an exceptional mahaRshi.  There is no one in the
world like him.  He has achieved impossible accomplishments by doing
very severe penances. Let me tell You his story.  ViSvAmitrar was
ruling over a kingdom as a king. He went for hunting one time and when
he was wandering, he went to VasishThar's ASramam. 

VasishThasya ASrama padam nAnAvRksha samAkulam |
?
praSAnta hariNAkIrNam dvijasa'ngha nishevitam ||  (bAla. 51.23,24)

VAlmIki BhagavAn describes VasishThar's ASramam - Very exciting
description. He says there is no other ASramam like that; he gives a
beautiful narration. 

VasishThasya ASrama padam nAnAvRksha samAkulam |

The ASramam is surrounded by many different kinds of trees.   praSAnta
hariNAkIrNam - all the animals are soft-natured. There are birds. 
There are plenty of brahmaNas.  

brahmaRshi gaNa sa'nkIrNam devarshi gaNa sevitam | (bAla. 1.24)

brahmaRshi  - in VaSishThar's ASramam, there are the best of brahmaNas
- Rshi-s who have realized paramAtmA - parabrahmam -  devarshi gaNa
sevitam.   MahaRshi-s like nAradar, tumburu etc., have come to visit
this ASramam. 

tapaH caraNa samsiddhaiH agni kalpaiH mahAtmabhiH |

ab-bhakshaiH vAyu-bhakshaiH ca SIrNa parNASanaiH tathA |
phala mUlASanaiH dAntaiH jita roshaiH jitendriyaiH ||

RshibhiH vAlakhilyaiH ca japa homa parAyaNaiH ||  (bAla.51.25-27)

describes VAlmiki graphically; when we see that, and compare that with
how brAhamNa-s are these days, I feel like crying.  How were they? 
Agni kalpaiH mahAtmabhiH - they were all great souls. svAmi! They had
brilliance like that of agni - fire.   Think of how those Rshi-s were
in those times, and  how we are today!

ab-bhakshaiH vAyu-bhakshaiH ca SIrNa parNASanaiH tathA |

There were lots of Rshi-s.  What was their food?  ab-bhakshaiH
vAyubhakshaiH ca - they were taking in only water.  There is no cost
incurred if the ASramam has such kinds of Rshi-s!   The only cost is
for eating, isn't it! (AcAryar laughs slightly).  ab-bhakshaiH
vAyu-bhakshaiH - some take in only water; some live on only air.  
SIrNaparNASanaiH tathA - There were Rshi-s who were practicing the vow
of non-violence, and they considered it a sin to pluck leaves from the
trees, and they ate only the dry leaves that fell down from the trees
after drying out in the trees.  They were following that kind of
ahimsA.

It is said that our KUrattAzhvAn was like that.  KUrattAzhvAn was
rAmAnujar's Sishyar; there was no one who observed ahimsA vratam like
him.   One time, Bhagavad rAmAnujar was late in getting his bhikshai
[getting alms].  It was around 3 pm.  Ultimately he sat down to take
his bhikshA (his sustenance).  There was no leaf to eat on. 
KurattAzhvAn was asked to go and bring a leaf quickly.

He went and did not come back for a long time.  They informed bhagavad
rAmAnujar  that KUrattAzhvAn had gone and had not returned.  rAmAnujar
said, "Why did you ask him to go and pluck a leaf?  He would be sitting
under the tree and crying."  So, someone went to look for KUrattAzhvan;
he was sitting under the banana tree with a knife in his hand and
crying.  He was feeling unhappy that he had to hurt the tree by cutting
it.  If SishyAs are like this, AcAryan [just has to go hungry!]
(laughter in the audience).  He was feeling sad that he had to cut the
banana leaf. So, the person who had gone to look for him cut the leaf
and took it for rAmAnujar so he could eat.  KUrattAzhvAn was practicing
ahimsA vratam so seriously.  He could not hurt anyone or anything. 
nAlUrAn was the person who betrayed KUrattAzhvAn to the SOzha king. 
When KUrattAzhvAn asked for boons from PeurmAL, he asked, "Whatever
blessing I get, nAlUrAn must also get".  He was a great soul who asked
for good blessings even for his enemies.  Such kinds of mahaRshi-s who
were practicing ahimsA vratam were there - SIrNaparNASanaiH tathA -
they were eating only the dry leaves that fell from the trees. 

RshibhiH vAlakhilyaiH ca japa homa parAyaNaiH - there were some Rshi-s
called vAlakhilyA-s.  They were all meant to offer arghyam before
sunrise.  They had all come to vasishThar's ASramam to learn the
intricacies of SAstram.  So many Rshi-s had come. What are they all
doing?  Are they all sitting in the front and gossiping?  Every divya
deSam has a place for gossiping.  Was it like that?

japa homa parAyaNaiH - they were doing japam [meditation]; they were
doing  homam. 

anyaiH vaikhAnsaiScaiva samantAt upaSobhitam - Rshi-s who were
vaikhAnasa Rshi-s had also come there.  There were lots of them.

vaSishThasya ASrama padam brahmalokam ivAparam |
dadarSa jayatAm SreshThaH viSvAmitro mahAbalaH || (bAla.51.27)

ViSvAmitrar looked at the ASramam.  Look at how all these Rshi-s were! 
What were all those Rshi-s eating - and what do we eat nowadays!  Leave
alone gRhasta-s.  What are the sanyAsi-s eating?  It is a disgrace if
you look into it.  It is a matter of shame to talk about it openly. 
Look at how they were all of such virtuous conduct, and look at the
state of brAhmins today!

VasishThar's ASramam was like brahma lokam.  So many Rshi-s were doing
meditation.  So many were doing homam.  They lived on air, the leaves,
water, etc. - Such kind of mahaRshi-s. 

ViSvAmitrar left his army in the front and went inside to pay his
respect to VasishThar.  Even though he was a king, VasishThar offered
him arghyam, pAdyam and AcamanIyam.  He asked him for what reason he
had come there.  King said, "I came for hunting.  I just dropped by to
see you.  I left all my army outside, just so that they do not disturb
the ASramam environment".  

VasishThar said, "Bring them all in; I will do Atithyam [I will feed
them]."

King said, "How can you do that?  The army is huge!  You Rshi-s do not
have anything".

VasishThar said, "We will see about that.  You bring them in".  The
whole army came.  He asked them to sit down for eating.  They all sat
down at 10:30 am to eat.  

They all looked.  Are there any provisions around?  Nothing.  No rice,
no tamarind, no salt, nothing.  How is he going to feed them rice? 
Rice was ready at 11 o' clock.  How did it come?

ehyehi SabaLe kshipram SruNu cApi vaco mama |
sa-balasyAsya rAjarsheH kartum vyavasito'smyaham ||
bhojanena mahArheNa satkAram samvidhatsva me ||   (bAla. 52.21)
rasena annena pAnena lehya coshyeNa samyutam |
annAnAm nicayam sarvam sRjasva SabaLe tvara ||   (bAla.52.23)

VasishThar went to the back of the ASramam.  There was a cow tied in
the cowshed.  The cow was named SabaLA.  She belonged to the vamSam of
KAmadhenu.  He went to that cow.  ehyehi SabaLe kshipram.

He called, "My dear"!  The cow came running on seeing VasishThar.  He
told her - "VisVAmitrar is a rAja Rshi; he has come with his army.  I
have told him I will feed them all.  We should give them a very grand
feast.  bhojanena mahArheNa satkAram samvidhatsva me" - 'Make
arrangements for entertaining them with a great feast.  They should all
be great, costly food items.  Make the arrangements.'  How should they
be?  khAdyam, lehyam, coshyam, peyam - four kinds of food.  

rasena annena pAnena lehya coshyeNa samyutam| -There are four kinds of
foods.  VasishThar asks SabaLA (KAmadhenu) to prepare food items. 

annAnAm nicayam sarvam sRjasva SabaLe tvara |

"Be quick in your preparations." MahaRshi had given arghyam, pAdyam
etc.  What happened next? Very exciting food was created by KAmadhenu. 
No one knew how.

ViSvAmitrar sat down.  Everyone ate very well.  VasishThar fed the
whole army with sumptuous food.  ViSvAmitrar wondered:  How did this
Rshi do all that?  khAdyam, lehyam, coshyam, peyam - four kinds of food
- one kind that is taken by sipping,  one by licking ? halva - like
wheat halvA, almond halvA etc., belong to lehyam type.  Right?  One
food is for crunching with teeth, like murukku, tEn kuzhal etc. - they
belong to khAdyam type.  Mixed rices are the ones that are swallowed. 
Everybody knows peyam - water, coffee, tea etc., are all peyam.

rasena annena pAnena lehya coshyeNa samyutam|   He provided all four
varieties of food items.  They all ate very happily.

They asked vasishThar's disciples where all these food items were
prepared.  They said that the cow KAmadhenu in the ASramam gives
everything.  Immediately, ViSvAmitrar went to VasishThar and said,
"MahaRshi!  It is I, the king".  VasishThar said, "Yes, I know. What do
you want?"  ViSvAmitrar said, "It would be nice if you give me this
cow".

gavAm Sata sahasreNa dIyatAm SabaLA mama |
??
ratnam hi ca bhagavan!  etat ratna hArI ca pArthivaH || (bAla.53.8-9)

jAtau jAtau ca yad utkRshTam tad ratnam |  - When one talks about
ratnam, it does not refer to just the costly stone.  We can call
something a ratnam if it is the best in a category; for example, strI
ratnam (best among women).

tATakA nAma bhadram te strI ratnam - says vAlmIki (AcAryar is quoting
from bAla kANDam 25.6 - kanyA ratnam dadau rAma tATakAm nAma nAmataH )
- tATakA is called strI ratnam (one svAmi, who is close  by, breaks
into a laughter).  It is said tATakA is a strI ratnam.  ratnam refers
to the best of things.

ViSvAmitrar says to vasishThar:  "SAstram says that if there is a thing
that is the best, the king can take that without even asking the owner
-  ratna hArI ca pArthivaH.- the king is the natural owner of the best
of things.  Since this best of cows is with you, give her to me.  If
not, I will take her myself.  I am asking you to give her to me." 

VasishThar said, 

SASvatI SabaLA mahyam kIrtiH Atmavato yathA |  (bAla. 53.12)
[Just like a person's fame, this SabaLa is something that cannot be
transferred to you.].

asyAm havyam ca kavyam ca prANa yAtrA tathaiva ca ||
Ayattam agnihotram ca baliH homaH tathaiva ca |   (bAla. 53.13)
[All my anushThAna-s, and even my breathing in and breathing out, are
dependent on this KAmadhenu.].

kAraNaiH bahubhiH rAjan!  na dAsye SabaLAm tava ||  (bAla. 53.15)
[This KAmadhenu is everything for me, and there is no way that I can
give it to you.]

etat eva hi sarvasvam etadeva hi jIvitam |  (bAla. 53.23)
[This is my life and my everything.]

bahunA kim pralApena na dAsye kAmadohinIm ||  (bAla.53...25)
[Why keep wasting words?  I cannot give the KAmadhenu to you.]

"This is my permanent wealth.  You are asking for it.  kIrtiH Atmavato
yathA - this wealth is like the fame of a person who has controlled the
five senses and the mind. Can someone take away somebody else's fame? 
Just like that, you cannot take away the KAmadhenu."

asyAm havyam ca kavyam ca prANayAtrA tathaiva ca | (bAla. 53.13)
"Only with the help of this cow, I am doing homams for devatA-s
everyday and doing srAddhams."

"SrAddham comes only two times every year.  Why do you need KAmadhenu
for that?"

"I can be without doing SrAddham; but the people who are with me have
to do SrAddhams, right? What can I do for that? (Here, AcAryar reflects
his own position).

Even though it is only two times a year, I have to help all the others
perform SrAddhams. What can I do for those?  Who else will help?
(AcAryar laughs slightly).

asyAm havyam ca kavyam ca deha yAtrA tathaiva ca - My life's sustenance
itself is carried on only because of this cow.  agnihotram, bali, homam
etc., are all happening only with the items created by this cow. 

kAraNaiH bahubhiH rAjan!  na dAsye SabaLAM tava | - There are so many
reasons. I cannot give the cow to you.
 
etat eva hi sarvasvam etadeva hi jIvitam |
bahUnA kim pralApena na dAsye kAmadohinIm ||

This cow is my life.  She is everything for me.  Why do I have to tell
you all this?

na dAsye kAmadohinIm - "I will not give you this cow that gives
whatever is asked with desire."

ViSvAmitrar said, "Oh, you will not give me?"  He called his army and
asked them to snatch the cow away and bring to him. 

Four strong men went and pulled the cow from the cow shed.  The cow
went with them thinking, "Has AcAryan given me to him?  What is
happening?".  Forcing her way out, she came to VasishThar and prayed, "
What!  Have you given me away?  ViSvAmitrar is taking me".  

"No,  my dear! What can I do?  ViSvAmitrar is a strong king.  When
strong men are taking you away, what can I do?  Will I give you away
willingly?  He is a strong person and he is taking you by force.  I am
only a brahmaNan. I have no power.  He is a wicked person; he is a
warrior.  He has armies.  What can I do?"

"That is nothing.  Give me permission.  I will take care of this!" said
KAmadhenu.

"Okay, if you have the strength, take care of it!"

When the men pulled SabaLA, she shook her body.  From her body came a
huge army consisting of yavana-s, Saka-s, turks etc. [different groups
of warriors]  - they all came from a single hair of KAmadhenu.  They
all battled and totally demolished ViSvAmitrar's army.  After that, she
came and paid her respect to VasishThar saying, "I have vanquished
them; do not worry".

"Okay, that is good!" said VasishThar.
=========== 
To be continued ?..






      
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