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 # 10 dated 2nd December 2007
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. SUNDARA KHAANDAM PART - 8 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE
HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)
3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 40- SLOKAM 17 -PART 2
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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ISSUES RELEASED
With this issue, about 273 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
10 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)
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2. "SUNDHARA KHAANDAM" PART - 8 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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53. THE RETURN OF HANUMAAN
The monkey hordes awaiting Hanumaan's return eagerly were overjoyed
when they sighted Hanumaan landing from the skies on successful
completion of his mission. The first words spoken by Hanumaan
were "Seen Sita". To dispel any doubt that might arise about his
accomplishing the job by mentioning "Sita" first, he started with
the word. "drishTaa" "drishTaa seetaa iti vikraanta: sam kshEpENa
nyavEdayat" (VR 57-36)
Kamban echoes this: (TiruvaDi tozhuda PaDalam ?
1271)
"kaNDanen karppinukku aNIyaik kaNgaLaal /
teNN tirai alai kaDal ilangai tenn nagar/
aNdar naayaka! Ini turathi aiyamum
paNDu uLa tuyarum enru anuman pannuvaan//
Then, he proceeded to describe the details of his travels from the
moment he left them till his return as also the travails of Sita on
her separation from Rama (VR 58 59). Angada suggested that they
should all free Sita and produce her before Rama. But, Jaambhavaan
pointed out that it would be in fitness of things to first inform
Rama and Sugreeva about the success of Hanumaan "Mission
Accomplished" (VR60)
After saying that he saw Sita, Kamban very dramatically reverses the
statement saying that Hanumaan did not see her. But, then, what did
he see?
Vir puram taDam thOL veera! Veengu neer ilangai verpil/
nar perum thavathaL aaya nangaiyai kaNDEn allEN/
iR-piRappu enbadu onrum irum porai enbadu onrum/
karppu enum peyaradu onrum kali naDam puriyak kaNDEn// [Ibid 1275 "
Oh! Rama, holding a huge bow on your shoulders! In the Island of
Lanka on top of the TrikooTa Mountain, I did not see Sita. I saw
with my own eyes, the very personification of chastity, noble
parentage and great patience vying with each other"
53. MADHUVANA DESTROYED
The monkey hordes headed by Angada then retired to "Madhuvana', a
grove of fruit bearing trees that was closely safeguarded by
Dadhimukha, uncle of Sugreeva. They were so excited that they
started to celebrate the event by devastating the grove. Dadhimukha
hastened to Sugreeva with his complaint against the monkeys (VR 61
to 63) But, Sugreeva pacified him saying that Hanumaan should have
accomplished his task and that was the reason for their celebration.
Meanwhile the battalion of monkeys arrived at the place where Rama
and Sugreeva were waiting for them. (VR 64) Hanumaan described in
detail all that happened during his itinerary to Rama. He also
narrated the incidents Sita had told him about how Rama put
a "Tilak" on her forehead with a "manachhilai"- (a herbal paste)
when her Tilak got wiped off while in DaNDakaaraNya (VR 65)
54. CHOODAAMANI PRADAANAM
He handed over to Rama the crest jewel that Sita had sent through
him and told Rama that Sita had sent word that she would not live
beyond one month. Rama replied that he could not live without seeing
Sita even for one
second:
"na jeevEyam kshaNamapi vinaa taam asitE kshNaam" (VR 66)
Hanumaan narrated the crow episode during which Rama used Brahma
Astra to chase a mere crow and Sita's query why Rama was now
indifferent to her - all the while blaming her own fate for all her
sufferings.
55. BLAME IT ON YOURSELF!
It is natural for people to claim an alibi, to seek to exonerate
oneself and attempt to put the blame on someone else for any
misfortunes they might face. This is not correct. It is the
essential trait of what is known as "SrivaishNava LakshaNam" to
accept responsibility even when one is not guilty - as exemplified
in ANDAL's Tiruppaavai in which she took the blame on herself when
confronted with accusations from her peers saying "naanEtaan
aayiDuga."
On several previous occasions also, Sita, even in her worst duress,
never sought to blame anyone except herself.
(1) keedrusam tu mayaa paapam puraa janmaantarE kritam/
yEnEyam praapyatE duhkham mayaa ghOram su daaruNam? (Sargam 25-19)
(2) kimnun mE guNaa: kechit kim vaa Bhaaghya kshayO mama
(Sargam 26 -44)
(3) mamaiva dush kritam kinchit asti na samsaya: /
(4) Samartha avapi tou yan maam naavEkshatE param tapou
(Sargam 38- 48)
The lesson for us is that we should not blame others for what we
have brought on ourselves and try to accept things and pray for
relief.
dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
(To be continued)
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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 40 - SLOKAM 17 -PART 2
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH
tAyparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 40, Slokam 17 Part 2,
tiruvAimozhi 1.6, pASurams 1.6.2 to 1.6.4.
? pASuram 1.6.2:
madhu vAr taNNam tuzhAyAn muzhu veda mudalvanukku
edu Edu en paNi ennAdu aduvE AT-ceyyum IDE.
madhu vAr taN am tuzhAyAn, muzhu veda mudalvanukku edu paNi, Edu en
paNi, ennAdaduvE AL Seyyum IDu ? The qualification to perform
kai'nkaryam to emperumAn who wears the beautiful, cool, honey-laden
tulasi garlands, and who is the One revealed by all the veda-s as
the Supreme Deity, is to not even think in terms of "What is it that
will serve as kai'nkaryam to Him? There is really nothing that I
can do that will qualify as kai'nkaryam" etc.
In the previous pASuram, AzhvAr indicated that there is no dravya
niyamam ? restriction on items to be used for His worship; in the
current pASuram, he points out that there is no `adhikAri niyamam'
also ? no restriction on who can worship Him. One need not think
that because of His Supremacy ? as identified by the tulasI garland
that is one of pernumAL's lakshaNa-s (distinguishing mark), that
only the likes of nitya sUri-s are qualified to worship Him. Anyone
is qualified to worship Him ? He is a sulabhan ? easy to access.
svAmi deSikan describes this guNam of bhagavAn sung in this pASuram
as `a-niyata vividha abhyarcanAt' ? Because His worship
(abhyarcanam) does not have to follow any set rules (aniyatam), and
can be in varied forms as well (vividham). SrI PBA gives the
explanation that bhagavAn can be worshiped in many different ways,
without any restriction on who can perform the worship to Him ?
adhikAri niyamAdikaL illAda paDi pal vagai ArAdhana'ngaLum
uDaiyavan. SrI UV's interpretation is that "the worship by the same
person can be different because of `deSa kAla bheda-s' ? differences
because of the time and place that one might find oneself in; so His
ArAdhanam is aniyata ? not strictly defined as one particular method
only for a given individual; it can also differ because of different
individuals' specific circumstances, other than deSam, kAlam etc., ,
such as jAti (birth, race), guNa (aptitude) etc, and thus the worshp
is vividha ? of different kinds. Still they are all His worship.
The instruction here is that one should stop finding excuses such as
feeling that one is at too low a level to offer proper worship to
the Supreme Deity, and instead, involve oneself whole-heartedly and
with devotion in the worship of emperumAn. AzhvAr declares that the
only qualification, and the true qualification needed for worshiping
Him is to remove the thought about whether one is qualified or not ?
edu paNi, Edu en paNi ennAdu AL Seyyum IDu, and involve oneself in
His kai'nkaryam with devotion.
? pASuram 1.6.3:
IDum eDuppum il ISan mADu viDAdu en mananE
pADum en nA avan pADal ADum en a'ngam aNa'ngE.
en mannan IDum eDuppum il ISan mADu viDAdu; en nA avan pADal
pADum; en a'ngam aNa'ngu ADum ? My mind does not ever move away
from the Lord who has the guNam that does not discriminate between
people , such as favoring some people and ignoring some. My tongue
will always keep singing His Glory. My body will keep dancing with
joy thinking of Him. (aNa'ngu ADal = to be taken over by a deity,
and then dancing under that influence).
svAmi deSikan captures the guNam conveyed in this pASuram through
the words `alpa tushTeh' ? Even if what we do towards His worship is
alpam ? meager, He becomes extremely pleased by accepting it - IDum
eDuppum il en ISan ? Onr who does not favor one thing while
discarding another. All that AzhvAr does is sit in one place and
devote his thought, word and deed on emperumAn, and AzhvAr is saying
that with this `meager offering', perumAL is very pleased.
? pASuram 1.6.4:
aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan
piNa'ngi amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koLgaiyinAnE.
aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan, amarar
piNa'ngip pidaRRum guNam kezhu koLgaiyinAn ? This Supreme Lord who
is easily accessible for me to worship with my body as if it is
fully intoxicated, is the same enperumAn who is endowed with so many
auspicious qualities that the nitya sUri-s vie with each other to
describe them. SrI PBA notes that based on piLLAn's ARAyirappaDi
vyAkhyAnam, the pATham could be `guNam kezhu koL kalanAnE' ? the
reservoir of all kalyANa guNa-s.
svAmi deSikan describes the guNam sung in this pASuram through the
phrase `prahva Avarjya ISa bhAvAt', which has been explained as "He
who has the divine nature that He becomes subservient to those who
prostrate to Him with devotion". (prahva ? one who is humble, one
who prostrates with folded hands; Avarjya ? bending down,
subservient) ? vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan. SrI ve'nkaTeSAcArya's
explanation is: prahvI bhAvattAlE tAnE Avarjikkap paDubhavan
AgaiyAlum; SrImad tiruukuDanthai ANDavan explains svAmi deSikan's
guNAnubhavam as "vaNakkattAlE svAdhInap paDak kUDiyavan"; and SrI
PBA gives the explanation "prahvargaLAlE AvarjanIyanAna ISvaran".
Recall that the central theme for this tiruvAimozhi is the enjoyment
of the guNa of sukara bhajanatvam of perumAL ? the ease with which
He can be worshiped. There are two ways in which the pASuram can be
placed in prose order for ease of understanding ?
1. piNa'ngi amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koL kalan Ana ISanaik kaNDu
aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum
2. aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan, piNa'ngi
amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koL kalanAn".
The second prose order brings out the emphasis of `sukara
bhajanatvam' of emperumAn more directly. AzhvAr points out that
just by just thinking of bhagavAn's infinite kalyANa guNa-s in his
mind, he derives such extreme joy that his whole body gets immersed
in the enjoyment of His infinite kalyANa guNa-s, and starts dancing
the `aNa'ngu ADal' because of the flood of the thought of these
kalyANa guNa-s in his mind. Thus, bhagavAn is the ISan that drives
one to His worship so easily because He is possessed of such
infinite kalyANa guNa-s ? guNam kezhu koL kalanAn - this is the gist
of the pASuram.
One can think of svAmi deSikan's words `prahva Avarjya ISa bhAvAt'
as "One who has the supreme attributes - kalyANa guNa-s - that make
the devotee prostrate to Him with folded hands and makes them sub-
servient (guNam kezhu kol kalanAn vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan). This
brings out the `sukara bhajanatvam' directly. `praha Avarjaika
ISvara bhAvah = One who has the divinity that drives the devotee to
prostrate with folded hands and to become subservient. The flood of
the thought of His infinite kalyANa guNa-s that drive a devotee to
worship Him in ecstacy is the same one that drives the nitya sUri-s
to vie with each other in trying to outwit each other in describing
and enjoying the flood of His kalyANa guNa-s one ahead of the
other. BhagavAn is the Possessor of such infinite kalyANa guNa-s
that attract the devotee to Him - the sukara bhajanatvam aspect of
emperumAn.
Regards
dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)
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