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 # 16 dated 14th January 2008
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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)
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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)
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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
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2. "YUDDHA KHAANDAM" PART - 6 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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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)
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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 46 - SLOKAM 18 -PART 3
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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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)
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