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 # 17 dated 20th January 2008
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IN THIS PONGAL ISSUE:
1. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 7 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE
HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)
2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 47- SLOKAM 18 -PART 4
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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ISSUES RELEASED
With this issue, about 280 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
17 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)
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1. "YUDDHA KHAANDAM" PART - 7 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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33. SOME QUESTIONS
1. Why should the all powerful Rama being the very Paramaatma
allow himself to be bound by the Naagaastra?
Answer: This is because he wanted to abide by the protocol laid down
by him to respect the boons of Brahma.
2. How come, Paramaatma's body which is "Suddha Sattvam" and
not made of flesh and blood like us is said to be bleeding?
Answer: This was done to show how human beings would and should
react and follow his example.
3. What is the lesson that this incident seeks to convey?
Answer: Even those who tread the path of Dharma would meet with
difficulties and dangers but that they will get their relief very
soon. (45)
VibheeshaNa somehow spotted Indra-jit. VibheeshaNa consoled Sugreeva
who was deep in sorrow and consecrating a mantra that would expose
the hidden place of Indra-jit, he wiped the eyes of Sugreeva and
told him that there was no indication in the faces of Rama and
LakshmaNa to conclude that they could have died and therefore there
was no cause for worry. (46)
34. ANOTHER DIRTY TRICK OF RAVANA
Ravana ordered the guards in AshOka vana to inform Sita that Rama
and LakshmaNa were killed. He asked them to take Sita in his
Pushpaka Vimaanam to show the fallen heroes. Sita saw with her own
eyes what had befallen the two warriors. Her grief knew no bounds
and she started to lament.
35. YET ANOTHER DIRTY TRICK
Kamban however, mentions that Ravana played yet another dirty trick
by presenting an illusory figure of Janaka who was shown as
persuading Sita to yield to Ravana lest Ravana should kill him. It
is Trijata again who exposes the illusion and restores Sita's
confidence that under no circumstances the upright Janaka would ever
resort to such an evil advice.
Sita recalled how experts in "Saamudrika LakshaNams" had told her
that she would live long as Sumangali and never become a widow; that
her eyebrows were apart; her knees and teeth were without any gap;
that all the ten toes on her feet were well printed on the ground;
her fingers were together without a gap; her color was
like "kumkum". With all these, how could her husband who crossed the
vast ocean die as if in a puddle. TrijaTa consoled her saying that
their faces looked fresh and live and so could not have died. (48)
36. RAMA WAKES UP
After a while, Rama woke up as if from sleep. And saw LakshmaNa
still in swoon. Rama lamented that there was no meaning in his
living when LakshmaNa was gone.
Sakhyaa seetaa samaa naaree martya lOkE vichinvataa/
na LakshmaNa samO bhraataa sachiva: saampa raayika://( 49-6)
"Dasaratha asked only me to go to forest; there was no justification
for me to take him with me. He has given up his life for my
sake. "Oh! LakshmaNa! You came with me with great enthusiasm; I will
now follow you with the same enthusiasm".
SushENa recalled how in an earlier war between Asuras and Devas,
Brihaspati brought back to life with the help of herbs
called "Mrita -Sanjeevani" (which had medicinal properties like
Sanjeeva karaNi and Visalya karaNi that grew on the hillsides of
Chandra-giri and DrONa-giri. Meanwhile, Lord Garuda appeared there.
The moment he came, the serpents gave up their hold and disappeared.
Rama and LakshmaNa got up totally freed from the shackles and shone
like Indra and UpEndra (50).
37. THE FALL OF THE RAAKSHASAS
The Raakshasas heard jubilation on Rama's side and wondered what
caused it. They found that Rama and LakshmaNa had come back alive
and the monkey army was raring for a bitter fight. Ravana sent one
by one his valiant commanders only to be slain and decimated by
Rama's army.
- Dhoomra-akshan: was killed by Hanumaan who smashed his head
with a huge mountain (51, 52)
- Vajra-dhamshTran: Angada cut his head off with a sharp sword
(53, 54)
- Akampanana: was killed by Hanumaan by smashing his head with
a huge tree (55, 56)
- Prahastan: who emerged from the West gate was killed by
Neela who broke his head with a huge rock (57, 58)
All these happened after blitzkriegs between the two armies in a
battle that seemed almost interminable.
dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
(To be continued)
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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 47 - SLOKAM 18 -PART 4
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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pASuram 1.7.8:
ennai negizhkkilum ennuDai nan-nenjam
tannai agalvikkat tAnum killAn inip
pinnai neDum paNait tOL magizh pIDuDai
munnai amarar muzhu mudal tAnE.
pinnai neDum paNait tOL magizh pIDu uDai, munnai amarar muzhu
mudal, tAnE ennai negizhkkilum, ennuDaiya nal nenjam tannai
agalvikka ini tAnum killAn" Even if empeumAn who has the greatness
attained by the joy of the embrace of the broad shoulders of
nappinnai, and who is the first cause of all the eternal nitya sUri-
s, wants to keep Himself away from me, even though He is sarva
Saktan, He is Himself not capable of keeping my mind which is deeply
dedicated to Him, away from Him after He has thus subjugated it to
Him.
svAmi deSikan summarizes the gist of this pASuram with the words
Srita hRdaya pRthak-kAra nitya akshamasya (kshama" able, akshama"
unable) bhagavAn Himself is never capable of separating Himself from
the minds of those who have surrendered to Him) nal nenjam tannai
agalvikkat tAnum killAn.
The reason why even bhagavAn who is sarva Saktan is incapable of
separating Himself from the minds of those who have surrendered to
Him, is because the prapanna-s have surrenderd to Him through
nappinnai's purushakAratvam, and He can't displease nappinnai.
In the previous pASuram, AzhvAr pointed that bhagavAn won't want to
leave him. In the current pASuram, he points out that bhagavAn does
not have the power to leave his mind even if He wants to, because
that mind has surrendered to nappinnai.
pASuram 1.7.9:
amarar muzhu mudal Agiya Adiyai
amararkku amudu Inda Ayar kozhundai
amara aLumbat tuzhAvi en Avi
amarat tazhuviRRu ini agalumO?
en Avi amarar mudal Agiya Adiyai, amararkku amudu Inda Ayar
kozhundai, amara azhumbat tuzhAvi amarat tazhuviRRu; ini agalumO? My
soul has embraced Him - who is the first Cause of all the deva-s,
who is the Cause for all of us, who gave the nectar of long life to
the deva-s, and who is the delight of the cowherds of AyarpADi
tightly with the realization that He is my soul's Soul and that I am
always subservient to Him. That being the case, my soul won't leave
Him, and He won't leave me either.
svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram as ?svAtma
SlishTatvAtâ (Slish - to embrace, to cling to or adhere to) He who
is united wth us inseparably azhumbat tazhuviRRu ini agalumO? SrI
venkaTeSAcArya explains this as ?oruvarAlum pirikka muDiyAda paDi
oru nIrAgak kalandu niRkumavanAi.
Recall that the theme emphasized by svAmi deSikan in this
tiruvAimozhi is ?sevanam svAdu" Worship of bhagavAn is sweet, it is
supreme delight (bhajanam parama bhogyam). The idea conveyed by
AzhvAr in this pASuram is that it is a delight for the prapanna who
has realized his nitya dAsyatvam " the eternal servitude of the self
to emperumAn, to ever be united with Him inseparably, and there is
no way that the soul of the prapanna can ever separate from Him; it
is mixed with Him like water mixed with another body of water.
After one gets the realization of the natural relationship of Sesha-
SeshI bhAvam or the servant-Master relationship between the indivual
soul and emperumAn, it is impossible to live without performing the
kainkarya-s that are a natural enjoyment of this eternal
relationship. Thus He is sevanam svAdu.
pASuram 1.7.10:
agalil agalum aNugil aNugum
pugalum ariyan poruvu allan emmAn
nigaril avan pugazh pADi iLaippilam
pagalum iravum paDindu kuDaindE.
Agalil agalum, aNugil aNugum; pugalum ariyan; poruvu allan;
emmAn; nigar il avan pugazh pADi, pagalum iravum paDindu kuDaindu
iLaippu ilam" He moves away from those who seek lesser benefits than
Him and move away from Him after getting those benefits; He lets
Himself be within reach of those who resort to Him as the only goal
to be attained; He is One whom His enemies cannot even dream to
approach; He places no obstruction whatsoever to those who seek
Him, and He is my Lord; He is incomparable, and is not like other,
lesser benefits. By singing His praise day and night, and by deeply
getting immersed in the enjoyment of His infinite kalyANa guNa-s, we
are relieved of all sufferings.
svAmi deSikan captures the bhagavad guNam that supports the sevanam
svAdu guNam of bhagavAn in this pASuram with the words gAyac-chrama
hara yaSasahâ" He who has the kalyANa guNa-s that drive away the
sufferings of those who sing His praise nigar il avan pugazh pADi
iLaippilam.
SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan explains the meaning of the pASuram in
moving words: bhagavAn moves away WITH SORROW from those who have
resorted to Him only for other benefits, and move away from Him
after attaining those lesser benefits; Even when He destroyed
rAvaNan who took the position ?na nameyam (I won't bow to You)?, He
destroyed Him with tears in His eyes, hoping against hope that
rAvaNan will surrender ?yadi vA rAvaNas-svayam. If one shows the
slightest interest in Him by giving up interest in lesser benefits,
He will fall on that person with all affection aNugil aNugum. When
vibhIshaNan approached Him, He considered vibhIshaNan as His own
brother, with the same affection that He had towards lakshmaNan. He
is easily accessible to those who surrender to Him with absolute
ease " poruvallan. By singing His praise day and night, AzhvAr
still is not satisfied (iLaippilam) that he has sung His praise well
enough and sufficiently enough. Such is the nature of bhagavAn's
infinite and delightful kalyANa guNa-s.
Thus, by revealing to us the following ten ratna-s embedded in the
ten pASuram-s of this tiruvAimozhi, svAmi deSikan describes that the
message of nammAzhvAr in this tiruvAimozhi is that worship of
bhagavAn is very sweet and of immeasurable delight " sevanam svAdu.
- He is skilled in attracting the minds of all jIva-s
towards Him, no matter what benefit they seek (1.7.1)
- He destroys the effects of all karma-s when one worships
Him by keeping Him as a treasure in one's mind (1.7.2)
- Meditating on Him and His leelA-s will remove the
ignorance and the sorrow associated with samsAra, and will yield the
ultimate knowledge needed for liberation (1.7.3)
- There is only benefit for the jIva in worshiping Him, and
there is absolutely no cause or justification that can be found for
not worshiping Him (1.7.4)
- He helps us in an unending stream of ways to attain His
Divine Feet (1.7.5)
- He gives such great experiences of Himself to the devotee
that make it impossible for a devotee to even think of moving away
from Him (1.7.6)
- Through His leelA-s and His kalyANa guNa-s, He ensures
that the devotee does not have the slightest desire to leave Him
(1.7.7)
- BhagavAn Himself is powerless to leave the prapanna's mind
because the mind has surrendered to Him through the purushakAratvam
of nappinnai, and He doesn't have the power to displease nappinnai
(1.7.8)
- It is impossible for the prapanna to leave Him also, since
the prapanna who has had the realization of the eternal relationship
with Him as His servant, cannot live without having the natural joy
of kainkaryam to Him (1.7.9)
- He is One with infinite kalyANa guNa-s that drive away all
the sufferings of those who sing the praise of His guNa-s (1.7.10).
Regards
dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)
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