SrI:
Dear Raamachandra BhakthAs :
The 71st MeLa Raagam is KoSalam .The name of the Raagam refers to the Kosala Desam , where the blessed Mother of Lord Raamachandra , Kousalaya hails from. Sage Vaalmiki addresses the Lord therefore as "KousalyA SuprajA RaamA " in his SuprabhAtham .
Some sixty yers ago , few miles from Oppiliappan Sannidhi , a full set of Vigrahams Of Raama , SeethA , Lakshmana, and Hanumaan were were discovered by a
Farmer at TennamthOttam in his field and those Vigrahams were brought to Oppiliappan Koil and Prathishtai was performed for them .
Today , That Raama parivAram adorns one
of the major sannidhis at Oppiliappan
Koil . During Raama Navami , a ten day
Utsavam is celebrated by my next door
neighbor and boyhood friend , Sri S. Govinda Battar .
The Kosala Raaga Krithi by VidwAmsini Padma VeerarAghavan takes this form:
Pallavi :
Raama NaamamE
tAraka naamam
SyAmaLa MEniyan SrI
RaghurAman( Raama)
Raama Naamam is
indeed the liberating naama . The name of the the scion of Raghu Vamsam with
bluish black hue is the one fit for recital to gain Moksham.
Anupallavi
Oh RaamA ! unn
nAmam tanai OdhiyE
oru nimisham karai
kadantAn Maaruti (Raama)
CharaNam
KoSala kumAri
KouSalyai kumaran
mAsaRu ponnAi
valampuri mutthAi
tEsuRu vAnavar
ThiruviNNagaril
Vaasamalar mAlai
soodi MaNantAn Seetayai
Meaning and
commentaries :
Pallavi : " Raama
NaamamE Taaraka nAmam " is the first half of the Pallavi .It is a declarative statement or can
be considered as UpadEsam by a theevra Raama Bhaktha .
Raama Naamam is a
Taaraka , Poshaka naamam , whose Mahimai great Raama
BhakthAs like Lord
Siva, HanumAn, Raamadaas and Saint ThyagarAja knew.
Taaraka nAmam
is one which is rescuing,liberating , saving nAmaa . Poshaka nAmaa
is one
which nourishes and sustains the reciter of that name of the
Lord.
Let us recall some
of ThyAgarAja SwamigaL's celebration of the nAma mahAtmyam of Raamachandran
:
1. SourAshtra
krithi: Paahi Maam
HarE MaahAnubhAva Raaghava Here, Swamigal
declares :" I have secured the precious pearl of Raama Naama. I was
born
uttering Raama Naama and have steadfastly kept on to it.I have reposed
my faith in Your
holy feet with a devout mind and sung their glory . "
2. SupOshiNi Raaga
Kriti: RaminchuvArEvarur?
RaghUtthama ! Ninu
Vinaa
Oh Lord of Raghu
Vamsam ! In the entire universe, there is none who can ransport
one to transcendental bliss but You . Even
the lustrous dEvAs could not know the marmam ( secret significance) of Your holy
name or comprehend the limitless wealth of bliss
it brings on recitation .
3. Kaapi Raaga
krithi: Intha soukyamani nE JeppajAla , yenthO yEmO evaraki
dhelusunO?
It is impossible
for me to describe the immense joy one derives from the
chanting (sankeertanam) of the Raama nAmam .Who indeed can adequately
comprehend its measure and Quality ?
4. In another Kaapi
Raaga kriti , SwamigaL will reveal that it was Raamachandra , who
empowered Sankara in Kali yugaa to utter His nAmam in the ears of the men
during their last moments on this earth for liberation ( Kaliyuga manujulakunu
nee
tArakamu
niDalanEtruni chEtanu veenulu Balkanu gAjEsina Raama) .
4. In a brilliant
PantuvaraaLi kriti ,
" SaaramE gaani
yanyamArga vichaara
mEDikE? oh ManasA
" SwamigaL asks
:
Oh my Mind ! Raama Naamam
alone is the most precious thing to be sought after . why
waste your time
chasing other paths and listen to the words of the insignificant ones
?
In the moving
charaNa vaakyam , This great Raama BhakthA asks: " Did not Lord Siva
,the
Lord of KailAsa , delighting in Saama ghAna ,with all earnestness , drink the
nectar of Raama
nAmaa ,
besides unceasingly uttering the holy name, initiate His beautiful consort ,
Parvati with this Taaraka mantra , expalining its great
efficacy and
significance ?
5. In the PoorNa
Chandrika Raaga Krithi made famous by Sri Madurai Mani Iyer
,
ThyAga Brahmam
advises his mind about the true significance of chanting the name of Raama : "
Oh My mind ! Chant the Lord's name with understanding and thought of Raama to
control Your wanderings atleast for a minute " ( Telisi Raama
chintanatO naamamu sEyavE Oh Manasaa! ).
6. In the
KaraharapriyA raaga krithi made famous by Sri Baala MuraLi KrishNaa
,(
Raama! NeeyEDa prEma rahithulaku nAma ruchi dhelusunaa ? Oh SeethA Raama )
Swamigal
points out the need for the devotion to Raama to accompany the chanting of His
Naama to enjoy the real sweetness of the anubhavam .
7. In a mid day
Aaraadhana Ktiti set in MadhyamAvathi Raagam , Saint will instruct us to recite
Raama Naamam( Raama Naamam bhaja rE manasA ) and give the reason for his
recommendation : " Having secured the rare human body , dispel all doubts , pray
that You may be blesed with Moksham and chant His name , addressing Him as
VaidEhi's auspicious fortune ( BhAgyam) ".
8. In another
conversation with His mind , SwamigaL will get annoyed with his mind about not
performing bhajana of Raama Naamam : " Oh My Mind ! Why can not you perform
Raama Bhajana , which is the greatest of the MantrAs constantly recited by
Brahma , Rudra and other gods ? This redeeming naama of Raama will enable You to
cross the samsAric ocean ".
We will continue
with the anupallavi and charaNa vAkyams in the next posting
.
NamO NamO
RaaghavAya aniSam ,
DhAsan ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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