Panguni Sukla Paksha Ekadasi day Reflections .n

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatti group :

 

Panguni Uttaram Day is April 2. Many

sacred happenings are associated with this day.

 

A deep devotee of Sri Ranganathafrom Massachusetts

is planning to post a note on the sacred work of Sri Ramanuja"s

Saranagathi performed on this day at Srirangam.We all can

look forward to that posting next week . Sri Rengarajan"s

observation "Enghu SuRRinum Ranganai Vandhu Sehr"

comes to mind during this occasion.

 

As referred earlier , Sri Ramachandra's Vivaha

Mahotsvam was concluded on the Panguni Uttaram day

by Sage Vasishta at Mithilai . Sri Ramanuja"s Sarangathi

to Divya dampathis occured on this day.

 

According to the some commentators of Srimad Ramayanam,

Hanuman returned from Lankha after his misison and

gave the good news to Sri Rama on Panguni Uttaram day .

It was also Abhijit muhartam that day .At night , it was

Powrnami moon casting its nectar like rays.

 

Sri Rama is said to have started the journey the same day

and reached the sea shore that Powrnami evening , stayed on

Dharbha Sayanam thereafter for three days at ThirupullaNi , spent five

more days waiting for the Sethu Bhandhanam work to be completed .

He arrived at Lankha Nagaram over the Sethu bridge and started His

War with Ravana , destroyed him and got united with Sita Devi.

That is another apect of the greatness of

Panguni Uttaram day. There are other views

that date the Lankha Vijayam of Hanuman

to sarat Ruthu .

 

Swami Desikan also set the Hamsa Sandhesam as taking place in

the Sarat Rhutu . After Hanuman's return , Swami Desikan has the

Kalpana to send the Raja Hamsam to Lanka on His mission

and then starts His Journey for the war with Ravana .According to

this time table, Ravana was killed on the day after Margaseerhsa

month Amavasyai . Sri Rama returns by Pushpakam to Bharadwaja

Asrama on Powshkamasa Panchami . In the month of Thai during

Pushya Nakshatram, The Rama Pattabhishekam

takes place in Ayodhya.

 

*** HAMSA SANDHESAM: RAHASYAARTHAM

 

Srimad Ramayanam is revered as Saranagathi Vedam.

Swami Desikan takes the Hanuman"s Thuthu and

sets his Sandhesa Kavyam with the involvement

of a Raja Hamsam in the spirit of the Thuthu requests

of our Azhwaars. A great Desika Bhaktha, Late Sri D.Ramaswami

Iyengar has pointed out the special significance

of the service rendered by Swami Desikan thru

the composition of Hamsa Sandesam. I will attach

his observations,since it may be difficult for many

to access his Original preface to Hamsa Sandesam

monograph of Oppiliappan Koil V.N. Srirama Desikaacchaar

Swamy.

 

According to Srirama Desikaacchaar Swamy,

the Inner Vedantic meaning is as follows:

 

This Sariram is like Lankha. This Sariram

is immersed in Samsaric Ocean , just as the island of

Lankha is immersed in the salty ocean. Our Arrogant mind,

the leader of the ten Indriyas is like the ten-headed

(Dasagreeva) Ravana. In this Sariram, Jeevan is housed

and it undergoes the sufferings from Vishayaanubhavam.

This is similar to Piratti"s suffering in Ashoka Vanam .

Sita Is equated to Jeevan here; Lord is Sri Rama;

Hamsa/Hanuman is similar to Acharya, who carries

the message of the Lord, Describes His kalyana Gunas ,

gives the message of the Lord"s resolve to come to the rescue

of the Jivan and comforting the Jivan . Hamsam stands for

Parama Hamsa Acharyas . The Azhwaars chose Annam

for that reason to send their appeals to the Lord.

THE CENTRALITY OF THIS RAHASYA ARTHAM

IS THE CONCEPT OF THE LORD USING ACHARYAS

AS HIS AGENT TO COMFORT THE JIVAN AND RESCUE

THEM FROM THE SAMSARIC SUFFERINGS THRU PRAPATTI

OR BHAKTI YOGA. The comparison of Sita to Jivan may have

some weakness , but in a larger context of the realtionship

between Bhagavan, His messengers(Acharyas) and the

suffering/Bewildered Jivan, this Rahasyaartham can be

accepted. I will add the excerpts from Sri Ramaswamy Iyengar"s

observations on the special significance of Hamsa Sandesam in the

companion posting .

 

Sadagopan