Raghuveera Gadyam: Part 3

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The Mahavira Vaibhavam or Raghuvira Gadyam

summaraizes succinctly the Adi Kavyam of Sage

Valmiki revered as Srimad Ramayanam . In 94 Gadya

(prose ) passages , Sri Vedantha Desikan addresses

Sri Ramachandra and salutes His Anantha Kalyana

Gunas . If Gopalavimsathi is the home of mellifluous songs

in verse form on Lord Krishna , Raguvira Gadhyam is the

treasure trove of the "songs" on Sri Rama in prose form .

We meet passages from Raghuvira Gadhyam in the eighth act

of Swami Desikan's allegorical play known as Sankalpa

Suryodhaya housing the cardinal tenets of Sri Vaishnavism .

 

The slautations of the Vaibhavam(Glory) of the greatest of

the scion of Raghu begins with an evocative verse :

 

JAYATHYAASRITHA SANTHRAASA DHWAANTHA VIDHVAMSANODHAYA :I

PRABHAAVAAN SEETHAYAA DEVYAA PARAMVYOMA BHASKARA :II

 

Our Lord , who is the Sun of the Parmaakasam ( Sri Vaikuntam)

shines with supreme effulgence . He took the incarnation

as the son of the Emperor Dasaratha to destroy the darkness

( fear) of those , who sought refuge at His feet . He is

inseparable from Sita Devi , just as the disc of Sun is inseparable

from its lustre . Sri Ramachandra of these attributes towers

over every one through his anantha kalyana gunas (limitless

auspicious attributes).

 

GENERAL SALUTATIONS

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Gadhya Paasage(GP) 1: MAHAVEERA !

 

This Gadhyam derives its name of Maha Veera Vaibhavam

from this FIRST salutation. Swami endearingly addresses

Sri Rama , the destroyer of Ravana as the valorous one , who has no

match regarding His heroic deeds in the battle field.

 

GP 2 : MAHA DHEERA DHOWREYA ! JAYA JAYA !

 

Hail to thee ! Hail to thee , who is in the front row of all

known for their courage ! In the last salutation ,

Sri Rama was hailed as a supreme hero. Here his courage

and steadfastness in the battle field is saluted. One who

overcomes setbacks and fights on in the face of adversities is

said to have the quality of Dhairyam , the key attribute of a Dheera .

Rama is recognized as the supreme Dheera(Maha Deera ) here .

 

BALA KHAANDAM

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GP 3 : DEVAASURA SAMARA SAMAYA SAMUDHITHA NIKILA

NIRJARA NIRDHAARITA NIRAVADHIKA MAHAATHMYA !

 

O Lord , who was accepted and praised by all the Devas as

the one of unsurpassed valour as a result of your help to the

suffering Devas in the time of their battle with the Asuraas ! Hail to Thee!

Hail to Thee !

 

( Many aeons ago , there was a mighty battle between the Devas and

the Asuras. The Devas were routed and prayed for the Lord's help

in their hour of distress. He responded to their call with alacrity

and defeated the Asuras soundly. The elated Devas hailed Him

as the Devathidevan and eulogised Him as the one with matchless glory ).

 

GP 4 : DASAVADHANA DHAMITA DAIVATHA PARISHADHABHYARTHITHA

DAASARATHI BHAAVA !

 

O Mighty hero , who took the incarnation as the celebrated son of

emperor Dasaratha at the pleading of the assembly of Devas

tormented by the ten-headed Ravana ! Hail to thee! Hail to Thee!

 

( Sarga 15 and 16 of Bala Khaandam is summarized here.

Sage Rysyasringa performs an Atharva Veda Ishti (sacrifice) to bless

Emperor Dasaratha with male progeny . The Devas approach

Brahma at that very sacrifice and pray to him to destroy the evil

Ravana. Brahma inturn pleads with Vishnu present at the same

sacrifice to take the incarnation of the son of Emperor Dasaratha

with the mission of destroying Ravana . Lord Vishnu agrees to

become the son of the Emperor and appears as Prajapati from

the sacrificial pit and hands over to the Emperor a vessel containing

Payasam and commands the Emperor to distribute the contents

of the vessel to his wives to beget progeny . Dasaratha gave half of

the Payasam to his eldest wife , Kausalya . She was blessed then

to become the mother of Sri Ramachandra ; the other two wives

partook the other portions of the payasam and were blessed

with Lakshmana , Bharata and Satruguna . The content of 66 slokas

of these two sargas are summarized in six words here ) .