Sri Raghu Veera Gadhyam--Part 4(BalaKhandam )

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5. DINAKARA KULA KAMALA DIWAKARA !

 

Hail to thee , who is the Sun for the lotus

of Surya Vamsam!

 

The Sun makes all the lotuses of the world blossom ,

as it rises on the eastern horizon. Sri Rama was born in the

solar race(Surya Vamsam). That Vamsam is proud to

have had Sri Rama as its illustrious scion and shines with

beauty just like a blossoming lotus in the morning at the sight of

the rising Sun(birth of the Lord)..

..

Swami Desikan equates here the Surya Vamsam to that of a joyous

lotus blossoming over the warm thought of having Sri Rama as

one of its most famous descendant . Sri Rama is recognized as

the Divine Sun that makes the lotus of Surya Kulam blossom .

 

Saint Thyagaraja revered as the incarnation of Adi Kavi Valmiki

chose Suryakantam as a Ragam to set his Krithi " Muddu Momu ",

where he has a reference to the lustre of Sri Ramachandra's face.

He says respectfully :" The Lord's face shone forth with the Tejas

of the Sun and was yet, as it always was , captivating like the moon

in its Kanthi , a rare combination indeed ". He continues on and

points out that the all-comprehensive beauty of Sri Rama confounds

the devotees , since they are not able to concentrate on any aspect

of the Lord's beauty by the fact that every aspect is equally fascinating.

 

Saint Thyagaraja and other Rama Bhakthas following the

tradition of Swami Desikan has saluted the Surya Vamsam

in their salutations. Two additional examples that come to one's

mind from Saint Thyagaraja's euology of Sri Rama as the scion

of Surya Vamsam are :

 

DINAMANI VAMSA TILAKA LAAVANYA ! DHEENA SARANYA!

(Raga Hari Kambhoji ) and

 

KAMALAABHDHA KULA KALASAABHDHI CHANDRA

(Raga Brindavana Saarangaa) .

 

In the last krithi , the poetic fancy of the Saint goes one step further .

He says : O Lord, who is the scion of the race of SUN, who is

the friend of Lotus ! You (in your captivating nature ) is the moon to

the milky ocean, which rises with joy at the sight of your moon-like

countenance.

 

One hears the echo of Saint Thyagaraja's above slautation in Sri Dikshithar's

Manirangu krithi, Maamava Pattabhi Rama in the Charana Vakhyam:

 

PANKAJA MITRA VAMSA SUDHAAMBHUDHI CHANDRA

MEDHINI PAALA RAMACHANDRA ".

 

Here , Sri Dikshithar

salutes Sri Pattabhi Rama as the scion of the race that

is the friend of the lotus ; he equates that captivating ruler of the

world , Rama to the moon that lifts up the milky ocean .

 

The central tribute in all these salutations is to Sri Rama's

birth in the Surya Vamsam as its crest jewel (Siroratnam or Tilakam ).

 

6 . DIVISHADHIPATHI RANA SAHACHARANA CHATURA

DASARATHA CHARAMA RUNA VIMOCHANA !

 

Hail to thee O Lord , who through your birth liquidated the third debt of your

father Dasaratha , who was famous for his help to Indra in his battles

with Asuraas !

 

Here the reference is to the name of our Lord's father , Dasaratha.

His valour in driving his chariot in all the ten directions to chase

the enemies of Indra and to come to the rescue of Indra earned him

the name Dasaratha (Dasasu Dikshu Aprathihata Ratha .

 

Like all mortals , he had the three debts

to discharge. Emperor Dasaratha liquidated two of the three

debts (viz) , debt to Munis through Veda Adhyayanam and

debt to the Devas through performance of Yajnaas. One debt

however stood out without being liquidated (viz), debt to the Pitrus .

When our Lord incarnated as the son of Dasaratha , the last debt

was destroyed . Hence, our Lord Ramachandra is saluted here as

" Dasaratha Charama Runa Vimochana" .

 

(To Be continued ) .