Musings on Raghuveera Gadhyam --Part 9

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GS 18 : PARIHRUTHA NIKILA NARAPATHI VARANA

JANAKDHUHITRU KUCHATATA VIHARANA SAMUCHITA

KARATALA ! JAYA ! JAYA !

 

Here Swami Desikan salutes the unique valor that

Sri Ramachandra displayed at the Svayamvaram to

win the hand and heart of Sita Piratti . Since none of

the assembled kings other than Sri Ramachandra

were able to string the Siva Dhanus, Sita Devi had to reject

(happily ) their wishes to marry her . O , Sri Rama ! You bent

and broke that mighty bow and qualified yourself to engage

in amorous and conjugal sports with your bride .

 

GS 19 : SATHA KOTI SATHA GUNA KATINA PARASUDHARA

MUNIVARA KARA DHRUTHA DHURAVANAMATHAMA NIJA

DHANURAAKARSHANA PRAKAASITHA PAARAMESHTYA !

JAYA ! JAYA !

 

Parasurama was the possessor of a mighty axe that

was stronger than the Vajra weapon of Indra by a hundred fold .

He used that to settle his dispute with the Kshatriyas for the

injustice done by the sons of one Kshatriya king by the name of

Kaarthaveeryan . Parasurama used his axe as the battle weapon to

cut asunder twent one generations of Kshatriyas and made the

earth devoid of Kshatriyas ( AKSHATRAAMIHA SAMTATAKSHA YA

IMAAM TRI: SAPTHA KRUTHVA : KSHITHIM ) .

 

Parasurama was a proud and angry sage . He had in his possession

a bow which had Vishnu Amsam. It was very powerful bow. No one

could string it except Parasurama.

 

When Parasurama heard about the feat of Sri Ramachandra in breaking the

Siva Dhanus at King Janaka's court, he shrugged it off as

a simple act compared to stringing the Vishnu Dhanus he had.

When Sri Rama was returning to Ayodhya with His family after

wedding Sita Devi , Parasurama confronted Sri Rama and challenged

Him to prove His valor by stringing the Vishnu Dhanus and fitting it with an

arrow . King Dasaratha pleaded for the safety of his "juvenile " son

from the anger of Parasurama. Turning a deaf ear to the entreaty of

the worried father, Parasurama reminded Sri Rama that it is the noble

duty of a Kshatriya to accept the challenge of a warrior (himself here )

to a duel in a righteous cause. Parasurama pointed out that Sri Rama

can qualify himself for such a duel only after stringing the bow of Vishnu

and fitting it with an arrow. Sri Rama was indignant over the arrogance

of the Brahmin and took the bow from the hands of Parasurama

and quickly strung it and fitted it with an arrow. Then, He asked the

Brahmin as to where the arrow should be aimed since it was unfailing

once it was made ready to discharge. Parasurama was humbled and

recognized then that Sri Rama is none other than Lord Vishnu . He

appealed to Sri Rama to put an end to his title as one who can move

in an unhampered manner over all the worlds that he won through his

severe asceticism . Sri Rama discharged the arrow to remove the

title of Parasurama and let him retire to Mount Mahendra to resume

his penance . Parasurama walked clockwise around Sri Rama

and went on his way ( Valmiki Ramayanam Sargams 25 and 26 of

Bala Khaandam ) .

 

Swami Desikan salutes here the Paarameshtyam ( the supreme

glory of Sri Rama showing his Lordship over all including

the strutting Parasurama as Paramaathmaa.

Swami says that the prince of Ayodhya on the occasion of

subduing the arrogance of Parasurama revealed his

svarupam as the Paramaathmaa to the entire world. Sri Rama

as Sriman Narayana pulled away the divine power that

He had invested earlier in Parasurama and reminded him that

latter was not a sampoorna Avathara of Him .

 

In the next Gadhya salutation, Swami Desikan's mind is

still occupied with Parasurama and the Extraordinary Valor of

Sri Ramachandra in subduing the arrogance of Parasurama .

Swami provides a frame of reference to understand the valor of

Parasurama first and then goes on describe the mighty arrow of

Sri Ramachandra put Parasurama in place .

 

GS 20 : KRATHUHARA SIKARI KANTHUKA VIHRUTHYUNMUKHA

JITAHARI DHANTHI DHANTHA DHANDHURA DASAVADHANA DHAMANA

KUSALA DASA SATHA BHUJA MUKHA NRUPATHIKULA RUDHIRA

JARA BHARITHA PRUTHUTARA TATAAKA TARPITHA PITHRUKA

BRGHUPATHI SUGADHI VIHATHIKARA NATHA PARIDHISHU PARIDHA !

JAYA ! JAYA !

 

Swami Deikan's mind is still admiring the valor and kaarunyam of

Sri Rama in dealing with the arrogant outburst of Parasurama . Hence ,

he devotes one more (this ) gadhya salutation to Parasurama Garva Bhangam .

In this salutation which its musical echos (Dahnthi Dantha Danthura

Dasavadana Dhaman---) , Swami gives an introdction to Parasurma's

valor first . Parasurama destroyed the vamsam of the mighty king Kaarthaveeryan

,

who at one time defeated the powerful Ravana in battle . Ravana's valor

in the battle was well known. Once he lifted kailasa mountain and

shook it . Another time , he humiliated Indra in the battle field and

as a souvenir of that battle carried the wounds inflicted by the tusks of

Indra's elephant , Iraavadham . The king of Lanka, Ravana of such

valor was defeated soundly by Karhtaveeryarjunan . When the thousand

handed Karthaveeryarjunan killed the father of Parasurama , latter killed

not only the offending king , but he destroyed twenty one levels of

descendants of Karthaveeryarjunan in revenge . Parasurams performed

Tarpanam for his father from the vast pond of blood of those Kshatriyas and

settled the account . Such was the valor of Parasurama . Sri Ramachandra

accepted the challenge of Parasurama and humbled him with his arrow from

fitted to the Vishnu Dhanus. As a result of this extraordinary and matchless

valor displayed by Ramachndra, Parasurama lost acces to the Punya Lokas

that he had earned earlier through his severe asceticism. Ramachndra's broad

arrow resembling the lock for a door put an end to the Sugathi or auspicious

future of Parasurama . Thus Sri Ramachandra's valor surpassed that of

Ravana , his foe Karthaveerya nd his tormentor Parasurama unambigously .