Raghuveera Gadhyam: Aaranya Khaandam--Part 4

[Guest guest]

DhyAnam

 

RaamEthi varNa dvayamaadharENa

sadhaa smaran mukthim upaithi janthu : I

kalou yugE kalmasha MaanushaaNaam

anyathra dharmE kalu naadhikaara : II

 

( By uttering and meditating on the two lettered

name Raamaa ( Taaraka Namam ) ,

all creatures attain mukthi .

In this kali yugam , when the righteousness is

fast vanishing , there is no other dahrmam

(practice suitable to us ) .

 

Dear Bhakthaas of Raghuveera ;

 

I will conclude the observations of the remaining

two salutations of Swami Desikan onAaranya Khaandham

in this and the next posting.

 

GS 40 : klapitha vibhudha bhaava kabhandhaaabhinanditha !

Jaya ! Jaya !

(meaning) : Hail to Thee, O Lord who was eulogised by the asura

Kabhandhaa , who regained his erstwhile celestial form as

as a result of your severing his arms .

 

(Background ) :Kabhandhanwas an erstwhile Deva , who incurred the displeasure

of his master, Indra. Latter hit him with his Vajra weapon on the head and

that led to his head and neck being sunk inside his torso. Later a sage by the

name

of sthula Siras cursed Kabhandhaa for an apachAram and latter became

an Asura roaming the forest of Dandakam with no head, neck,

thighs or legs , but just a trunk with mouth and eye in his chest .

 

Rama was travelling in that AaraNyam in a south westerly

direction in search of His consort. Kabhandhaa confronted Rama

and LakshmaNaa and snatched them with

his eight mile long hands. Kabhandhaas prowess rested in his hands. Therefore

Rama and LakshmaNaa severed the ogre's hands at the shoulder level .

Rama cut off the asura's right hand and LakshmaNa took care of the left.

The ogre writhed in pian and fell on the ground under the feet

of Rama. Then he inquired Rama as to who he is and where

he came from. LakshmaNaa briefed the fallen Kabhandhaa .

Hearing that the one who maimed him was none other than

Sri Rama , Kabhandhaa was ecstatic , since the curse could only

be lifted by Rama's hand. The asura begged Rama to creamte him

so that he can regain his body as a Deva and then help the brothers

with his supersensous knowledge as a Deva about the whereabouts

of kidnapped Sita .The brothers threw the body of Kbhandhaa in a

pit and creamted him with due ceremony. At the end of the creamation,

Kabhandhaa transformed into his original celestial form and counseled

the brothers that They should cultivate friendship with the monkey king

Sugreeva to succeed in their efforts to reunite with Sita Devi. Kabhandhaa

consoled the grief stricken Rama and asked him to hasten to Sugriva's

hiding place on the banks of Pampaa lake near Rishyamukha hill .

Prior to his departure from this world as a celestial being , Kabhandhaa

showed the brothers the way to Sugrivaa's abode and gave them

information about the hermitage of Sage Matangaa and took leave of

the brothers.

 

Raama naama cha sadhaa smaraNeeyam

leelayaa bhava jalam taraNeeyam

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan