Raghuveera Gadhyam: KishkindhA khAndham--Part 2

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GS 43: taraNi sutha saraNaagathi parathantrikruta

SwAtantrya ! Jaya ! Jaya !

 

(Meaning ) :

 

Hail to Thee O Lord who who sought refuge in

SugreevA , the son of Sun God ! You sought the

friendship and help of SugreevA to find and rescue

Sita dEvi . Through your act of SaraNaagathi

(seeking refuge and help in a state of utter dependence )

to SugreevA , You gave up your independence as

the supreme Lord of the Universe and stood meekly

obeying as it were the command of SugreevA .

 

(Background ) :

 

Hanuman carried Rama and LakshmaNaa on his shoulders and

brought them before his king , SugreevA . The visitors and the

monkey king solemnized their friendship in front of a sacred fire

lit by Hanumaan .

 

Now SugrivA tells Rama that he will have Sita dEvi traced out ,

wherever she may be and unite her to Rama. Sugreeva fetches

a wrapper containing a piece of jewelery dropped by Sita from

the air as she was being abducted by RavanaA . Rama is overcome

with grief at the sight of the AbharaNams and shows the jewelery

( Armlets, ear rings and anklets ) to his brother,LakshmaNA .

The response of LakshmaNA is a moving one. He says: " Dear

brother ! Neither do I recognize the armlets nor do I know

the ear-rings, I only recognize the anklets due to my bowing

at her feet every day ". Such is the mahAtmyam of Sowmithri .

 

The grief-stricken Rama asks for the help of the monkey king

to locate the place where his beloved consort is being held

in captivity by the evil RavaNA . SugreevA consoles Rama

and assures Rama that he will locate RavaNa and the place

where he is holding Sita in captivity .

 

SugreevA continues and says that he would like to

offer Rama a salutary advise in a spirit of friendship and not

in the spirit of moralizing . ( HITAM VAYASYA BHAVENA BRAMI

NOPADISAAMI TEH ) . SugreevA advises Rama that he should

not grieve and accept his friendship . Rama is consoled by the

sweet words of SugreevA , wipes is tears and says meekly :

" PLease help me. Please command me and point out to me unreservedly

what should be done by me in this effort ( MAYAA CHA YADH

ANUSHTEYAM VISRABHDENA TADH UCHYATHAAM ) . This

statement of Rama ( KiskindA KhAndham /canto 7/ verse 20 )

is the source of Swami Desikan's salutation about the PARATANTREE

KRUTHA SWAATANTRYAM ASPECT OF THE SARVESWARAN

TO SUGREEVA.

 

It is amazing how Swmi Desikan zeroes in on

one half a sloka in a long chapter, where Adi Kavi Valmiki

dwells at length on the meeting between SugreevA and Rama.

The Lord of the universe conversing with Sugreevaa as a supplicant

of his help goes on and says : " O SugreevA ! Such a friend like you

is difficult to get indeed , particularly at this time of my adversity.

Please help me and tell me what I should do . All your desire will be

accomplished by me even as all seeds sown in a fertile field

druing the rains will bear fruit . .....never before has a falsehood been

uttered by me nor shall I ever utter it. I solemnly affirm this to you and

swear by truth alone ( ANRUTHAM NOKTHAPURVAM MEH NA VAKSHYEH

KADHAACHANA , YETHATH TEH PRATHIJAANAAMI SATYENAIVA

SAPAAMYAHAM ) .

 

This is the reference to the Bhaktha Paaratantryam or the

Yathokthakaari aspect of Sri Ramachandra as revealed to us

by Swami Desikan .

 

Sri Vaishnava Daasan ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadaachari Sadagopan