Raghu Veera Gadhyam : Yuddha KhAndham --Part 7

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GS 55 : Dhrutha gathi taru mruga varoothinee

niruddha lankhAvarodha veapthu lAsya leelOpadesa

desika dhanurjyAgOsha ! Jaya ! Jaya !

 

(Meaning ) : O Acharyaa (Desikaa), who appeared as though

you were the dance instructor for the ladies of the harem of RavaNA ,

when their bodies were shaking from intense fear over the

seige laid on their beloved city by the swift-moving army of monkeys.

Your instruction came in the form of the mighty roar emanating

from the pulling of the chord of your bow on top ofthe SuvelA mountain..

 

(Background ) : Rama and his simian army with VibhishaNA and LakshmaNA

travelled across the marvellous bridge built by NalA and reached Lankha.

The powerful monkeys briskly moved around to commence their seige

of the capitol of RavaNA . The impending calamity was clearly

understood by the residents of RavaNA's harem . Their bodies

began to shake out of fear over what was yet to come. During that

occasion , the uncontrollable tremor of their bodies appeared to

have its own rhythm as though they were dancing to the tune of

a master dance instructor , who had his own unique tune and

thALam . The mighty sound arising from the twanging of the Chord of

Kodhandam of Rama served as the tune and kept the TaaLam for

their " dance ". Rama in Swami Desikan's kalpanai appeared like

the erudite NatyAchaarya behind the "dance performance"

of the ladies of the harem of RavaNA .

 

One can sense the rapid movements (Dhrutha Gathi ) of the excited

monkeys (Taru Mruga/ animals of the tree) during their efforts

to lay siege on LankhA . The shakes that took over the ladies

of the harem is equated to a playful dance performance ( Laasya Leela )

by Swami Desikan. He chose the word Laasya for the dance of

the Ladies to contrast it with TaandavA , the dance associated

with males . One can hear the Upadesa Gosham of the Desikaa

(Sri Rama ), who taught them as it were the steps for

that dance rooted in terror.

 

Sannaddha: kavachee kadhghee chapabhANa dharO YuvA I

gacchan mamaagrathO nityam Rama: paathu slakshmaNa: II

 

Sri VaishNava Daasan ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan