Two More RamAyaNams

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

 

It is a pleasure to learn that we will have the opportunity

to learn more about the Prabhandha Paasurappadi RamAyaNam

of PeriyavaacchAn Pillai thanks to Sri Mani .

 

On this occasion two more celebrations of Rama charitham came to my mind .

One is by the Avadhootha SanyAsi , Sukha Brahmam through two chapters

in Srimadh Bhagvatham . In the ninth Skandham , Sukha Brahmam starts

describing the charithram of RamachandrA with a benedictory verse . Sridhara

Swamy , who wrote a commentary on Srimadh Bhagavatham composed

his own verse on this benedictory verse . Sridhara Swamy 's verse is as follows:

 

granthakOtibhirAkeerNam adhbhutham Rama Vikramam I

adhyAya dvayathO vakshyan EkaslokE namasyathi II

 

(Meaning ) Sri Ramachandra"s story and His valor has been told with

brilliance and devotion in an indescribable manner (by Sage Valmiki )

through 100 crore slokaas . Sukha Brahmam describes Rama charitham

in two chapters in his immortal work . As he begins to tell this story of

Sri Rama to king Parikshith, he salutes Sri Rama with one slokam .

This slokam commented upon by Sridhara Swami is a masterful

condensation of the entire RamAyaNam

and therefore can be described as an EKASLOKI RaamAyaNam :

 

gurvarthE tyaktharAjyO vyachardhanuvanam padmapadhbhyAm priyAyA :

paaNisparsAkshamAbhyAm mrujithapatharujO yO hareendhrAnujAbhyAm I

vairoopyacchsoorpaNakhyA; priyaviraharushAarOpitha bhruvijrumbha-

trasthAbhdhirbaddhasethu: kaladhavadahana: KosalEndhrOavathAnna : II

 

Srimadh Bhagavatham. 9-10-4

 

(Meaning ) : May that Sri RamachandrA , who gave up the kingdom

to keep his father's speech truthful , who wandered in the forests with

his lotus soft feet protect all of us ! Those soft feet of Sri Rama which

could not bear the thought of his dear wife pressing them out of his

affection for her were removed of their fatigue from walking in the forest

by Sugreeva's and brother LakshmaNA's hands . As a result of his

disfiguring SurpaNakA for insuting his dear wife , events led to RamA' s

separation from his wife .His anger at the King of the oceans at the time

of his efforts to build a bridge across the ocean to travel to LankhA

to retrieve Sita through the expression of his knit brows made Samudra Rajan

full of fear for his life and that of the denizens of his kingdom and led to the

 

construction of the dam across the ocean for the army of Rama to reach

the shores of the capiol of the evil RavaNA for the battle. There , Rama

was like a wild fire that destroyed the powerful RavaNA , KumbhakarNA

and their army and was victorious in fulfilling his avathAra Kaaryam

and returned to AyodhyA with His dear wife and enjoyed the coronation

ceremonies performed by Acharya VasishtA . May that PattabhiramA

protect us all !

 

This Rama Charitham , which has been described as " Atha mrutha

samjeevanam Srirama charitham prasthuyathE " { This Ramacharitham will

rekindle life even in the dead (Spiritually dead ) } , has been retold by

Sri NarAyaNa Bhattadhiri in front of Sri GuruvAyurappan in two Dasakams

following closely the rendering by Sukha Brahmam . This is the second

RamAyaNam that comes to my mind on this morning. Bhattadhiri narrated

the story of RamA in front of Bala KrishNA at the GuruvAyoor temple and got the

approval from the Lord Himself about the authenticity of the events

that he described about the Ramacharitham . Sri naryaNa Bhattadhiri used 20

slokams to condense the two chapters of Sukha Brahmam in Srimadh Bhagavatham.

I hope to share them with you at a later date .

 

Sri Ramachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama :

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan