Sri Rama Navami Day Celebration

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

 

Today is indeed the day when Sri Ramachandra

was born . Last year , I was fortunate to write about

the Ramaashtaka krithis of Sri Mutthuswami Dikshithar

and Swami Desikan"s Raghu veera Gadhyam . This year

I will attempt to write about the First and Fourth Pancha Rathna

Krithis of Saint Thyagaraajaa , one of the greatest Rama Bhakthaas .

 

Prior to that I will salute the Pattabhiraaman seated with Sitaa Devi

on the throne in Ayodhyaa . I will mediate upon the two Dhyaana

slokams associated with Sri Raamaa :

 

vaidEhi sahitham suradhrumatalE haimE mahAmandapE

madhyE pushpakamaasanE maNimayE veerAsanE susthitham I

agrE vaachayathi prabhanjanasuthE tatvam munibhya: param

vyaakhAntham BharathAdhibhi: parivrutham Raamam bhajE SyAmaLam II

 

VaamE bhumisuthA purasccha HanumAn paschAth sumitrAsutha:

satrugnO Bharathasccha paarsvadalayO: vaayvaadhikONeshu cha I

Sugreevasccha VibhishaNascca Yuvaraat TaarAsyuthO JaambhavAn

MadhyE neela sarOja komalaruchim Raamam bhajE syAmalam II

 

The beautiful pattAbhishekam scene , where Ramaa is surrounded by

family and devotees is described with afection . The great Raghuveeran

is seated in veerAsanam and is like a beautiful blue lotus in hue. HanumAn

is holding His lotus feet in front of the throne. SitA devi is seated on His

left side.

LakshmaNA stands behind and holds the umbrella as a royal insignia.

BharathA and SatrugnA are at two corners doing saamara kaimkaryam .

Sri Ramaa is seated in the midst of his retinue(parivaaram ) of fellow soldiers

,

Sugreevan , VibhishaNan , prince Angathan , son of TaarA and the great bear

JaambhavAn . The blue effulgence in the middle of all of them is the object

of our meditation as we begin our slautation on this Isvara Samvathsara

Rama Navami .

 

Sri Thyaga Brahmam celebrated Sri navami for 9 days . Today , Sri Rama Navami

is celebrated in that manner at Oppiliappan Koil .The peak of the celebration

is on April 25 , when Rama Pattabhishekam takes place with pomp and

circumstance .

 

I will cover Sri mautthuswami Dikshithar's Maamava PattabhirAma

krithi set in Raagam maNirangu in the next postiing .I will follow it

up with the postings on the 108 Divya NaamAs used by Saint

ThyagaraajA in his Naattai Pancha Rathnam, JagadhAnandhakArakA .

After my return for the brief trip to Europe (April 21-28 ) , I will conclude

the Naattai Pancharathnam and go on to the VarALi pancharathnam ,

Kana Kana RuchirA .

 

May SeethA LakshmaNa Hanumath sametha Sri Ramachandra

Parabrahmam bless us all during this holy occasion !

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan