Sri Dikshithar"s salutation to Sri Pattaabhiraaman: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Rama Bhakthaas :

 

On the second day of celebration of Sri Raama Navami ,

let us reflect on the pallavi of the Krithi in MaNiranghu named

" Maamava Pattabhiraama ". This is not one of the Sri Raamaashtaka

krithis of Sri Dikshithar . All in all , this illustrious composer

has blessed us with fourteen other krithis on Sri Ramachandran :

 

1. Raamachandram bhavayaami -- Vasanthaa raagam

2.Ramachandra bhaktham bhaja maanasa--Hejajji( Gayakapriyaa)

3.Ramachandraath anyam na jaanE--Danyaasi raagam

4. Ramachandraaya NamasthE --Thodi raagam

5. RamachandrENa samrakshithOham --Maanji raagam

6. Sri RamachandrO rakshathu maam-- Sri Ranjani raagam

7.Sri Ramachandrasya DaasOham --Dharmavathi raagam

8. RaamE Bharatha Paalitha rajyam arpayaami --Jyothi raagam

( JyothisvarupiNi raagam in the other sampradhaayam )

9. Rama Rama kalikalusha viraama --Raamakali raagam

10 . Maamava Raghuveera -- Maahuri raagam

11. Sri Raamam -- NaarayaNa Gowlai ragam

12. Kodhanda Raamam anisam bhajaami--Kokilaaravam

( Raagam Kokila priyaa in the other samparadhaayam )

13 . Santhaana Raamaswaminam -- HindoLavasantham

14 . KshthijaaramaNam chintayE Sri Raamam --Devagandhaari

 

Few miles away from Thiruvaarur , the seat of residence of

Dikshithar , Saint Thyagaraajaa was constructing hundreds

and hundreds of Krithis on Sri Raama at Thiruvaiyaaru

on the bank of cauveri river and was offering his

naadha naivedyam . Sri Dikshithar did not perhaps want to be

left behind in his adoration of Sri Raamaa and chose a handful

of exquisite krithis set in some apoorva raagaas and laid them

at the lotus feet of the Lord of Jaanaki . One of his fifteen Sri Raama

krithis is "Maamava Pattaabhiraama " in raaga maNiranghu .

This raagam is a derivative (janya raagam ) of the MeLakartha

Karaharapriyaa ( Hariharapriyaa in old times ) .

 

MaNiranghu is a upaanga rakthi raagam that belongs to

the Veda chakram . The saahitya Vaakhyams of this krithi

are as follows :

 

Pallavi : Maamava Pattaabhiraama jaya maaruthi sannutha

naama Raama

 

Anupallavi : KomaLatara pallava padha kOdhanda Raama

Gana syaamaLa vigrahaabhja nayana sampoorNa

kaama Raghuraama kalyaaNa naama Raama

 

CharaNam : chatra chaamara karadhrutha Bharatha LakshmaNa

Satrugna VibheeshaNa Sugreeva pramukhaadhi sevitha

Adhri Vasishtaathyanugraha paathra Dasaratha putra

maNirangavalyaalankrutha Navaratna maNtapE vichithra

maNimaya simhaasanE Seethayaa saha samsthitha

sucharithra parama pavithra guru Guha mitra pankaja

mitra

vamsa sudhaambhudhi chandra medhini paala Ramachandra

( Maamava Pattabhiraama )

 

***Meaning and comments on the pallavi of the Krithi :

The anvaya kramam of the pallavi is :Jaya Maaruthi sannutha

naama Raama , Pattaabhiraama maamava . Here , Dikshithar

offers SaraNAgathi to Sri Raama and asks for

the Lord's protection .

 

The occasion he chooses is the time of darbaar , where the just-

crowned Raaman is seated on the throne as Pattabhiraaman

(the Silaabheram/moolavar at KumbakoNam Raman Koil ) .

Sri Raama is ready to grant the requested prayers

of attendees of the darbaar during the occasion of

His coronation cermonies and Dikshithar chooses

this auspicious and formal occasion . What does he see in

the Darbaar ? He witnesses the victorious Hanumaan

(Jaya Maaruthi ) celebrating the name of his Lord

through the recitation of His taaraka naamam

( Jaya Maaruthi saanutha naama ) . One of the

108 naamaas of Sri Ramaa is " Om saraNathraaNa-

tatparaaya nama : " He is celebrated for protecting those,

who sought refuge in Him. The erudite Dikshithar asked hence

" Maamava Pattabhiraama " for protection for that reason .

 

Dikshithar's specific reference to Sri Raamaa as Maaruthi

sannuthan in palavi of this krithi is because of the taaraka manthra

japam that Anjaneyan does besides performing the archana through

the Sri Raama ashtotthra satha naamaavaLi . As the supreme

Raama bhakthan , Anjaneyan understands the meaning of Raamaa

as " RamayathE ithi Raama : " . He understands fully well that

Sri Ramachandran is the one, who produced immeasurable

happiness to the world through His anantha kalyaaNa gunams .

Hence , Maaruthi is engaged in performing archanaa to his lord

starting from the FIRST naamaa of Sri Rama AshtOttharam .

 

I will digress here to focus specifically on the first ten naamaas

of Sri Raama ashtotthra naamaavaLi in response to

Sri Devi Kumaar's request .The first naama in

the naamavaLi is :

 

Om Sri Raamaaya nama :

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NAME RAAMA

******************************************

 

Raama sabdham is made up of two letters , Raa and ma .

When one utters the first letter " RAA " , all the paapams

leave from one's face. When one follows up with the letter "MA" ,

the door of one's mind closes firmly so that none of the paapams

can reenter one's mind . The slokam corresponding to this

intrepretation of Raama sabdham is as follows :

 

raa sabdhOcchaara maatrENa mukhaan niryaathi paathakaa: I

puna: pravesa bheethyaa cha makaarasthu kavaatavath II

 

The immortal poet Kambhan , who gave us the Kambha

Raamaayanam intrepreted the benefits accruing from

Rama Naama Japam this way :

 

nanmayium selvamum naaLum nalhumE

tinmayium paavamum sidahinthu tEyumE

senmamum maraNamum inri theerumE

inmayE iraama yenru iraNdu yezhutthinaal

 

(meaning ) : When one utters the namam of the Lord

consisting of the two words Raa and ma , one is blessed

to be the recipient of all auspiciousness and wealth in the

present life (janmam ) . When one utters the Raama naamam

once more , all the duraacharams ( theeya nadatthai ) and

the bad karmaas ( theeya VinaigaL ) leave one forever.

One is freed from the cycles of births and deaths and

becomes blessed with Moksham and lives in the Rama

Bhakthi samraajyam .

 

Hanumaan went on to perform archanaas to Sri Raama

with the rest of the 107 naamaas :

 

Second naamam : Om Ramabhadraaya Nama:

 

Bhadram is a Vedic word . It means happiness , good fortune,

welfare , blessing and prosperity. Raamaa is every one of those

four blessings and more. When one salutes with the second

naamaa of the 108 naamaas , we invoke the Vedic blessings

of Sri Raamaa . Some of these Vedic blessings from

Rg Vedam are :

 

BHADRAM karNEbhi: srunyaama : -- Rg Vedam(RV) 1.89.8

BHADRAM tE agnE sahasin --RV 4.11.1

BHADRAM nO api vaataya manO -- RV 10. 20.1

BHADRAM BHADRAM na aa bharE -- RV 8.93. 28

BHADRAM mana : krNushva -- RV 19. 20

BHADRAM vai varam vruNuthE --RV 10. 164.2

BHADRAMITHAM rusamaa agnE --RV 5. 30. 12

BHADRAMIDHBHADRAA kruNavath --RV 7. 96. 3

 

The first Rk (1.89.8 ) is a famous invocation by

the achaarya : " O learned people , may we with

our ears listen to what is beneficial . O persons ,

worthy of sacred deeds , may we see with our eyes

that which is beneficial . May we, engaged in your praise,

enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies , a full term

of life (veda praayam ) dedicated to the Lord ."

 

The BHADRAM referred to here is nothing but

" RAAMABHADRAM " or the supreme auspiciousness

known as Sri Raamaa signified by the second

AshtOttharam of the Lord of Ayodhyaa . This is the same

auspiciousnes referred to by Taittiriya BrahmaNam :

" Sakalm BhadramasnuthE " . Sri Raamaa is the

" Sakalam Bhadram " .

 

Hanumaan continued with the third naamaarchanam:

 

" OM RAAMACHANDRAAYA NAMA : "

 

The reference to Sri Raama as Chandraa is because of

His power to cool the world like the nourishing rays of the Moon .

Hanumaan himself describes the CHANDRATHVAM of

Sri Raama this way in Sundara Khaandam to Sitaa dEvi :

 

aadhitya iva tejasvi LOKAKAANTHA : SASEE YATHAA

--- Sundara Khaandam 34. 28

 

This loka kaanthan is Sri Rama CHANDRAN .

 

Hanumaan 's 4th salutaion is :

 

Om saasvathaaya Nama :

 

The akshara Parabrahmathvam of Sri Raama

is invoked here . He is understood as the undecaying ,

everlasting ucchishta Brahmam .

 

5th naama : Om raajeeva lochanaaya nama: ( the one with eyes

reminding us of the beauty of the just blossomed red lotus ) .

 

6th naamaa: Om SrimathE nama: ( the reference here is to

the mantra raajam known as Dhvayam . Sri Raamaanujaa's

saraNaagathi gadhyam elaborates on the meaning of Dhvayam .

In Vaikunta Gadhyam(choorNikai 4 ) , Raamaanujaa specifically

refers to the "SrimathE " aspect of the Lord :

 

seela -rupa -guNa -vilaasaadhibhiraathmaanurupayaa

SRIYAA SAHAASEENAM --Bhagavantham NaarAyaNam

dhyana yogEna dhrushtvaa --

 

The othe rreference to "SrimathE " of the uttara bhagam

of Dhvaya manthram is as follows :

 

vaikuntE thu parE lokE Sriyaa saardham jagdhpathi :

 

Both references describe the Lord as the one seated in

Sri Vaikuntam with His consort matching Him in every

aspect . The use of "SrimathE " as the fifth Raama naamaM

implies the " sambhandha guNa vibhoothyaadhi

paripoorNaanubhabhava siddhi " according to

Swami Desikan in his Rahasya Traya Saaram .

By invoking this naamam , the saraNAgathan

attains a status : anaga : akhilam svabhogam

prathibhoga sesham bhunkthE " according to

Swami Desikan . The saraNAgathan becomes free

of all blemishes . He enjoys(bhunkthE) all blessings

coming his way ( svabhogam )as the residue of

the Lord's bhogam/enjoyment ( prathibhogasesham ) .

 

The SEVENTH Raama naamam of the Rama Ashtothram is :

 

Om Raajendhraaya nama :

 

He is saluted as the Lord of Kings

( Chakravarthi or emperor ) .

 

The 8th naama is :

 

Om Raghu pungavaaya nama:

 

Swami Desikan's Paramaartha sthuthi on

Sri Vijayaraaghavan of Thirupputkuzhi describes

in detail the Pungavathvam of Sri Raama .

In this sthothram on the victorious Raghuveeran

(Vijaya Raaghavan ) , Swami salutes Him as

RANA PUNGHAVAN , AAHAVA BHUNGAVAN ,

SAMARA PUNGHAVAN following the tradition

of Thirumangai Aazhwaar , who hailed this archaa

murthy of Thirupputkuzhi as " pOreRu " . Pungavan

means supremely capable of winning battles .

the Vijayaraaghavathvam and the Veeraraghavathvam of

the Lord of Thiru YevuLL are thus celebrated here .

Hanumaan was an eye witness to the unmatched valor

of His Lord in the battle field .

 

9th Ashtotthra naama :

 

Om Jaanaki Vallabhaaya nama:

 

Jaanaki Vallabhan means one who is the beloved

of Jaanaki . One can also refer to the vallabhyam

of Jaanaki , who through Her purushakaaram

pleads for us with Her Lord. Saint Thyagaraaja

goes one step further and states that Jaanaki maathaa

made it possible for Sri Raama to earn the title

of " RaavaNAri " . She Herself could have burnt

RavaNA to ashes with a hoomkaaram , but She

chose not to and left it to Her consort to destroy

RaavaNA ( Kaambhoji krithi --Maa Jaanaki ) and

thus become known as "RavaNAri " .

 

10th asttothra naamam :

 

Om jaithraaya nama :

 

The word Jaithra means victorious , successful .

In Raghuvamsam KaaLidaasa says in this context :

" Danurjaithram Raghurdadhou ".

Jaithra: also means the Victor or conqueror .

The essence of Raghuveera Gadhyam of

Swami Desikan is about this Jaithran .

 

Many of the other naamaas of Raama Ashttothra

naamaavaLi celebrate this Jaithra aspect of Sri Raama

celebrated in the seven khaandams of

Srimadh RaamaayaNam :

 

Om Vaali pramathanaaya Nama : ( 16th naamam )

Om KaradvamsinE nama : ( 24th naamam )

Om Viraadha vadha pandithaaya nama: ( 25th naamam )

Om harakodhandakandanaaya nama: ( 27th naamam )

Om sapthasaala prabhEthrE nama : ( 28th naamam )

Om dasagreeva sirOharaaya Nama: ( 29th naamam )

Om Jaamadhagnya mahaadarpadalanaaya nama: ( 30th )

Om Tatakaanthakaaya nama: (31st)

Om DhushaNa trisirOhanthrE nama: ( 35th )

Om Jayantha thraaNa varadaaya Nama: (53rd)

Om mayaa MaarichahanthrE nama: ( 57th )

Om mahaa bhujaaya nama: ( 59th )

Om sethukruthE nama: ( 83rd)

Om jithavaaraasayE nama: ( 84th )

Om sooraaya Nama: ( 89th )

 

In the pallavi section of his Krithi , Dikshithar

referred to Maaruthi sannutha Raaman and

sought that Raghuveeran's protection with

the prayer : " maamava Pattabhiraamaa jaya

Maaruthi sannutha naama Raama " .

 

Raamaaya Ramabhadraaya Ramachandraaya vedasE I

RaghunaathAya naathAya SeethAyA: pathayE nama: II

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan