VarALi Pancha Rathnam --Part 4

[Guest guest]

Isvara samvathsaram

Margazhi Maasam , Day 27

" Koodarai Vellum Seer GovindhA " ThiruppAvai Dinam

January 11 , 1998

 

First CharaNam of VarALi Pancha Rathnam

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PaalugAru mOmuna SriapAra mahimA

dhanaru ninnu ( Kana Kana RuchirA )

 

This charaNam like the pallavi begins with panchama eduppu .

Saint ThyagarAjA experiences the fresh beauty of the youthful

face of Sri RaamA and becomes ecstatic .He describes that

KumAra-YuvA's face as " paal vadiyum mukham " . Literally , it

translates into a face " dripping with the milk " of Youth . He

recognizes Sri Ramachandran as the Lord of every kind of

wealth (sampath) . He also comprehends the Lord as the One

with limitless glories . He confesses that his mind is brimming with

aanandham like the waves on a full moon day .

 

In his Karahara priyA raaga Krithi , " Raama Kothanda Raama

paahi , Raama Pattabhi Raama paahi " , Saint ThyagarAjA begged

the Lord to show him his " paal vadiyum " thirumukha mandalam

this way : " PaalugAaru mOmujUpa neeku paalumAli kEla Sri " .

He asked here : " Oh Kothanda Raama ! Pattabhi RaamA !

Wont You show me Your forever-youthful face and say a word to me? ".

Sri Raamachandran , the Bhakthavatsalan , responded to

His dear devotee's appeal and showed His "Paal vadiyum " face

filled with sampUrNa nava yauana soundharyam . He also

spoke with His dear devotee , who responded with elation :

" Kana Kana RuchirA Kanaka Vasana Ninnu " .

Of all the beauty-laden limbs of the Lord , Saint ThyagarAjA

chose the compassionate face of the Lord on the top of his

list to enjoy . He thanked the Lord for this tEjOmaya darsanam

and saluted Him as the one with ApAra mahimA and Sarva

Sampath .

 

Normally , people of the world perform aarAdhanams to

the nava grahams to banish durdasais and to ring in

auspicious times . Saint ThyagarAja hinted at the ApAra

mahimaa of Sri Raamachandran in the Revagupthi krithi,

"Graha BalamEmi " , where he pointed out the power of

the tEjOmaya darsanam of the Lord with apAra MahimA

this way and compared them to the effects of the nine planets :

 

graha balamEmi tEjomaya vigrahamanu dhyAninchuvAriki

 

Here , he pointed out the futility of worshipping the nava

grahams compared to worshipping Sri RaamA's . He said :

" What can the strength of planets do to one , who meditates

upon the effulgent form of the Lord and to the men of discernment

like ThyagarAjA , who are steeped in devotion to Sri RaamA ,

whose darsanam destroys the virulent inner enemies like

KaamA , the five great sins (Pancha MahA paathakams)

and the evil effects of the nine planets ? " .

 

This indeed is the apAra mahimA of the darsanam of

the unmatchable beauty of the KumAra-YuvA ,

Sri Raamachandran celebrated in the first charaNam .

 

Second CharaNam on SitA Raaghavan

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The second charaNa vAkhyams are as follows ;

 

kala kalamanu mukha kaLa galikina Seetha

kulukuchu kannulanu chUchu ninnu ( Kana Kana)

 

Saint ThyagarAja Used the "Sri " naamam in

the first charaNam ( Sri ApAra mahima) . That

immediately drew his attention to Jaanaki maathA

sitting in Eka Peetam in his pujA graham next to Her Lord .

Saint ThyagarAjA 's mind immediately wandered to

an incident during the occasion of svayamvaram

of SitA dEvi at the court of King Janaka , when the

Lord of apAra mahima bent and broke the bow of

Siva perumAn . The saint concentrated his devotion on

the bride groom of Jaanaki ( Jaanaki varuni ) ,

whom he had saluted earlier in the MadhyamAvathi

rAga Krithi , NagumOmu :

 

nagumOmu galavAni naa manOharuni

jagamElu suruni Jaanaki varuni

DevAthi dEvuni divya Sundaruni

Sri VaasudEvuni SeethA Raghavuni

 

This srungAra mUrthy with dhaiveeka soundharyam

was saluted with a mind full of affection and devotion .

Lord RamachandrA responded to the prEma bhakthi of

His dear devotee and gave His darsanam with SitA

piratti seated on the simhAsanam next to Him in the darbAr .

 

The saint visualized the Lord of unforgettable and bewitching

beauty , who made the heart (ocean) of SitA dEvi rise

with Joy like the pUrNa chandran ( SitA hrudh Jaladhi

Soman ) seated before him with fresh peethAmbaram

and relished that delectable experience . This darbaar scene

where the Lord was holding Golu with His consort reminded

him of the darsanam of Chandran and RohiNi dampathi .

He recognized the Lord , who enchants the mind of Jaanaki

( Jaanaki RamaNan ) as the beautiful parrot residing in

the tender shoot of marukkozhundhu( fragrant evergreen )

cage of Bhakthi of SitA piratti ( BhAmA maruvampu molaka

Bhakthiyanu Panjara pusiluka ) . Out of his great affection

for SitA piratti , his Mother , Saint Thyagaraja has stated

elsewhere that Her golden lustre in darbAr was thousand fold

brighter than that of Her Lord Himself ( Sri ramya-

chitthAlankAra svarUpan ) :

 

kanaka salAkunu kEru mOmu SitA kaanthathOnu

Thyagarajanuthudu KoluvaiunnAdE , KothandapANi

 

That paramour of beauty , Sri Pattabhi Raaman , has been saluted

by the Saint as " SarvOnnatha suprakAsan " elsewhere :

 

Raaghava SarvOnnatha SuprakAsa

DharaNi SasAnka lochana Jaanakeesa

NeevErA kuladhanamu , neevErA Jeevanamu

 

Oh my Master! You have fulfileld my life today and have given me

the darsana soubhAgyam of the Svayamvara scene . Your bride-to-be

was standing with the garland in Her hand to wed You . Her cheeks

were resplendent with the flush of lajjai at the sight of You ,

the Raghuveeran , who would become Her Lord . She wanted

to take in Your beauty , but was shy to look at You directly .

She pretended as though She was straightening out Her

bangles on Her hand and under the guise cast Her glances

at You .

 

This beautiful scene at King JanakA's durbar has been

painted by Kamban , the greatest Tamil poet in this way :

 

yeivaLai vil YErrathum irutthathum uraitthum

meiviLaivu idatthu mudhal Iyyam viladaluRRAL

IyaanE ahatthu vadivE alapuRatthum

kai vaLai thirutthupu kadaik kaNNin uNarnthAL

 

( Meaning ) ; SitA piratti standing in the svayamvara mantapam

got enchanted with the beauty of Your radiant face and wanted

to have You as Her marriage partner . She got a littleanxious about

Your successful completion of the assigned task to win Her

hand in marriage and with a side glance looked at You longingly.

She used the ruse of fixing Her bangles on Her wrists and

with overpowering modesty , she cast Her sweet glances at

You in a prayerful mood so that You would become victorious.

 

Saint ThyagarAjA rememembered this tender scene and cast

his second charaNam in celebration of this famous incident :

 

kala kalamanukakaLa kalikina Sita

kulukusu nOra kannalanu joosu ninnu ( Kana Kana ruchirA )

 

Thus Saint ThyagarAjA enjoyed the beauty of the Lord's face,

which became the target of SitA piraatti's eyes at the svayamvara

darbhAr of Raaja Rishi JanakA .

 

Sri SeethA samEtha Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan