Musings on sita's agni-pravEsam#5

[Guest guest]

Dear SrimAn Sriram Ranganathan,

Thank you for your comments on my post and quote from Swami Desikan's

Raghuveera-gadyam.

In understanding the Ramayana and related allusions/cross-references to its

episodes there is such a thing known as "content"(padam) and

"context"(padArtham) which must be appreciated.

 

Sometimes context is more important than content, just as sometimes the

woods are more important than the trees, especially when it comes to

intense enjoyment of the particular "rasA" of a piece of scriptural

literature. It is important to understand the distinction.... just as it is

very important, I believe, to know that a lamp-post can serve two purposes

equally well ---- you can either lean on it for physical support or you can

regard it as a source of enlightenment.

 

If you'd understood the distinction I doubt you'd have ventured to make the

remark you did in your post, viz.:

 

".....It is rather unfortunate to misinterpret Swami Desikan's verses

as 'undeserving' as it does include 'Everything' ....".

 

Thanks anyway, Sir, for educating me on the correct import of the line from

the Raghuveera-gadyam.

 

Gratefully,

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

sudarshan

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

With reference to the above subject and my comments

on Sri.Sudarshan's post, and his subsequent post bringing it

to Sri.Mani Varadarajan's attention, I would like to express my sincere

apologies to Sri.Sudarshan, had I hurt his feelings. It was

purely unintentional.

 

It was just an observation and an expression of opinion, though wrong.

 

I do understand the point Sri.Sudarshan was making,

by his comments 'they whom Swami Desikan undeservingly.......' ,

but on first reading I MISUNDERSTOOD it to be a comment

about Swami Desikan's lack of judgement in praising only the humans.

 

I am sure I will be more careful in posting comments henceforth.

 

Hope Sri.Sudarshan pardons me.

 

Thanks

Sriram Ranganathan

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sri. Sudarshan wrote :

 

Dear Sri.Mani Varadarajan,

Thank you for your comments on my post and the quote from Swami Desikan's

Raghuveera-gadyam. Your observations, yes, are not relevant to the general

drift of my series of posts but I might as well respond now than later.

 

In my post I had written: "The great "superior" humans of Ayodhya ---- they

whom Swami Desikan undeservingly hailed in his "Raghuveera-gadyam" as

"sAketha janapada jani Dhanika jangama taditara jantu-jAta ....".

 

It's really incredible how one can see in the above statement an

"unfortunate misinterpretation" of Swami Desikan !!

 

I hope the real meaning of what I wrote is clear at least to to you

 

i.e.

 

those "beings" of AyOdhya who spoke such low, lurid and unspeakable things

about Rama and Sita ..... those beings who therefore, we can say, were

undeserving of the grace of Rama and Sita ..... it is those very same

"beings" who, all the same, were elevated by the Lord and given "divya

gathi" .....

 

In this particular line of Swami Desikan there is clear emphasis on the

largesse of the Lord's plenary Grace.... of how he unstintingly "donated"

it .... "divya-gathi-dAna......nitya nisseema vaibhava..".

 

When we ask ourselves what moved the Lord to such extravagant generosity

what can we say?

 

We can only surmise it is because the subjects of Ayodhya were His

subjects..... and, after all, it is but the "dharma" of a King to give

generously to his subjects irrespective of their dispositions and even if

they are not all truly deserving of such generosity. The only qualification

they need possess to deserve the Lord's largesse of Grace is that they are

mere citizens of Saket.... and are thus somehow associated with Him. For

heightened poetic effect, Swami Desikan includes even non-sentient things

("jangama-poruL") in Ayodhya which were in a way associated too with the

citizenry.

 

This is the true meaning of the line from the "gadyam".

 

The extra-ordinary beauty of the poetic sentiment of this line in the

gadyam is that all residents of Saket --- whether inert or living --- i.e.

jani-dhanika-jangama taditara jantujAtha --- may have behaved in a hurtful

way to Rama and Sita.... by speaking ill of Her virtue.... but no matter,

the Lord carried out His "dharma" as King to the very last----- He

delivered His beloved subjects all without exception unto a state of

exaltation, the "divya-gati".

 

One of your other members,Sri.Sriram Ranganathan points out to me,"I

personally feel Swami Desikan (as Sri Mani indicated ) does not

specifically refer to 'only' the humans but generically 'everything' that

*lived* (*existed*) and *walked* ( *displaced, progressed, transited....."

etc.

 

Yes, I agree. But so what? What is exactly the point being made here? In

what way have I "misinterpreted" this?!! I wish the member would temper his

comments with careful thought before making them.

 

Trust this clarifies.

 

Sudarshan