Lavanya Rama

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Vaishnavas

 

With Rama Navami just days away, adiyen wanted to hear more about the

glories of Rama and fortunately came across an old article which had

appeared in the Hindu a few years ago.Some of you may have seen this

article before but then to describe and enjoy Rama's glory, will

definitely take many many life times with each experience being unique.

 

In the words of Valmiki

 

Pumsaam-dhrishti

Chittaapa-haarinam

 

Lord Rama's beauty is such that it lures the sight and minds of people.

 

And so does it exist to this day making Brahma's words true

 

"As long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow, so long shall the

Ramayana be cherished among men and women and save them from sins."

 

 

adiyen hopes to see more about the glories of Sri Rama and remebers the

time when in India, a special place was reserved for the most glorious

devotee, Sri Hanuman whereever Srimad Ramayanam was recited ,without a

doubt, he will be present.

 

Maybe some member will come forward to tell us Valmiki Ramayan and I

wonder if a cyber Hanuman will be present with us.

 

adiyen dasan

 

sriram,balaraman

 

The glory of Rama (Hindu Newspaper)

--

 

MANY bhaktas have lost themselves in the contemplation of the beauty

of God. In this category comes the kirtana of Sri Thyagaraja

`Lavanya Rama'' in Poornashadja raga. For ordinary people the

concept of God's ravishing form has been gathered from the

descriptions left by great souls. But how were inveterate devotees

ale to visualise the effulgence as described in the Upanishad?

Thameva - bhaantam - ambhaati - sarvam - Thasya - Bhaasa - sarvam -

idam - vibhaah. God is the repository of all radiance and the other

luminaries like the sun, moon and the stars are but a fraction of

God's jyoti.

 

 

The intensity of devotion helps a bhakta to occasionally gain a

fleeting view of God's glory. It was such a vision that Sri

Thyagaraja has frozen in the song ``Lavayna Rama.''

surmise of devotion leading to a glimpse of God's radiance rests

on the Sruti.

 

Na-sandrise-thistathi-asya-roopam

Na-chakshusha-pasyati-kaschana-yenam

 

(None with the mortal eyes has even seen God's figure with all His

dazzling splendour).

 

It implies that only the eyes of bhakti lead to God's vision. How

the gopis, the great devotees of Krishna, saw His presence after a

temporary disappearance during rasakrida. Sukha Brahman says:

 

Peetambarada-sragvee

Saakshah-manmatha-manmathaha

 

(Dressed in peetambara, like cupid's cupid Sri Krishna appeared

before the gopis)

 

What form Krishna took was equally visualised by Sri Thyagaraja, for

in the anupallavi of the song, he describes the lavanya of Sri Rama

as ``Sataananyaja'' (a thousand manmathas). In this Kritana Sri

Thyagaraja uses two significant epithets to go with Sri Rama's

lavanya - (Ati-lavanya and divya-lavanya)

 

In the first usage is to be seen the way Sri Rama' beauty lured

whoever came across Him in the Ramayana. Valmiki in a few words has

portrayed Sri Rama's form

 

Pumsaam-dhrishti

Chittaapa-haarinam

 

(beauty that lures the sight and minds of people)

 

How? Sri Rama enters the Dandakavanam and the rishis, says the Adi

Kavi, looked at the Prince of Ayodhya with wonderment (Dadrusuhu

rismithaakaraha).

 

What does Divya Lavanya reveal? In this context the great Vaishnava

Acharyas have sought to make a clear distinction between Soundarya

and Lavanya, which to us appear to be synonymous. Soundarya

indicates the beauty of the limbs of God from the Holy feet to the

head including his weapons like chakra, sankha, lavanya is the sum

total of all these soundaryas put together which pervades the whole

universe. Thus the overall radiance gains the appellation Divya

Lavanya. This aspect has been very succinctly suggested when Valmiki

says:

 

 

Sobhayan Dandakaaranyam

Deeptena-swena-thejasa

 

(Sri Rama by his presence at Dandakaranya illumined the whole forest

with his effulgence)

 

Such is the nature of divya lavanya.

 

For Sri Thyagaraja to go ecstatic over the lavanya of Sri Rama, we

have to see how during Sri Rama's life He attracted people. If His

charm can infatuate a rakshasi, Soorpanaka, how would rishis, the

all-time practitioners of Brahma Vidya, have fallen for Sri Rama.

Disfigured Soorpanaka relates to Khara the beauty of Sri Rama

 

Tharunow-Roopa-sampannow

Sukumarow-Mahaabalow

Pundareeka-Visaalakshow...

Gandarvaraja-prathimow

 

(Young, well endowed with bewitching beauty, powerful and like

manmatha.)

 

As for the rishis we have the Sri Thyagaraja kirtana

 

Muddu-momu-elaagu-chelangeno

Munuletla kani-mohinchiro

 

(How did the sages in the forest get infatuated with the beauteous

face of Sri Rama?)

 

The first Pallavi word Lavanya carries so much impact. The

anupallavi reads:

 

Sri-Vanita-Chitta kumuda

Seethakara-sataananyaja (Lavanya)

 

(The moon making the lily-heart of Sita blossom)

 

This aspect has endeared the Alwars and devotees, like Sri

Thyagaraja, to dwell on the oneness of Narayana and Mahalakshmi.

 

Nammalwar tersely says:

 

Namakkum-Poovinnisai

Mangaikkum-Inban

 

He, who is dear to us and to Goddess Lakshmi seated on the lotus)

 

Again he exclaims:

 

Agalagillen-irayum-Enru

Alarmel-mangai-Urai-maarba

 

(Lord Venkatesa providing a seat to Alarmel Mangai on His chest).

 

The anupallavi has to be savoured in the words of Hanuman when he

sees Sita in Asokavana

 

Asya-Devya-yatha-roopam

Anga-pratyanga-sowshtavani

Raamasya-cha-yataa-roopam

Thasyeyam-asithekshana

Asya-Devya-Manas-thasmin

Thasya-cha-asyam-prathistitham

 

(Whatever charm is in Sri Rama and his form, it is found in Sita

too. Their minds are mutually alike)

 

The charanam is equally uplifting. It reads:

 

Nee-manasu-nee-sogasu

Nee-Dimusu-vere

Thamasa-mada-Deivamela

Thyagaraja muta-Divya (Lavanya)

 

Nee-manasu: What is the greatness about Sri Rama's mind. Look at his

arrival at Bharadwaja ashramam when he sends Hanuman to probe the

attitude of Sri Bharata to his veturu - whether he has gained

attachment to the kingdom having enjoyed it for 14 long years.

 

Sangatya-Bharata-Sriman

Raajyartee-Cheth-swayam-bhaveth

Prasaasthu-Vasudham-Kritsnaam

Akhilam-Raghunandana

 

(If Bharata desires to rule over Ayodhya, let him)

 

what a mind it was to make this declaration when on the promise given to

his father he resorted to the forest and by the same token he has the

right to take back the kingdom from Bharat.

 

Nee Sogasu: What graciousness has Sri Rama. In a beautiful Divyanama

kirtana in Bhairavi (Natha Brovave) Sri Thyagaraja gives expression

to this graciousness

 

Aganita-ripulaku-vagaloninchi

Swa-nagaramu-nela-vachche

Sogasunu-Joopu.. (Natha Brovave)

 

(With what grace and charm did you enter Ayodhya after vanquishing

your enemies!)

 

Bharatuni-gani-mathi

Karagusuvaani

Yuramuna-Jevchi

Karamunu-Joopn (Natha Brovave)

 

(How affectionately you embraced Bharata)

 

These attributes singles out Sri Rama - Nee-Dinusu vere.

How did all those visions melt the mind of Sri Thyagaraja. In the

Gowri raga divynama kirtana ``Jaya Jaya Sri Raghu Rama'' he

acknowledges

 

Chakkani-nee-roopamumu-gani

Sokkithi-naa-Hrudayamuna

 

(My heart is lured by your bewitching form, Sri Rama)

 

When such was the mind of Sri Thyagaraja, a slave to Sri Rama's

Lavanya, where is the question of obeisance to other lesser Gods. We

may not be able to get a glimpse of Sri Rama as Sri Thyagaraja was

blessed with, but through his songs epitomised in the Kirtana

``Lavanya Rama'', Sri Thyagaraja has incorporated the outpourings of

Azhwars and painted the episode from the Ramayana in sublime poetry.

It is no wonder that, at least in the evening of life, we lose our

hearts to the Beauty of Sri Rama and to his story as ``Ramo

Vigraharan Dharmaha'' (Rama an embodiment of Dharma.) It is this

beauty arising from Sri Rama's steadfastness to drive into the minds

of mortals His Dharmic precepts that has kindled Sri Thyagaraja's

poetic and pietic instincts to exclaim Lavanya Rama, Kanulaara

joodave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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