Sri Rama Navami Tributes to Sri Ramachandran : Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear BhagavathAs :

 

Sriman Balaraman Sriram's posting that included an archival

contribution by a Rama BhakthA on the Krithi , " lavaNya

RaamA " dealing with the Divya soundharyam and LaavaNyam

is delightful to read and is timely reminder of

Sri Rama navami celebration . Sri Raamachandra was born on

a Panguni Punarvasu Nakshthram in auspicious KaDaka laghnam .

This year , Sri Raama navami falls on March 25 .

 

At Oppiliappan Koil , Sri Rama Navami is celebrated

for 9 days and it concludes with the singing of Pancha

Rathnam and kanakAbhishEkam for the newly weds on March 25 .

 

I will add my contributions to Sri Rama Navami Celebration

and focus on the Roopa Mahimai of SaakEtha Raaman . The Tamil

poet , Sri AruNachala Kavi Raayar in his Raama Naataka krithis

tried to comprehend the sarvanga Soundharyam of Sri RaamA

and gave up . He declared his helplessnes in the Krithi

with the pallavi : " antha Raama soundharyam aRinthu Sollap pOmO ?

( is it possible to understand anddescribe to others

the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of the Lord's beauty ?).

 

NammAzhwAr's statement is , "kaRpAr IraamapirAnai allAl

maRRum kRpArO? " . One can intrepret the meaning for this

rhetoric question in many ways . If we consider that NammAzhwAr

is talking to the students of SaamudhrikA lakshaNam , then

one can assume that the AzhwAr is suggesting that there

is no superior embodiment of beauty than Sri RaamA and

why waste one's time studying the imperfect beauty of others .

 

Poet Kambhan born in ThErazhundhUr describes the incomparable

beauty of Sri Ramachandran , when He broke the Siva dhanus

in SitA Svaymavaram . SitA devi was drinking with Her eyes

the divya soundharyam of Her dear One . Kambhar says :

 

nampiyaik kaana nangaikku Aayiram nayanam vENDum

kompinaik kaaNum thOrum kurisirkkum annathE aam

 

(Meaning ) : Some said : Our Sithai must have thousand eyes

to fully enjoy the beauty of Raaman ; others said Raaman

should similarly have thousand eyes to enjoy our Sithai's

soundharyam .

 

Saint ThyagarAjA's anubhavam of the divya LaavaNyam and

Soundharyam of his Aaradhana mUrthy are the most exquisite.

As he performed , nithyArAdhanam , he would be lost in

the enjoyemnt of the indescribable beauty of the Lord

blessing him with His darsanam . Out will pour krithis

like : LaavaNya RaamA ! kannulAra jUdavE; athi LaavaNya RaamA !

 

Many are the krithis of ThyagarAjA , where we enjoy

the paramAnandham of Saint ThyagarAjA over the experience of

the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of Sri Ramachandran .

Here are dozen of those krithis and the Raagams in which

they are set :

 

1. Inthanuchu VarNimpa TaramA ? BrahmEndhrAdhulakaina

Raagam GuntakriyA

 

( Would it be possible for even Brahma and Indra

to describe precisely Your beauty ? No ! )

 

2. MuddhumOmu yElAgu chElanganO ? MunilEDla gani mohincharO ?

MeLa Raagam : Soorya Kaantham )

 

( How did Sri RaamA's thirumukham with exquisite beauty shine ,

when He gave the darsana soubhAgyam to the sages of

SiddhAsramam ? How did even the sages , who are known for

the restraint of their senses got enchanted with that

unsatiating beauy ?)

 

3. alakalalla lAdaga gani yaarANmuni yetu ponganO ?

Raagam : madhyamAvathi

 

( What raptourous bliss did Sage VisvAmithrA have ,

while he looked at the curly forelocks/kaaka paksham ,

gently swaying on Sri RaamA's beautiful face ?)

 

4. Sogasu jooDa Taramaa ? nee

Raagam : Kannada Goulai

 

( Is it posisble to experience such a beauty as that

of Your face shining with cheeks like reflecting mirrors ,

Your lips resembling a ripe BimbA fruit , Your broad

chest decorated by vagulA flower garland , Your captivating

smiles , Your exquisite forelocks waving in the breeze and

Your brilliant eyes ? )

 

5. Mohana RaamA mukha jitha Soma ! muddhuga BalkumA

Raagam : Mohanm

 

( Oh RaamachandrA of universally enchanting beauty!

Oh JagadhAnanthakArakA ! Speak softly to me !.

Your subhAsrayam has special appeal to me .

It is known that BrahmA and other semi-gods came down

to earth and took the forms of birds , beasts and monkeys

and enjoyed unceasingly your extraordinary and incomparable

beauty without winking and were ecstatic over their

anubhavam ).

 

6. MaravakarA nava-manmatha Roopuni

Raagam : DevaghAndhAri

 

( Oh My Mind ! Don't you ever forget the bewitching

Soundharyam of Sri Ramachandran . His royal bearing ,

His comfortingly sweet words , the light in His eyes ,

the beautiful way the angavasthram rests on His shoulders ,

His graceful gait , the sunAtham that arises from His

ankle ornaments as He moves , the shine on His cheeks , His

beautiful hands , the rings on His fingers , His other AbharaNams

which derive their beauty from Him --Oh Mind don't forget ever

Sri Raghukula Tilakan's beauty ).

 

7. MerusamAna dheera ! Raghuveera ! JuthAmuraaraa Maha (Meru SamAna)

MeLa Raagam : MaayAmALagouLai

 

( Oh RaghuveerA , firm and strong like the Meru mountain !

Pray ! appear before me so that I can feast my eyes on

Your enchanting sarvAngha soundharyam ,graceful gait ,

shining sky blue body , the utterly charming forelocks

on Your forehead , the beautiful shape of Your KasthUri

Tilakam , the jaajvalyam of Your face and the extraordinary

assembly of the many AbharaNams adoring Your braod chest ).

 

8. nee muddhumOmu JoopavE , naameedha nenarunchi ,

naLina daLa nayana

Raagam : kamalA manOhari

 

( Oh Lotus-eyed RaamA ! Please have mecy on me

and show me Your divinely beautiful face , shining

with the lustre of the autumn Moon to cheer my heart).

 

9. Paluku KaNDachakkEranu garunE panathulAra ! jooDarE

Raagam : Navarasa Kannada

 

( The beauty of His speech : The sweetness of His

mrudhu BhaashaNam far excells the swetness of

Sugar candy ).

 

10. yEmani mADADithivO ? Raama

Mela Raagam : Hanuma Thodi

 

( The Beauty of His speech : Oh Raamachandra !

How delightful was Your power of captivating and winning

people by Your sweet conversation . Every one , who had

the BhAgyam to hear them were enslaved and felt bound to You

forever ).

 

11. Sri Raama RaghurAma SrungAra Raamayani

chinthincharAdhE Oh manasA

Raagam : Yadhukula KaambhOji

 

( Oh my mind ! How can you not meditate upon

the exquisite beauty of Sri RaamA , whose hand

is held by Jaanaki MaathA , whose body is pining

with ecstasy ? )

 

12. Kana kana ruchirA ; Kanaka Vasana ! ninnu

Raagam : Jaala varALi

 

( Grander and Sweeter will be Your BhakthA's

Joy , the more , he or she , with a pure and loving mind ,

daily sees You and Your enchanting face radiant with

beauty and grandeur )

 

The detailed word by word meaning of the above VarALi Pancharathnam and

the four others are archived in the Bhakthi List .

 

Sri SithA samEtha Sri ramachandra ParabrahmaNE nama:

Oppiliappan Koil varadAchAri SadagOpan