Sannidhi for Sri SitA LakshmaNa Hanumath SamEtha Sri Ramachandran at the Pomona Temple , NY

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Among the 8 sannidhis at the Pomona Temple ,

One is dedicated to Sri Ramachandra Kudumpam .

This tribute is to the dasaratha nandana at

this Sannidhi as an AshtOttharam.

 

The LaavaNyam of Sri Ramachandran , the daya-laden

glances of SithammA , the Kaimkarya Sri of LakshmaNa

Swamy and the enduring bhakthi of HanumAn come before

our mental eyes as we stand in front of this Sannidhi .

 

One hears the VeeNA GhAnam of Lava and Kusa reciting

Srimath VaalmIki RaamAyaNam there . One experiences

the soulful singing of a Parama BhAgavathar ,

Saint ThyagarAjA .

 

In a nostalgic mood, I will reflect on some of the endearing

conversations that took place between this great Raama BhakthA

( VaalmIki amsam ) and the Lord at the PoojA gruham ( of

Saint ThyagarAjA ), where the Saint addresssed the Lord

in Madhura Hrudhaya BhAsha .

 

The Sanskritized-Telugu of the Saint is Sundara Telugu

and the words that he chose to perform AarAdhanam

would not need any translation .Here is a medley of

108 Dhivya NaamAs and selected Krithi Passages

presented in connection with MahA samprOkshaNam

at this Sannidhi :

 

Greatness of Lord Raamachandran:

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

(1)" YevvarE Raamayya! ne Sari?" (Raagam GangEya BhUshaNi)

 

My Lord Raamachandra! Who is there equal to You in

all the three worlds? Who is there equal to you in

protecting Saadhu Janam without fuss ?

 

 

(2) Raama Nee SamAnameverUrA ? Raghu VamsOddhAraka ?

BhAmA maruvampu mOlaka bhakthiyanu panjarapu chiluka

paluku palukulagu tEnE-lOluku maadalAdu sOdharulagala

Hari ThyagarAja-kula VibhUsha! Mrudhu-subhAsha!

 

In this Karahara PriyA raaga Krithi , the Saint asks:

Oh RaamA ! Who in the world is equivalent to You ?

Thou art indeed the dear parrot in the heart cage of

SithammA's Bhakthi. Your speech is gentle and You have

sahOdharAs , whose words are sweet and drip with honey .

Oh Lord ! You are ThyagarAjA's Kula dhaivam.

 

(3) BalahamsA Krithi:

 

Raama yEva Dhaivatham Raghukula-TilakO mE

vigatha-kaama-mOhamadhO Vimala-Hrudhaya-Subha-phaladhO

 

Oh RaamA ! You alone are my Dhaivam. You are the auspicious

fruit of the devotion of those with blemishless Bhakthi.

 

Naama KusumAnjali(108 NaamAs)

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

The endearing way in which Saint ThyagarAja Swamy

addressed His Lord through dhivya NaamAs during daily

AarAdhanams drench us with joy . I will have a Kadhamba

Manjari of some of these affectionate, Bhakthi-laden

addresses:

 

KaruNa Jaladhi ! DaasaraTE ! KamanIya SuguNa Nidhi!

TaruNAruNa-nibha CharaNa! Sri RaamA ! Taaraka Naama!

SuguNa DhAma! Sura Muni Vara nutha! Srikara ! DharAdhipa!-->(1) to (10)

 

Sajjana ManOhara! DevAdhIsa! Sundara ! DasaraTa Nandhana!

BhOgi Sayana! MahAnubhAva! DhAntha ! SitA Kaantha!

Raghukula jalanidhi Soma! Sura Poojitha Padha!----->(11)-(20)

 

NaarAyaNa ! Saama GhAna lOla! Parama Paavana!

Raaga Rahitha! Pankaja Lochana! Parama DayAkara!

akaLanga Mukha ! RaajIva nayana! avyAja karuNA Saagara!-->(21)-(30)

 

NaLina Lochana! SubhAshaNa! NirvikAra! ParAthpara!

Raaja RaajEsa! Niranjana! Nirupama! Raaja Vadhana!

Sritha Jana Subha Phaladha! SuguNa Saandhra! --->(31)--(41)

 

Muni jana ParivAra ! Sri RamaNa! Amara Poojitha!

SarasIruhAnana! NeerAjAksha ! Sri Raamayya !

Dhushta-dhanuja-madha VidhAra! Sishta-Jana-Hrudhaya-VihAra!-->(42)--(50)

 

LaavaNya RaamA! Sri VanithA-chittha-Kumudha-Seethakara!

kara-dhrutha Sara-KOdhaNda ! MarakathAnga! Mohana RaamA!

MEru-samAna DhIra! Varadha! SrungAra Raama!Neeraja nEthra!-->(51)--(58)

 

MaNimaya-MaalAlankrutha Kandhara! SarasijAksha! Vara KapOla!

Khaga Thuranga! Dhrutha RaTAnga! Parama DayAkara! Sri RaghupathE!

Neela Varna! SuguNAlaya! NirupamaChinmayA ! Sritha ChinthAmaNi!-->(59)-(70)

 

Raghuveera! RaNa Dheera! Raaja KumAra! SthAvara Jangama Roopa!

Sarva Jeeva Jeevana! Nithya! Raaghava! Kaamitha Phala Daayaka!

Saara Saara! SukumAra! Mouni-hrudh-gEha! RathirAja satha LaavaNya!-->(71)-(83)

 

Sri VaasudEva! Sujn~na Nidhi! Soma-Soorya Lochana!

Natha Jana ParipAla! Nirupama GuNa Seela! SaakEtha Vaasa!

Sadhbhaktha pOsha! Susvaramaya Bhoosha! Saamaja vara gamanA!-->(84)-(92)

 

SarvOnnatha! SuprakAsa! JaanakIsa! Suvratha! Saarvabhouma!

Thri-tApa-rahitha! SapthasvarachAri! Niravadhishukha-dhAyaka!

ParipoorNa! Garuda-gamana! Sath-kAruNya! PoorNa-Kaama!--->(93)-(104)

 

Bhaanu-Vamsa-Tilaka! AaadhidEva!

PrANa-nATa! SanAthana!---------> (105)-(108).

 

This AshtOtthram for Lord Ramachandran from the names chosen

as Naama KusumAnjali by Saint ThyagarAjaa is placed at

the Lord's feet at His sannidhi in Pomona, NY by adiyEn .

 

Let us conclude our prayers for this evening with

the SourAshtra MangaLa Krithi of ThyAga Brahmam:

 

Pallavi:

 

Nee nAma Roopamulaku Nithya Jaya Mangalam

 

CharaNam 1-6:

 

PavamAna Suthudu BhaDDu Paadharavindhamulaku

navamukthAhAramulu naDiunchu yuramunaku

naLinArigEru chirunavvugala mOmunaku

PankajAkshi nelakonna yangayuramunaku

PRAHLAADHA NAARADHAATHI BHAKTHULU POGADUCHUNDU

RAAJIVA NAYANA THYAGARAAJA VINUTHAMAINA(Nee nAma roopamulaku)

 

(meaning): Oh RaamachandrA! May there always be victorious

MangaLam for Your sacred Name and divine Form !

 

May there always be victorious managaLam to Your

Lotus feet held afectionately by HanumAn, to Your

broad chest adorning the new mutthu maalai ,

to Your cool, Moon-like face with captivating ,

gentle smile, to Your heart region ,where

MahA Lakshmi resides permanently!

 

May there always be victorious MangaLam

to Your Name and Form eulogized by BhakthAs

like PrahlAdhan and Naaradar!

 

Oh Lotus-eyed Lord! May there always be victorious

MangaLam for Your (thousands of ) Names and

adhiyathbutha LaavaNya Roopam praised by ThyagarAjA!

 

Sri Jaanaki RamaNAya NamO Nama:

Dasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan