sri rama sthuthi- post 3

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw in post 1, the poet kamban's verse describing vaali, the anti-hero,

saw raama naamam in the arrow, which pierced his chest and made him fall

down. The raama naama mahimai was dealt with in posts 1 as points 1 to 6 and

post 2 had only one point - point 7 concerning that thanip perum padham

"raama" ennum naamam. That kamban's verse of "mummai saal" is so great and

bowled me over completely by its sheer simplicity and sweetness. Please

permit me to delve in the same verse and "raama naamam" in this post also.

 

But for those who do not have that patience, please have the raama sthuthi

by vaali, verse 1 (out of 5) and do dwell on the verse. We will deal with

meaning and points in next post.

Evukoor vaaLiyaal yeithu naai adiyanEn

Aavi pOm vElai vaai aRivu thanthu aruLinaai

Moovar nee, mudhalvan nee, muRRum nee, maRRum nee,

Paavam nee, dharumam nee, pagaiyum nee, uRavum nee.

 

What a beauty and simple tamil.

 

Now continuing the points on the raama naama mahimai,

 

Point 7. The verse starts "Mummai saal ulagukku elaam moola manthiram - that

basic mantra for all 3 worlds is raama naamam - Refer verse 66 of mudhal

thiruvanthaadhi

 

Kalai ezhunthu ulagam kaRpanavum- kaRRu uNarntha

MElaiththalai maRaiyOr vEtpanavum vElaik kaN

Or aazhiyaan adiyE Odhuvadhum Orppaanavum

PEraazhi koNdaan peyar

 

Kaalai- morning,

mElai is mERku or west -mElaiththalai is evening time when both the head of

sun as well as people of the world will bow down (in sleep)

vElaik kaN - vElai is time, ocean, work. VElaik kaN is during the

intervening period where people do work - combining kaalai mElai and vElai-

it represents all through the day when people are awake.

VElaikaN Or aazhiyaan is naarayaNan who is in the midst of milk ocean.

Ulagam kaRpadhu pEraazhi koNdaan peyar- people of this world learn the name

of that Lord narayaNan who has that big wheel, periya aazhi- sudarsana

chakram.

kaRRu uNarntha maRaiyOr vEtpana - the people who are learned of the vEdhaas-

maRaiyOr- they also utter this naarayaNa naamam- not only simply utter- but

utter with a longing -vEtpana.

Odhuvadhu- chanting,

Orppadhu- mananam paNNuvadhu- can it be called japam?

Orppadhu- thiruvai solluvadhu - thiruppi thiruppi solluvadhaal adhu

thiruvai aayiRRu- repeatedly uttering same - all are that naamam- naaraayaNa

naamam- raama naamam. Kamban followed aazhvaar's footsteps- yes.

Ulagam wholly learns, recites chants, in all the time when people of the

world- are awake is that naamam- it is clear that it is the moola manthram-

basic manthra.

 

8. ThammaiyE thamarkku nalgum- that manthram will give the naamam udaiyavan

himself to who utters the naamam. See - thammaiyE naaLum vaNangith

thozhuvaarku thammaiyE okka aruL seivaar - 11-3-5 thirumangai aazhvaar.

He, the lord, will grant all the things, which is equal in him to all who

worship Him daily. What is equal to him for the sincere bhaktha- nothing

except himself. This is very clear- so thammaiyE okka aruL means he will

give himself.

That is what kamban also says- ThammaiyE thamarkku nalgum.

 

9. raama is the first sabdam in learning samskrit with "akaaraantha

pullinga: raama sabdha:"- the beginning to learn the sabdam- sound in that

language is with raama naamam. Readers may say we first learn praNavam- is

basic naadham- su naadham- and then start with letter a- ezhuththu. But

while starting sound- sabdham- it is raama naamam. Great.

 

10. raama naamam immaiyE ezhumai nOikku marunthu- the medicine for removing

the 7 births is raama naamam- thirumangai aazhvaar says "nanju thaan kaNdeer

nammudai vinaikku naaraayaNaa ennum naamam" - 1-1-10 periya thirumozhi.

Concludes the first padhikam [10 verses] with this statement. Poison is the

best medicine for certain killer diseases, we all know. Raama naamam is the

best poison to kill the disease called repeated births.

 

May be this naaraayaNa or raama naamam is the first medicine to be given

orally and all other medicines (which we have in this physical world)

followed suit to be given as oral intakes.

 

Namanum muRkalanum pEsa naragil ninRargaL kEtka

NaragamE suwargamaagum naamangaL udaiya nambee

- 12 thirumaalai of thoNdar adip podi aazhvaar

the yamadharma raajan and muRkalan a good man were arguing at the door step

of hell on the naarayana naamam. Hearing that naamam during arguments

between these two, the people in the hell became puNNiyavaans and thus were

relieved of their hell bound life. KEtka- just hearing that too in hell.

Such a powerful naamam.

 

11. Pichchai pukku aagilum em piraan thiru naamamE nachchumin

NaaraNan tham mannai naragam pugaan - 4-6-3 periyaazhvaar.

Even if you have to beg please like that naaraayana naamam. That will save

you. Naarayanan will not allow you to go to hell.

No entry board is hung in hell for such people who like naarayaNa naamam.

Naturally the other alternate place sri vaikuntham has welcome board put up

for such people.

See the usage of word- nachchumin - virumbungOL- like it, desire it, that is

enough, not necessary to utter. See the amount of emphasis- all that raama

naama mahimai.

 

12. Raama naamamu janma rakshaka manthram thaamasamu chEyaka bhajimpavE

manasa says another krithi in raaga ataaNa- please do not delay- raama

naamam is the life saving manthra- start uttering- so raama naamam immaiyE

ezhumai nOikku marunthu.

 

[This song was also made famous by same madurai somasundaram [quoted in post

2]. While singing he will start uttering "gurunathaa" after a pause to

overcome the choking of the throat due to high emotions. All these due to

the lyrics, music, the charge of raama bhakthi in him, which will be

reflected in the listeners seated there].

 

13. By continuous uttering the raama naamam the tongue has got scars says

another aazhvaar - see "EththuginRom naath thazhumba raaman thirunaamam"- 10

-3-1 thirumangai aazhvaar. That part of a body, which does not need any

cleaning with chemical etc when we eat all sorts of stuff, gets a scar by

uttering raama naamam - practised so much that there is a scar. Is it

really- no- just the amount of practice.

Is this like erumbu oora kallum thEyum.

The scar becomes so sweet to this bhakthaa as well others for he will make

other tongues also bear that scar mark- oh raama nee naamam Emi ruchiraa.

 

14. Naamam pala solli narayaNaa enRu

Namangaiyaal thozhudhum nan nenjE vaamaruvi

MaNNulagam uNdu umizhntha vaNdu aRaiyum thaN thuzhaai

KaNNanaiyE kaaNga nam kaN 8 moonRam thiruvanthaadhi

 

See here the glory of that naaraayaNa naamam- naamaththai kaiyaal thozhu nan

nenjE- says aazhvaar- once the heart and tongue go together in naama japam

naturally the hands and its bearer the body have to follow suit- to do that

worship- thozhudhu.

Can be taken as naam angaiyaal thozhudhu- we - let us prey with that

beautiful hands besides uttering through the heart- so that it will be body,

heart, and soul are all dipped in that naamam.

 

13. Naamam pala udaiya naaraNa nambee - 10-8-4 thirumangai

Naamam aayiram Eththa ninRa naaraayaNaa- naranE - naachchiyaar thirumozhi-

2-1

 

Like this so many quotes can be given for this raama naamam- naaraayaNa

naamam.

 

Raama raama

 

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.