FW: sri rama sthuthi- post 4

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw in post 1, 2 and 3 the prabhaavam [fame and vastness] of that

"vaaliyin kaNgaLil theriyak kaNda raama ennum naamam". Today we possess that

naama wealth with us. On that naamam, let us do dhyaanam and then start

realising the impact of this krithi- song of Smt Ambujam krishna in the

raaga amrutha varshiNi.

 

Pallavi:

DhyaanamE tharumE pErinbamE -

Raama DhyaanamE tharumE pErinbamE (raamadh)

 

Anu pallavi:

GnaanamE uruvaana aanjanEyanum mOnath thavaththOrum

Gaana nibuNarum sei (dhyaanamE)

 

CharaNam:

poruL vENdumO ponnadi irukkaiyil

aruL vaaraadhO iru karam kuviththidil

iruL neengaadhO agaththavan oLirgaiyil

maruL uNdo manaththil, magizhnthu thiLaiththida (dhyaanamE)

 

Actually I wanted to take up verse 1 of raama sthuthi by vaali in this post.

When I heard this krithi, the sweetness of the krithi and depth of the

lyrics made me to share with you the aanandham it gave on the raama naam

dhyaanam and its perumai. In particular is the beauty in the words

"agaththavan oLirgaiyil".

 

Now meaning of the song:

The meditation on raama naamam will give us bliss (the word used here is

pErinbam- not that temporal short-lived pleasure but long happiness).

AanjanEya who is the personification of wisdom, the saints [mouni] who do

silent prayers and music wizards all do that raama dhyaanam. Do you really

require wealth when the golden feet of raama is with you? When you fold both

your hands in devotion, will you not receive his grace? When he is shining

in the heart will not darkness of all kinds go away? Will you tread

fearfully (maruL) when that bliss in heart is bouncing to brim? All these

are due to that raama dhyaanam. So oh bhakthaas do raama dhyaanam.

 

Now let us see how this agaththavan oLirgaiyil is a special coinage and a

beauty.

agam is inside, heart, house

avan is he

agaththE + avan = agaththavan - uLLE avan - he is inside there

agaththu + avan = agaththavan - thalaivan - owner of the house

aga + thavan = agaththavan - uLLE thavam seibavan - one who is doing penance

inside

 

agaththE + avan = agaththavan - one who is inside the heart- means one who

resides in the heart- who else it can be except raama- manadhai ramikka

cheyvadhaal allavaa avanukku raaman ennum peyar- one who makes the heart

blush with happiness- that is why the name raama. May be krishna for some

people- but there is no difference between raama and krishna - both are that

same naarayaNan.

 

agaththu + avan = agaththavan

in brahmin paribaashai, we call agam house as aam and the owner/ head of the

house is agaththukkaarar or aaththukkaar in short form, or the husband. Yes,

in sri vaishnava sampradhaayam we are all females and only purushan or the

husband- naayagan- is that parama prushan, purushOththaman, raaman. So that

way also agaththavan is raaman.

 

agaththu + avan = agaththavan - agam is house. Agaththavan is the owner of

the house. The owner of this body, mind, and soul is him - raama. Thereby

also this agaththavan is very apt and something special.

 

aga+thavan = agaththavan

one who has taken that kamala aasanam in my hrudhyam and started doing his

yOga nidhra. He does his penance sitting in lotus set of my heart and I do

my penance on him - en manak kOvilil uyogu thuyil kondavan - agaththavan.

 

Aha aha what a beauty- selection of words- these simply come by his grace

and position themselves to sing the glory of lord- avanidamirunthE vanthu

avan pugazh paadum avai.

 

Does he simply lie there in his nidhra. No he shines- agaththavan

oLirgaiyil- when he shines - iruL- the darkness- runs away like any thing-

the neela mEgha syaamaLan shines- dark coloured lord shines - oh lord, it is

possible for you to do any of these contrasting things at the same time. See

kamban in verse 1 given in post 3- "pagaiyum nee uRavum nee" contrasts but

goes together.

 

Even the physical body of such a bhaktha win whom the lord takes his yOga

nidhra will have a shine- thEjas- brightness - aura- all because of raama

naama dhyaanam.

 

See raaga selection also. amrutha varshiNi- pouring nectar- raama naama

amrutha varshiNi- Sree muththuswami dheekshithar got rain gods to come down

with this raaga. Here Smt ambujam krishna gets raama naama amrutha varshiNi

to pour down on his bhakthaas, and drown them in that aanandham.

 

Now let us see whether kamban has followed his mentor maharshi vaalmeeki in

portraying the raama sthuthi by vaali or deviated to give his own of stamp

of specialty.

 

Thvam hi gOpthaa cha saasthaa cha kaarya akaarya vidhou sthitha: - second

part of slOkam 53 sargam 18 kishkindhaa kaaNdam of vaalmeeki raamaayaNam

 

Meaning: you are the protector, you are the one who rules the universe, also

one who knows which is action and inaction.

 

Thvam hi dhrushtaartha thathvagjna: prajaanaam cha hithEratha:!

KaaryaakaaraNa sidhdhou cha prasannaa bhudhdhiravyayaa - slOkam 57 18th

sargam kishkindhaa kaaNdam- vaalmeeki raamaayaNam

 

Meaning: you are the one who is the wizard of all knowledge on thathvam. one

who keeps the welfare of people. Also you are the one who knows action and

reasons therefor. You are the one who is shining with knowledge unchanged.

 

Maam api avagatham dharmaadh vyathikraantha puraskrutham!

Dharmasamhithayaa vaachaa dharmagjna paripaalaya!! SlOkam 58 18th sargam

kishkindhaa kaaNdam- vaalmeeki raamaayaNam

Meaning: I also changed towards dharma, due to influence of you, for you

rule dharma every where.

 

These slOkaas appear as part of raama vaali samvaadham- discussion between

raama and vaali. So it is not that kamban differed with valmeeki in praising

raama thru vaali.

[Note 1. please do not mind the loose translation or improper translation.

For a full version refer experts' works.

Note 2. the slokam number is as per gorakpur geetha press published

raamaayaNa book, which I have. In certain other publication the slokam nos.

may vary but not the content.]

 

Whatever vaalmeeki wanted to praise he does thru the character of vaali -

see the naamas [names] like gOpthaa- saasthaa, thathvagjna, dharmagjna:

 

GOpthaa - gOpthrE nama:- naama 496, 693 in vishnu sahasranaamam

Saasthaa - saasthrE nama: naama 206

Thathvagna: says maharshi- Thathvaaya nama:- naama 963, thathvavidhE nama:-

naama 964- one who is thathva and one who knows thathva is thathvagjna:

Dharmagna: says maharshi- sahasra naama has dharmaadhyakshaaya nama:,

dharmavidhE nama: one who rules over and knows dharma he is dharmagjna:

 

A thought goes in me - Is it that these naamas were taken from raamaayaNam

and inserted in mahaabhaaratham anusaasana parvam.

 

Incidentally, I recall the words of prakrutham HH sri azhagiya singer [45th

pattam] in one of his anugraha bhaashaNam, on this naama "raama, thvam hi

saasthaa". Quote "many people call saasthaa some body else, not you of

course, whereas the real saasthaa is the one in front of us" pointing at

maalOlan in front.

 

Thus I do my vandhanam to the peetaadhipathi and aachaarya, before I really

start on raama sthuthi. Again since the post has become lengthy let us

definitely take up the verse 1 in next post.

 

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.