sooryasya soorya - post 4

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Post 4

 

Dear srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

As stated in the previous post, here are some points on the aadhithya hrudhya

sthOthram -

1. Many staunch srivaishNavaas do not recite this 'aadhithya hrudhya sthOthram'

for it is in praise of the sun, one of the 'nava grahams'.

 

2. Also there is an opinion that this sthOthram is a later date insertion into

the srimadh raamaayaNam and not originally given out by vaalmeeki.

 

3. My intention of touching on aadhithya hrudhayam is not to comment or argue on

these two points either for or against. But to enjoy that 'sooryasya soorya'

quote of mother sumithra. Incidentally some points came up on the AH sthOthram

and place these before the learned in the forum.

 

4. Whenever some body wants to do a suBha kaaryam like upanayanam, marriage etc,

[in olden days and aswell as nowadays], for the individual or family's benefits,

it is customary to remember and recall the forefathers in the kulam. An offer by

way of a feast to some 'near and dear' in remembrance of these forefathers is

made.

 

5. If the person remembered is a female, then it is called "sumangali

praarthanai" or "maangalya peNdugaL poojai" - colloquially "mangilip

poondu".

[see the extent of vazhakku maruvuthal - how the words get twisted in usage].

 

6. No such 'remembrance or recalling' pooja was carried out by raama before he

started the killing of the raakshasa vamsam starting with the slaying thaataka

the lady. Since raama had his father's orders and guru's blessings / orders,

perhaps this offering was not that much needed at that time. Also the gain from

such slaying of thaataka is not a direct benefit for raamaa. See below.

 

See raamaa's words here -

pithur vachana nirdhEsaat pithur vachana gauravaath |

vachanam kausikasya ithi karthavyam avisankayaa ||

srimadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 26 slokam 2

 

pithur vachana nirdhEsaath = my father's words [or order]

pithur vachana gauravaath = respecting my father's words

vachanam kausikasya ithi = word of viswamithra

karthavyam avisankaya = to be implemented by me without any qualm.

 

Meaning: raama says to himself - The words of order of my father are there to

me, and therefore I respect my father's words, for he said 'the words of

kausika [i.e., sage viswamitra] are to be implemented by you, oh! Rama without

any qualm, [now I will obey your orders oh sage].

 

anusishtO~ asmi ayOdhyaayaam guru madhyE mahaathmanaa |

pithraa dhasarathEnaaham na avajnEyam cha thadh vacha: ||

srimadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 26 slokam 3

 

anusishta: asmi ayOdhyaayaam = I am ordered in Ayodhya

guru madhyE = amidst teachers and elders

mahaathmanaa pithraa dhasarathEna = by father dhasaratha, the great soul

na avajnEyam ca thath vacha: = that word of my father is not to be neglected

 

meaning: raamaa says to himself - I am ordered amid teachers [and elders,] by

my father the great soul dhasaratha, and that word of my father is not to be

neglected by me.

 

gO braahmaNa hithaarthaaya dhEsasya cha hithaaya cha |

thava chaiva apramEyasya vachanam karthum udhyatha: ||

srimadh raamaayaNam baala kaaNdam sargam 26 slokam 5

 

gO braahmaNa hithaarthaaya = for the welfare of the cows and Brahmins

dhEsasya asya hithaaya cha = this one will benefit also the province

thava cha Eva apramEyasya = also benefit you, thus, of paramount [order of

yours]

vachanam = words [or order]

karthum udhyatha: = to perform, I am forearmed.

 

Meaning: For the welfare of cows and Brahmins and also for the benefit of this

province, also thus for the paramount sage's words [or order of yours] I am

forearmed to perform your order" said raamaa to sage visvaamithra. [1-26-5]

 

7. For raamaa's coronation also this kind of recalling the ancestors was not

done. But raamaa did start the upavaasam and vratham.

 

See slOkams

gachchha upavaasam kaakusthham kaaraya adhya thapODhana |

srEyasE raajya laaBhaaya vaDhvaa saha yathavratha: ||

srimadh raamaayaNam ayOdhyaa kaaNdam sargam 5 slokam 2

 

thapOdhana = oh, great sage vasishta!

gachchha = please go,

yathavratham kaakustham = to the avowed raamaa,

vaDhvaa saha = who is with my daughter in law seethaa,

adhya = today,

kaaraya = to make them perform,

upavaasam = fasting,

srEyasE raajya laaBhaaya = for obtaining prosperity, glory and kingdom

 

meaning: king dhasaratha says to vasishta - Oh, great sage vasishta! Please go

to the avowed raamaa and seethaa today to make them perform fasting for

obtaining kingdom, prosperity and glory.

 

prasannasthE pithaa raama youvaraajyam avaapsyasi |

upavaasam bhavaan adhya karOthu saha seethayaa ||

srimadh raamaayaNam ayOdhyaa kaaNdam sargam 5 slokam 9

 

raama = oh, Rama!

pithaa = your father

prasanna: = is delighted

thE = in your matter,

avaapsyasi = you will be getting

youvaraajyam = the princely kingdom,

bhavaan = you,

saha seetha = along with seetha,

upavaasam karOthu = do fasting,

adhya = today.

 

Meaning: vasishta to raamaa - Oh, Rama! your father is delighted with you. You

will be getting the princely kindgdom. Hence, you and seethaa perform fasting

today.

 

8. May be just after starting the vratham for coronation and before the actual

crowning this offering to ancestors was planned and did not take place for the

crowning itself did not take. [i am not really clear on this. As such learned

people in raamaayanNam can comment]

9. So this kind of offering to the ancestors also did not take place. May be

that is another reason for raamaa not getting the crown in the first instance.

 

10. While raama started his vanavaasam as per orders of his father dhasaratha,

he proceeded to guru vasishta and sought his permission, mother kousalyaa's

permission, etc.

11. When he started killing khara and dhooshana as a prelude to killing of

raavaNa, he was again armed with that "maharsheeNaam sukha aavaham" - helping

maharshi-s of the forest as the prime purpose - as we saw in the write up on

krithi hari dhaasulu.

 

12. Also raamaa did pooja etc to rishis and munis like agasthya, bhaardhwaaja,

jaabali etc, but no pooja to his soorya vamsa or ikshvaaku vamsa ancestors.

[experts in raamaayaNam may comment on this].

 

13. That is why, just before the mangala kaaryam of getting back seetha by

killing raavaNa, raama has to recall his ancestors, and do pooja to them - the

soorya being the first in raamaa's vamsam, soorya was offered the agra pooja by

way of aadhithya hrudhayam sthOthram.

 

14. We know the prime purpose of raamaa killing raavaNa is to get back seethaa.

Though it is a benefit to the whole world, that such a bad person in raavaNa is

removed from the world, the first and foremost result of such killing is

raamaa's individual benefit. That is why the pooja to fore fathers is required.

This was timely reminded by sage agasthya as a 'thing to be done' and raama did

it and got the result of winning back seethaa.

 

We will continue this 'sooryasya soorya' topic in next post.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.