Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam Special: Part 193/Sundara KahANDam/2004 SrI Raama Navami Series :Third Posting .

[Guest guest]

SrI Raama Jayam

 

 

vEdavEdhyE ParE pumsi jAthE DasaraTAthmajE

vEda: PrAchEthasAseedh SaakshAth RaamAyaNAthmanA

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

This is the second day of PaarAyaNam , when Sargams 6-15 are to be covered .

For slOkams , word by word translation of the 440 slOkams of these sargams and

meanings , please refer to the following URL:

 

http://www.valmikiramayan.net

 

The titles of these 10 chapters are :

 

1. Chapter 6 : RaavaNa Gruha PravEsa:/ Entry inside the Palace

2. Chapter 7 : Pushpaka Darsanam/HanumAn sees the Pushpaka VimAnam

3. Chapter 8 : Pushpaka Darsanam /sight of the Pushpakam

4. Chapter 9 : Pushpaka VarNanam/The description of the VimAnam

5. Chapter 10: MandhOdhari Darsanam/Inner chambers: seeing MandhOdhari

6. Chapter 11: Paana BhUmi vichaya: /Continuation of search in drinking halls

7. Chapter 12: HanUmadh VishAdha: /HanUmAn's dukkham

8. Chapter 13: HanUmadh NirvEdha:/HanUmAn's dejection

9. Chapter 14: AshOka VanAnvEshaNam/Search in AshOka vanam

10. Chapter 15: SEETHAA DARSANAM /Seeing SeethA PirAtti

 

We will now study selected slOkams from each of the ten Sargams :

 

Chapter 6: Arrival at RaavaNA's palace

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

SarvEshAm samathikramya bhavanAni samanthatha:

aasasAdhATa LAKSHMEEVAAN rakshasEndhra nivEsanam

---Sundara KaaNDam : 6.27

 

After search inside the houses of the many sons and servants of

RaavaNan , HanUmAn with LakshmI sampath arrived at RaavaNan's

palace.

 

Chapter 7: The sight of Pushpaka VimAnam

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

PushpAhvayam nAma virAjamAnam

rathna-prabhAbhisccha vivardhamAnam

vEsmOttamAnaamapi chOcchamAnam

MahA Kapis-tatra mahA-vimAnam

---Sundara KaaNDam: 7.11

 

(Meaning): The great monkey , HanumAn saw there ( inside the palace of

RaavaNa) the splendid VimAnam with the name of Pushpakam .

It glittered with mulitcolored precious gems and was taller than

many mansions . It was famous for its power to travel in the sky .

 

It was embedded with MahA Lakshmee's image (Bhimbham):

 

niyujyamAnAsthu gajA: suhasthA: skEsaraascchOthpala pathra-hasthA:

BhabhUva Devi cha kruthA suhasthA LakshmIstaTA Padhmini Padhma-hasthA

---Sundara KaaNDam: 7.14

 

(Meaning): The consecrated image of MahA Lakshmi holding lotuses

on Her hand was found on that auspicious VimAnam . The beautiful-

armed MahA Lakshmi's image was seen with elephants holding

NeelOthpala flowers filled with stamens in their hands (trunks) ;

some of them were seen in the posture of performing AbhishEkam

for Her with water from the lotus pond at which She was residing .

 

Sargam 8 and 9 : Description of Pushpaka VimAnam

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

The VimAnam was at the center of RaavaNA's palace .

The third slOkam salutes the beauty of this divine vimAnam:

 

na Tatra kimchinna krutham prayathnathO

na tatra kimchinna mahArharathnavath

na tE visEshA niyathA : surEshvapi

na tatra kimchinna mahA-visEshavath

--Sundara KaaNDam: 8.3

 

(Meaning) : There was nothing in that VimAnam that did not

have precious effort behind it .There was no gem there that was not

of high quality . Even the VimAnams of DevAs did not have those

luxuries. There was nothing to match the auspicious attributes of

the Pushpaka VimAnam.

 

That VimAnam was made for BrahmA by ViswakarmA in

DevalOkam . It was acquired by KubhEran through the power of

His penance (tapas). RaavaNan , the brother of KubhEran seized

it by the power of his parAkramam (valour).

 

Sargam 10: MandhOdhari Darsanam

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

Inside the Pushpaka VimAnam , HanUmAn saw the many wives of

RaavaNan . Chief among them was Queen MandhOdhari , the Raaja

Mahishi of RaavaNan. She was resting with her lord on a gem-adorned

bed with a white umbrella .HanUmAn got near the bed and sat on

the steps leading to the bed , where RaavaNa was sleeping without

a worry. Next to him , HanUmAn saw an youthful and beautiful woman

and mistook her for a second for SeethA Devi. He got elated momentarily

thinking that he had found SeehA Devi and quickly corrected this impossible

thought . HanUmAn knew that SeethA is a MahA Pathivrathai and would not

be seen anywhere near another man except Her husband. HanUmAn quickly

relized that the beautiful woman next to RaavaNan was his empress ,

Queen MandhOdhari .

 

Sargam 11: Search in the drinking halls of RaavaNa

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

HanUmAn swa all objects of enjoyment ( bhOgya Vasthus)

all around him in RavaNNA's palace drinking halls and eating

places. He saw food and wine in golden and silver vessels.

He saw everything in the harem of RaavaNa except SeethA PirAtti:

 

yEvam sarvam asEshENa RaavaNAntha:puram kapi:

dhadharsa sumahAtEjA na dhadharsa cha Jaanakeem

---Sundara KaaNDam: 11.34

 

HanUmAn , the BrahmAchAri , was happy that the sight of all

these women of inner chambers of RaavaNa did not affect

the tranquility of His mind . He reasoned out:

 

manO hi hEthu: sarvEshAm indhriyANAm pravarthanE

subhAsubhaasvavasthAsu taccha mE suvyavasthiTam

---Sundara KaaNDam: 11.40

 

(Meaning): One's mind (Manas) is the reason behind engagement in

PuNya and Paapa Kaaryams . My mind is totally unagitated and

is not affected one way or the other by these sights seen at the harem

of RaavaNan .

 

12. HanumAn"s sorrow: HanUmath VishAdham

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

This is a short sargam with 25 slOkams.HanUmAn began

to imagine the many things that could have happened to SeethA Devi

at the hands of the evil rAkshasaas and rAkshasees of LankA.

He was dejected with the thought that he had searched everywhere

in the palace and could not yet find SeethA PirAtti . He felt that all His

effort was in vain :

 

dhrushtam antha:puram sarvam dhrushtA RaavaNayOshitha:

na SeethA dhrusyathE saadhvee vruTA jAthO mama srama:

--Sundara KaaNDam : 12.3

 

HanUmAn reasoned that he had left not even four inches of space

in the palace unsearched ( chathuruangulamAthrOpi nAvakAsa:

sa VidhyathE ). HanUman tried to cheer up over that thought

and tried to cheer Himself up for additional searches elsewhere :

 

karOthi saphalam janthO: karma yath-tatth karOthi sa:

tasmAdh-anirvEdha-krutham yathnam chEshtEham utthamam

--Sundara KaaNDam: 12.11

 

(Meaning) : The joyous effort ( uthsAham filled karmaanushtAnam)

of the people is behind the success in accomplishing things .It is

uthsAham that propells people to perform their assigned deeds .

 

HanUmAn's sadness over His lack of success would not leave Him

that easily. The next sargam also deals with the agitated state of

mind of HanUmAn .

 

13. The Sorrow of HanUmAn : HanUmannirvEdham

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

HanUmAn said to Himself: The knig of eagles , SampAdhi

said that SeethA Devi is incarcerated in RaavaNA's house.

My search to locate Her there has not been successful. Has She

fallen out of the VimAnam as RaavaNan transported Her to LankA ?

Has RaavaNan eaten Her up ? Did the evil ladies of RaavaNA's court

eaten Her as their meal? May be She does not live anymore !

He began to worry about this sad news , if it were to be true, on

Raama , LakshmaNa and on Sugreeva. HanUmAn concluded

that He can not return to KishkindhA with bad news .He thought

about taking His own life , if He failed in His extensive efforts .

 

HanUmAn's agitated state of mind and His new resolve to search

afresh for SeethA Devi elsewhere in LankA are described by

the Addhi Kavi in two slOkams of this sargam:

 

ithi chinthAm samApanna: SeethAmanOdhigamya thAm

dhyAna-sOka pareethAthmA chinthayAmAsa Vaanara:

 

Yaavath SeethAm hi pasyAmi Raama-pathneem yasasvineem

thAvadhEthAm pureem LankAm vichinOmi puna: puna:

 

---Sundara KaaNDam: 13.51 and 52

 

With sorrow over His lack of success in finding SeethA Devi ,

HanUmAn was overcome with despondency and dejection.

He vowed not to give up His search in LankA for SeethA PirAtti ,

the renowned consort of Lord Raamachandra .

 

14.Search in AsOka Vanam

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

HanUmAn now jumped away from the inner chambers of the palace of

RaavaNa and landed in AsOka Vanam , a dense forest known for its

multifarious fauna and exquisite flora.Adhi Kavi's descriptions of the unique

beauty of AsOka Vanam ( the private garden of RaavaNan) are a delight

to take in. Since there were thousands of AsOka trees in this sport garden of

RaavaNan , it was called AsOka Vanam.

 

HanUmAn looked intensely over all areas of this AsOka Vanam . He came to

the conclusion that SeethA PirAtti will surely come to the river flowing through

AsOka Vanam for Her anushtAnam , if She were to be alive :

 

Yadhi jeevathi Saa dEvee taarAdhipa-nibhAnanA

aagamishyathi Saa avasyam imAm Siva-jalAm nadheem

--Sundara KaaNDam: 14.50

 

HanUmAn compares the beauty of the face of SeethA PirAtti here

to that of the full Moon . Siva Jalam means parisuddha nadhi.

 

15. Darsanam of SeethA PirAtti in the AsOka Vanam

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

HanUmAn sat on a tall SimsupA tree and looked all around

for any clue that will reveal the presence of SeethA PirAtti there.

Slowly , HanUmAn's eyes settled on a temple like structure in

the middle , which was known as ChaithyaprAsAdham. Near there,

HanUmAn saw a group of Raakshasis and in their middle a noble

lady , who was frail from fasting and sighing very often . She had no

jewelery . Her eyes were full of tears .She was like a tender female deer

surrounded by fierce hunting dogs ( Raakshasees) . The words of Adhi Kavi

to describe the suffering Jaanaki MaathA in AsOka Vanam are most moving:

 

Malina samveethAm = with dirty vasthrams

UpavAsa krusA = frail looking from lack of eating

Dheena= helpless and frightened

analankArAm= without any jewelery or decorations

VipadhmAmiva Padhmineem= like a lotus pond devoid of lotuses

vreeDithAm = repentent over Her harsh words to LakshmaNan

tapasvineem= one engaged in tapas to reunite with Her husband

grahENAngArakENEva peeDithAmiva rOhiNeem = like the star

RohiNee affected by AngAraka graham

asru poorNa mukheem= with eyes filled with tears

nithyam dukkha ParAyaNAm= subjected daily to sorrow

 

HanumAn used logic to conclude from the above signs

that the sorrow-stricken noble lady in front of Him was

none other than SeethA PirAtti , the dear consort of His Lord

Raamachandran.

HanUmAn thus saw SeethA PirAtti and his mind raced immediately

to the lotus feet of his Lord across the ocean , who had sent Him

to LankA to find His dear dharma pathnee .HanUmAn was thankful over

His bhAgyam to find Her .

 

SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Raama DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan