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

[Guest guest]

SrI Raama Jayam

 

Koojantham Raama-RaamEthi madhuram madhurAksharam

aaruhya kavithA-saakhAm vandhE Vaalmiki kOkilam

 

I offer my salutations to that nightingale with the name of Vaalmiki ,

which climbed on to the branch of poetry and sings with delectable

music , the sacred name of Raamaa.

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

This is the Third day of PaarAyaNam , when Sargams16-20 are to be covered . 

For slOkams , word by word translation of the 32 slOkams of the 16th sargam and

meanings , please refer to the following URL:

 

http://www.valmikiramayan.net    

 

>From 17-68 ,no English translations of the above kind are

available now. I will summarize the meanings of these chapters .

Extensive efforts to provide the slokam by slokam translation has

to wait for another occasion , since it will take many months to accomplish

that task . 

We will now study selected slOkams from each of these five Sargams

(16-20) and provide a summary of these sargams .

 

Chapter 16: Sorrow of HaUumAn over the sad sight of SeethA Devi 

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HanumAn was now convinced that the lady under the SimsupA  tree

was indedd SeethA Devi ( SeethEyam ithyEva nivishta-buddhi: ) .

He reflected upon the sad truth that kaalagathi can not be overcome

by anyone including SeethA Devi , even if She was the divine consort

of the mighty RaamachandrA  ( yadhi Seethaapi dukkhArtthA  kaLO

hi DURATHIKRAMA: ). SeethA Devi however was of single mind about

the unfailing valour of Her Lord to rescue Her and therefore did not lose hope.

 

HanumAn begins to reflect on the extraordinary close match of SeethA

PirAtti with Her husband in  conduct , age , youth , anga soundharyam

and all other physical and mental aspects:

 

tulya-seelA vayO-vrutthAm tulyApi-jana-lakshaNam

RaaghavOrhathi VaidEheem Tamm chEyam-asitEkshaNA

---Sundara KaaNDam: 16.5

 

HanumAn then began to recall the many heroic deeds performed by

Raaghava Simham for SeethA PirAtti's sake earlier : Vaali Vadham ,

battle of JanasthAnam , where 14,000 rAkshasAs were killed ,

Khara-Thrisiras vadham , crowning of Sugreeva et al .

 

HanumAn reflects further on the avathAram of Seethai in the lofty

kingdom of Janaka maharAjA and Her links by marriage to another

great Kulam ( IshvAku kulam ). HanumAn concludes that the blessings

of the rulership over all the three worlds would not equal that of

Jaanaki MaathA ( TharailOkya rAjyam sakalam SeethAyaa

nApnuyAth-kalAm ).HanumAn assesses that  the deep love of

SeethA as a MahA Pathivrathai for Her husband  made Her accept

the suffering of incarceration in LankA .  

 

HanumAn was now convinced that the beautiful lady suffering

immensely under the pain of sepaeration from Her husband is

indeed SeethA PirAtti and HanumAn stayed on top of the SimsupA

tree under which SeethA PirAtti was found by Him . 

 

Chapter 17: Seeing the Raakshasees surrounding SeethA Devi

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This sargam has 31 slOkams and goes in to great details about

the distorted , ugly and frightening features of the  many  Raakshasis

that RaavaNA has ordered to watch over SeethA PirAtti and

to frighten Her in to submission to marryRaavaNaa .HanumAn

contrasts the enduring beauty of SeethA PirAtti even under the most

dire circumstance of incarceration in LankA by the evil RaavaNaa.

 

HanumAn offered now His namaskArams to Raamaa and LakshMaNaa

from AsOka Vanam and was elated over His good fortune to have

located and seen SeethA PirAtti with His own eyes :

 

namaskruthvA Sa Raamasya LakshmaNAya cha VeeryavAn

SeethA-darsana-samhrushtO HanumAn samvruthOabhavath

---Sundara KaaNDam: 17.31

 

HanumAn hid amongst the dense foliage of the SimsupA tree

to  avoid detection by the Raakshasees guarding SeethA Devi.   

 

Sargam 18 : Arrival of RaavaNan at AsOka Vanam

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Sun has set by now. RaavaNaa woke up from his sleep and

headed for AsOka vanam driven by his desire for SeethA Devi.

He was surrounded by attendant servants.Sage Vaalmiki

describes RaavaNan here as "Kaama ParAdheenan "

( One overcome by Kaamam) and Dhurbuddhi. HanumAn

climbed to a higher branch of the SimsupA tree now to have

a better look at the RaakshasA king , who was strutting like

a rogue elephant in rut to come near SeethA PirAtti.There are

32 slOkams in this sargam.

 

Sargam 19:Description of SeethA PirAtti

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As SethA saw this evil-minded RaavaNan , She shook like

a banana tree hit by a cyclone and She covered Her upper body

with Her folded hands in modesty .In the 23 slOkams of this sargam ,

Adhi Kavi provides outstanding similies to describe the sad plight of 

SeethA PirAtti as She faced the approaching RaavaNan. Valmeeki 

described SeethA Devi's pitiable plight this way :

 

upavAsEna sOkEna dhyAnEna cha bhayEna cha

pariksheeNAm krusAm dheenAm alpAhArAm tapOdhanAm

 

aayachamAnam dukkhArTam prAnjalim DevathAmiva

bhAvEna Raghu-mukhyasya  dasagreeva-parAbhavam

 

---Sundara KaaNDam: 19. 21-22

 

(meaning ):SeethA PirAtti was frail from fasting ;She was overladen

with sorrow and had only water for nourishment and was doing 

penance to be reunited with Her Lord. She was praying with folded

palms to Her kula dhaivam , Lord RanganAtha for the destruction of

RaavaNa by the chief of Raghu Vamsam , SrI Raaamachandran.   

  

Sargam 20 : RaavaNan's appeal

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This sargam has 36 slOkams . RaavaNan stands now in front

of the shivering SeethA PirAtti and states that he desires Her

and asks Her to confer on him the honor of becoming the object of

his affection ( kaamayE ThvAm VisAlAkshi bahu manyasya mAm priyE).

He asks SeethA PirAtti not to be afraid of him and observes that it

was not fit for Her to observe vrathams and undergo hardships instead of

enjoying bhOgams with him . RaavaNan tells SeethA PirAti that Her youth

should not be wasted (Youanam vyathivarthatE ) and that the youth will not

return just as the water that has flown by  in previous years.The evil rAkshan

says boldly : Oh MaiTili ! Be my wife ( Bhava MaiTili bhAryA mE). Forget

your delusion about abandoning me ( mOha manam visarjaya).

Decorate yourself to your heart's desire ( icchayA kriyathAmadhya

prathikarma tavOtthamam ). Give land and wealth to anyone you

wish as my wife ( yaTEshtam cha prayaccha Thvam pruTiveem

vaa dhanAni cha). He utters with boldness the advantages SeethA

Devi can get by trustign him and pleasing him . He begs Her

to command him with courage . He offered to place SeethA DEvi

on top of all his wives including the patta mahishi , MandhOdhari

herself . He says that Her relatives and friends will also share

his immeasurable wealth :

 

lalasva mayi visraBdhA dhrushtamAgnyApayasva cha

mathprasAdhllalanthyAsccha lalanthAm BhAndhavAstava

---Sundara KaaNDam: 20.24

 

After praising himself , RaavaNan now begins to ridicule

SrI Raamachandran , which was like poison to the ears of

SeethA PirAtti :

 

nikshiptha-vijayO RaamO gatha-SrIr-vanagOchara:

vrathee sTaNidala-saayee cha sankE jeevathi vaa na vaa

---Sundara KaaNDam: 20.26

 

(Meaning): Your husband Raaman is without victory ( Nikshiptha-

Vijayan) . He has no property as a wanderer in the forests . He observes

aal vrathams and lies odwn on the ground for sleeping ( instead of

a soft bed) . I am not sure whether he is alive now or not !

 

na Raamas-tapasA dEvi na BhalEna na vikramai:

na dhanEna mayA tulyas-tEjasA yasasAapi vaa

--Sundara KaaNDam : 20.34

 

(Meaning ) : Oh Devi ! Your Raaman is not equal to me in tapas , strength ,

valour , material wealth , lustre or reputation ! Please enjoy my company

and all my wealth , eat , drink and be merry ( piBha vihara ramasva bhunkshva

bhOgAn).  

 

Commentators observe that RaavaNan's samarpaNam of all

his Isvaryam to SeethA Devi  ( however offensive it was ) led to  him

to attain Lord RanganAthA's anugraham for the retention of

all that wealth in the family as long as there is Sun and the Moon .

Reference here is to RaavaNaa's brother VibhishaNan becoming

the King of  LankA through coronation by Lord Raamachandra 

after RaavaNA's destruction . 

 

SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

                                             

 

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Raama DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan