Rama the Fourth

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta

Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

Rama the Fourth

 

 

It has been fashionable among Kings and Emperors of yore to name

themselves after their illustrious predecessors, perhaps to

perpetuate their memory or for other reasons. We thus find several

KulOtthungAs in the ChOzha lineage, several Sundara PAndyAs in the

dynasty of the PAndyas who ruled with Madurai as their capital, two

or more Chenguttavans in the ChEra kulam and at least two Chandra

GuptAs. The practice doesn’t seem unique to India, as we find

English sovereigns too preferring to bear the names of their

ancestors, finding the same to be tried and tested than some strange

name, which might bring misfortune. The name of Henry appears to have

been extremely popular among English Kings, closely followed by

Edward, with Henry VIII being perhaps the last of the Henries, having

mired himself in controversies. Though America is supposed to be a

democracy, we find the strange phenomenon of some of its illustrious

sons calling themselves Rockfeller III and so on, in an attempt to

imitate kings of yore. With the widely prevalent South Indian

practice of naming the male offspring after their grandfathers, I

could probably call myself Satakopan the 23rd or some such thing.

 

Going back to times past, let me ask you a question, in a general

sense—Who was Rama the first?

 

This might sound strange, for there do not appear to have been two or

more Kings of the name in the Ikshvaku dynasty. And if this question

were to be asked in the buzzer round of a quiz programme,

participants’ fingers would race to the buzzer and pat would

come the answer, identifying Sri Rama, son of Dasarata, as Rama the

First. And the quiz master would promptly declare it to be wrong

answer.

 

>From time immemorial, the name Rama has always signified to us the

Magnificent Monarch of Ayodhya, the distinguished son of Dasarata,

the apple of Kousalya’s eye, the heartthrob of Sri Janaki and

the revered ruler who was a model for all to follow, in all aspects

of human life. The name appears as though fashioned specifically for

the Prince of Ayodhya, so much so, that Visvamitra, dissatisfied with

the name bestowed on the Prince by arch rival Vasishtta, thinks long

and hard for an alternative sobriquet, but fails miserably to come up

with a credible alternative and ends up calling Him by the very same

name.

 

However, Vasishtta himself doesn’t appear to have been very

original in naming the Prince of Ayodhya as “Rama”, for

there was already a famous entity with the sobriquet, who was known

in all the three worlds. In fact, His very name evoked awe and terror

in everyone, especially in ruling clans. Long before Dasaratha begot

Sri Rama, this other Rama was quite well known. Born to Jamadagni and

RENukA, this child was also named Rama by His parents. This is clear

from the Ramayana sloka, where the Rishis call him by the name

“Rama”—“RishayO Rama Rama iti madhuram vAkyam

abruvan”And because He wielded the axe with telling effect, He

was known as “Parasu Rama”.

 

There must be something in the name “Rama” which prompts

instant and implicit obedience to parents. Just as Dasaratha Rama was

famed for His “pitru vAkya paripAlanam” and treating His

father’s words as holier than the scripture, BhArgava Rama

(Parasurama was so called because of his descent from Sage Bhrigu)

too carried out His father’s wishes instantly and without

question, even though they involved the beheading of His mother and

brothers. Enraged by his wife’s delay in bringing water for his

Vaidika kriyAs, Jamadagni asked his five sons to behead their beloved

mother. Baulking at this cruel command, four of the sons would not

carry out the heinous act. His rage fuelled by this refusal,

Jamadagni ordered Parasurama to kill not only His mother but also the

disobedient brothers. Without batting an eyelid and without a

moment’s hesitation, Parasurama carried out His father’s

orders. And when a pleased Jamadagni sought to bestow boons on his

obedient son, Parasurama sought as the one and only boon the

restoration of His mother and brothers to life. Parasurama knew His

father’s psychology very well and acted instantly and with

alacrity in carrying out the distasteful orders, knowing full well

that the executions could be reversed.

 

And the name “Rama” also appears to signify exemplary

bravery and exceptional prowess. While Dasaratha Rama single-handedly

destroyed fourteen thousand rAkshasAs at JanasthAnam, Parasurama too

appears to have disposed of seventeen battalions of

KartaveeryArjunA’s army and later the thousand-armed King

himself, when the latter tried to abduct the KAmadhEnu in

Jamadagni’s possession. And when the dead King’s son

killed Jamadagni and his wife in a fit of rage, Parasurama took a vow

to destroy the ruling class for twenty-one generations and wreaked

sweet revenge by filling a tank at KurukshEtra with the blood of all

the beheaded kings and performing “Pitru tarpaNam” with

the same.

 

Struck by the contrast between Rama the First and Rama the Second,

Swami Desikan conveys his wonderment through the sobriquets he

bestows on them—while Parasurama is described as “ROsha

Rama:” or anger personified, Dasaratha Rama is termed

“KaruNA KAkuttstha:” or the embodiment of Mercy. While

Sri Rama had to bring on anger with difficulty (“kOpam AhArayat

teevram”), Parasurama is said to be consumed by the blazing fire

of anger (“KrOdhAgnim Jamadagni peedana bhavam”). While

Sri Rama is the support and sustenance of hundreds of princely

dynasties (“RAja vamsAn shata guNAn stthApayishyati

Raghava:”), Parasurama’s sworn mission is the

annihilation of all rulers, for twenty-one generations.

 

A legitimate doubt plagues us as to how the Lord assumed such a

dreaded and awesome avatAra, whose sole purpose appears to have been

to rid the worlds of a degenerated ruling class. How could Emperuman,

who is normally a cool and inviting ocean of Mercy (“KaruNA

varuNAlayam”), indulge in such mass destruction, even granting

that it was to remove the painful, princely thorns in the flesh of

BhoomAdEvi?

 

The answer is easy to find. In Sri Ramavatara, the constant presence

of Piratti ensured that divine justice was liberally tempered with

Mercy, as in the case of KAkAsurA and the RAkshasIs of AshOka vanikA.

In Parasuramavatara, without the benefit of intercession by the

Divine Consort, the KshatriyAs were exposed to the full force of the

Lord’s anger at wrongdoing by those who were expected to set an

example to their subjects. It is thus the mitigating presence and

mercy-filled words of Sri Mahalakshmi that make all the difference

between our receiving punishment commensurate with our innumerable

transgressions and getting off lightly with just a word of caution.

 

Passing on to Rama the Third, we find Him to be the constant companion

of Sri Krishna, whose life-mission is to afford protection to Sri

Krishna. Balarama destroyed the dreaded PralambAsura, who had arrived

at Gokulam to eliminate Krishna. Compared to Krishna’s traits of

thieving, faithlessness to girl friends, incurable fibbing, etc.,

Balarama appears to have been a paragon of virtue. Krishna had a

healthy respect for His elder brother and appeared to obey the latter

implicitly, always—this is evident from Sri Andal’s lines

“BaladEvarkku Or keezh kandru”. And if Sri

Krishna’s entire life, words, deeds and looks were incredibly

sweet (“MathurAdhipatE: akhilam madhuram”), it is because

of the inseparable company of Sri Balarama, says Swami Desikan,

likening Sri Krishnavatara to milk and the Balaramavatara to Sugar,

which makes milk more of a pleasure to consume. If Sri Rama wielded

the bow and arrow with telling effect and if Parasurama was a terror

with his axe, Rama the third carried a Plough, with which He

destroyed many an enemy of Krishna. Balarama was so powerful that

once He dragged the entire city of HastinApuram with His plough and

dumped it into the Yamuna.

 

One wonders whether it is to these three Ramas that the Vishnu

Sahasranama Stotram refers, when it quotes Rudra as saying

“SrI Rama Rama Rama iti ramE rAmE ManOramE

SahasranAma tat tulyam Rama nAma varAnanE”

 

Going beyond the Divine Trio of Ramas, we are told that there is a

Rama the Fourth, who has all the positive traits of the first three,

but none of their apparent blemishes. This fourth Rama is virtue

personified and greater than his three namesakes. If you find this

difficult to believe or digest and consider it to be a product of my

imagination, here is confirmation from an impeccable source—

 

“anujjita kshamA yOgam apuNya jana bAdhakam

asprishta mada rAgam tam Ramam turyam upAsmahE”

 

 

Says Swami Desikan in Sri YatirAja Saptati—

 

“I pay obeisance to Rama the Fourth, who is much greater than

the three Ramas put together. Sri Parasurama lacked tolerance and

mercilessly eliminated the ruling class for twenty-one generations.

Our fourth Rama, however, is patience and tolerance personified. Sri

Dasaratha Rama vowed to rid the world of bestial rAkshasAs and

carried out His vow effectively, resulting in a massacre of the race.

The Fourth Rama, however, would not harm even an ant, leave alone

cause distress to people, good or bad. Sri Balarama was known for His

partiality to “madhu”, with eyes reddish and demeanour

affected by imbibing such beverages. Rama the Fourth, however, is

purity personified, unaffected by baser instincts”.

 

And who is this fourth Rama, who is so great as to overshadow even His

divine predecessors? It is none other than Sri MaNakkAl nambi,

otherwise known as Sri Rama Misra. This Acharya was such a paragon of

virtues and so untouched by any inauspicious traits, that Swami

Desikan considers him to be superior to the Divine Trio, in tune with

the dictum, “AchAryAt iha dEvatAm samadhikAm anyAm na

manyAmahE” (we do not recognize or worship any deity as being

superior to our magnificent Acharya). The words “Ramam turyam

upAsmahE” (we worship Rama the fourth) indicate, by

implication, that adulation should be only for Sri Rama Misra and not

the other three, distinguished though they are.

 

A legitimate doubt that may arise in readers’ minds is whether

the Deities mentioned ahead should be portrayed in such poor light,

merely for the sake of highlighting the greatness of the Acharya.

Swami Desikan adopts here what is known as the “nahi nindA

nyAyam”, which means that absolutely no disrespect or insult is

meant towards the Divine Trio, the emphasis here being on stressing

the glory of Sri Rama Misra, who was indeed an Acharya beyond

compare. But for his diverting Sri Alavandar from mundane pursuits

and exposing him to Bhagavat anubhavam, our Sampradaya would have

been much poorer. The immense contribution of Sri Alavandar would

have been totally unavailable to us, but for the stellar role played

by Sri Rama Misra and this is the reason for Swami Desikan’s

glowing tribute to the Acharya, putting him on a pedestal higher than

that occupied by even the Lord.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan