winning ways - post 1

[Guest guest]

Dear srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

The presence of the grand mother is very essential in the house for the

grandsons and granddaughters to learn some stories. Perhaps the US based Indian

families now have that luxury for the presence of grandmas. That is because the

mothers are present to help their daughters and daughter in laws in the delivery

of the child and foster them for some initial period. By the time the child

wants to listen to the stories from grandma, perhaps she may be away. Why I talk

about grandmas in the first paragraph of this write up is that generally they

tell stories of 'raama' and 'krishna' to the children in the early stages of

life thereby bringing a sense of bhakthi and slowly developing it over a period.

 

Grandmas generally start the story by saying "oru ooril oru raajaa", following

that big management principle of creating the interest first to attentively

listen. On subsequent days, the children would have lost that interest to this

kind of starting. On the contrary great people always start straight on the

subject. But we ordinary mortals need a lot of preface to get us into that

groove.

 

Another point in the management science is, to start from an 'existing' or

'known situation' and then go into the new situation to get a grip first and

then expand on the subject to deal. Whereas same is not applicable to greats. we

enter into the meeting of two greats - naaradha and vaalmeeki. - see there, a

straight shot - sage vaalmeeki asks the great naaradha "who is guNavaan, who is

dharmajna" and lists totally 16 guNams. See slOkams.

 

[perhaps these you might have read in my "sukhi evarO" and in vaachaama gOcharam

krithi write ups - but it is good and worth to read more or many more times for

each time it gives a new meaning and enlightenment. Hence repeated even though

the length of post may restrict my hands to deal it again].

 

thapa: svaadhyaaya nirathaam thapasvee vaagvidhaam varam |

naaradham paripaprachchha vaalmeeki: muni pungavam || 1-1-1

ka: nu asmin sampratham lOkE guNavaan ka: cha veeryavaan |

Dharmajna: cha krtajna: cha sathya vaakyO dhrDa vratha: || 1-1-2

chaarithrENa cha kO yuktha: sarva bhoothEshu kO hitha: |

vidhvaan ka: ka: samartha: cha ka: cha Eka priya dharsana: || 1-1-3

aathmavaan ka: jitha krOdhO dhyuthimaan ka: anasooyaka: |

kasya biBhyathi dhEvaa: cha jaatha rOshasya samyugE || 1-1-4

 

Meaning: the sage-poet Vaalmeeki, inquisitively inquired the divine sage

naaradha, who is

* the thoughtful person even in meditation,

* an eternally studious sage in scriptures [about the truth and untruth]

* a sagacious thinker

* a sublime elucidator among all expert enunciators,

* a man who is a composite in his form for all merited endowments.

* a principled one

* a potential one,

* a conscientious one,

* a redeemer,

* a truth-teller

* who is determined in his deeds

* conduct- wise blended with good-conduct

* benign in respect of all beings

* adept

* able

* uniquely goodly to look to

* courageous

* controlled his ire,

* brilliant,

* non-jealous

* by whom even the gods are afraid when provoked to war

 

When this question is asked by sage vaalmeeki to sage naaradha, naaradha

maharshi also answers straight - I know of such a person - he is raama,

dhasarathaa's son, of ikshvaaku dynasty, immediately starts pouring sankshEpa

raamaayaNam. [From slokam 8 to 97 of first sargam is an abridged version of

raamaayaNam]

 

sruthvaa cha Ethath thrilOkajnO vaalmeekE: naaradhO vacha: |

srooyathaam ithi cha aamanthrya prahrushtO vaakyam abraveeth || 1-1-6

 

sruthvaa + cha + Ethath = on listening also all those

vaalmeekE: = of vaalmeeki

vacha: = words;

naaradha: = naaradha;

thri + lOka + jna: = three worlds preceptor of;

srooyathaam + ithi = I will relate, thus;

aamanthrya + cha = on beckoning [vaalmeeki] also;

pra + hrushta: = very gladly;

vaakyam + abraveeth = sentence [words] spoke.

 

Meaning: On listening all those words of vaalmeeki, sage naaradha, the preceptor

of all the three worlds, very gladly said thus, "I will relate", [also on

beckoning at sage vaalmeeki], [to listen attentively] and spoke these words.

 

bahavO dhurlabhaa: cha Eva yE thvayaa keerthithaa guNaa: |

munE vakshyaami aham budhdhvaa thai: uktha: shrooyathaam nara: || 1-1-7

 

munE = oh, sage vaalmeeki;

bahava: = many [or infinite merits];

dhur + labhaa: = not attainable, [unattainable by conscious development or

effort]

cha + Eva = also that way [for ordinary humans];

yE + guNaa: = which merits;

keerthithaa: + thvayaa = extolled by you;

thai: + yuktha: = those [facets] one who has [the possessor of those merits];

nara: = [of that] man;

srooyathaam = I make it clear;

aham + budhdhvaa = I will, having known [from Brahma];

vakshyaami = I speak on.

 

Meaning: Oh! Sage vaalmeeki, the merits which you have extolled are many, and

unattainable [for great emperors, let alone ordinary humans, and also infinite

are they, but of such a man with such merits] I will speak on, for I, having

known [from Brahma of such a man] will make clear about that man" [Thus naaradha

started to say].

 

ikshvaaku vamsa prabhavO raamO naama janai: srutha: |

niyatha aathmaa mahaaveeryO dhyuthimaan dhruthimaan vasee || 1-1-8

 

ikshvaaku + vamsa: + prabhava: = ikshvaaku dynasty as his birthplace [emerged

from ikshvaaku dynasty];

raama: + naama = raama named;

srutha: + janai: = heard thus by people;

niyatha + aathmaa = controlled souled [conscientious];

mahaa + veerya: = highly valorous one;

dhyuthimaan = resplendent one;

dhruthimaan = steadfast;

vasee = controller [of vice and vile [or,] senses.]

 

meaning: One emerged from ikshvaaku dynasty and known to people thus as raama by

his name, and he is conscientious, highly valorous, resplendent, steadfast and a

controller of vice and vile. [and his own senses, as well]

 

Dear bhakthaas, Perhaps now you all will ask - hey this is all known to us. What

is that you want to say? Just I want to put across such a "great raamaa's

'winning ways'" in this and subsequent posts.

 

We know, king dhasaratha, with much reluctance sent raama along with sage

visvaamithra. [We also saw the saint thyaagaraajaa's krithi on this]. On

sighting thaataka, sage visvaamithra advises raama to kill her. See slOkam

 

vadhyathaam thaavath Eva Eshaa puraa sandhyaa pravarthathE || 1-26-22

rakshaaamsi sandhyaa kaalE thu dhurdharshaaNi bhavanthi hi |

 

sandhyaa + puraa + pravarthathE = sunset in short time sets in;

thaavath Eva = before that alone;

Eshaa vadhyathaam = she be destroyed;

sandhyaa kaalE = at sunset time;

rakshaamsi dhurdharshaaNi bhavanthi vai = demons unassailable they become

indeed.

 

Meaning: Sun is going to set in a short time, and only before that time she

shall be destroyed, for demons at dusk and afterwards become unassailable,

indeed." So said sage visvamithra to raama. [1-26-22b, 23a]

 

ithi uktha: sa thu thaam yaksheem asma vrushtyaa abhivarshaNeem || 1-26-23

dharsayan sabdha vEdhithvam thaam rurOdha sa saayakai: |

 

ithi uktha: sa: = thus spoken he, that raama;

thaam yaksheem = her that yakshee;

sabdha vEdhithvam dharsayan = sonic archery displaying [his capacity];

asma vrushtyaa abhi varshaNeem = with stone storms storming;

sa: = he;

thaam rurOdha saayakai: = her forestalled with arrows.

 

Meaning: When visvamitra addressed him thus, raama displaying his capacity in

sonic archery forestalled that yakshee who has gone into invisibility and

storming stone-storms, with his arrows.

 

saa rudhDhaa baaNa jaalEna maayaa bala samanvithaa || 1-26-24

abhi dhudhraava kaakuthstham lakshmaNam cha vinEshudhee ||

 

baaNa jaalEna rudhDhaa = by arrows arrays obstructed;

maayaa bala samanvithaa = illusional power possessing with;

saa = she;

vinEshudhee = stridently blaring;

kaakuthstham lakshmaNam cha = to raama lakshmaNa also;

abhi dhuraava = towards, dashed.

 

Meaning: And when the arrays of arrows obstructed her who possesses illusional

powers, she dashed towards raama and lakshmaNa blaring stridently.

 

thaam aapathantheem vEgEna vikraanthaam asaneem iva || 1-26-25

sarENa urasi vivyaadha saa papaatha mamaara cha |

 

vi kraanthaam= one who is invading;

asaneem iva = thunderbolt like;

vEgEna = speedily;

aa pathantheem = she who is coming and falling - swooping down;

thaam sarENa urasi vi yaadha = her with arrow on chest struck;

saa papaatha = she readily fell;

ma maara cha = completely, dropped dead, too.

 

Meaning: And raama struck an arrow in her chest who is invading and speedily

swooping down like a thunderbolt, and thus she is readily felled down and

totally dropped dead, too.

 

Point: this is the very first victory for raama. This win is achieved by

sabdhavEdhi - by the expertise in shooting arrows in the direction of sounds

emanating. That too only one arrow is sent and the enemy is struck to death.

This also means exhibiting his knowledge and skill in his archery, that too in

front of an expert king turned sage visvaamithra, the guru who gave the

assurance that the ward will be under his protection [also tutelage]. Showing

the winning skills in front of a guru is a credit for the student, is it not?

 

[Note: Readers may recall raamaa's father dhasaratha also ended the blind

rishi's son [rishi puthra] by similar sabdhavEdhi, and that lead him getting the

curse of rishi to have puthrasOkam which finally will lead dhasaratha to death].

 

Other winning ways we will see in subsequent posts.

 

Dhaasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.