Guest guest Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer, In the recent brahmOthsavam of the malaiyappa swamy, lord venkatesan of thirumala, we saw so much of decoration to the lord, with different kinds of jewels highly costly, many splendor silk clothes, zari woven clothes, multi coloured flowers smelling good, chandana maalai [sandal wood scraping made as garland] etc, with so much bright lights to enable every body see him clearly without any complaint that light is not sufficient etc. Did the lord ask us to do all these for him? With such decorations only is he going to get added beauty? If I answer that as a NO, then many bhakthaas will get offended. But if I put it the other way then all will agree with me. It is our desire to see the lord decorated in different ways and enjoy his beauty. For whatever decoration we can do for ourselves, then, it becomes limited and confined for the enjoyment of a few. Not all can enjoy. If the same is done to the lord, then all across the world can enjoy. Even if we are not in thirumala, we can enjoy by TV and internet across the world. The supreme lord is 'beauty personified'. So he needs no decorations. In fact these decorations to a large extent reduce his beauty. For when he is without all these decorations, then, that simple decoration and then the beauty is incomparable. Perhaps such occasions may be far and few to enjoy. Only few people, perhaps, would have got such opportunities. May be that is why having enjoyed that simple and marvelous beauty, many bhakthaas sing that they are decorating the lord this way with that dress, that way with this jewel, for the hair with that flower etc. See thyaagaraaja swamy in his krithi below. Song: chEthulaara srungaaramu raagam: bhairavi taaLam: aadi Composer: Thyaagaraaja Language: Telugu pallavi chEthulaara srungaaramu jEsi choothunu sree raama [chEthulaara] meaning: I want to decorate you nicely with my hands and then see you. anupallavi sEthu bandhana surapathi saraseeruha bhavaadhulu pogada naa [chEthulaara] meaning: hey raama, brahma, dhEvaas et al, should talk about this decoration of you, raamaa, one who has built the sEthu [across the ocean] charaNam 1 merugu bangaarandhelu betti mEtiyou sariga valvalu gatti sura tharu sumamula siganinti jutti sundaramagu mOmuna mudhdhu petti [chEthulaara] meaning: for your waist, oh raama, I will decorate with gold belt [oddiyaaNam] over the zari woven cloth, for the hairdo I will offer nice and fragrant flowers, after such decoration I will also implant a kiss on your face [cheeks?]. charaNam 2 molanu kundhanamu gejjalu goorchi mudhdhuga nudhutanu thilakamu theerchi alakalapai raavi rEkayu jaarchi andhamaina ninnu uramuna jErchi [chEthulaara] meaning: I will adorn for your head jasmine flowers decorated like an anklet and put in a raised way, for the lalaatam - the forehead - kasthoori thilakam - the mark of musk - for the hair [again] decorate the chuttis in the shape of the chandhran and sooryan - then embrace you, oh raama. charaNam 3 aaNi muthyaala koNdE vEsi havusugaa parimaLa gandhamu boosi vaani surathichE visaraga vaasi vaasi anuchu thyaagaraaja nuthayanni rOsi [chEthulaara] meaning: for the kondai - the hair do - good pearl garlands to beautify, for the chest - good smelling sandal, saraswathy herself will do the fanning [do the chaamara kainkaryam], I will just stand by the side and enjoy saying well, good, - says thyaagaraaja. Points: 1. [gejja means a chalangai -an anklet. Here a jasmine gejja - malligaip poovai chalangai pOla kattinadhu - thalai mayirai uyaramaaga katti adharku chalangai pOla alankaaram - raise the hair and do put a haaram of like jasmine flower] 2. As already we have seen with thyaagaraaja krithis, swamy does not merely sing his krithis on raama from his devoted heart, but with a proper reference to many happenings in raamaayaNam - like the hari dhaasulu linked to celebration after khara dhooshaNa vadham, the recent write of paramaathmudu krithi to brahma coming and advising vaalmeeki to sing raamaayaNam. 3. In the same way, to analyse what is the happening or sequence in raamaayaNam, linked to this krithi, Paarvathi, the wife of sivan, is saying this to raama - I will do alankaaram to you like this, like this, etc. 4. For raama had just then finished the great act of killing raavaNan. Already all these dhEvaas, sidhdhaas, chaaraNaas, kinnaraas, rishi ganaas, et al were assembled in the sky to witness and see the war between raama and raavaNa. See slokam antharikshE cha bhoomou cha punascha girimoorDhani - 6 - 107 - 64B dhEva dhaanava yakshaaNaam pisaacha uraga rakshasaam pasyathaam than mahadh yudhDham sarva raathram avarthatha - 6-107 - 65 meaning: In the sky, all around on the ground, as well on the hilltops, all dhEvaas, the demigods, the dhaanavaas, yakshaas, pisaasa, snakes, and all raakshasaas were seeing the great war which was happening throughout the night. 5. Why all had come? It was in their own interest. For they only requested the supreme lord through brahma, to take human form and kill raavaNan. Also that kind of war, perhaps, will have no parallel ever to happen again. So they all came to witness such a war. They enjoyed the war and victory of raama - and towards the end - just after raavaNan had fallen - see slOkam atha: antharikshE vyanadhath soumya: thridhasa dhundhubhi: | dhivya gandhavaha: thathra maarutha: susukhO vavou || 6-108-27 meaning: then in the sky, the auspicious dhEva dhundhubi [musical instrument] was played.[made noise]. The air blew across with good smell. 7. Also these people showered a special flower rain on raama. nipapaatha antharikshaa: cha pushpa vrushti: thadhaa bhuvi | kiranthee raaghava ratham dhuravaapaa manOharaa: || 6-108-28 meaning: On the chariot of raama a very special flowery rains showered from the sky, which was not offered to any others. 8. At that stage paarvathi is also there and expresses her desire to decorate for raama is dusty and a bit unorganized in his dressing, due to the intensity of the war. So she says I will do all decorations to you, oh my brother. Also saraswathy, the wife of brahma, will lend me her hand in this effort by offering to do the chaamara kainkaryam. raaghava: thava samyukthaa gaganE cha visusruvE | saadhu saadhu ithi vaak agryaa dhEvathaanaam mahaathmanaam || 6-108- 29 meaning: In the sky the great souls dhEvaas said well, well, good, good. aavivEsa mahaan harshO dhEvaanaan chaaraNai: saha | raavaNE nihathE roudhrE sarva lOka bhayankarE || 6-108-30 meaning: the dhEvaas and chaaraNaas hailed the victory over the dreaded and wicked raavaNan. Point is - in the krithi of thyaagaraaja also - paarvathi says 'vaasi vaasi anuchu' - well well, after finishing the decoration. Dear bhakthaas, see, while raama had his first victory over thaataka, these dhEvaas et al assembled in the sky and said well, well. But at that stage no lady was nearby to celebrate. Perhaps since a lady was killed no lady in the sky celebrated that. When khara, after dhooshaNa, was killed, these dhEvaas et al people again assembled and expressed their happiness by showering flower rain. Further one good thing happened after khara's killing. DhEvi seethaa was there to embrace raama and express her happiness. Ethasmin antharE dhEvaa: chaaraNayO: saha sangathaa: | dhundhubhi: cha abhinighnantha: pushpa varsha samanthatha: || 3-30-29 raamasya upari samhrushtaa vavarshu: vismithaa: thadhaa | Meaning: In the meantime gods gathering along with charaNaas drummed celestial drums from all over and showered flowers on Raama from all over. tham dhrushtvaa sathru hanthaaram maharsheeNaam sukha aavaham || 3-30-39 baBhoova hrushtaa vaidhEhee Bharthaaram parishasvajE | part of slokam 40 meaning: On seeing Raama, that rejoice provider to these great-saints, vaidhEhee became exultant and with extreme exultancy embraced her husband. Here, in lanka, seethaa is not there. To make the couple unite again, the sister in law, naaththanaar, paarvathi has come to decorate her brother, so that manni seethaa will see her husband in full grandeur after a long separation. As we have seen in the winning ways of raama, raama gets a prize after every success. Here sister is there to decorate him, before arrival of seethaa. On the raga - bhairavi - the very name suggests it is paarvathi. [though the books say this krithi is karaharapriyaa [including promiserani's website karnatik.com - this krithi is heard many a times in bhairavi only by me] Even if considering it as karaharapriya - again hara priyaa - sivan's priya bhaarya - wife of sivan - paarvathi - so that also suits. Dear raama bhakthaas, enjoy the decoration our 'manaththukkiniyaanai' by decorating him as said by thyaagaraajaa. Dhaasan Vasudevan m.g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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