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Post 2

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw in the earlier post some points being raised like why ST puts

raama in prahlaadha bhakthi vijayam in spite of knowing raama is a

soft person in comparison to nrusimha, the ferocious, some mismatch

somewhere etc. Now we will study more on the same.

 

The krithi we saw "dhayaraanee" in raagam `mOhanam' is an exemplary

krithi. The selection of raagam `mohanam' is for showing `veeram'-

bravery.

 

A quote from `raagam appreciation – mohanam' by Dr. P. P.

Narayanaswami in www.sangeetham.com site states: "mOhanam basically

portrays veera rasam. However, a wide range of emotions can be

invoked with this raagam Appropriately named for its beauty, raagam

MOHANAM is a very pleasing and enchanting pentatonic scale that

captures the mind of every listener. The song "nanu paalimpa" of

saint thyaagaraaja radiates love in a leisurely pace. There

is `kaaruNyam' also here. Again, a `sense of majesty' is conveyed in

the lines describing the grandeur of Lord raama. On the other hand,

the thyaagaraaja krithi "evaroora ninnuvinaa" seems to portray

a `resolute attitude!' It is a janyam of mELam 28, harikAMbhOji. But

the scale of mOhanam also fits into mELams: dhIra sankaraabharaNam

(29), vaacaspathi (64), or mEchakalyaaNi (65). There is endless

debate on whether the parent scale should harikambhOji or kalyaani!".

 

We know very well raama is `veeran' – an adroit in the archery. But

we have to see in the context of `prahlaadha bhakthi vijayam' here.

So no place is there for raama? To some extent yes, but to a large

extent no.

 

Since prahlaadha is a child and is standing in front hiranyakasipu,

his father, who dared prahlaadha saying, [sreemadh bhaagavatham 7th

skandham, Chapter 9, slokam 29]

math-praaNa-rakshaNam anantha pithur vadhas cha

manyE sva-bhrthya-rshi-vaakyam rtham vidhaathum

khadgam pragrhya yadh avOchadh asadh-vidhithsus

thvam eesvarO madh-aparO 'vathu kam harhami

 

"If there is any supreme controller other than me, let Him save you.

I shall now sever your head from your body." [this is meaning for

part slOkam only]

 

The lord appeared instantaneously and saved him etc is another story.

But at that very moment and earlier, in front of his father he

displayed, he showed, he exhibited his enormous `veeram'.

 

As such the raagam selction for this krithi is `excellent'.

 

Now we will see another slOkam

"Evam ukthaa mahaabhaagai: thadhaa aham purusharshabha |

mayaa thu vividham vanyam sanchitham purusharshabha ||

thava arthE purushavyaaghra pampaayaa: theera sambhavam |

[sreemadh raamaayaNam aaraNya khaaNdam sargam 74, slOkam 17 and 18

part.]

 

purusha rshabha = oh, man the best

mahaabhaagai: aham Evam ukthaa = by highly providential sages thus,

I, in this way, was told

thadhaa= then onwards

purusha vyaaghra = oh manly tiger

puruSarSabha= oh, best of the men;

mayaa thu = by me on my part

thava arthE = for your sake

pampaayaa: theera sambhavam = of Pampa Lake moorlands occurring on

vividham vanyam sanchitham= various forest [fruits and eatables] are

gleaned.

 

"Oh, best one among men Rama, thus I was told by those highly

providential sages, oh, best one among men, oh, manly tiger, and I

have gleaned various forest fruits and eatables that occur on the

moorlands of Pampa Lake for your sake." So said Shabari to Rama. [3-

74-17]

 

The following is from the note added after the above slOkam in

www.valmikiramayan.net

Quote - "Out of the three epithets for raama, the twice-repeated

epithet is `purusha rshabha', has two different meanings in

vernacular translations.

1. It is the usual intensifier purusha rishabha 'bull among men'

where the Bull is the bull from the zodiacal sign or constellation

Taurus to that of stock exchanges. And it is Latin bulla 'rounded

object', in medieval Latin 'seal' or Latin bullire 'to bubble', from

bulla 'bubble' etc., where Rama is the rounded off seal for kingship,

and even known for his bubbly fermentation to deal with atrocities.

2. The other is `purusha thilaka' 'the vermilion mark - ONE the

forehead of mankind', rather the husband of mankind, or the

husbandman for mankind, who cultivates good on the earth as a farmer,

after weeding out the `weeds' called `evils'. The version of Gita

Press has this as the 'flower of humanity'.

 

3. Then it is said in vernacular translations as a 'bullish man'

is for his impetuousness and aggressiveness towards evil called

raaavaNan, when he started from ayOdhyaa.

 

4. The second is to tell that he is a yeoman, a man holding and

cultivating a small landed estate, taking care of every weed or

withering plant, as he has come to see sabari, and sabari like an old

plant did not stir out.

 

5. It is `purusha vyaaghra' 'manly tiger...' but this is

actually 'man the lion' and if a lion sets out he will not take a

back step until his pursuit is fulfilled. Thus sabari is given the

lines with three epithets to raama, as she is already in the know of

this raama, and now on seeing him personally, some divine wisdom

dawned and she is able to foresee what this man, rather this lion, is

going to achieve at end point.

 

By the way, where is the scene of Rama eating fruits and eatables

bitten and tasted by sabari? Has this old woman not offered the

fruits to the guests, or just said that they are available? We listen

many stories and see many pictures telling that she gave many fruits

after biting them with her own teeth to test the taste. All that is

not in vaalmeeki raamayaNam. - unquote

 

Of course dear bhakthaas the above paragraph has taken you some where

to the raamaayaNam from prahlaadha [bhaagavatham]. But see raama is

addressed as manlion nrusimha. So any wrong raama being addressed in

prahlaadha bhaktha vijayam by ST?

 

Please refer Monier Williams page 1036 col 2

– vyaaghra means a tiger not in rig vEdha but in atharva vEdha,

often mentioned with lion. So raama is manlion

 

the manlion is nrusimha- So it is apt even from lexicon point of

view, to address raama in praklaadha bhakthi vijayam.

 

Sorry, Since length is increasing, we will continue in next post.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.