SRI RANGA SRI VOL.03 / ISSUE # 40 d/09/06/02-SPECIAL SRI JAYANTHI ISSUE # 3

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.03 / ISSUE # 40 dated 6th September 2002

SPECIAL SRI JAYANTHI ISSUE # Part 3

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EDITORIAL:

Dear Bhagavatas:

IN THIS ISSUE:

1.RAMAMRUTHAM AND KRISHNAMRUTHAM – PART 3

(Extracted from my speech delivered on the occasion of “Dolai” to

“Navaneetha Krishnan” held at the home of Sri Deepak Raghavan

on 7th October 2001)

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This is the 3rd Special Sri Jayanthi Issue. Hope you enjoyed the earliertwo

parts released on 30th August 2002 and 1st September 2002. We conclude this

series with this posting. We would welcome your valuable feedback.

 

Because we do not wish to convert the Journal into a discussion forum, your

comments may be sent as a personal mail to “Ramanbil” and NOT to

“Srirangasri“.

 

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

The Regular features could not be accommodated in this Issue.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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In this part, let us ponder over an alternative viewpoint:

 

1. A coin has two sides. Can you imagine a coin with just one side only? If

yes, it cannot be a coin! The whole universe revolves around a binary scheme

of things. Day - Night, Heat - Cold, Male – Female and many more. It is this

that gives life a holistic and wholesome meaning. The one cannot exist

without the other.

 

So also, Rama and KrishNa represent the dual facets of the same

“Paramaatma”. The two roles are complementary and not contradictory as it

might appear superficially. The two roles are meant to supplement and not

supplant each other. Let us see how.

 

2. Even at the outset, Swami Desika in his Dasavataara Stotra makes it clear

that just like actors donning several roles and act on the stage, Perumal

and Piraatti take ten different roles and enact this spectacular drama with

ten successive scenes.

 

“DEvO na: subham aatanOthu dasadhaa nirvartayan bhoomikaam

RangE dhaamani labda nirbhara rasai: adyakshitO bhaavukai:”

 

(Even today, we see actors in double, triple and even multiple roles within

the same drama or movie).

 

They do this for their own pleasure and the pleasure of the Rasikas. This is

part of Lord’s “leela” or sport as indicated by Bhagavad Ramanuja in his

invocatory slOka of Sri Bhashyam “akhila bhuvana sthEmapankhaadi leelE”

 

3. We saw that Rama set an example of rectitude and right conduct more by

practice than by precept while KrishNa preached (as in Bhagavad Gita) more

than “setting examples”.

Why was this so?

 

The gaping time divide between Treta Yuga in which Rama lived and Dvapara

Yuga in which KrishNa appeared seems to give a clue.

 

“Setting an example” was good enough in Treta Yuga. People were sensible

enough to observe and learn (ingitam) and follow. The words “Abhayam Sarva

bhootEbhyO: dadaami” were enough to put them on the right track.

 

In Dvapara Yuga, people had to be told several times to mend their ways. It

was out of sheer exasperation with the stupidity of mortals that the Lord

(through Arjuna) had to offer his peroration to the hapless and helpless

souls incapable of adopting any yoga, not to worry. As a last resort, he

asks them to resort to him. He prescribes a short cut, a panacea –

“Having given up all Dharmas, Surrender unto me and me only (Maam ekam

SaraNam vraja).

- He promises in so many words that he would take the entire burden off

their shoulders (aham tvAaa Sarva PaapEbhyO mOkshayishyaami).

- Still not satisfied, he buttresses it with a solemn assurance not to

grieve (Maa sucha).

 

It is easier to guide the intelligent; it is very difficult, if not

impossible, to drive home his message to the stupid and he takes pains to do

this like a painstaking schoolteacher!

 

This perhaps is the Sankalpam of the Lord who designed the Yuga Dharmas in

this fashion from the golden age of Satya yuga (that is virtuous beyond

words) to the dark age of Kali Yuga in which we live (about which the less

said the better)!

 

In fact, Dharma is characterized as a cow standing on all its four legs in

Satya Yuga, three in Treta Yuga, two in Dvapara Yuga and on a single one in

Kali Yuga.

 

We can notice this steady deterioration in the value systems even between

Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga. The Rama - RaavaNa Yuddha was fought on Dharmic

lines (e.g.) Rama asking the disarmed RavaNa to go home and come replenished

the next day.

 

As we see in Mahaabhaaratha, all canons of Dhaarmic conduct were

progressively thrown to the winds as the war progressed and KrishNa himself

had to devise and design strategies and stratagems to suit the demands of

each occasion!

 

In our own Kaliyuga, it is doubtful even if Rama and KrishNa were to come

together armed with both precept and practice, we would ever mend our ways.

Such is our addiction to sin and depravity that it appears that even “God

cannot save our souls”!

 

That is probably why the Lord deputed Azhwaars and Aacharyas who represent

his “alter ego”, while at the same time appearing as human as we are, (like

in “operation jedda” in which trained elephants are used to catch elephants

in the wild),in order to strike an empathetic chord in our hearts by

pandering to our human frailties – all, in an effort to salvage us from

going down the drain!

 

It is intriguing why the Lord should so patiently wait and strain every

nerve to do this! May be this is also, a part of his “leela”!

 

4. As mentioned earlier, true to his declaration “Aatmaanam Maanusham

ManyE”, Rama depicted how one “would’ and how one “should” react to

circumstances. Finding the incapacity of poor mortals to adopt the “should”

and their propensity to assiduously cling on to the “would” part of it, with

a craving for the “easy go lucky” attitude,, as KrishNa, the Lord literally

‘played to the gallery’ by ‘hunting with the hound and running with the

hare’ - so as to be acceptable to their ridiculous perceptions. At the same

time, he made sure that people did not take him too lightly, exhibited his

“Paratvam”, whenever the occasion demanded like lifting the Govardhana

mountain, KaaLinga Narthanam, Draupadi maana SamrakshaNam. etc.

 

5. In Dasavataara Stotra, Swami Desika alludes to the Paratvam of Rama in

first 2 lines:

“Paaraavaara payO visEshaNa kalaa paareeNa kaala anala

jwaala jwaala vihaara vsikha vyaapaara karma:”

And, immediately switches over to show how in spite of his “Paratvam”, the

Lord promised protection to anyone who deemed oneself as belonging to Rama

(Tavaasmi iti yaachatE). In the case of KrishNa, he gives the reason why he

calls KrishNa as “Naathayaiva nama: bhavatu” and draws attention to the

countless superhuman feats the Lord as KrishNa.

 

“Sarva avastha sakrut Prapanna janathaa SamrakshaNaika vratee

DharmO vigrahavaan Dharma: tanveeta Dhanvee na:”

 

This once again underlines how due to deterioration in perception from Treta

Yuga to Dvapara Yuga (like dancing on the hoods of KaaLinga), when people

tend to believe and respect only when someone performs a miracle!

 

“KaaLindee Rasikaaya KaaLiya PaNi spaara spaTaa vaaTikaa

RangOtsanga visanka sankrama duraa paryaaya charyaa yatE”

 

6. Further, it is said “LokO bhinna ruchi”. People have different interests,

different tastes, different levels of mental and spiritual evolution based

on their individual karmas. Some are serious and sober with lofty ideals;

others, mediocre and yet others irredeemably indulgent and depraved

faculties. To appeal to these different segments, the Lord had to present

himself in a manner to satisfy the needs of each. Naturally, he acts

differently in different Avataras – but with the single objective to

emancipate the fallen souls.

 

It is worth noting that Swami Desika wrote prodigiously different works, in

various languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Praaakrit, MaNipravaaLam, in

different styles like prose, poetry, Gadhyam, in short, medium and long, in

highly intellectual to the rational so that people with different acumen

could grasp the truths “each according to his capacity”!

 

7. As mentioned earlier, Rama as a prince had to maintain a high standard of

demeanor befitting his majesty while KrishNa had no such inhibitions and as

a cowherd boy had the license, as it were, to move with ordinary folk more

freely. But, even so, we find Rama also making friends with the Guhan, the

hunter (Ayodhya KhaaNdam, Guha PaDalam 674), Sugriva the monkey king

(Kishkindaa KhaaNDam NatpukOt PaDalam 104) and VibheeshaNa, the Raakshasa

 

“guhanoDum aivar aanOm munbu, pinn kunru soozh

maganOdum aruvar aanOm Yemmugai anbin vanda

agan amar kaarEl Aiya! NinnoDum ezhuvar aanOm

pugal arum kaanam thandu pudalvaraal polindaan nundai”

(Yuddha KhaaNDam VeeDaNan aDaikkalap PaDalam 446)

 

“Oh! Aiya! When we made friends with Guhan, we four brothers became five in

number; Later, with Sugriva, we became six. Today,with your friendship we

have become seven brothers. We are seven now. Because of sending me to the

forest, Dasaratha has become the blessed father of seven sons”

 

This is what prompted Azhwar to exclaim his astonishment in the Paasuram

“Yeshai, Yetalan, Keezh magan ennaadu irangi matru avarkkaa innaruL

surandu”…etc.”

“Oh! Lord! Did you not bestow mercy on Guhan without minding his lack of

learning. his ignorance, and his lack of contact with the great men of the

times, without any thought of his low birth?”

(Tirumangai Azhwar’s Periya Tirumozhi 5.8.1)

 

8. We mentioned Ramayana is like a long but well-connected novel while the

life history of KrishNa is like a string of short stories. The two together

have provided the needs of both the avid novel lover and the skit “reader in

a hurry”. Despite its 24,000 slokas, Ramayana holds the interest of readers

in a firm grip by the sheer felicity of the composition.

 

The Dhyaana Sloka describes how syntax and prosody, the word formations and

the sweetness and depth of meanings vied with each other to find a place in

the work of the primordial poet (Aadhikavi)

 

“Tad upaagata samaasa Sandi yOgam

sama madhurOpanatha artha vaakhya bhaddam

Raghuvara charitam muni praNeetam…”

 

The quality and content of the Aadhikavi, has ignited the imagination of a

galaxy of innumerable poets and writers, throughout the world and over the

ages and in a variety of languages. We are told that there are at least 50

versions of Ramayana to mention a few like

- Aanada Ramayana by Pasaurama

- Adbutha Ramayana, by Valmiki himself

- Adhyaatma Ramayana by Sage Viswamitra

- AgnivEshaya Ramayanam (author unknown)

- Anargha Raghavam of Murali,

- BhaTTi Kaavya by BhaTTi Kavi

- Jaina Ramayanam by Hemachandra

- Kamba RamayaNam in Tamil by Poet Kambar

- Mantra Ramayanam by LakshmaNa Arya

- Sangraha Ramayanam by Narayana PaNDita

- Raghuvamsam of KaaLidaasa,

- Ramacharita maanas in Hindi by Tulasidaasa

- Yoga vaasisTam by Valmiki

and many others. It is doubtful if any other work of religious literature

enjoyed such a fascination. (Of course, Bhagavad Gita has been translated in

several languages but perhaps, not so prolific like Ramayana).

 

There is a song in Tamil detailing the various names of Rama that asks

“Raaman ethanai RaamanaDi?” We may perhaps ask similarly “RaamaayaNam

ethanai RaamaayaNam aDi?”

 

9. If KrishNa had a long list of Bhaktas, Rama had and has an equally long

list of Bhaktas like

- Bhadraachala Ramadasar

- Tulasidasar,

- Kabirdasar

- Baaji Rama BhaTtar

- GOrakhar

- Raamabaai

- Padmanaabha Vediyar

- Raamaraajar

and many more.

 

10.In an earlier posting, we saw how the “HarE KrishNa” movement had caught

up the imagination of the present generation. Though the main emphasis of

the movement is on KrishNa, they have not left our Rama. In fact, their

mantram is

 

”HarE Rama! HarE Rama! Rama! Rama HarE! HarE!

HarE KrishNa! HarE KrishNa! KrishNa KrishNa HarE! HarE!”

 

11. If Rama was subjected to tests to prove his mettle, KrishNa was not

free from them

- He was tied to the mortar by his own mother,

- He was a butter-thief as a boy,

- He was suspected to have stolen the Syamantaka maNi,

- He was suspected to have stolen Paarijaatha. etc.

- If Rama had to send an arrow through seven Saala trees,

KrishNa had to control seven unruly bulls to gain the hand of

Nappinnai.

 

12. Since Rama’s emissary, AnjanEya succeeded in his mission, the Lord was

tempted to himself go as an emissary to the court of DuryOdhana. But, what

happened? He miserably failed to deliver the goods and returned empty

handed. But, this was deliberate and it was his own making. He had to

destroy the “axis of evil” and discharge his role as “World teacher” -

(Jagad guru and Gitaachaaryan). If he had averted the war, he would not have

succeeded in his Avatara Rahasyam.

 

13. Rama obeyed his father even when he was a Brahmachaari. Both when

Dasaratha declined and when he agreed to send him with SageViswamitra, he

never demurred; Similarly, when Dasaratha offered to crown him as Yuvaraja

and when he was banished (by order), he never demurred.

 

In fact, when Bharata argued with him to return to AyOdhya, Rama could not

refute any of his arguments. But, finally, he flung a bombshell saying, “How

could I transgress our father’s wish?” Bharata was flabbergasted at this and

reconciled himself to taking Rama’s Paduka and go back.

 

(Let us visualize what would happen in similar circumstances in this

Kaliyuga. First, Kaliyuga Rama would have refused to go to forest and

Kaliyuga Dasartaha would have been shown his place! Such was the Yuga

Dharmam then and such it is today)

 

14. We mentioned in the previous posting that KrishNa Avatara seemed to be

“more complete” than Rama Avatara. Rama Avatara was equally “PoorNa Avatara”

in the sense that the Lord needed different complementary roles for

different purposes and so he cast himself in different characters:

Rama - Bhagavaan

LakshmaNa -Bhagavad Seshatvam

Bharata - Bhaagavata and

Satrugna - Bhaagavata Seshatvam

Taken together, Rama Avatara was equally “PoorNa Avatara”.

 

15. If Azhwars and Acharyas went into rapturous moods in KrishNa anubhavam,

they were equally carried away by Rama anubhavam.

- Kulasekara Azhwaar, who wrote the “Lament of DEvaki” also wrote an equally

moving piece depicting the “Lament of Dasaratha” on his separation from

Rama. Similarly, other Azhwars have enjoyed “Rama anubhavam” as much as they

enjoyed “KrishNa anubhavam”

- Periyaazhwar wrote a whole poem in which he fondly and graphically

describes the growth of Rama from his babyhood.

- His “Mannu Pugazh Kousalai thun” is the lullaby that rings in every home

today when the mothers lull their children to sleep.

- It is the same Nammaazhwaar hailed as “KrishNa thrishNaa Tattvam” who

asked “Raamapiraanai allathu matrum karparO?

meaning “Will anyone learn anything other than Rama’s example?” signifying

that Rama by his character was equally a world teacher like KrishNa.

 

16. “Why did he say this?” is the next question. Azhwar himself answers:

 

“ pul paa mudalaap pul erumbu aadi onru inriyE

narpaal AyOdhiyil vaazhum chara acharam mutravum

nar paalukku Uithanan naanmuganaar petra naaTTulE”.

(Tiruvoimozhi 7th Pathu 5)

 

When he left for his eternal abode, he took all the sentient beings and

insentient things (the human, the fauna and the flora) to the abode of

Brahma en route to Sri Vaikuntam all merely because of the fact that they

were the inhabitants of AyOdhya.

 

What did KrishNa do? He left his yaadhava kula heroes to die fighting among

themselves. (May be this was also part of his hidden agenda!)

 

16. IF KrishNa’s name is incorporated in so many mantras cited in the

earlier posting,, Rama’s name itself is hailed as “Taaraka Mantram”

What is a “Taaraka Mantram?”

 

It means that it is a mantram that carries one from this world (Prakrita

lOkam) straightaway to SrivaikunTam (Apraakrita lOkam). It is therefore,

equal to AshTaksharam or Moola Mantram which is known as “Taaraka Mantram”.

The Charama SlOkam of Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the “Poshakam” and

the Dvaya Mantram to be the “BhOghyam”. Thus, its preeminence surpasses the

other two!

 

THINK OF IT! YOU GET THERE! WHAT MORE IS NEEDED?

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(Concluded)

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Dasoham

Anbil Nadaur Krishnaswamy Ramaswamy

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