winning ways - post 8

[Guest guest]

Post 8

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing the winning ways of raama - the next win for raamaa is against the

khara dhooshana group of raakshasaas. The reference for this win is in srimadh

raamaayaNam - aaraNya Kaandam - [the forest trek of raama] - sargam 30 -

[chapter 30].

 

The 'winning' theme of this sargam [chapter] is - raama and khara exchange a

haughty wordy duel. Then the demon khara charges at raama, raama eliminates him

with his all-powerful arrow. Gods and sages shower flowery rain. seetha and

lakshmaNa return from their hiding cave which was as per direction of raama.

seetha exults on seeing her victorious and indefatigable husband and embraces

him.

 

pravrudhDha nidhrE sayithE thvayi raakshasa paamsanE |

Bhavishyanthi asaraNyaanaam saraNyaa dhaNDakaa imE || 3-30-8

 

pravrudhDha = in well developed [profound manner]

thvayi nidhrE sayithE = sleep by you

raakshasa = oh, demon

paamsanE = the notorious

imE dhaNDakaa = this dhanDaka [meaning this forest]

Bhavishyanthi = will become

saraNyaa = shelter

saraNyaanaam = for shelter-worthy [sages]

 

Meaning: sree raamaa says to khara - "while you sleep in that profound sleep

[meaning death], oh, notorious demon, let this Dandaka forest becomes a shelter

to the shelter-worthy [the sages and saints in the forest]".

 

janasthaanE hatha sthaanE thava raakshasa math sarai: |

nirBhayaa vicharishyanthi sarvathO munayO vanE || 3-30-9

 

janasthaanE = in janasthaana,

hatha sthaanE = ruined holdings

thava = of yours

raakshasa = oh, demon,

math sarai: = by my arrows

nirBhayaa = without fear

vicharishyanthi = will move about

sarvatha: = everywhere

munaya: = sages

vanE = in this forest.

 

Meaning: raamaa continues to khara "when your holdings in this Janasthaana

forest are ruined by my arrows, the sages in this forest will move about

fearlessly, everywhere".

 

thatha: paavaka sankaasham vadhaaya samare saram |

kharasya raamo jagraaha brahma dhaNDam iva aparam || 3-30-24

 

thatha: = then

paavaka = Ritual-fire

sankaasam = similar

vadhaaya = for eliminating

samare saram= arrow in war

kharasya = for khara's [killing,]

raama: jagraaha = raama snatched;

brahma dhaNDam = brahma's shaft [missile]

iva aparam = secondary to.

 

Meaning: Then, raama snatched an arrow that is similar to the ritual-fire, and

secondary only to brahmaasthram - the special brahma missile, for the

elimination of Khara in war.

 

sa thath daththam maghavathaa sura raajEna Dheemathaa |

samdhadhE cha sa Dharmaathmaa mumOcha cha kharam prathi || 3-30-25

 

sa: thath daththam = to him [raama] that arrow was given,

maghavathaa= by Indra

sura raajEna Dheemathaa = the king of gods, the sensible one;

samdhadhE cha = well slung the arrow on the bowstring

sa: Dharmaathmaa = he [raama] the virtuous soul

mumOcha = released

kharam prathi = towards khara.

 

Meaning: Then that virtuous soul raama, slung well the arrow on his bowstring

and released it towards Khara, that arrow given by Indhra, the king of gods, who

is a sensible one [about the future course of events], gave that arrow to raamaa

through sage agasthya.

 

Ethasmin antharE dhEvaa: chaaraNayO: saha sangathaa: |

dhundhuBhi: cha aBhinighnantha: pushpa varshaa samanthatha: || 3-30-29

 

Ethasmin antharE = in the meantime

DhEvaa: chaaraNayO: = the gods and chaaraNaas [the celestials]

saha sangathaa: = collectively gathered

dhundhuBhi: cha abhinighnantha: = drummed well all over [universally]

pushpa varsha samanthatha: = rained flowers everywhere.

 

Meaning: In the meantime, gods and chaaraNaas gathering in the skies

collectively drummed the celestial drums universally and rained flowers from

everywhere on raama.

 

ahO batha mahath karma raamasya vidhitha aathmana: |

ahO veeryam ahO dhaarDyam vishNO: iva hi dhrusyathE || 3-30-32

 

ahO batha = Aha! surprising

ahO veeryam = what a valour;

ahO dhaarDyam = what a fortitude;

vidhitha aathmana: = the shrewd soul

raamasya mahath karma = raamaa's great deed

vishNO: iva hi dhrusyathE = seems to be verily vishNu himself

 

Meaning: "Aha! Surprising is this great deed of raama, the shrewd-soul... what a

valour, what a fortitude, he seems to be vishNu himself.

 

thathO raaja rshaya: sarvE sangathaa: paramarshaya: || 3-30-33 [part slOkam]

sabhaajya mudhithaa raamam sa agasthya: idham aBhruvan |

Ethath artham mahaathEjaa mahEndhra: paaka shaasana: || 3-30-34

 

thatha: sarvE raaja rshaya: = then all the royal sages

paramarshaya: sangathaa: = happily gathered

sa: bhaajya mudhithaa raamam = to the adoring and delighted raama

sa agasthya: idham aBhruvan = agasthya said like this

mahaathEjaa ethath artham = for this reason the great-resplendent one

mahEndhra: paaka saasana: = that mahEndhra, the controller of paaka demon

 

Meaning: Then all the royal sages led by agasthya gathered near raama and

adoring raama, delightedly said "for this reason only that great-resplendent

mahEndhra, the controller of paaka demon brought you here" [ and also gave this

weapon to you oh raama.]

[sage agasthya came to this portion of aaraNyam to witness the victory of raama

and said with idea of these rishis indhra brought you to this place of sree

saraBhanga with the intention of killing these raakshaasaas and that is achieved

today.

Similarly when raavaNa is about to be killed then also sage agasthya visits the

battle field and gives the aadhithya hrudhyam sthOthram to raama - which some

say is not a part of original but later day insertion into raamaayaNam]

 

The point here is - the winning ways of raama is in front of a gang of

celebrated celestials and sages, killing of a noted powerful and valiant enemy.

 

thatha: thu tham raakshasa sangha mardhanam

sa poojyamaanam mudhithai: mahaatmaBhi: |

puna: parishvajya mudhaa anvitha [sasi + praBha] aananaa

baBhoova hrushtaa janaka aathmajaa thadhaa || 3-30-41

 

thatha: thu tham = but then him [that raama]

raakshasa sangha mardhanam = eliminator of demonic troops

sapoojyamaanam = with worship

mudhithai: mahaathmaBhi: = great-sages delightfully

puna: parishvajya mudhaa anvitha = again, embraced, delight, assuming, visage

sasi praBha aananaa = moon-shine visaged Seetha

thadhaa baBhoova hrushtaa janaka aathmajaa = Janaka's daughter then became

complacent

 

Meaning: Then, seetha with her moon - shine - visage [with her delightful face]

again embraced raama, the eliminator of demonic troops, and whom the great-sages

are worshipping. That Janaka's daughter, Seetha became thrilled. [3-30-41]

 

We will continue raamaa's winning ways.

 

Dhaasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.