vaitha svabhaavam 3

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Post 3

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

Since the two previous posts, we are enjoying the great krithi 'vanaja nayanudani' of thyaagaraaja. We saw points on raagam selection and the pallavi. Now let us take up anupallavi.

 

anupallavi [and its meaning already seen but just for clarity repeated here]

 

munubaTi charithamulanu viniyunna [viniyunnaavu]

vanitha svabhaavamO velayu sree raamuni [dhEvaraaju] --vanaja

meaning: I ["you" for viniyunnavu] have heard the previous stories of sree raamaa [dhEvadhi raajaa], with 'ladies' characteristics' - of `as though showing sympathy', [have you --- sympathy in his heart].

 

Point: Seethaa had heard stories about raama showing sympathy? To whom? On what occasion? Is it correct? Is any evidence given by sage vaalmeeki? All these questions arise now.

 

1. To get back to vaalmeeki, if we go straight away from seethaa kalyaaNam sargam in baala kaaNdam to pattabhishEkam arrangement chapters in ayOdhyaa kaNdam [means first few sargams], perhaps we may not get any direct reference / evidence of seethaa heard about raama. May be the exception is that king dhasaratha himself says the glories of his son and proposes that raama will take over from him. And then the ministers and people of ayOdhyaa simply accept king's version in toto [in sargams 1 and 2 of AyOdhyaa kaaNdam].

 

2. Also the duration is very short in getting this information on what is happening in raaja durbar - for seethaa is residing in her anthappuram, of that coronation proposal by king and acceptance by people. Perhaps seethaa could have heard through some friends or servants of her inner circle. But again, in that short duration all these arrangements are coming to naught. Then only this dialogue between raama and seethaa takes place wherein this 'vanitha svabhaavam' - 'sthriyam purusha vigraham' are featuring.

 

3. When we link that seethaa's own introduction to raavaNan in aaraNya kaaNdam and then her own introduction to hanumaan in sundhra kaaNdam stating "we enjoyed the life in ayOdhyaa for 12 years after my marriage. Then in 13th year my father in law proposed coronation for my husband",

ushithvaa dhvaa dhasa samaa: ikshvaakooNaam nivEsanE |

bhunjaanaa maanushaan bhOgaan sarva kaama samruddhinee || 3-47-4

 

Meaning: On residing in the palace of ikshvaakus [meaning in Ayodhya] for twelve years, I have relished all human prosperity and all cherishes, sumptuously.

 

thaththra thrayOdhasE varshE raaja amanthryatha prabhu: |

abhishEchayithum raamam samEthO raaja manthribhi: || 3-47-5

 

Meaning: In the thirteenth year, therein [in that Ayodhya] that lordly king Dasharatha deliberated together with his imperial ministers, to anoint my lord raamaa as Crown Prince.

 

samaa dhvaadhasa thathra aham raaghavasya nivEsanE |

bhunjnanaa maanushaan bhOgaan sarva kaama samrudhDhinee || 5 - 33-17

 

thatha: thrayOdhasE varshE raajyE cha ikshvaaku nandhanam |

abhishEchayaithum raajaa sa upaaDhyaaya: prachakramE || 5-33-18

 

[since meaning is same I am not doing for the second set] then we can very well conclude and understand that seethaa had enough time to hear such stories of raama showing sympathy to many - like a 'mother' showing his 'kaaruNyam' - a vanithaa's svaabhaavika kaaruNyam.

 

4. There is one more slokam, which requires our attention here from the 'long time of 12 years' point of view --

svayam thu bhaaryaam koumaareem chiram adhyushithaam satheem |

Sailoosha iva maam raama parEbhyO dhaathum ichchhasi || 2-30-8

 

Meaning: Oh, Raama! I am a young girl, lived for a long time with you, a chaste woman and your wife. How would you, like an actor, intend to deliver me to others by your own will?

 

Specific point on this slokam: - it is clear the couple lived together long enough to know each other well, which is later confirmed as 12 years as in aaraNya and sundhara kaaNdams. That goes to prove she could have heard such 'munubaTi charithamulanu viniyunna' and 'raama's vanitha svaabhaavika kaaruNyam' stories.

 

5. Getting on the other side, perhaps these words from seethaa also deserves to be included in the "seethaa's sins big and small" by our dear sri sadagopan iyengar (2 part writeup earlier}. This comment of "How would you like an actor intend to deliver me to others by your own will?" is so harsh. Also this comment comes unasked for or unprovoked from seethaa. What raama said earlier to this comment of seethaa is 'just stay here only' [means at ayOdhyaa and do not think of coming to forest with me]. Nothing he said about being given to anybody as a donation or otherwise. See the depth of sarcasm or drastic comment in that 'sailoosha iva'.

 

6. Now let us see whatt aazhvaar has to say about this 'munubaTi cahrithamu' - what is the history about his sympathy - 'vanitha svabhaavam' - mother like sympathy on his devotees here, people in raamaayaNam or 'munubaTi charithamulanu' and vanitha svabhaavam by ST .

 

thannadiyaar thiRaththakaththuth thaamaraiyaaL aakilum sidhaku uraikkumEl

ennadiyaar adhu seyyaar seydhaarEl nanRu seydhaar enbar pOlum

mannudaiya vibeedaNaRkaa madhiL ilangaith thisai nOkki malar kaNvaiththa

ennudaiya thiruvarangaRku anRiyum maRRoruvarkku aaLaavarE?

periyaazhvaar in his thirumozhi 4-9-2.

 

Meaning: Even if it is Periya PiraaTTi, who finds a little fault with (naaraayanaa's) dhaasars - adiyaar - [or Bhaagawathas] the Lord Sri Ranganathan appears to say, "Those Bhaagawathas who have considered me as their sole refuge, would not have done such (wrong) deeds - Even if they did, then it can be good ones only and not in any way wrong". He is with such sympathy - 'Bhaktha vaathsalyam'.

Due to His Parama kaaruNyam and vaathsalyam for His devotee VibheeshaNan, he sees uninterruptedly with His large divine most beautiful red lotus eyes towards Vibheeshanan's lankA (surrounded by tall ramparts) in the southern direction (from Srirangam). Such is my greatest Lord - Ranganathan - one would prefer to serve someone else than him? (Never..)

 

So such a raama or ranganaathaa or naaraayaNa - will definitely have that svaabhaavika dhayaa like a lady - vanithaa.

 

7. In the thirumangai paasuram quoted in earlier post

uLLoorum Sindhai nOi enakkE thandhu en

oLi vaLaiyum maa niRamum koNdaar.

 

This portion of 'maa niRam - we can take that as 'vanitha svabhaavam' in the anupallavi -

niRam in tamil also mean character -

maa - periya or big - also mother or a lady or vanithaa - so he not only gave me love, and took my mind, also that vanitha svabhaavam.

 

8. That 'vanitha svabhaavam' is just not for that kaaruNyam like a mother but also "woman having the form of a man". See that version in a slOkam by vaalmeeki - here -

 

kim thvaa amanyatha vaidhEha: pithaa mE mithilaa adhipa: |

raama jaamaatharam praapya sthriyam purusha vigraham || 2-30-3

 

Meaning: What my father, the king of mithila, belonging to the country of vidhEha, think of himself having got you, as son-in-law, a woman having the form of a man?"

 

King of vidhEha - that janaka sees that bow kept as 'veera sulkam' is broken by raama and he exclaims to visvaamithra -

bhagavan, dhrishta veeryO mE raamO dhasaratha aathmaja: |

athi adhbhutham achinthyam cha atharkitham idham mayaa || 1-67-21

 

Meaning: janaka to visvaamithra - Oh, god, I have evidently seen the gallantry of raama, the son of dhasaratha and [the whys of this boy and wherefores of his stringing that massive bow] are unimaginable [to me, more so, humans lifting it, how so?] An unhoped [act by me, besides, breaking it!] A highly wondrous [experience is this for me].

 

After this only that janaka gave seethaa in marriage and after living for 12 years together now seethaa says you have vanitha svabhaavam and says you are 'sthriyam purusha vigraham'- all because raama refused now to take seethaa to the forest along with him.

 

She thought she even convinced raama, so that he will say yes, for she said -

na cha maam thvath sameepastham api saknOthi raaghava |

suraaNaam eeshvara: sacra: pradharsayithum Ojasaa || 2-29-6

 

Meaning: Oh raama! Even dhEvendhra, the lord of celestials, by his strength, cannot over power me, when I am in your vicinity.

 

To such a brave raama, on whose side dhEvEndhran also becomes incapable, to such a highly powerful raama, suddenly she changed her mind and gave a title as above. Since raama continued refusing to take her along, in spite of such convincing words, she, with a bit of anger or sarcasm gave raama that title. That thyaagaraaja puts it as 'vanitha svabhaavam'. That shows the depth to which ST has gone in dealing with raamaayaNam.

 

On the charaNam of the krithi, perhaps, we have to see points only in next post, since, the length of the post puts me a brake.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.

 

 

 

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