FW: raama chinthanai 4

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Post 4

 

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

 

We saw the beautiful krithi of saint thyaagaraaja 'thelisi raama chinthanathO' in poorNa chandhrikaa raagam and few points on the pallavi anupallavi and charaNam 1 of the krithi. Let us continue our discussion.

 

 

 

Now charaNam 2:

 

arkamanuchu jillEDutharu pEru markaTa buddhi lElaa geedhEru

 

arkaDanuchu bhaaskaruniki pEru kutharkamanu andhakaaramu dheeru - thelisi

 

 

 

meaning: arka is name of a plant [erukku in tamil]. Can this arka make us get rid of our monkey kind of wavering nature? The real arka is 'bhaaskara' - the sun [the enlightening Lord who came in that arka vamsam - soorya vamsam - raama], who destroys the darkness or ignorance. Oh mind! Tell the name of raama consciously by meditating on Him.

 

 

 

Point: It appears the comparison is classic - between 2 arka_s - erukkan and arukkan - the plant and sooryan. In Sree vishNu sahasra naamam this arkan is interpreted differently. Please See --

 

 

 

Om arkaaya nama: -- naamaa no. 801 occurring in slOkam 85

 

meaning: one who is in the form of sun - naaraayaNa is the sun [ this meaning is from sri sankara]. Sri bhattar considers this naamaa as representing the bhudhdha avathaaram.

 

 

 

Om Bhaaskara dhyuthayE nama: -- naamaa no.283 occurring in slOkam 30

 

meaning: the effulgence of the sun - he who has the brilliance of the sun.

 

This naamaa is Bhaaskaraaya nama: for sri sankara - meaning - the sun.

 

 

 

Getting back to sreemadh raamaayaNam, RaavaNan says he is superior in comparison with raama - please see his claims while he stands in front of seethaa

 

- first, raama is not equal to me,

 

- then whether raama is alive or dead,

 

- then raavaNan says, perhaps raama may not be able to see you, oh seethaa,

 

 

 

na raama: thapasaa dhEvi na balEna vikramai: || 5-20-34

 

na dhanEna mayaa thulya: thEjasaa yasasa api vaa |

 

 

 

meaning: raavaNan says, "O Seetha! Raama is

 

· not equal to me by austerity,

 

· not equal by might;

 

· not equal by strength,

 

· not equal by wealth,

 

· not equal by brilliance and

 

· not equal by fame.

 

 

 

kim karishyasi raamENa subhagE cheeravaasasaa |

 

nikshiptha vijayO raamO gathasree: vana gOchara: || 5-20-26

 

vrathee sthaNDila saayee cha sankE jeevathi vaa na vaa |

 

 

 

meaning: raavaNan continues, "O beautiful one! What can you do with Raama clad in tatters, with lost hope of victory, with 'gone fortune'? Roaming in forests, observing austerities and also sleeping on floor, I doubt if Raama is alive or not.

 

 

 

na hi vaidhEhi raama: thvaam dhrashTum vaa api upalassyathE || 5-20-27

 

purO balaakai: asithai: mE ghOrjyOthsnaam iva aavruthaam |

 

 

 

meaning: further he states, "O Seetha, Raama indeed may not get opportunity even to see you, like moonlight covered by dark clouds with cranes at the front".

 

 

 

Point: very tall claims indeed - In reply, seethaa makes a bigger dig at raavaNan - we will have to go back to ST who uses the word 'arkan' - the sun, his brilliant shine, and his drying power - then turn to vaalmeeki - seethaa says, "like how the sun and its shine are inseparable, by your attempts, I cannot be tempted and separated from raama, like how the sun removes the darkness, raama will remove you" - re slOkam

 

 

 

sakyaa lObhayithum na aham aisvaryENa dhanEna vaa || 5-21-15

 

ananyaa raaghavENa aham bhaaskarENa prabhaa yathaa |

 

 

 

meaning: seethaa says, "I am not capable to be tempted by wealth or by money. I am not separate with Raaghava like the sun-shine with the sun."

 

 

 

na hi gandham upaaghraaya raama lakshmaNayO: thvayaa || 5-21-31

 

sakyam sandarsanE sthaathum sunaa saardhoolayO: iva |

 

 

 

meaning: seethaa continues, "Like the dog smelling the tiger [and thus avoiding raavaNan in seeing face to face], smelling the scent of Raama and Lakshmana, it is indeed not possible for you to stand in their view".

 

 

 

apanEshyathi maam bharthaa thvaththa: seeghram arindhama: || 5-21-28

 

asurEbhya: sriyaM dheepthaam vishNu: thribhi: iva kramai: |

 

 

 

meaning: seethaa further tells raavaNan, "My husband, who is a destroyer of foes, will take me away from you, like Lord Vishnu with three steps taking away the brilliant prosperity from asuras."

 

 

 

[Point: see here seethaa telling, 'when I go from here all wealth also will vanish - andhakaaram - darkness - poverty - will cover this lanka, raama that sun will take me and the brilliance available here, further how the sun dries up shallow water, he will dry you all up. So bringing the sun into picture by vaalmeeki is simply followed by ST in all its grandeur in the krithi].

 

 

 

kshipram thava sa naathO mE raama: soumithriNaa saha || 5-21-33

 

thOyam alpam iva aadhithya: praanaan aadaasyathE sarai: |

 

 

 

meaning: My husband, that Raama, together with Lakshmana, will take away with his arrows your life, quickly like the sun drying up shallow water.

 

 

 

In charaNam 3 also similar comparison is available --

 

ajamanuchu mEshamunaku pEru nija kOrika lElaa geedhEru

 

ajuDani vaageesavaruniki pEru vijayamu galgunu thyaagaraaja nuthuni - thelisi

 

 

 

meaning: Goat is called "aja". Brahma is also called 'aja'. But does worshipping a goat fulfill our desires? The real "aja" is the Lord vaageeswara, viz - brahma - praised by ST, by clinging to whom victory is ours. - Oh mind! Tell the name of raama consciously by meditating on Him.

 

 

 

Point: raavaNan brings in brahma in his conversation twice. Already we saw one slOkam in earlier post - here is another -

 

 

 

thvaam samaaasaadhya vaidhEhi roopa youvana saalineem |

 

ka: pumaan athivarthEtha saakshaadh api pithaamaha: || 5-20-14

 

 

 

meaning: O Seethaa! Obtaining you endowed with beauty and youth, which man, even if he is Lord Brahma himself, will disregard ( leave ) you."

 

 

 

comment: generally brahma is known for his 'avasara bhudhdhi' - that has clearly come out in raavaNan's case - giving boon and then going to lord for a solution, 'how to kill this fellow'. Further when raavaNa is killed and seethaa's agni pravEsam done, brahma came down along with other dhEvaas including raama's father dhasarathan,

 

brahma started telling raama, 'hey lord, your avathaara kaaryam is over - come back to your abode immediately'. See yudhDha kaaNdam - brahma sthuthi. For this raama replies - 'aham maanusham manyE'- please treat me as a simple human.

 

 

 

Also known is brahma is for his 'chapalam' - in creating several beautiful women and taking one as his wife, saraswathi, which was resented by his own sons. That kind of a person is 'brahma' - the 'aja' [aadu - mEsham - ram - in usage of aja by ST pun is intended]. But he is also the one who grants success easily in this world. So ST praises him.

 

 

 

ST uses the word 'vaageeswara' to praise brahma. Does he mean brahma in real sense? Or is it the real 'vaageeswaran' - the vEdhaa's creator - lord 'haya greeva' - the horse faced - is he not the real vaageeswara - the lord vishNu in another form - here and now for ST - raama, the avathaara purusha, husband of seethaa - praised by ST.

 

 

 

We can also say ST is uses this word aja -- appears as though seethaa is asking raavaNan - hey, how can I join you who is a 'bali aadu' - a goat ready to be killed - in the yaagam of removal of raakshasaas in this world by my lord raama. To get success sing that lord raama's success, raama jayam - thyaagaraaja nuthuni - by telling raama raama - his naama - thelisi raama chinthana - always 'raama raama'.

 

 

 

Dhasan

 

 

 

Vasudevan m.g.

 

 

 

PS: with this the krithi and points and comments are thus completed.

 

 

 

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