DoShaparihArAShTakam - Ninda Sthuthi !

[Guest guest]

THank you sri Lakshmi-ji for another installment of this wonderful

series.

 

Today , it is my pleasure to bring to this audience the subject of

Ninda Sthuthi , a technique that is popularly employed in Bhakthi

literature .

 

What is ninda ? simply translated it means criticism or blame . What

is sthuthi ? Praise or admiration.

 

 

Saint THYAGARAJA , A GREAT RAMA BHAKTA , used *ninda -sthuthi* in

some of his compositions on Sri Rama .

 

The first lines of this kriti is

 

aDigi sukhamulEvvaranubhavincirirA? AdimUlamA rAma!

 

i will provide the English translation of this kriti

 

Meaning of the song

 

Who has achieved happiness by asking anything of you O primordial

Rama?

 

O sun to the dark cloud like innumerable incurable sins! Supreme

Monarch! Lotus eyed! Home to good attributes! Who has attained

happiness by asking anything of you O primordial Rama?

 

Sita took refuge in you thinking she was blessed with a good life and

immediately had to leave for the forest! O slayer of Rakshasas,

Surpanakha on falling in love with you lost her nose! Who has

attained happiness by asking anything of you O primordial Rama?

 

Narada approached you asking for enlightenment and was immediately

transformed into a woman! Durvasa eagerly expected food and lost his

appetite! Who has achieved happiness by asking anything of you O

primordial Rama?

 

Devaki prayed for the joys of raising you as son, but Yashoda

experienced it instead! The chaste Gopis craving for union with you,

had to abandon their own husbands! Who has experienced happiness by

asking anything of you O primordial Rama?

 

Who knows if compassion will ever surge in you and whether you will

protect or not? Your secret is now out! O resident of Ayodhya! Object

of Tyagaraja's worship! What illusion is this? Who has experienced

happiness by asking anything of you O primordial Rama?

 

(www.sangeeham.com )

 

Yes! the saint is criticizing Sri RAMA BUT IN REALITY HE IS PRAISING

SRI Rama . would Valmiki Ramayana would have been ever written of

Sita was not banished to the forest when she was pregnant with lava

and kusha ? would Ravana ever been killed if Surpanaka was not

insulted ? Would NARADA ever experience the power of Maya if he was

not transforemed into a woman ? so on and so forth ....

 

AANDAAL ALSO EMPLOYED THIS TECHNIQUE VERY EFFECTIVELY IN HER

PAASURAMS ON SWAMI RANGANATHA !

 

Enjoy the 'rose with the thorn' - ninda sthuthi !