Raghu Veera Gadhyam

[Guest guest]

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

Raghu Veera Gadhyam is one of the many brilliant and moving stotrams composed by

Sri Vedantha Desikan , while he was residing in Thiruvahindrapuram.At this divya

desam, there are the most beautiful Archa murthys of Sri Ramachandra, Sita Devi,

and Lakshmana. Swami Desikan was thrilled one day by the incomparable beauty of

Sri Ramachandra giving darsanam as Kodhanda Rama at this kshetram and

recollections about the extraordinary valour of our Lord and his deeds on the

battle field as the Maha Veera at Lanka.Inspired by those thoughts, he

summarized in his splendid Gadhyam (work in prose style ) the Vaibhavam of this

Maha Veera and named it appropriately Maha Veera Vaibhavam . Later this work

came to be known by its popular name of Raghu Veera Gadhyam.

Swami Desikan as a Sarva Tantra Svatantra might also have followed the foot

steps of his Paramacharya , Sri Ramanuja, who composed his three master pieces

in the Gadhyam form (Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam, Saranagathi Gadhyam and Sriranga

Gadhyam) . Swami Desikan was so fascinated by the Gadhya Trayas of Sri Ramanuja

that he created a commentary on them known as Gadhya Traya Bhashya . This work

fits inside another work of Swami Desikan known as Rahasya Raksha with four

chapters.

The first chapter of Rahasya Raksha is the commentary on Saranagathi Gadhyam

also known as Prthugadhyam . The second chapter is known as Mitagadhya Bhashyam

consisting of commentaries on both Sriranga and Vaikunta Gadhyams. The subject

matter of Sri Ramanuja's Gadhyams were the important doctrine of Prapatthi and

his supreme devotion to the Archa murthy at Srirangam worshipped by Sri

Ramachandra himself (Sriranga Gadhyam ) and the raptourous description of Sri

Vaikuntam (Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam), the supreme abode of Sriman Narayana and His

consort , the object of our Prapatthi .

It is not an exaggeration to state that Swami Desikan's Raghu Veera Gadhyam is

his OWN Prapatthi to the Lord ,who declared at Sethu : " It is my solemn

covenant that I stand by anyone who surrenders his all to my keeping . According

to this Vibhishana comes under my protecting hand , which even Ravana is free to

accept. I now charge Sugreeva to hail Vibhishana and lead him to me " . It is no

wonder that the entire Ramayana is revered as Saranagathi Sastra by Sri

Vaishnavas .Infact, Sri Ramunuja himself learned the special meanings of Srimad

Ramayanam (Sarangathi) from Srisailapurna or Thirumalai Nambi , a native of

Thiruppathi. Swami Desikan went on to describe the mystry and sacredness of

Prapatthi in Sanskrit and Manipravala texts such as Sarangathi Deepikai,

Abhayapradanasara, Rahasyatayasara et al .

We are therefore fully justified in considering the delectable Raghu Veera

Gadhyam of Swami Desikan as the celebration of the Lord's covenant to Prapannas

housed as the central message of the seven cantos of Srimad Ramayanam. Swami

Desikan celebrarted the veeram or Parakramam aspect of Veera Raghavan in this

Gadhyam. He went on to celebrate in yet another stotram the valor of this RaNa

Pungavan presiding as Archa Murthy at Thriuputkuzhi with the divya namam of

Vijaya Raghavan. Elsewhere, Thirumangai Azhwar has performed Mangalasaasanam for

Veeraraghavan, the Archa Murthy at Thiruvellore Divya Desam. Kulasekhara

celebrated the valor of the Lord at Tillai Thiruchitrakootam. Saint Thyagaraja

saluted his valor at battle by describing Him as " Dhanda Chathuran " in his

Kapi-Naarayani song " Sarasa Saama Dhana Dhanda Chathura Saati Davamevareh? " .

The bard asked " O Rama! You are adept in statesmanship and in wielding the four

expedients, conciliation (sama), winning over with gifts (Dhana) ,separating the

enemies(Bheda) and punishing by war (DHANDA ). Who is there equal to You? " . The

saint invited that Raghuveera affectionately again in his Huseni krithi:

" Raghuveera RaNadheera! Raa Raa, Rajakumara! "

 

In this section , we will cover the following items :

1. When to read Srimad Ramayanam & Raghuveera Gadhyam?

2. Where to read Srimad Ramayanam & Raghuveera Gadhyam ?

3. What are the procedures to follow before Reading either ?

4. What are the fruits/benefits of reading either ?

5. How do they compare in size and structure ?

RAAMAAYA RAMABHADRAAYA

RAMACHANDRAAYA VEDHASEH I

RAGHUNAATHAAYA NAATHAYA

SEETHAAYA: PATAYEH NAMA: II

( My salutations to Veda Purusha Sri Rama, who is celebrated as Ramachandra,

Ramabhadra, Raghunatha and the Lord of Sita Devi )

AAPADHAAM APAHARTHAARAM

DHAATHAARAM SARVA SAMPADHAAM I

LOKAABHIRAMAM SRI RAAMAM

BHUYOH BHUYOH NAMAAMYAHAM II

(I salute again and again Sri Rama, the delight of the whole world, the

reliever/ banisher of every suffering and the bestower of all riches)

1. WHEN TO READ BOTH ?

The Aadhi Kaavyam (epic poem ) composed by sage Valmiki (Srimad Ramayanam)

consisting of seven books (Kaandas) and 645 Cantos (Sargas) is recommended for

reading in a nine day stretch (Navaaham ) or in a 27 day stretch . The nine day

reading with starts and stops at particular chapters is recommended for the

months of Chaitra, Maagha and Kartika during Sukla Paksham (5th day to the the

thirteenth day). The 27 day reading is to be carried out starting from the day,

when the constellation of Punarvasu is in ascendance to the day, when Aardhraa

constellation is in ascendance. There are elaborate procedures for reading

Srimad Ramayanam (Sankalpam, Acharya Vandanam, Dhyaanam, Nyaasam (Anganyaasam

and Karanyaasam) and Viniyogam for each of the Khaandams.

The procedures for reciting Swami Desikan's Raghuveera Gadhyam are few and

simple.One can recite it every day.

One recites at the beginning and ending of the stotram " NEELA KOMALA RUCHIM

RAAMAM BHAJEH SYAAMALAM " (I meditate on Sri Rama of cerulean hue possessing the

soft lustre of the blue lotus). Next one recites Acharya Dhyanam:

SRIMATHE NIGAMAANTHA MAHA DESIKAAYA NAMA:

SRIMAAN VENKATANAATHAARYA: KAVITHAARKIKA KESARI I

VEDHANTHAACHAARYAVARYOH MEH SANNIDHATTAAM SADHAA HRUDHI II

This is followed by the recitation of the entire Raghuveera Gadhyam.

As the conclusion, one salutes again the composer of this stotram:

KAVITHAARKIKA SIMHAAYA KALYAANA GUNASAALINEH I

SRIMATHEH VENKATESAAYA VEDAANTHAGURAVEH NAMA: II

Finally, the Mangala slokam for Sri Rama is recited:

MANGALAM KOWSALENDRAAYA MAHANEEYA GUNAATHMANEH I

CHAKRAVARTHI TANUJAAYA SAARVABHOWMAAYA MANGALAM II

2. WHERE TO READ ?

One can recite both in front of a Salagrama murthy, Tulasi plant or in a temple

or at the puja graham of one's own home. If the recitation is done in front of

SaLagramam, One should bathe the Murtham in milk, dry it and then start the

recitation. (Sri M.S. Krishnamachar's monograph released by Visishtaadvaita

PrachariNi sabhaa contains enormous details on the types of SaaLagrAmAs. Lakshmi

Narasimha, Lakshmi Narayana, Seetha Rama and Lakshmi Hayagreeva SaaLigrAmams are

particularly welcome to be used in the PaarayaNam).

3. PUROSES OF READING

Those wishing progeny read BalaKhandam; those who seek wealth read Ayodhyaa

Khaandam; those wanting to secure a friend or wishing to secure back lost wealth

read Kishkindhaa Khaandam; those wishing fulfilment of their desires

(Kaamyaarthi) read Sundara Khaandam; Yuddha Khandam is read by those wishing the

destruction of their enemies/obstacles; Uttara Khaandam is read by those, who

wish liberation from the cycles of births and deaths (Moksham). This is for

reading of the individual Khaandams of Valmiki Ramayanam.

The reading of Raghuveera Gadhyam confers all of the above blessings on the

reciter. Both Srimad Ramayanam and Sri Raghuveera Gadhyam are considered as the

unsurpassed form of Gayatri Mantram.

4. A COMPARISON OF SIZES

Simad Ramayanam has 7 Khaandams; Sri Raghuveera Gadhyam has the summary of 6

Khaandams. Latter does not include Aaranya Khaandam. You might also note that

the previous section on " purpose of Reading " omitted Aaranya Khaandam.

Valmiki Ramayanam(VR ) has 645 Cantos (Sargams ) housed in its six books

(Khaandams ); Sri Raghuveera Gadhyam has 92 salutations in 6 sections . The Book

by Book comparison is as follows with Raghuveera Gadhyam related information in

paranthesis:

Bala Khaandam ---: VR 77 (18)

Ayodhyaa Khaandam ---: VR 119 (21)

Aaranya Khaandam ---: VR 75 (0)

Kishkindaa Khaandam ---: VR 67 (5)

Sundara Khaandam ---: VR 68 (1)

Yuddha Khaandam ---: VR 128 (29)

Uttara Khaandham ---: VR 111 (18)

TOTAL CANTOS : VR 645 / (92 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PRELIMINARY SALUTATON AND

CONCLUDING PORTIONS OF RAGHUVEERA GADHYAM) .

The Mahavira Vaibhavam or Raghuvira Gadyam summaraizes succinctly the Adi Kavyam

of Sage Valmiki revered as Srimad Ramayanam . In 94 Gadya (prose ) passages ,

Sri Vedantha Desikan addresses Sri Ramachandra and salutes His Anantha Kalyana

Gunas . If Gopalavimsathi is the home of mellifluous songs in verse form on Lord

Krishna , Raguvira Gadhyam is the treasure trove of the " songs " on Sri Rama in

prose form . We meet passages from Raghuvira Gadhyam in the eighth act of Swami

Desikan's allegorical play known as Sankalpa Suryodhaya housing the cardinal

tenets of Sri Vaishnavism .

The slautations of the Vaibhavam(Glory) of the greatest of the scion of Raghu

begins with an evocative verse :

JAYATHYAASRITHA SANTHRAASA DHWAANTHA VIDHVAMSANODHAYA :I

PRABHAAVAAN SEETHAYAA DEVYAA PARAMVYOMA BHASKARA :II

Our Lord, who is the Sun of the Parmaakasam (Sri Vaikuntam) shines with supreme

effulgence. He took the incarnation as the son of the Emperor Dasaratha to

destroy the darkness (fear) of those, who sought refuge at His feet. He is

inseparable from Sita Devi, just as the disc of Sun is inseparable from its

lustre. Sri Ramachandra of these attributes towers over every one through his

anantha kalyana gunas (limitless auspicious attributes).

In the interest of further search visit -

http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/vdesikan/raghuveera_gadyam/index.html

 

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama