AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. November 06. Part 1)

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SrI:

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrImate vedAnta rAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrI ra’nganAtha divya maNi pAdukAbhyAm nama:

SrI ra’ngarAmAnuja mahAdeSika divya pAdukAbhyAm nama:

 

AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. November 06. Part 1)

 

Translation of

SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam in tamizh by SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan

 

As published in SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA by

SrI u.vE. nATTEri kiDAmbi rAjagopAlAcAriyAr (Editor of SrI ra’nganAtha

pAdukA)

 

SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDi,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

=====================================

daSarathan completed the yAgam in a way that was satisfactory to everyone by

giving away donations generously and by performing the yAgam as prescribed by

the SAstra-s without any faults - ‘yathA sAstram’.

 

tato vai yajamAnasya pAvakAt atula prabham |

prAdurbhUtam mahad bhUtam mahAvIryam mahAbalam || (bAla. 16.11)

 

Instantly, a great person (mahA purushan) came out from the sacrificial fire.

He had an exquisitely beautiful personality. What did he do?

 

tapta jAmbUnadamayIm rAjatAntaparicchadAm ||

divya pAyasa sampURNAm pAtrIm patnIm iva priyAm |

pragRhya vipulAm dorbhyAm svayam mAyAmayImiva ||

samavekshyAbravIt vAkyam idam daSaratham nRpam |

prAjApatyam naram viddhi mAmihAbhyAgatam nRpa || (bAla. 16.14-16)

 

It was pAyasam (sweet pudding), in a beautiful-looking vessel. The vessel was

made of gold. But, rAjatAntaparicchadAm - it had a cover made of silver. Could

they not get enough money, and is that why they had only silver cover? Someone

built a beautiful house. Very intricately built. People went for gRhapraveSam

(formally entering the new dwelling). It had “ordinary flooring”. When asked,

“You have built such a beautiful house. How is it that you did not put ’mosaic

flooring’?” The owner responded: “I ran out of money; this is all for now. I

can put that later”. Like that, rAjatAntaparicchadAm – golden vessel had silver

top. prAjApatyam naram viddhi – said that mahA purushan – I have come at the

order of bhagavAn.

 

tata: param tadA rAjA pratyuvAca kRtA’njali: |

bhagavan svAgatam te’stu kimaham karavANi te || (bAla. 16,17)

 

That mahA purushan was standing there with the sweet pudding; he was there to

give it to him (daSarathar). daSarathar said, “ Welcome, welcome, what can I

do for you? I am ready to give”. Look at this. That person has come to give

something to daSarathar. The latter is asking the former what he can give him.

That is because, that family is like that – they are used to giving to whoever

comes to them. So, he asks “bhagavan kim karavANi te”.

 

daSarathar is thinking that mahApurushan has come to ask him for something. If

it were us, we would ask, “What did you bring for me?” Because of his habit,

cakravarti asked what he could give. Whatever a person’s habit is, that is what

will prevail! We would ask, “What, did you come with empty hand? You did not

bring anything?” Because he is from ikshvAku vamSam, he says “bhagavan kim

karavANi te”! It was a custom for ikshvAku vamSam to keep on giving. Because

of that custom, daSarathar thought that the person who came from the agni

kuNDam (sacrificial fire) had come to get something in that vessel, and asked

him “What do you need? I am ready to give”. The story tomorrow is going to be

– “That mahApurushan said - I have not come to get. I have come to give, and

he presented the pAyasam; cakravarti will accept the pAyasam”.

 

There is a secret in this incident. What is it? tapta jAmbUnadamayIm

rAjadAntaparicchadAm – the pAyasam was brought in a golden vessel. Why is the

top cover a silver one? That is the secret. pAyasam denotes perumAL. That

pAyasam is going to be born as the son of daSarathan. pAyasam is ISvara tatvam

(representing the Supreme Lord). This golden vessel is jIvAtma tatvam. The

top is prakRti (representing non-sentient matter). mAmeva ye prapadyante mAyAm

etAm taranti te (gItA 7.14), man mAyA mohitam jagat – “mAyA” refers to prakRti.

The jIvan who is deluded by prakRti does not know bhagavAn. bhagavAn is

antaryAmi (is seated inside) for each jIvan. jIvan is one step higher than

prakRti, and paramAtmA is higher than the jIvan. paramAtmA is present as

antaryAmi in jIvan. Even then, jIvan does not know Him because of his

association with prakRti. Because of prakRti [represented by the silver lid],

bhagavAn who is in the form of pAyasam inside the golden vessel, is not

recognized by the jIvan. That is why the lid is given a so-so status. Could

he not have found a golden lid? prakRti is a lower tatvam than the jIvan.

There is prakRti, jIvan and paramAtmA. parmAtma tatvam is the pAyasam. Why

is it not known to the jIvan even when it is inside the jIvan? Because of the

silver cover. Because of prakRti which is a lower tattvam than jIvan. It is

to show this great tatvam, that the mahApurushan gave the divine pAyasam in a

golden vessel with a silver cover. We will continue the story tomorrow on how

the cakravarti took that pAyasam and gave to his wives.

 

svasti prajAbhya: paripAlayantAm

nyAyyena mArgeNa mahIm mahISA: |

go brahmaNebhya : Subham astu nityam

lokA : samastA : sukhino bhavantu ||

 

SrImad ANDavan completed the upanyAsam with ma’ngaLa Slokams and continued the

next day starting with AcArya taniyan-s and ma’ngaLa Slokams.

 

pArAvAra payo viSoshaNa kalA pArINa kAlAnala-

jvAlA jAla vihAra hAri viSikha vyApAraghora krama: |

sarvAvastha sakRt prapanna janatA samrakshaNaika vratI

dharmo vigrahavAn adharma viratim dhanvI sa tanvIta na : || (daSAvatAra stotram

– 8)

 

SOgam tavirkkum Suritip poruL onRu SolluginROm

nAgam tanakkum irAkkadarkkum namakkum SaraNAm

AkaNDalan maganAgiya Avalip pEriyadOr

kAgam pizhaittiDak kaNNazhive Seyda kAguttanE! (deSikar’s abhaya pradhAna

sAram)

 

kaRpAr rAmapirAnai allAl maRRum kaRpaRO

puRPA mudalA pulleRumbAdi onRinRiyE

naRpAl ayOttiyil vAzhum SarASaram muRRavum

naRpAlukku uyttanan nAnmuganAr peRRa nATTuLE ? (tiruvAimozhi 7.5.1)

 

A great, divine person came out of the sacrificial fire and made his

appearance. He had a golden vessel in his hand. cakravarti is asking, “

bhagavan svAgatam te astu kim aham karavANi te!”

 

“svAmi, welcome. What can I do for you?” That person has come to give.

Instead of taking that, he is asking, “What do you want?” ikshvAku vamSam. sa

sarvAn arthino dhrshTvA sametya pratinandita: - they will feel happy thinking

whoever comes to see them have come to get something from them. Whoever passes

by their doors, they will feel happy that they are coming to seek and get

something from them, like tEpperumAL. If a person goes all the way from Madras

to Addison pETTai in kA’ncIpuram to buy a silk saree because it costs Rs. 25

less in kA’ncIpuram, this dEvAdi rAjap perumAL will feel happy thinking that

this person has come there only to worship Him. sa sarvAn arthino dhrshTvA

sametya pratinandita: Sometimes, when a person comes to AzhvArpETTai to buy

banana in the street corner, people [in the ASramam] say, “swami, he is coming

to see us”. (slight laughter in the audience)

 

So, because he belonged to ikshvAku vamSam, cakravarti said - bhagavan svAgatam

te astu kim aham karavANi te !

 

That divine person said immediately:

 

idam tu nRpaSArdUla! pAyasam deva nirmitam |

prajAkaram gRhANa tvam dhanyam Arogya vardhanam || (bAla. 16.21)

 

nRpaSArdUla – greatest among rAjaRshis. I have brought pAyasam. pAyasam deva

nirmitam – it was not prepared in any ordinary person’s house. With emperumAn’s

sa’nkalpam (blessing) and His desire to come down from nitya vibhUti to be born

in lIlA vibhUti, He has ordained for this pAyasam to be given to you.

 

prajAkaram gRhANa tvam dhanyam Arogya vardhanam. prajAkaram – it will develop

the vamSam (procreation). Will it cause side-effects if consumed? Will it be

painful if taken? No - Arogya vardhanam – it will give health. So, take it!

Do not take it and give it away to someone else!

 

bhAryANAm anurUpANAm aSnIteti prayaccha vai (bAla. 16.22)

 

Give it to your deserving wives. Give it to those wives whose sons will perform

the prescribed karma-s. .

 

tAsu tvam prApsyase putrAn yadartham yajase nRpa | (bAla. 16.22)

 

They will bear sons. That is why you are doing this yAgam. Give it to them –

said that divine person. So, cakravarti took that pAysam; he completed the

yAgam. He took the pAyasam to his palace. Next, vAlmIkI describes how he

divided the pAyasam between his wives.

 

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To be continued …..

 

 

 

 

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