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Sri: Sreemathe Ramanujaya Namaha, Sreemathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha Dear Andavan Members, Membership in our group is touching a modest number of 500 so far.My request to our members, is to spread the message about this group to their friends also, who may not be aware of the existence of this group, thereby information about Srimath Andavan Ashramam as well as Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya messages can be posted regularly in this group mailing.

I am appealing to all Ashramam branches, to post information about their activities periodically in this group, in addition to their own system of coverage.Our Ashramam National committee members also take this appeal for further action. You might have already noticed that Sri Ramanuja Mission , our Ashramam Branch In USA, regularly post their activities in this group mailing. As Administrator of this group, I invite eminent scholars to join this group and also as a service, to post vedic articles regularly, which will spread to all members. If useful articles on a regular basis appear, many members can be attracted to the group, just like “Oppiliappan “, “Srirangasri” groups. In this context, I had an

opportunity to meet one of the long time associates of our Ashramam,Sri R.Kannan.He is popularly known to his friends as Kilpauk, Halls Road Kannan.He and his brothers along with his brother in law Sri R.Srinivasan, were associated with our Ashrmam very closely from the days of Tirukkudanthai Andavan. Since Sri Kannan is a treasure house of information about our Sampradayam, I made a request to him to contribute regularly to our andavan, which he has readily agreed. He has given an article on Sri Rama’s 16 Gunas, which has earlier appeared as a serial in the magazine “Kalpataru”. The first such article is now being inserted in this mailing. Others will be appearing one article every week. I welcome our group members’ comments on views expressed by me in

this mailing as well as about the article appearing now. Sri Rama-the Virtuous-“Gunavaan” ---- Sri R. Kannan

The great epic Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam starts with the enquiry of Valmiki with sage Narada “thapaha Swaadhyaya niratham thapasvi Vaakvidhantharam , Naaradham paripapraccha valmikir munipungavam”. When one wants to know about something real and good, he should approach a reliable person who is competent to answer. Here Valmiki enquires from the celestial sage Narada, who is also the son of Brahma and the immortal story of Sri Rama begins. Here Valmiki requests sage Narada to let him know whether there is any man, (nara), in this world presently who is meritorious and valorous. One who is versatile with duties, having gratitude? One who speaks only truth, steadfast in his vows, one

with good character, one who is kind hearted, one who is wise, having unlimited capability and has a handsome personality to attract one and all. One who has mastered his own self and has control over wrath; one who is brilliant (radiating thejus) and is free from envy, one who is easily accessible to everyone and whose anger, every Deva dreads?. He elicits 16 prime qualities, which will make a man of the highest order. For this question, sage Narada gives a detailed reply, from his personal knowledge. First he says that the qualities referred to above are very

rare in this world and however, these qualities are possessed by Sri Rama, the son of Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya. Getting the brief information about the Avatara of Sri Rama from Narada and also blessed by Brahma to have all details about Sri Rama’s life, Valmiki writes the Ramayanam. Srimad Ramayanam is an epic, depicting the various fine qualities referred to above. The question of Valmiki to sage Narada is “asmin sampratham loke gunavan kaha” Who in this present world, is possessed of good qualities?. The word “gunavan” may denote generally

possessed of good qualities. As he enquires about further 15 qualities “gunavan” should be treated as possessed of a special quality. Here, we may note, that Acharya Alavandar, in his Stotra Ratna describes Sriman Narayana as “ vashi vadhanyaha gunavanruju: ……samasthakanlyana gunamrutodadhi” Here it may be seen that gunavan has been included as a special quality, along with other qualities. Almost all Acharyas have commented that the quality that has been represented by gunavan

relates to sowsheelyam. What is Sausilyam?— “Sausilyam….. mahathe mandhaisyaha neerandhrena sanshlepaha” A person of high status, mixing up with a person of inferior status, freely without any feeling of superiority—this quality is said to be Sausilyam. It is very difficult for anyone to forget his egoism and move with anybody particularly with a person of inferior status. That is why, different classes of people exist

even in the modern society. But Srimad Ramayana depicts that Sri Rama exhibited this supreme quality of Sausilyam. We can see various instances in Srimad Ramayana. In Ayodhya Kanda, Sri Rama reaches Shringaverapur ruled by Guha.

Guha is a hunter and a boatman only. He is a chieftain of a small place, which falls under the regime of Ayodhya. Sri Rama the crown prince of Ayodhya is welcomed by Guha, whole-heartedly and is offered all facilities available at his control. Sri Rama well praised with the reception, embraces Guha like a very intimate friend. Here Sri Rama forgets his status and the status of Guha and declares him as his close friend ( In Kamba Ramayana, Sri Rama declares that they have been only four brothers till then and now they have become five brothers including Guha). One of the Alwars, Thirumangai Alwar, praises this quality of Sausilyam of Sri Rama to the highest degree. Valmiki refers Guha as “Ramasyathmasamassakha”. Next Sri Rama goes to the hermitage, where the huntress Sabari resides. He accepts the hospitality of Sabari with grace and kindness, though she belongs to a lowly status. Then Sri Rama seeks friendship with the Vanara king (monkey king) Sugriva and the friendship is concluded in front of Agni (fire god) “agnisakshika”. Here Sri Rama gives equal status to

Sugriva. In Kamba Ramayana Sri Rama takes him as a brother ( stating that they have become six brothers now). Last but not the least Rakshasa—Vibhisana comes to the fold of Sri Rama and surrenders at his feet. Though Vibhishana is a demon, and brother of Ravana, who has abducted Sita Devi. Sri Rama grants him refuge and makes him a close associate. Here again Kamba Ramayana states that Rama and family have become seven brothers. Thus the crown prince of Ayodhya, Sri Rama exhibited his Sausilayam while making friendship with a hunter, Guha, a monkey Sugriva and a demon Vibhishana. Apart from this he accepted the hospitality of Sabari, a huntress. This quality of Sausilyam of Sri Rama has been described as the special quality under the work “gunavan” There is another

explanation of gunavan by another Acharya Kurathalvan. First time Ravana comes to the battlefield and fights with Sri Rama. In a fierce battle Ravana loses his chariot, bow, arrow, and the crown. He stands alone in the battlefield. A moment is enough for Sri Rama to kill Ravana who is without any protection whatsoever. But Sri Rama, instead of killing Ravana, who has abducted Sita Devi and kept her in Asoka Vana for almost a year permits to go home. “Gacchanujanami ranarthethasthvam” Sri Rama lets Ravana

go home, in order to think again about the final result of the battle and atone for his sins committed so far. If Ravana, comes and surrenders, Sri Rama is prepared to pardon him and forget all his past deeds. What is the name of this quality (kovai gunaha?) by which Sri Rama allows his archenemy Ravana, who has separated himself and Sita Devi for almost a year, to go home from the battlefield without being killed. There is no quality that can be termed better than this act of sympathy and mercy on his arch foe. We have cited only a few examples of Sri Rama’s

qualities which are special in nature as compared to other normal good qualities under the title “GUNAVAAN”. After all Sri Rama has taken the Avatara of a human being to exhibit exemplary qualities by practice.The end of the first part of article from Sri R.Kannan on Sri Rama

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