AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. Sept 07 Part 1)

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SrI:

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja MahA deSikAya nama:

SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya nama:

SrImate VedAnta rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya nama:

SrI ra’nganAtha divya maNi pAdukAbhyAm nama:

 

AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. Sept 07 Part 1)

 

English 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

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

SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

viSvAmitrar taught SrI rAma all the astrams and mantrams. He also taught Him

how to withdraw those weapons. Immediately, all the devatA-s represented by

those weapons came in person and stood there. When they came, He said, “I do

not need you now. kArya kAle (bAla. 28.14) – when I call for you, you can

come! You can go now!†After sending the astra-devatA-s away, they

continued on their journey. A big forest was seen in the way. SrI rAma asked,

“What is this forest? How far is your ASramam? You keep on going farther

and farther! How far is it?â€

 

“This is the forest I wanted to come to; we have arrived. This is where

siddhASramam is. With Your blessing, my goal must be fulfilled.â€

 

“Is this where rAkshasa-s come and bother you too much?†Rshi said,

‘yes’. “If so, why don’t you go to a different place to do yAgam? Why

are you struggling with this place? Can’t you look for a place where they do

not come?†Right? When there is a problem with this place, couldn’t he

have left that place? Why should he tolerate all those issues and keep staying

there? Therefore, rAma asked: “Why can’t you go to a different place?â€

 

ViSvAmitrar responded: “For that, I will tell you a story†- saishA

vAmanasya upabhujyate (bAla. 29-44).

 

When PerumAL asked: “atha tasya aprameyasya tad vanam paripRcchatah |â€

(bAla.29.1), ViSvAmitrar started his vyAkyAnam -

 

viSvAmitro mahAtejAh vyAkhyAtum upacakrame || (bAla..29.1) – ViSvAmitrar

started explaining about the forest in great detail.

 

iha rAma mahAbAho vishNur devavara: prabhu: | (bAla. 29.2)

 

varshANi subahUnIha tathA yuga SatAni ca |

tapaS caraNa yogArtham uvAsa sa mahAtapAh || (bAla. 29.3)

 

esha pUrvASramo rAma vAmanasya mahAtmanah |

siddhASrama iti khyAta : siddho hyatra mahAtapAh || (bAla. 29.4)

 

ParamAtmA did penance right in this place. At that time, the devatA-s came and

prayed to PerumAL, “mahaAbali cakravarti is doing yAgam. Before he completes

the yAgam, You have to fulfill our wish.â€

 

“MahAbali is doing yAgam having SukrAcAryar as the priest. SukrAcAryar has

brought in his relatives for all the Rtvik-s.†If the mantram is pronounced

wrong, the whole goal will be spoiled. When a bRhaspati has to officiate in a

function, usually he will bring only those that are intimately known to him for

Ayush homam etc. This has been the practice even in those days. That is why I

am pointing it out.

 

So…â€The devatA-s came to siddhASramam and prayed. PerumAL in His VAmana

incarnation was doing penance at that place at that time. This is the place

where He stayed; so I am sticking to this place because it is the purest of all

places. I can do it in a different place, but still,

 

mayA’pi bhaktyA tasyaiva vAmanasyopabhujyate | (bAla. 29.44)

[This place is sought by me because of my devotion to vAmana mUrti].â€

 

etam ASramam AyAnti rAkshasA vighnakAriNah || (bAla.29.45)

[but rAkshasa-s of bad character bent on causing obstruction to my yAga come to

this ASramam], said ViSvAmitrar. There is something interesting here.

 

saishA vAmanasya upabhujyate - “I am sticking to this place without leaving,

because this place became holy by the touch of the holy Feet (tiruvaDi sparSam)

of PerumAL who took VAmana avatAram. Even if rAkshasa-s come and bother, I

should not leave this place. The touch of perumAL’s divine feet is just

preciousâ€.

 

maNNai irundu tuzhAvi vAmanan maN iduvennum

viNNait tozhudu avan mEvu vaikuntam enRu kai kATTum

kaNNaiyuL nIr malga ninRu kaDal vaNNan enRu annE en

peNNaip peru mayal SeydArkku en SeygEn peyvaLaiyIrE ! (tiruvAi.4.4.1)

 

“Do you know what He did to my daughter! This PerumAL turned her into a mad

person. Do you know what He did? ‘maNNai irundu tuzhAvi vAmanan maN

iduvennum’ – my daughter is sitting at the front of the house and throwing

soil from the ground all over her head. I have to get her married very soon.

She is a good girlâ€.

 

maNNai irundu tuzhAvi vAmanan maN iduvennum

viNNait tozhudu avan mEvu vaikuntam enRu kai kATTum

 

nammAzhvAr would sit on the sand and keep digging into the soil with his hand.

If someone comes and asks him what he is doing, he will say, “vAmanan maN

iduvennum†– this is the soil on which vAmanan kept His tiruvaDi.

ViSvAmitrar said, saishA vAmanasya upabhujyate! mayA’pi bhaktyA tasyaiva

vAmanasya upabhujyate!

 

In our faith, rAmAyaNam and divya prabandham have connection. When vyAkhyAnam

for rAmAyaNam is done with tamizh pASurams, it is like giving rAmAyaNam a

special glittering polish.

 

‘viNNait tozhudu avan mEvu vaikuntam enRu kai kATTum’ – nammAzhvAr would

look at the sky and fold his hands in prayer. If you ask why, he will say:

“It is the paramapadam where my PerumAL isâ€. kaNNaiyuL nIr malga ninRu

kaDal vaNNan ennum – He will keep calling, “kaDal vaNNA!†and keep

shedding tears.

 

en peNNaip peru mayal SeydArkku en SeygEn peyvaLaiyIrE – nAyaki’s mother

tells her friend, ‘He has made my daughter like this!’ Couldn’t that

friend have kept quiet? She asks, “Why is your daughter like this?†“He

has mesmerized her. He has made her become spell-bound like thisâ€.

 

ViSvAmitrar said: “Like that, I am sitting in this place because this is

where VAmana avatAram took place. I am holding on to this place because I

don’t want to give it up.â€

 

VAlmIki has revealed a secret here. It will be clear if it is illustrated with

an example. But, it is an example that cannot be said. That is why I am

hesitating and thinking what I can do. It will be clear only if the example is

given.

 

He saw this rAman. ViSvAmitrar had said in daSarathan’s court in front of

the gathering – “aham vedmi mahAtmAnam rAmam satya parAkramamâ€

(bAla.19.16) – ‘I meditate on Him; and the likes of VasishThar also

meditate on Him. ye ce me tapasi sthitAh - all these other Rshi-s also

meditate on Him.’ The vyAkhyAnam was that ViSvAmitrar scolded daSarathan for

keeping that upAsya tattvam (the object of meditation for the Rshi-s) to

himself, and for refusing to give Him when asked. Since rAman was with him

personally now, he felt that it will be good if he can do SaraNAgati to Him

now.

 

 

While he felt in his mind that he should do SaraNAgati, these boys were

prostrating to him. “They prostrate to me after doing sandhyAvandanam. He

may get angry if I call Him ISvara. rAma will get angry, saying ‘I have to

pretend to be a human till rAvaNan is killed. rAvaNan needs to be destroyed.

It can be done only by a man.’†ViSvAmitrar thought: “If I surrender

to Him and reveal that He is PerumAL, rAvaNa vadham may not take place. But, I

very much want to surrender.†ViSvAmitrar thought of a trick.

 

He made it appear that he was narrating the story of VAmanAvatAram, and said,

 

“SarIre tava paSyAmi jagat sarvam idam prabho! |

tvam anAdih anirdeSyah tvAm aham SaraNam gatah ||†(bAla.29.14)

 

Using KaSyapa mahaRshi’s above words in praise of Lord VAmana, but keeping

rAma in the front,ViSvAmitrar is saying the same words. SarIre tava paSyAmi

jagat sarvam – ViSvAmitrar sees in rAma’s tirumEni the whole universe. He

brought Him here, right! PerumAL gives Him viSvarUpa darSanam. Knowing His

greatness, ViSvAmitrar had brought PerumAL saying - “aham vedmi

mahAtmAnam!†During His incarnations, if someone takes Him somewhere, it is

PerumAL’s nature to bless them with a special sevai. He gave a special

darSanam (appearance) to AkrUrar, right? Like that He gives viSva rUpa

darSanam to ViSvAmitrar, who says: “SarIre tava paSyAmi†- I look at your

tirumEni. “tvam anAdi: anirdeSya: tvAm aham SaraNam gatah†- You are the

most ancient of all, One who is beyond description - nirdeshTum aSakyah,

‘ neti neti’ – it is not possible to describe Your greatness as such and

such. I surrender to Youâ€.

 

When rAma heard the words ‘I surrender’, He was taken aback. “What is

this? This BrAhmaNa has done this kind of deed. rAvaNan needs to be killed.

What will the devatA-s think?†rAma’s face showed anger. Immediately,

ViSvAmitrar said, “siddha yaksha gandharvAh tatah tam SaraNam gatAh†(bAla.

15.25) - this is how the siddha-s and yaksha-s surrendered to PerumAL.

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To be continued …..

 

 

 

 

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