AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha PAdukA dt. Dec. 07 Part 1)

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SrI:

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrImate VedAnta rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrI ra’nganAtha divya MaNi PAdukAbhyAm namaH

 

AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha PAdukA dt. Dec. 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)

 

(Please set your encoding to Unicode UTF-8)

 

SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDi,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

 

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

SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

ViSvAmitrar was walking very briskly. In his haste, he went past Gautamar’s

ASramam. rAmar just stopped. ViSvAmitrar looked back at Him and asked why He

stopped. rAma said, ‘Yes, I have stopped’. He asked, “Why did you stop”?

 

mithilopavane tatra ASramam dRSya rAghavaH |

purANam nirjanam ramyam papraccha munipu'ngavam || (bAla.48.12)

 

rAman asked - " svAmI! Whose ASramam is this? It looks like a great person’s

ASramam. Isn’t there anyone here now? It looks dilapidated. The roofs are

all worn out. The place has not been swept. There is no decoration with kOlam

– [designs made with rice flour]. There is a lot of garbage here and it looks

old. Does it have owners? Where are they? "

 

gautamasya naraSreshTha pUrvam AsIt mahAtmanah | (bAla. 48.16)

[This was Sage Gautama-s hermitage in olden times.]

 

sa ca iha tapa AtishThat ahalyA sahitaH purA || (bAla.48.17)

[He was doing penance here for a long time when ahalyA was with him.]

 

" It is Gautamar’s ASramam. I wanted to tell you this story and I forgot. You

reminded me. karuNA kAkutsthA! I came with the intent of showing You this

place and forgot! You reminded me with great compassion! What a great

compassion! You have such wonderful mercy! You have been kind enough to remind

me! "

 

Orthodox people will take children to the exhibition. You would have seen,

right! There will be an entrance fee at the gate. They will pay only that.

They will not pay for anything else. There will be several other things to see

inside. There will be separate fees for them. When they go that side, the

child will say, “Father, father! We have to go this way”. Father will say,

“No. Let’s not go there. There will be some child-snatcher there. Come this

way”. There will be stores selling peppermints or biscuits. He will say

‘child snatcher’, worried that the child will ask for biscuits if they go that

side. That child will follow the father obediently (laughter in the audience).

 

Like that, ViSvAmitrar is walking fast without showing what is to be shown.

" What is this, svAmI! kasya idam ASramapadam jIrNam? Whose place is this that

is dilapidated? " rAman asked. ViSvAmitrar says a story here – " Why are you

asking! Gautamar was doing penance with his wife, ahalyai. ahalyai did not

have a single fault in her appearance. She was that beautiful. brahmA created

her. He said he will give her to whoever circumambulates the earth. Gautamar

cirumambulated a cow and married ahalyA. She was desirous of devendran. When

Gautamar was not around, devendran came to her because of his desire to her.

munivesha dharo bhUtvA – he assumed the form of Gautamar and came to her. She

saw him and asked – “Who are you? My husband will not come at this time. He

will always come at an auspicious time/star/day etc. You have come at an odd

time! Who are you?” He said, “I am indran”.

 

She asked, “Can you come like this?” indran said, “What can I do? Will one

wanting to have illicit relation check the almanac for an auspicious time?”

RtukAlam pratIkshante nArthinah susamAhite (bAla.48.19) - " One who is desirous

of illicit relation will not be waiting for an auspicious time! " VALmiki writes

this Slokam. When he said like that, she consented.

 

matim cakAra durmedhAH devarAja kutUhalAt | (bAla.48.20)

 

[Knowing well that it was devandran in her husband's garb, still her mind

committed to the wrong path, because he was the king of all deva-s.]

 

Gautamar came to know about this. He got angry. He cursed him and ahalyA too.

 

 

vAyu bhakshA nirAhArA tapyantI bhasma SAyinI!

adRSyA sarva bhUtAnAm ASrame’smin nivasyasi ||(bAla.48.33)

 

He cursed her – " you will suffer lying in the midst of ashes in this ASramam,

without anyone seeing you, living only on air, without any food, and exposed to

the scorching sunlight and rain for many, many years. [fn 1]

 

He cursed her like that. Will anyone curse like this? Gautamar is not an

ordinary person; he got very angry.

 

[Kamban describes Gautama mahaRshi's curse on ahalyA in the following verse.]

ellai il nANam eydi, yAvarkkum nagai vandu eyda

pulliya pazhiyinODum purandaran pOya pinRai

melliyalaLai nOkki vilai magaL anaiya nIyum

kal iyal Adi enRAn karu'ngallAi maru'ngu vIzhndAL (kamban 1.9.22)

 

After he cursed indran, the latter left for his place.

 

" melliyalaLai nOkki vilai magaL anaiya nIyum - what kind of an act have you

done, you acted like a prostitute. nIyum kal iyal Adi – you will become a

stone "

 

Couldn’t she have become a stone the next day? As soon as he said that,

karu'ngallAi maru'ngu vIzhndAL – immediately - at that instant, she fell down

as a stone.

 

Kamban says “SApam pOlE” – like a curse. Rshi’s curses will become true right

away. When a Rshi cursed a king – ‘you will become a pa'ncaman’ – Hindu's who

do not belong to any of the four castes – the king’s sacred thread turned into

leather right away; it looked like a belt across the shoulders of a

photographer; all the royal garments turned into leather. tatkshaNam - right

that instant. AyaSA’bhavan - he was wearing golden bangle in his hand – that

turned into iron bangle. If Rshi-s curse, it will materialize immediately.

 

What did ahalyA do immediately? She asked, “svAmi! What I did was wrong!

When will this curse end?”

 

pizhaittadu poRuttal enRum periyavar kaDanE enbar

azhal tarum kaDavuL annAi muDivu idaRku aruLuga! enna

tazhaittu vaNDu imirum taN tAr daSaratha rAman enbAn

kazhal tugaL kaduva – inda kal uru tavirdi enRAn (kamban 1.9.23)

 

It is said that great people must bear however they are wronged. azhal tarum

kaDavuL annAi muDivu idaRku aruLuga! enna - She asked: " You are like God

Himself. What is the end of the curse? Please show kindness. "

 

He replied: tazhaittu vaNDu imirum taN tAr daSaratha rAman enbAn kazhal tugaL

kaduva – inda kal uru tavirdi enRAn – " rAman will come. When His feet touch

you, this stone form will vanish. " ahalyai laughed happily.

 

" It is rAman, right? He will come here soon. He is very close. He has been

born to rENukai. Thay is the rAman, right? He will come. "

 

" Lady! It is not that rAman. daSaratha rAman enbAn kazhal tugaL kaduva – do

you know daSaratha rAman; D. rAman [rAman with the initial D]. That rAman’s

intial is different. He is the son of jamadagni. Jamadagni’s son is J. rAman.

D. rAman has to come " - kazhal tugaL kaduva inda kal uru tavirdi enRAn.

 

ViSvAmitrar said, “Oh, rAma! She is a stone right now!”

 

tArayainAm mAhAbhAgAm ahalyAm devarUpiNIm! (bAla.49.13) - “rAma, redeem this

ahalyai from her curse”; so saying, ViSvAmitrar took rAma and lakshmaNa into

the ASramam.

 

Immediately, [as soon as rAma's feet touched the stone that was ahalyA], a

woman appeared like a lightning out of the stone.

 

dadarSa ca mahAbhAgAm tapasA dyodita prabhAm |

lokaiH api samAgamya durnrIkshAm surAsuraiH || (bAla. 49.15)

 

prayatnAt nirmitAm dhAtrA divyAm mAyAmayImiva |

sa-tushArAvRtAm sAbhrAm pUrNa candra prabhAmiva || (bAla. 49.16)

 

[she shone beautifully, having been created by brahmA with great care and

effort.]

 

dhUmenApi parItA'ngIm dIptAm agni SikhAmiva || (bAla. 49.17)

[she was shining light bright firelog, though surrounded by smoke.]

 

SApasyAntam upAgamya teshAm darSanamAgatA || (bAla. 49..18)

[Though she had not been visible to anyone in all the three worlds because of

the power of gautama's curse, now because of the relief from the curse, she

became visible at last.]

 

The curse was lifted. ahalyA appeared like a devatA woman with great beauty.

Immediately they telephoned Gautamar saying his wife is back in human form – he

also came.

 

ViSvAmitrar was standing there stunned. When asked, “What svAmi! You are

standing without saying anything”,

 

ivvaNNam nigazhnda vaNNam ini inda ulagakku ellAm

uy vaNNam anRi, maRRu Or tuyar vaNNam uRuvadu uNDO?

mai vaNNattu arakki pOril mazhai vaNNattu aNNalE, un

kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn (kamban 1.2.24)

 

ViSvAmitrar said, “rAma! I am amazed at the greatness of Your tiruvaDi! I am

standing speechless”.

 

kal AsIt vanitA yada'nghri rajasA pul Asa yasyA’stratAm

pallAnAm nigaraih ca rAkshasagaNAn illAmalE yo virAt

pollAmaikku nivAsa bhUta jananI SollAl vanam yo yayau

ellArkkum dRSi kautukam hi tanute villALi varyah pumAn ||

 

" I am amazed at the greatness of Your tiruvaDi. "

 

pAshANa nirmita tapodhana dharmadAram

basmanyupAhita narendra kumAra bhAvam |

samvAhitam tridaSa nAtha ! ramA mahIbhyAm

sAmAnya daivatam uSantI padam tvadIyam || (devanAyaka pancAsat - 41)

 

[This Slokam of svAmi deSikan sings the praise of bhagavAn's divine feet that

brought back purity and human form to ahalyA, restored parIkshit to life from

ashes, and are caressed by the soft touch of the lotus hands of SrI devi and

bhU devi.]

 

" What a great surprise! ahalyA transformed into a woman from a stone form at

the touch of Your foot! "

 

ivvaNNam nigazhnda vaNNam ini inda ulagukku ellAm uy

vaNNam anRi, maRRu Or tuyar vaNNam uRuvadu uNDO! (kamban 1.2.24)

 

" After You blessed ahalyA like this by relieving her from the curse even while

You are walking on foot in the forest, where is sorrow for people who live on

this earth which has had the touch of Your feet? Where is the fear of samsAram

for us who are living in this earth that has become purified by Your walking on

it?

 

I learned about the true nature of Your hand earlier; I have learned about the

true nature of Your feet also now! When did I learn? "

 

mai vaNNattu arakki pOril mazhai vaNNattu aNNalE! (kamban 1.2.24)

 

He refers to Him as " mazhai vaNNattu aNNalE ! - Oh svAmi, who has the hue of

the rain clouds!

 

kunRADu koDu mugil pOl kuvaLaigaLpOl kurai kaDal pOl

ninRADu kaNamayil pOl niRam uDaiya neDumAlUr (periyAzhvAr. 4.8.9)

 

How is perumAL’s color? His complexion is as pleasing as having a full course

of rain during the hot summer season.

 

dhRshTa eva hi nah Sokam apaneshyati rAghavah |

tamah sarvasya lokasya samudyanniva bhAskarah || (ayodhyA. 83.9)

 

When one is suffering in the sweltering heat of the Ani month [mid June to mid

July], and profusely sweating, how pleasant will it be if from all the sides,

sky becomes dark and cool breeze blows! That is how it will be when one looks

at rAman. Just by looking at Him, all sorrows will vanish.

 

dhRshTa eva hi nah Sokam apaneshyati rAghavah - it is like the second wife!

(slight laughter in the audience).

 

mai vaNNa arakki pOril mazhai vaNNattu aNNalE! (Kamban 1.2.24) - Rain-hued

Lord in the battle with the pitch-dark tATakai.

 

mai vaLarkkum maNi uruvam maratakamO mazhai mugilO enginRALAl

kai vaLarkkum azhalALar kaNNapurattAmanaik kaNDAL kolO?

(periya tiruomozhi 8.1.7)

 

AzhvAr is describing perumAL’s complexion - it is so beautiful. - Looking at

His beautiful complexion, parakAla nAyaki wonders if He is the precious green

emerald stone, or whether He is the blue cloud that has come in person

 

Sevvaratta uDai ADai adan mEl Or

civaLikaik kaccu enginRALAl

avvaratta aDiyiNaiyum a'nkaigaLum

pa'ngayamE enginRALAl

mai vaLarkkum maNi uruvam maradagamO

mazhai mugilO enginRALAl

kai vaLarkkum azhalALar

kaNNapurattAmmAnaik kaNDAL kolO?

(periya tirumozhi. 8.1.7)

 

 

……………mazhai vaNNattu annAlE un

kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn (Kamban 1.2.24)

 

" I saw the greatness of Your hands during tATaka’s battle. I saw the greatness

of Your feet in ahalyA SApa vimocanam. "

===========

Fn 1 – uttara kANDam 30th sargam talks about ahalyai’s story again.

 

halam nAmeha vairUpyam halyam tatprabhavam bhavet |

yasyA na vidyate halyam tena ahalyeti viSrutA ||

 

“halam” means disfigurement of body. halyam denotes the impairment to beauty

caused by halam She was known as ahalyA because she did not have any 'halyam'

- impairment to her beauty. Since she became impure because of illicit

relation with indran, gautamar cursed both indran and ahalyA.

 

tasmAt tvam samare Sakra Satruhastam gamishyasi ||

 

“You will get caught by an enemy.” Accordingly, he was vanquished by indrajit

and lay tied down.

 

It is said that in repentance, ahalyA was observing penance when she was lying

down without a form - tapaH cacAra sumahat sA patnI brahmavAdinaH. Her act of

waiting for SrI rAman and thinking eagerly of His arrival constantly must be

taken as equivalent to doing penance.

 

purANam says she was lying down as a stone. AcArya-s opine that she was doing

rAma smaraNam in her stone form. This would mean that she was meditating on

rAma nAmam while lying in the form of a stone.

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

To be continued …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

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