AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha PAdukA dt. Dec. 07 Part 2)

[Guest guest]

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 2)

 

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

..

Normally, one would bestow abhayam – protection – with the hand. And

the person will attain auspiciousness. It is not auspicious if one

kicks with the leg. Instead, I saw fear caused by Your Hand [in the

case tATakA vadham], and saw protection offered by Your Foot. What a

great wonder this is! kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn

(Kamban 1.2.24). It has one meaning like this. ayya'ngAr meaning.

(laughter in the audience).

 

mai vaNNa arakki pOril mazhai vaNNattu annAlE un

kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn

 

pAshANa nirmita tapodhana dharmadAram (devanAyaka pa'ncAsat 41)

[bhagavAn's divine feet that created the wife of sage Gautama from the

stone…]

 

pAntu vaH padmanAbhasya pAdukA keLi pAmsvaH |

ahalyA deha nirmANa paryAya paramANavaH || (pAdukA. 351)

[Let the dusts arising from the PAdukA-s of bhagavAn as He walks

protect all - the same dusts from the PAdukA-s of PadmanAbhan that

created ahalyA from the stone.]

 

Gautamar came. rAma and lakshmaNa prostrate before the couple

ahalyA-Gautamar. [fn 1] Gautamar is trying to reason out - " she should

have been created from atoms. How did she come to life? " He is one

who belonged to tarka matam - the tarka faith – analyzing by logic.

They believe that everything comes from atoms.

 

tarka matam places importance on atoms. They say that even when one

dies, one should think ‘pIlavaH, pIlavaH, pIlavaH’ (atoms, atoms,

atoms) – one should remember the atoms – which are the cause of the

world according to them. They do not leave the atoms even then.

 

Gautamar kept thinking – she must have risen from the atoms. rAman

said, “she got created only from the atom!”

 

What atom? pAdukA keLi pAmsavaH | ahalyAdeha nirmANa paryAya

paramANavaH || from the dust of His foot – she arose from the atom.

 

kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn

 

" I saw the significance of Your tiruvaDi here. It can dissolve all the

sins and provide release from all curses. "

 

rAman laughed. “What mahaRshi! You think you have you seen it all!

It seems like you have understood the significance of my tiruvaDi!”

mahaRshi said – “I have not known fully yet! kAl vaNNam - " kAl " vaNNam

i'ngu kaNDEn – " I have learned only one-fourth. [kAl in tamizh means

foot and it also means one-fourth]. There is so much more to learn.

Another person who will be born in my lineage later will sing the

greatness of Your tiruvaDi. Watch! " (svAmi deSikan’s gotram is

ViSvAmitra gotram).

 

[svAmi deSikan sings perumAL's tiruvaDi prabhAvam - the greatness of

BhagavAn's divine feet, in several places:]

 

svAmi deSikan says in nava maNi mAlai –

 

oru madiyanbar uLam kavarndana

ulagam aDa'nga vaLarndu aLandana

oru SaDai onRiya ga’ngai tandana

uraga paDa'ngaL ara'ngu koNDana

dharumam uyarndadu idenna ninRana

dharuman irandadu iSaindu SenRana

SakaTam uDaindu kala'nga venRana

tamargaL arundum marundu idenbana

 

tirumagaL Seyya kara'ngaL onRina

tigazh tuLavu undum maNam kamazhndana

Sezhu maNi koNDa Silambu ila'ngina

Silai tanil a’nRu Or aNa’ngu umizhndana

arumaRai antam amarnda paNbina

ayan muDi tannil amarndu uyarndana

aruL tara eNNi ayindai vandana

aDiyavar meyyar malarp pada'ngaLE (nava maNi mAlai -1)

 

kai vaNNam a'ngu kaNDEn

kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn

 

" I learned only one-fourth. svAmi deSikan, who is coming in my vamSam,

will describe well! "

 

uRu SakaTam uDaiya oru kAl uRRu uNarndana

uDan marudam oDiya oru pOdil tavazhndana

uRi taDavum aLavil uralODu uRRu ninRana

uRu neRi Or dharuman viDu tUdukku ugandana

maRa neRiyar muRiya pirutAnattu vandana

malarmagaL kai varuDa malar pOdil Sivandana

maRu piRavi aRu munivar mAlukku iSaindana

manu muRaiyil varuvadOr vimAnattu uRaindana

 

aRamuDiaya viSayan amar tEril tigazhndana

aDal uraga paDam maDiya Adik kaDindana

aRu Samayam aRivariya tAnattu amarnadana

aNi kurugai nagar munivar nAvukku amaindana

veRiyuDaiya tuLava malar vIRukku aNindana

vizhukari Or kumaran ena mEvic ciRandana

viral aSurar paDai aDaiya vIyat turandana

viDal ariya periya perumAL meyp pada'ngaLE

(adhikAra sa'ngraham 51))

 

The greatness of His tiruvaDi is beyond description. kai vaNNam a'ngu

kaNDEn kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn; very powerful tiruvaDi. Not only in

the rAma incarnation, but in the next incarnation - kRshNa incarnation

also.

 

His tiruvaDi will not just create women; it will create men too.

 

pAshANa nirmita tapodhana dharmadAram

bhasmanyupAhita narendra kumara bhAvam

 

(devanAyaka pa'ncAsat 41)

 

In rAmAvatAram, He created a woman. In kRshNAvatAram, He created a man

- abhimanyu’s son. Because of abortion, the baby came out like a coal

block. What to do? Everyone said, ‘Throw it in the garbage’.

 

Immediately, there was a voice from the sky: ‘If a celibate man

touches, the baby will live’. All the brahmacAri’s were asked to come.

Every body had a free pass. Everyone came and touched. Nothing

happened. They got the T.A. and D.A. and left [travel allowance,

Dearness allowance!] (AcAryar and audience laugh)

 

kRshNan came there. “Aunt! Aunt! I will touch”. Aunt responded:

“What, you?”

 

shoDasha strI sahasreshu - with 16,000 women

 

padinARAm Ayiravar dEvimAr paNi Seyya

tuvarai enum adil nAyagarAgi vIRRirunda

maNavALar mannu kOil (periyAzhvAr. 4.9.4)

 

kRshNa said: " You don’t have to give me T.A.; but, I will try

touching”. Kunti said: “Okay”.

 

yadi me brahmacaryam syAt satyam ca vacanam mama |

avyAhatam mamaiSvaryam tena jIvatu bAlakah ||

 

“If I have celibacy, let this child become alive”; so saying, He

touched the dead child with His foot.

 

The child woke up and sat like a prince. There was no need to give

any bottled milk to make sure the baby grows. The baby was

astonishingly healthy.

 

There is this advertisement for amul [milk powder]. There is a baby in

that; this baby was shiny and fat like the advertisement baby {laughter

in the audience; AcAryar also laughs}.

 

bhasmanyupAhita narendra kumara bhAvam

 

kuntI praises – “kRshNa! You protected us all from so many dangers.

Now also, You have saved us.”

 

Thus, it is not that He will create only a woman - ahalyA; He will

create a male child also. That great a tiruvaDi. perumAL is

aghaTitaghaTanA samarthan (He is an adept in doing things that no one

else can do).

 

Gautamar said, “ Let me do Atithyam – feed you all”. All agreed. He

fed them and the hundred Rshi-s also. Every body ate. The hundred

Rshi-s packed food for the night also (laughter in the audience).

 

They all left then. mithilobhavane tatra – they went to SatAnandar’s

ASramam.

 

They stayed there. Janaka mahArAja was doing yAgam. He gave arghyam,

pAdyam etc [water to wash the feet and hands]. SatAnandar asked, “You

have brought these children! Who are they? Why have you come?”

 

ViSvAmitrar said, “I went there, I went here; I came to Gautamar’s

ASramam; at the touch of rAman’s foot, ahalyai came out of the stone

form”.

 

“Has my mother been re-united with father! Did my father come! Have

they been re-united! Did they make food for you, and did you eat? "

(laughter in the audience; AcAryar also laughs)

 

nAtikrAntam muniSreshTha yat kartavyam kRtam mayA |

sa'ngatA muninA patnI bhArgaveNeva reNukA || (bAla.51.12)

 

ViSvAmitrar responded: “mahaRshi SatAnanda! I have done everything

that needs to be done. I do not fail in doing anything that needs to

be done”. - yat kartavyam kRtam mayA |

 

SatAnandar asked, “Did my father and mother get together! Did they

both do aupAsanam? Did they pay their respects to you?”

 

ViSvAmitrar said, “Yes, they got together. Did aupAsanam. I was brahmA

for the agni sandhAnam. They got together.” How? " Just as BhArgavar

got united with reNukAdevi. " That is a different quarrel.

 

SatAnandar looked at rAma and lakshmaNa. He said, “Do you know what

this ViSvAmitrar is capable of! I will tell You his story” and

narrates the story of ViSvAmitrar.

 

From tomorrow we will start dhanur bha'ngam – breaking of the bow.

After that is sItA kalyANam. In the meantime, there is something else.

This Ve'nkaTAcAr svAmi wants to say something. I do not know what he

is going to say. I told him, “Go ahead and say. Use the microphone " .

He wants me to go away. He wants me to go away from here. So, I

agreed and said he can talk after I leave. He will talk for five

minutes; not for a long time. He will say something or ask for

something. Listen to that! I will come to know later. Surely

somebody will come and tell me, right! So, I request you all to stay

for five minutes”.

 

(The next day, upanyAsam starts with ma'ngaLa Sloka-s)

 

a'njilE onRu peRRAn a'njilE onRait tAvi

a'njilE onRu ARAga AriyarkkAga Egi

a'njilE onRu peRRa aNa'ngaik kaNDu ayalAnUril

a'njilE onRai vaittAn avan nammai aLittuk kappAn

 

vaidehI sahitam suradrumatale haime mahAmaNDape

madhye pushpakam Asane maNimaye vIrAsane susthitam |

agre vAcayati prabha'njanasute tattvam munibhyah param

vyAkhyAntam bharatAdibhih parivRtam rAmam bhaje SyAmaLam ||

 

Sevvari naRkaru neDu'nkaN sItaikkAgi

SinaviDaiyOn SilaiyiRuttu mazhu vALEndi

Vevvari naRcilai vA'ngi venRi koNDu

vEl vEndar pagai taDinda vIran tannai

tevvara'nju neDum puriSai uyarnda pA'ngar

tillai nagar tiruccitra kUDam tannuL

evvarive'ncilait taDakkai irAman tannai

iRai'njuvAr iNaiyaDiyE iRai'njinEnE ! (PerumAL tiru. 10.3)

 

kulaSekara AzhvAr is enjoying this topic.

 

nAtikrAntam muniSreshTha! yat kartavyam kRtam mayA |

sa'ngatA muninA patnI bhArgaveNeva reNukA || (bAla.51.12)

 

SatAnandar is Janaka MahArAja’s priest. Gautamar had been the

ancestral AcAryar for the royal family. When he left for HimAlayas to

do penance, his son, SatAnandar became the priest.

 

That SatAnandar gave arghyam, pAdyam etc., to ViSvAmitrar and the two

princes.

 

ViSvAmitrar conveyed to SatAnandar the news of the re-union of his

mother ahalyai with his father Gautamar. ViSvAmitrar said, “ahalyai

and Gautamar are re-united. They both entertained us as guests. We

ate”. Then, SatAnandar told rAma and lakshmaNa, “Do you know the

greatness of ViSvAmitrar? I will tell you”.

===========

fn 1 – It is important to note here the difference between VAlmIki

rAmAyaNam and Kamba rAmAyaNam. Kambar will deviate from the original in

several places.

 

In Kamba rAmAyaNam, bAla kANDam is 9th chapter - agalikaip paTalam.

When ViSvAmitrar, rAman, and lakshmaNan came to the outskirts of

Mithilai, they saw a black stone on a mound. When rAman’s foot touched

the stone, it became a woman. When rAman enquired with surprise what

happened, ViSvAmitrar narrated her previous infamous story in front of

her and said it was because of the greatness of His feet that she has

regained her original form, and says " kAl vaNNam i'ngu kaNDEn. "

 

Then rAman advises ahalyA: ‘mA tavan aruL uNDAga vazhipaDu” (pray for

getting Gautamar’s blessings); then kamban says – she prostrated at His

feet - “ponnaDi vaNa'ngip pOnAL”. That is, it says – only agalikai

prostrated at His feet; it does not say Gautamar accepted agalikai

again.

 

In VAlmIki’s rAmAyaNam, the story is: The compassionate rAman Himself

asked why that ASramam was in a dilapidated and dirty state;

ViSvAmitrar told him ahalyai’s story (before she regained her form) and

that only because of Him, she will have release from her curse, and

took Him into the ASramam; she then got release from her curse and

obtained a brilliance that even sura-s and asura-s would not have.

Gautamar came and stood with ahalyai; perumAL and iLaiya perumAL

prostrated before the couple.

 

na te vAk anRtA kAvye kAcit atra bhavishyati – because of the blessing

of the four-faced brahmA, what VAlmIkI writes will not have anything

untrue in it. What he writes is filled with explicit as well as hidden

instances of BhagavAn's auspicious qualities, intricacies of varNASrama

dharma-s (the righteous conduct according to the births as kshatriya,

brAhmaNa, etc), as well as subtleties of worldly conduct as will

conduct according to what is prescribed in the veda-s, in abundance and

without any distortion. If we elaborate on them, they will expand into

volumes.

 

ahalyA has become purified by intense penance while in the form of a

stone, by continuous meditation on rAma nAmam for thousands of years,

to the point that all chaste women mediate on the names of “tArA,

manDodharI, ahalyA, sItA, and draupadI”. ViSvAmitrar, who knew the

intricacies of all dharmams, would not have narrated ahalyA's old and

infamous story right in front of her to rAman. So, he tells the story

to rAman before he takes Him to the ASramam and gets salvation to her.

This is how VAlmIki’s story goes.

 

ahalyai's purity has reached a high level because of her rAma bhakti

and because of the greatness of the touch of rAmAn’s tiruvaDi;

Gautamar, who was well-versed in the intricacies of all the dharmams,

accepts ahalyai the instant she is released from her curse – that is

what VAlmIki says. In VAlmIki rAmAyaNam, there is no advice by rAman

to ahalyA, saying: “Act in such a way as to obtain Gautamar’s

blessings”.

 

PramANam (SAstric injunction) is: durAcAro’pi sarvASI kRtaghno

nAstikah purA samASrayet Adi devam SraddhayA SaraNam yadi nirdosham

viddhi tam jantum prabhAvAt paramAtmanah ||

 

BhagavAn Himself immensely respects His bhaktas. The greatness of

rAman’s divine feet is that when a bhaktan attains a higher state by

the touch of His divine feet, he gains the respect of BhagavAn Himself.

That is His kalyANa guNam.

 

SrI rAman belonged to the kshatriya race. ahalyai was a Brahmin woman.

A Brahman man or woman must not prostrate before a kshatriyan. For a

kshatriyan, the Brahmin caste is something to be worshipped. Even

though she got relieved of her curse by Him, still varNASrama dharma

would require that SrI rAman followed kshatriya dharmam and prostrated

before the couple ahalyA-Gautamar. VAlmIki rAmAyaNam firmly

establishes without fail the age-old dharmams. On a different note,

even those who knew SrI rAman's true nature well did not ever address

rAman “You are God” till the end of rAvaNa’s destruction. This is

VAlmIki rAmAyaNam.

 

Kamban was extremely desirous of having everyone praise rAman, saying

“You are sarveSvaran”. So, Kamban’s poems will differ from VAlmIki’s

epic. SrIman nAthamunigaL, a great devotee of rAman, enjoyed Kamban's

compositions that sang rAman's divinity openly and without hiding at

every opportunity, and felt that this medium is also necessary for

spreading bhakti among the people. So, in those days when everyone

else was opposing Kamba rAmAyaNam, he accepted it and made SrI

vaishNavas and the tamizh world accept it, and also debuted Kamba

rAmAyaNam in front of SrIra'ngam SrIra'nganAcciyAr. This is a

well-known fact.

 

ahalyA was an intense devotee of Lord rAma, and had been meditating on

Him and suffering from separation from her husband; rAma is unable to

bear her suffering, and sanctifies her and happily unites her with her

husband. This He does before proceeding for His own wedding to

mithilA. This is a pleasing aspect of SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyaNam.

 

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

(End of translation of AcArya rAmAmRtam as it appeared in the December

2007

issue of SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA)

---------

To be continued …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ