Raamaa - nee samaanam everu?- Our enjoyment of the Only One Sri Raama on Raama navami

[Guest guest]

SRI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

Today Sri Raama navami..

Let us enjoy and bathe in the glories of unparalled Raama. He is the one who is

so endearing to everyone…

He is manatthukku iniyaan for AndAL…

 

Swami Desika addresses him in Raghuveera Gadya as

“bhava tapana taapitha bhaktha jana bhadrArama!

 

Hail to Thee O Lord , who serves as an auspicious and shady grove of flowering

trees to the devotees of Yours , who are scorched by the hot rays of the sun of

SamsArA !

 

The human beings exposed to the scorching rays of the sun in summer get relief

from taking rest in the cool shade of the trees in a dense grove. Similarly, the

devotees of the Lord afflicted by the hot rays of the afflictions associated

with their SamsAric life think of the cool shade of the sacred feet of the Lord

as a cool nandavanam and are freed from their sufferings. The comparison of the

thought of the Lord for Samsaris to a shady grove or a cool pond in summer is

frequently

used by AzhwArs and AcharyAs.

 

Rama naamam and Raama’s divine beauty, His kalyANa guNAs, His valor, His

dharma adherence, His bhaktha vaathsalyam, His sowlabhyam, His sowseelyam

(easily accessible), his grandeur as Supreme Lordship (Parathvam), etc etc….

is all treat and feast to eyes, ears, mind. His thuLasi maabu is so fragrant.

His lotus eyes, face, palms, navel, feet are all so beautiful to behold.

 

He is like the very garden with dense trees, lovely fragrant flowers, full of

ponds and swans swimming therein, gentle cool breeze hugging our bodies- Imagine

the scene and He is One similar to that, if not much better even. He is the one

who showers grace and relief to the scorching heat of our suffering due to

samsaaric afflictions.

 

What a wonderful line from Raghuveera Gadya of Desika!

 

Let us enjoy Rama’s divine beauty on Raama navami and take a cool rest in the

raama kathA and reduce / quench our samsaara thaapam..

 

That would grant us permanent solution towards getting rid of future births.

 

Kamban says:

…

:poyyO enum idaiyALodum, iLaiyAnodum pOnAn*

maiyO? maragadhamO? maRikadalO? mazhaimugilO?

aiyO- ivan azhagu enna azhiyaa azhagudaiyaan..

 

SitA- who has the narrow waist (so narrow that it appears as non-existent-

poyyO?). Rama- walked along with such most beautiful Sita and younger brother

Lakshmanan. This Lord Rama- Is He maiyO? so Dark like collyrium?- kaajal? Kamban

is not happy with the word.. So wonders- maragadhamO? Is He like that most

shining Gem stone Maragatham? But it is small. Our Lord is Ajaanubaahu- huge,

Handsome. So Kamban again is not pleased. MaRikadalO? Is He like Blue deep vast

Ocean? But the Ocean is salty and is not useful (though gives rise to the rain

waters). So, He asks mazhai mugilO? is He the dark rainy clouds? So merciful

that he (like the clouds) rains His mercy on everyone?

 

Kamban says.. chE! Why there is such a limited vocabulary in these languages!

aiyO! ivan azhagu enna? What a bewitching Beauty! azhiyaa azhagudaiyaan.. All

other beauty is transitory, never permanent. His Beauty never perishes. Ever

Youthful. So nectarine. Indescribable in words.

 

If Rama is so Beautiful what about the Lord whom he worshipped? NATURALLY Double

aiyO!

 

As described excellently by asmadhAchAryan Srimad PaRavaakkOttai ANdavan in one

of the upanyasams, when Lord Rama was performing ThiruvArAdhanam to Lord

Ranganathan, Sita who accompanied Him, shifts her large well spread eyes from

Rama to Ranganathan, and wonders as to whose eyes are more beautiful

 

Now we know, from the words of AzhwAr, it is Lord Ranganthan's eyes that are

more beautiful.

 

More on Raama’s divine beauty from our Sri Satakopan Swami’s article..

(quoting from various sources for our enjoyment). We are indeed blessed. Thanks

to Sri Satakopan swami for his permission to share this.

 

my contributions to Sri Rama Navami Celebration and focus on the Roopa Mahimai

of SaakEtha Raaman . The Tamil poet , Sri AruNachala Kavi Raayar in his Raama

Naataka krithis tried to comprehend the sarvanga Soundharyam of Sri RaamA and

gave up .

 

He declared his helplessnes in the Krithi

with the pallavi : " antha Raama soundharyam aRinthu Sollap pOmO ?

( is it possible to understand anddescribe to others

the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of the Lord's beauty ?).

 

NammAzhwAr's statement is , " kaRpAr IraamapirAnai allAl

maRRum kRpArO? " . One can intrepret the meaning for this

rhetoric question in many ways . If we consider that NammAzhwAr

is talking to the students of SaamudhrikA lakshaNam , then

one can assume that the AzhwAr is suggesting that there

is no superior embodiment of beauty than Sri RaamA and

why waste one's time studying the imperfect beauty of others .

 

Poet Kambhan born in ThErazhundhUr describes the incomparable

beauty of Sri Ramachandran , when He broke the Siva dhanus

in SitA Svaymavaram . SitA devi was drinking with Her eyes

the divya soundharyam of Her dear One . Kambhar says :

 

nampiyaik kaana nangaikku Aayiram nayanam vENDum

kompinaik kaaNum thOrum kurisirkkum annathE aam

 

(Meaning ) : Some said : Our Sithai must have thousand eyes

to fully enjoy the beauty of Raaman ; others said Raaman

should similarly have thousand eyes to enjoy our Sithai's

soundharyam .

 

Saint ThyagarAjA's anubhavam of the divya LaavaNyam and

Soundharyam of his Aaradhana mUrthy are the most exquisite.

As he performed , nithyArAdhanam , he would be lost in

the enjoyemnt of the indescribable beauty of the Lord

blessing him with His darsanam . Out will pour krithis

like : LaavaNya RaamA ! kannulAra jUdavE; athi LaavaNya RaamA !

 

Many are the krithis of ThyagarAjA , where we enjoy

the paramAnandham of Saint ThyagarAjA over the experience of

the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of Sri Ramachandran .

Here are dozen of those krithis and the Raagams in which

they are set :

 

1. Inthanuchu VarNimpa TaramA ? BrahmEndhrAdhulakaina

Raagam GuntakriyA

 

( Would it be possible for even Brahma and Indra

to describe precisely Your beauty ? No ! )

 

2. MuddhumOmu yElAgu chElanganO ? MunilEDla gani mohincharO ?

MeLa Raagam : Soorya Kaantham )

 

( How did Sri RaamA's thirumukham with exquisite beauty shine ,

when He gave the darsana soubhAgyam to the sages of

SiddhAsramam ? How did even the sages , who are known for

the restraint of their senses got enchanted with that

unsatiating beauy ?)

 

3. alakalalla lAdaga gani yaarANmuni yetu ponganO ?

Raagam : madhyamAvathi

 

( What raptourous bliss did Sage VisvAmithrA have ,

while he looked at the curly forelocks/kaaka paksham ,

gently swaying on Sri RaamA's beautiful face ?)

 

4. Sogasu jooDa Taramaa ? nee

Raagam : Kannada Goulai

 

( Is it posisble to experience such a beauty as that

of Your face shining with cheeks like reflecting mirrors ,

Your lips resembling a ripe BimbA fruit , Your broad

chest decorated by vagulA flower garland , Your captivating

smiles , Your exquisite forelocks waving in the breeze and

Your brilliant eyes ? )

 

5. Mohana RaamA mukha jitha Soma ! muddhuga BalkumA

Raagam : Mohanm

 

( Oh RaamachandrA of universally enchanting beauty!

Oh JagadhAnanthakArakA ! Speak softly to me !.

Your subhAsrayam has special appeal to me .

It is known that BrahmA and other semi-gods came down

to earth and took the forms of birds , beasts and monkeys

and enjoyed unceasingly your extraordinary and incomparable

beauty without winking and were ecstatic over their

anubhavam ).

 

6. MaravakarA nava-manmatha Roopuni

Raagam : DevaghAndhAri

 

( Oh My Mind ! Don't you ever forget the bewitching

Soundharyam of Sri Ramachandran . His royal bearing ,

His comfortingly sweet words , the light in His eyes ,

the beautiful way the angavasthram rests on His shoulders ,

His graceful gait , the sunAtham that arises from His

ankle ornaments as He moves , the shine on His cheeks , His

beautiful hands , the rings on His fingers , His other AbharaNams

which derive their beauty from Him --Oh Mind don't forget ever

Sri Raghukula Tilakan's beauty ).

 

7. MerusamAna dheera ! Raghuveera ! JuthAmuraaraa Maha (Meru SamAna)

MeLa Raagam : MaayAmALagouLai

 

( Oh RaghuveerA , firm and strong like the Meru mountain !

Pray ! appear before me so that I can feast my eyes on

Your enchanting sarvAngha soundharyam ,graceful gait ,

shining sky blue body , the utterly charming forelocks

on Your forehead , the beautiful shape of Your KasthUri

Tilakam , the jaajvalyam of Your face and the extraordinary

assembly of the many AbharaNams adoring Your braod chest ).

 

8. nee muddhumOmu JoopavE , naameedha nenarunchi ,

naLina daLa nayana

Raagam : kamalA manOhari

 

( Oh Lotus-eyed RaamA ! Please have mecy on me

and show me Your divinely beautiful face , shining

with the lustre of the autumn Moon to cheer my heart).

 

9. Paluku KaNDachakkEranu garunE panathulAra ! jooDarE

Raagam : Navarasa Kannada

 

( The beauty of His speech : The sweetness of His

mrudhu BhaashaNam far excells the swetness of

Sugar candy ).

 

10. yEmani mADADithivO ? Raama

Mela Raagam : Hanuma Thodi

 

( The Beauty of His speech : Oh Raamachandra !

How delightful was Your power of captivating and winning

people by Your sweet conversation . Every one , who had

the BhAgyam to hear them were enslaved and felt bound to You

forever ).

 

11. Sri Raama RaghurAma SrungAra Raamayani

chinthincharAdhE Oh manasA

Raagam : Yadhukula KaambhOji

 

( Oh my mind ! How can you not meditate upon

the exquisite beauty of Sri RaamA , whose hand

is held by Jaanaki MaathA , whose body is pining

with ecstasy ? )

 

12. Kana kana ruchirA ; Kanaka Vasana ! ninnu

Raagam : Jaala varALi

 

( Grander and Sweeter will be Your BhakthA's

Joy , the more , he or she , with a pure and loving mind ,

daily sees You and Your enchanting face radiant with

beauty and grandeur )

 

VaraLi pancha rathnam glorifies His beauty:

 

Saint ThyagarAjA was immersed in brahmAnandham

over the darsana soubhAgyam of his Ishta dhaivam as he

sang about the unparalled beauty of his SaakEtha Raaman.

 

The saint was transported to the darbAr of PattAbhi Raaman

in distant AyodhyA . The scene shifted from the banks of Cauveri

to Sarayu . There , Saint ThyagarAjA immersed himself in

the exquisite beauty of the Lord's peethAmparam , madhura

sambhAshaNai and the supreme radiance of the chakravarthy-

thirumahan seated on His throne . He was overcome with great

Joy and performed archanA to the Lord with carefully selected

nAmAs . Thus was born the third charaNam with the following

sAhithya vAkhyams :

 

BaalArkAbha suchEla ! MaNimaya mAlAlankrutha kandhara !

SarasijAksha ! VarakapOla ! surichara kireetadhara !

santhathampu manasAraga ( Kana Kana ruchira

kanaka vasana ninnu )

 

He celebrated the lustre of the peethAmparam that adorned

the waist of the Lord . The reddish hue of the peethAmparam

reminded him of the rising Sun at dawn . He began the nAmArchana

with " Om BaalArka SuchElAya nama : " .

 

Next , the saint 's eyes rested on the resplendent navarathna

necklace on the broad chest of His Lord . The second nAmArchanA

followed : " Om MaNimaya mAlAlamkutha kandharAya Nama: "

 

The saint's eye wandered from the chest region to the face of

the Lord and took in the most compassionate and beautiful

eyes resembling that of a beautiful lotus . The third nAmArchanaa

took its place as , " Om SarasijAkshAya nama: "

 

>From the eyes that were overpowering him , the saint shifted his

gaze to the cheeks of the Lord that were shining like a polished

mirror . The fourth namArchanA followed : " Om Vara KapOlAya nama: " .

 

Now , the saint 's eye rested on the beautiful gem-bedecked crown

( MaNimaya makutam / kireetam ) adorning the Lord's head and

that enjoyment transported itself to transform as the fifth namArchanam ,

 

" Om surichara kireetadharAya Nama : " . This experience of

Saint TyagarAjA reminds one of ThiruppANAzhwAr's anubhavam

of the beauty of Sri RanganAthA from the lotus feet to the shining crown .

 

After travelling from the waist region admiring the peethAmparam ,

the saint's eyes moved upward and rested at the kireetam adorning

Pattabhi Raaman's head . He described his anubhava janitha aanandham

with the statement , " santhathampu manasAraga kana kana ruchirA ,

kanaka vasana ninnu " . He declared that he was forever enjoying

to his heart's content this darbAr sevai that the Lord blessed him with .

 

This vision and the darsana soubhAgyam of the Kanaka vasana Raaman

has been celebrated by the Saint in many of his other krithis and serve

as an echo to his experience described in the VarALi pancharathnam's

third charaNam . For instance , he priased the most beautiful combination of the

Lord's bluish hue with the dawn-red color of the peethAmparam on His waist

region this way : " neelAkruthi gala nee lAvaNyamu neelAgathi gani bhimbhavE ,

BaalArkhAbha suchElAvrutha " . The tejas of the Baala SUryan is invoked here

again to describe the hue of the divya peethAmparam . He offered his salutations

to this suprakAsa Sundara mUrthy and eulogized Him as " Surichara kireeta dharan

" and " MaNimaya makuta virAjamAna Manmatha kOti samAna sundarAngan " .

 

In his Bhairavi krithi , " UpachAramulanu chekonavayaa " ,

he saluted His Lord resplendently attired in the shining

peethAmbharam as " Chapala kOti nipAmbharadhara Sri Jaanaki Pathi " .

He recognized the Lord as the one wearing the peethAmbharam

having the lustre of crores of lightning bolts .

 

In his DevaghAndhAri krithi , " KoluvaiunnAdE Kothandha PaaNi " ,

saint ThyagarAjA enjoyed the beauty of the darbhAr scene and shared it

with us :

 

kanaka patamu sOmmulanu dharinchi vEdhOkthamaina

Sanaka vachanamulachE thOshimchyAsrithulu bhOshimchi

( KoluvaiunnAdE KothandapANi )

 

He invites us to come to the darbhAr hall of Sri PattAbhi Raaman.

He says : " Please come and see our Lord , the VEdha Purushan ,

listening to the vEdha pArAyaNam of rishis like SanakA while

adornig the tEjOmaya peethAmbharam and blessing all those ,

who performed saraNAgathi to Him " . He invited us to enjoy this rare

sight .

 

In one of his SourAshtra Krithis , Saint ThyagarAjA celebrated

the beautiful way in which Sri RaamachandrA travelled to the darbhAr

to bless the assembled citizens , kings , sages and dEvAs :

 

meruga bhangAru sElamighuvondha mariya ,

nUpuramulu bhakthulagani KaruNAmrutha sallaka ,

YOgula daharamula jallanaka vEnjEsina

( Yenthanuchu varninthunE yee IndirA RamaNuni nE )

 

( Meaning ) :Thus arrives my Lord with the shining peethAmparam moving

gently , with the bells on His ankle aabharaNam sounding " jal , jal , "

with His glances showering nectar over His devotees and

cooling the heart cavities of the yOgis ( jil Jil ena ) .

Thus the RaajAthirAjan , SithApathi travels to His darbhAr .

How can I adequately decribe the exquisite beauty of

this scene ?

 

The describtions of the shiny peethAbharam , the gem-bedecked

kireetam and navarathna maalai adorning his chest described

in the third charaNam are echoes of the passages found in

the above-quoted krithis :

 

" maNimaya makuta virAjamAnO " --- JangAradhvani krithi

 

" Chapala kOti nipAmbharadhara Sri JaanakI pathi " -- Bhairavi krithi

 

" Kanaka patamu sommulanu dharinchi " --dEva ghAndhAri krithi

 

" Meruga bhangaru chElamiruvonthamariya " --SourAshtra Krithi

 

In this connection, I would like to highlight the beautiful song of Saint

Tulsidas " Tumak chalat Ramachandra. " In this song Tulsidas describes the

beauty of child Raama as follows. The ankle bells adorning the anklets of the

child Raama, who is barely able to walk, make a beautiful sound every time he

tries to walk. Every time he plays, he falls down on the earth; the queens of

Dasaratha lift him up and hug him and put him on their laps; they fondle him in

different ways. When he tries to talk, with his beautiful reddish brown lips,

the hanging Latkaniyan adorning his nose look beautiful and so on**

 

Finally, in the last stanza, the poet, who is in a blissful state, immersed in

the beauty of Raama, tries to draw an analogy to describe his beauty

 

Jaya Jaya mahaaveeraa!

 

Regards

Raam Raam

dAsan