AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. January 09 Part 2)

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SrIH

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. January 09 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

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SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

This is what is happening (during the previous evening).

 

jn~AtidAsI yato jAtA kaikeyyAstu sahoshitA |

prasAdam candra sankASam Aruroha yadRcchayA || (2.7.1)

 

jn~AtidAsI – a female servant sent from parents' house; not from in-law's

house.

She was one who did baby sitting for kaikeyi from when she was born. When

kaikeyi got married and was leaving for her husband's place, she said, “I took

care of her; so, I will also go with herâ€. Kekaya king agreed and sent this

lady called kUni. She came with kaikeyi to ayodhyA.

 

What does 'jn~AtI dAsI' mean? Why are you bewildered? Are you asking – when

you are giving the meaning, what can I say?

 

'jn~AtI dAsI' means one who had come from 'own' place. yato jAtA kaikeyyAstu

sahoshitA – ever since kaikeyi was born, she has been with her.

 

prasAdam candra sankASam Aruroha – the palace is all white washed and is

shining. She gets on top of kaikeyi's palace and goes to the seventh floor.

 

What is happening?

 

vAlmIki remembers now. He had said during rAma's coronation proposition from

daSaratha, that all the people in ayodhyA said 'yes' - 'icchAmohi mahAbAhum

raghuvIram mahAbalam' (ayodhyA.2.2). When kUni hears that, she is going to stop

that out of her hatred for Him. She is also part of the 'people', right? It

can be asked – vAlmIki had used the phrase “they all agreed with one mindâ€

- 'icchAmo hiâ€; so, he adds this word here, “yato jAtA†in rAmAyaNam.

 

yato jAtA implies 'born somewhere else'. If she was born in kosala desam, she

will not do what she did. yato jAtA = yataH kutascit, kAraNAt jAtA. VyAkyAnam

is – For some reason, devata-s determined to make kUni born somewhere else, in

order to stop the coronation. If her birth was nirupAdika or nishkAraNa [with

no purpose], she would not have done that. She was born with the specific

purpose of stopping rAma's coronation.

 

prasAdam candra sankASam Aruroha yadRacchayA |

 

She goes to the top of the palace that is shining like the moon. The moon has

its blemishes, right? Where is the blemish in daSaratha's palace? She is the

blemish, nothing else. mantharA (kUni) is the black spot.

 

ayodhyAm mantharA dhRshTvA param vismayam AgatA | (ayodhyA.7.6)

 

She looks at the city from the seventh floor. There are festoons hanging

everywhere. Lamp posts have been installed.

 

She is surprised. param vismayam AgatA – “What is this? There is a

marriage function without my knowledge! Is there something I do not know? What

is it? I do not knowâ€. At that time, kausalyA's palace servant comes to that

floor.

 

avidure sthitAm dhRshTvA dhAtrIm papraccha mantharA | (ayodhyA.7.7)

 

manthara asks her – " Do you know why there are festoons hanging everywhere in

the city? "

 

uttamenApi samyuktA harsheNArtthaparA satI |

rAmamAtA dhanam kim nu janebhyaH samprayacchati ||(ayodhyA.7.8)

 

" What is this? The city people are hanging festoons? Is kausalyA finishing up

some vratam? Or, is she donating something to brahmaNa-s? She will always be

doing some good thing or the other. She may do them for getting a lot of money.

She will keep doing some good deed or the other for the sake of her son's

coronation. "

 

In someone's house in the city, there was a homam [sacrificial fire].

BrahmaNa-s were invited; sari, dhotis were given – not just ordinary sari;

silk sari; not an ordinary hundred rupee sari. Silk sari, good 10 x 6 dhoti and

a sambhAvanai [fees] of 500 rupees etc – all for doing SrI sUkta homam. What

happened after that? Two days later, the house owner bet on a race horse and

got one lakh rupees. I know this; what are you looking at? The one who went

(not to the race, but for sambhAvanai) told me (audience bursts into a loud

laughter). That is what I am saying.

 

rAmamAtA dhanam kim nu janebhyaH samprayacchati ||

 

kArayishyati kim vA'pi samprahRshTo mahIpatiH ||(ayodhyA.7.9)

 

manthara continues - kausalyA will do SrI sUkta homam or purusha sUkta homam

etc. She will call brahmaNa-s only before going to the race. After homam is

done, she will bet six annas or one rupee in the race. She will get one lakh or

one and a half lakh rupees. She keeps getting like that till today. Nothing

fails for her. See how veda mantram bestows benefits!

 

kUni inquires the other servant – “rAmamatA dhanam kim nu janebhyaH

samprayacchati – Hey! Friend! Servant! You have come here! Is kausalyA devi

giving away any wealth? She will be doing something. I know. How? Because she

is always in the habit of doing something, right?

 

Why? Because of desire for wealth. That is why, she will keep doing something.

That is why I am asking.â€

 

Kausalya's servant is very happy. She wants to deliver the news about rAma

paTTAbhishekam to somebody, but everyone knows already. To whom can she

deliver? With her own words, she wants to tell at least a few folks.

 

Some people like to watch the new movie coming to town first and tell the

others. There are some in my town. They have to watch the movie the day it

gets released. The theater will be crowded. Can't they see after four days?

Some are like that. One time, one of the folks got caught in the crowd and

died. Some feel joyful to see things first and tell the others.

 

KausalyA's servant wants to tell someone new about “rAma's coronationâ€.

Everyone knows already. They tell her, “Did you know about rAma's coronation?

You are luckyâ€; whom can she tell? She wants to tell someone who does not

know. Luckily, this mantharA has asked her the question.

 

vidIryamANA harsheNa dhAtrI parayA mudA (ayodhyA.7.10)

 

says vAlmIki. When mantarA asks her what happened, this servant feels like her

body fattened and blew up. He says “vidIryamANAâ€. What does it mean?

Blowing up. You can see this happen to cucumber. Like that , her body becomes

bloated big with happiness.

 

Acacakshe'ta kubjAyai bhUyasIm rAghavaSriyam | (ayodhyA.7.10)

 

She tells kUni that rAma is going to be coronated. kUni says, “Is that so?â€

and gets down the stairs very quickly. She goes to kaikeyi's room, calls her

and says, “Did you know something untoward is happening?

 

utthishTha mUDhe kim Seshe bhayam tvAm abhivartate |

upaplutam aghaughena kimAtmAnam na budhyase || (ayodhyA.7.14)

 

Why are you sleeping like this? A great danger has befallen you and you are like

this. "

 

kaikeyi asks what the news is.

 

rAmam daSaratho rAja youvarAjye'bhishekshyati | (ayodhyA.7.20)

 

" daSaratha cakravartI is going to do paTTAbhishekam for rAma. " Kaikeyi says,

“Ohâ€, and gives her pearl necklace as a gift to her.

 

“What is this for?â€

 

“You told me a happy newsâ€.

 

rAme vA bharate vA vA'ham viSesham nopalakshaye |(ayodhyA.7.35)

 

" There is no difference between if it is for rAma or bharata! You gave me very

good news. "

 

kUni throws the pearl chain that kaikeyi gave on the floor and says, " Do you

know who I am?

 

tava duHkena kaikeyi mama duHkam mahat bhavet |

tvat vRttou mama vRddhiH ca bhavedeva na samSayaH ||(ayodhyA.7.22)

 

I have been with you all these years thinking your happiness is my happiness and

your sorrow is my sorrow. This king is doing coronation for rAma. This is not

good for you. You are feeling happy and giving me a necklace.

 

ugratvam rAjadharmANam katham devi na budhyase | (2.7.23)

 

Kings are all very cruel. Outwardly, thy will have a sweet talk. Secretly,

they will do unwanted things. They will do bad things. You do not know that.

You are thinking everything that is white is milk. You are just taking all

spoken words to be true. hastvena nRpohanti - a King will kill, laughing at the

same time. Kings are not ordinary people. They have majestic hearts.

 

dharmavAdI SaTho bhartA SlakshNavAdI ca dAruNaH |(ayodhyA.7.24)

 

Your husband has always been a cheating kind from days of yore. I have been

here with you ever since your marriage. dharmavAdI - virtuous; he will speak

about virtues - all are equal; all are the same. SaThaH - = kUTa viprakRt

SaThaH: - one who does harm without his own knowing is called 'SaThA'. His

speech will be sugary at first, but will cause harm later. When daSaratha talks

- SlakshNavAdI ca - he will be a sweet talker. His is a honey dripping talk.

Poor you, you do not know anything! He has fooled you all these days. You are

thinking all that is white is milk. You know nothing.

 

apavAhya sa dushTAtmA bharatam tava bhandushu |

kAlye sthApayitA rAmam rAjye nihatakaNTake ||(ayodhyA.7.26)

 

He is doing coronation for rAma. Did he do it when your son was here? Your son

left. It has been twelve years now. Did he call them back? Has any boy stayed

in his uncle's house for so many years? Do you understand from this? apavAhya -

making bharata go away to a different place.

 

kAlye sthApayitA rAmam rAjye nihatakaNTake ||

 

He is thinking of coronating rAma when bharata is not here. "

 

kaikeyi: " Hey, why do you say things like that? "

 

kUni : " You do not know! You are thinking he is your husband. He was your

enemy in previous birth. Now, he has taken the name 'pati' and come to you.

ASIvisha ivAnkena bAle parihRtas tvayA | (ayodhyA.7.26). You let him lie on

your lap. I have seen him lying on your lap several times. It is like letting

a snake lie on your lap; you do not know anything. He has killed you " .

 

kaikeyi: " What has happened now? "

 

kUni: " I do not need anything to happen for me. I will go back home. Your son

will be gone! Son will be gone!

 

trAyasva putram AtAmanam mAm ca vismaya darSane (ayodhyA.7.30)

 

Save your son. That is why I am saying this. "

 

kaikeyi: " etanme priyam AkhyAtam kim vA karomi te | (ayodhyA.7.33) - You gave a

good news that our rAma is having coronation " .

 

She gave kUni another gift, a bangle.

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(End of translation of AcArya rAmAmRtam as it appeared in the January 2009 issue

of SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA)

===========

To be continued …..