AcArya rAmAMRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. Jan. '10 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. Jan. '10 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 tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

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

SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

rAma is asking sumantra to lie.

 

nASraushamiti rAjAnam upAlabdho'pi vakshyasi |

 

na aSrausham – He says, “I did not hearâ€; is this fair? VyAkhyAnam gives

the explanation for this.

 

What does vAlmIki say? The root of the word 'SRN' must be looked into. SRNoti

means 'to listen to'. nASrausham means ' did not listen to' .

 

'To listen to' denotes two meanings. Wife says, “I told you we are short of

vegetables at home; did you listen?†Husband says, “Yesâ€. Wife says,

“Did you buy them in the shop when you came back?†“No, I forgotâ€. It

is not enough if one listens, one should act accordingly.

 

There is going to be an upanyAsam. “Are you going to listen?†“Yes, I am

going to listenâ€. That listening is different from this listening. There

are two meanings for the verb “SRNuâ€.

 

bhagavAn asks arjuna - “I gave you so much advice. Will you listen?†yadi

cet tvam aha'nkArAt na Sroshyasi vina'nkshyasi (gItA.18.58).

 

“Being a kshatriya, if you think egoistically, why you should listen to what I

say, if you do not listen to my advice, you will be doomed – vina'nkshyasi.

You will not prosperâ€.

 

arjuna says - “Will I not listen to what You say? I was listening to what You

said all this time. To whom else did You impart gItA advice? Not anyone else.

I was the one listening.â€

 

yadi cet tvam ahankArAt na Sroshyasi vina'nkshyasi What is the meaning?

 

“Who else but me has been listening to this gItai? I have been listening.

You are saying 'if you do not listen, you will be doomed'; was I not listening

all this time?â€

 

'SR' verb has a different meaning ; it does not mean 'you are not listening'.

 

When kRshNa says, “if you do not listen to me, you will failâ€, arjuna says,

“I have been listeningâ€.

 

Listening actually means acting according to the listening.

 

He said, “if you do not listen to me, you will be lostâ€. What is implied

here?

 

Arjuna did listen to Him.

 

What is the meaning for the root of 'SRN�

 

To act as per the words that were heard, words that fell on the ears. Okay?

(Here AcAryar enjoys using karnATaka tamizh and says – sari pOccA?

Equivalent Chennai tamizh would be sariyA? okay?)

 

nASrausham iti rAjAnam upAlabdho'pi vakshyasi |

 

rAma asks sumantra to lie!

 

sumantra asks, “What can I do when father asks me tomorrow�

 

rAma - “Tell him that you did not act as he wanted you toâ€.

 

'na aSrausham' – does not mean 'I did not hear your words'; it means 'I did

not follow your orders'.

 

“vaiyattu vAzhvIrgAL nAmum nam pAvaikkuc ceyyum kirisaigaL kELIrOâ€!

(tiruppAvai-2)

 

said ANDAL. So many girls were listening to her; still, she says “kELIrOâ€

(listen).

 

“kELIrO†means “will you act according to what you listened toâ€. “The

tiruppAvai I am going to say has certain rules and restrictions; I am going to

point them out. Will you listen to them and follow them?â€

 

It is not enough if one just listens with the ears. Is this an upanyAsam that

you just listen with your ears? ANDAL says the girls have to follow the advice.

Those who listen to upanyAsam-s do not have to act on what they hear. Those who

do upanyAsam also do not have to do so, right? (SrImad ANDavan enjoys this

humor and laughs heartily).

 

tasmin stu purushavyAghre nishkrAmati kRtAncalau …

(ayodhyA.41.1)

 

nASraushamiti rAjAnam upAlabdho'pi vakshyasi |

ciraM duHkhasya pApishTham iti rAmastamabravIt ||

(ayodhyA.40.47)

What is happening?

 

anAthasya janasyAsya durbalasya tapasvinaH |

yo gatiH SaraNaM cAsIt sa nAthaH kvanu gacchati? ||

(ayodhyA.41.2)

namakkellAm nAdanAga irundAnE – He was our lord.

 

amarnda nAdanai avaravar Agi

avarkkaruL aruLum ammAnai

(tiruvAi.8.4.9)

 

amarnda nAdan = anurUpaH sa vai nAthaH. He is our most suited leader. He is

going to leave us. Will we see Him again?

 

na kruddhyatyabhiSapto'pi krodhanIyAni varjayan |

kruddhAn prasAdayan sarvAn samaduHkhaH kvacit gataH? || (ayodhyA.41.3)

 

rAma is leaving. He never gets angry even on provocation. If the opposite

party gets very cross, He would sit with them and make sure their anger is

suppressed. He grieves with us when we are sad.

 

kausalyAyAM mahAtejA yathA mAtari vartate |

tathA yo varttate'smAsu mahAtmA kvanu gacchati ||

(ayodhyA.41.4)

He moves with us just as He would with kausalyA. Where will that rAma go now?

 

sa tam antaHpuraM ghoram Artha SabdaM mahIpatiH |

putraSokAbhisa'ntaptaH SRtvA cAsIt suduHkhitaH ||

(ayodhyA.41.8)

 

All the women in the harem are crying. daSaratha listens to them and is feeling

very bad.

 

nAgnihotrANyahUyanta nApacan gRhamedhinaH |

akurvan na prajAH kAryaM sUryaScAntaradhIyata ||

 

vyasRjan kabalAn nAgAH gAvo vatsAn na pAyayan |

putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata ||

(ayodhyA.41.9,10)

 

A fine Slokam here by vAlmIki.

 

How is it when rAma leaves for the forest? nAgnihotrANyahUyanta – those who

do agni hotrams [fire sacrifices] stop doing them. They are not doing the homam

two times a day; there is no agni in the houses.

 

They will go anywhere! They will wander around in all places! But, when they

do yAgam, they worship agni. Not sure how they do agnihotram! There is proof

in rAmAyaNam! When rAma leaves, they stop doing agnihotram.

 

nAgnihotrANyahUyanta – they stop doing agnihotram. The one who must be

worshiped by agnihotram is not going to be around; He has left for the forest.

ParamAtmA, who is sarvakarma samArAdhyan [nArAyaNa is the acceptor of all

karmA-s prescribed by veda-s] ; He is leaving for the forest. So, they stop

doing agnihotram (this action should be interpreted this way - that they stop

doing agnihotram because of the sorrow from rAma leaving. After a few days,

since agnihotram is something that pleases rAma, they all start doing agnihotram

to protect their own dharma and to make amends).

 

Take the householders. There are so many children in the houses. No one is

eating. There is no cooking done in the houses. Everyone is crying. It is not

stated that sanyAsi-s did not cook. (AcAryar laughs). nApacan gRhamedhinaH

– sanyAsi-s/ascetics do not cook. They have to get cooked food as alms and

eat.

 

yatiH ca brahmacArI ca pakvAnna svAminAvubhau

ascetics and brahmacAri-s can only get cooked food; they must not get uncooked

rice.

 

nApacan gRhamedhinaH – householders are not cooking. They do not care that

the children are hungry.

 

akurvan na prajAH kAryaM - those who go to shops abstain from going.

Businessmen do not attend to their businesses. Lawyers and judges do not go to

the courts. Everyone is leaving their personal affairs and are grieving. Sun

is setting now.

 

The elephant mahout is not feeding the elephants. Why? balls of food are

presented to the elephants. But, they are are not eating as they know rAma is

not around; so they starve.

vyasRjan kabalAn nAgAH – snakes spit out the foods they swallowed. gAvo

vatsAn na pAyayan | it is evening time. When the calves are allowed to drink

milk, the cows are not yielding milk; so the calves are starving.

 

A mother has a new baby. Mother is not feeling elated.

putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata

It is vAlmIki's Slokam! (AcAryar enjoys this and laughs).

 

putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata ||

 

Mother does not even look at the child or give milk. She does not like the

baby. Why? May be she has seven or eight children?! Is she not caring for the

baby because of that?! Is she thinking - let this baby go?!

 

putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata ||

 

It is vAlmIki! saMskRta words are intriguing. This is the way phrases must be

used. putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata || The mother did not

have a child for a long time, performed vratam-s, prayed to devata-s and because

of bhagavAn's blessings, she conceived and presented 10 x 6 [“pattaRuâ€]

dhotis to svAmi-s who attended her sImantam nAndi [religious ceremony done for

pregnant women] function; she longed for a baby for so many years and after all

those special activities, she gave birth to the baby. And, she is now not

attending to that baby.

putraM prathamajaM labdhvA jananI nAbhyanandata ||

 

She is feeling very sad.

 

na vAti pavanaH SItaH na SaSI saumyadarSanaH |

(ayodhyA.41.18)

The air is now still. It is very hot. The moon has lost its splendor.

 

anarthinaH sutAH strINAM bhartAro bhrAtaraH tathA |

sarve sarvaM parityajya rAmamevAnvacintayan ||

(ayodhyA.41.18)

Children, women and husbands – all leave everything they are interested in.

 

ye tu rAmasya suhRdaH sarve te mUDa cetasaH |

Sokha bhAreNa cAkrAntAH SayanaM naiva bhejire||

(ayodhyA.41.19)

 

How are rAma's friends?

 

Sokha bhAreNa cAkrAntAH - they go for a walking and lie down in a bench and

keep crying with eyes closed. They are not getting up. Why? They are not able

to get up. They are not getting up even when AcAryan comes. They just lie down

like that.

 

Why didn't they get up? They are saying four big baggage-s have been placed on

them.

 

What is that baggage? Sokha bhAreNa cAkrAntAH – it is the burden of sorrow.

AkrAntAH SayanaM naiva bhejire – they could have fallen on a bed! They just

lie down wherever they chose.

 

So much sorrow when rAma goes to the forest!

 

maRRirundIrgaTku aRiyalAgA mAdhavan enbadOr

anbutannai

peRRirundEnukku uraippadellAm UmaiyarODu ceviDar

vArttai

peRRirundALai ozhiyavEpOi pErttorutAyil vaLarnda nambhI

maRporukkA maRkaLamaDainda maduraip puRattennai

uyyttiDumin

(nAcciyAr tirumozhi 12.1)

 

They are all suffering so much.

 

kaikeyi mA mamA'ngAni sprAkshIH tvaM dushTacAriNI

(ayodhyA.42.6)

The chariot keeps moving. daSaratha faints down. kaikeyi comes to hold him up

when he falls. It is her husband; so she comes to help him. daSaratha says,

“Do not touch me.

 

kaikeyi mA mamA'ngAni sprAkshIH tvaM dushTacAriNI

 

After having caused all this, are you coming to lift me? You can do that after I

die.

 

na hi tvAM drashTum icchAmi na bhAryA na ca bAndhavI

(ayodhyA.42.6)

I do not even want to see you. You are not my wife. na ca bAndhavI – you are

not even my relation. Not even a distant relative. na bhAryA na ca bAndhavI

 

ye ca tvAm anujIvanti nAhaM teshAM na te mama |

kevalArthaparAM hi tvAM tyaktadharmAM tyajAmyaham ||

(ayodhyA.42.7)

I am disowning your folks, people in your palace, your relatives etc; you are

just after money. I disinherit you, who are materialistic in nature.

 

bharataH cet pratItaH syAt rAjyaM prapyedam avyayam |

yanme sa dadyAt prItyarthaM mAm mA dattam Agamat ||

(ayodhyA.42.9)

bharata has gone to his uncle's place; when he comes back, if he accepts this

kingdom, he does not have to do SrAddham for me. daSaratha puts an 'if' clause

here. “IF†bharata becomes king – then, he is not my son; he does not

have to offer water libations for me.â€

 

What can kaikeyi do after that? She thinks it is all for good and keeps quiet.

 

ata reNu samudhvastaM tamutthApya narAdhipam |

nyavartata tadA devI kausalyA Soka karSitA ||

(ayodhyA.42.6)

What will kausalyA do? She goes and holds him and makes him sit up.

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(End of translation of AcArya rAmAMRtam as it appeared in the January 2010 issue

of SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA)

===========

To be continued …..