AcArya rAmAMRtam - (from shrI ra~NganAtha pAdukA dt. Feb. '10 Part 1)

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shrIH

shrImate ra~NgarAmAnuja mahA deshikAya namaH

shrImate shrInivAsa rAmAnuja mahA deshikAya namaH

shrImate vedAnta rAmAnuja mahA deshikAya namaH

shrI ra~NganAtha divya maNi pAdukAbhyAM namaH

 

AcArya rAmAMRtam - (from shrI ra~NganAtha pAdukA dt. Feb. '10 Part 1)

 

English Translation of

shrImat rAmAyaNa upanyAsam in tamizh by shrImat tirukkuDandai ANDavan

 

As published in shrI ra~NganAtha pAdukA by

shrI u.ve. nATTEri kiDAmbi rAjagopAlAcAriyAr (Editor of shrI ra~NganAtha pAdukA)

 

(Please set your encoding to Unicode UTF-8).

 

shrImat ANDavan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam,

kalyANi kRShNamAcAri

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

shrImat tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s shrImat rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

They all enter the palace long after rAma leaves for the forest. There is so

much sorrow. dasharatha asks kausalyA to take him inside.

 

Nothing is pleasant inside.

 

putradvaya vihInaM ca snuShayA ca vivarjitAm |

apaSyat bhavanaM rAjA naShTa candramivAmbaram ||

(ayodhyA.42.30)

 

The two sons are missing; the daughter-in-law is missing. How will the house be

if two sons and daughter-in-law are not there? “It is like the appearance of

the moon when the sky is hit by a lightningâ€; this is referred to in bhagavat

viShayam also – it is like the sky without the moon.

 

The two sons are surprisingly beautiful like manmatha.

 

manu sMR^iti – chapter 9 says that daughter-in-law must be considered as

lakShmI in the house. Women are not ordinary people. It is very special to

have a daughter-in-law light the lamp in the house!

 

A daughter-in-law is lakShmI herself. How will it be if she is not around?

 

putradvaya vihInaM ca snuShayA ca vivarjitAm |

apaSyat bhavanaM rAjA naShTa candramivAmbaram ||

 

The palace is very dull now, like a moon-less sky. dasharatha is at a loss.

 

rAmaM me'nugatA dRShTiH adyApi na nivartate |

na tvA pashyAmi kausalye! sAdhu mAM pANinA

spR^isha ||

(ayodhyA.42.34)

We have seen the meaning of this shlokam some time back.

 

dasharatha says, “kausalyA! Touch me with your handâ€.

 

kausalyA - “rAma has been sent to the forest. Why should I touch you now?â€

 

dasharatha cries out - “kausalyA! It is not like that, kausalyA! When rAma

left for the forest, my eyesight also followed Him and left me. Even though I

cannot see Him, I want you, who carried Him for ten months, to keep touching me.

 

Are you asking why? I want to see if just like my eye sight is lost after rAma,

the feeling of touch is also gone.â€

 

Looking at all this sadness, kausalyA starts crying too.

 

apIdAnIM sa kAlaH syAt mama shokakShayaH shivaH |

sabhAryaM yat saha bhrAtrA pashyeyam iha rAghavam ||

(ayodhyA

..43.9)

 

kausalyA cries - “rAma said He will come back after fourteen years. Couldn't

this day be that day?â€

 

How is that possible? 365 days for each year; saturday, sunday - all these

days have to pass; like this, fourteen years have to go by.

 

apIdAnIM sa kAlaH syAt– she is desiring that the day of rAma's return is this

day itself. She loves rAma so much.

 

vilapantIM tathA tAM nu kausalyAM pramadottamAm |

idaM dharmye sthitA dharmyaM sumitrA vAkyam

abravaIt ||

(ayodhyA

..44.1)

sumitrA consoles kausalyA - “Why are you crying if rAma goes to the forest.

 

shivaH sarveShu kAleShu kAnanebhyo vinissR^itaH |

rAghavaM yukta shItoShNaH sevishyati sukho'nilaH ||

(ayodhyA .44.9)

 

Who is rAma?

 

sUryasyApi bhavet sUryaH (ayodhyA.44.15) – Do not despair thinking rAma will

suffer if He goes to the forest. He will never have any problem. He is

sarveshvaran. bhIShAsmAt vATaH pavate, bhIShodeti sUryaH, bhIShAsmAt agniH

netraH ca, mR^ityUH dhAvati pa~ncama iti, saiShAntasya mImAmsA bhavati.

[taittirEya upaniShad Anandavalli 8-1]

 

Do not worry that there will be storms in the forest. Only breeze that is

comfortable enough to bear will blow on Him. He will be fine.

 

Are you thinking if the sun will burn down on Him? bhIShodeti sUryaH – the

sun is rising every day only in fear of Him. The radiance that the sun has, is

one that is borrowed from Him.

 

Why?

 

yadAditya gataM tejaH jagadbhAsayate'khilam |

yac candramasi yaccAgnau, tattejo viddhi mAmakam ||

says kaNNan, in gItA 15.12

 

He says that the brightness of the sun, the moon and fire are all His.

 

sUryasyApi bhavet sUryAH hyagneragniH prabhoH

prabhuH |

shriyaH shrIH ca bhavet agryA, kIrtyAH kIrtiH

kShamAkShamA ||

(ayodhyA .44.15)

 

Will the sun burn the sun? Will the fire in one burn the fire in the other?

Ishvaran is the antaryAmi [resides in] everything. rAma is sarveshvaran.

Nothing will burn Him. Why are you worried? He is the One who did varAha

avatAram. He is the One who did nR^isiMhAvatAram. He is the wealth of shrI

[lakShmI].â€

 

daivataM daivatAnAM ca bhUtAnAM bhUta sattamaH |

(ayodhyA .45.16)

sumitrA continues -

 

“pR^ithivyA saha vaidehyA shriyA ca puruSharShabhaH |

kShipraM tisR^ibhiH etAbhiH saha rAmo'bhiShekShyate ||

(ayodhyA

..45.17)

Fourteen years will pass by like a minute. rAma is going to come back soon.

Fourteen years will go like a minute. You will not even feel the years running

by.â€

 

AcAryar says – “It feels like I just took sanyAshramam; ten years have gone

byâ€.

 

(During the time this upanyAsam was done in cennai AzhvArpeTTai Ashramam, it was

shrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan's tenth cAturmAsyam. We can bring to our memory

here, the two pages that were published in 1972 shrI nR^isiMhapriyA magazine

with pictures – Please refer to the translated article included in this

issue).

 

“I don't even know how the ten years went by for me. Fourteen years will pass

by quickly. How many days will they take?

 

It seems like deshikan's utsavam in tUppul was started only yesterday. How many

years have gone by? (one person in the audience replies '25'). dAsharathi

started this; how much money would he have spent for these 25 years?â€

(laughter in the audience)

 

sumitrA continues -

 

“abhivAdayamAnaM taM dR^iShTvA sasuhR^idaM

sutam

|

mudA'shru mokShyase kShipraM meghalekeva vArShikI ||

(ayodhyA.44.27)

 

So, fourteen years will go by like a minute. rAma will come and fall at your

feet very soon. Don't worryâ€.

 

The people of ayodhyA keep crying and running after the chariot, saying,

“rAma, rAma! Please wait. We want to see Your face.†Those who did

vAjapeya yAgam are running after Him holding the umbrella given to them by the

king. The folks cry out to the horses, “Do not run carrying our rAma to the

forest. Stop, stopâ€. Many faint. There is a lot of commotion.

 

rAma asks the chariot to be stopped.

 

padbhyAmeva jagAmAtha sasItaH sa lakShmaNaH |

sannikR^iShTa padanyAsaH rAmaH vanaparAyaNaH ||

(ayodhyA.45.18)

 

What did they do? rAma, sItA and lakShmaNa start walking on foot. It is not

possible to drive the chariot in the crowd. Everyone pray to Him; He does not

listen; He goes on foot.

 

dadR^ishe tamasA tatra (ayodhyA.45.32) – the river bank of tamasA appears now.

This is going to be difficult.

 

dasharatha cries profusely and tells kausalyA, “Look at how much sin I have

committed. I wanted to do coronation and look at my fate. Is this possible?â€

 

vantALiniNai vaNa~Ngi vaLanagaram tozhudetta

mannanAvAn

ninRAyai ariyaNai melirundAyai neDu~NkAnam paDarap

pOgu

enRAL emmirAmA O unaip payanda kaikEci tan col

kETTu

nanRAga nAnilattai ALvittEn nanmaganE unnai nAnE !

(perumAL tirumozhi 9.1)

I told Him, “rAma, shvaH puShya yogena, I will do coronation for Youâ€; look

at the beauty of the coronation I did for Him.

 

nanRAga nAnilattai ALvittEn nanmaganE - rAma, You are a good son; look at how I

did rAjya paTTAbhiShekam for You.

 

kaikeyi said,

vantALiNai vaNangi vaLanagaram tozhudetta

mannanAvAn

ninRAyai ariyaNai melirundAyai neDunkAnam paDarap

pOgu

(kamban.kaikeyi sUzhccip paTalam)

 

Look at what I did! I committed a grave mistake, rAma! What a surprise! You

are saying You will leave everything and go to the forest.

 

vevvAyEn vevvurai kETTu irunilattai vENDAdE viraindu

venRi

maivAya kaLiRozhindu tErozhindu mAvozhindu vanamE

mEvi

neyvAya vEl neDum kaN nErizhaiyum iLankOvum pinbu

pOga

evvARu naDandanai em irAmAvO! emperumAn en

seygEnE!

(perumAl tirumozhi.9.2)

 

vevvAyEn – look at what words came to my mouth – very harsh words. When my

wife asked You to go to the forest, I said, “guNAnAM te balaM madamâ€.

 

What did You do?

 

irunilattai vENDAdE viraindu – (You left everything and walked away) You said,

“I do not need this kingdom, I do not need this bhUmiâ€; venRi maivAya

kaLiRozhindu tErozhindu mAvozhindu vanamE mEvi – You left everything - so many

gold and silver chariots, many horses, many elephants, army units, etc; neyvAya

vEl neDum kaN nErizhaiyum iLankOvum pinbu pOga – sItA, who has sharp,

beautiful eyes like the tip of the well-greased spear head and who is bedecked

with wonderful ornaments, and iLaiya PerumAL followed You; evvARu naDandanai em

irAmAvO! - My rAma! I don't know how You walked [away like this]. emperumAn en

seygEnE! - oh lord! What will I do?

 

kollaNai mEl vari neDumkaN kausalai tan kula madalAi

kunivellEndum

mallaNainda varattOLA valvinaiyEn manamuRukkum

vagaiyE kaRRAi

mellaNai mEl mun tuyinRAi inRinip pOi viyankAna

marattin nIzhal

kallaNai mEl kaN tuyilak kaRRanaiyO kAkuttA kariya

kOvE!

(perumAL tirumozi 9.3)

oh, rAma, who has a tirumEni that has the hue of black-blue cloud and who is

from the kakuthsa vamsham! There is no one like You in this world.

 

kausalai tan kula madalAi – You are the object of kausalyA's love! You have

been lying down and sleeping on soft pillows on the smooth bed in the palace;

have You learned to go today and sleep on rocky bed in the forest?!

 

Coming from the valiant kakustha vamsham, You were sleeping comfortably on thin,

comfortable pillows in the magnificent palace! Today, kallaNai mEl kaN tuyilak

kaRRanaiyO – on a rock bed (AcAryar – this kallaNai is not the place

'kallaNai' near shrIra~Ngam; it is referring to sleeping on a rock using it as a

pillow). How will You lie down? Have You practiced doing that? Did You learn

how to sleep on a rock bed? kAkuttA! My black prince, One with blue-cloud-hued

tirumEni! You went to the forest! What sin did I commit?

 

vA! pOgu! vA! innam vandu oru kAl kaNDu pO malarAl

kUndal

vey pOlum ezhil tOLi tan poruTTA viDaiyOn tan villaic

ceRRAi

mApOgu neDumkAnam valvinaiyEn manam urukkum

maganE inRu

nI pOga en nenjam iru viLavAi pOgAdE niRkumARE!

(perumAL tirumozhi 9.4)

 

mApOgu neDumkAnam valvinaiyEn manam urukkum maganE – My son! My mind is

melting hot now. My dear son is leaving for the forest; shouldn't my heart have

burst and have died? It is staying put like a stone.

 

It has happened this way! What a difficult situation, did You see?

 

porundAr kaivEl nudipOl paral pAya mellaDikkaL kurudi

cOra

virumbAda kAn virumbi veyiluRaippa vempasi nOi kUra

inRu

perumpAviyEn maganE pOginRAi kEkayar kOn

magaLAip peRRa

arumpAvi col kETTa aruvinaiyEn en seygEn andO yAnE!

(perumAL tirumozhi 9.5)

 

Do You see how hard this is! There will be hard stones in the forest ground!

Granites – those will prick You. Then, You will bleed in Your soft feet.â€

 

(AcAryar – You know the black stones on the road – they would all be piled

up and lying on the street; no one will work on them for months to spread them

around. If one walks over them, the feet will get hurt. How will the hard

stone in the forest be? daSaratha gives an example. The stone will be sharp

like the sharp tips of the spears in the hands of enemy kings. He is saying like

this because he is a kShatriya. porundAr kai vEl nudi pOla – the stones which

are sharp like the tips of spears held by enemies, will prick You.

 

porundAr kaivEl nudipOl paral pAya – paral is 'small stones'. When people give

examples, they do that based on their status. How sharp is that stone? If you

ask a brahmin person to give an example, he will say – 'it is sharp like the

knife that cuts the darbham – grass'. How does a knife that cuts grass look

like? If you ask a cook, he will say it is like the spatula use for flipping

pancakes. People will use examples they are familiar with. Because dasharatha

is a kShatriya – warrior, he says

porundAr kaivEl nudipOl paral pAya mellaDikkaL kurudi

cOra

virumbAda kAn virumbi veyiluRaippa vempasi nOi kUra. )

 

daSaratha continues – “When the stones prick Your feet, they will start

bleedingâ€.

 

virumbAda kAn virumbi – He is now over 60,000 years old. It was customary for

ikShvAku clan kings to go to the forest when they got old – for vAnaprastham.

shashave abhyastha vidyAnAaM yauvane viShaya

eShiNAm |

vArthake muni vR^ittInAM yogena ante tanu tyajatAm ||

(raghuvamsham, 1.8)

 

Even if it is one shlokam from kALidAsa … (AcAryar laughs)... what will young

ikShvAku clan kings do? shashave abhyastha vidyAnAaM – in very early ages,

they will learn all kinds of shAstram-s. yauvane viShaya eShiNAm – during

youth years, they will enjoy what the five senses desire.

 

vArthake muni vR^ittInAM – during old ages, they will retire into the forests

and observe vAnaprastham and behave like R^iShi-s.

 

How will they breathe their last? yaman [god of death] will not take away their

breaths; how will they die? yogena ante tanu tyajatAm – they will leave

their bodies by virtue of their yoga strength; no other person can take away

their breaths. That is how ikShvAku clan kings are; they will just discard their

bodies and go.

 

When they age, they will leave their kingdoms with their sons and go to the

forest to observe vAnaprastham.

 

kALidAsan says that generally, however aged the kings are, they will not want to

forsake the kingdom and go.

 

They have sometimes given the power to women. A difficult situation indeed.

strIShu kaShTo'dhikAraH – does this remind you of kALidAsa?

 

kALidAsan says in mALavikAgni mitram through ka~Ncuki – I have to go to work

in the palace; there is no retirement period for me.

 

sarve bAlye vayasi yatate – everyone reads in their young age; earns during

youth period and when old age comes,

 

pashcAt putraiH apahR^ita parAH kalpate vishramAya |

asmAkaM tu pratidinam iyaM hrAsyantIM pratiShTAm ||

 

…. I cannot remember what comes after this. How can I remember now what I

read in my sixteenth year? That too, when I am ready to go (AcAryar laughs).

 

People study during very early stages, earn when they are young and what do they

do when they are old?

 

pashcAt putraiH apahR^ita parAH kalpate vishramAya |

 

They will give the house keys to their sons and intend to take rest and relax.

It is enough if they get some food; they will say they will stay in one corner

of the house and ask them to take care of everything.

 

kALidAsan has a special phrase for that.

 

He does not say the aged person will give the family responsibility to his son.

 

What is the meaning of ''apahR^ita parAH†in pashcAt putraiH apahR^ita parAH?

 

The son will say, “What father! You are old now. Give me the keys. Give me

everything; chanting the name of kR^iShNa, just eat sAttumudu sAdam [/rasam

with rice!] one time a day†and snatch the keys from his father.

 

apahR^ita parAH kalpate vishramAya |

asmAkaM tu pratidinam iyaM hrAsyantIM pratiShTAm ||

sevA kArA pariNatirabhUt strIShu kaShTo'dhikAraH

 

Doing service is like being in jail.

 

strIShu kaShTo'dhikAraH - one can work under a man. If the power is given to

women, it is very difficult.

 

Women will not stay quiet for a second. They will keep constant watch. They

will demand, “move this from here to there; from there to here†etc. If one

sits quiet, they will say, “Move this bucket or bring my sari†etc (audience

laughs) So, kALidAsan says strIShu kaShTo'dhikAraH.

 

Why am I saying this?

 

virumbAda kAn virumbi veyilura vempasi nOikUra

vArthake muni vR^ittInAM yogena ante tanu tyajatAm ||

 

dasharatha says -

“It has been 60,000 years now. I should have given up everything and gone to

the forest. I don't have a desire to do that.

 

nAn virumbAda kAn nI virumbi vempasi nOi kUra – today, You are going to the

forest [that I did not want to go to] bearing hunger!

 

perum pAviyEn maganE pOginRAi– couldn't You have been born to someone else?

 

pitaraM rocayAmAsa tadA dasharathaM nR^ipam | (bAla.15.31) - Amidst thirty

three crores of deva-s, You chose me as Your father.

perum pAviyEn maganE – if you had been born to someone else, I would not have

had this problem. I am a great sinner.

 

kEkayar kOn magaLAip peRRa arum pAvi col kETTa

aruvinaiyEn

 

I am a 'perum pAvi – great sinner'; kaikeyi is 'arum pAvi – a special

sinner' (AcAyar laughs here). arum pAvi – rare sin; no one else will commit

this kind of sin.

 

arumpAvi coRkETTa aruvinaiyEn

 

karmapAshena baddho'smi – I am bound by the ties of 'truth'. en seygEn andO

yAnE. “

 

kulasEkarar cries in ten verses and calls them 'dasharatha's ravings'.

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

To be continued …..