seethaa raama kalyaanam 13

[Guest guest]

Post 13

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In previous posts we saw how the first and second paasuram of 'vaaraNamaayiram' padhikam of aaNdaaL suits to 'raama's marriage with seethaa or aaNdaal's dream thinking about her marriage goes in lines of 'seethaa kalyaaNam'.

 

In that I missed to include the first point below and I seek apology of all of you.

 

Though I drafted the lines, while cutting and pasting the slokams and their meanings - to save the 'typing' effort, - this came a little down below and thereby I missed to include it in post 12.

 

 

In that 'naaLai vadhuvai maNam enRu naaL ittu' line – this line has to be rearranged for our interpretation like this

"naaLai vadhuvai, 'enRu maNam' enRu naaL ittu" –

meaning – tomorrow is the vadhuvai – tomorrow we will initiate the proposal of the girl by announcing it formally

enRu maNam - when is the date of marriage'

enRu naaL ittu – let us conclude to fix that day of marriage'

 

that word enRu to give two different shades in meaning

and then go into the slokams of vaalmeeki –

 

 

1-69- 12b and 13a quoted above [actually in previous post 12]

 

sva prabhaathE samvarthum arhasi – tomorrow morning you initiate the proceedings [janaka says to dhasaratha]

 

 

as in 1-71-21b and 22a – mama suthaaam seethaam, dhvitheeyaam oormiLaam cha

thE vadhvou dhadhaami – these 2 brides seethaa and oormiLaa I am bestowing [janaka to dhasaratha]

 

and then that date fixing – as in 1-71-24 – [janaka to dhasaratha again ]

 

Oh, great dextrous Dasharatha, the star ruling today is

magha, isn't it? Oh, lord, on the third from now, say day after tomorrow, when the star phaalguNi comes, in its later part, namely uttara phalugNi, you may make happen this wedding, and the bounties [like go, bhoo, thila, hiraNya aadi

i.e., 'cows, lands, grains, gold etc] that ensue the wellbeing of Raama and Lakshmana, may be accorded [to the eligible,] generously.

 

Dear bhakthaas now, please say will I be considered wrong if I say aaNdaaL was simply going in lines of 'seethaa kalyaaNam' for her marriage in her dream –surreality - or reality.

 

 

Going back a little to check on that first line of first paasuram, "vaaraNam aayiram soozha valam seidhu naraNan nimbi nadakkinRaan" – fo the first time when the trio of vi

svaamithra, raama and lakhmaNa entered the city of mithila they all walked all the way and entered the city, so 'naaraNan nambi nadakkinRaan'. Now, after breaking the bow, it is confirmed who is the bride, who is the groom etc. When dhasaratha was invited to mithila and while they entered it was a royal parade. In that thousands of elephants, chariots, horses, and army marching on foot entered the city of mithila, to see raama's marriage.

 

When father and king entered the city, the two sons – will they keep themselves away? It is but natural that these two received father and king dhasaratha. They walked and reached the father – so says poundareekapuram swamy – re page 591 raama piraanaik krpOm - seethaa kalyaNam [vol 1]. Since at that time king was coming in the midst of 1000 or more elephants and et al, raama will be part of the 'edhir koLLum' team – so 'vaaraNam 1000 soozha' raama walks to reach his daddy. That way also it can be interpreted.

 

 

See slokam

1-69-17b-18a.

atha + raamaH + mahaathEjaa = then, Raama, most brilliant one;

lakshmaNena = with Lakshmana;

 

samam + yayau = uniformly, proceeded [strutting in step with, sttrutter];

vi

svaamithram + puraskruthya = Vishvamitra, keeping ahead;

pithuH + paadhou + upasprusan = father's, feet, to touch.

 

 

Meaning: Then that most brilliant Rama strutting in step with Lakshmana, keeping Vishvamitra ahead, strutted to [suppliantly] touch the feet of his father Dasharatha. [1-69-17]

 

 

Now let us move on to third paasuram of vaaraNamaayiram –

"

indiran uLLiTTa dEvar kuzhAm ellAm vandu irundu ennai magaL pESi"

– when vasishTa and other brahmaNaas came for the marriage to mithila, see janaka's reaction – he says

 

1-69-10b-11a.

dhishTyaa + praapthaH = providentially, bechanced [arrival];

mahaathEjaa + vasishTaH = great-resplendent, VasishTa;

 

bhagavaan + rishiH = god, the sage;

 

saha + sarvaiH + dvija +

srEshTaiH = with, all, Brahmans, eminent ones[arrived with];

dhEvaiH + iva + shatakratuH = by gods, like, Indhra [who had to perform '

satha' hundred 'krathu' Vedic-ritual s in his earlier human birth.]

 

 

meaning: Providentially bechanced is the arrival of this great-resplendent VasishTa, who arrived here with all of these eminent Brahmans, like Indhra himself with all gods... [1-69-10b, 11a]

 

 

1-69-11b-12a.

dhishTyaa + mE + nirjithaa + vighnaa = providentially, my, completely overcome, hindrances;

 

dhishTyaa + mE + poojitham + kulam = providentially, of mine, glorified, lineage;

 

raaghavaiH + saha + sambandhaath = with Raghava-s, with, [owing to] by hymeneal engagement;

veerya +

srEshTaiH + mahaathmabhiH = among valorous ones, the best, noble-souled ones.

 

Meaning: Providentially overcome are my hindrances [by the arrival of godlike sages,] and providentially gloried is my lineage, owing to this hymeneal engagement with noble-souled Raghava-s that are superior by their valour, among all the valorous people... [1-69-11b, 12a]

 

 

So the talks continue – for the marriage between the girl's father and groom's father in the presence eminent sages like vasishTa and others – wherein as per janaka vasishTa is like indhra – that is what aaNdaaL also considers.

 

Let us also continue in next post.

dhasan Vasudevan MG