raavaNa remembering garudan 7

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

We saw how raavaNa was remembering or recollecting on garudan's feats when he saw the 'subhadra' the great grand banyan tree, as he was crossing the ocean and seeing this saalmali dhveepam where the subhadhra tree is located, and while approaching maareechan's aasramam.

 

Though I said, 'we will see references on garudan from swami desikan and close the topic', in this post, we have some more references from other areas. Since I feel they are also of importance, I seek your permission to continue with the topic.

 

While describing this subhadhra tree in the sargam named "samudhra varsha sannivEsa parimaaNa lakshaNam" in sreemadh bhaagavatham, 5th skandham, Chapter or sargam 20, slokam 8 reads

yathra ha vai saalmali plakshaayaamaa yasyaam

vaava kila nilayam aahur bhagavathas chhandhah sthuthah

pathaththri raajasya saa dhveepa hoothayE upalakshyathE ||

Meaning: On Saalmali dhveepam there is a saalmali tree [from which the island takes its name]. That tree is as broad and tall as the plaksa tree - in other words 100 yojanas [900 miles] broad and 1,100 yojanas [9,900 miles] tall. Learned scholars say that this gigantic tree is the residence of Garuda, the king of all birds and carrier of Lord VishNu. In that tree, Garuda offers Lord VishNu his vEdhic prayers.

 

Point: See here, why raavaNa remembers that tree – because it is his residence, and from where he offers his vEdhic prayers to the supreme lord naaraayaNan, raavaNa recollects about garudan once he sees the tree.

 

It is said as saalmalee tree – please note - saalmalee as per Monier Williams dictionary is a 'silk cotton' tree – 'ilavam panchu maram'. Whereas the plaksha tree is 'fig' tree or banyan – 'aala maram' in tamil - or nyagrOdhha in sanskrit.

 

When sukha says in his bhaagavatham like this – 'learned bhaagavathaas' – 'scholars' - you can imagine how old is this story – of garudan residing there and offering prayers. Also connected is that 'bringing amrutham' and 'garudan's eating of the elephant and tortoise' story. Also you can see how these stories get interconnected in these great works – viz. raamaayaNam bhaaratham and bhaagavatham.

 

Now we will see an interesting krithi of sree naaraayaNa theerthaa, the author of krishNa leelaa tharangiNi – see this tharangam is the second one in first part out of the 12 parts –

 

Why we have to read and enjoy that krithi is – this is a sthuthi on garudan, and in that he mentions about that story of amrutham bringing -

– 2 slokams precedes the tharangam – and I give here the slokam as well the tharangam -

 

slokam 1

amrutha kalasa hastham sreepathEr yaanakEthum

suraripu niva haarim sOma sooryaadhi geetham |

amitha balam asEsha praaNinaam praaNa bhootham

nigama maya subha angam bhaavayaami aaptha kaamam ||

 

slokam 2

vainathEyam viraajantham vishNu vaahanam uththamam |

vaikunTa aasrayam aamnaaya kaayam gaayaami kaamadham ||

 

points to note are

– hands bearing the pot containing amrutham,

– supreme vehicle of sreepathy – lakshmi's husband

– nigama maya angham – aamnaaya kaayam – body is vEdha swaroopam – body is of vEdhaas

 

tharangam 2

Ragam : mukhaari aTa thaaLam

 

Pallavi:

sri naarayaNa vaahana sritha muni jana mandala paalanah -- sree

 

anupallavi:

vinathaa varadhanaya vEdhaanga subha kaaya

vivitha visvaalaya, veera, maam paalaya -- sree

 

charaNam 1

sakala jagath praaNa dhaayaka sura sannutha sarva vi-naayaka

vikaTa sura ripu vidhaaraka visva vipula kalyaaNa vi-dhhaayaka

akaLanga sithikaNTa aasritha vaikuNTa

vikasa kamala thuNDa vigatha moha kaaNda

sakalitha paashanDa sathruhara prachaNda

adhhika bala udhdhanda athbhutha dhOrdhanda || sree

 

charaNam 2

asubha thimira chanda bhaaskara saama visadha ghOsha paksha bhaasura

masakee krutha sakala asura manju mani rasana asEsha subhakara

asura bhayankara amrutha kalasa hara

kusuma nichaya baara kroora bhujaga haara

asadh dhasa achalaakaara aasritha subha kara

lasa dharuNaadhhara leelaamaya sareera || sree

 

charaNam 3

niravadhhika aamala paraakrama nithya nirmala khaladhurathikrama

mura ripu charaNa abja sambhrama muni naaraayana theertha mathi rama

aravindha lOchana agha bandha mOchana

sura ripu saasana sOma ravi nayana

parijana paalana paamara vidhaLana

krutha guru sEvana gOkula bhavana || sree

 

point: see straight away the slokam starts on amrutham bringing and the krithi starts as naaraayaNa vaahana – vehicle or transport means of sreeman naaraayaNa.

 

Just enjoy that rhyme and simple sanskrit.

 

dhasan

Vasudevan MG