wave of love 21

[Guest guest]

Dear si vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

In the wave of love series, we

are studying details of rukmiNee kalayaaNam, combining NaaraayaNa theertha's

[NT's] tharangams on same topic.

 

The portion where we left, in

earlier post, is - krishNa arrived at kuNdinapuram and lifted rukmiNee when all

princes and kings assembled for the sake of her 'swayam varam' were looking on.

 

 

Then he proceeded to dhvaarakaa.

And while traveling, he and balaraama, on the way, defeated the kings, namely

sisupaala, jaraasandha, and rukmiNee's brother.

 

Please see below sree sukhar

places the marriage in simple terms and does not give an elaborate description

on the procedures adopted. He says – according to 'vidhi' – rules, as stated in

saasthram.

 

This is like vaalmeeki describing

after 'paaNim gruhNeeshva paaNinaa'and both seethaa and raama did pradhakshiNam

[rounds] of the agni kuNdam – the fire, and the sages,

then all other procedures as told in saasthram.

 

Just for

reference the meaning of those 1 ½

slokams --

 

Meaning of

1-73-35b, 36 [baala kaaNdam seethaa kalyaNa sargam]:

 

On performing

circumambulations along with their wives around the Ritual-fire, and around the

Altar of Fire, and that way, around king Janaka, [the awarder of wives,] and

around sages as well [for they conducted the marriages well,] those

great-souled bridegrooms that have emerged from Raghu's dynasty, on performing the deeds of ritual consistent with custom as directed [by Vashishta, and thus they are wed.]

 

Here in rukmiNee kalyaaNam, not

even that pradhshinam, rounding or sitting in front of agni also.

 

See translation of slokams in

bhaagavatham 10th skandham, sargam 54, – Slokams 53 to 60

 

53. The Supreme Lord, thus

defeating the earthly rulers, brought the daughter of Bhîshmaka to His capital

and married with her according the vidhi, O protector of the Kurus.

 

54. At that time there was great rejoicing in

each and every home of the Yadu-city were, O King, the people had no one but

Krishna, the leader of the Yadus, as their object of love.

55. The men and women joyful with shining

jewels and earrings respectfully presented wedding gifts to the ones

celebrated, wonderfully dressed.

56. The city of the Vrishnis appeared

beautiful with the festive columns raised, the variety of flower garlands, the

banners, the gems and the arches with at every doorway an arrangement of

auspicious items as pots full of water, aguru incense and lamps.

57. It's streets were sprinkled with the help

of the with mada flowing elephants of the popular personalities invited and at

the doorways, to further enhance the beauty, were placed plantain and betelnut

stem.

58. The members of the Kuru, Srinjaya,

Kaikeya, Vidarbha, Yadu and Kunti families enjoyed in that being together in

the midst of the people excitedly running about.

59. Hearing about the kidnapping of Rukminî,

which was being sung all around, the kings and their daughters were greatly

amazed.

60. O King, in Dvaarakaa were all the

citizens overjoyed to see Krishna, the Master of all Opulence joined with Rukminî,

the goddess of fortune.

 

Sri naaraayana theertha places an elaborate

procedure of marriage in his tharangam 12. Sage garga and other sages start the

vivaaha mahaa uthsavam – celebration, with the lagnaashtaka manthrams. This is

mainly a prayer to all dhEvathaas to bring welfare for the couple sri krishNa

and rukmiNee at that time of their marriage. [since this very long Sanskrit

slokams and mainly prayer to the dhEvathaas I am not including it]. Though

stated as 'ashtakam' there are actually 9 slokams.

 

Then the poet places a krithi - beautiful

Sanskrit and simple language --

 

–

may be slightly

Andhra pradhesh style of wedding – because he is a native of Andhra pradhEsh.

 

·

asking both

bride and groom to see each others face,

·

then do

sankalpam,

·

then clean the

center of the eye brows,

·

doing mangala

snaanam

·

placing the

yoke – nugaththadi,

·

then giving

kooraip pudavai,

·

maankalya

dhaaraNam etc

 

Even these days, in the marriages [of present

days also] the cleaning of the center of the eyebrows is done with a dharbham.

And that the poet has placed it in the krithi with care.

 

Enjoy that tharangam - krithi now.

 

Raagam kaapi

thaaLam chaapu

 

avalOkaya bhaishmee vadhanam

krishNa

bhvana sundharam iha bhoo sasinam |

 

krishNa, see rukmiNee's face,

bhuvana sundharam, which looks like a moon on earth.

 

navaneetha priya vara vadhanam

bhaishmee

bhava thaarakam athi sObhanam

kalyaaNam thava bhavathu sadhaa

kanaka ambara kanaka aabhE

rukmiNee |

 

hey rukmiNee, see krishNa's face,

let there be mangaLam to you.

 

sankalpam kuru kamsa ripO jaya

sathyam prathi dharma aacharaNam

pankEruha nayana amara nara pathi

 

parishadhi bhaishmyaa saha

krishNa ||

 

krishNa do sankalpam, to stand in

the dharmam way

 

bhroo madhyam parisamrujya

achyutha

bhooshaya bhaishmee vadhanam iha

kaamam yuga vinihitha kanaka

ambubhih

snapaya harE bhaishmeem adhhunaa

||

 

krishNa – clean or wash the

center of eyebrows, do mangaLa snaanam, adore her with jewels

 

navya sundhara paridhhanEna

anagha

dhEveem adhhunaa chchhaadhaya bhO

dhivya kanaka maNi mangala soothram

dhEvee kaNTE~athha badhhaana |

 

robe her with koorai, and tie the

mangla soothra.

 

dhvaaravathee nagaree thava

sukhadha

dhheera hare ramayaa bhavathu

kaaraNa jagathaam asura

vidhaaraNa

naaraayaNa theertha aadharaNa |

 

let the dhvaarakaa city give you

both happiness.

 

meanings of certain words used:

 

avalokaya – see

kanaka aabhE – hey, one who has golden hue

pankEruha nayana – hey lotus eyed

bhroo madhyam – center of eye brows

snapaya – bathe her – allow her to bath

chchhaadhaya – dress her ith the saree

badhhaana – tie [the mangaLa soothram]

 

point: these are certain procedures followed very minutely

and even today. So NT nicely describes those. Also note – those words –

'bhuvana sundharaa' is used without fail wherever possible by NT also.

 

Enjoy the krithi well, Now we will see another tharangam

and with that I will conclude this rukminEE kalyaaNam series.

 

Raagam panthuvaraaLi chaapu thaaLam

 

sObhanam mE soObhanam |

 

[let there be mangaLam or sObhanam to me]

 

kalyaana gOpaalam karuNaalavaalam

maalya alankruthameedE madhana gOpaalam |

 

I worship gopaala who has just wedded

 

amara naaree geetham aagama vidhitham

amitha baagya upEtham aasrayE~anantham |

 

sakala jagath kaaraNam sathya kaama aadhi guNam

bhruthya samrakshaNam bhandhha mOkshanaM |

 

muraLee saraLa gaanam munibrundha adhheenam

saraNaagatha paalanam saradh indhu vadhanam |

 

bhava thimira Ghana bhaanum bhaktha kaama dhhEnum

siva naaraayaNa theerthha seegra vara dhaanam |

 

- 'one who grants all boons to his devotees like the

kaamadhEnu let him give me mangalam' says naaraayaNa theertha.

 

Let me also prey to my lord rukmiNee samEtha sree krishNa

at his wedding occasion to grant all boons to me as well all bhaagavathaas who

read this series.

 

Thank you all.

Dhasan

Vasudevan MG

 

PS: I know I have not done full justice to the tharangams.

That is mainly due to the direction given to me by our

respected sri Sadagopan swamy that I create a separate series on the entire

tharangams. [About 155 nos from childbirth of krishna to rukmiNee kalyaanam]

I will start that series soon with blessings of all of

you. And that is to be done with the

cooperation from a senior musician at chennai who has done lot of work on this

- 'tharangam'. He gave his assurance to me that he will render possible help in

my attempt.