seethaa manohara 2

[Guest guest]

Dear srivaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing on seethaa manOhara --

See hanumaan describing to seethaa when she asked hanumaan to describe about

the body characteristics – anga akshaNams – [which we saw in ST krithi

'lakshaNamunu gala' in saavEri raagam]

 

raamah

kamala pathra akshah sarva bhootha manOharah |

roopa

dhaakshiNya sampannah prasoothO janaka aathmajE || 5-35-8

 

meaning:

" O Seethaa, the daughter of king Janaka! Raama has his eyes resembling the

petals of a lotus. He has handsomeness, attracting the hearts of all living

beings. He is endowed with grace and dexterity, by birth. "

 

Point:

see ST uses exact words of hanumaan – oh seethaa – raama is your maNohara, not

only you, but all – sarva bhootha manOharah – so krithi – is seethaa manOhara.

 

Another

variation in the above slOkam is also there – this word sarva bhootha is also

read as sarva thathva.

 

Is

it that this is the first occasion for 'manah harathi' of raama – what happened

when that mOhini – naaraayaNa – vishNu – raama – appeared as mohini – all

asuraas were simply baffled. Re 8th skandham chapter or sargam 9 –

appeared as part of my article on gold availability – quote --

 

Slokam 1, 2

Rishi Suka brahmam said: Thereafter, the asuraas - demons became

inimical toward one another. Throwing and snatching the container of nectar,

they gave up their friendly relationship. Meanwhile, they saw a very beautiful

young woman coming forward toward them.

 

Upon seeing the beautiful woman, the asuraas - demons said,

" Alas, how wonderful is Her beauty, how wonderful the luster of Her body,

and how wonderful the beauty of Her youthful age! " Speaking in this way,

they quickly approached Her, full of lusty desires to enjoy Her, and began to

inquire from Her in many ways.

 

slokam 3

O wonderfully beautiful girl, You have such nice eyes,

resembling the petals of a lotus flower.

Who are You?

Where do You come from? What is Your purpose in

coming here, To whom do You belong?

O You whose thighs are extraordinarily beautiful, our minds are

becoming agitated simply because of seeing You.

 

[point – even as mohini – the eyes of the lord – that puNdareeka

visaala akshou of raama as stated by vaalmeeki and appreciated by janaka the

father in law - is the first attraction here also] – unquote --

 

So asuraas mind agitated - manOhara. Is it

enough that the asuraas have fallen for that anga laavaNyam.

 

No, raama's father in law – the

king of mithila – that karma yogi – janaka – who was appreciated by bhagavaan

in geethaa to arjuna

–

karmaNaiva hi samsidhdhim aasthithaa janakaadhayah 3-20

that janaka has simply fallen –

lost his balance – he became vidhEha – person without a body – on seeing raama

– thulasidhaas in his ramacharit manas says so.

[please note this language is

neither hindhi nor Sanskrit – it is bhOjpuri language -transliterated from the

text book from gita press]

 

Doha: [2 lined

verse]

sanga sachiva suchi bhoori bhaTa bhoosura bara gura gyaathi,

chale milana muninaayaka hi mudhitha raau Ehi bhaathi. - 214 baalakaaNdam

 

Meaning: He [king janaka] took with him his faithful ministers, a

number of warriors, noble BraahmaNaas, his family preceptor (Sathaananda) and

the chief of his kinsmen, and thus went forth rejoicing to meet the prince of

sages. (214)

 

Chou: 4 lined verse]

keenha pranaamu charana dhari maathha |

dheenhi aseea mudhitha

muninaathha ||

biprabrundha saba saadhara bandhE|

jaani bhaagya baRa

raau anandhE || 1

 

kusala

prasna kahi baarahin baara |

bisvaamithra nrupahi baiTaara ||

thEhi avasara aayi

dou bhaayi |

gae rahe dekhana

phulavaayi || 2

 

syaama goura mrudhu bayasa kisoraa |

lOchana sukhadha bisva

chitha chOraa ||

uTE sakala jaba

raghupati aaye|

bisvaamithra nikaTa baiTaayE || 3

 

bhaye saba sukha dhEkhi dhou bhraathaa |

baari bilOchana pulakitha gaathaa ||

moorathi madhura manOhara dhEkhee |

bhayau bidhEhu* bidhEhu*

bisEshee || 4

 

meaning: Placing his

head on the sage's feet the king made obeisance to him; while the lord of the

sages, Visvaamithra, gladly gave him his blessing. The king then respectfully

saluted the BraahmaNaas and congratulated himself on his good fortune (in being

able to receive them).

 

Inquiring again and again about his welfare, Visvaamithra led the king

to a seat. At that very time arrived the two half-brothers, who had gone to see

the garden.

 

One dark and the other fair, the two lads were yet tender of age. The

delight of all eyes, they stole the heart of the whole world. All those present

there rose when the Lord of Raghus came; and Visvaamithra seated Him by his

side.

 

They were all delighted to see the two brothers: tears rushed to their

eyes and the hair on their body bristled with joy. Beholding raghu Raama's

lovely and charming form, King Videha* (Janaka) was particularly beside himself

with joy. (1.4)

 

* There is a pun on the

word. Vidheha. in the original. The kings of Mithila enjoyed the hereditary

title of VidhEha. because they ruled over the territory of VidhEha (Mithilaa).

King Janaka was also a man of wisdom and had, therefore, no feeling of

self-identification with the body. At the sight of raghu Raama, however, he was

completely out of his body and therefore justified his name (VidhEha) in a

special degree.

 

Point: see that very same

word manOhara is used by thulasidhaas – with another adjective added – madhura manOhara

– sweetly the mind is harnessed - while describing about janaka and his

position on seeing raama. Any doubt now raama is manOhara – only for seethaa or

for all?

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan MG