raama ashtothram 18

[Guest guest]

Post 18

 

Dear sri vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

On that kabhandhan episode with

connection to krithi starting, "Sree pathayE nama:", let us continue on

vaalmeeki's slokams and establish 'yes, this is it'. Now two slokams from vaalmeeki –

 

thayOh anvEshathOh Evam sarvam

thath vanam Ojasaa |

samjajnE vipulah sabdhah

prabhanjan iva thath vanam || 3-69-24

 

meaning:

When those two brothers are searching entire forest for Seethaa in that way,

they heard a boisterous brouhaha emanated as though to completely shatter down

that forest.

 

tham

sabdham

kaankshamaaNah thu raamah khaDgii saha anujah |

dhadharsa su mahaa

kaayam raakshasam vipula urasam || 3-69-26

 

meaning:

Desiring to know the source of that noise, that sword-wielder Raama has seen a

gargantuan giant-bodied and broad chested demon in a section of brushwood along

with his younger brother LakshmaNa.

 

Meanings only of two more slokams

–

Then they both had to draw nigh

of a waylaying demon Kabandha, who is situated frontally with an overgrown

body, which is neckless, headless, mouth in paunch. [3-69-27] That diabolical

demon is peaking like a huge mountain, his hair is horripillated and thickset,

and his gleam is like a dark cloud, and his sounding is like a thunder.

[3-69-28]

 

Point:

Kabhandhan was struck by indhra, who wield his vajra aayudham, and kabhandhan's

head gone into the body due to the blow. But kabhandhan has not died because of

'long life' granted by brahmaa due to kabhandhan's thapas. Kabhandhan narrates

to raama – "I asked indhra, since I have longlife varam or boon from brahmaa,

with this body 'how can I live'",

 

" When

I said to Indhra this way, Indhra devised for me yojana long arms, also that

way a rapier-fanged mouth in my paunch... [3-71-13b, 14a]

 

sah~aham

bhujaabhyaam dheerghaabhyaam samkrishya asmin vanE charaan || 3-71-14

simha

dhvipi mriga vyaaghraan bhakshayaami samanthathah |

 

meaning:

" Such as I am, I have been eating the lions, elephants, animals, and

tigers that are on the move in this forest, hauling them in with both of my

overlong arms...

 

meaning of two more slokams:

He that overlong-armed Kabandha

outstretching his overlong arms snatched both of the Raaghavaas, keeping them

side-by-side in his fists, and wringing them with his might. [3-69-35]

" Though you are with arrows, bows and swords, and though you are like

bulls with sharp horns ready to gore... but they are all a waste, as your life

has readily become ungainful on reaching nigh of my sight and arms " So

said Kabandha, in his arrogant tone. [3-69-45b, 46a]

 

point:

the above matter is all the clues for that 'naaga swara aavaLi' raagam – for

thyaagaraaja. Next why sree pathE –

when lakshmaNa introduced who they are and raama lost his wife, she being

abuducted by some unknown demon, kabhandhan said, 'I will tell clues and narrated

to take help of sugreeva – that indicates raama will get will back his seethaa,

the sree, – so sree pathE.

 

dhivyam

asthi na mE j~naanam na abhijaanaami maithileem || 3-71-27

yah

thaam j~naasyathi tham vakshyE dhagdhah svam roopam aasthhithah |

 

" There

is no divine knowledge to me as of now... nor I can identify Maithili... but

when I am burnt I assume my own original divine form, and then I will be able

tell about him, who will find her out... [3-71-27b, 28a]

 

" With

this unburnt body, oh, Raama, I indeed have no ability to discern anything,

hence oh, lord, I will be able to speak about him who can familiarise you with

that great mighty demon, by whom your Seethaa is stolen, only after that

incineration... [3-71-28b, 29]

 

" Oh,

Raaghava, utterly distorted is my acumen, indeed, by the blemish of curse...

and this form which is despicable to world has bechanced only because of my own

antics... [3-71-30]

 

Next point: anu pallavi of the krithi reads -

 

'nE para dhEsi naa

gaasi baapavE chanuvuna dhaya chEsi' [sree]

 

who is

paradhEsi – it is kabhandhan – because

he belongs to other world – and he is here because of his curse and

those words of indhra came to his memory, as he continues his narration to the

two raaghavaas for

 

sa

thu maam abraveeth indhrah yadhaa raamah sa lakshmaNah || 3-71-15

ChEthsyathE

samarE baahoo thadhaa svargam gamishyasi |

 

Meaning:

kabhandhan says to raama " Indhra has also said to me, 'as and when Raama

hacks off your arms, along with Lakshmana in a conflict, then you can go to heaven...'

and vanished. [3-71-15b, 16a]

 

meaning

of 3-70-9 --Then that dextrous Raama with an unrestrained speed hacked off the

right arm, and valiant Lakshmana on his part hewed down the left arm that

speedily.

 

sa

papaatha mahaabaahuh chinna baahuh mahaa svanah |

kham

cha gaam cha disha chaiva naadhayan jaladhO yathaa || 3-70-10

 

meaning:

He that overlong-armed Kabandha fell down with mangled arms, reverberated the

sky, earth, and all of the ten points of horizon with a cacophonous voice, like

a black-thunderous-cloud. [3-70-10] -- [lead to naaga swara aavali]

 

Meaning

only: But Kabandha is highly delighted when Lakshmana spoke that way, as the

words of Indhra came to his memory, and he said these words in reply. [3-70-17]

 

svaagatam

vaam naravyaaghrau diSTyaa pashyaami vaam aham |

diSTyaa

ca imau nikR^ittau me yuvaabhyaam baahu bandhanau || 3-70-18

 

" Oh,

manly tigers, by my providence you are revealed to me... welcome to you... and

providentially sheared are these shackles, called my two arms, by you... [3-70-18]

 

point:

Kabhandhan says 'naa gaasi baapavE chanuvuna dhaya chEsi' for his arms are

chopped by these two and next part of his curse from the sage remains – so his

request to raama - one portion is fulfilled and to continue for the next part –

dhaya chEsi – please do it –

sage

sthoola seera said to me " When Raama incinerates you in an uninhibited

forest on chopping off your shoulders, then you will regain your own grand and

auspicious form...' [3-71-6b, 7a]

 

next point: Did kabhandha says about sun, moon, and

indhra so that thyaagaraaja included that in his krithi in charaNam – yes

please -- this is what thyaagaraaja says 'ninnu

poojinchi indhraadhulu dhigraajulai velaya lEdhaa' – for as the lord of

all raama or naaraayaNa only grants or assigns all these exalted positions

--see slokam --

 

puraa

raama mahaa baahO mahaa bala paraakrama |

roopam

aaseeth mama achinthyam thrishu lOkeshu visrutham || 3-71-1

yathaa

sooryasya sOmasya sakrasya

cha yathaa vapuh |

 

meaning:

kabhandhan to raama, " Oh, great dextrous Raama with great daring and

dashing, as to how the physique of sun, moon, and even that of Indra is there

now, my physique was also like that earlier, an unbelievable mien and renowned

in all the three worlds. [3-71-1, 2a]

 

Point: so dear readers, are you convinced that this

krithi is related to kabhandhan episode. Further the drafting of this post may

be a little poor and excuse me for that, for the matter going back and forth.

 

Those two naamaas

'raajaathi raaja' and 'ravi kOTi thEjaa' are additional addressing by

thyaagaraaja to his pet lord raama – ishTa dheivam - and any numbers of such

words are a 'poetic license'. On these two naamas we will see in next post.

 

Dhasan

-- Vasudevan MG