SRI RANGA SRI JOURNAL- VOL.08 / ISSUE # 26 dated 26th May 2007

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.08 / ISSUE # 26 dated 26th May 2007

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. " AYODHYA KHAANDAM " PART -2 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA.

(SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 22 - SLOKAM 13 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 253 Regular issues of SRS have been released

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15 Issues of Vol. 2

42 Issues of Vol. 3

35 Issues of Vol. 4

28 Issues of Vol. 5

30 Issues of Vol. 6

50 Issues of Vol. 7 and

26 Issues of Vol. 8 (including this)

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1. " AYODHYA KHAANDAM " PART -2 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA.

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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12. POWER OF FATE – LEPER CURED! (SIDE STORY)

 

That fate is all powerful is depicted in a story in Mahabharata told

by Sage Bheeshma. After intense penance, a Bhakta got from

Mahaalakshmi a silver bowl filled with nectar. He was heading home

wanting to share it with his family members. On the way, he had to

attend to nature's call. He entrusted the bowl to a leper who was

sitting under a tree. When asked what it contained, the man told him

that it was poison and that he was taking it for a medicine. As soon

as the man moved out of sight, the leper who was already fed up with

his life wished to end his life and drank the entire contents of the

bowl. Not only was he cured of his ailment but also his very form

changed into a beautiful young lad. The man returned and inquired

him about the leper. The erstwhile leper replied that he might have

died drinking the poison.

The adage " Man proposes and God disposes " proved true!

 

13. RAMA INFORMS KOUSALYA

When Rama went to his mother to convey how he came to be exiled,

Kousalya was beside with grief. She cursed herself by wishing that

she would have been happy if she had not had a son and remained

issueless (malaDi). She was scared that KaikEyi and other wives of

Dasaratha would ill treat her and pleaded to go with Rama to the

forest. Rama replied that

 

- When the Maharaja was very much alive, it was not proper for

the queen to leave him.

- He even went to the extent of saying that if only Bharata

had expressed a desire to marry Sita at the time of the breaking of

the bow, he would have gladly yielded.

- Further, if he were to delay his departure, it might be

construed as his buying time in the expectation (nappaasai) that on

his return, Bharata might offer the kingdom back to him.

- More than anything else it was of paramount importance for

him to save his father from the ignominy of flouting his promise.

 

14. RAMA PACIFIES LAKSHMANA

LakshmaNa who was reticent all through was ablaze with rage and even

suggested that -

- Accepting the words of the ill advised father was not

correct

- Such a father deserved to be punished, nay, even killed, if

need be.

But, Rama replied that -

- Even if the mother had asked him to stay back, he had an

obligation to honor his father's commitment because it came

chronologically much earlier.

- Also, Dasaratha was not only his father but also Guru, King

and an aged person.

- Even if LakshmaNa were to retrieve his right of

primogeniture, he was determined not to accept the offer.

- Vanavaasam was much easier than the burden of administering

a Kingdom.

 

LakshmaNa argued that fate can be set at naught by one's

intelligence: Rama would not agree.

 

 

 

15. KOUSALYA'S BLESSINGS

As one should not shed tears when someone was leaving on a journey,

Kousalya controlled herself. This is another lesson we learn from

this incident. Convinced that nothing could convince Rama to take

away from his resolve, Kousalya gave him permission. She actually

conferred her blessings by going around Rama.

 

H.H. humorously remarks that modern boys might draw a lesson from

this and tell their mothers to circumambulate them (including their

wives) as Kousalya did! This practice of blessing thus is something

special as in the case of elderly ladies going round the newly weds

pouring turmeric waters and holding lamps and cooked rice balls

(piDI Sutruvadu). This cannot be resorted to as a matter of routine.

 

16. SITA-RAMA SAMVADAM

Conveying the news, Rama asked Sita to stay back and advised her how

she should conduct herself in AyOdhya in his absence and described

the extraordinary difficulties she would have to encounter in the

midst of dense forests infested with wild animals. Sita was not sad

at Rama's going to the forest but she could not bear his suggestion

to leave her behind. Tears rolling from her eyes, she put a piercing

barrage of questions that compelled Rama to " think again " !

 

- If Kousalya cannot leave her husband, does not the same

logic apply to me?

- As wife is considered the " better half " of the husband, does

she not have a right and duty to follow the husband in obeying the

command of the father?

- Did not my father tell you that I am your life-partner in

carrying out your Dharma? ( " sahadharma charee tava " )

- Did not my father say that I would follow you as a shadow?

(ChaayEva anugataa). Only if you can get rid of your shadow can you

leave me behind.

- If my father comes to know of this, will he not think that

he had given his daughter in marriage to one who only appears to be

a man while actually is a woman?

" Raama jaamaataram praapya striyam purusha vigraham "

- Will he not think you to be a coward who is not competent to

protect your wife?

- Can the predictions of famous Astrologers in my father's

court that I am destined to live in forest become false?

- Is it not said that for a woman the father protects her in

childhood, the husband in her youth and son in her old age?

- Did you not promise very often to take me to the Asramams of

Maharishis?

Has not the time come now for you to do this?

- Are you jealous that if I come with you, people would praise

me as virtuous wife?

- May be, you have concubines in the forest that you wish to

leave me behind?

- Are you not ashamed that your advice looks like a low class

fellow pledging his wife to another and thereby eking out his own

existence?

- Instead of advising me to serve Bharata, would it not be

proper for you to serve him while I serve you?

- Does your preferring not to fight with your father for your

right show that you lack " pourusham " ?

Rama was practically grounded by her pertinent questions and had to

yield to her request.

 

17. RAMA LAKSHMANA SAMVADAM

If Sita herself had to argue so much, LakshmaNa thought that he had

no chance. The only course open to him was to surrender at the feet

of Rama knowing that Rama would never forsake one who surrendered to

him. But, SaraNaagati can be effective only with the recommendation

of one whose words carry weight. He held tight to the feet of Rama

and looking at Sita pleaded for his accompanying them.

Sa braatrus CharaNam gaaDam nipeedya raghu nandana:

Seetaam uvaacha atiyasaa: raaghavam cha mahaa vratam//

He further promised that he would do all kinds of service at all

times, under all circumstances in any place, time or condition,

while Rama and Sita were awake or asleep.

Agratas tE gamishyaami panthaanam anu darsayan

Aaharishyaami tE nityam moolaani phalaani cha

Vanyaani yaani cha anyaani sva AahaaraaNi tapasvinaam

Bhavaams tu saha vaidehyaa giri saanushu ramsyatE

Aham sarvam karishyaami jaagrata: svapatas cha tE// (VR-2.31)

 

DID HE REALLY DO THIS? ASK NAMMAZHWAR!

LakshmaNa reminded Rama that when advising Sita to treat Bharata and

Satrughna as her elder brothers in his absence, Rama did not include

him in the list and therefore, it was Rama's intention to take him

along! Finally, Rama relented and agreed to his accompanying..

 

18. RAMA TAKES LEAVE OF DASARATHA

When Rama approached again to take leave of Dasaratha, the latter

was so grief stricken as to suggest that Rama might arrest and

incarcerate him and take over the kingdom. Rama consoled him saying

that the 14 years would fly off like 14 days and that he would be

back. KaikEyi who was standing nearby got scared and prompted Rama

to leave without any further delay, lest there should be a reversal

of her plans!

 

19. SUMANTRA SPEAKS

Sumantra, the Minister and Charioteer of Dasaratha and for that

reason, the king's confidant, was irked by her nudging, had some

harsh words for KaikEyi. He cited how Kaikeyi's mother was driven

out of the KeKaya kingdom when she insisted on her husband revealing

the purport of the language of some ants that the King could

understand and was laughing about. " You are behaving like your

mother and you deserve similar treatment " . Your action is like

cutting off a fruit yielding tree replacing it with a bitter neem

tree "

 

20. SIDDAHARTA SPEAKS

KaikEyi mentioned that there was a precedent when Asamanjan of

Ikshvaagu dynasty was driven out of the kingdom; Siddhartar

explained that it was because Asamanjan indulged in drowning

children in River Sarayu and was banished for that reason and that

Rama cannot be accused of any such heinous behavior. When Dasaratha

ordered that an entire entourage should go with Rama with ample

provisions to last for their entire stay in the forest, KaikEyi

intervene to protest. He reminded that her boon did not include a

clause for not sending an entourage with Rama.

 

21. VASISHTA SPEAKS

When KaikEyi brought the tree barks as dress for the trio, VasishTa

was very much annoyed and said that in the absence of Rama, Sita

could take over the administration on behalf of her husband and if

she insisted on going with Rama, she could do so but adorned with

all the ornaments and jewels because the boon that KaikEyi got - did

not contain a provision for Sita going to the forest.

 

22. A MOTHER-IN-LAW AND HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW (SIDE STORY)

H.H. narrates a funny story as to how a modern woman would behave in

similar circumstances. A man was living with his wife and his aged

mother. The wife was ill treating her mother-in-law. He told

her: " My mother is about 80 years old and may not live long. Why

don't you treat her with a little consideration? " When the wife was

away, he asked his mother not to argue with his wife who was of bad

temper. When the wife returned, he advised her not to fight with the

old lady. " You loved me and married me. Why not act as per my

advice? " The wife answered " If this were so, why did YOU marry me?

You could have married your mother and enjoyed all her nagging! "

 

23. SUMITRA `S REACTION

When LakshmaNa conveyed the news to his mother Sumitra, unlike

Kousalya, she unlike Kousalya did not feel forlorn. Why did

Kousalya and Sumitra react so differently? Sumitra was more a

philosopher who had a dispassionate look at life listening to her

intellect than Kousalya who was carried away by emotion and

sentiment listening to her heart!

 

STORY OF THREE GRAND DAUGHTERS!-

 

The reaction of different persons to the same piece of information

differs according to their GuNas; Age also plays a role in their

reaction. For example, the author had three grand daughters aged 20,

10 and 5 respectively. When a conversation turned up about the

author's forthcoming " SathabhishEkam " , the eldest one said " Grandpa!

You should live long until at least after my wedding and beget my

child " ; the middle one said " Grandpa! You are becoming very old. It

is high time that you used a walking stick " ; the youngest one threw

literally a bombshell when she said " Grandpa! You are 80 plus! You

should be dead by now! "

 

24. SUMITRA'S ADVICE

Sumitra advised that

- LakshmaNa should return only with Rama.

- Before anything befalls to Rama, he should offer to

sacrifice himself to protect Rama.

Pinnum pagarvaaL maganE ivan pin sel / tambi ennum paDi anru /

aDiyaarin yEval seidi Mannum nagarkkE ivan vandiDil vaa/adu anrEl /

munnam muDi /enranaL(nagar neegu-439)

 

- Treat Rama as his own father and Sita as mother like

herself.

- She added a rider: " When I say you should treat Sita as my

self and obey her, do not leave her alone even if she orders you to

do so " . May be, she had a premonition that Sita would one day ask

him to leave her alone to go after Rama!

 

25. DID RAMA ASK SUMANTRA TO TELL A LIE?

Sumantra was driving the chariot out of town with the trio on it.

Dasaratha longed to have a final look at them and came to the street

and actually was crying " Rama! Rama " ! But, Rama instructed Sumantra

to speed up. Sumantra now had two masters. Whom should he obey? Rama

told him that if, later, a question arose as to why he did not stop

the chariot, he could explain it away saying that he did not hear

which obviously was not true! Rama meant that in the din and melee,

he could not stop the steeds and had to go ahead and did not mean to

disregard Dasaratha's call.

 

26. THE GRIEF OF THE CITIZENS

- Asking why Kousalya did not stop Rama, sons lost confidence

in their mothers.

- Asking why KaikEyi behaved as she did, husbands lost their

trust in their wives.

- Asking why Dasaratha should feel helpless, wives suspected

their husbands.

- Suspecting the complicity of Bharata, brothers lost the

credibility of brothers.

 

27. DASARATHA'S GRIEF

Dasaratha asked the attendants to carry him to Kousalya's place. He

told Kousalya that his eyes that went behind Rama never returned and

he could see no more. He asked her to gently touch him to see if his

sense of touch had also left him to go after Rama. Further, if the

Mother of Rama were to touch him, he would feel relief as if Rama

himself was touching! It was indeed a touching scene for sheer

pathos. Unable to see anything other than the cloud of dust arising

from the wheels of the rolling chariot, Dasaratha was cursing fate

that cannot be conquered even by the celestials.

 

28. NAARADA AND YAMA (SIDE STORY)

H.H. narrates the story of the " Power of fate " in which Yama and

Naarada were involved. Naarada had a young musician as his student

whom he used to take with him to various music performances,

explaining the intricacies of the renderings. At one such concert,

he noticed Yama laughing at him frequently. He interpreted Yama's

laughter as suggesting the impending demise of his dear Sishya. He

hid the Sishya in a far off cave away from Yama's sight and returned

to his seat as if nothing had happened. Now, he noticed Yama still

smiling at him. He demanded an explanation and told Yama that he had

hidden his Sishya and that Yama could not play any dirty tricks with

the Sishya. On hearing this, Yama laughed louder still and answered

that the Sishya was about to die by a falling rock when he was taken

to the cave and Naarada himself had facilitated this. As they were

talking, a huge rock in the cave suddenly dropped crushing the

Sishya to instant death. Naarada agreed that it was indeed

impossible to ward off the machinations of fate.

 

29. SUMANTRA TURNS THE CHARIOT TOWARDS AYODHYA

To avoid the citizens following him, Rama asked Sumantra to drive

the chariot back to AyOdhya, while he himself moved out of the place

towards the boundary of KOsala Kingdom on the banks of River

Syantika,, all without the knowledge of the citizens who were still

sleeping. As they woke up, they did not see the trio nor Sumantra

but only the wheel-prints of the chariot pointing towards the north.

Thinking that Rama had changed his mind and returned to AyOdhya,

they trekked back on the way to the city.

 

30. SRINGAVERAPURA

Crossing the Uttara kOsala's Southern boundary, the Rivers VEdasruti

and GOmati they headed arrived at Sringaverapura, the capital of the

boatman-hunter king, Guha. Guha had earlier met with Rama when the

latter visited the place as a prince. Guha welcomed the trio with

all due honors and requested them to stay with him for a " sleep

over " . When Rama and Sita were sleeping, both LakshmaNa and Guha

spent the night without a wink of sleep. Do you know why? LakshmaNa

was concerned about Guha being in the payroll of Bharata and Guha

suspected LakshmaNa as one who could harm Rama in the forest much

like Bharata who, he thought, had harmed Rama in the city! They were

thus keeping a watchful eye on each other!

 

 

(To Continue)

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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 22 - SLOKAM 13 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 22 - Slokam 13 Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 1.3 contd.

 

• pASuram 1.3.5:

 

piNakkaRa aRu-vagaic-camayamum neRi uLLi uraitta

kaNakkaRu nalattanan antam-il Adi am-bhagavan

vaNakkuDait-tava neRi vazhi ninRu puRa neRi kaLai kaTTu

uNakkumin paSai aRa avanuDai uNarvu koNDu uNarndE (1.3.5).

antam-il Adi em-bhagavan, aRu vagaic-camayamum neRi uLLi, piNakku

aRa uraitta kaNakkaRu nalattanan. AvanuDai uNarvu koNDu uNarndu,

vaNakkuDai tava neRi vazhi ninRu, puRam neRi kaLai kaTTu, paSai aRa

uNakkumin – In order to resolve this dispute once and for all,

empermAn who is the Creator of all and who is endowed with infinite

auspicious qualities, and who narurally possesses infinite knowledge

etc., analysed the six non-vedic faiths compared to the path shown

by the veda-s, and showed us through His own words (through the

gItA) that the path of devotion to Him to the exclusion of all other

paths, is the correct path to follow. Realize this truth shown by

Him very clearly, and completely detach yourself from all other

attachment.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the essence of this pASuram through the

phrase " sva-prabodha pradatvAt " – Because He gives us the true

knowledge about Himself through SAstra-s such as the gItA –

piNakkaRa aRu vagaic-camayamum neRi uLiLi uraitta kaNakkaRu

nalattanan. (Even though He is the same One who created the diverse

faiths) He has revealed the true knowledge about Himself through His

own words in the form of the gItA, the pA'ncarAtra, etc. He is a

sulabhan (recall the guNam at the daSakam level) because He has made

this information available to us through these easy means, so that

we can be free of confusion, and attain Him through the path He has

shown us. The gItA makes it crystal clear that we should not follow

the tAmasic and rAjasic grantha-s, but should follow the sAttvic

texts, that we should do all our actions by dedicating any benefit

to Him alone, and that worship of anya devatA-s is for those with

inferior intellect.

• pASuram 1.3.6:

 

uNarndu uNarndu izhindu aganRu uyarndu uruviyanda in-nilaimai

uNarndu uNarndu uNarilum iRai nilai uNarvadu aridu uyirgAL !

uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu ari ayan aran ennum ivarai

uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRai'njumin manappaTTadu onRE.

uyirgAL! uNarndu uNarndu izhindu aganRu uyarndu uru viyanda in-

nilaimai uNarndu uNarndu uNarilum, iRai nilai uNarvadu aridu;

uNarndu uNarndu ari, ayan, aran ennum ivarai uraittu uraittu, manap

paTTadu onRu uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRai`njumin – Oh you

jIva-s! The tattvam (true nature) of the Supreme Lord is not easy to

grasp, even though it may be possible to grasp the subtle nature of

your soul as different from the body through acquisition of

knowledge, your own different experiences, intense analysis

involving both depth and breadth, etc. Therefore, using all the

available scriptural evidence, thoroughly analyse the tri-mUrti-s –

brahmA, vishNu and Siva, with an unbiased mind, analyze, discuss, re-

analyze and discuss over nd over again their complete personality,

traits, attributes, etc., and then come to a firm conclusion over

who is Supreme among the three, and then surrender to this one

Supreme Deity unconditionally.

 

svAmi deSikan identifies the main guNa reflected in this pASuram by

the phrase :khyAta abhikhyA Adi cihnAt (uNarndu uNarndu etc.) –

Because He stands out through His well-known actions and the

associated fame. (khyAta – well-known, renowned; abhikhyA –

splendor, beauty, luster). His name – nArAyaNa, His infinite kalyANa

guNa-s, His wondrous acts of protecting the other gods at their

times of trouble, His infinite Mercy towards His devotees, etc., are

all well-known, and clearly show Him to be the Supreme Deity over

and above all the other gods. However, for the non-discerining

souls, the arguments such as the tri-mUrti sAmyam – equality between

the tri-mUrti-s etc., are presented to confuse their mind.

 

AzhvAr advises us to make an effort to understand the significance

behind bhagavAn's nAma-s, His actions, etc., based on a thorough,

sincere, unbiased, and serious effort to understand these based on

pramANa-s, and realize who the Supreme Deity is, and then surrender

to Him.

 

Note that AzhvAr is not coming out and declaring the parttvam of

SrIman nArAyaNan in this pASuram explicitly; instead, he gives us a

clear direction on how we should be able to find out the answer to

who among the tri-mUrti-s is the Supreme Deity, if only we take the

time to look at the existing pramANa-s, and think about it in an

unbiased way. He does not want to ask us to just accept his word on

this. In future pASuram-s, he will make it clear what his conclusive

position is on who the Supreme Deity is.

 

There are eight occurrences of the word uNanrndu in this pASuram.

The detailed interpretation of these different instances is

presented in detail in the write-up for this pASuram under the

title `tri-mUrti-s in tiruvAimozhi'.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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