SRI RANGA SRI e- Journal VOL.09 / ISSUE # 10 dated 2nd December 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.09 / ISSUE # 10 dated 2nd December 2007

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. SUNDARA KHAANDAM PART - 8 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 40- SLOKAM 17 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 273 Regular issues of SRS have been released

so far, apart from numerous " Special Issues " as indicated below:

27 Issues of Vol. 1

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

36 Issues of Vol. 8

10 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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2. " SUNDHARA KHAANDAM " PART - 8 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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53. THE RETURN OF HANUMAAN

The monkey hordes awaiting Hanumaan's return eagerly were overjoyed

when they sighted Hanumaan landing from the skies on successful

completion of his mission. The first words spoken by Hanumaan

were " Seen Sita " . To dispel any doubt that might arise about his

accomplishing the job by mentioning " Sita " first, he started with

the word. " drishTaa " " drishTaa seetaa iti vikraanta: sam kshEpENa

nyavEdayat " (VR 57-36)

Kamban echoes this: (TiruvaDi tozhuda PaDalam –

1271)

 

" kaNDanen karppinukku aNIyaik kaNgaLaal /

teNN tirai alai kaDal ilangai tenn nagar/

aNdar naayaka! Ini turathi aiyamum

paNDu uLa tuyarum enru anuman pannuvaan//

Then, he proceeded to describe the details of his travels from the

moment he left them till his return as also the travails of Sita on

her separation from Rama (VR 58 59). Angada suggested that they

should all free Sita and produce her before Rama. But, Jaambhavaan

pointed out that it would be in fitness of things to first inform

Rama and Sugreeva about the success of Hanumaan " Mission

Accomplished " (VR60)

 

After saying that he saw Sita, Kamban very dramatically reverses the

statement saying that Hanumaan did not see her. But, then, what did

he see?

 

Vir puram taDam thOL veera! Veengu neer ilangai verpil/

nar perum thavathaL aaya nangaiyai kaNDEn allEN/

iR-piRappu enbadu onrum irum porai enbadu onrum/

karppu enum peyaradu onrum kali naDam puriyak kaNDEn// [ibid 1275 "

 

Oh! Rama, holding a huge bow on your shoulders! In the Island of

Lanka on top of the TrikooTa Mountain, I did not see Sita. I saw

with my own eyes, the very personification of chastity, noble

parentage and great patience vying with each other "

 

53. MADHUVANA DESTROYED

The monkey hordes headed by Angada then retired to " Madhuvana', a

grove of fruit bearing trees that was closely safeguarded by

Dadhimukha, uncle of Sugreeva. They were so excited that they

started to celebrate the event by devastating the grove. Dadhimukha

hastened to Sugreeva with his complaint against the monkeys (VR 61

to 63) But, Sugreeva pacified him saying that Hanumaan should have

accomplished his task and that was the reason for their celebration.

Meanwhile the battalion of monkeys arrived at the place where Rama

and Sugreeva were waiting for them. (VR 64) Hanumaan described in

detail all that happened during his itinerary to Rama. He also

narrated the incidents Sita had told him about how Rama put

a " Tilak " on her forehead with a " manachhilai " - (a herbal paste)

when her Tilak got wiped off while in DaNDakaaraNya (VR 65)

 

54. CHOODAAMANI PRADAANAM

He handed over to Rama the crest jewel that Sita had sent through

him and told Rama that Sita had sent word that she would not live

beyond one month. Rama replied that he could not live without seeing

Sita even for one

second:

 

" na jeevEyam kshaNamapi vinaa taam asitE kshNaam " (VR 66)

 

Hanumaan narrated the crow episode during which Rama used Brahma

Astra to chase a mere crow and Sita's query why Rama was now

indifferent to her - all the while blaming her own fate for all her

sufferings.

 

55. BLAME IT ON YOURSELF!

 

It is natural for people to claim an alibi, to seek to exonerate

oneself and attempt to put the blame on someone else for any

misfortunes they might face. This is not correct. It is the

essential trait of what is known as " SrivaishNava LakshaNam " to

accept responsibility even when one is not guilty - as exemplified

in ANDAL's Tiruppaavai in which she took the blame on herself when

confronted with accusations from her peers saying " naanEtaan

aayiDuga. "

 

On several previous occasions also, Sita, even in her worst duress,

never sought to blame anyone except herself.

 

(1) keedrusam tu mayaa paapam puraa janmaantarE kritam/

yEnEyam praapyatE duhkham mayaa ghOram su daaruNam? (Sargam 25-19)

(2) kimnun mE guNaa: kechit kim vaa Bhaaghya kshayO mama

(Sargam 26 -44)

(3) mamaiva dush kritam kinchit asti na samsaya: /

(4) Samartha avapi tou yan maam naavEkshatE param tapou

(Sargam 38- 48)

The lesson for us is that we should not blame others for what we

have brought on ourselves and try to accept things and pray for

relief.

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 40 - SLOKAM 17 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH

tAyparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 40, Slokam 17 Part 2,

tiruvAimozhi 1.6, pASurams 1.6.2 to 1.6.4.

 

• pASuram 1.6.2:

 

madhu vAr taNNam tuzhAyAn muzhu veda mudalvanukku

edu Edu en paNi ennAdu aduvE AT-ceyyum IDE.

 

madhu vAr taN am tuzhAyAn, muzhu veda mudalvanukku edu paNi, Edu en

paNi, ennAdaduvE AL Seyyum IDu – The qualification to perform

kai'nkaryam to emperumAn who wears the beautiful, cool, honey-laden

tulasi garlands, and who is the One revealed by all the veda-s as

the Supreme Deity, is to not even think in terms of " What is it that

will serve as kai'nkaryam to Him? There is really nothing that I

can do that will qualify as kai'nkaryam " etc.

 

In the previous pASuram, AzhvAr indicated that there is no dravya

niyamam – restriction on items to be used for His worship; in the

current pASuram, he points out that there is no `adhikAri niyamam'

also – no restriction on who can worship Him. One need not think

that because of His Supremacy – as identified by the tulasI garland

that is one of pernumAL's lakshaNa-s (distinguishing mark), that

only the likes of nitya sUri-s are qualified to worship Him. Anyone

is qualified to worship Him – He is a sulabhan – easy to access.

 

svAmi deSikan describes this guNam of bhagavAn sung in this pASuram

as `a-niyata vividha abhyarcanAt' – Because His worship

(abhyarcanam) does not have to follow any set rules (aniyatam), and

can be in varied forms as well (vividham). SrI PBA gives the

explanation that bhagavAn can be worshiped in many different ways,

without any restriction on who can perform the worship to Him –

adhikAri niyamAdikaL illAda paDi pal vagai ArAdhana'ngaLum

uDaiyavan. SrI UV's interpretation is that " the worship by the same

person can be different because of `deSa kAla bheda-s' – differences

because of the time and place that one might find oneself in; so His

ArAdhanam is aniyata – not strictly defined as one particular method

only for a given individual; it can also differ because of different

individuals' specific circumstances, other than deSam, kAlam etc., ,

such as jAti (birth, race), guNa (aptitude) etc, and thus the worshp

is vividha – of different kinds. Still they are all His worship.

The instruction here is that one should stop finding excuses such as

feeling that one is at too low a level to offer proper worship to

the Supreme Deity, and instead, involve oneself whole-heartedly and

with devotion in the worship of emperumAn. AzhvAr declares that the

only qualification, and the true qualification needed for worshiping

Him is to remove the thought about whether one is qualified or not –

edu paNi, Edu en paNi ennAdu AL Seyyum IDu, and involve oneself in

His kai'nkaryam with devotion.

 

• pASuram 1.6.3:

 

IDum eDuppum il ISan mADu viDAdu en mananE

pADum en nA avan pADal ADum en a'ngam aNa'ngE.

 

en mannan IDum eDuppum il ISan mADu viDAdu; en nA avan pADal

pADum; en a'ngam aNa'ngu ADum – My mind does not ever move away

from the Lord who has the guNam that does not discriminate between

people , such as favoring some people and ignoring some. My tongue

will always keep singing His Glory. My body will keep dancing with

joy thinking of Him. (aNa'ngu ADal = to be taken over by a deity,

and then dancing under that influence).

 

svAmi deSikan captures the guNam conveyed in this pASuram through

the words `alpa tushTeh' – Even if what we do towards His worship is

alpam – meager, He becomes extremely pleased by accepting it - IDum

eDuppum il en ISan – Onr who does not favor one thing while

discarding another. All that AzhvAr does is sit in one place and

devote his thought, word and deed on emperumAn, and AzhvAr is saying

that with this `meager offering', perumAL is very pleased.

 

• pASuram 1.6.4:

 

aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan

piNa'ngi amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koLgaiyinAnE.

 

aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan, amarar

piNa'ngip pidaRRum guNam kezhu koLgaiyinAn – This Supreme Lord who

is easily accessible for me to worship with my body as if it is

fully intoxicated, is the same enperumAn who is endowed with so many

auspicious qualities that the nitya sUri-s vie with each other to

describe them. SrI PBA notes that based on piLLAn's ARAyirappaDi

vyAkhyAnam, the pATham could be `guNam kezhu koL kalanAnE' – the

reservoir of all kalyANa guNa-s.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the guNam sung in this pASuram through the

phrase `prahva Avarjya ISa bhAvAt', which has been explained as " He

who has the divine nature that He becomes subservient to those who

prostrate to Him with devotion " . (prahva – one who is humble, one

who prostrates with folded hands; Avarjya – bending down,

subservient) – vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan. SrI ve'nkaTeSAcArya's

explanation is: prahvI bhAvattAlE tAnE Avarjikkap paDubhavan

AgaiyAlum; SrImad tiruukuDanthai ANDavan explains svAmi deSikan's

guNAnubhavam as " vaNakkattAlE svAdhInap paDak kUDiyavan " ; and SrI

PBA gives the explanation " prahvargaLAlE AvarjanIyanAna ISvaran " .

 

Recall that the central theme for this tiruvAimozhi is the enjoyment

of the guNa of sukara bhajanatvam of perumAL – the ease with which

He can be worshiped. There are two ways in which the pASuram can be

placed in prose order for ease of understanding –

 

1. piNa'ngi amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koL kalan Ana ISanaik kaNDu

aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum

2. aNa'ngu ena ADum en a'ngam vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan, piNa'ngi

amarar pidaRRum guNam kezhu koL kalanAn " .

 

The second prose order brings out the emphasis of `sukara

bhajanatvam' of emperumAn more directly. AzhvAr points out that

just by just thinking of bhagavAn's infinite kalyANa guNa-s in his

mind, he derives such extreme joy that his whole body gets immersed

in the enjoyment of His infinite kalyANa guNa-s, and starts dancing

the `aNa'ngu ADal' because of the flood of the thought of these

kalyANa guNa-s in his mind. Thus, bhagavAn is the ISan that drives

one to His worship so easily because He is possessed of such

infinite kalyANa guNa-s – guNam kezhu koL kalanAn - this is the gist

of the pASuram.

 

One can think of svAmi deSikan's words `prahva Avarjya ISa bhAvAt'

as " One who has the supreme attributes - kalyANa guNa-s - that make

the devotee prostrate to Him with folded hands and makes them sub-

servient (guNam kezhu kol kalanAn vaNa'ngi vazhi paDum ISan). This

brings out the `sukara bhajanatvam' directly. `praha Avarjaika

ISvara bhAvah = One who has the divinity that drives the devotee to

prostrate with folded hands and to become subservient. The flood of

the thought of His infinite kalyANa guNa-s that drive a devotee to

worship Him in ecstacy is the same one that drives the nitya sUri-s

to vie with each other in trying to outwit each other in describing

and enjoying the flood of His kalyANa guNa-s one ahead of the

other. BhagavAn is the Possessor of such infinite kalyANa guNa-s

that attract the devotee to Him - the sukara bhajanatvam aspect of

emperumAn.

 

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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