SRI RANGA SRI -.E- JOURNAL VOL- 09 / ISSUE # 15 dated 06th January 2008

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

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KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 15 dated 06th January 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 5 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 45- SLOKAM 18 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 278 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

15 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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1. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 5 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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21. WHAT IS COMMON BETWEEN MAN, MONKEY AND SQUIRREL?

 

Answer: Their nexus with woods is common to all of them.

Vide " Parijaata taru moola vasasinam " . Squirrel is also

called: " Vriksha-saayika, Vriksha-marakaTaka, parNa-mriga: " All of

them eat with their hands.

 

22. WHY DID RAMA'S SARANAAGATI PROVE INEFFECTIVE?

 

Rama being omnipotent did not have to surrender to the Ocean king in

the first place. However, he did this in deference to the wishes of

his devotee (VibheeshaNa) who suggested this course. Because,

VibheeshaNa found that his own surrender had yielded positive

results, he perhaps thought that Rama would secure similar benefits

by surrendering to the Ocean king!

 

Rama resorted this to show to the world that (1) he would abide by

his devotees and also that (2) a surrender to be effective should be

by a weak person to a willing and capable person. In this case, Rama

was capable and the Ocean king was not.

 

23. OMENS

Several omens appeared signaling victory to Rama and defeat to

Ravana. (23)

 

24. SUKHA REPORTS TO RAVANA

Sukha was sent by Ravana to spy for him. But, the Vaanaras caught

hold of him and he literally ran away helter-skelter to barely save

his life from the Vaanaras. He came, fell at the feet of Ravana and

told him of the mighty force that stood behind Rama that decimated

Kara, DhooshaNa Viraada, Kabanda and others in a trice and suggested

that it would be safer for Ravana to return Sita to Rama. (24)

 

25. SUKHA AND SAARANA'S RECONNAISANCE

Ravana sent two of his confidants Sukha (this was a different Sukha)

and SaaraNa to go masquerading as monkeys to find out the strength

of Rama's army. But, the moment they entered, VibheeshaNa identified

them and brought them before Rama. When they admitted about their

mission, Rama excused them and sent them away. They also reported to

Ravana that it was prudent for him to make peace with Rama. As

usual, Ravana turned a deaf ear to their advice. (25)

 

26. RAVANA GETS A CLOSER LOOK AT RAMA'S ARMY

Ravana climbed on top of his castle with them to have a closer look

at Rama's army. As the two had seen with their own eyes the strength

of the opponents' army, he asked them to identify the leaders in

that camp. SaaraNan described in glowing terms as he pointed to each

one of the various warriors on Rama's side - Neela, Angada, NaLa,

SvEtana, Kumuda, Rambha, Sarabha, Panasa, Vinata, KrOda, Sugreeva,

Hara, (the bear king), Dhoonmran, (his brother), Jaambhavaan,

Dambha, San-naadana, KrOdana, Pramaathi, KEsari, Gava-aksha,

Sathavali.

And, Sukha continued pointing to Mainda, Dvivida, Hanumaan and then

Rama, LakshmaNa, VibheeshaNa and Sugreeva. Ravana was put out when

they extolled the powers and the strength of the armies each one of

them headed, chided the two spies and drove them out. They promptly

left Ravana. (26 to 30)

 

27. RAVANA'S DIRTY TRICK

 

Ravana hit on a plan that if Sita were to be duped that Rama and

LakshmaNa were no more, she might consent to his advances. He called

Vidyut-jjihvan, a sorcerer and asked him to create by black magic

the likeness of Rama's head dripping with blood and his bow,

kOdaNDam. Taking them with him, he went to Sita saying: " You were

reluctant to accept me because you hoped that one day Rama would

come and rescue you. But, alas! You see how I have successfully cut

off his head and snatched his bow. Now that he is dead and gone, you

have no alternative to yield to my desire " (31). The illusion was so

perfectly crafted that Sita was made to believe it to be true. Her

sorrow knew no bounds. She lamented her fate saying that she had

become instrumental in Rama's demise. At that time, a guard came on

the scene and informed Ravana that his commander-in-chief, Prahastan

was waiting with some urgent matter that needed his immediate

attention. Ravana left the place in a hurry. The illusory head and

the bow were made in such a way that they needed Ravana's presence

and once he turned his back they also vanished (32, 33). Sarama,

wife of VibheeshaNa consoled Sita calling off the bluff of Ravana.

She assured Sita that Rama was safe. (34)

 

She clandestinely observed how RavaNa was deliberating with

Prahastan and others on future course of action and reported her

findings to Sita. She also told her how Maalyavaan, grandfather of

Ravana also advised him to restore Sita to Rama. Maalyavaan also

reminded him that in his boon of seeking deathlessness, he had not

included humans, monkeys, bears and apes, that he noticed several

bad omens that foreboded misfortune for him. (35). Ravana would have

none of this advice (36).

 

28. RAMA ORGANISES THE FORMATION OF HIS ARMY

Ascertaining the arrangements in Ravana's camp through Analan,

Saraba, Pragasa and Sampaati who reconnoitered enemy camp taking the

form of birds, Rama ordered formation of his regiments. On the east

fort entrance, he stationed Neelan to face Prahastan; on the south

entrance, he put Angada to handle MahOdra and Mahaa-paarsva; on the

western front, were in readiness Hanumaan to fight Indra-jit; Rama

and LakshmaNa were to guard at the North gate (37). They rested on

top of the first peak called " SuvEla " Mountain for the night (38).

Next morning, they saw the second peak called " TrikooTa " on which

the city of Lanka was built by Viswakarma. They were amazed to

witness the beauty of the constructions and the plentitude of the

region. They were sorry that because of the sinful act of their

king, the entire place was fated to be devastated (39).

 

 

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 45 - SLOKAM 18 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 45, Slokam 18 Part 2,

tiruvAimozhi 1.7, pASuram 1.7.3, 1.7.4.

 

 

pASuram 1.7.3:

 

Ayar kozhundAi avarAl puDai uNNum

mAyap pirAnai en mANikkac cOdiyai

tUya amudaip parugip parugi en

mAyap piRavi mayarvaruttEnE.

 

Being a child of the cowherds clan, He got beaten up by those

cowherds for stealing butter; He provides wonderful help and support

to everyone (He is full of wonderful leelA-s); He is my Shining

Light, and one who has a wonderful brilliant form; He is the

unblemished and insatiable Nectar; By enjoying Him constantly, I

have got rid of all the ignorance accumulated over all my countless

births.

 

In this pASuram, AzhvAr declares that the continuous thought of

emperumAn automatically removes the sorrows resulting from samsAra.

SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan comments that this Nectar is something

that can be enjoyed without any niyamam – there are no constraints

or requirements of any kind to enjoy Him and think of Him and His

leelA-s. There is no kAla niyamam, deSa niyamam or daSA niyamam

(no constraint of time, place, state, or any other constraint). The

sorrow that is removed is the ignorance about the body-soul

relationship, the desire for materialistic benefits, the ignorance

of our eternal relationship with Him as that of the Seshan to the

SeshI or the servant to the Lord, etc.; the benefit is the

realization of the true nature of our eternal subservience to Him,

and the realization that He is both the means and the end to be

attained.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the essence of this pASuram through the

phrase " nitya bhogya amRtasya " – Because He is the eternal and

insatiable Nectar to be enjoyed (recall `sevanam svAdu' at the

tiruvAimozhi level) – tUya amudaip parugip parugi en mAyap piRavi

mayarvu aruttEnE. He is not just the Nectar that gives long life to

the deva-s, but also the Nectar that destroys the ignorance of the

jIva-s and their bondage to samsAra in this world.

 

SrI UV points out that AzhvAr is singing bhagavAn'ss sarva-rasatvam

(enjoyable in all aspects) in this pASuram – kozhundu (saundaryam or

beauty), puDai uNDu (sauSIlyam or His ability to mix with everyone

at their level), pirAn (vAtsalyam or His attachment to His children –

the jIva-s like that of the mother cow to its calves), en mANikkac

cOdi (aujvalyam – His eternal effulgence), etc. SrI PBA adds

saulabhyam and ASrita pAratantRyam – His ease of attainability and

His becoming subservient to His devotees (avarAl puDai uNNum mAyap

pirAn). Every word of every pASuram – not just this pASuram, is

full of Nectar.

 

pASuram 1.7.4:

 

mayarvaRa en manattE manninAn tannai

uyarvinaiyE tarum oN SuDark kaRRaiyai

ayarvil amarargaL Adik kozhundai en

iSaivinai en Solli yAn viDuvEnO.

 

What fault can one find with my sweet Lord who permanently stays in

my mind and removes all ignorance, who only keeps on elevating me

higher and higher in my knowledge and devotion with His supreme

brilliance, and who is the eternal sustenance and the Lord for all

the deva-s? (There is no fault of any kind that can be found in Him

that can justify my leaving Him.)

 

svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the

words " tyAge hetu ujjhitasya " – He who is devoid of any reason

whatsoever that can justify someone leaving Him - en Solli yAn

viDuvenO? (tyAga – to leave, to abandon; hetu- reason; ujjhita – to

abandon, leave, quit; to avoid, escape from). AzhvAr points out why

it is impossible to move away from Him, even if he wanted to.

BhagavAn has entered his mind of His own accord, and has removed his

ignorance and filled it with true knowledge (mayarvaRa manattE

manninAn); bhagavAn only keeps elevating the enjoyment of Him by

AzhvAr (uyarvinaiyE tarum); He keeps illuminating AzhvAr's mind ever

more by His unexcelled brilliance, and in fact He shines brilliantly

as if He has derived immense benefit by occupying AzhvAr's mind (oN

SuDark kaRRai); the joy He gives is equal to the joy that the deva-s

derive from worshipping Him (ayarvu il amarar Adik kozhundu); and,

bhagavAn is occupying AzhvAr's heart and mind exactly as AzhvAr

desires (en iSaivinai).

 

Thus, there is no cause or ground on which AzhvAr sees that one can

even consider not worshiping Him. AzhvAr can't see a justification

for anyone leaving Him by saying that their aj~nAnam continues, or

that He is too far away to attain, or that He is really interested

in someone else, or that He is not helping us, or that His Supremacy

is not adequate enough and there is someone else who is truly more

supreme, or that He is looking for some help in return from us.

There is absolutely no cause for not worshiping Him - He is a

delight to worship – sevanam svAdu

 

 

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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