SRI RANGA SRI E- Journal - VOL.09 / ISSUE # 16 dated 14th January 2008

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SrI:

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 # 16 dated 14th January 2008

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IN THIS PONGAL ISSUE:

 

1. SARVAJIT – THAI MAASA PANCHAANGAM DETAILS

2. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 6 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 46- SLOKAM 18 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 279 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

16 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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1. Sarvajit varsha thai maasa Panchangam:

 

January 15, 2008 – Tuesday –thai month begins- Sankaraanthi

uttharaayaNa puNya kaala

January 16, 2008 – Wednesday – kanu pongal

January 19, 2008 - Friday – Ekadasi

January 22, 2008- Tuesday- Embaar Thirunakshthram

January 25, 2008- Friday – Thirumazhisai AzhwAr Thirunakshthram

January 28, 2008 – Monday – Kuresar Thirunakshathram

February 3, 2008 – Sunday – Ekadasi

February 6, 2008 – Wednesday – amavasyai

 

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2. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 6 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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29. WRESTLING BETWEEN SUGREEVA AND RAVANA

The moment he saw LankEswaran looking at them, Sugreeva pounced on

him and pelted his shining crown made of rubies and other precious

gems. A fearful and unprecedented wrestling duel erupted in which

both sides played out strategies like forward, backward and side

thrusts, cross cuts, circles, catches, hugs and holds, besides

devices such as Pari-moksha, Vajra, Pari-dhaavana, Athi-dravaNa etc.

Unable to defeat Sugreeva in a fair war, Ravana resorted to magic

and created an illusion as if he was on every side. Sugreeva thought

that it was not worthwhile to continue the fight and promptly

returned to Rama. He spared Ravana's life as he wanted to make

Rama's vow true that he would himself finish off Ravana. (40)

 

30. THE SIEGE OF LANKA - ANGADA, THE

EMISSARY

Though he was happy at the successful encounter with Ravana, Rama

advised Sugreeva that he should not have been so rash and cautioned

him against such adventures. The siege of Lanka began. The monkey

army covered the whole space like the flight of locusts. As

per " Yuddha Dharma " at the time of besieging a city, the enemy

should be informed, Rama sent Angada as an emissary to convey the

message to Ravana that he would have to surrender and return Sita to

Rama or face Rama's sharp arrows. Should Ravana surrender, it was

Rama's intention to offer him Kosala kingdom because he had already

promised Lanka to VibheeshaNa. Ravana was defiant and his stooges

caught hold of Angada. Angada lifted them up, threw them down as if

they were just dust and reached Rama (41).

 

31. THE WAR DECLARED

The sounds of war cries raised by both sides reverberated the whole

atmosphere. The grim prospect of deadly clashes was looming large.

Raakshasas and Vaanaras individually and collectively pounced on and

tore each other to pieces whatever they could get hold of - weapons

on the Raakshasas' side and trees, rocks and even mountains on the

monkeys' side. The heads and other parts of the bodies on either

side strewn all over were practically floating in the rivers of

blood (42).

There were fierce wrestling slings as follows: Angada with Indra-

jit; Prajanga, the Raakshasa with Sampaati, Jambumaali with

Hanumaan; VibheeshaNa with Mitra-gna; Gaja with Tapana; Neela with

Ni-kumbha; Sugreeva with Prakasa; LakshmaNa with Virupa-aksha; Rama

with Agni-kEtu, Rasmi-kEtu, Supta-gna and Yagjna-kOpa; Maindan with

Vajra-mushTi; Dvi-vida with Asani-prabha; NaLa with Prataa-pana;

SushENa with Vidyun-maali and many others with many others. (43). In

the melee, the Vaanaras and Raakshasas could not tell friend from

foe and on occasions, indulged in throwing " same side goals " !

 

32. NAAGA PAASAM

The Raakshasas gain strength after dusk. Also, they could use their

weapon of illusion more effectively in the dark. So, they were

waiting for Sunset. There were innumerable casualties on both sides.

At one stage, unable to continue the war on Dhaarmic lines, Indra-

jit hid himself from sight by his magical powers and used the famous

serpent Astra (Naaga-paasam) that bound Rama and LakshmaNa (44).

 

Rama sent SushENa's two sons with Neela, Angada, Vinata,

Jaambhavaan, Saanu-prasta, Sarabha, Rishaba and Rishabha-skanda to

trace the whereabouts of Indra-jit. But, they could not locate him.

Indra-jit roared from his hiding place at the group and threatened

to finish them off. Rama-daasas desisted from using the " SabdavEdi "

(spotting a target by its sound) because it was against the rules of

Dhaarmic warfare. With a shower of poisonous arrows like Naaraacha

(arrows with round heads), Artdha-Naaraacha (same with a cleft in

the middle), Bhalla (an arrow with the head of a hatchet), Anjalika

(a shaft with the head fashioned like clasped hand in appeal), Vatsa-

danta (resembling the teeth of a horse), Simha-damshTra (resembling

the tusks of the lion) and Kshura (sharp razors), Indra-jit pierced

Rama and LakshmaNa. With blood oozing from their bodies, both

swooned and fell to the ground. Hanumaan and others surrounded them

with a heavy heart not knowing what to do.

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 46 - SLOKAM 18 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 46, Slokam 18 -Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 1.7, pASurams 1.7.5 - 1.7.7.

 

 

pASuram 1.7.5:

 

viDuvEnO en viLakkai en Aviyai

naDuvE vandu uyyak koLginRa nAdanai

toDuvE Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuL

viDavE Seidu vizhikkum pirAnaiyE.

 

en viLakkai, en Aviyai, naDuvE vandu uyyak koLginRa nAdanai, toDuvE

Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuL viDavE Seidu vizhikkum pirAnai,

viDuvEnO? – I will never leave my Lord who is my guiding light, my

soul's Soul, One who voluntarily comes and retrieves me from my

indulgence in materialistic pleasures, and One who indulges in acts

like stealing butter and then attacts the gopi-s by the very beauty

of His very looks.

 

svAmi deSikan conveys the message of this pASuram through the

words `pravahad upakRteh' – `pirAn' - He whose help to His devotees

is an unending and unstoppable stream. SrI PBA explains this as:

pravAha rUpeNa SenRu koNDirukkiRa upakAra paramparaikaLaic ceidu

koNDiruppavan. The word `pirAn', which is the key word that svAmi

deSikan seems to have captured as the main thought from this

pASuram - `pravad upakRteh', is explained in irupattu nAlAyirappaDi

vyAkhyAnam as " upakAraka Sabda paryAyam " – means the same as " One

who helps " . The meaning `piRarukkAgavE iruppavan pirAn' – He who

devotes His existence purely for the sake of others, explains the

word very well. SrI UV also gives the meaning " paramopakAra' to the

word `pirAn' – `One who renders immense and supreme help'. Examples

given by AzhvAr in this pASuram for this are: He removes our

ignorance – our aj~nAnam (en viLakkai); He is the sole Support for

our existence (en Aviyai); He is our Lord and we are His possessions

and His eternal servants and He considers it His duty to protect us -

kAkkum iyalbinan kaNNa perumAn (en nAthanai); He creates every

opportunity for Him to interact with us and to be easily accessible

to us (toDuvE Seidu iLa Aycciyar kaNNiNuLviDavE Seidu vizhikkum

pirAnai). Thus the help He gives us is like a stream flowing with

an unstoppable great force – pravAha upakRteh.

 

pASuram 1.7.6:

 

pirAn peru nilam kINDavan pinnum

virAi malart tuzhAi vEinda muDiyan

marAmaram eida mAyavan ennuL

irAn enil pinnai yAn oTTuvEnO.

 

pinnum virAi(virai) malar tuzhAi vEinda muDiyan, peru nilam

kINDavan, marAmaram eida mAyavan, pirAn, ennuL irAn enil pinnai yAn

oTTuvEno? – If my emperumAn - who wears the flower garland made of

the fragrant tulasi leaves on His crown, retrieved the Earth from

the depth of the ocean in His varAha incarnation, has to His credit

amazing acts such as piercing the seven dense and strong trees with

just one arrow, and One who is ever helpful to His devotees (pirAn) –

if He does not stay in my mind always, then will I continue to live

this life? There is no way that I will agree to His leaving me.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the

words `dus-tyaja sva anubhUteh' - One who gives us the experience

of Himself such that it is impossible to give Him up after having

experienced Him (anubhUti means anubhavam – experience; tyaj – to

give up; dus-tyaja – impossible to give up); - ennuL irAn enil

pinnai yAn oTTuvEno? " I will not let Him go, and He cannot go

without my consent since He is `pirAn' – One who is dedicated only

for others " .

 

The examples that AzhvAr gives in this pASuram that support His acts

that endear Him as `pirAn' to the devotees are His retrieving the

Earth that had been taken into the depth of the ocean by a demon,

and the act of His `proving' to sugrIvan that He can help sugrIvan

against vAli, by piercing the seven sAla trees with one arrow.

PurvAcArya-s point out that He, with His beautifully decorated

tirumEni with the fragrant tulasi garlands etc., did not mind tht He

would be covered with the moss etc., and went into the depths of the

ocean to retrieve Earth from the ocean just because of His nature of

providing help. He did not have to `prove' anything to sugrIvan,

but still proved His strength to sugrIvan to make him feel that He

is `worthy' of sugrIvan's friendship. Just as he dug out bhUmi

from the deep oceanm He digs out His devotee from the ocean of

samsAra. Such are His acts by which He gives the experience of

Himself to His devotees and makes it impossible for them to part

with Him even if they want to – dus-tayja sva anubhUteh.

 

pASuram 1.7.7:

 

yAn oTTi ennuL iruttuvam enRilan

tAn oTTi vandu en tani ne'njai va'njittu

UnoTTi ninREn uyiril kalandiyal –

vAnoTTumO ini ennai negizhkkavE.

 

I did not make any effort to retain Him in my mind; He Himself has

undertaken the effort to endear Himself to my `independent' mind

(unwilling to entertain Him) through His kalyANa guNa-s and His

leelA-s; He Himself took the initiative to mingle with me and became

part of my AtmA associated with my impure body; after doing all

this, ther is no way that He will let me get away from Him.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the thought from this pASuram through the

words " tyAga AkA'ngkshA niroddhuh " – He who prevents any desire to

leave Him (nirodhah, nirodhanam – confinnment; restraint, check;

obstruction) - yAn negizhkka avan ennai oTTmO?

 

AzhvAr says: " BhagavAn fully knew that neither I nor my mind had

any interest in getting Him and keeping Hin in my mind. Yet He

cheated me (va'njittu), and through His leelA-s and His kalyANa guNa-

s, He succeeded in getting into my mind even though I am associated

with an impure body etc. I am deeply attached to this body of mine,

and so He is attached, too, to my body. He has taken a vow to enter

into me and mingle with me. Having done all this, He has made sure

that He will not let me have the slightest desire to wish to let Him

get away now " – tyAga AkA'ngkshA niroddhuh

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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