SRI RANGA SRI -E-Journal_ VOL.09 / ISSUE # 20 dated 25th February 2008

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

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SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 20 dated 25th February 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 10 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 50- SLOKAM 19 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 283 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

36 Issues of Vol. 8

20 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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1. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 9 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

--

 

46. A SECOND LANKA DAHANAM

Sugreeva suggested that it was high time that they entered Lanka

with torches to set fire to it and the monkey army immediately

barged into Lanka and consigned it to fire. The fragrance from

scents of burning Sandalwood combined with the noxious odor of burnt

bodies of Raakshasas enveloped the atmosphere with a strange smell.

(75)

 

47. DEATH OF OTHER RAAKSHASAS

Kumba and Nikumba, sons of KumbakarNa now emerged to fight along

with other Raakshasas like Yoopa-aksha, SONita-aksha, Prajanga and

Kampana but all of them were also decimated by Sugreeva and his army

after a stiff fight. (77) Kara's son Makara-aksha wanted to wreak

vengeance on Rama for killing his father in DaNDakaaraNya. With an

AgnEya Astra, Rama dispatched him to where Kara had gone (76 to 79).

 

48. INDRAJIT'S TRICK

Hiding from their sight, Indra-jit aimed his arrows at Rama and

LakshmaNa. Rama stopped them midway and vowed to catch Indra-jit

alive or dead wherever he was. (80) Knowing Rama's determination,

Indra-jit returned to Lanka and decided to perform a yaaga

called " Nikumbala Yaaga " . If only he completed the Yaaga he would

gain a weapon that would make him invincible. He needed a breathing

time for this. So he used his power of illusion to make Rama and

LakshmaNa to swoon in order to buy some time. He hit upon a weird

idea by which he created a figure with the likeness of Sita, dragged

it by hair, showering blows on it. The figure was shown to cry

aloud " Hey! Ram " . Hanumaan pounced on him asking him what harm she

did to deserve this treatment. With a sword drawn out of its sheath,

he created an illusion of cutting Sita's figure-head in the presence

of the monkey army. With blood flowing from its body, the figure

fell dead. He gloated saying that since Sita was no more, all their

efforts had come to naught. (81).

 

49. NIKUMBILAA YAAGAM

Making sure that it would take long for them to reconcile to the

death (of what they believed was Sita), he proceeded to a wooded

grove called Nikumbilaa away from the sight of others for performing

the Yaagam (82). The Vaanaras went to Rama to inform him of what had

happened and to seek his advice for further action. Rama was

stricken with indescribable grief. LakshmaNa was equally grieved but

he mustered enough courage to tell Rama that there was no place for

Dharma and only Adharma had a field day, that his adherence

to " Pitru Vaakhya par-ipaalanam " that prompted him to come on exile

was not proper and blasted Rama with several arguments in support of

his views. (For example, Dasaratha's promise to crown Rama the next

morning was as much a " Pitru Vaakhyam " as his subsequent

recantation. And, Rama should have fulfilled the earlier order first

before considering the later one. But, finally he cooled down and

begged to be excused for his words born out of his anxiety and love

for Rama. He requested Rama to permit him to prove his prowess in

wiping out the wicked Raakshasas (83).

 

50. STRATEGY TO KILL INDRAJIT

VibheeshaNa who knew Indra-jit inside out assuaged Rama and

LakshmaNa that what they had seen about Sita was nothing but an

illusion and that Ravana was so lust driven for Sita that he would

never allow the killing of Sita under any circumstances. He

suggested that before Indra-jit could complete his Yaaga he should

be finished and that LakshmaNa was the one who could accomplish

this. If only he could be dragged out even before he started the

Yaaga or at least while it was half-way through, he could be killed

easily. VibheeshaNa knew of the words of Brahma that if anyone were

to intervene during the Yaaga, Indra-jit would get killed by him.

Accompanied by VibheeshaNa, LakshmaNa hid himself at a secret place

on the way to Nikumbilaa and was waiting to attack Indra-jit. Indra-

jit saw VibheeshaNa whom he called a traitor who deserted his

brother at a crucial moment and it was not Dharma for him to have

done so. VibheeshaNa retorted saying that he and his father were the

first offenders in stealthily abducting Sita and deserved

punishment. (87)

 

A battle royal ensued between Indra-jit and LakshmaNa. (88) The

Charioteer of Indra-jit was the first casualty and the horses shared

the same fate. (89) Next was his chariot. Soon, he returned to Lanka

and came back riding a new chariot (90).

LakshmaNa's Varuna Astram was checkmated by Indra-jit's Roudra

Astram; Indra-jit's AagnEya Astram was broken by LakshmaNa's Surya

Astram; Indra-jit sent " Asura Astram " and LakshmaNa destroyed it

with " MahEswara Astram " . Finally, LakshmaNa dispatched the most

powerful " Indra Astram " saying that if Rama was a Dharma Swaroopi,

if he were a real hero, if he were a Sathya-santar, Indra Astram

should hit its target and destroy Indra-jit. The Astram went

straight to its target and cut off the head of Indra-jit along with

the headgear, crown etc which fell on the ground and his armor got

smashed to pieces .(91). Rama embraced LakshmaNa and praised him for

his brave act (92). Ravana lamented on the death of his dear son

saying that instead of the son doing final obsequies for the father,

the father was fated to do it for his son. He swore to really kill

Sita this time and started towards AshOka-vana for that purpose. He

was stopped by one of his ministers called Su-paarsva who advised

Ravana to avoid " Stree hathi " (93).

 

 

..

 

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 50 - SLOKAM 19 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 50, Slokam 19 Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 1.8, pASuram-s 1..7 to 1.8.10.

 

pASuram 1.8.7:

 

koNDAn Ezh viDai uNDAn Ezh vaiyam

taN tAmam Seidu en eN tAn AnAnE.

 

Ezh viDai koNDAn, Ezh vaiyam uNDAn, taN tAmam Seidu, en eN tAn AnAn.

He who slew the seven bulls for the sake of nappinnai, and swallowed

the seven worlds to protect them from the great deluge, did what I

longed for, and made my mind His abode, treating it as parama padam

itself.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the gist of this pASuram through the words

sat-citta ananya vRttauen eNNam tAn AnAn - He who makes it His job

to be exactly as the devotee desires. SrI venkaTeSAcArya explains

this as ASrita manoratha sadRSa vyApArattai uDaiyanumAi. BhagavAn

made AzhvAr's mind His dwelling place (taN tAmam Seidu) exactly as

AzhvAr desired (en eN tAn AnAn). He considered AzhvAr's mind the

same as SrI vaikunTham, and made it His resort. Another way to look

at this is that while AzhvAr wanted to be in SrI vaikunTham with

perumAL, He reciprocated by wanting to come to tirunagari and be

with AzhvAr ˜sat citta anaya vRttau. AzhvAr wanted to mingle with

emperumAn intimately, and He took over that desire and mingled with

AzhvAr, and performed feats such as killing the seven bulls for the

sake of nappinnai, swallowing the seven worlds, etc., just to

captivate AzhvAr by these acts of His. AzhvAr wanted to reach

parama padam, immerse himself in virajA river, and enjoy Him by

singimg sAma gAnam to Him; bhagavAn reciprocated and wanted to come

to tirunagari, immerse Himself in tAmraparAaNi river, and enjoy

listening to kaNNiNuN SiRuttAmbu and enjoy nammAzhvAr " en eNNam tAn

AnAn " sat-citta ananya vRttau.

 

pASuram 1.8.8:

 

AnAn An Ayan mInODu Enamum

tAn AnAn; ennil tAnAya SangE.

 

An Ayan AnAn mInODu Enamum tAn AnAn; ennil tAn Aya SangE " The same

One who took incarnation as a cowherd, also took incarnations as

matsya (Fish), varAha (Boar) etc. This way, the incarnations He has

taken are countless (Sankham a very large number).

 

svAmi deSikan describes the gist of this pASuram with the words

˜vibhava sama tanau " AnAn An Ayan mInODu Enamum " He whose

incarnations are as unlimited as His greatness. SrI PBA explains

this as: tannuDaiya vibhavangaLukku ellai illAdAp pOlE tan

vigrahangaLukkum ellai illAdavan " Just as there is no limit to His

greatness, there is no limit to His incarnations also. AzhvAr is

enjoying His greatness, exclaiming that He took so many beautiful

incarnations just to make it possible for AzhvAr to enjoy His

greatness (another interpretation for ˜ennil tAnAya SangE " it is

because of His great attachment to me that He took all these

different incarnations. Ennil = enniDattil, towards me; tAn Aya =

for Him, naturally; Sangu = attachment).

 

pASuram 1.8.9:

 

Sangu cakkaram am kaiyil koNDAn

engum tAnAya nangaL nAthanE.

 

engum tAnAya nangaL nAthan am kaiyil Sangu cakkaram koNDAn " Our Lord

takes incarnations among all kinds of species, and His prowess is

always part of Him, as evidenced by the Sankha and chakra in His

hands in all these incarnations.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the bhagavad guNam sung in this pASuram with

the words ˜svAyudhArUDha hasteh " He who has the Sankha and cakra in

His hands always ready for the protection of the devotees. SrI UV

brings out the Arjava guNam sung here by pointing out that bhagavAn

has the conch and the cakra in His hands, just because protection is

what the devotees expect from Him " He acts consistent with the

devotees wishes. Ideally, He does not need any weapons for

anything, since He can achieve all that He wants by His mere

sankalpam or wish. SrI UV also points out alternate pATham-s for

svAmi deSikan's description here sva AyudhArUdha haste or ˜su-

AyudhArUDha haste " His own weapons in His divine hands, or beautiful

weapons in His divine hands.

 

pASuram 1.8.10:

 

nAthan j~nAlam koL pAdan en ammAn

Odam pOl kiLar veda nIranE.

 

My Lord is the Lord of all nitya sUri-s, as also One whose divine

feet are worshiped by all in this world as well. His infinite

auspicious qualities are sung by all the veda-s that extensively

praise His greatness.

 

The phrase ˜j~nalam koL pAdan in the above pASuram is interpreted as

a reference to bhagavAn’s trivikrama incarnation " One whose divine

feet were extended throughout all the three worlds. svAmi deSikan

captures this as the guNam emphasized in this pASuram " nIcocca

grAhya pAde " He whose divine feet extended to the reach of all

without distinction of high and low level beings. Many vyAkhyAna-s

stress the important message from this pASuram as ˜One who is sung

in all the veda-s; however, SrI UV points out that svAmi deSikan

selected ˜j~nAlam koL pAdan as the primary guNam since it conveys

His Arjava guNam more directly.

 

In the concluding pASuram of this rtiruvAimozhi " 1.8.11, nammAzhvAr

describes emperumAn as ˜nIr purai vaNNan " One who has the complexion

resembling water. SrI PBA comments that the comparison of

bhagavAn's complexion to water does not stop there, but extends to

His guNam of molding Himself to the wishes of His devotees just as

water lends itself to any shape that the container has a reference

to bhagavAn's Arjava guNam that is the subject of this

tiruvAimozhi. SrI PBA gives a comparison of bhagavAn's guNa-s

resembling water through a list of 21 points in his tiruvAimozhi

vyAkhyAnam.

 

The ten pASuram-s of this tiruvAimozhi thus sing the Arjava guNam of

bhagavAn, supported by the following thoughts in each of the

pASurams of this tiruvAimozhi:

 

- bhagavAn lends Himself for worship and kainkaryam by nitya

sUri-s such as garuDan as they wish, without any constraint (1.8.1)

- He takes incarnations on His own with all His aiSvaryam

intact and undimished, and moves with the likes of us in His leelA

vibhUti with the same Arjavam as He does in His nitya vibhUti

(without distinction, at our level, in thought, word, and deed)

(1.8.2).

- He has taken the arcA incarnation in triruvenkaTam just to

be accessible to both the samsAri-s like us and to the nitya sUri-s

at the same time (1.8.3)

- He bore the govardhana mountain tirelessly in order to

protect the cows and the cowherds who sought His protection. (1.8.4)

- He mingles with great sincerity with the bodies of those

who surrender to Him (1.8.5)

- He engages the devotee's soul in His kainkaryam by

captivating the devotee through His beautiful incarnations such as

His vAmana incarnation (1.8.6)

- He acts such that He makes His wishes coincide with His

devotee's wishes. (1.8.7).

- He takes countless incarnations among all different

species such as His varAha incarnation, just to be accessible to

all, and to attract everyone to His feet (1.8.8)

- He carries the divine conch and discus in His beautiful

hands in all these incarnations, for protecting His devotees just as

they would want (think Arjavam at the tiruvAimozhi level), and also

to attract them to Him (1.8.9)

- He made His divine feet accessible to all without distinction

of high and low levels of beings in His trivikrama incarnation

(1.8.10).

 

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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