SRI RANGA SRI E-JOURNAL - VOL.09 / ISSUE # 22 dated 14th March 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 # 22 dated 14th March 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. SARVAJIT – PANGUNI MAASA PANCHAANGAM DETAILS

2. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 12 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 52- SLOKAM 20 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 285 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

22 Issues of Vol. 9 (including this)

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1. Sarvajit varsha maasi maasa Panchangam:

 

March 14, 2008 – Friday – Panguni month begins

March 17, 2008 – Monday – Ekadasi

March 21. 2008 - Friday - Panguni Utthiram – Srirangam sertthi

sevai (also Holi Pandikai)

March 22, 2008 – Saturday – Thiruvarangatthu amudhanaar

Thirunakshathram (Hastham)

March 27, 2008 – Thursday – anusham – Sri viNNaaRRankarai Andavan

Thirunakshathram

March 27, 2008 – Thursday – anusham – Sri Kozhiyaalam Swami

Thirunakshathram

April 1, 2008 - Tuesday – SravaNam

April 2, 2008 - Wednesday – Ekadasi

April 5, 2008 - Amavasya

April 7, 2008 - yugaadi pandikai (Telugu New year)

April 10, 2008 - Thursday – RohiNi- H.H. Srimad Paravakkottai

Andavan Thirunakshathram

April 12, 2008 - Saturday – Thiruvaadhirai – Sri U Ve Dr Sri

Navalpakkam S. Ramanuja Thathachar Thirunakshathram (Sathabhisheka

uthsavam in Navalpakkam village)

 

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2. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 12 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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57. VIBHEESHANA LAMENTS

Though he was happy that the cruel Ravana was dead and gone, his

fraternal instinct took over. He lamented that such a mighty emperor

should have come to meet his end due solely to his lust. Rama

comforted him saying that a king who laid down his life in a battle

facing the enemy (without deserting the warfront) was sure to

attain " Veera Swargam " and advised him to take care of further

actions due. VibheeshaNa was sorry that there was not a single

living soul (other than himself) among the Raakshasas to perform the

death ceremonies of the fallen heroes. Rama assuaged his feelings

saying that he should not desist from doing the obsequies to Ravana

based on prior enmity because one should not feel ill will against a

dead person. He even offered to do them if VibheeshaNa was not

willing. The implication is that Rama felt grateful to Ravana by

proving himself the greatest of sinners thus facilitating Rama in

his work of destroying evil. " DushTa nigraham " (112).

 

58. LAMENT OF RAVANA'S WIDOWS

The widows of Ravana lamented on his death. (113)

MaNDOdari, the queen wailed saying

- That when she learned that Rama had decimated Kara and

14,000 others at Janasthaana within a muhoortham and that too single-

handed, she had decided that Rama was none other than Sriman

Narayana who had come in human form.

- That this got confirmed when his monkey messenger devastated

Lanka and the fact of the monkey army building a bridge across the

sea proved it.

- That she had advised Ravana several times not to entertain

any hostility towards Rama and that Ravana completely ignored;

- That his lust was waiting to take revenge on him for

subjecting Sita to such ignominious treatment;

- That Sita was fit to be worshipped like his mother;

- That Sita was both tolerant like BhoodEvi and the Goddess of

wealth and prosperity like Mahaalakshmi;

- That the fact that one who does PuNyam reaps its beneficial

results and the one who indulges in Paapam inevitably faces its

consequences - had proved true;

- That Ravana had brought his own nemesis with great effort

and like a mother who bears the fetus for 10 months and delivers her

child; he had preserved Sita in AshOka vana for 10 months only to

secure his own deliverance from the life cycle!

- That because of the arrows strutting out on Ravana's body

like the thorn like erectile spines of a porcupine she could not

even embrace his body let alone talk to him;

- That the curses of Pativratas whom he had dishonored and

terrified had borne fruit now;

- That his end was due to his ignoring the sage advice of

Maareecha and her father Mayan.

 

59. VIBHEESHANA PATTAABHISHEKAM

After doing the final rites of Ravana, VibheeshaNa came to the side

of Rama because there was no " Aasoucham " for him as Ravana died in a

battle. Rama directed LakshmaNa to seat VibheeshaNa on the throne

and perform the coronation (PaTtaabhishEkam) for him. Rama sent

Hanumaan to Sita's place to inform her that Ravana was killed and

that both he and LakshmaNa were safe and asked him to report her

response (115). Hanumaan did accordingly. He wanted to kill the

Raakshasis who tormented and tortured Sita while in their custody.

But, Sita would not allow it. She said that they were mere servants

who were carrying out their ordained duties and that even if they

deserved to be killed, it was not appropriate for them to kill them.

She added " Who in the world is not guilty of mistakes? It is their

nature to be cruel. It is our nature to be forgiving and forgetting;

it is the trait of nobility to excuse them even if they deserve

death "

Paapaanaam vaa subhaanaam vaa vadha arhaaNaam pLavangama/

Kaaryam karuNam aaryENa na kaschit na aparaadhyati// (116- 44)

 

60. SITA MEETS WITH RAMA

Hanumaan returned to Rama and told him of his conversation with

Sita, how she was anxious to meet with him. Rama now sent

VibheeshaNa to fetch Sita clean and neat after taking a holy bath

and decently dressed and adorned with brilliant ornaments. Sita

wanted to meet with Rama with her famished appearance. But, it was

Rama's orders and she had to obey it. Though he was happy to meet

with his beloved, Rama acted as if he loathed seeing her because he

doubted how people would view his accepting one who was in the

custody of his arch enemy. (117)

In a stern voice Rama told her: " If you think that I undertook all

these difficult and stupendous tasks for your sake, you are

mistaken. All this I did it only to save my honor as a Kshatriya. I

am not able to look at you even as a jaundiced person would not able

to see things except as tainted yellow! You may go wherever you wish

to, be it LakshmaNa, Bharata, Satrughna, Sugreeva or VibheeshaNa "

(118)

Comment: Whose fault is Jaundice? It is in the beholder's eye!

 

61. SITA ENTERS THE FIRE

Sita was beside with grief especially because Rama had used such

harsh words publicly in the presence of all those assembled there.

Swearing on her chastity, she declared that she was helpless when

Ravana took her by her hairs and that nothing objectionable ever

took place and she was with pristine purity as ever. Turning to

LakshmaNa, she reminded him of his mother's command that he should

treat Sita as his mother. " Now, in that role, I order you to bring

logs of wood and ignite fire. I will jump into the fire. If I have

any blemish, let the fire consume me " . She circumambulated the fire

and jumped into it (119)

 

62. SITA EMERGES UNSCATHED

The fire God rose from the burning wooden logs holding Sita on his

lap .He addressed Rama: " Sita is chaste to the core. She had never

ever had anyone else other than you in her thoughts. She

is " Pativrata " . Please accept her. This is my command " . Rama was

pleased and said that he knew of this fact but he wanted to prove to

the world and that was why he kept mum when she entered fire. " Now

that the entire world has come to know of her glory, I am privileged

to accept her back " So, saying, he invited her to come near him.

(121)

 

 

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 52 - SLOKAM 20 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahAS deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 52, Slokam 20 Part 2,

tiruvAimozhi 1.9, pASuram 1.9.3, 1.9.4.

 

pASuram 1.9.3:

 

arugal il Aya perum SIr amarargaL Adi mudalvan

karugiya nIla nan mEni vaNNan SentAmaraik kaNNan

poru SiRaip puL uvandu ERum pU magaLAr tanik kELvan

oru gati in Suvai tandiTTu ozhivilan ennODu uDanE.

 

arugal il, Aya perum SIr, amarargaL Adi mudalvan, karugiya nIla nan

mEni vaNNan, sen tAmaraik kaNNan, poru SiRaip puL uvandu ERum, pU

magaLAr tanik kELvan, oru gati in Suvai tandiTTu ozhivu ilan, ennODu

uDan - bhagavAn who is devoid of any deficiencies whatsoever, is

endowed with all auspicious qualities, is the Cause and the Lord of

all the deva-s, has the beautiful dark complexion that shines

brilliantly like the precious stones, has beautiful lotus-like red

eyes, rides the garuDan for His leelA, and is the Consort of mahA

lakshmI, prefers to be with me constantly instead of giving me just

one type of joy (such as the one He gives to yaSodA only, or to

garuDan only, etc.,) by His appearance and then going away. He

wants to give me all the above joys, and instead of climbing on His

garuDan with pirATTi and going away, He looks for a way to climb on

to me instead, like He climbs on to YaSodA's waist.

 

One may note that many anubhavam-s about emperumAn are referred to

in this pASuram by AzhvAr. Since bhagavAn gives the enjoyment of

Himself to the devotee in gradual steps, this pASuram is to be

understood as the intermediate stage between bhagavAn being in the

close vicinity of AzhvAr, and His trying to unite with AzhvAr's body

like child kRshNa climbing on to yaSodA's waist. He is just looking

for the best way to get on to AzhvAr's tirumEni like a child. It

denotes bhagavAn's samSlesha prayatnam - His attempt to unite with

AzhvAr.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the aspect of AzhvAr's anubhavam of uniting

with emperumAn sung in this pASuram with the words 'sva-viraha

vidhuram' - ozhivilan ennODu uDanE - He who will not move away from

me. Sri UV prefers the pATham 'sva-viraha-vimukham'. The meaning

as best as I can give, is: sva - His own, viraha - separation,

vimukham - ignoring; or vidhuram - a more intense form of ignoring,

such as spurning. Thus, the meaning is that bhagavAn hangs on to

the vicinity of AzhvAr, trying to get on to His waist like Child

KRshNa climbing on to YaSodA's waist, ignoring all these other joys

such as riding on garuDan, being with pirATTi, etc.

 

Commentators have given explanations such as : 'mayA saha eva

vartata iti arthah' - the meaning is that He wants to me only with

me; ennODuDanE irukkiRan - He is with me, without leaving me, etc.

In his commentary for this pASuram, SrI PBA comments that bhagavAn

does not leave AzhvAr, giving the impression that He administers His

nitya vibhUti in SrI vaikuNTham right from AzhvAr's side itself.

 

SrI UV's comment is: " garuDanum periya pirATTiyum arugil iruppadaik

kaNDum avargaLODu kalakkak kOri ennai viDuginRavanAgavillai " -

'Though garuDan and periya pirATTI are near Him, He does not want

to leave my vicinity and go and mingle with them instead.' - sva-

viraha-vimukham.

 

vimukham - with the face turned away from; opposed, disinclined;

vidhura - distressed, troubled, overwhelmed with grief, afflicted.

 

pASuram 1.9.4:

 

uDan amar kAdal magaLir tirumagaL maN magaL Ayar

maDa magaL enRu ivai mUvar, ALum ulagum mUnRE

uDan avai okka vizhu'ngi Alilaic cErndavan en ammAn

kaDal mali mAyap perumAn kaNNan en okkalaiyAnE.

 

KaNNan en okkalaiyAn - (okkal, okkalai - hip). KaNNan has climbed

on to AzhvAr's waist, like He gets on to yaSodA's waist. The same

KaNNan who has periya pirATTi, bhUdevi and nappinnai seated with

Him, the One who rules over all the three worlds, the One who

swallows all the three worlds at the same time at the time of

pralaya and then reclines on a banyan leaf, my own Lord, and One

whose leelA-s are beyond comprehension and deeper and broader than

the oceans - He has now climbed on to my waist. It is one of His

many leelA-s, that He has now made me His mother and He has become

my child.

 

svAmi deSikan describes AzhvAr's anubhavam in this pASuram with the

words 'Dimbhavat pArSva lInam' - (dimbhah - a small child; pArSva -

on the side; lInam - climbing) - KaNNan en okkalaaiyAnE. BhagavAn

is giving the experience as Mother YaSodA to AzhvAr, by getting on

to his waist in the form of Child KaNNan.

 

BhagavAn gives the experience of Himself to His devotees according

to their levels of accomplishment. He explained the extent of His

vibhUti to arjuna, and when arjuna assimilated that and wanted to

actually see bhagavAn in all His extensions, bhagavAn gave him the

divine vision and then manifested His viSva rUpam.In AzhvAr's case,

He goes beyond that, and gives AzhvAr the actual physical experience

of Himself step by step, starting as Child KaNNan.

 

pASuram 1.9.5:

 

okkalai vaittu mulaip pAl uN enRu tandiDa vA'ngi

Sekka'nceka enRu avaL pAl uyir Sega uNDa emperumAn

nakka pirAnODu ayanum indiranum mudalAga

okkavum tORRiya ISan mAyan en ne'njil uLAnE.

 

en ne'njil uLAnE - BhagavAn is now in my chest - The same emperumAn

who sucked the life out of demoness pUtanA with His beautiful red

lips when she tried to feed Him poisoned milk from her breasts, and

the same One who created rudra, brahmA, indra and the other

principal gods and is their Supreme Lord, is now in my chest. SrI

UV notes - 'agakillEn iRaiyum enRu alarmEl ma'ngai uRai mArbA' - now

bhagavAn is residing in AzhvAr's vaksham - chest, just as pirATTi is

residing in His vaksha sthalam.

 

svAmi deSikan describes AzhvAr's union with bhagavAn in this pASuram

with the words 'citte klRpta praveSam', according to most pATham-s.

The meaning is " He who has successfully entered into the

heart " . 'ne'nju' normally means 'mind, thought', etc. However,

since AzhvAr is describing his external union with perumAL in these

pASuram-s, the word is interpreted as 'chest' by AcArya-s.

 

SrI UV suggests the alternate pATham 'citta sthAna pravishTam' - He

who has entered the 'place' of the heart - namely, the chest.

(ne'nju - mind, heart, chest) - en ne'njil uLAnE.

 

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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