SRI RANGA SRI e- JOURNAL - VOL.09 / ISSUE # 23 dated 2nd April 2008

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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 # 23 dated 2nd April 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 13 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 53- SLOKAM 20- Part 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 286 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

23 Issues of Vol. 9 (including this)

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1. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 13 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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63. RAMA MEETS WITH DASARATHA

Dasaratha descended from the high Heavens and appeared before Rama.

He narrated how he learned about all the happenings from the time of

his casting off his mortal coils to the moment of his meeting with

Rama now. Rama requested him that he should not be unhappy with

KaikEyi and Bharata anymore since they were instrumental in the

fulfillment of his " Avataara kaaryam " . Dasaratha agreed and went

back to Indra lOkam (122).

 

64. THE CELESTIALS BLESS RAMA

The celestials descended from the Heavens and praised Rama as God

but he replied " I regard myself as a mere human being. I am Rama,

the son of Dasaratha " (120). Indra blessed that all the monkeys that

had died fighting on behalf of Rama would be back alive (123).

 

65. VIBHEESHANA'S REQUEST TO HONOR RAMA

Rama declined VibheesahaNa's request to stay in Lanka as he was

anxious to go back and meet with Bharata who would be awaiting his

arrival at AyOdhya and if he delayed his return, Bharata might

immolate himself. (124)

 

66. ON THE BOARD OF PUSHPAKA VIMAANAM

As desired by Vaanaras and Raakshasas, Rama asked all of them to

board the " Pushpaka Vimaanam " to go back to AyOdhya (125). On the

way, Rama showed Sita all the places he had traversed in searching

for her(126).

 

67. SOJOURN AT BHARADWAAJA ASHRAMAM

On completion of 14 years of exile, they arrived at the Ashramam of

Sage Bhara-dwaaja on Chitrai month Panchami Tithi and offered their

obeisance to the sage. The Sage gave a hefty feast to Rama's

entourage. Rama sent Hanumaan to convey the news of his arrival to

Bharata. Just at that moment, Bharata had completed his 3rd Pra-

dakshNam of the fire and was about to jump into the fire when

Hanumaan arrived at the nick of time and conveyed the good news

(128). Hanumaan narrated all that happened, how Rama killed Ravana

in war and retrieved Sita. He told Bharata that Rama was in

Bharadwaaja Ashramam and was expected to arrive any moment. Rama did

arrive on time. On the ShashTi day, he entered Nandigraamam,

removing his matted hairs. It was a family reunion of all the four

brothers who were overwhelmed with joy of reunion (129, 130).

 

68. RAMA PROSTRATES FIRST TO KAIKEYI

Rama prostrated first to KaikEyi first even before his Guru, his

mother Kousalya and Sumitra - thus indicating his gratitude to her

for facilitating the successful completion of his " Avataara Kaaryam "

namely " Ravana Samhaaram " But for her sending him to the forest this

would not have been possible! Kamban:

 

kaikayan tanai yai mundhak kaal urap paNithu matrai

Moi kuzhal iruvar taaLum muramaiyin vaNangu sekaNN

Aiyanai malargaL taamum anbura thazhuvi thum thum

Seiyya taamaraik kaNeeraal manjana thozhilum seidaar

(Meetchi PaTalam 4217)

 

69. SRI RAMA ACCEPTS BHARATA'S REQUEST

Rama sent back Pushpaka Vimaanam to KubEra and waited outside at

Nandigramam because he wished to enter AyOdhya only after securing

the permission of Bharata, the virtual ruler. Bharata came running

and with his palms cupped up over his head in supplication, welcomed

Rama and requested him to take over the kingdom saying

- " How could a small and weak calf (himself) drag a heavy

vehicle that could be drawn only by a mighty bull (Rama)?

- How could the walk of a donkey (himself) be compared with

the majestic trot of a royal equine (Rama)?

- How can the lowly crow (himself) be compared with the grace

of the beautiful swan (Rama)?

- Our father did intense yaagas, begot you after 60, 000 years

and doted on your succeeding him on the throne. Make his wish come

true " .

Rama accepted Bharata's request.

 

70. ARRANGEMENTS FOR CORONATION

Satrughna arranged for the ceremonial shaving for the four brothers,

had them take holy bath and decorate them with fragrant garlands

etc. Sumantra brought the chariot drawn by high bred horses. They

boarded the chariot along with Sugreeva, VibheeshaNa and Hanumaan.

As desired by Satrughna, Sugreeva deputed four monkey heroes to all

the four directions to bring holy waters from 500 rivers flowing in

different parts of the country. SushENa, Rishaba, Gavaya and NaLa

brought waters from the Oceans on the East, South, West and North

respectively. All arrived right on time as the Sun rose in the East.

 

 

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 53 - SLOKAM 20 -PART 3

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 53, Slokam 20 Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 1.9, pASuram-s 1.9.6 to 1.9.8.

 

• pASuram 1.9.6:

 

mAyan en ne'njil uLLAn maRRum yavarkkum ahdE

kAyamum Seevanum tAnE kAlum eriyum avanE

SEyan aNiyan yavarkkum Sindaikkum gocaram allan

tUyan tuyakkan mayakkan ennuDait tOLiNaiyAnE.

 

ennuDait tOLiNaiyAnE - He got on to my shoulders, just as He is

seated on His garuDan. He who is both my body and my soul, He who

is Himself the five great elements - air, fire, etc., He who is

readily accessible to the devotee and at the same time beyond the

remotest comprehension of the non-devotee, He who is bent upon

being together with those who have surrendered to Him and therefore

has made my mind long after Him - He has now occupied my two

shoulders. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

svAmi deSikan captures AzhvAr's anubhavam of bhagavad samSlesham -

union with emperumAn, in this pASuram through the words 'bhuja

Sikhara gatam' - He has climbed on to the top of my shoulders -

enneDait tOLiNaiyAnE - as He is seated on garuDan.

 

Just as we want to have physical contact with the object of our

liking, bhagavAn is having physical contact with His devotee whom He

likes immensel.y. tUyan - He who does not have any other objective

except to be united with His devotee; tuyakkan - He who keeps

always stirring up the mind of the devotee by showing His kalyANa

guNa-s; mayakkan - He who mesmerizes the devotee through happiness

of thoughts of Him. mAyan - He who is full of wondrous acts such as

these; mAyan en ne'njin uLLAn - He who is on my chest; ennuDait

tOLiNaiyAnE - has now climbed on to my shoulders; maRRum yavarkkum

ahdE - AzhvAr exclaims: Has anyone else had this wonderful union

with emperumAn!

 

• pASuram 1.9.7:

 

tOLiNai mElum nan mArbin mElum SuDar muDi mElum

tALiNai mElum punainda taNNan tuzhAi uDai ammAn

kELiNai onRum ilAdAn kiLarum SuDar oLi mUrti

nAL aNaindu onRum agalAn ennuDai nAvil uLAnE.

 

ennuDai nAvil uLAnE - He is in my tongue - bhagavAn who wears the

cool and fragrant tulasI garlands on His broad shoulders, on His

vaksha sthalam - chest, on His head and on His feet, has no equal to

Him in any sense, and has the tirumEni that radiates incomparable

effulgence, will never leave me once He has mingled with me, and is

permanently seated in my tongue.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the gist of this pASuram with the

words 'tALu simhAsanastham' - He who is seated on my tongue as His

simhAsanam. tALu means jaw or tongue. SrI UV notes that the

meaning is like that of 'cAru jihvAsanastham' - cAru - beautiful,

jihvA - tongue, Asanastham - seated. The word 'Asana' indicates

that He is physically seated; it does not refer to His being the

antaryAmi of vAk or speech, which is true in also. Here it means

that bhagavAn tok a seat in the tongue that sings His praise

superbly. His physical presence is what is sung here - bhagavAn is

aghaTita ghaTanA sAmarthyan. He is seated with tirut-tuzhAi -

tulasi decorating His broad shoulders, His chest, His head and His

Feet - shoulders with which He embraces AzhvAr, chest on which

pirATTi who makes Him embrace the devotee is seated (in Her role of

purushakArattvam), on His crown which shows His Seshittvam or

Lordship over all, and on His feet where the devotee surrenders and

which reinforces His supreme Lordship. This order is also as if a

hero garlands his weapons first, then his wife, then himself, and

then the servant is given the garland. BhagavAn decorates Himself

with the tulasI garlands as AzhvAr sings of Him, and is seated in

his tongue now, with the determination that He won't be separated

from AzhvAr.

 

Just as the nAyakan decorates himself attractively when he comes to

see his nAyaki, bhagavAn is enhancing Hin natural beauty with tulasI

garlands decorating all parts of His tirumEni and comes to AzhvAr.

SrI PBA comments that since AzhvAr keeps repeatedly referring

to 'taNNam tuzhAi' when he sings about perumAL in tiruviruttam, He

decided to come to AzhvAr fully decorated with taNNam tuzhAi.

 

• pASuram 1.9.8:

 

nAvinUL ninRu malarum j~nAnak kalaigaLukkellAm

Aviyum Akkaiyum tAnE aLippODu azhippavan tAnE

pUviyal nal taDam tOLan poru paDai Azhi Sa'ngEndum

kAvi nan mEni kamalak kaNNan en kaNNil uLAnE.

 

en kaNNil uLAnE - He has now occupied my eyes - the same emperumAn

who is the body and soul - words as well as their meanings - of all

the arts that originate in the tongue, is both the origin and

destruction of all of these, is soft like the gentle flowers, has

the four broad shoulders that bear the conch and the discus, has

the beautiful dark-complexioned tirumEni, and has the beautiful

lotus-like reddish eyes, is now seated inside my eyes.

 

svAmi deSikan describes AzhvAr's samSlesha anubhavam -

experience of union with bhagavAn, with the words ' cakshur-madhye

nivishTam' - He who is seated in the center of the eye (nivishTa -

seated, encamped). SrI UV notes that BhagavAn is seated inside

AzhvAr's delicate eyes with a soft tirumEni, with all His weapons

etc.

 

SrI UV stresses that the meaning here is NOT that bhagavAn is

SEEN by AzhvAr with his eyes - He is physically seated in AzhvAr's

eyes - another level of physical union with His devotee, and this He

does because there is nothing that He cannot do.

 

ARAyirappaDi vyAkhyAnam is " en kaNNukkuLLE pugundu aruLinAn " -

He blessed me by entering my eyes. SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan

says in his word- for-word meaning for this pASuram - 'ennuDaiya

cakshussukkuLLE pugundAn' - He entered into my eyes; cakshur-

vishayamAnAn ennavumAm " . Thus, both interpretations are

given: 'He entered my eyes', and 'He became the object of my eyes'.

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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