thaaraa's praise of raama 5

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post 5

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

Putting back the cart on its original track, let us

resume thaaraa's praise of sree raama. While introducing about raama

to vaali [before he started the 2nd bout of fight with

sugreeva,] thaaraa says

ayOdhya adhipathEh

puthrou Soorou samara dhurjayou |

ikshvaakooNaam kulE jaathou prathhithou raama

lakshmaNou || 4-15-17

sugreeva priya kaamaartham praapthou thathra

dhuraasadhou |

sa thE bhraathur hi vikhyaathah sahaayO raNa karmaNi

|| 4-15-18

raamah para balamardhee yugaantha agnih iva

uththhithah |

[as usual 4 here is kishkindha kaandam, 15 is sargam

number, 17 to 18 are slokam numbers]

we saw points on raama

being a 'raNa karmani vikhyaatha' in the post 3. Now continuing

further,

point 7: raamah

para bala mardhee – raama shatters the strength of his enemies

actually vaali has the

boon that whenever somebody comes in front of him, half of the other

person's strength is transfered to vaali. But here thaara says

'raamah para bala mardhee'. Is it by his attractive roopam ? Or by

his strength of bow and arrows?

Except with the khara

dhooshaNa vadham [connected 14000 raakshasaas] incident, raama has

not yet shown his skill at the bow in the forests. And perhaps

thaaraa received complete news about raama's 'young lad' [oons

shOdasa varshO] days of accompanying sage visvaamithra and

of eliminating

thaatakaa,

killing subhaahu,

maareecha pushing

[and later his killing which caused abduction of seethaa] etc.

 

 

 

In SVSN there is a naamam 'sam pramardhanah' naamam

233rd – but the meaning given is 'remover of ignorance'

– but what we are talking is about removing the balam – strength.

So both are in different context.

Point 8: next

praise is 'yuga antha agni' – yes – raama's action of eliminating

almost all raakshasaas later, and already 14000 plus till vaali

vadham is like an avathaaram for a mass elimination process – or

mass killing of raakshasaas. Yes, that is the purpose of this raama

avathaaram. So what a n amount of clarity and cleverness in thaaraa's

words. Thaaraa said it right in all its senses.

 

 

Continuing, next 3 slokams of thaaraa to vaali are something great

– let us take one by one -

nivaasa vrikshah saadhoonaam aapannaanaam paraangathih |

4-15-19aarthaanaam samshrayah chaiva yaSasah cha Eka bhaajanam |

jnaana vijnaana sampannO nidhEshO nirathah pithuh ||

4-15-20dhaathoonaam iva SailEndhrO guNaanaam aakarO mahaan |

thath kshamO na virOdhah thE saha thEna mahaathmanaa ||

4-15-21dhurjayEna apramEyENa raameNa raNa karmasu |

meaning: [of 3 slokams combined] Raama, is said to

be the

habitable tree for the polite,

ultimate course for the woebegone,

hospice for the agonised,

only abode for grace.

 

is endowed with knowledge of mundane and

ultra-mundane things,

always abides in the directives of his father,

and

as with Mt. Himalayas for all natural elements,

he is the greatest mine of merits.

By that reason, with that unconquerable one in

conflict,

an imponderable one and

a great-soul Raama,

your enmity is

inapposite.”

 

Point 9: On

the calling “nivaasa vrikshah' sri govindaraja says –

 

svach chhaayaa

apEkshiNaam anukoolaanaam nivaasa vrikshah ||

yathhaa vrukshah

prathhamam thaapam apahruthya pushpa phala pradhaana aadhinaa sarva

indhriya tharpaNah nivaasa ithi visEshENa kadhaachith kachchhaayaka

tharu vyaavruththih –

vaasudhEva tharuch

chhaayaa na athi Seethaa na gharma dhaa ||

naraka aangaara

Samanee saa kim arthham na sEvyathE || - ithi

ukthavaath

 

meaning: nivaasa vR^iksha a habitable tree;

if it be asked why raama is compared with a tree, then it is said

that tree requires no formalities like 'may I come in...' or 'rights

of admission reserved...' etc., as with any other house or

habitation, for taking shelter or making a hold of its shade. A tree

first gives its shade to the traveller who comes under it or seeks it

and then affords its fruits or flowers satisfying the basic needs of

that visitor. So also raama is such a tree that protects and

nourishes, should anybody seek his grace.

Further, 'vaasudhEva' is said as a tree that gives

shade which is neither too cool nor hot [so comfortable] - he also

equalises or saves from being roasted on coal fire in the hell.

So no wonder that vaasudhEva or raama is called

'nivaasa vriksha' – a habitable tree. let us continue with more in next.

dhasanVasudevan MG