Srimath RaamAyaNam : Sundara KaaNDam , First day of Navaaham: Some reflections

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs : With the proper AarAdhanam ,

the 375 slOkams assigned for the first day

was recited this morning . As Sriman Anbil Raamaswamy

pointed out,the first sargam is one of the longest

and consists of 210 slOkams . The paarAyaNa sampradhAyam

is to recite the first five chapters today :

 

Sargam 1: Saagara Langhanam /Jumping over the Ocean

by HanumAn

Sargam 2: LankA pravEsa/Entry in to LankA City

Sargam 3: LankAdhidEvathA vijaya/Conquest over

the Woman (LankA Devi ), the protector

of the City

Sargam 4: LankApuri ParibrahamNam/Roaming around

the city of LankA by HanumAn

Sargam 5: Bhavana Vijaya/Searching for SitA Devi

in the houses of LankA by HanumAn .

 

We have a total of 2,813 verses in the Sundara

KaaNDam housed in 68 sargams(Chapters). Thus we

have another 2438 SlOkams to recite in the remaining

eight days until Sri Raama Navami day ( April 12,2000).

 

Srimath RaamAyaNam was composed by the Adhi Kavi

VaalmIki and has 24,000 slOkams . He taught it to

Lava and Kusa in his hermitage so that they can

sing it in front of their father , Sri RaamachandrA .

It took Lava and KusA 32 days to sing the entire

Srimath RaamAyaNam in the hall , where Lord RaamA

was performing AsvamEdha Yaagam . On the 16th day,

Lava and Kusa completed the singing up to KishkindA KaaNdam

and started singing the first three sargams of Sundara

KaaNDam (the beautiful section) and continued

on with the rest of Sundara KaaNDam, Yuddha

KaaNDam and the Utthara KaaNDam during the remainig

16 days at the court of RaamA .

 

One of the traditional verses explains why this

KaaNDam is named Sundara KaaNDam :

 

Sundare Sundaree LankA Sundare Sundaree kathA

Sundare Sundaree SeethA Sundare kim na Sundaram ?

 

(Meaning ): In the Sundara KaaNDam , LankA is

beautiful, the story of AnjanEyar crossing

the ocean and finding SethA is beautiful,

SeethA PirAtti Herself is beautiful. Is there

any thing that is not beautiful in Sundara KaaNDam ?

No .Every thing is beautiful in Sundara KaaNDam .

 

The auspicious message that Hanumaan brought

from his visit to LankA to gladden the heart

of Sri Raamachandran forms the core of this

Sundara KaaNDam :

 

Sundare Sundareem SeethAm akshatAm MaaruthEr mukhAth

srutvaa Hrushtas tataivaastu sa Raama: satatam hridhi

 

(Meaning):In Sundara KaaNDam , Lord RaamA became

joyous on hearing about the safe existence of

His beautiful wife in LankA .May that happy

RaamachandrA stay always in my heart !

 

The architectonics of Sundara KaaNDam is as follows:

 

1. The Feat of HanumAn jumping over the Ocean

to reach LankA ( Chapter 1)

2. The Beauty of LankA as a city , HaunmAn's

victory over the LankA's guardian ,search for SeethA

everywhere , description of RaavaNA's palace,

dejection on seeing the suffering SeethA at AshOka

Vanam (Chapters 2-15)

3. HanumAn witnessing the mistreatment of SeethA

by Her guards and RaavaNA, SeethA's attempt to

committ suicide , the signs of good omens

for SeethA PirAtti ( Chapters 16-29)

4. HanumAn's heroic deeds in LankA (Chapters 41-55)

5. HanumAn's triumphant return from LankA after

conversing with SeethA and consoling Her and

his discussions with the VaanarAs on ground

about his viist to LankA(Chapters 56-64)

6. Briefing RaamA about the safe existence of SeethA

PirAtti in LankA by HanUmAn and the narration of

the other details related to his visit to LankA

(Chapters 65-68).

 

We will enjoy the rest of Sundara KaaNDam

paarAyaNam in the coming eight days leading upto

Sri Raama Navami.

 

Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

P.S: As an update on your responses to adiyEn's

appeal for support for the two Kaimkaryams , it

is my pleasure to let you Know that 31 BhakthAs

have come forward to pledge $3,885 of the needed

$5,500 .We have to raise another $1,615 . Sixteen

more BhakthAs contributing $100 each will put us

over the top . Those , who have pledged are also

requested to send their checks to adiyEn or

Dr.M.A.Alwar at your earliest convenience

before the day of Sri Raama Navami( April 12)

to get the Kaimkaryams started .

Our addresses are:

 

V.Sadagopan , Dr.M.A.Alwar

Apt 6B-1, Scarborough Manor, 142(Upstairs) College Road

Scarborough , NY 10510 KR Mohalla

Mysore 570024

Karnataka State

 

Thanks to you all for your valued participation

in these two Kaimkaryams

V.Sadagopan

http://www.geocities.com/irscd