Srimad Ramayana Tatva Deepika#74 (Ba:la Ka:nda)

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Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha!

Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!!

 

In a ka:vyam just sweetness in writing is not enough. There should be

dignity in addition to the sweetness in a Ka:vya. ‘Soundarya darSanam’

is essential. Enjoying the ‘soundaryam’ along with experiencing the

inner hidden happiness is equally essential. Unless the outer cover is

removed the inner happiness will not come to experience. When a lion

roars in a jungle, frightened by that sound, the ‘mriga:s’ breathe their

last. The body reaches its end. In a ka:vya, the concealed secret

meaning called ‘dhvani’ (sound), makes us enjoy the hidden joy of the

outer prakrithi.

 

Now the lion called Valmiki roared. The notes of that roar, that is the

meaning called ‘dhvani’ enunciates ‘a:thmathathvam’ and the

‘Parathathvam’ and makes us experince the joy. This is the secret of Sri

Ramayana. Outwardly this is the narration of Sri Rama’s story. This is

Sita and Rama’s story. There is sweetness in the ‘Sabda:s’ and

‘artha:s’; there is dignity and naturalness in the feelings, in the

thinking, in the descriptions. There is expertise in the delineation of

characters. The similies attract us. The ‘guna:s’ captivate us. All this

is outer experience. There are morals and dharmas explained here. They

teach the mankind the right behavior in the society and correct them.

Till here, this is the external benefit of a kavya.

 

The ‘inner-rasa’ makes one forget oneself and experience the eternal

bliss. This is the inner benefit of kavya. These two are achieved by Sri

Ramayanam. This is the a:di ka:vya; Valmiki is the a:di kavi. This

Ramayanam is the ni:ti sa:stra, dharma sa:stra and mantra sa:stra. It is

a great tool to eliminate the ‘unwanted’ and achieve the ‘wanted’. This

is the philosophical writing that gives the a:tma vidya as expounded by

Upanishads. Hence all those meanings are proved in the first sloka. In

this, the whole story of Ramayana is briefly suggested, in those words.

 

(In the next posting)

Jai srimannarayana!

Ramanujamma Mudumbai, Ramanuja Dasi