ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam :Part XXI/SrI Raama Navami series for ChithrabhAnu Year: Abhaya PradhAna Saaram : II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear SrI Raama BhakthAs:

 

The First of the ten chapters of Abhaya PradhAna Saaram (ABS)

is " Prabhandha AvathAram " or the birth of the Prabhandham

dedicated to instruct us on the Saaram (essence)Abhaya PradhAnam

( Granting of Freedom from Fear ). Bhayam or Bheethi is the fear

and Abhayam is the freedom from that fear . What is this Bhayam ?

Swamy Desikan has dealt in detail what this Bhayam is and who

is the One that chases away this fear and grants freedom from

these fears . Let us reflect on these passages from SrI Abheethi

Sthavam, where the prayer is to the Uthsava Moorthy of

SrI RanganAthan , who in our tradition is none other than

Lord Raamachandran .

 

Abhaya PradhAna Saaram is all about that Lord Raamabhadran

and His vratham to protect those , who seek His rakshaNam

through the act of SaraNAgathy .

 

AbhIthi Sthavam passages

*************************

The first slOkam of SrI Abheethi sthavam defines three

items right away and pays tribute to that MahA Purushan ,

ParandhAman , PurushOtthaman (RamaasakhamKimapi Maha:

adheemahE):

 

The one who destroys all fears on seeking His protection

in this world is saluted as " Iha yajjushAm abheethi: ).

 

The one who is filled with fear on abandonment by

the Lord is saluted as " iha yadh-avadheerithAnAm

Bhayam).

 

The Lord under whose command are those , who generate

fear and freedom from fear are referred to as " Jagadhi

Bhaya-abhaya vidhAyina: yannidEsE stiTA:). He is

the controller and ruler of all these forces

and the empowerer . They are all enabled by Him .

 

That Lord is the One , who uttered on the sea side

the famous abhya PradhAna vaakyam , which Swamy Desikan

paraphrases in the second slOkam of ABS :

 

" Sakruth praNatha RakshaNa praTitha Samvidha: "

 

Even those who sought His protection ONCE

( Sakruth praNatha ) , He protects without fail .

He has declared this as His vow publicly on

the sea side ( RakshaNa praTitha samvidha:)

so that no one has any confusion about His

praTij~nai.

 

This vow to protect those , who sought His protection

are of many kinds as they sink in the deep ocean

of SamsAram : Some are " mitha Buddhis " engaged in

the enjoyment of alpa sukham ( siRRinbham) of the world.

Some are deeply stuck in the mud of Ajn~Anam ( false

knowledge about Tatthva Thrayam). These are

" bahuLamOhabhAjA: " . They do not think about

the fruits of auspicious and inauspicious karmAs

and ( atarkika hitha-ahitha krama visEsha vrutthi: ).

 

They do not realize directly or through SadAchArya

Upadesam that SaraNAgathy to You will free them from

fear from all quarters and at all times ( Tasya kadAchana

kudascchana kvachana Bhayam na syAth). Such a bhAgyasAli,

who has performed SaraNAgathy at Your Sacred Feet does not

end up in narakam or become exposed to the influence of

the servants of Yama Dharaman , who is Your servant

( na tasya yama vasyathA narakapaatha bheethi: kutha: )

 

Oh Lord Raamachandra! For those , who wish to cross

the ocean of SamsAram ( thriguNa langhana udhyOgina:)

there are fearful times in which they slip from their

chosen path of seeking Moksham ( skhalath samaya kaatharee

anubhavantha:). At those times , You as the forever-alert

Lord about their protection (kaatharee haraNa jaagarUkan)

give Your hand as the One , who has vowed to rescue

them (kara-grahaNa DhIkshithan) from such calmities

and protect them without fail. For You , the rescuing of

those , who seek Your protection (praNatha rakshaNam) is

like the effort to protect Your own Self (SvarakshaNam

iva bhavathi).

 

Swamy reminds the Lord of His vow that He broadcast

over the noise of the waves of Raama Sethu in ABS

this way:

 

" sakruth prapadhana sprusAm ABHAYA DHAANA NITHYA VRATHEE "

 

One who has declared during RaamAvathAram that it is His

eternal vow to protect those , who sought His refuge

through the act of Prapatthi.

 

Swamy also reminds the Lord that He is afraid to reject

the SaraNAgathan independent of the magnitude of trespasses

the jeevan might have committed and salutes the Lord in this context

as " SaraNAgatha praNaya bhanga bheethan " . On seeking the refuge

of the Lord's sacred feet , they are freed from the three kinds

of FEARS and attain Moksham ( Bhavath padha SamAsrithA:

bhaya vimukthim aapu:). Abhayam is described as Bhaya Vimukthi

here. He gives the Abhaya PradhAnam and those object of His

infinite DayA , get Bhaya Vimukthi. The SaraNAgathan says :

" ayam bhara: Thvath paadhamoolE samarpitham " ( The responsibility of

my protection is placed at Your sacred feet) and the Lord,

who has been waiting to hear this plea takes over immediately

the act of protection that is sought. The Lord is the abode of

all auspicious attributes( Prakrushta guNakan) and with

His inviolable power burns away all the fears of the suffering

SamsAri once and for all. The object of such abundant mercy

(the PrapannAs) join the assembly of those , who perform

pallANDu for Him ( jitham tE Vaadhina:).They join the list of

PrapannAs like PrahlAdhan, Dhroupathi, GajEndhran ,

VibhIshaNan , the GopAs and the Gopis , AmbharIshan and

a host of others , who have recieved already abhaya PradhAnam

from our Lord .

 

This then is the message of Abhaya PradhAna Saaram ,

which we will study together during this puNya kaalam

of SrI Raama Navami season .

 

In the next posting , we will study the introductory

Sanskrit and Tamil slOkams placed at the very beginning

of this Prabhandham of Abhaya pradhAna Saaram.

 

SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan