ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam:Part 41/SrI Raama Navami: Abhaya PradhAna Saaram postings: Part 6

[Guest guest]

SRI RAAMA NAVAMI SUBHA DINAM

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

 

SrI:

 

Dear SrI Raama BhakthAs:

 

On this auspicious day , it will be useful to recap

the scope of the ten individual chapters of Swamy

Desikan's masterly upadesams on SaraNAgathy Saasthram

housed in his SrI Sookthi of " Abahya PradhAna Saaram " (APS).

So many gems relating to the SaraNAgathy Dharmam

are embedded here from the SaraNAgathy Vedam of

SrImad RaamAyaNam .

 

The references to the doctrines of SaraNAgathy

in this SrI Sookthi are so many that it will take years

to cover them all with justice ; hence , adiyEn will be

only choosing illustrative examples from Swamy Desikan's

marvellous SrI Sookthi of APS. adiyEn will return to

the coverage of the third chapter and references

therein to Sundara and Yuddha KaaNDam episodes

relating to SaraNAgathy Saasthram later .

 

NamO NamO RaaghavAya anisam ! NamO NamO Raghukula TilakAyA!

 

The extraordinary details that Swamy Desikan provided

to explain the perfection of VibhIshaNa SaraNAgathy

forms the heart of this SrI Sookthi of APS. let us start

with a overall architecture of this SrI Sookthi of APS .

There are TEN Chapters in APS .

 

Chapter 1: Prabhandha AvathAram

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

During TrEthA Yugam , SrIman NaarAyaNan incarnated

as the son of the King of AyOdhyA , DasaraTan. Once Brahma's

son , Sage Naaradha told the story of Raama " s avathAram

succinctly to VaalmIki. Brahma blessed VaalmIki thereafter

to have the power of flow of the divine nectar of poetry

to channel the flood of Bhakthi in the form of SrImad

RaamAyaNam. With the anugraham of Brahma Devan , VaalmIki

acquired the divine power of seeing the past in minute detail

and related to all the happenings during the Lord's

avathAram and described them clearly as if describing

a fruit resting in one's one's palm . Knowledge about

Lord Raamachandran's avathAra rahasyams are essential

to one, who seeks the fruits of Moksham.VaalmIki wanted

to reveal these rahasyams to the people of the world out of

his compassion for them. Thus arose SrImad RaamAyaNam.

 

This sacred history of the Lord is for helping people

to comprehend clearly the inner meanings of VedAs.

Those who have limited knowledge of VedAs are inclined

to miscomprehend and misintrepret the messages of

the eternal VedAs and the VedAs are afraid of these

people. Sage VaalmIki composed SrImad RaamAyaNam

to remove the fears of VedAs since a study of RaamAyaNa

will help them understand the true meanings of the VedAs.

It is said that when RaamAyaNam is placed in one scale of

a balance and the four VedAs in the other scale ,

the scale with RaamAyaNam stayed down indicating

the loftiness of RaamAyaNam over the VedAs.

 

VaalmIki needed capable students to learn RaamAyaNa

and its meanings from him . The children of Raama ,

Kusa and Lavaa , arrived at the hermitage of Vaalmiki

at that time and became the most fititng students

to learn and propagate the messages (avathAra rahasyams)

of this dhivya Charithram about their Divine Parents.

 

Chapter 2: Para Tatthva NirNayam

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

This chapter settles cleary that SrIman NaarAyaNan ,

who incarnated as Raamachandran is the Supreme God.

SvEthasvatara Upanishad reveals two truths: (1)SrIman

NaarAyaNan is the Para Devathai and (2) SaraNAgathy performed

at His sacred feet leads to Moksham and freedom from

all fears.SrImad RaamAyaNam also establishes these

two important points.

 

Chapter 3: SaraNAgathy Taathparya Prapancham

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

This chapter explains the inner meanings of

SaraNAgathy or aathma nivEdhanam or self-surrender.

VedAs prescribe the performance of SaraNAgathy at

the sacred feet of the Supreme Being and RaamAyaNam

from beginning to end points out the importance of

SaraNAgathy by a jeevan.All the seven cantos of

SrImad RaamAyaNam house episodes of individual

SaraNAgathys and the inestimable benefits obtained by

the one , who used this upAyam (means )to gain

the rakshaNam(protection) by the Lord through

His blessings of Abahya PradhAnam (Freedom from

any kind of fear).

 

4. PrakaraNa Taathparya NirNayam

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

The establishment of the inner meanings of

VibhIshaNa SaraNAgathy and the sigificance of

the five angAs (parts) of his SaraNAgathy are

explained in this chapter. PrakaraNam means

the constituting Division of a whole object or

entity.Taathparyam refers to the meanings .

NirNayam means the establishment of the veracity .

Therefore PrakaraNa Taathparya nirNayam means

the establishment of the true meanings of

the various parts (angAs) of SaraNAgathy ,

the central subject of SrImad RaamAyaNam .

The true fruits (Phalan ) that VibhIshaNa

sought thru his SaraNAgathy is explained as

Raama Kaimkaryam and not the gaining of

the kingdom of his brother.

 

5.SaraNya Seela prakAsam

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

This chapter salutes the unparalleled auspicious

attributes of the SaraNAgatha Rakshakan , Raamachandran.

These guNams shine more in Vibhava SaraNAgathy than even in

the Para Satate at SrI Vaikuntam.Incidents from VibhIshaNa

SaraNagathy are used to illustrate the Lord's matchless guNams

in the context of His abhaya pradhAnam to this brother of RaavaNA.

 

6. SaraNya Vaibhava prakAsam

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

The superiority and glory of Raamachandran

as SaraNAgatha Rakshakan is celebrated in

this chapter. The unfailing power of the Lord

to grant abhaya pradhAnam and offer protection to

the SaraNAgathan is covered here once again in

the context of VibhIshaNa SaraNAgathy.

 

7.Parama Dharma NirNayam

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

This chapter establishes as to what is the Supreme

Dharmam to be observed.In the previous two chapters ,

the Lord's SvabhAvam (intrinsic nature)and Vaibhavam

(Glories) were celebrated. Here, it is established that

SaraNAgatha RakshaNam is the Supreme most important

Dharmam.

 

8.SaraNya Vratha Visesha PrakAsam

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

This chapter focuses on the superior vow undertaken

by the Rakshakan to protect the one , who sought his

refuge .VibhIshaNa SaraNAgathy incidents are chosen

again to illustrate this important aspect of the vow

taken by the Rakshakan(Lord RaamA) as SaraNAgatha Vrathee

( One who has taken the vow to grant abhaya pradhAnam

to a SaraNAgathan).

 

9.SaraNya-SaraNAgatha Sangama laabham

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

This chapter explains the phalans (fruits)resulting from

the union of the One who seeks protection (SaraNAgathan)

with the One who offers that protection as SaraNyan.

The glories of both are covered using VibhIshaNa

saraNAgathy episodes once again .

 

10.PrApthi PrakAra Prapancham

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

The way in which VibhIshaNan united with

Raamachandran(Sarva LOka SaraNyan)as

SaraNAgathan is celebrated here. The special

welcome of the Lord in His role as SaraNyan and

the reaction of the SaraNAgathan to that exhilirating

svAgatham(welcome) and VibhIshaNan's declaration

of his own sense of unfitness for such an honor

are covered furhter.The fruits of gaining

the blemishless nithya Kaimkaryam to the Lord

as a direct result of VibhIshaNA's SaraNAgathy

forms the concluding note of this SrI Sookthi ,

Abahya PradhAna Saaram .This is the Saaram of

the Lord grantign abhaya pradhAnam .This then

is the principal fruit arising from VibhIshaNa

SaraNAgathy.

 

adiyEn will take up the details covered in

the individual chapters later.

 

SrI SithA SamEtha Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan