Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam Special: Part 192/Sundara KahANDam/2004 SrI Raama Navami Series :Second Posting .

[Guest guest]

SrI Raama Jayam

 

 

SrI Raamachandra : Sritha-PaarijAtha:

Samastha KalyANaguNAmBhurAsi:

SeethA-mukhAmbhOruha-sanjareeka:

nirntharam MangaLam aatanOthu

 

May Lord Raamachandra , who is the wish-granting PaarijAtha

tree to all those who seek His refuge , who is the abode of all

auspicious guNAs and who is the bee circling the lotus (face) of

SithA PirAtti shower forever all MangaLams on us !

 

AapadhAm apaharthAram dhAthAram Sarva-sampadhAm

lOkAbhirAmama SrIraamam bhUyO bhUyO namAmyaham

 

I bow (prostrate) again and again before SrI Raamachandra ,

who enchants all and who chases away all dangers and obstacles

besides conferring all soubhAgyams .

 

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

Adhi Kavi VaalmIki composed SrImadh RaamAyaNam in the form of 24, 000

verses (slOkams). These slOkams are housed in individual cantos (SargAs).

The Six individual cantos (KaaNDams) house the sargAs . Sundara KaaNDam

is one of the six KaaNDams and means the beautiful KaaNDam ( the book of

Beauty ) .

 

The individual KaaNDams have been compared to the internodes of a sugarcane

branch . Let us immerse ourselves in the joy of tasting them during these sacred

days leading up to SrI Raama navami !

 

RaamAyaNam means the journey (aayanam ) of SrI Raamachandran . This ithihAsam

which feautres prominently SithA Devi's journey with Her Lord has been more appropriately

saluted as "SithAyaNam " instead. SithA PirAtti and HanumAn are the central

characters in the Sundara KaaNDam.

 

Let us offer our prayers to HanumAn (AanjanEyar , Raama dhUthar, VaathAthmajar ,

Maaruthi ) first and invoke Him to listen to Raama nAma sankeerthanam through

the Six slOkams dedicated to Him :

 

gOshpadhee-kruthavArAsim masakeekrutha raakshasam

RaamAyaNa-mahAmAlA-rrathnam vandhE anilAthmajam---(1)

 

Salutations to the son of Vaayu , AnjanEyaa , who made the ocean

look in depth like the hoof print of a cow ;He pulverized the offending

RaakshasAs of RaavaNA's camp! Our deep anjalis are to that supreme

gem in the grand necklace of RaamAyaNam !

 

AnjanAndham veeram Jaanakee sOkanAsanam

kapeesam AkshahanthAram vandhE lankhA-bhayankaram---(2)

 

Our salutations to that great hero , who banished the sorrows of

Jaanakee Devi ! He is the generator of joy to His mother AnjanA

dEvi and is the Lord of all monkeys . Our slautations to that terror

of Lankaa , who killed AkshakumAran , the son of RaavaNan.

 

ullangya sindhO: salilam saleelam ya: sOkavahnim JanakAthmajAyA:

aadhAya tEnaiva dadhAha LankAm namAmi Tamm prAnjalirAnjanEyam--(3)

 

Our anjalis to AnjanEyar , who jumped over the broad ocean

as an effortless sport and burnt the city of LankA to ashes with

the fire of sorrow of Jaanaki MaathA !

 

AanjanEyam athipADalAnanam kAnchanAdhri-kamaneeya-vigraham

PaarijAtha-tarumoola-vaasinam bhavayAmi PavamAna-nandhanam...(4)

 

I meditate on AnjanEyar , the bringer of joy to His father , Vaayu BhagavAn .

He has an intense facial hue resembling that of a PaaDali flower and

has His residence under the divine wish-granting tree of PaarijAtham .

In size and lustre , He is like a golden mountain personified .

 

Yathra Yathra RaghunATa keertthanam tathra tethra krutha masthAnjalim

BhAshpavaari-paripoorNa-lOchanam Maaruthim namatha RaakshasAnthakam ..(5)

 

Wherever there is the recitation /singing of the story of Raamaa , there is

HanUmAn with folded palms and bent head with eyes brimming with tears

of joy . Salutations to that destroyer of RaakshasAs , Maaruthi !

 

manOjavam mArutha-tulya-vEgam jithEndhriyam bhuddhimathAm varishtam

VaathAthmajam Vaanara-yooTa-mukhyam SrIraama-dhUtham sirasA namAmi..(6)

 

I bow with bent head , the son of Vaayu BhagavAn who is the carrier of

the message of SrI Raamachandran to RaavaaNa's court . He is the prominent

one among the assembly of monkey chieftains .He is the leader among

the wise ones and has full control over His indhriyams . His speed is equal

to that of His father , Vaayu BhagavAn .

 

The First Two days of Sundara KaaNDa PaarAyaNam ( March 21-23)

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

Sargams 1-15 starting from HanUmAn's jump over the ocean upto

the Darsanam of SeethA PirAtti by AnjanEyar are the focus of

the first two days of NavAha ParAyaNam .

 

SrImAn D. Hanumantha Rao and SrImAn K.M.K.Murthy are creating

the transcriptions and translations of the individual slOkams of SrImad

RaamAyaNam since 1998. Their detailed work assisted by others continues .

With rspect to Sundara KaaNDam , they have covered 16 0ut of the 68

sargams (chapters) . You might recall that the nine day PaarAyaNam of

Sundara KaaNDam has the following sequence :

 

First day : Sargams 1-5

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

 

1. The leaping over the Ocean (Saagara Langhanam)

2. Entrance to Lankaa ( LankA pravEsa: )

3. Victory over Lankaa Devi ( LankAdhidEvathA vijaya: )

4. Roaming around the city of Lankaa ( LankApuree-paribrahamaNam)

5. Search for SeethA Devi in the houses of the citizens of Lankaa(Bhavana Vijaya: )

 

Second day: Sargams 6-15

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

6. Entry into RaavaNA's house ( RaavaNa Gruha PravEsa: )

7. The sight of Pushpaka VimAnam ( Pushpaka darsanam)

8. Description of Pushpaka VimAnam ( Pushpaka VarNanam )

9. Continued description of Pushpakam ( Pushpaka VarNanam)

10. Seeing of MandhOdhari (MandhOdhari darsanam)

11. Searching in the drinking hall ( Paana bhUmi vichaya: )

12. The sorrow of HanUmAn ( HanUmadh vishAdha:)

13. The agitation of HanUmAn ( HanUman-nirvEdha: )

14. Search in AsOka Vanam( AsOka-vanAnvEshaNam)

15. The sight of SeethA PirAtti ( SeethA Darsanam )

 

I recommend that you all read these excellent translations

for today and tomorrow's sections of the PaarAyaNam at the site :

 

http://www.Valmikiramayan.net

 

I will add my comments on the highlights of the first fifteen

sargams today and tomorrow and continue with the rest of

the sargams ( 16-68 and the PattAbhisEsha Sargam )

not translated yet by SrI Hanumantha Rao and others until

the Koil Raama Navami day , April 29, 2004.

 

This then is our prayer for this SrI Raama Navami season :

 

Vaalmeeki giri sambhUthA Raama-Saagara-gAminee

punAthu bhuvanam puNyaa RaamAyaNa MahAnadhee

 

May the great river of RaamAyaNam , which arose from the mountain

named Vaalmikee and travelling towards the ocean called Raamaa

drench the whole world with auspicousness !

 

RaamAya RaamabhadrAya RaamachandrAya vEdhasE

RaghunATAya NaaTAya SeethAyA: PathayE nama:

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Raama DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan