Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam Special: Part 198/Sundara KahANDam/2004 SrI Raama Navami Series : 8th Day .

[Guest guest]

SrI Raama Jayam

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

53 rd Sargam: Puccha Dahanam( Setting fire to HanumAn's tail)

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RaavaNan accepts the counsel of VibhishaNan and cancels his

earlier command to kill HanumAn; instead , he orders the tail of

HanumAn to be set on fire and for HanumAn be taken around

the streets of LankA to ridicule Him and His efforts . He wanted to

perform anga viroopam ( maiming of the limb) to HanumAn as

punishment for daring to raise against him. HanumAn accepted

the tying of His tail with vasthrams , the pouring of the oil over

it and setting that tail on fire . SeethA Devi heard about this sad

news through the heckling raakshasis and was heart broken. She

prayed to Agni Bhagavaan not to harm HanumAn :

 

yadhyasthi pathi-sisrooshA yadhyasthi charitham tapa:

yadhi vaastEyakapathnithvam SeethO bhava HanUmatha:

---Sundara KaaNDam: 53.27

 

(Meaning): Oh Agni DevA ! If I had served my husband well

and if I possess pathivrathA dharamam and the penance done

for it , Please keep HanumAn's tail cool and do not cause

Him any harm !

 

Agni BhagavAn responded immediately and the fire on the tail

set by RavaNA's servants was like a cool light for HanumAn.

Vaayu BhagavAn blew further cool wind over the flames .HanumAn

used the opportunity of parade through the streets of LankA

to collect additional information about the defenses of LankA.

After that , HanumAn freed Himself from the burning rags bound

to His tail and used those flames to burn down LankA .

 

54th Sargam: LankA Dahanam ( Setting fire to RaavaNA's city )

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HanumAn now jumped from house to house with the fire on His tail

and used those flames to set fire to the houses of the sons of RaavaNan

and his servants . No one's houe was spared .DevAs praised the valour

of HanumAn , who in turn meditated upon His Lord , Raamachandran

and concluded that His mission was now completed.

 

55th Sargam: Hanumatha: ThrAsam: The fear of HanumAn

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HanumAn now quenched the fire by dipping His tail in the waters of

the ocean. He was suddenly worried about the consequences of

the fire that he had set on the city .He was alarmed over the thought that

the fire he set might have burnt SeethA PirAtti Herself .He was

mortified over that thought and condemned Himself for haste

and anger over His mind exhibiting the shortcomings of a monkey.

He began to imagine the impact of SeethA's death on SrI Raaman

and His brother , LakshmaNan.At this time , He heard the voices of

the spies of RaavaNa in the air extolling the wonder of the whole city

being burnt and yet SeethA PirAtti not being harmed by the fire .

HanumAn heaved a sigh of relief and decided to visit SeethA Devi

once more at AsOka Vanam.

 

56th Sargam : Jumping off (Samuthpatanam) from LankA

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HanumAn arrived before SeethA Devi at AsOka Vanam.

She was very happy and relieved to see HanumAn in the unharmed

state. She blessed HanumAn and wished Him a safe journey back

to Her husband's side with the message that Her husband arrives at

LankA and rescue Her as soon as possible.After the farewell , HanumAn

got to the top of a mountain named Arishtam and flattened it in His

efforts to get the momentum to jump back to Raama Sannidhi.

 

57th Sargam : Utthara theera PrApthi: ( Arrival at the northern shore)

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HanumAn roared with joy on His return journey over the ocean

and as He approached the northern shore , His garjanam was

heard by the waiting monkeys , who inferred from the joyous

roar of HanumAn that His mission was successful.The dear friends

of HanumAn waiting for Him on the MahEndhra mountain

were overjoyed by the sight of HanumAn and reunion with Him .

They prostrated before Him and offered fruits . Tersely , HanumAr

announced the Joyous news that He has seen SeethA PirAtti at LankA

( dhrushtA SeethEthi vikrAntha: SAMKSHEPENA nivEdayEth).

The assembled freinds of HanumAn were elated over the auspicious news.

HanumAn offered His salutations now to the elderly bear , JaambhavAn .

and Angadhan , the son of Vaali . Angadhan praised the unmatched valor

and strength of HanumAn in jumping over the vast ocean twice and returning

safely with the good news :

 

SatthvE VeeryE na tE kascchith samO Vaanara vidhyathE

yadhavapluthya vistheerNam sAgaram punarAgatha:

--Sundara KaaNDam : 57.44

 

Here Aadhi Kavi Valmeeki salutes Angadhan as " SreemAn "

for His bhakthi to Lord Raamachandran and reverence for

HanumAn for accomplishing His mission . Angadhan praised

HanumAn and said that RaamA's sorrows are going to be

banished soon :

 

ahO Swamini tE Bhakthi: ahO Veeryam ahO dhruthi:

dhishtyA dhrushtA ThvayA Devee Raamapathnee Yasasvinee

---Sundara KaaNDam: 57.46

 

(Meaning ) : Oh HanumAn ! What a great Bhakthi You display for

Lord RaamachandrA ! It is a marvel ! What valor you displayed

in this mission ! It is a wonder ! What unique courage You

showed in attacking RaavaNa's city ! Through the grace of God ,

You became fortunate to see with Your own eyes the Devi of

SrI Raaman with unassailed fame as the lofty Pathivrathai !

 

58th Sargam: LankA VrutthAntha KaTanam ( Recount of Visit )

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The assembled friends of HanumAn were eager now to hear from

Him in great detail His adventures in LankA . In this long sargam

with 157 slOkams , HanumAn narrates in detail the obstacles that

He met over the ocean on His onward journey to LankA upto the time

of arrival at AsOka Vanam , where SeethA PirAtti was incarcerated by

RaavaNan. HanumAn continued with the description of His conversations

with SeethA PirAtti , RaavaNan's threats , ManDOdhari's intervention

with Her husband RaavaNan not to harm SeethA Devi, Thrijadai's

Svapnam , His SamarpaNam of RaamA's ring to SeethA Devi , recieving

the ChUDAmaNi of Jaanakee to take back to Her Lord , His destruction

of AsOka Vanam , fight with the sons and servants of RaavaNan ,

personal meeting with RaavaNan , burning of LankA with the flames

on His tail , farewell to SeethA and the return flight over the ocean .

This chapter is a marvellous summary of the many adventures of

the Raama DhUthan at LankA during Raama Kaaryam . Now , HanumAn

performs Saathvika ThyAgam and states that whatever was accomplished

by Him was solely due to the Greatness ( PrabhAvam ) of His Lord :

 

Raaghavasya PrabhAvEna bhavathAm chaiva tEjasA

Sugreevasya cha kaaryArTam mayA sarvam anushitatham

---Sundara KaaNDam: 58.156

 

HanumAn requests His friends to proceed now with the rest of

the things to be done( athra yanna krutham sEsham Tath Sarvam

kriyathAm ) to reunite SeethA Devi with Her Lord .

 

59th Sargam : Sananthara KaaryAlOchanam ( Reflections on the next steps)

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After elaboration of the sad state of SeethA in LankA , HanumAn

appeals to His comrades in arms to take charge and proceed with

the definition of the subsequent steps to invade LankA under

the leadership of Lord Raamachandran and their king , Sugreevan:

 

yEvamAsthE MahAbhAgA SeethA sOka-parAyaNA

yadhathra prathikarthavyam tath sarvam upapadhyathAm

---Sundara KaaNDam: 59.35

 

(meaning): The celebrated and worshipful SeethA Devi filled

with sorrow is languishing in LankApuri . Let us do now whatever

that is needed to rescue Her and reunite Her with Her dear Lord !

 

60th Sargam: Angada JaamBavath SamvAdha:

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This is a short sargam with 15 slOkams that describes

the conversations between Prince Angadhan and

the mightyold bear , JaamBhavAn about the next steps

to be taken as per HanumAn's appeal .Angadhan was

for direct and immediate intervention in bringing SeethA Devi back

and reunite Her with Her Lord. The wise JaamBhavAn ,

who knew the meanings of SaasthrAs well , counselled

Angadhan not to be rash in action and suggested that

all of them should return immediately to the sannidhi of

Lord Raamachandran and ask Him and Sugreevan about

the next steps to be taken.

 

SrI Jaanakee SamEtha SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SadagOpan

 

 

 

 

SrI SeethA SamEtha SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE nama:

Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan