Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam Special: Part 201/Sri Raama navami day / Raama Naama Mahimai

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SrI Raama Jayam

 

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SrI Raama AvathAram : Reflections on SrI Raama Navami Dinam

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SrI Raagavam DasaraTAthmajam apramEyam

SeethApathim Raghukulaanvaya-rathna dheepam

AajAnubhAhum aravindha-dalAyathAksham

Raamam nisAchara-vinAsakaram namAmi

 

(meaning ): adiyEn prostrates before Raamachandran , the son of

King DasaraTaa and husband of SeethA PirAtti. He is the lamp of

rathnam (jyOthi) among the descendants of Raghu Kulam. This lotus-eyed

Lord with arms extending all the way down to His knees is the destroyer of

all asurAs through His unmitigated and matchless parAkramam(Valour).

 

Raghuvamsa pradheepEna tEna aprathima-tEjasa:

rakshAgruha gathaa: dheepA: pratyAdhishtA ivAbhavath

 

--SlOkam from KaaLIdAsA's Raghu Vamsam

 

Lord Raamachandran of incomparable lustre is the brightest among

illuminating lamps .He is the lamp that brightens the Raghu Kulam .

The lustre associated with His sacred body made the lustre of all

the lamps in the prasava gruham ( birthing room ) dull in their

lustre.He is ParamjyOthi , the lustre of all lustres . He is Svayam-

JyOthi ( Self manifested lustre that is the power behind all lustres).

 

AvathAra Dina VisEsham

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He was born after 12 months of residence in the garbham of

KousalyA Devi of lasting fame ( Mannu Puhazh) as Her Suprajai

( Cherished , auspicious son ).

 

On the 12th month of the year , Chitthirai Sukla Paksha Navami

thithi , RaamA was born , when Karkadaka lagnam was reigning.

During this lagna kaalam , Five grahams ( Sooryan , Guru , Sukran,

AnkArakan/SevvAi and Sani ) were at their highest positions.

Bruhaspathi arose with Chandran at that time.Thus all the five

entities ( Month , Thithi , Nakshathram , GrahAs and Lagnam)

were all aligned ( PanchOcchE LOkanAyaka: ). This child then

is no ordinary child. It is the AkhilANDa KODi , BrahmANDa ,

Ubhaya VibhUthi Naayakan , SrIman NaarAyaNan ( The Lord of

the crores of Universes and the owner of LeelA and nithya

VibhUthis).He decended from SrI Vaikuntam to fulfill the purpose

of His avathAram to destroy adharmam and reestablish Dharamam.

He is the JagannAthan worshipped by the beings of all the worlds

(SarvalOka Namaskrutha: ). He possessed the SaamudrikA

LakshaNams of the Lord of SrI Vaikuntam.

 

Above is free translation of the selected sections of the chapter on

SrI Raama avathAram by ParavAkkOttai HH SrI GopAla MahA Desikan

of PoundarIkapuram Aasramam , an outstanding expert in SrImadh RaamAyaNam .

He has covered brilliantly the RaamAvatharam in His SrI Sookthi:

" IrAaamapirAnai KaRppOm : Volume I " . Let us highlight that chapter

( in free translation) from His monograph released in 2001 C.E. for this

year's

SrI Raama Navami .

 

AvathAram

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Lord Raamachandran was born as a result of the penance of

KousalyA Devi ; Her drinking the Paayasam of Puthra KaamEshti

Yaagam was a vyAjam . She gave birth to the SuprajA , SrI Raaman

(KOusalai MaNi vayiru Vaaytthavan) .

 

His avathAram was during the time , when the lunAr mansion of

Punarvasu was in ascendance. Both Punarvasu and SvAthi

( the birth star of Lord Narasimhan ) can be on any day .

There is no asubha yOgam like MaraNa yOgam , whenever

Punarvasu or Svathi reign.Actually , today , amrutha yOgam

is ruling .

 

He was born during the Navami Thithi. Normally , we avoid

performance of any auspicious deeds or vrathams .The birth of

Lord Raamachandran lifted the inauspiciousnes and made that

Navami Thithi the most sacred to observe the UpavAsam

with Phalan greater than 100 EkAdasi Vrathams . The special

AarAdhanam performed for the Lord of AyOddhi on this day

and the DhAnam (Charities) given on this birth day of the Lord

yield matchless soubhAgyams according to Kali-santharaNOpanishad.

The year of SrI RaamA's birth was SubhAnu among the cycle of

Sixty years.

 

After Kousalyai , KaikEyi drank the Paayasam of the Yaagam .

She gave birth next to Bharathan. Next folowed Sumithrai

with the birth of a set of twins: LakshmaNa and ChathrugnA.

The avathArams were on Navami+Punarvasu+ Kargatakam for

Raamaa; Dasami+Pushyam+ Meena Lganam for Bharathan ;

LakshmaNa and ChathrugnA were born in Dasami, when

Aayilya Nakshathram was linked to Karkataka lagnam.

 

Lord appeared as the four sons of Dasarathan . Each of these

four sons have their own unique guNa visEshams( PruTak

GuNavantha: ). Raaman had the guNams of protecting

Saadhus , destroying the evil doers , Pithru vaak ParipAlanam ,

yEka Pathnee vratham , fear of calumny (apavAdhams) .

These were SaadhaaraNa dharmams observed by this

embodiment of Dharmams ( DharmO VigrahavAn ) .

His visEsha Dharmam is CharaNAgatha RakshaNam

for those , who performed SaranAgathy at His sacred feet.

LakshmaNan had the distinction of being the unquestioning

servant of Lord Raamachandran . Raaman was Seshi and LakshmaNa

was the true Seshan .Bharathan was Paratantran to Raaman

( Obeyer of anything commanded by His brother , Raaman).

Chathrugnan was BhAgavatha Paaratantryan ( Totally obedient to

Bharathan , who who was the Bhaagavathan dear to BhagavAn ,

Raamachandran).

 

Some describe the four brothers as embodiments of the four

goals in life ( Four PurushArTams). DasaraTa gained all the four

PurushArTams at once thru the birth of the four sons. There were

festivities all over the land of Kosalam . At LankA , ill omens were

experienced by RaavaNan . The gems from his crown fell down.

 

Naama KaraNam for the Children by Raaja Guru , Vasishtar

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KshathriyAs have 12days of theettu (asoucham) after child birth

(vamsa Vruddhi) in contrast to ten for Brahmins .On the thirteenth day ,

Sage Vaisishtaa , the Kula Guru chose after much deliberations ,

the appropriate names for the four children .

 

Vasishtar chose the Name of " Raaman " for the eldest son

of DasaraTan and KousalyA Devi. He reasoned that this child,

which was going to make all happy and enchant them with His

auspicious guNams and exemplary conduct should be called

Raaman ( RamayathE ithi Raama: ).

 

Sage Vasishtar named the child of KaikEyi as Bharathan

since he foresaw Bharathan protecting the kingless AyOdhyaa

( arAjaka AyOdhyA) through Raama PaadhukAs during his brother's

forced exile from the kingdom for fulfilling His avathAra kaaryam .

 

The Veda Manthra dhrashtA , Vasishtar named the twins of Soumithrai

as LakshmaNan and Chathrugnan respectively. LakshmaNan was named

thus because of His abundant possession of Kaimkarya Lakshmi .

ChathrugNan was recognized as the destroyer of all enemies , both

external enemies of the kingdom as well as the nithya chathrus of

sensory temptations .

 

One of the SankarAcchAryAs, a great Raama BhakthA ,

whose BrundhAvanam is at Govindhapuram near Oppiliappan Koil ,

is the author of the delectable SrI Raama KarNAmrutham .

He salutes the vaibhavam of SrI Raama Naamam this way:

 

KalyANAnAm nidhAnam Kali-mala maTanam Paavanam PavanAnAm

paaTEyam YanmumukshO: sapadhiparapadha prApthayE prasTithasya

visrAmasTAnamEkam kavivara vachasAm jeevitham sajjanAnAm

Bheejam dharma dhrumasya prabhavathu bhavathAm RAAMA NAAMA

 

(meaning ) : Raama Naamam is the supreme abode of all auspiciouness.

It is the destroyer(antidote) of the fierce Kali DhOshams. It is the

provision ( Kattu ChORu) during the journey for those who desire Moksham

and enjoy the bliss of Parama Padham . His name is the only resting place

for all (VisrAma sTAnam) . It is the means for the lives of saadhu janams

through the words of Sage Vaalmiki , the leader among poets. This name

is the seed for the tree of dharmam . May this celebrated Raama Naamam

shine in Your lives !.

 

SrI NaarAyaNa PandithAcchAr , one of the disciples of

MaadhvAcchArya is the author of Sangraha RaamAyaNam .

In this grantham , this Panditha rathnam gives the following SIX

REASONS for Sage VasishtA naming the child , " Raaman " :

 

Raama: SarvAbhirAmathvAth AathmArAmathvathOapi vaa

Deva: Maragatha-syAma: ithi vaa Raama nAmaka:

nithyam RamAbhisambhandhAth dhAnam SrI: tasya hEthi vaa

RaamANam hrudhyabhAvathvAth RAAMAM tamm SajjanA: vidhu:

 

1. SarvAbhirAmathvam : The child had unmatched and bewitching beauty .

He is an ocean of beauty .He is LokAbhirAman , who had

vaseekaraNam of all through His dhivya soundharyam.He is

therefore Raaman .

 

2. AathmArAmathvam : He is the ParamAthmA , the Bliss principle

in embodiment ( SacchidhAnandha Para Brahmam).Therefore He has

AathmArAmathvam hinted by His name .

 

3. Maragatha SyAman : He has a hue like the dark bluish-green emerald.

He resembles the dark hued rainy cloud ( Mega SyAmaLan) and

is enchanting to look . He showers His DayA as the rain-laden cloud.

 

4.Nithya SrI DEvi Sambhandham: RamA ( SrI DEvi ) never parted from

Him even for a fraction of a second ( ahalahillEn IRayum AlarmEl Mangai

uRai Maarbhan). Her presence on His chest is forever (nithyam).

Her sambhandham is hence nithyam. That is why , He is named Raaman.

 

5. " Raa " means dhAnam . " Maa " stands as the name of Lakshmi.

He recieved Lakshmi (Seethai ) as DhAnam ( Raa). He is thus

Raaman , SeethA Pathi , JaanakI Raaman.

 

6. RaamA: means beautiful damsels.As Raaman , He is very dear

to those beautiful women although He is yEka pathnI vrathan . He is

the granary of beauty. Therefore He is Raaman , priyan for RaamA:

 

KaaLi Daasan pays tribute to the SarvAnga Soundharyam of

the Child and its SaamudhrikA LakshaNams that led Sage VaishtA

to name the child as Raaman:

 

Raama ithy abhirAmENa vapushA Tasya chOdhitha:

naamadhEyam Guru: chakrE JAGATH PRATAMA MANGALAM

 

Here KaaLidAsan recognizes and salutes the Lord as the foremost

auspiciousness for the world

 

Kamba NaatAzhwAr , the author of Kambha RaamAyaNam in Tamil

revealed to us that Sage Vasishta recited the unfailing Veda manthrams ,

while He named the child " Raaman " :

 

poy vazhi il muni puhal taru maRayAl

ivvazhi peyarkaL isaittha uzhi IRaivan

 

--Kambha RaamAyaNam: Baala KaaNDam

 

Saint ThyAga Brahmam's praise of the Raama Naama Mahimai

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Krithi after Krithi , Saint ThyagarAjA sang about the prabhAvam of

the sacred Raama Naamam:

 

1.VarALi Krithi : EemEnu galiginandhuku SeetharAma-nAmamE BalkavalEnu .

 

" Having taken this human body , which is prone to a life of indiscipline

and rank material outlook through the operation of lust , greed and

other evil propensities , one should make proper use of it ( the body) "

by resorting to the japam of Raama nAmam .

 

2. SupOshINi Raagam: RaminchuvAreverurA ? RaghUtthamA ! ninu vinA --

 

Even the blessed devAs do not know the significance of Your holy name

nor attain the blis of Japam of Your name .

 

3. Kaapi Raagam: Intha Soukyamani nE jeppajaala

 

Only the great ones know about the bliss of drinking the amrutham

of music mixed with the sugar-candy of Your ( Raama ) nAmam

mixed with it .

 

3. Kaapi Kruthi: Raama ! Raghukula Jalanidhi SOma ! lOkAbhirAma !

 

You blessed SankarA ( at VaaraNAsi in the North and VruddhAchalam

in the South ) to utter Your Taaraka , Poshaka nAmam in to the ears of

human beings during their last minutes on Your earth !

 

4. PanthuvarALi : SaaramE ghAni anyamArga VichAra mEDikE ?

 

Oh My mind ! Raama Naamam alone is the most precious wealth

to be coveted . Why even bother with other thoughts & paths ?

 

5. SourAshtram Krithi : mElu mElu Raama Naama sukhami

dharalO manasA --

 

On My Mind ! The aanandham resulting from the utterance of

Raama Naamam exceeds every other aanandha anubhavam

in this world.

 

6. KaanaDa : Sukhi yevarurA ? Raama Naama Sukhi yevarurA ?

 

7. MadhyamAvathi: Raama Naamam bhajarE maanasa

 

8. Jana Ranjani: SmaraNE Sukhamu Raama Naama --

 

On this holiest of holy days of SrI Raama Navami Let us

offer offer our Bhakthi-filled namaskArams to SrI Raaman ,

sritha PaarijAthan , and appeal to Him to bless us and

guide us to serve Him at all times with Jaanaki MaathA !

 

SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan