Sri Raama Navami Season 2005 : SankshEpa RaamayaNa PaarAyaNam : Part I

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Sri SeethA LakshmaNa Bharatha Sathrugna Hanumath

SamEtha Sri Raghunandhana ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

The First Sargam of Baala KaaNDam of Srimad RaamAyaNam

is celebrated as Moola RaamAyaNam as well as SankshEpa

RaamAyaNam . It has 96 SlOkmas , which capture the essence of

the 7 KaaNDams of Srimad RaamAyaNam in the form of Sage

Naaradha responding to the query of Sage Vaalmiki . These 96 slOkams

are ideal for PaarAyaNam on Sri Raama Navami day .

 

Sage Valmiki's question is housed in the form of the three slOkams (2-4)

of the First Sargam of Baala KaaNDam led to the response of Sage NaaradhA

that covered in a condensed form (SamkshEpa) the entire ithihAsam of

Srimad RaamAyaNam :

 

kOnvasmin sAmpratam lOkE GuNavaan kasccha VeeryavAn ?dharmaj~nasccha kruthaj~nasccha SathyavAkyO dhruda-vratha : ( SlOkam 1.2)

 

chArithrENa kO yuktha: SarvabhUthEshu kO hitha:

VidhvAn ka: ka: samarTasccha kascchaika Priyadarsana : ? (SlOkam 1.3)

 

aathmavAn kO jithakrOdhO dhyuthimAn kOanasUyaka: ?

kasya Bibhyathi dEvAsccha jAtharhOshasya samyugE (SlOkma 1.4)

 

Let us offer our namaskArams to Lord Raamachandram prior to covering

the meanings of the above three slOkams :

 

SrI Raaghavam DasarathAthmajam apramEyam

SeethApathim RaghukulAnvaya rathnadheepam

AajAnubAhum aravindhadaLAyatAksham

Raamam NnisAchara vinAsakaram namAmi

 

The First SlOkam ( I.1.2):

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The anvaya Kramam ( Prose order ) is : "asmin lOkE saampratham GuNavAn ka: ? ,

VeeryavAn cha ka: ? , Dharmaj~na: cha ka: ? , Kruthajn~asccha ka: ?

SathyavAkyO ka: ? DhruDavratha: ka: ? "

 

( Meaning ) : In this present world full of mysterious souls , who is the best having

souseelya , KaruNaa and other auspicious guNams ? Who is that One with

the most valorous charithram ? Who is the most knowledgable about dharmams ?

Who is that great soul, who never forgets any help given to Him ? Who is that

MahA Purushan of true word ? Who is that MahAthmA of unfailing resolve ?

 

The Second SlOkam (I.1.3)

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

The anvya kramam here is: " ChArithrENa cha yuktha: ka:? SarvabhUthEshu

hitha: ka : ? VidhvAn ka: ? SamarTa : cha ka: ? Priyadarsana: cha ka: ?"

 

( Meaning) : Who is that One possessing the noblest of Conduct ? Who is

the One that never swerves from VarNAsrama dharmams ? Who is the One

that looks after the well being of all living entities ? Who is the One that thinks

of doing good deeds even for His enemies ? Who is the One that is omniscient

about the meanings of all Saasthrams and the Tatthva Jn~Anam arising from

such knowledge ? Who is the One that is omnipotent and accomplishes every

thing that He sets to do ? Who is the One that always displays priyam to

all that interact with Him and appears as Priyadarsanan ?

 

The Third SlOkam (I.1.4)

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(anvaya Kramam) : " AathmavAn ka: ? Jitha krOdha: ka: ? DhyuthimAn ka: ?

anasUyaka: ka: ? SamyugE jaatharhOshasya Kasya dEvAsccha BibhyathE

(Sa: Ka:) ? "

 

(Meaning) : Who is that Courageous MahA Purushan with conquest over mind ?

Who is the One that has won over anger ? Who is that Saantha svaroopi ?

Who is the One with incomparale kaanthi and laavaNyam ? Who is theOne

without jealousy (asooyai ) ? Who is that mighty and angry warrior in the battle field

of whom even the dEvAs are afraid ?

 

If we consider the three slOkams as being made up of Six half lines ( Poorva

and Utthara Paadhams) , then the commentators have pointed out that those

six ardha paadhams of the three slOkams are the summaries of the meanings

contained in the Six KaaNDams of Srimad RaamyaNam .

 

Vaikunta Vaasi U.Ve. UtthamUr Swamy has blessed us with a scholarly treatise

entitled " Srimath RaamAyaNa Sarvasvam " as commentary on SankshEpa

RaamAyaNam following the GovindharAjeeyam ( a well known commentary

on SrI VaalmIki RaamAyaNam) . Abhinava Desika Sri UtthamUr Swamy's monograph

was released in 1997 as a reprint by the First Centenarry Committee . Devotees are

referred to intensive study of the brilliant insights of Sri UtthamUr Swamy in

his scholarly monograph . adiyEn will make reference to this mponograph

in this series of posting .

 

In the next slOkam (I.1.5) , Sage Vaalmiki states that he would very eager to know

about the identity of such a MahA Purushan amongst the humans and that Sage Naaradhar

alone is capable of revealing the identity of such a SrEshta Purushan ( yEvam vidham

Naram Jn~Athum thvam yEva samarTa asi) among them .

 

Sage Naaradha responded positively and acknowledged that the combination of

such vast assembly of KalyANa guNAs in one "human Being " is rare ( Bahava :

GuNA: dhurlabhaa: ) and yet there is One , who has all these GunAs embodied

in Him . Sage Naaradha came straight to the point without too much beating around:

 

IshvAku vamsaprabhavO RaamO naama janai: srutha:

niyathAthmA MahAveeryO dhyuthimAn dhruthimAn vasee

 

(Meaning): Yes, there is such a MahA Purushan , who is born in the IshvAku

vamsam . He is adored by the citizens of AyOdhya as the most endearing One .

He is of unwavering temperament (niyathAthmA ) , avikAran . His mind is fully

under His control . He is MahA Veeran. He has a lustrous body . He is the embodiment

of Jn~Anam and dharmam . He is the abode of dhairyam (Courage )and dhruthi

( filled with aanandham and preethi towards all ) .

 

( To Be continued )

 

Sri Raamachandraath Param Kimapi Tatthvam na jaanE ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan