Saturday, August 06, 2011

Rama is the benchmark for all that is splendid.

इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः।
नियतात्मा महावीर्यो ध्युतिमान् धृतिमान् वशी॥८
बुद्धिमान् नीतिमान् वाग्मी श्रीमाञ्छत्रु निबर्हणः।
विपुलांसो महाबाहुः कम्बुग्रीवो महाहनुः॥९
महोरस्को  महेष्वासो गूढजत्रुररिंदमः।
आजानुबाहुः सुशिराः सुललाटः सुविक्रमः॥१०
समः समविभक्ताङ्गः स्निग्धवर्णः प्रतापवान्।
पीनवक्षा विशालाक्षो लक्ष्मीवाञ्छुभलक्षणः॥११
धर्मज्ञः सत्य्सन्धश्च प्रजानां च हिते रतः।
यशस्वी ज्ञानसंपन्नः शुचिर्वश्यः समाधिमान्।१२
प्रजापतिसमः श्रीमान् धाता रिपुनिषूदनः।
रक्षिता जीवलोकस्य धर्मस्य परिरक्षिता॥१३
रक्षिता स्वस्य धर्मस्य स्वजनस्य च रक्षिता।
वेदवेदान्ततत्वज्ञो धनुर्वेदे च निष्ठितः॥१४
सर्वशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञः स्मृतिमान् प्रतिभानवान्।
सर्वलोकप्रियः साधुरदीनात्म विचक्षणः॥१५
सर्वदाभिगतः सद्भिः समुद्र इव सिन्धुभिः।
आर्यः सर्वसमश्चैव सदैव प्रियदर्शनः।१६
स च सर्वगुणोपेतः कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनः।
समुद्र इव गाम्भीर्ये धैर्येण हिमवानिव॥१७
विष्णुना सदृशो वीर्ये सोमवत्प्रियदर्शनः।
कलाग्निसदृशः क्रोधे क्षमया पृथिवीसमः॥१८
धनदेन समस्त्यागे सत्ये धर्म इवापरः
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकव्ये बालकाण्डे अध्यायः १

ikSwaakuvaMshaprabhavo raamo naama janaiH shrutaH.
niyataatmaa mahaaviiryo dhyutimaan dhR^itimaan vashii ..8
buddhimaan niitimaan vaagmii shriimaa~nchhatru nibarhaNaH.
vipulaaMso mahaabaahuH kambugriivo mahaahanuH..9
mahorasko  maheSwaaso guuDhajatrurariMdamaH.
aajaanubaahuH sushiraaH sulalaaTaH suvikramaH..10
samaH samavibhaktaa~NgaH snigdhavarNaH prataapavaan.
piinavakSaa vishaalaakSo lakShmiivaa~nchhubhalakSaNaH..11
dharmaj~naH satysandhashcha prajaanaaM cha hite rataH.
yashaswii j~naanasaMpannaH shucirvashyaH samaadhimaan.12
prajaapatisamaH shriimaan dhaataa ripuniSuudanaH.
rakSitaa jiivalokasya dharmasya parirakSitaa..13
rakSitaa swasya dharmasya swajanasya cha rakSitaa.
vedavedaantatatwaj~no dhanurvede cha niSThitaH..14
sarvashaastraarthatattwaj~naH smR^itimaan pratibhaanavaan.
sarvalokapriyaH saadhuradiinaatma vichakSaNaH..15
sarvadaabhigataH sadbhiH samudra iva sindhubhiH.
aaryaH sarvasamashchaiva sadaiva priyadarshanaH.16
sa cha sarvaguNopetaH kausalyaanandavardhanaH.
samudra iva gaambhiirye dhairyeNa himavaaniva..17
viSNunaa sadR^isho viirye somavatpriyadarshanaH.
kalaagnisadR^ishaH krodhe kSamayaa pR^ithiviisamaH..18
dhanadena samastyaage satye dharma ivaaparaH
shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikavye baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH 1

In the beginning of Ramayana the aadhikaavya, the storyline is explained to poet valmiki by Sage Narada.. Narada once visits the hermitage of Vaalmiki  who was doing penance there after getting transformed into an ascetic  from a cruel robber by the turn of fate.  The sage Valmiki had come across the name Rama and the very word had become a mantra for him and he was curious to know what the person bearing that name would be like. So when, as if by the bounty of divine Grace,  the great sage Narada visits him, valmiki  bombards him with questions as to who would be the greatest person who ever lived on this earth who was virtuos, powerful, knowledgeable, truthful, grateful, with utmost self-control, who has anger under control, who emits splendour, whose fame is beyond any cloud, and who will be terrible even to gods if provoked in battle. 
Narada is pleased by this query and  takes this opportunity to recount briefly the whole story of Rama in about ninety couplets.  This is the essence of Ramayanam. The sublime qualities of Rama are described today.   Frther story will be posted in the days to come..
The king popularly called Rama, who is ruling the world today would answer all the requirements of Valmaiki. He is born in the illustrious race of Ikshwaaku. Rama has absoulte control over his mind,thoughts and actions. He is very powerful, radiates splendour, very determined, and has all his senses under full control. He is intelligent, sagacious, eloquent, is bathing in glory and is the complete exterminator of his enemies. He has broad shoulders, powerful arms, attractive neck in the shape of a conch, and has a stout chin. He has a broad chest, a mighty bow and a collar bone covered with hard flesh, and he is always capable of subduing any enemy in combat.  His unusually long arms when put down reaches upto his knee  and his head is well formed, the forehead is attractive and his gait is majestic. He is of medium build, neither too tall or too short, neither too fat or too lean, His limbs are well-proportioned, his complexion is unctuous, he possesses rounded chest, large eyes , is full of splendour and he carries in his body auspicious and divine marks.  He knows the crux of the  virtues and is always good to his words.  His eternal lookout is for the welfare of his people.  He is illustrious and wise, honest and steadfast in his dealings and his absolute control of his own self embellishes him like an aura.  His thoughts are focussed and to the point, so sharp and acute. He is like the prajapati in protecting the creations, he is endowed with great wealth, he is the annihilator of his enemies,  and he is the protector of virtues.  He is the vindicator of his  own ordained duties  and looks after  his own people with equal alacrity. He possesses the ultimate knowledge in the four vedas and six saastraas.  He is the last word in the knowledge of the science of archery.  Having  deep knowledge in the real import of vedas and sastras and endowed with a very sharp memory  and quick wit, he is the icon for all the world.  He is pious minded.   As the rivers find their final destination in the ocean all high minded people seek him and are blessed with his company.  He is noble, and exhibits equal favour to all and is always of a very pleasant countenance.  He is the ultimate in all that is excellent in the universe  and his fame is always an eternal source of great pleasure to his blessed mother Kousalya.  He vies with the ocean in profundity and with the great Himalaya in firmness.  He is the relplica of Vishnu in valour and resembles the moon in pleasantness.  When he is provoked to anger, he would be like the kalagni or the insatiable fire at the time of destruction of all creations(pralaya) .  At the same time he resembles the earth in forbearance.  He is equal to  the lord of wealth Kubera in liberality  and is synonymous with Dharmaraja  when it comes to the question of protecting and upholding of Truth.

Rama  is the benchmark for all that is splendid.

--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

1 comment:

  1. Chanced into this page/site while searching in google for the slokas in Srimad Bhagavatham on Krishnavatharam. It starts in the Bhaagavatham with “atha sarvagunopetah“ and the word Sarvagunopetah led me to the Valmikiramayanam Baalakandam here! Excellent site and a wealth of information here. Keep up the good work...

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