Rama.. Rama the quintessance of all that is great..
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Thus starts Valmikiramayanam..
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. .
The queries of Valmiki and the description of the greatness of Rama by Valmiki is given in the following couplets from the first Canto of the Epic.. Ramayanam by Valmiki.
तपः स्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वग्विदां वरम्।
नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥१
कोन्वस्मिन् सांप्रदं लोके गुणवान् कश्च वीर्यवान्।
धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रतः॥२
चारित्रेण च को युक्तः सर्वभूतेषु को हितः।
विद्वान् कः कः समर्थश्च कश्चैकप्रियदर्शनः॥३
आत्मवान् को जितक्रोधो द्युतिमान् कोऽनयकः।
कस्य बिभ्यति देवाश्च जातरोषस्य संयुगे॥४
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं परं कौतूहलं हि मे।
महर्षे त्वं समर्थोऽसि ज्ञातुमेवं विधं नरम्॥५
श्रुत्वा चितद् त्रिलोकज्ञो वाल्मीकेर्न्नरदो वचः।
श्रूयतामिति चामन्त्र्य प्र्हृष्टो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥६
बहवो दुर्लभाश्चैव ये त्वया कीर्तिता गुणाः।
मुने वक्ष्यम्यहं बुद्ध्वा तैर्युक्तः श्रूयतां नरः॥७
tapaḥ svādhyāyanirataṁ tapasvī vagvidāṁ varam|
nāradaṁ paripapraccha vālmīkirmunipuṅgavam||1
konvasmin sāṁpradaṁ loke guṇavān kaśca vīryavān|
dharmajñaśca kṛtajñaśca satyavākyo dṛḍhavrataḥ||2
cāritreṇa ca ko yuktaḥ sarvabhūteṣu ko hitaḥ|
vidvān kaḥ kaḥ samarthaśca kaścaikapriyadarśanaḥ||3
ātmavān ko jitakrodho dyutimān ko'naūyakaḥ|
kasya bibhyati devāśca jātaroṣasya saṁyuge||4
etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me|
maharṣe tvaṁ samartho'si jñātumevaṁ vidhaṁ naram||5
śrutvā citad trilokajño vālmīkernnarado vacaḥ|
śrūyatāmiti cāmantrya prhṛṣṭo vākyamabravīt||6
bahavo durlabhāścaiva ye tvayā kīrtitā guṇāḥ|
mune vakṣyamyahaṁ buddhvā tairyuktaḥ śrūyatāṁ naraḥ||7
Sage Valmiki makes a query with great revence, to the supreme Sage Narada, who is ever engaged in penance and learning of scriptures , who is the ultimate authority in interpreting the Vedas.
Oh great Sage Narada, who is in this world .. living now
Who is an epitome of virtues(1)
Who is ultimate in strength and valour(2)
Who has great knowledge in theory and practice of Dharma (3)
Who is ever grateful for even small favours done to him(4)
Who would speak only truth at any cost(5)
Who is very consistent and would ahere to an action planned or target set or vow or promise given(6)
Who is ever committed to the pure conduct and character which is becoming of his clan(7)
Who is always eager to ensure the welfare of all beings living or inanimate
Who is the repository of all knowledge required of a great person(9)
Who is very efficient in the execution of whatever task he undertakes.(10)
Who among the people is the most attractive for all who happen to set their eyes on him(11)
Who is extremely bold and utterly selfconfident(12)
Who is in complete control of his anger (13)
Who is so resplendent as if there is an aura of glory is ever hovering around his presence(16)
Who is free from jealousy and intolerance towards anyone around him (16)
And
Even gods would run away in mortal fear if he is angry and has made up his mind for a war..
Oh Great Sage Narada.. I am eager to know about such a person if such a personage is existing. And I am making this eager query to you because you, the revered Sage knows everything and you are only one who is qualified in all respects to identify and talk about such a great human being.
Sage Narada, who knew everything in the whole three worlds was pleased to listen to the question of Valmiki, and he addressed Valmiki, asked to listen carefully and spoke thus.
Oh Sage Valmiki, you have raised a very diffiecult question The qualities listed by you are huge, and a person endowed with ever a single quality like the one stated by you are rare. So let me think very deeply, identify such a man, and then I shall reply to your query..
Indeed Narada Did reply..
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
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.
Showing posts with label Samkshepa Ramayanam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samkshepa Ramayanam. Show all posts
Saturday, July 01, 2023
Friday, August 12, 2011
RAMAYANAM
RAMAYANAM
In the beginning of Ramayana the aadhikaavya, the story-line 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 virtuous, 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 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 and eloquent, is bathing in glory and is the complete exterminator of his enemies. He has broad shoulders, powerful arms, and 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 up to 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 essence of the holy scriptures 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 focused and to the point, very 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 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 kalaagni 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 eqaual 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. “ Sage Narada continues his discourse on the story of Rama. " King Dasartha desired that he should anoint Rama endowed with such great qualities as already described, as the heir-apparent (yuvaraja). Rama was the eldest of Dasaratha's sons in age, Bharatha, Lakshmana and Shatrugna following him. Rama was also the tallest in all virtues. He was also the favourite son for the king. And by all means this was the most appropriate decision taken by a king whose highest priority was the welfare of his subjects as Rama was uniformly adored and respected by all the people in Ayodhya. Dasartha had three wives, Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, and Rama was the son of Kausalya, Bharatha's mother was Kaikeyi and Sumitra delivered the twins Laksmana and Shatrugna .When Kaikeyi saw the preparations for the anointment of Rama as the yuvaraja, her ambition to see that her son Bharatha should become the yuvaraja was kindled. Here it must be noted that Bharatha was not availble in Ayodhya at that time. He had gone on a visit to his uncle's kingdome Kekaya, along with shatrugna. If Bharatha had been present Ramayana would not have proceeded any further. Kaikeyi had once saved the life of her husband Dasaratha by preventing a wheel of a chariot from dislocating itself causing fatal results while he was fighting a war with Shambaraasura and then Dasaratha had granted her two boons which she had deferred to execute. But now to win the kingdom for her son she exercised her option by demanding the king that Bharatha should become the yuvaraja and Rama should be exiled. The king who was bound by dharma and by his solemn promise was left with no option other than asking Rama to abdicate and proceed to the forest. Without any protest, and eager to fulfill the promise of his father and eager of doing a nice turn to his stepmother, Rama decided to undertake the life in forest for fourteen years. Rama's dearest brother and the source of all happiness to Sumitra, Lakshmana could not think of a life other than in the company of Rama and as a role-model for brotherly affection, he also decided to accompany Rama wherever he went. Seetha the consort of Rama and for whom Rama was dear to her even more than her own life also had no hesitation in accompanying him to forest.. Seetha was the perfect woman, with all the elements of beauty endowed to her in abundance as if she was created by the artists of the Heaven, and she was the noblest in her character and she was the ideal wife to the inimitable Rama. The celestial star Rohini, the favourite wife of the Moon always seeks the company of the Moon and Seetha was similar to that in her devotion to Rama.
Rama, in the company of Seetha and Lakshmana set out for forest and was accompanied by the king Dasaratha and all the subjects of Ayodhya in grief, for a long distance. They were persuaded to return to Ayodhya, and Sumanthra (the sootha and charioteer) took the three to the banks of Ganga where the town Sringivera (puram) was situated. Rama met his longtime friend and the chief of Nishadas (a hunter community), Guha, and with his help crossed the Ganga and entered the forest. The threesome walked long distances from forest to forest and crossed many rivers brimming with water and reached the hermitage of sage Bharadhwaaja. Following the directions of the great sage, they settled down in Chitrakoota in a beautiful hut built by Lakshmana. They were living there happily as if they were devas and gandharvas descended to earth. Sumanthra returned to Ayodhya declaring the departure of Rama to the forest and unable to bear the sorrow of separation, king Dasaratha shrugged off his moral coils and left for his heavenly abode. Bharatha was summoned back and the preceptors with the prime minister Vasishta in the lead requested Bharatha to assume the duties of the king. Bharatha refused assume the Royal duties when his elder brother was alive and languishing in the forest. Immediately he proceeded to the forest, taking with him the ministers and accompanied by a large number of loyal subjects and met Rama and begged him to return to Ayodhya to become the king. But the valorous Rama who valued the promise of his father more than the enjoyment of the Kingdom, decline to return to Ayodhya before the prescribed fourteen years even in the face of all the earnest entreaties by Bharatha. Finally it was decided that Rama's paadukaas ( the sandals) would represent him as the king and receiving the sandals with all respect and dejected that he could not accomplish his mission to take back Rama to Ayodhya, Bharatha returned to the kingdom reluctantly and anointing the sandals of Rama as the ruler, Bharatha adopted the life of an ascetic and ruled the kingdom staying in a hamlet called Nandigrama (about 14 miles from ayodhya) as a mere representative of the sandals of Rama, always eagerly awaiting the return of Rama to take back the reins of the Kingdom. The story till now is a saga of sacrifice. Dasratha sacrificed his son and his life to protect a promise. Rama sacrificed the kingdom to uphold the promise of his father. Lakshmana and Seetha sacrificed all worldly comforts just to keep the company of Rama. Bharatha, for whom the kingdom was righlfully his could not even think of Royal positions in the absence of his elder brother. The ambitious Kaikeyi was defeated and lost her husband and the affection of her son in the bargain. The only winner was dharma.. The anointment of Rama's sandals is even greater than the Pattabhishekam of Rama, which represents the culmination of the story of Ramayanam.
After Bharatha and the ministers left along with the citizens of Ayodhya, Rama thought that he would be accessible to them if he remained in Chitrakuuta and there could be more visits and keen on keeping the promise given to his father Rama did not want to have such visits. Hence the lotus eyed Rama proceeded further south into the deep Dandaka Forests . He slayed the ogre Viraadha on his way. There he met great sages Sharabhanga, Sutheekshna, Agastya and his brother Idhmavaahana. As desired by the great Sage Agastya Rama received from him a bow, a sword and a pair of quivers which would always carry inexhaustible number of arrows. The weapons were earlier given to Sage Agastya by the lord of heaven, Indra. All the great sages living in the forest paid visits to Rama and reported to him about the atrocities perpetrated by the demons and ogres living around them and in the nearby Janastaana. Rama gave a promise to all the sages who were equal to fire in penance that he would slay all the demons and ogres and bring peace to them. In the meantime a demoness named Shuurpanakha ( who assumed the name because her nails were as large as a winnowing fan) visited Rama in the disguise of a beautiful damsel, requesting him to marry her after abandoning Seetha. The amused Rama suggested Laksmana for her as a better match and when Lakshmana was approached with her amorous entreaties, at first he tried to drive her away tactfully and when she persisted as a nuisance and started threatening him after assuming her real huge ugly form, Lakshmana had no hesitation in cutting off her nose and breasts and drive her away. The injured Shoorpanakha ran to her brothers Khara, Duushana and Thrisiras who were the chieftains of the demons in Jalastana. They came for a war with Rama and Rama facing them all alone slayed the three demons and also their army consisting of fourteen thousand raakshasaas. The three demons were the cousins of the Strong King of Lanka, Ravana, and on hearing their disaster and the disfigurement of his only sister Shuurpanakha, the enraged Ravana decided to wreak venegeance on Rama. For executing his combative plans against Rama, Ravana sought the help of his uncle Maareecha. Maareecha had already had very bitter experience with Rama when her mother Thadaga and his brother subhaahu were killed by Rama and Maareecha could escape narrowly after a long flight. Mareecha advised Ravana not to purchase trouble from Rama but the advice fell on deaf ears. The previous section saw Rama conquering fourteen thousand warriors with Khara, Dooshana and Trishiras in the vanguard. The leader of the rakshasaas and the monarch of Lanka, Ravana, hearing about the disaster to his kin, decided to wreak venegeance on Rama and sought the help of his maternal uncle Mareecha who was a master at deception. Maariicha knew about the valour of Rama and cautioned Ravana against attracting Rama's wrath. Ravana ignored Maariicha's advice and forcibly took him for company and went near the hut of Rama. Maaricha was forcibly employed to take the guise of a golden antelope and go near the abode of Rama, and Seetha, on seeing the antelope got attracted to it and requested Rama to capture the animal for her. Rama went in pursuit of the deer and was led to far off distances by the wily Maaricha. Finally the demon was felled by Rama's arrow but at the time of death he cried out, "Lakshmana, Seetha, I am in danger" mimicking the voice of Rama. Seetha believed that Rama was in real danger and forced Lakshmana to run for the rescue of his elder brother. When Seetha was alone, Ravana disguised himself as a mendicant sage and when Seetha went near him to receive him believing that he was a hermit, captured Seetha and tried to fly away to Lanka in his Pushpaka Vimaanam. The elderly falcon, Jataayu, an old friend of King Dasaratha, attacked Ravana in the air, but was cut down and injured mortally by the sword of Ravana.. Rama came back to the hut and saw the falcon on the throes of death and found Seetha missing. Jatayu was alive just to inform about the abduction of Seetha by Ravana. Rama performed the last rites of the falcon and utterly desolate, wandered round the forest in search of Seetha. Deep in the forest he saw an ogre which had only torso, named Kabandha and slayed him. The Kabandha was a celestial being and got its deliverance from a curse on being killed and burned by Rama. While returning to heaven, Kabandha requested Rama to visit a pious hermitess named Sabari.. Taking the advice of Kabhanda, Rama visited Sabari, living in the Ashram of sage Matanga, near the Rishyamooka hills.
While proceeding further after being offered devoted worship by the blemish less Sabari, Rama happened to see a monkey named Hanuman..(Maybe this is one of the greatest encounters between two godheads that could ever have happened). Hanuman led Rama (and Lakhmana) to Sugriva, the exiled brother of the king of monkeys, Vaali. Rama narrated to Sugriva all that had happened culminating in the abduction of Seetha. Sugriva was prepared to help Rama and the two cemented their friendship in the presence of fire as witness. Sugriva then told his tale of misery.. He was exiled by his elder brother Vaali from Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys. Vaali had also forcibly taken away Sugriva's wife Ruma. The enmity between the brothers arose like this. Vaali was once having a very long duel with the mighty demon Dundhubhi. During the fight the two had entered a cave and Vaali had instructed Sugriva to close the entrance of the cave and wait for his return. Sugriva waited for months but there was nothing to be heard of Vaali. Once he saw blood oozing out of the closed cave and believed that Vaali had died. So Sugriva went back to Kishkindha and made himself the King. After very long fight with Dundhubi, Vaali emerged victorious in the end and throwing out the carcass of Dundubhi, came back to Kishkinda in triumph. When he found that Sugriva had occupied his throne, he became enraged and the powerful elder brother chased out Sugriva in a bid to finish him off. Sugriva knew that Vaali was prohibited by a curse from climbing the Rishyamooka hills and hence retreated to these hills along with some of his most faithful ministers like Hanuman and Jambavaan. Sugriva extracted the promise from Rama that he would kill Vaali and restroe Kishkinda to Sugriva in return to his help to gain back the abducted Seetha. However Sugreeva was skeptical about the prowess of Rama to vanquish Vaali, and, as if to test him showed him the huge skeleton of the demon Dundubhi. Rama smiled slightly and just nudged the huge skeleton with his big toe and the skeleton flew away a full ten yojanaas (yojana is the indian measure of distance...the distance that could be covered by a bullock cart in a day's time..and there are different views placing one yojana at five to eight kilometers). In addition Rama also razed to earth seven huge palmyrah trees with one arrow and the impact was so huge that the hillocks nearby as well as the nether worlds up to Rasaathala trembled in unison. The most significant incident in this part of the story is the meeting of the two titans Rama and Hanuman. The story of Rama as narrated by sage Naarada to Vaalmiki continues. Sugriiva, being skeptical of the strength of Rama was convinced of his prowess from the way he handled the skeleton of Dundubhi and the seven palmyrah trees. Now confident of defeating Vaali, Sugreeva proceded to Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys built like a cave in the midst of mountains, in the company of Rama and Lakshmana. He let out a war cry standing at the gates of Kishkinda. Vaali came out to see the disturbance. His wife Thara also accompanied him. Thara, having heard of the prowess of Rama and now seeing him in person had a hunch that He was lord Narayana himself. She requested Vaali not to fight with Sugreeva as he was under the protection of the great Rama. Vaali ignored her and engaged himself in a mortal combat with Sugriiva. Rama slayed Vaali with a single arrow. After convincing the great Vaali that he had committed grave sins in torturing his brother and forcibly taking away his wife and that he has been punished with death for that, Rama honoured the death of Vaali and then installed Sugreeva as the king of Kishkinda. Sugriiva, in good time, mustered all his lieutenants and sent them out in all directions to searach for Seetha. The strongest team was sent in the southern direction and it was led by the crown prince Angada and consisted of the greats like Hanuman, Jaambavaan etc. The team reached the southern tip of India but could not find Seetha anywhere. Sugreeva’s order was that Seetha should be found out within a month and if any team returned empty handed the punishment awaiting them was death.
So the monkey team of the south decided to lie down in the beaches of Bay of Bengal and starve to death. They decided that they would discuss the story of Rama while lying down there awaiting death. A huge falcon named Sampaathi, the elder brother of Jataayu was perched in a tree nearby. First he cast his eyes on the monkeys who were lying awaiting death, in eager anticipation that he would have sumptuous food in the near future. But then he listened to the story of Rama, and the narration of abduction of Seetha by Ravana, and the heroic martyrdom of Jataayu.. He was struck with grief on hearing the tidings of the death of his darling younger brother, and his burnt and emaciated wings came to life on hearing the story of Rama. He consoled the monkeys and soared high into the air.. With his keen eyes he could see the city of Lanka and also could have a glimpse of Seetha held in captivity in the Ashokavana in Lanka by Ravana. Hearing this the monkeys were overjoyed. But then came the question as to how to reach Lanka. Every monkey including the prince Angada were at a loss as to what to do further.
Then the wise Jaambavaan, the boar, remembered the story of Hanuman, the Aanjaneya. The Lord was born from the power of Lord Shiva himself carried through the god of wind to the womb of Anjana.. The great Lord when He was born was very virulent and jumped at the sun to eat it up thinking that it was a fruit. Indra hit the child with his vajraayudha and felled him. Angered at the misfotune of his son the god of winds just stopped working. In a bid to placate him, all the gods worked in unison and revived the child and blessed him with immortality and great powers. Even Brahmadeva had blessed that the arrow brahmstra, the most potent weapon in those days, would not bind him or cause him death. The chin of the child had been slightly deformed because of the impact of Vajraayudha and therefore the child was named Hanuman. He was a naughty child and once he disturbed some sages doing penance in the southern mountains and the angered hermits had cursed him that he would forget all about his valour.. The release from the curse would come when he was reminded of his powers by his colleagues at the proper time. The great dynamite was remaining quiet in the company of Sugriva till now only because of the unfortunate curse. Now that Hanuman was reminded of his past by the great Jambavaan He regained all His prowess and volunteered to jump over the salty oceans and go to the island Lanka 100 yojanas away and meet Seetha. Accordingly he did jump over to Lanka in a single leap and the greatest story of intelligence and endeavour by a single living being is unravelled in the Sunadarakaandam of Raamaayanam. In Lanka, he met Seetha sitting as if in penance in a garden named Ashokavanam and recounted to her the story of Rama after she had been abducted and assured her that Rama with his army of monkeys will come to Lanka, annihilate Ravana and release her in full honour. As an identification Hanuman handed over a ring Rama had given him with a direction that it should handed over to Seetha as an insignia if and when Seetha was found. Seetha in turn handed over to Hanuman the Choodamani, a head ornament of hers to be presented to Rama on Hanuman's return. Seeing the affluence of the enemy’s kingdom and with the idea of wreaking as much destruction to Lanka as possible Hanuman started destroying the gates of the garden and the favourite trees and plants grown there by Ravana. The army of Ravana was deployed to counter the ferocious monkey. Hanuman first destroyed the army with five full generals in command and killed them entirely, including the five generals. Then another army was deployed with the seven illustrious sons of Ravana's ministers in command. It did not take much time for Anjaneya to finish off all the seven with their army. Then Ravana's son Akshakumara came to fight with the divine monkey and was not only killed by Hanumaan but also practically mashed to pulp. Then came Indrajit the eldest son of Ravana.
By this time Hanuman knew that it was time for him to meet Ravana and deliver a warning message to him. So when Indrajit sent the Brahmaastra on Lord Anjaneya, even though he knew that by the blessing of Brahma himself the weapon would not bind him, he submitted to the Asthra out of respect for Brahma. Aanjaneya was taken to the court of Ravana, and there he announced to Ravana that he had purchased death for himself and annihilation to his clan by abducting Maatha Seetha. The enraged Ravana wanted to put Hanuman to death but was adviced by his counsels that a messenger should never be killed. So it was decided to deform the monkey by putting fire to his tail. When his tail was lit by agni, Lord Anjaneya did not feel any pain because of His own divine nature and also because of the prayers of Seetha. He used the fire for the best purpose. He placed his burning tail on all the buildings and storehouses and army camps in Lanka and the whole Lanka except the Ashokavana was like a towering inferno. After seeing the best of Lanka being gobbled up by fire, Hanuman doused the fire dipping his tail in the Bay of Bengal and coolly jumped back to India, His mission successful. The monkeys led by Anjaneya jumped back to Kishkinda and Hanuman, after paying respects to Rama and after doing clockwise circumambulation (pradakshinam) to him announced him that He had seen Seetha in Lanka. This is the most glorious part of Ramaayanam where it is proved beyond doubt that there is no one ever born to emulate the great Anjaneya.
Sage Naarada continues with his narrative on Sri Rama. On being informed that Sita was kept in captivity by Ravana in the Ashokavana of Lanka and that she has been seen by Hanumaan. Rama in the company of Sugriva proceeded to the southern coast of India. He could not easily find a way to cross the sea and reach Lanka to defeat Ravana and retrieve Seetha. In great anger Rama showered arrows at the sea and the frightened King of Seas appeared before Rama and explained to him that a bridge could be built in the sea to reach Lanka with the help of Nala the monkey, the minister of Sugriva and the son of the divine architect Vishwakarma. The bridge was built. In the meanwhile Vibheeshana the youngest brother of Ravana was insulted by his elder brother for arguing that it was wrong on the part of Ravana to have abducted Seetha and was banished from Lanka and took refuge in Sri Rama. Reaching Lanka, Rama waged a valiant war against Ravana and with the help of valorous Hanumaan finally felled Ravana. Seetha was free now. But Rama was ashamed to face the public gossip that would follow if he received back Seetha who had been kept in an alien land all alone for so long. So he uttered very harsh words about the purity of Seetha in the presence of the Public. Seetha could not tolerate the insult and she decided to enter fire and give up her life. The fire was lit and Seetha entered the burning fire but the fire could not withstand the intensity of her chastity, and the god of fire emerged in human form taking Seetha with him and declaring that the daughter of Janaka was purity personified. For this action the divine couple were praised in all the three worlds. The gods, sages and all celestial beings were pleased at the fall of Ravana and showered praise on Rama. Rama then ensured that Vibheeshana was anointed as the king of Lanka. Having regained Seetha, and having convinced the world of her purity through the test by fire, Rama was very happy in the company of Seetha. He sought and obtained boons from the Gods that all the warriors in his side who had laid down their lives in the battle should be brought back to life. Then he started off to Ayodhya by the Pushpakavimaanam in the company of Sugreeva and Vibhiishana and the whole army of monkeys. He was given a warm reception by Sage Bharadwaja in his hermitage en-route to Ayodhya. Rama sent Hanuman to Bharatha in Nandigrama with the news of his victorious comeback to Ayodhya. Finally Rama with his huge entourage landed up in Ayodhya to receive a warm welcome from Bharatha and the entire populace. He was anointed as the King of Ayodhya by the sages led by Vasishta and thus the rule of righteousness, the Ramaraajyam became a reality.
The moment of Pattabhishekam is described isn Ramayanam as follows "When the muhurtham for pattabhishekam arrived, the elderaly Vasishta,
followed by other learned people led Rama along with seetha to be seated on a throne made of jewels.. There Vasishta, vaamadeva, jaabali, kashyapa, kaatyaayana, suyajna, gauthama and vijaya, the great sages and ministers of ayodhya, poured holy waters on the royal couple...this resembled the eight vasus performing the abhisheka of the lord of the heaven.. Indra"
The brief narrative of Ramayanam by Narada ends here.
MAY KRISHNA BLESS US ALL -
Was it just an Indian dream?
प्रहृष्टमुदितो लोकस्तुष्टः पुष्टः सुधार्मिकः। निरामयो ह्यरोगाश्च दुर्भिक्षभयवारितः॥९०
न पुत्रमरणं केचित् द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुरुषाः क्वचित्। नार्यश्चाविधवाः नित्यं भविष्यन्ति पतिव्रताः॥९१॥
न पुत्रमरणं केचित् द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुरुषाः क्वचित्। नार्यश्चाविधवाः नित्यं भविष्यन्ति पतिव्रताः॥९१॥
न चाग्निभयं किंचिन्नाप्सु मज्जन्ति जन्तवः। न वातजं भयं किंचिन्नापि ज्वरकृतं तथा॥९२॥
न चापि क्षुद्भयं तत्र न तस्करभयम् तथा। नगराणि च राष्ट्राणि धनधान्ययुतानि च॥९३॥
नित्यं प्रमुदिताः सर्वे यथा कृतयुगे तथा। अश्वमेधशतैरिष्ठ्वा तथा बहुसुर्वणकैः॥९४
गवां कोट्ययुतं दत्वा विद्वद्भ्यो विधिपूर्वकं। असंख्येयम् धनं दत्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो महायशाः॥९५॥
राजवंशाञ्छतगुणान् स्थापयिष्यति राघवः। चातुर्वर्ण्यं च लोकेऽस्मिन् स्वे स्वे धर्मे नियोक्ष्यति॥९६॥
दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च। रामो राज्यमुपासित्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति॥९७॥
इदम् पवित्रं पापघ्नं पुण्यं वेदैश्च सम्मितं। यः पठेत् रामचरितं सर्वपापैर् प्रमुच्यते॥९८॥
एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन् रामायणम् नरः। सपुत्रपौत्रः सगणः प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते॥
पठन् द्विजो वागृषभत्वमेयात् स्यात् क्षत्रियो भूमिपतित्वमीयात्। वणिग्जनः पण्यफलत्वमीयाज्जनश्च शूद्रोपि महत्वमीयात्॥१००॥
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बाल्काण्डे प्रथमः सर्गः॥१॥
prahR^iSTamudito lokastuSTaH puSTaH sudhaarmikaH. niraamayo hyarogaashcha durbhikSabhayavaaritaH..90..
na putramaraNaM kechit drakSyanti puruSaaH kwachit. naaryashchaavidhavaaH nityaM bhaviSyanti pativrataaH..91..
na chaagnibhayaM kiMchinnaapsu majjanti jantavaH. na vaatajaM bhayaM kiMchinnaapi jvarakR^itaM tathaa..92..
na chaapi kSudbhayaM tatra na taskarabhayam tathaa. nagaraaNi cha raaSTraaNi dhanadhaanyayutaani cha..93..
nityaM pramuditaaH sarve yathaa kR^itayuge tathaa. ashwamedhashatairiSThwaa tathaa bahusurvaNakaiH..94
gavaaM koTyayutaM datwaa vidwadbhyo vidhipuurvakaM. asaMkhyeyam dhanaM datwaa braahmaNebhyo mahaayashaaH..95..
raajavaMshaa~nchhataguNaan sthaapayiSyati raaghavaH. chaaturvarNyaM cha loke.asmin swe swe dharme niyokSyati..96..
dashavarSasahasraaNi dashavarSashataani cha. raamo raajyamupaasitwaa brahmalokaM prayaasyati..97..
idam pavitraM paapaghnaM puNyaM vedaishcha sammitaM. yaH paThet raamacharitaM sarvapaapair pramuchyate..98..
etadaakhyaanamaayuSyaM paThan raamaayaNam naraH. saputrapautraH sagaNaH pretya swarge mahiiyate..
paThan dwijo vaagR^iSabhatwameeyaat syaat kSatriyo bhuumipatitwamiiyaat . vaNigjanaH paNyaphalatwamiiyaajjanashcha shuudropi mahatwamiiyaat..100..
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe vaalmiikiiye aadikaavye baalkaaNDe prathamaH sargaH..1..
Narada concludes his narrative on Rama by recounting the state of welfare that is enjoyed by the subjects of Rama.. Ramaraajya the Indian Utopia.. The people are virtuous and extremely happy. They do not suffer either from physical or mental ailments. No one ever hears about the death of his own son, no lady ever becomes widow and every lady adheres to paativrityam. There is no calamity ever caused by fire. No accident by drowning is ever heard. There is no calamity caused by cyclones. No epidemics ever visit the nation. The granaries are full and there is no anxiety about starvation. There is no threat of robbery. The villages, hamlets and the metropolis are all endowed with bountiful supply of grains and they are also wealthy. The wellbeing which was the hallmark of Kritayuga or Satyayuga is manifest in the thretaayuga becauses of the presence of Rama. Rama is going to conduct hundred ashwamedhaas, and also other sacrifices involving spending of huge quanta of gold. He will give a lot of presents to learned men. He is going to establish a race of noble kings. The functions of the scholars, rulers, traders and servants would be well established. Thus he is going to reign for a period of one thousand and one hundred decades. After that He will proceed to Brahmaloka. This story of Rama which is sacred, will bring virtue to the readers. It is praised evan by the Vedas. The study of Ramaayanam endows all with longevity. The reader of Ramaayananam will be surrounded by sons, grandsons and great grandsons when he is leaving for his heavenly abode. The scholars will gain dexterity in musse, the warriors will attain victory in battles, the traders will prosper in commercial activities and the working class will enjoy welfare and prosperity if they read Ramaayanam daily.
Was it just an Indian dream or was there really an administration here under which people were prosperous, safe from natural calamities and epidemics and could lead a wholesome life? No one can say for sure. But we need not search anywhere else to know what a welfare state means.
--
।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|
|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|
--
Thursday, August 11, 2011
even the fire could not withstand the intensity of her chastity
ततः सुग्रीवसहितो गत्वा तीरं महोदधेः। समुद्रं क्षोभयामास शरैरादित्यसन्निभैः॥७९॥
दर्शयामास चात्मानं समुद्रः सरितां पतिः। समुद्रवचनाच्चैव नलं सेतुमकारयत्॥८०॥
तेन गत्वा पुरीं लङ्कां हत्वा रावणमाहवे। रामः सीतामनुप्राप्य परां व्रीडामुपागमत्॥८१॥
तामुवाच ततो रामः परुषां जनसंसदि। अमृष्यमाणा सा सीता निवेश ज्वलनम् सती॥८२
ततोऽग्निवचनात् सीतां ज्ञात्वा विगतकल्मषां। कर्मणा तेन महता त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्॥८३॥
सदेवर्षिगणं तुष्टं राघवस्य महात्मनः॥ बभौ रामः सम्प्रहृष्टः पूजितः सर्वदेवतैः॥८४॥
अभिषिच्य च लङ्कायां राक्षसेन्द्रं विभीषणं। कृतकृत्यस्तदा रामो विज्वरः प्रमुमोद ह॥८५॥
देवताभ्यो वरं प्राप्य समुत्थाय च वानारान्। अयोध्याम् प्रस्थितो रामः पुष्पकेण सुहृद्वृतः॥८६॥
भरद्वाजाश्रमं गत्वा रांअः सत्यपराक्रमः। भरतस्यान्तिके रामो हनूमन्तं व्यसर्जयत्॥८७॥
पुनराख्यायिकां जल्पन् सुग्रीवसहितस्तदा। पुष्पकं तत् समारुह्य नन्दिग्रामं ययौ तदा॥८८॥
नन्दिग्रामे जटां हित्वा भ्रतृभिः सहितोऽनघः। रामः सीतामनुप्राप्य राज्यं पुनरवाप्तवान्॥८९॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे अध्यायः--१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
tataH sugriivasahito gatwaa tiiraM mahodadheH. samudraM kSobhayaamaasa sharairaadityasannibhaiH..79..
darshayaamaasa chaatmaanaM samudraH saritaaM patiH. samudravachanaachchaiva nalaM setumakaarayat..80..
tena gatwaa puriiM la~NkaaM hatwaa raavaNamaahave. raamaH siitaamanupraapya paraaM vriiDaamupaagamat..81..
taamuvaacha tato raamaH paruSaaM janasaMsadi. amR^iSyamaaNaa saa siitaa nivesha jwalanam satii..82
tato.agnivachanaat siitaaM j~naatwaa vigatakalmaSaaM. karmaNaa tena mahataa trailokyaM sacharaacharam..83..
sadevarSigaNaM tuSTaM raaghavasya mahaatmanaH.. babhau raamaH samprahR^iSTaH puujitaH sarvadevataiH..84..
abhiSichya cha la~NkaayaaM raakSasendraM vibhiiSaNaM. kR^itakR^ityastadaa raamo vijwaraH pramumoda ha..85..
devataabhyo varaM praapya samutthaaya cha vaanaaraan. ayodhyaam prasthito raamaH puSpakeNa suhR^idvR^itaH..86..
bharadwaajaashramaM gatwaa raaMaH satyaparaakramaH. bharatasyaantike raamo hanuumantaM vyasarjayat..87..
punaraakhyaayikaaM jalpan sugriivasahitastadaa. puSpakaM tat samaaruhya nandigraamaM yayau tadaa..88..
nandigraame jaTaaM hitwaa bhratR^ibhiH sahito.anaghaH. raamaH siitaamanupraapya raajyaM punaravaaptavaan..89..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavye baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH--1-..
Sage Naarada continues with his narrative on Sri Rama. On being informed that Sita was kept in captivity by Ravana in the Ashokavana of Lanka and that she has been seen by Hanumaan. Rama in the company of Sugriva proceeded to the southern coast of India. He could not easily find a way to cross the sea and reach Lanka to defeat Ravana and retrieve Seetha. In great anger Rama showered arrows at the sea and the frightened King of Seas appeared before Rama and explained to him that a bridge could be built in the sea to reach Lanka with the help of Nala the monkey, the minister of Sugriva and the son of the divine architecht Vishwakarma. The bridge was built. In the meanwhile Vibheeshana the youngest brother of Ravana was insulted by his elder brother for arguing that it was wrong on the part of Ravana to have abducted Seetha and was banished from Lanka and took refuge in Sri Rama. Reaching Lanka, Rama wage a valiant war against Ravana and with the help of valorous Hanumaan finally felled Ravana. Seetha was free now. But Rama was ashamed to face the public gossip that would follow if he received back Seetha who had been kept in an alien land all alone for so long. So he uttered very harsh words about the purity of Seetha in the presence of the Public. Seetha could not tolerate the insult and she decided to enter fire and give up her life. The fire was lit and Seetha entered the burning fire but the fire could not withstand the intensity of her chastity, and the god of fire emerged in person taking Seetha with him and declaring that the daughter of Janaka was purity personified. For this action the divine couple were praised in all the three worlda. The gods, sages and all celestial beings were pleased at the fall of Ravana and showered praise on Rama. Rama then ensured that Vibheeshana was anointed as the king of Lanka. Having regained Seetha, and having convinced the world of her purity through the test by fire, Rama was very happy in the company of Seetha. He sought and obtained boons from the Gods that all the warriors in his side who had laid down their lives in the battle should be brought back to life. Then he started off to Ayodhya by the Pushpakavimaanam in the company of Sugreeva and Vibhiishana and the whole army of monkeys. He was given a warm reception by Sage Bharadwaja in his hermitage en-route to Ayodhya. Rama sent Hanuman to Bharatha in Nandigrama with the news of his victorious comeback. to Ayodhya. Firnally Rama with his huge entourage landed up in Ayodhya to receive a warm welcome from Bharatha and the entire populace. He was anointed as the King of Ayodhya by the sages led by Vasishta and finally the rule of righteousness, the Ramaraajyam became a reality.
"When the muhurtham for pattabhishekam arrived, the elderaly Vasishta, followed by other learned people led Rama along with seetha to be seated on a throne made of jewels.. There Vasishta, vaamadeva, jaabali, kashyapa, kaatyaayana, suyajna, gauthama and vijaya, the great sages and ministers of ayodhya, poured holy waters on the royal couple...this resembled the eight vasus performing the abhisheka of the lord of the heaven.. Indra"
The brief narrative of Ramayanam by Narada ends here. Left only are a few slokas describing the happiness of the world while Rama reigned. God willing, that narrative will be posted tomorrow.
।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|
दर्शयामास चात्मानं समुद्रः सरितां पतिः। समुद्रवचनाच्चैव नलं सेतुमकारयत्॥८०॥
तेन गत्वा पुरीं लङ्कां हत्वा रावणमाहवे। रामः सीतामनुप्राप्य परां व्रीडामुपागमत्॥८१॥
तामुवाच ततो रामः परुषां जनसंसदि। अमृष्यमाणा सा सीता निवेश ज्वलनम् सती॥८२
ततोऽग्निवचनात् सीतां ज्ञात्वा विगतकल्मषां। कर्मणा तेन महता त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्॥८३॥
सदेवर्षिगणं तुष्टं राघवस्य महात्मनः॥ बभौ रामः सम्प्रहृष्टः पूजितः सर्वदेवतैः॥८४॥
अभिषिच्य च लङ्कायां राक्षसेन्द्रं विभीषणं। कृतकृत्यस्तदा रामो विज्वरः प्रमुमोद ह॥८५॥
देवताभ्यो वरं प्राप्य समुत्थाय च वानारान्। अयोध्याम् प्रस्थितो रामः पुष्पकेण सुहृद्वृतः॥८६॥
भरद्वाजाश्रमं गत्वा रांअः सत्यपराक्रमः। भरतस्यान्तिके रामो हनूमन्तं व्यसर्जयत्॥८७॥
पुनराख्यायिकां जल्पन् सुग्रीवसहितस्तदा। पुष्पकं तत् समारुह्य नन्दिग्रामं ययौ तदा॥८८॥
नन्दिग्रामे जटां हित्वा भ्रतृभिः सहितोऽनघः। रामः सीतामनुप्राप्य राज्यं पुनरवाप्तवान्॥८९॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे अध्यायः--१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
tataH sugriivasahito gatwaa tiiraM mahodadheH. samudraM kSobhayaamaasa sharairaadityasannibhaiH..79..
darshayaamaasa chaatmaanaM samudraH saritaaM patiH. samudravachanaachchaiva nalaM setumakaarayat..80..
tena gatwaa puriiM la~NkaaM hatwaa raavaNamaahave. raamaH siitaamanupraapya paraaM vriiDaamupaagamat..81..
taamuvaacha tato raamaH paruSaaM janasaMsadi. amR^iSyamaaNaa saa siitaa nivesha jwalanam satii..82
tato.agnivachanaat siitaaM j~naatwaa vigatakalmaSaaM. karmaNaa tena mahataa trailokyaM sacharaacharam..83..
sadevarSigaNaM tuSTaM raaghavasya mahaatmanaH.. babhau raamaH samprahR^iSTaH puujitaH sarvadevataiH..84..
abhiSichya cha la~NkaayaaM raakSasendraM vibhiiSaNaM. kR^itakR^ityastadaa raamo vijwaraH pramumoda ha..85..
devataabhyo varaM praapya samutthaaya cha vaanaaraan. ayodhyaam prasthito raamaH puSpakeNa suhR^idvR^itaH..86..
bharadwaajaashramaM gatwaa raaMaH satyaparaakramaH. bharatasyaantike raamo hanuumantaM vyasarjayat..87..
punaraakhyaayikaaM jalpan sugriivasahitastadaa. puSpakaM tat samaaruhya nandigraamaM yayau tadaa..88..
nandigraame jaTaaM hitwaa bhratR^ibhiH sahito.anaghaH. raamaH siitaamanupraapya raajyaM punaravaaptavaan..89..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavye baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH--1-..
Sage Naarada continues with his narrative on Sri Rama. On being informed that Sita was kept in captivity by Ravana in the Ashokavana of Lanka and that she has been seen by Hanumaan. Rama in the company of Sugriva proceeded to the southern coast of India. He could not easily find a way to cross the sea and reach Lanka to defeat Ravana and retrieve Seetha. In great anger Rama showered arrows at the sea and the frightened King of Seas appeared before Rama and explained to him that a bridge could be built in the sea to reach Lanka with the help of Nala the monkey, the minister of Sugriva and the son of the divine architecht Vishwakarma. The bridge was built. In the meanwhile Vibheeshana the youngest brother of Ravana was insulted by his elder brother for arguing that it was wrong on the part of Ravana to have abducted Seetha and was banished from Lanka and took refuge in Sri Rama. Reaching Lanka, Rama wage a valiant war against Ravana and with the help of valorous Hanumaan finally felled Ravana. Seetha was free now. But Rama was ashamed to face the public gossip that would follow if he received back Seetha who had been kept in an alien land all alone for so long. So he uttered very harsh words about the purity of Seetha in the presence of the Public. Seetha could not tolerate the insult and she decided to enter fire and give up her life. The fire was lit and Seetha entered the burning fire but the fire could not withstand the intensity of her chastity, and the god of fire emerged in person taking Seetha with him and declaring that the daughter of Janaka was purity personified. For this action the divine couple were praised in all the three worlda. The gods, sages and all celestial beings were pleased at the fall of Ravana and showered praise on Rama. Rama then ensured that Vibheeshana was anointed as the king of Lanka. Having regained Seetha, and having convinced the world of her purity through the test by fire, Rama was very happy in the company of Seetha. He sought and obtained boons from the Gods that all the warriors in his side who had laid down their lives in the battle should be brought back to life. Then he started off to Ayodhya by the Pushpakavimaanam in the company of Sugreeva and Vibhiishana and the whole army of monkeys. He was given a warm reception by Sage Bharadwaja in his hermitage en-route to Ayodhya. Rama sent Hanuman to Bharatha in Nandigrama with the news of his victorious comeback. to Ayodhya. Firnally Rama with his huge entourage landed up in Ayodhya to receive a warm welcome from Bharatha and the entire populace. He was anointed as the King of Ayodhya by the sages led by Vasishta and finally the rule of righteousness, the Ramaraajyam became a reality.
"When the muhurtham for pattabhishekam arrived, the elderaly Vasishta, followed by other learned people led Rama along with seetha to be seated on a throne made of jewels.. There Vasishta, vaamadeva, jaabali, kashyapa, kaatyaayana, suyajna, gauthama and vijaya, the great sages and ministers of ayodhya, poured holy waters on the royal couple...this resembled the eight vasus performing the abhisheka of the lord of the heaven.. Indra"
The brief narrative of Ramayanam by Narada ends here. Left only are a few slokas describing the happiness of the world while Rama reigned. God willing, that narrative will be posted tomorrow.
।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|
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
what a mission!
ततः प्रीतमनास्तेन विश्वस्तः स महाकपिः। किष्किन्धां रामसहितो जगाम च गुहां तदा॥६७॥
ततोऽगर्जद्धरिवरः सुग्रीवो हेमपिङ्गलः। तेन नादेन महता निर्जगाम हरीश्वरः॥६८॥
अनुमान्य तदा तारां सुग्रीवेण समागतः। निजघान च तत्रैनं शरेणैकेन राघवः॥६९॥
ततः सुग्रीववचनाद्धत्वा वालिनमाहवे। सुग्रीवमेव तद्राज्ये राघवः प्रत्यपादयत्॥७०
स च सर्वान् समानीय वानरान् वानरर्षभः। दिशः प्रस्थापयामास दिदृक्षुर्जनकात्मजां॥७१
ततो गृध्रस्य वचनात् सम्पातेर्हनुमान् बली॥ शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं पुप्ळुवे लवणार्णवं॥७२॥
तत्र लङ्काम् समासाध्य पुरीं रावणपालितां। ददर्श सीतां ध्यायन्तीमशोकवनिकां गतां।७३
निवेदयित्वाभिज्ञानं प्रवृत्तिं विनिवेद्य च। समाश्वास्य च वैदेहीं मर्दयामास तोरणं॥७४॥
पञ्च सेनाग्रगान् हत्वा सप्त मन्त्रिसुतानपि। शूरमक्षं च निष्पिष्य ग्रहणं समुपागमत्॥७५॥
अस्त्रेनोन्मुक्तमात्मानं ज्ञात्व पैतामहात् वरात्। मर्षयन् राक्षसान् वीरो यन्त्रिणस्तान् यदृच्छया॥७६॥
ततो दग्ध्वा पुरीम् लङ्कामृते सीतां च मैथिलीं। रामाय प्रियमाख्यातुं पुनरायान्महाकपिः॥७७॥
सोऽभिगम्य महात्मानं कृत्वा रामं प्रदक्षिणं। न्यवेदयदमेयात्मा दृष्टा सीतेति तत्त्वतः॥७८॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे अध्यायः --१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे सहसीतं न्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
tataH priitamanaastena vishwastaH sa mahaakapiH. kiSkindhaaM raamasahito jagaama cha guhaaM tadaa..67..
tato.agarjaddharivaraH sugriivo hemapi~NgalaH. tena naadena mahataa nirjagaama hariishwaraH..68..
anumaanya tadaa taaraaM sugriiveNa samaagataH. nijaghaana cha tatrainaM shareNaikena raaghavaH..69..
tataH sugriivavachanaaddhatwaa vaalinamaahave. sugriivameva tadraajye raaghavaH pratyapaadayat..70
sa cha sarvaan samaaniiya vaanaraan vaanararSabhaH. dishaH prasthaapayaamaasa didR^ikSurjanakaatmajaaM ..71
tato gR^idhrasya vachanaat sampaaterhanumaan balii.. shatayojanavistiirNaM pupLuve lavaNaarNavaM..72..
tatra la~Nkaam samaasaadhya puriiM raavaNapaalitaaM. dadarsha siitaaM dhyaayantiimashokavanikaaM gataaM.73
nivedayitwaabhij~naanaM pravR^ittiM vinivedya cha. samaashwaasya cha vaidehiiM mardayaamaasa toraNaM..74..
pa~ncha senaagragaan hatwaa sapta mantrisutaanapi. shuuramakSaM cha niSpiSya grahaNaM samupaagamat..75..
astrenonmuktamaatmaanaM j~naatwa paitaamahaat varaat. marSayan raakSasaan viiro yantriNastaan yadR^ichchhayaa..76..
tato dagdhwaa puriim la~NkaamR^ite siitaaM cha maithiliiM. raamaaya priyamaakhyaatuM punaraayaanmahaakapiH..77..
so.abhigamya mahaatmaanaM kR^itwaa raamaM pradakSiNaM. nyavedayadameyaatmaa dR^iSTaa siiteti tattwataH..78..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavye baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH --1-..
The story of Rama as narrated by sage Naarada to Vaalmiki continues. Sugriiva, being skeptical of the strength of Rama was convinced of his prowess from the way he handled the skeleton of Dundubhi and the seven palmyrah trees. Now confident of defeating Vaali, Sugreeva proceded to Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys built like a cave in the midst of mountains, in the company of Rama and Lakshmana. He let out a war cry standing at the gates of Kishkinda. Vaali came out to see the disturbance. His wife Thara also accompanied him. Thara, having heard of the prowess of Rama and now seeing him in person had a hunch that He was lord Narayana himself. She requested Vaali not to fight with Sugreeva as he was under the protection of the great Rama. Vaali ignored her and engaged himself in a mortal combat with Sugriiva. Rama slayed Vaali with a single arrow. After convincing the great Vaali that he had committed grave sins in torturing his brother and forcibly taking away his wife and that he has been punished with death for that, Rama honoured the death of Vaali and then installed Sugreeva as the king of Kishkinda. Sugriiva, in good time, mustered all his lieutenants and sent them out in all directions to search for Seetha. The strongest team was sent in the southern direction and it was led by the crown prince Angada and consisted of the greats like Hanuman, Jaambavaan etc. The team reached the southern tip of India but could not find Seetha anywhere. Sugreeva's order was that Seetha should be found out within a month if any team returned empty handed the punishment awaiting them was death. So the monkey team of the south decided to lie down in the beaches of Bay of Bengal and starve to death. They decided that they would discuss the story of Rama while lying down there. A huge falcon named Sampaathi, the elder brother of Jataayu was perched in a tree nearby. First he cast his eyes on the monkeys who were lying awaiting death, in eager anticipation that he would have sumptuous food in the near future. But then he listened to the story of Rama, and the narration of abduction of Seetha by Ravana, and the heroic martyrdom of Jataayu.. He was struck with grief on hearing the tidings of the death of his darling younger brother, and his burnt and ematiated wings came to life on hearing the story of Rama. He consoled the monkeys and soared high into the air..With his keen eyes he could see the city of Lanka and also could have a glimpse of Seetha held in captivity in Lanka by Ravana. Hearing this the monkeys were overjoyed. But then came the question as to how to reach Lanka. Every monkey including the prince Angada were at a loss as to what to do further. Then the wise Jaambavaan, the boar, remembered the story of Aanjaneya. The Lord was born from the power of Lord Shiva himself carried through the god of wind to the womb of Anjana.. The great Lord when He was born was very virulent and jumped at the sun to eat it up thinking that it was a fruit. Indra hit the child with his vajraayudha and felled him. Angered at the misfotune of his son the god of winds just stopped working. In a bid to please him all the gods worked in unison and revived the child and blessed him with immortality and great powers. Even Brahmadeva had blessed that the missile brahmaastra, the most potent weapon in those days, would not bind him or cause him death. The chin of the child had been slightly deformed because of the impact of Vajraayudha and therefore the child was named Hanuman. He was a naughty child and once he disturbed some sages doing penance in the southern mountains and the angry hermits had cursed him that he would forget all about his valour.. The release from the curse would come when he was reminded of his powers by his colleagues at the proper time. The great dynamite was remaining quiet in the company fo Sugriva till now only because of the unfortunate curse. Now that Hanuman was reminded of his past by the great Jambavaan He regained all His prowess and volunteered to jump over the salty oceans and go to the island Lanka 100 yojanas away and meet Seetha. Accordingly he did jump over to Lanka in a single leap and the greatest story of intelligence and endeavour by a single living being ever is unravelled in the Sunadarakaandam of Raamaayanam. In Lanka, he met Seetha sitting as if in penance in a garden named Ashokavanam and recounted to her the story of Rama after she had been abducted and assured her that Rama with his army of monkeys will come to Lanka, annihilate Ravana and release her in full honour. As an identification Hanuman handed over a ring Rama had given with a direction to be handed over to Seetha as an insignia if and when Seetha was found. Seetha in turn handed over to Hanuman the Choodamani, a head ornament of hers to be presented to Rama on Hanuman's return. Seeing the affluence of the enemy kingdom and with the idea of wreaking as much destruction to Lanka as possible Hanuman started destroying the gates of the garden and the favourite trees and plants. The army of Ravana was deployed to counter the ferocious monkey. Hanuman first destroyed the army with five full generals in command and killed them entirely including the five generals. Then another army was deplooyed with the seven illustrious sons of Ravana's ministers in command. It did not take much time for Anjaneya to finish off all the seven along with the army. Then Ravana's son Akshakumara came to fight with the divine monkey and was not only killed by Hanumaan but also practically mashed to pulp. Then came Indrajit the eldest son of Ravana. By this time Hanuman knew that it was time for him to meet Ravana and deliver a warning message to him. So when Indrajit sent the Brahmaastra on Lord Anjaneya, even though he knew that by the blessing of Brahma himself the weapon would not bind him, he submitted to the Asthra out of respect for the Pitaamaha. Aanjaneya was taken to the court of Ravana, and there he announced to Ravana that he had purchased death for himself and annihilation to his clan by abducting Maatha Seetha. The enraged Ravana wanted to put Hanuman to death but was adviced by his counsels that a messenger should never be killed. So it was decided to deform the monkey by putting fire to his tail. When his tail was lit by agni, Lord Anjaneya did not feel any pain because of His own divine nature and also because of the prayers of Seetha. He used the fire for the best purpose. He placed his burning tail on all the buildings and storehouses and army camps in Lanka and the whole Lanka except Ashokavana was like a towering inferno. After seeing the best of Lanka being gobbled up by fire, Hanuman doused the fire in the Bay of Bengal and jumped back to India, His mission successful. The monkeys led by Anjaneya jumped back to Kishkinda and Hanuman, after paying respects to Rama and after doing clockwise circumambulation (pradakshinam) to him announced him that He had seen Seetha in Lanka.
This is the most glorious part of Ramaayanam where it is proved beyond doubt that there is no one ever born to emulate the great Anjaneya.
ततोऽगर्जद्धरिवरः सुग्रीवो हेमपिङ्गलः। तेन नादेन महता निर्जगाम हरीश्वरः॥६८॥
अनुमान्य तदा तारां सुग्रीवेण समागतः। निजघान च तत्रैनं शरेणैकेन राघवः॥६९॥
ततः सुग्रीववचनाद्धत्वा वालिनमाहवे। सुग्रीवमेव तद्राज्ये राघवः प्रत्यपादयत्॥७०
स च सर्वान् समानीय वानरान् वानरर्षभः। दिशः प्रस्थापयामास दिदृक्षुर्जनकात्मजां॥७१
ततो गृध्रस्य वचनात् सम्पातेर्हनुमान् बली॥ शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं पुप्ळुवे लवणार्णवं॥७२॥
तत्र लङ्काम् समासाध्य पुरीं रावणपालितां। ददर्श सीतां ध्यायन्तीमशोकवनिकां गतां।७३
निवेदयित्वाभिज्ञानं प्रवृत्तिं विनिवेद्य च। समाश्वास्य च वैदेहीं मर्दयामास तोरणं॥७४॥
पञ्च सेनाग्रगान् हत्वा सप्त मन्त्रिसुतानपि। शूरमक्षं च निष्पिष्य ग्रहणं समुपागमत्॥७५॥
अस्त्रेनोन्मुक्तमात्मानं ज्ञात्व पैतामहात् वरात्। मर्षयन् राक्षसान् वीरो यन्त्रिणस्तान् यदृच्छया॥७६॥
ततो दग्ध्वा पुरीम् लङ्कामृते सीतां च मैथिलीं। रामाय प्रियमाख्यातुं पुनरायान्महाकपिः॥७७॥
सोऽभिगम्य महात्मानं कृत्वा रामं प्रदक्षिणं। न्यवेदयदमेयात्मा दृष्टा सीतेति तत्त्वतः॥७८॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे अध्यायः --१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे सहसीतं न्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
tataH priitamanaastena vishwastaH sa mahaakapiH. kiSkindhaaM raamasahito jagaama cha guhaaM tadaa..67..
tato.agarjaddharivaraH sugriivo hemapi~NgalaH. tena naadena mahataa nirjagaama hariishwaraH..68..
anumaanya tadaa taaraaM sugriiveNa samaagataH. nijaghaana cha tatrainaM shareNaikena raaghavaH..69..
tataH sugriivavachanaaddhatwaa vaalinamaahave. sugriivameva tadraajye raaghavaH pratyapaadayat..70
sa cha sarvaan samaaniiya vaanaraan vaanararSabhaH. dishaH prasthaapayaamaasa didR^ikSurjanakaatmajaaM ..71
tato gR^idhrasya vachanaat sampaaterhanumaan balii.. shatayojanavistiirNaM pupLuve lavaNaarNavaM..72..
tatra la~Nkaam samaasaadhya puriiM raavaNapaalitaaM. dadarsha siitaaM dhyaayantiimashokavanikaaM gataaM.73
nivedayitwaabhij~naanaM pravR^ittiM vinivedya cha. samaashwaasya cha vaidehiiM mardayaamaasa toraNaM..74..
pa~ncha senaagragaan hatwaa sapta mantrisutaanapi. shuuramakSaM cha niSpiSya grahaNaM samupaagamat..75..
astrenonmuktamaatmaanaM j~naatwa paitaamahaat varaat. marSayan raakSasaan viiro yantriNastaan yadR^ichchhayaa..76..
tato dagdhwaa puriim la~NkaamR^ite siitaaM cha maithiliiM. raamaaya priyamaakhyaatuM punaraayaanmahaakapiH..77..
so.abhigamya mahaatmaanaM kR^itwaa raamaM pradakSiNaM. nyavedayadameyaatmaa dR^iSTaa siiteti tattwataH..78..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavye baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH --1-..
The story of Rama as narrated by sage Naarada to Vaalmiki continues. Sugriiva, being skeptical of the strength of Rama was convinced of his prowess from the way he handled the skeleton of Dundubhi and the seven palmyrah trees. Now confident of defeating Vaali, Sugreeva proceded to Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys built like a cave in the midst of mountains, in the company of Rama and Lakshmana. He let out a war cry standing at the gates of Kishkinda. Vaali came out to see the disturbance. His wife Thara also accompanied him. Thara, having heard of the prowess of Rama and now seeing him in person had a hunch that He was lord Narayana himself. She requested Vaali not to fight with Sugreeva as he was under the protection of the great Rama. Vaali ignored her and engaged himself in a mortal combat with Sugriiva. Rama slayed Vaali with a single arrow. After convincing the great Vaali that he had committed grave sins in torturing his brother and forcibly taking away his wife and that he has been punished with death for that, Rama honoured the death of Vaali and then installed Sugreeva as the king of Kishkinda. Sugriiva, in good time, mustered all his lieutenants and sent them out in all directions to search for Seetha. The strongest team was sent in the southern direction and it was led by the crown prince Angada and consisted of the greats like Hanuman, Jaambavaan etc. The team reached the southern tip of India but could not find Seetha anywhere. Sugreeva's order was that Seetha should be found out within a month if any team returned empty handed the punishment awaiting them was death. So the monkey team of the south decided to lie down in the beaches of Bay of Bengal and starve to death. They decided that they would discuss the story of Rama while lying down there. A huge falcon named Sampaathi, the elder brother of Jataayu was perched in a tree nearby. First he cast his eyes on the monkeys who were lying awaiting death, in eager anticipation that he would have sumptuous food in the near future. But then he listened to the story of Rama, and the narration of abduction of Seetha by Ravana, and the heroic martyrdom of Jataayu.. He was struck with grief on hearing the tidings of the death of his darling younger brother, and his burnt and ematiated wings came to life on hearing the story of Rama. He consoled the monkeys and soared high into the air..With his keen eyes he could see the city of Lanka and also could have a glimpse of Seetha held in captivity in Lanka by Ravana. Hearing this the monkeys were overjoyed. But then came the question as to how to reach Lanka. Every monkey including the prince Angada were at a loss as to what to do further. Then the wise Jaambavaan, the boar, remembered the story of Aanjaneya. The Lord was born from the power of Lord Shiva himself carried through the god of wind to the womb of Anjana.. The great Lord when He was born was very virulent and jumped at the sun to eat it up thinking that it was a fruit. Indra hit the child with his vajraayudha and felled him. Angered at the misfotune of his son the god of winds just stopped working. In a bid to please him all the gods worked in unison and revived the child and blessed him with immortality and great powers. Even Brahmadeva had blessed that the missile brahmaastra, the most potent weapon in those days, would not bind him or cause him death. The chin of the child had been slightly deformed because of the impact of Vajraayudha and therefore the child was named Hanuman. He was a naughty child and once he disturbed some sages doing penance in the southern mountains and the angry hermits had cursed him that he would forget all about his valour.. The release from the curse would come when he was reminded of his powers by his colleagues at the proper time. The great dynamite was remaining quiet in the company fo Sugriva till now only because of the unfortunate curse. Now that Hanuman was reminded of his past by the great Jambavaan He regained all His prowess and volunteered to jump over the salty oceans and go to the island Lanka 100 yojanas away and meet Seetha. Accordingly he did jump over to Lanka in a single leap and the greatest story of intelligence and endeavour by a single living being ever is unravelled in the Sunadarakaandam of Raamaayanam. In Lanka, he met Seetha sitting as if in penance in a garden named Ashokavanam and recounted to her the story of Rama after she had been abducted and assured her that Rama with his army of monkeys will come to Lanka, annihilate Ravana and release her in full honour. As an identification Hanuman handed over a ring Rama had given with a direction to be handed over to Seetha as an insignia if and when Seetha was found. Seetha in turn handed over to Hanuman the Choodamani, a head ornament of hers to be presented to Rama on Hanuman's return. Seeing the affluence of the enemy kingdom and with the idea of wreaking as much destruction to Lanka as possible Hanuman started destroying the gates of the garden and the favourite trees and plants. The army of Ravana was deployed to counter the ferocious monkey. Hanuman first destroyed the army with five full generals in command and killed them entirely including the five generals. Then another army was deplooyed with the seven illustrious sons of Ravana's ministers in command. It did not take much time for Anjaneya to finish off all the seven along with the army. Then Ravana's son Akshakumara came to fight with the divine monkey and was not only killed by Hanumaan but also practically mashed to pulp. Then came Indrajit the eldest son of Ravana. By this time Hanuman knew that it was time for him to meet Ravana and deliver a warning message to him. So when Indrajit sent the Brahmaastra on Lord Anjaneya, even though he knew that by the blessing of Brahma himself the weapon would not bind him, he submitted to the Asthra out of respect for the Pitaamaha. Aanjaneya was taken to the court of Ravana, and there he announced to Ravana that he had purchased death for himself and annihilation to his clan by abducting Maatha Seetha. The enraged Ravana wanted to put Hanuman to death but was adviced by his counsels that a messenger should never be killed. So it was decided to deform the monkey by putting fire to his tail. When his tail was lit by agni, Lord Anjaneya did not feel any pain because of His own divine nature and also because of the prayers of Seetha. He used the fire for the best purpose. He placed his burning tail on all the buildings and storehouses and army camps in Lanka and the whole Lanka except Ashokavana was like a towering inferno. After seeing the best of Lanka being gobbled up by fire, Hanuman doused the fire in the Bay of Bengal and jumped back to India, His mission successful. The monkeys led by Anjaneya jumped back to Kishkinda and Hanuman, after paying respects to Rama and after doing clockwise circumambulation (pradakshinam) to him announced him that He had seen Seetha in Lanka.
This is the most glorious part of Ramaayanam where it is proved beyond doubt that there is no one ever born to emulate the great Anjaneya.
--
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
meeting of the two titans
meeting of the two titans
न विरोधो बलवता क्षमो रावण तेन ते। अनादृत्य तु तद्वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः॥५१
जगाम सहमारीचस्तस्याश्रमपदं तदा। तेन मायाविना दूरवपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ॥५२॥
जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषं। गृध्रं च निहतं दृष्ट्वा हृताम् श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीं॥५३
राघवः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः। ततस्तेनैव शोकेन गृध्रं दग्ध्वा जटायुषं॥५४॥
मार्गमाणो वने सीतां राक्षसं संददर्श ह। कबन्धं नाम रूपेण विकृतं घोरदर्शनं॥५५॥
तं निहत्यमहाबाहुर्ददाह स्वर्गतश्च सः। स चास्य कथयामास शबरीं धर्मचारिणीम्॥५६॥
श्रमणां धर्मनिपुणामभिगच्छेति राघवः। सोऽभ्यगच्छन्महातेजाः शबरीं शत्रुसूदनः॥५७
शबर्या पूजितः सम्यग् रामो दशरथात्मजः। पम्पातीरे हनूमता सङ्गतो वानरेण ह॥५८॥
हनूमद्वचनाच्चैव सुग्रीवेण समागतः। सुग्रीवाय च तत्सर्वम् शंशद्रामो महाबलः॥५९॥
आदितश्च यदा वृत्तं सीतायाश्च विशेषतः। सुग्रीवश्चापि तत्सर्वं श्रुत्वा रामस्य वानरः॥६०॥
चकार सख्यं रामेण प्रीतश्चैवाग्निसाक्षिकं। ततो वानरराजेन वैरानुकथनं प्रति॥६१॥
रामायावेदितं सर्वं प्रणयात् दुःखितेन च। प्रतिज्ञातम् च रामेण तदा बालिवधं प्रति॥६२॥
बालिनश्च बलं तत्र कथयामास वानरः। सुग्रीवः शङ्गितश्चासीन्नित्यं वीर्येण राघवे॥६३॥
राघवप्रत्ययार्थं तु दुन्दुभेः कायमुत्तमं। दर्शयामास सुग्रीवो महापर्वतसंनिभं॥६४॥
उत्स्मयित्वा महाबाहुः प्रेक्ष्य चस्थि महाबलः। पादाङ्गुष्ठेन चिक्षेप संपूर्णं दशयोजनं॥६५॥
बिभेद च पुन्स्तालान् सप्तैकेन महेषुणा। गिरिं रसातलम् चैव जनयन् प्रत्ययं तदा॥६६॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे बालकाण्डे अध्यायः -१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
na virodho balavataa kSamo raavaNa tena te. anaadR^itya tu tadvaakyaM raavaNaH kaalachoditaH..51
jagaama sahamaariichastasyaashramapadaM tadaa. tena maayaavinaa duuravapavaahya nR^ipaatmajau..52..
jahaara bhaaryaaM raamasya gR^idhraM hatwaa jaTaayuSaM. gR^idhraM cha nihataM dR^iSTwaa hR^itaam shrutwaa cha maithiliiM..53
raaghavaH shokasaMtapto vilalaapaakulendriyaH. tatastenaiva shokena gR^idhraM dagdhwaa jaTaayuSaM..54..
maargamaaNo vane siitaaM raakSasaM saMdadarsha ha. kabandhaM naama ruupeNa vikR^itaM ghoradarshanaM..55..
taM nihatyamahaabaahurdadaaha swargatashcha saH. sa chaasya kathayaamaasa shabariiM dharmachaariNiim..56..
shramaNaaM dharmanipuNaamabhigachchheti raaghavaH. so.abhyagachchhanmahaatejaaH shabariiM shatrusuudanaH..57
shabaryaa puujitaH samyag raamo dasharathaatmajaH. pampaatiire hanuumataa sa~Ngato vaanareNa ha..58..
hanuumadvachanaachchaiva sugriiveNa samaagataH. sugriivaaya cha tatsarvam shaMshadraamo mahaabalaH..59..
aaditashcha yadaa vR^ittaM siitaayaashcha visheSataH. sugriivashchaapi tatsarvaM shrutwaa raamasya vaanaraH..60..
chakaara sakhyaM raameNa priitashchaivaagnisaakSikaM. tato vaanararaajena vairaanukathanaM prati..61..
raamaayaaveditaM sarvaM praNayaat duHkhitena cha. pratij~naatam cha raameNa tadaa baalivadhaM prati..62..
baalinashcha balaM tatra kathayaamaasa vaanaraH. sugriivaH sha~NgitashchaasiinnityaM viiryeNa raaghave..63..
raaghavapratyayaarthaM tu dundubheH kaayamuttamaM. darshayaamaasa sugriivo mahaaparvatasaMnibhaM..64..
utsmayitwaa mahaabaahuH prekSya chasthi mahaabalaH. paadaa~NguSThena chikSepa saMpuurNaM dashayojanaM..65..
bibheda cha punstaalaan saptaikena maheSuNaa. giriM rasaatalam chaiva janayan pratyayaM tadaa..66..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH -1-..
The previous section saw Rama conquering fourteen thousand warriors with Khara, Dooshana and Trishiras in the vanguard.
The leader of the rakshasaas and the monarch of Lanka, Ravana, hearing about the disaster to his kin, decided to wreak venegeance on Rama and sought the help of his maternal uncle
Mareecha who was a master at deception.
Maariicha knew about the valour of Rama and cautioned Ravana against attracting Rama's wrath.
Ravana ignored Maariicha's advice and forcibly took him for company and went near the hut of Rama.
Maaricha was forcibly employed to take the guise of a golden antelope and go near the abode of Rama, and Seetha, on seeing the antelope got attracted to it and requested Rama to capture the animal for her.
Rama went in pursuit of the deer and was led to far off distances by the wily Maaricha.
Finally the demon was felled by Rama's arrow but at the time of death he cried out , "Lakshmana, Seetha, I am in danger" mimicking the voice of Rama.
Seetha believed that Rama was in real danger and forced Lakshmana to run for the rescue of his elder brother.
When Seetha was alone, Ravana disguised himself as a mendicant sage and when Seetha went near him to receive him believing that he was a hermit, captured Seetha and tried to fly away to Lanka in his Pushpaka Vimaanam.
The elderly falcon, Jataayu, an old friend of Dasaratha, attacked Ravana in the air, but was cut down and injured mortally by the sword of Ravana..
Rama came back to the hut and saw the falcon on the throes of death and found Seetha missing.
Jatayu was alive just to inform about the abduction of Seetha by Ravana.
Rama performed the last rites of the falcon and utterly desolate, wandered round the forest in search of Sita.
Deep in the forest he saw an ogre which had only torso, named Kabandha, and slayed him.
The Kabandha was a celestial being and got its deliverance from a curse on being killed and burned by Rama.
While returning to heaven, Kabandha requested Rama to visit a pious hermitess name Sabari.. Taking the advice of Kabhanda, Rama visited Sabari, living in the Ashram of sage Matanga, near the Rishyamooka hills.
While proceeding further after being offered devoted worship by the blemishless Sabari, Rama happened to see a monkey named Hanuman..
(Maybe this is one of the greatest encounters between two godheads that could ever have happened).
Hanuman led Rama (and Lakhmana) to Sugriva, the exiled brother of the king of monkeys, Vaali.
Rama narrated to Sugriva all that had happened culminating in the abduction of Seetha. Sugriva was prepared to help Rama and the two cemented their friendship in the presence of fire as witness.
Sugriva then narrated his own tale of misery..
He was exiled by his elder brother Vaali from Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys.
Vaali had also forcibly taken Sugriva's wife Ruma.
The enmity between the brothers arose like this.
Vaali was once having a very long duel with the mighty demon Dundhubhi. During the fight the two had entered a cave and Vaali had instructed Sugriva to close the entrance of the cave and wait for his return.
Sugriva waited for months but there was nothing to be heard of Vaali. Once he saw blood oozing out of the closed cave and believed that Vaali had died.
So Sugriva went back to Kishkinda and made himself the King.
After very long fight with Dundhubi, Vaali emerged victorious in the end and throwing out the caracass of Dundubhi, came back to Kishkinda in triumph.
When he found that Sugriva had occupied his throne, he became enraged and the powerful elder brother chased out Sugriva in a bid to finish him off.
Sugriva knew that Vaali was prohibited by a curse from climbing the Rishyamooka hills and hence retreated to these hills along with some of his most faithful ministers like Hanuman and Jambavaan.
Sugriva extracted the promise from Rama that he would kill Vaali and restore Kishkinda to Sugriva in return to his help to gain back the abducted Seetha.
However Sugreeva was skeptical about the prowess of Rama to vanquish Vaali, and as if to test him, showed him the huge skeleton of the demon Dundubhi.
Rama smiled slightly and just nudged the huge skeleton with his big toe and the skeleton flew away a full ten yojanaas (yojana is the indian measure of distance...the distance that could be covered by a bullock cart in a day's time..and there are different views placing one yojana at five to eight kilometers).
In addition Rama also razed to earth seven huge palmyrah trees with one arrow and the impact was so huge that the hillocks nearby as well as the nether worlds upto Rasaathala trembled in unison.
Some of the incidents narrated above are not covered by the slokas above but are availble in detail in other parts of Ramayanam.
These have been referred to briefly only to give continuity to the narrative.
The most significant incident in this part of the story is the meeting of the two titans Rama and Hanuman.
न विरोधो बलवता क्षमो रावण तेन ते। अनादृत्य तु तद्वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः॥५१
जगाम सहमारीचस्तस्याश्रमपदं तदा। तेन मायाविना दूरवपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ॥५२॥
जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषं। गृध्रं च निहतं दृष्ट्वा हृताम् श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीं॥५३
राघवः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः। ततस्तेनैव शोकेन गृध्रं दग्ध्वा जटायुषं॥५४॥
मार्गमाणो वने सीतां राक्षसं संददर्श ह। कबन्धं नाम रूपेण विकृतं घोरदर्शनं॥५५॥
तं निहत्यमहाबाहुर्ददाह स्वर्गतश्च सः। स चास्य कथयामास शबरीं धर्मचारिणीम्॥५६॥
श्रमणां धर्मनिपुणामभिगच्छेति राघवः। सोऽभ्यगच्छन्महातेजाः शबरीं शत्रुसूदनः॥५७
शबर्या पूजितः सम्यग् रामो दशरथात्मजः। पम्पातीरे हनूमता सङ्गतो वानरेण ह॥५८॥
हनूमद्वचनाच्चैव सुग्रीवेण समागतः। सुग्रीवाय च तत्सर्वम् शंशद्रामो महाबलः॥५९॥
आदितश्च यदा वृत्तं सीतायाश्च विशेषतः। सुग्रीवश्चापि तत्सर्वं श्रुत्वा रामस्य वानरः॥६०॥
चकार सख्यं रामेण प्रीतश्चैवाग्निसाक्षिकं। ततो वानरराजेन वैरानुकथनं प्रति॥६१॥
रामायावेदितं सर्वं प्रणयात् दुःखितेन च। प्रतिज्ञातम् च रामेण तदा बालिवधं प्रति॥६२॥
बालिनश्च बलं तत्र कथयामास वानरः। सुग्रीवः शङ्गितश्चासीन्नित्यं वीर्येण राघवे॥६३॥
राघवप्रत्ययार्थं तु दुन्दुभेः कायमुत्तमं। दर्शयामास सुग्रीवो महापर्वतसंनिभं॥६४॥
उत्स्मयित्वा महाबाहुः प्रेक्ष्य चस्थि महाबलः। पादाङ्गुष्ठेन चिक्षेप संपूर्णं दशयोजनं॥६५॥
बिभेद च पुन्स्तालान् सप्तैकेन महेषुणा। गिरिं रसातलम् चैव जनयन् प्रत्ययं तदा॥६६॥
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे बालकाण्डे अध्यायः -१-॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणैः सह I रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
na virodho balavataa kSamo raavaNa tena te. anaadR^itya tu tadvaakyaM raavaNaH kaalachoditaH..51
jagaama sahamaariichastasyaashramapadaM tadaa. tena maayaavinaa duuravapavaahya nR^ipaatmajau..52..
jahaara bhaaryaaM raamasya gR^idhraM hatwaa jaTaayuSaM. gR^idhraM cha nihataM dR^iSTwaa hR^itaam shrutwaa cha maithiliiM..53
raaghavaH shokasaMtapto vilalaapaakulendriyaH. tatastenaiva shokena gR^idhraM dagdhwaa jaTaayuSaM..54..
maargamaaNo vane siitaaM raakSasaM saMdadarsha ha. kabandhaM naama ruupeNa vikR^itaM ghoradarshanaM..55..
taM nihatyamahaabaahurdadaaha swargatashcha saH. sa chaasya kathayaamaasa shabariiM dharmachaariNiim..56..
shramaNaaM dharmanipuNaamabhigachchheti raaghavaH. so.abhyagachchhanmahaatejaaH shabariiM shatrusuudanaH..57
shabaryaa puujitaH samyag raamo dasharathaatmajaH. pampaatiire hanuumataa sa~Ngato vaanareNa ha..58..
hanuumadvachanaachchaiva sugriiveNa samaagataH. sugriivaaya cha tatsarvam shaMshadraamo mahaabalaH..59..
aaditashcha yadaa vR^ittaM siitaayaashcha visheSataH. sugriivashchaapi tatsarvaM shrutwaa raamasya vaanaraH..60..
chakaara sakhyaM raameNa priitashchaivaagnisaakSikaM. tato vaanararaajena vairaanukathanaM prati..61..
raamaayaaveditaM sarvaM praNayaat duHkhitena cha. pratij~naatam cha raameNa tadaa baalivadhaM prati..62..
baalinashcha balaM tatra kathayaamaasa vaanaraH. sugriivaH sha~NgitashchaasiinnityaM viiryeNa raaghave..63..
raaghavapratyayaarthaM tu dundubheH kaayamuttamaM. darshayaamaasa sugriivo mahaaparvatasaMnibhaM..64..
utsmayitwaa mahaabaahuH prekSya chasthi mahaabalaH. paadaa~NguSThena chikSepa saMpuurNaM dashayojanaM..65..
bibheda cha punstaalaan saptaikena maheSuNaa. giriM rasaatalam chaiva janayan pratyayaM tadaa..66..
..shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe baalakaaNDe adhyaayaH -1-..
The previous section saw Rama conquering fourteen thousand warriors with Khara, Dooshana and Trishiras in the vanguard.
The leader of the rakshasaas and the monarch of Lanka, Ravana, hearing about the disaster to his kin, decided to wreak venegeance on Rama and sought the help of his maternal uncle
Mareecha who was a master at deception.
Maariicha knew about the valour of Rama and cautioned Ravana against attracting Rama's wrath.
Ravana ignored Maariicha's advice and forcibly took him for company and went near the hut of Rama.
Maaricha was forcibly employed to take the guise of a golden antelope and go near the abode of Rama, and Seetha, on seeing the antelope got attracted to it and requested Rama to capture the animal for her.
Rama went in pursuit of the deer and was led to far off distances by the wily Maaricha.
Finally the demon was felled by Rama's arrow but at the time of death he cried out , "Lakshmana, Seetha, I am in danger" mimicking the voice of Rama.
Seetha believed that Rama was in real danger and forced Lakshmana to run for the rescue of his elder brother.
When Seetha was alone, Ravana disguised himself as a mendicant sage and when Seetha went near him to receive him believing that he was a hermit, captured Seetha and tried to fly away to Lanka in his Pushpaka Vimaanam.
The elderly falcon, Jataayu, an old friend of Dasaratha, attacked Ravana in the air, but was cut down and injured mortally by the sword of Ravana..
Rama came back to the hut and saw the falcon on the throes of death and found Seetha missing.
Jatayu was alive just to inform about the abduction of Seetha by Ravana.
Rama performed the last rites of the falcon and utterly desolate, wandered round the forest in search of Sita.
Deep in the forest he saw an ogre which had only torso, named Kabandha, and slayed him.
The Kabandha was a celestial being and got its deliverance from a curse on being killed and burned by Rama.
While returning to heaven, Kabandha requested Rama to visit a pious hermitess name Sabari.. Taking the advice of Kabhanda, Rama visited Sabari, living in the Ashram of sage Matanga, near the Rishyamooka hills.
While proceeding further after being offered devoted worship by the blemishless Sabari, Rama happened to see a monkey named Hanuman..
(Maybe this is one of the greatest encounters between two godheads that could ever have happened).
Hanuman led Rama (and Lakhmana) to Sugriva, the exiled brother of the king of monkeys, Vaali.
Rama narrated to Sugriva all that had happened culminating in the abduction of Seetha. Sugriva was prepared to help Rama and the two cemented their friendship in the presence of fire as witness.
Sugriva then narrated his own tale of misery..
He was exiled by his elder brother Vaali from Kishkinda, the kingdom of monkeys.
Vaali had also forcibly taken Sugriva's wife Ruma.
The enmity between the brothers arose like this.
Vaali was once having a very long duel with the mighty demon Dundhubhi. During the fight the two had entered a cave and Vaali had instructed Sugriva to close the entrance of the cave and wait for his return.
Sugriva waited for months but there was nothing to be heard of Vaali. Once he saw blood oozing out of the closed cave and believed that Vaali had died.
So Sugriva went back to Kishkinda and made himself the King.
After very long fight with Dundhubi, Vaali emerged victorious in the end and throwing out the caracass of Dundubhi, came back to Kishkinda in triumph.
When he found that Sugriva had occupied his throne, he became enraged and the powerful elder brother chased out Sugriva in a bid to finish him off.
Sugriva knew that Vaali was prohibited by a curse from climbing the Rishyamooka hills and hence retreated to these hills along with some of his most faithful ministers like Hanuman and Jambavaan.
Sugriva extracted the promise from Rama that he would kill Vaali and restore Kishkinda to Sugriva in return to his help to gain back the abducted Seetha.
However Sugreeva was skeptical about the prowess of Rama to vanquish Vaali, and as if to test him, showed him the huge skeleton of the demon Dundubhi.
Rama smiled slightly and just nudged the huge skeleton with his big toe and the skeleton flew away a full ten yojanaas (yojana is the indian measure of distance...the distance that could be covered by a bullock cart in a day's time..and there are different views placing one yojana at five to eight kilometers).
In addition Rama also razed to earth seven huge palmyrah trees with one arrow and the impact was so huge that the hillocks nearby as well as the nether worlds upto Rasaathala trembled in unison.
Some of the incidents narrated above are not covered by the slokas above but are availble in detail in other parts of Ramayanam.
These have been referred to briefly only to give continuity to the narrative.
The most significant incident in this part of the story is the meeting of the two titans Rama and Hanuman.
--
Monday, August 08, 2011
one warrior against fourteen thousand demons
गते तु भरते श्रीमान् सत्यसंधो जितेन्द्रियः॥३९॥
रामस्तु पुनरालक्ष्य नागरस्य जनस्य च। तत्रागमनेकाग्रो दण्डकान् प्रविवेश ह॥४०॥
प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं रामो राजीवलोचनः। विराधं राक्षसं हत्वा शरभङ्गं ददर्श ह॥४१॥
सुतीक्ष्णं चाप्यगस्त्यं च अगस्त्यभ्रातरं तथा। अगस्त्यवचनाच्चैव जग्राहैन्द्रं शरासनं॥४२॥
खड्गं च परमप्रीतस्तूणी चाक्षरसायकौ। वसतस्तस्य रामस्य वने वनचरैः सह॥४३
ऋषयोऽभ्यागमन् सर्वे वधायासुररक्षसां। स तेषां प्रतिशुश्राव राक्षसानाम् तदा वने॥४४॥
प्रतिज्ञातश्च रामेण वधः संयति रक्षसां। ऋषीणामग्निकल्पानां दण्डकारण्यवासिनां॥४५॥
तेन तत्रेव वसतः जनस्थाननिवासिनी। विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी॥४६॥
ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यादुध्युक्तान् सर्वराक्षसान्। खरं त्रिशिरसं चैव दूषणम् चैव राक्षसं॥४७॥
निजघान रणे रामस्तेषां चैव पदानुगान्। वने तस्मिन् निवसता जनस्थाननिवासिनां॥४८
रक्षसां निहतान्यासन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। ततो ज्ञातिवधं श्रुत्वा रावणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः॥४९
सहायं वरयामास मारीचं नाम राक्षसं। वार्यमाणः सुबहुशो मारीचेन स रावणः॥५०
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्य बालकान्डे अध्यायः॥१॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मनैः सहI रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
gate tu bharate shriimaan satyasaMdho jitendriyaH..39..
raamastu punaraalakSya naagarasya janasya cha.tatraagamanekaagro daNDakaan pravivesha ha..40..
pravishya tu mahaaraNyaM raamo raajiivalochanaH. viraadhaM raakSasaM hatwaa sharabha~NgaM dadarsha ha..41..
sutiikSNaM chaapyagastyaM cha agastyabhraataraM tathaa.agastyavachanaachchaiva jagraahaindraM sharaasanaM..42..
khaDgaM cha paramapriitastuuNii chaakSarasaayakau.vasatastasya raamasya vane vanacharaiH saha..43
R^iSayo.abhyaagaman sarve vadhaayaasurarakSasaaM.sa teSaaM pratishushraava raakSasaanaam tadaa vane..44..
pratij~naatashcha raameNa vadhaH saMyati rakSasaaM.R^iSiiNaamagnikalpaanaaM daNDakaaraNyavaasinaaM..45..
tena tatreva vasataH janasthaananivaasinii.viruupitaa shuurpaNakhaa raakSasii kaamaruupiNii..46..
tataH shuurpaNakhaavaakyaadudhyuktaan sarvaraakSasaan.kharaM trishirasaM chaiva duuSaNam chaiva raakSasaM..47..
nijaghaana raNe raamasteSaaM chaiva padaanugaan.vane tasmin nivasataa janasthaananivaasinaaM..48
rakSasaaM nihataanyaasan sahasraaNi chaturdasha.tato j~naativadhaM shrutwaa raavaNaH krodhamuurchchhitaH..49
sahaayaM varayaamaasa maariichaM naama raakSasaM.vaaryamaaNaH subahusho maariichena sa raavaNaH..50
shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavya baalakaanDe adhyaayaH ..1..
tataH sa prayato vR^iddho vasiSTho braahmanaiH saha raamaM ratnamaye piiThe sasiitaM saMnyaveshayat..
vasisTho vaamadevashcha jaabaaliratha kaashyapaH.kaatyaayanaH suyaj~nashcha gautamo vijayastathaa.
abyaSi~njannaravyaaghraM prasannena sugandhinaa. salilena sahasraakSaM vasavo vaasavaM yatha..
After Bharatha and the ministers left along with the citizens of Ayodhya, Rama thought that he would be accessible to them if he remained in chitrakuuta and there could be more visits and keen on keeping the promise given to his father Rama did not want to have such visits. Hence the lotus eyed Rama proceeded further south into the deep Dandaka Forests . He slayed the ogre Viraadha in his way. In Dandakaaranya he met great sages Sharabhanga, Sutheekshna, Agastya and his brother Idhmavaahana. As desired by the great Sage Agastya Rama received from him a bow, a sword and a pair of quivers which would always carry inexhaustible number of arrows. The weapons were earlier given to Agastya by the lord of heaven, Indra. All the great sages living in the forest paid visits to Rama and reported to him about the atrocities perpetrated by the demons and ogres living around them and in the nearby Janastaana. Rama gave a promise to all the sages who were equal to fire in penance, that he would slay all the demons and ogres and bring peace to them. In the meantime a demoness named Shuurpanakha ( who assumed the name because her nails were as large as a winnowing fan) visited Rama in disguise as a beautiful damsel, requesting him to marry her after abandoning Seetha. The amused Rama suggested Laksmana for her and when Lakshmana was approached with her amorous entreaties, at first he tried to drive her away tactfully and when she persisted with the nuisance and started threatening him after assuming her real huge ugly form, Lakshmana had no hesitation in cutting off her nose and breasts and drive her away. The injured Shoorpanakha ran to her brothers Khara, Duushana and Thrisiras who were the chieftains of the demons in Jalastana. They came for a war with Rama and Rama facing them all alone slayed the three demons and also their army consiting of fourteen thousand rakshasaas. The three demons were the cousins of the Strong King of Lanka, Ravana, and on hearing their disaster and the disfigurement of his only sister suurpanakha, the enraged Ravana decided to wreak venegeance on Rama. For executing his combative plans against Rama, Ravana sought the help of his uncle Maareecha. Maareecha had already had very bitter experience with Rama when her mother Thadaga and his brother subhaahu were killed by Rama and Maareecha could escape narrowly alfter a long flight. Mareecha advised Ravana not to purchase trouble from Rama but the advice fell on deaf ears.
(Whenever Ramayana is interrupted, the incident of anointment of Rama as the king of Ayodhya should be recited.. Following the tradition the three slokas from pattahisheka sarga are quoted in the last... When the muhurtham for pattabhishekam arrived, the elderaly Vasishta, followed by other learned people led Rama along with seetha to be seated on a throne made of jewels.. There Vasishta, vaamadeva, jaabali, kashyapa, kaatyaayana, suyajna, gauthama and vijaya, the great sages and ministers of ayodhya, poured holy waters on the royal couple...this resembled the eight vasus performing the abhisheka of the lord of the heaven.. Indra)
रामस्तु पुनरालक्ष्य नागरस्य जनस्य च। तत्रागमनेकाग्रो दण्डकान् प्रविवेश ह॥४०॥
प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं रामो राजीवलोचनः। विराधं राक्षसं हत्वा शरभङ्गं ददर्श ह॥४१॥
सुतीक्ष्णं चाप्यगस्त्यं च अगस्त्यभ्रातरं तथा। अगस्त्यवचनाच्चैव जग्राहैन्द्रं शरासनं॥४२॥
खड्गं च परमप्रीतस्तूणी चाक्षरसायकौ। वसतस्तस्य रामस्य वने वनचरैः सह॥४३
ऋषयोऽभ्यागमन् सर्वे वधायासुररक्षसां। स तेषां प्रतिशुश्राव राक्षसानाम् तदा वने॥४४॥
प्रतिज्ञातश्च रामेण वधः संयति रक्षसां। ऋषीणामग्निकल्पानां दण्डकारण्यवासिनां॥४५॥
तेन तत्रेव वसतः जनस्थाननिवासिनी। विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी॥४६॥
ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यादुध्युक्तान् सर्वराक्षसान्। खरं त्रिशिरसं चैव दूषणम् चैव राक्षसं॥४७॥
निजघान रणे रामस्तेषां चैव पदानुगान्। वने तस्मिन् निवसता जनस्थाननिवासिनां॥४८
रक्षसां निहतान्यासन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। ततो ज्ञातिवधं श्रुत्वा रावणः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः॥४९
सहायं वरयामास मारीचं नाम राक्षसं। वार्यमाणः सुबहुशो मारीचेन स रावणः॥५०
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्य बालकान्डे अध्यायः॥१॥
ततः स प्रयतो वृद्धो वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मनैः सहI रामं रत्नमये पीठे ससीतं संन्यवेशयत्॥
वसिस्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः। कात्यायनः सुयज्ञश्च गौतमो विजयस्तथा।
अब्यषिञ्जन्नरव्याघ्रं प्रसन्नेन सुगन्धिना। सलिलेन सहस्राक्षं वसवो वासवं यथI॥
gate tu bharate shriimaan satyasaMdho jitendriyaH..39..
raamastu punaraalakSya naagarasya janasya cha.tatraagamanekaagro daNDakaan pravivesha ha..40..
pravishya tu mahaaraNyaM raamo raajiivalochanaH. viraadhaM raakSasaM hatwaa sharabha~NgaM dadarsha ha..41..
sutiikSNaM chaapyagastyaM cha agastyabhraataraM tathaa.agastyavachanaachchaiva jagraahaindraM sharaasanaM..42..
khaDgaM cha paramapriitastuuNii chaakSarasaayakau.vasatastasya raamasya vane vanacharaiH saha..43
R^iSayo.abhyaagaman sarve vadhaayaasurarakSasaaM.sa teSaaM pratishushraava raakSasaanaam tadaa vane..44..
pratij~naatashcha raameNa vadhaH saMyati rakSasaaM.R^iSiiNaamagnikalpaanaaM daNDakaaraNyavaasinaaM..45..
tena tatreva vasataH janasthaananivaasinii.viruupitaa shuurpaNakhaa raakSasii kaamaruupiNii..46..
tataH shuurpaNakhaavaakyaadudhyuktaan sarvaraakSasaan.kharaM trishirasaM chaiva duuSaNam chaiva raakSasaM..47..
nijaghaana raNe raamasteSaaM chaiva padaanugaan.vane tasmin nivasataa janasthaananivaasinaaM..48
rakSasaaM nihataanyaasan sahasraaNi chaturdasha.tato j~naativadhaM shrutwaa raavaNaH krodhamuurchchhitaH..49
sahaayaM varayaamaasa maariichaM naama raakSasaM.vaaryamaaNaH subahusho maariichena sa raavaNaH..50
shriimadvaalmiikiiye raamaayaNe aadikaavya baalakaanDe adhyaayaH ..1..
tataH sa prayato vR^iddho vasiSTho braahmanaiH saha raamaM ratnamaye piiThe sasiitaM saMnyaveshayat..
vasisTho vaamadevashcha jaabaaliratha kaashyapaH.kaatyaayanaH suyaj~nashcha gautamo vijayastathaa.
abyaSi~njannaravyaaghraM prasannena sugandhinaa. salilena sahasraakSaM vasavo vaasavaM yatha..
After Bharatha and the ministers left along with the citizens of Ayodhya, Rama thought that he would be accessible to them if he remained in chitrakuuta and there could be more visits and keen on keeping the promise given to his father Rama did not want to have such visits. Hence the lotus eyed Rama proceeded further south into the deep Dandaka Forests . He slayed the ogre Viraadha in his way. In Dandakaaranya he met great sages Sharabhanga, Sutheekshna, Agastya and his brother Idhmavaahana. As desired by the great Sage Agastya Rama received from him a bow, a sword and a pair of quivers which would always carry inexhaustible number of arrows. The weapons were earlier given to Agastya by the lord of heaven, Indra. All the great sages living in the forest paid visits to Rama and reported to him about the atrocities perpetrated by the demons and ogres living around them and in the nearby Janastaana. Rama gave a promise to all the sages who were equal to fire in penance, that he would slay all the demons and ogres and bring peace to them. In the meantime a demoness named Shuurpanakha ( who assumed the name because her nails were as large as a winnowing fan) visited Rama in disguise as a beautiful damsel, requesting him to marry her after abandoning Seetha. The amused Rama suggested Laksmana for her and when Lakshmana was approached with her amorous entreaties, at first he tried to drive her away tactfully and when she persisted with the nuisance and started threatening him after assuming her real huge ugly form, Lakshmana had no hesitation in cutting off her nose and breasts and drive her away. The injured Shoorpanakha ran to her brothers Khara, Duushana and Thrisiras who were the chieftains of the demons in Jalastana. They came for a war with Rama and Rama facing them all alone slayed the three demons and also their army consiting of fourteen thousand rakshasaas. The three demons were the cousins of the Strong King of Lanka, Ravana, and on hearing their disaster and the disfigurement of his only sister suurpanakha, the enraged Ravana decided to wreak venegeance on Rama. For executing his combative plans against Rama, Ravana sought the help of his uncle Maareecha. Maareecha had already had very bitter experience with Rama when her mother Thadaga and his brother subhaahu were killed by Rama and Maareecha could escape narrowly alfter a long flight. Mareecha advised Ravana not to purchase trouble from Rama but the advice fell on deaf ears.
(Whenever Ramayana is interrupted, the incident of anointment of Rama as the king of Ayodhya should be recited.. Following the tradition the three slokas from pattahisheka sarga are quoted in the last... When the muhurtham for pattabhishekam arrived, the elderaly Vasishta, followed by other learned people led Rama along with seetha to be seated on a throne made of jewels.. There Vasishta, vaamadeva, jaabali, kashyapa, kaatyaayana, suyajna, gauthama and vijaya, the great sages and ministers of ayodhya, poured holy waters on the royal couple...this resembled the eight vasus performing the abhisheka of the lord of the heaven.. Indra)
--
।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|
|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|
Sunday, August 07, 2011
the only winner was dharma
तमेवं गुणसंपन्नं रामं सत्यपराक्रमं॥१९॥
ज्येष्ठम् ज्येष्ठगुणैर्युक्तं प्रियं दशरथः सुतं।
प्रकृतीनां हितैर्युक्तं प्रकृतिप्रियकाम्यया॥२०॥
यौवराज्येन संयोक्तुमैच्छत् प्रीत्या महीपतिः।
तस्याभिषेकसंभारान् दृष्ट्व भार्याथ कैकयी॥२१॥
पूर्वम् दत्तवरा देवी वरमेनमयाचत।
विवासनम् च रामस्य भरतस्याभिषेचनं॥२२॥
स सत्यवचनाद् राजा धर्मपाशेन संयतः।
विवासयामास सुतं रामं दशरथः प्रियं॥२३॥
स जगाम वनं वीरः प्रतिज्ञामनुपालयन्।
पितृवचननिर्देशात् कैकेय्याः प्रियकारणात्॥२४॥
तं व्रजन्तं प्रियो भ्राता लक्ष्मणोऽनुजगाम ह।
स्नेहाद् विनयसंपन्नः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः॥२५॥
भ्रातरं दयितो भ्रातुः सौभ्रात्रमुपदर्शयन्।
रामस्य दयिता भार्या नित्यम् प्राणसमा हिता॥२६॥
जनकस्य कुले जाता देवमायेव निर्मिता॥
सर्वलक्षनसंपन्ना नारीणामुत्तमा वधूः॥२७॥
सीताऽप्यनुगता रामं शशिनम् रोहिणी यथा।
पौरैरनुगतो दूरं पित्रा दशरथेन च॥२८॥
शृङ्गवेरपुरे सूतम् गङ्गाकूले व्यसर्जयत्।
गुहमासाध्य धर्मात्मा निषादाधिपतिं प्रियं॥२९॥
गुहेन सहितो रामो लक्ष्मणेन च सीतया।
ते वनेन वनं गत्वा नदींस्तीर्त्वा बहूदकाः॥३०॥
चित्रकूटमनुप्राप्य भरद्वाजस्य शासनात्।
रम्यामावसथं कृत्वा रममाणाः वने त्रयः॥३१
देवगन्धर्वसंकाशास्तत्र ते न्यवसन् सुखं।
चित्रकूटे गते रामे पुत्रशोकातुरस्तदा॥३२
राजा दशरथः स्वर्गं जगाम विलपन् सुतम्।
गते तु तस्मिन् भरतो वसिष्टप्रमुखैर्द्विजैः॥३३॥
नियुज्यमानो राज्याय नैच्छत् राज्यं महाबलः।
स जगाम वनं वीरो रामपादप्रसादकः॥३४॥
गत्वा तु स महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमं।
अयाचद् भ्रातरं रामामार्यभावपुरस्कृतः॥३५॥
त्वमेव राजा धर्मज्ञ इति रामं वचोऽब्रवीत्।
रामोऽपि परमोदारः सुमुखः सुमहायशाः॥३६॥
न चैच्छद् पितुरादेशाद् राज्यं रामो महाबलः।
पादुके चास्य राज्याय न्यासं दत्वा पुनः पुनः॥३७
निवर्तयामास ततो भरतं भरताग्रजः।
स काममनवाप्येव रामपादावुपस्पृशन्॥३८॥
नन्दिग्रामेऽकरोद् राज्यं रामागमनकाङ्ग्क्षया।
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे॥
tamevaṁ guṇasaṁpannaṁ rāmaṁ satyaparākramaṁ||19||
jyeṣṭham jyeṣṭhaguaṇairyuktaṁ priyaṁ daśarathaḥ sutaṁ|
prakṛtīnāṁ hitairyuktaṁ prakṛtipriyakāmyayā||20||
yauvarājyena saṁyoktumaicchat prītyā mahīpatiḥ|
tasyābhiṣekasaṁbhārān dṛṣṭva bhāryātha kaikayī||21||
pūrvam dattavarā devī varamenamayācata|
vivāsanam ca rāmasya bharatasyābhiṣecanaṁ||22||
sa satyavacanād rājā dharmapāśena saṁyataḥ|
vivāsayāmāsa sutaṁ rāmaṁ daśarathaḥ priyaṁ||23||
sa jagāma vanaṁ vīraḥ pratijñāmanupālayan|
pitṛvacananirdeśāt kaikeyyāḥ priyakāraṇāt||24||
taṁ vrajantaṁ priyo bhrātā lakṣmaṇo'nujagāma ha|
snehād vinayasaṁpannaḥ sumitrānandavardhanaḥ||25||
bhrātaraṁ dayito bhrātuḥ saubhrātramupadarśayan|
rāmasya dayitā bhāryā nityam prāṇasamā hitā||26||
janakasya kule jātā devamāyeva nirmitā||
sarvalakṣanasaṁpannā nārīṇāmuttamā vadhūḥ||27||
sītā'pyanugatā rāmaṁ śaśinam rohiṇī yathā|
paurairanugato dūraṁ pitrā daśarathena ca||28||
śṛṅgaverapure sūtam gaṅgākūle vyasarjayat|
guhamāsādhya dharmātmā niṣādādhipatiṁ priyaṁ||29||
guhena sahito rāmo lakṣmaṇena ca sītayā|
te vanena vanaṁ gatvā nadīṁstīrtvā bahūdakāḥ||30||
citrakūṭamanuprāpya bharadvājasya śāsanāt|
ramyāmāvasathaṁ kṛtvā ramamāṇāḥ vane trayaḥ||31
devagandharvasaṁkāśāstatra te nyavasan sukhaṁ|
citrakūṭe gate rāme putraśokāturastadā||32
rājā daśarathaḥ svargaṁ jagāma vilapan sutam|
gate tu tasmin bharato vasiṣṭapramukhairdvijaiḥ||33||
niyujyamāno rājyāya naicchat rājyaṁ mahābalaḥ|
sa jagāma vanaṁ vīro rāmapādaprasādakaḥ||34||
gatvā tu sa mahātmānaṁ rāmaṁ satyaparākramaṁ|
ayācad bhrātaraṁ rāmāmāryabhāvapuraskṛtaḥ||35||
tvameva rājā dharmajña iti rāmaṁ vaco'bravīt|
rāmo'pi paramodāraḥ sumukhaḥ sumahāyaśāḥ||36||
na caicchad piturādeśād rājyaṁ rāmo mahābalaḥ|
pāduke cāsya rājyāya nyāsaṁ datvā punaḥ punaḥ||37
nivartayāmāsa tato bharataṁ bharatāgrajaḥ|
sa kāmamanavāpyeva rāmapādāvupaspṛśan||38||
nandigrāme'karod rājyaṁ rāmāgamanakāṅgkṣayā|
||śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe ādikāvye bālakāṇḍe||
Sage Narada continues his discourse on the story of Rama.
" King Dasartha desired that he should anoint Rama endowed with such great qualities as already described, as the heir-apparent(yuvaraja). Rama was the eldest of Dasaratha's son in age, Bharatha, Lakshmana and Shatrugna following him. Rama was also the tallest in all virtues. He was also the favourite son for the king. And by all means this was the most appropriate decision taken by a king whose highest priority was the welfare of his subjects as Rama was uniformly adored and respected by all the people of Ayodhya. Dasartha had three wives, Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, and Rama was the son of Kausalya, Bharatha's mother was Kaikeyi and Sumitra delivered the twins Laksmana and Shatrugna. When Kaikeyi saw the preparations for the anointment of Rama as the yuvaraja, her ambition to see that her son Bharatha should become the yuvaraja was kindled. Here it must be noted that Bharatha was not availble in Ayodhya at that time. He had gone on a visit to his uncle's kingdom Kekaya, along with Shatrugna. If Bharatha had been present Ramayana would not have proceeded any further. Kaikeyi had once saved the life of her husband Dasaratha by preventing a wheel of a chariot from dislocating itself causing fatal results while he was fighting a war with Shambaraasura and then Dasaratha had granted her two boons which she had deferred to execute. But now to win the kingdom for her son she exercised her option by demanding the king that Bharatha should become the yuvaraja and Rama should be exiled. The king who was bound by dharma and his promise was left with no option other than asking Rama to abdicate and proceed to the forest. Without any protest and eager to fulfil the promise of his father and doing a nice turn to his stepmother, Rama decided to undertake the life in forest for fourteen years. Rama's dearest brother and the source of all happiness to Sumitra, Lakshmana could not think of a life other than in the company of Rama and as a role-model for brotherly affection, he also decided to accompany Rama wherever he went. Seetha the consort of Rama and for whom Rama was dear to her even more than her own life also had no hesitation in accompanying him to forest..Seetha was the perfect woman, with all the elements of beauty endowed to her in abundance as if she was created by the artists of the Gods themselves, and she was the noblest in her character and she was the ideal wife to the inimitable Rama. The celestial star Rohini, the favourite wife of Moon always seeks the company of the Moon and Seetha was similar to that in her devotion to Rama. Rama in the company of Seetha and Lakshmana set out for forest and was accompanied by the king Dasaratha and all the subjects of Ayodhya in grief, for a long distance. They were persuaded to return to Ayodhya, and Sumanthra (the sootha and charioteer) took the three to the banks of Ganga where the town Sringivera (puram) was situated. Rama met his longtime friend and the chief of Nishadas (a hunter community) Guha and with his help crossed the Ganga and entered the forest. The threesome walked long distances from forest to forest and crossed many rivers filled with water and reached the hermitage of sage Bharadhwaaja. As per the directions of the great sage, they settled down in Chitrakoota in a beautiful hut built by Lakshmana. They were living there happily as if they were devas and gandharvas descended to earth. Sumanthra returned to Ayodhya declaring the departure of Rama to the forest and unable to bear the sorrow of separation, king Dasaratha shrugged off his moral coils and left for his heavenly abode. Bharatha was summoned back and the preceptors with the prime minister Vasishta in the lead requested Bharatha to assume the duties of the king. Bharatha refused assume the Royal duties when his elder brother was alive and languishing in the forest. Immediately he proceeded to the forest, taking with him the ministers and accompanied by a large number of loyal subjects and met Rama and begged him to return to Ayodhya to become the king. But the valorous Rama who valued the promise of his father more than the enjoyment of the Kingdom, decline to return to ayodhya before the prescribed fourteen years even in the face of all the earnest entreaties by Bharatha. Finally it was decided that Rama's paadukaas( the sandals) would represent him as the king and receiving the sandals with all respect and dejected that he could not accomplish his mission to take back Rama to Ayodhya, Bharatha returned to the kingdom reluctantly and anointing the sandals of Rama as the ruler, Bharatha adopted the life of an ascetic and ruled the kingdom staying in a hamlet called Nandigrama (about 14 Miles from Ayodhya) as a mere representative of the sandals of Rama, always eagerly awaiting the return of Rama to take back the reins of the Kingdom.
The story till now is a saga of sacrifice. Dasaratha sacrificed his son and his life to protect a promise. Rama sacrificed the kingdom to uphold the promise of his father. Lakshmana and Seetha sacrificed all worldly comforts just to keep the company of Rama. Bharatha, for whom the kingdom was righlfully his now could not even think of Royal positions in the absence of his elder brother. The ambitious Kaikeyi was defeated and she lost her husband and the affection of her son in the bargain.
The only winner was dharma.. The anointment of Rama's sandals has greater significance than the Pattabhishekam of Rama itself in Ramayanam.
ज्येष्ठम् ज्येष्ठगुणैर्युक्तं प्रियं दशरथः सुतं।
प्रकृतीनां हितैर्युक्तं प्रकृतिप्रियकाम्यया॥२०॥
यौवराज्येन संयोक्तुमैच्छत् प्रीत्या महीपतिः।
तस्याभिषेकसंभारान् दृष्ट्व भार्याथ कैकयी॥२१॥
पूर्वम् दत्तवरा देवी वरमेनमयाचत।
विवासनम् च रामस्य भरतस्याभिषेचनं॥२२॥
स सत्यवचनाद् राजा धर्मपाशेन संयतः।
विवासयामास सुतं रामं दशरथः प्रियं॥२३॥
स जगाम वनं वीरः प्रतिज्ञामनुपालयन्।
पितृवचननिर्देशात् कैकेय्याः प्रियकारणात्॥२४॥
तं व्रजन्तं प्रियो भ्राता लक्ष्मणोऽनुजगाम ह।
स्नेहाद् विनयसंपन्नः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः॥२५॥
भ्रातरं दयितो भ्रातुः सौभ्रात्रमुपदर्शयन्।
रामस्य दयिता भार्या नित्यम् प्राणसमा हिता॥२६॥
जनकस्य कुले जाता देवमायेव निर्मिता॥
सर्वलक्षनसंपन्ना नारीणामुत्तमा वधूः॥२७॥
सीताऽप्यनुगता रामं शशिनम् रोहिणी यथा।
पौरैरनुगतो दूरं पित्रा दशरथेन च॥२८॥
शृङ्गवेरपुरे सूतम् गङ्गाकूले व्यसर्जयत्।
गुहमासाध्य धर्मात्मा निषादाधिपतिं प्रियं॥२९॥
गुहेन सहितो रामो लक्ष्मणेन च सीतया।
ते वनेन वनं गत्वा नदींस्तीर्त्वा बहूदकाः॥३०॥
चित्रकूटमनुप्राप्य भरद्वाजस्य शासनात्।
रम्यामावसथं कृत्वा रममाणाः वने त्रयः॥३१
देवगन्धर्वसंकाशास्तत्र ते न्यवसन् सुखं।
चित्रकूटे गते रामे पुत्रशोकातुरस्तदा॥३२
राजा दशरथः स्वर्गं जगाम विलपन् सुतम्।
गते तु तस्मिन् भरतो वसिष्टप्रमुखैर्द्विजैः॥३३॥
नियुज्यमानो राज्याय नैच्छत् राज्यं महाबलः।
स जगाम वनं वीरो रामपादप्रसादकः॥३४॥
गत्वा तु स महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमं।
अयाचद् भ्रातरं रामामार्यभावपुरस्कृतः॥३५॥
त्वमेव राजा धर्मज्ञ इति रामं वचोऽब्रवीत्।
रामोऽपि परमोदारः सुमुखः सुमहायशाः॥३६॥
न चैच्छद् पितुरादेशाद् राज्यं रामो महाबलः।
पादुके चास्य राज्याय न्यासं दत्वा पुनः पुनः॥३७
निवर्तयामास ततो भरतं भरताग्रजः।
स काममनवाप्येव रामपादावुपस्पृशन्॥३८॥
नन्दिग्रामेऽकरोद् राज्यं रामागमनकाङ्ग्क्षया।
॥श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे॥
tamevaṁ guṇasaṁpannaṁ rāmaṁ satyaparākramaṁ||19||
jyeṣṭham jyeṣṭhaguaṇairyuktaṁ priyaṁ daśarathaḥ sutaṁ|
prakṛtīnāṁ hitairyuktaṁ prakṛtipriyakāmyayā||20||
yauvarājyena saṁyoktumaicchat prītyā mahīpatiḥ|
tasyābhiṣekasaṁbhārān dṛṣṭva bhāryātha kaikayī||21||
pūrvam dattavarā devī varamenamayācata|
vivāsanam ca rāmasya bharatasyābhiṣecanaṁ||22||
sa satyavacanād rājā dharmapāśena saṁyataḥ|
vivāsayāmāsa sutaṁ rāmaṁ daśarathaḥ priyaṁ||23||
sa jagāma vanaṁ vīraḥ pratijñāmanupālayan|
pitṛvacananirdeśāt kaikeyyāḥ priyakāraṇāt||24||
taṁ vrajantaṁ priyo bhrātā lakṣmaṇo'nujagāma ha|
snehād vinayasaṁpannaḥ sumitrānandavardhanaḥ||25||
bhrātaraṁ dayito bhrātuḥ saubhrātramupadarśayan|
rāmasya dayitā bhāryā nityam prāṇasamā hitā||26||
janakasya kule jātā devamāyeva nirmitā||
sarvalakṣanasaṁpannā nārīṇāmuttamā vadhūḥ||27||
sītā'pyanugatā rāmaṁ śaśinam rohiṇī yathā|
paurairanugato dūraṁ pitrā daśarathena ca||28||
śṛṅgaverapure sūtam gaṅgākūle vyasarjayat|
guhamāsādhya dharmātmā niṣādādhipatiṁ priyaṁ||29||
guhena sahito rāmo lakṣmaṇena ca sītayā|
te vanena vanaṁ gatvā nadīṁstīrtvā bahūdakāḥ||30||
citrakūṭamanuprāpya bharadvājasya śāsanāt|
ramyāmāvasathaṁ kṛtvā ramamāṇāḥ vane trayaḥ||31
devagandharvasaṁkāśāstatra te nyavasan sukhaṁ|
citrakūṭe gate rāme putraśokāturastadā||32
rājā daśarathaḥ svargaṁ jagāma vilapan sutam|
gate tu tasmin bharato vasiṣṭapramukhairdvijaiḥ||33||
niyujyamāno rājyāya naicchat rājyaṁ mahābalaḥ|
sa jagāma vanaṁ vīro rāmapādaprasādakaḥ||34||
gatvā tu sa mahātmānaṁ rāmaṁ satyaparākramaṁ|
ayācad bhrātaraṁ rāmāmāryabhāvapuraskṛtaḥ||35||
tvameva rājā dharmajña iti rāmaṁ vaco'bravīt|
rāmo'pi paramodāraḥ sumukhaḥ sumahāyaśāḥ||36||
na caicchad piturādeśād rājyaṁ rāmo mahābalaḥ|
pāduke cāsya rājyāya nyāsaṁ datvā punaḥ punaḥ||37
nivartayāmāsa tato bharataṁ bharatāgrajaḥ|
sa kāmamanavāpyeva rāmapādāvupaspṛśan||38||
nandigrāme'karod rājyaṁ rāmāgamanakāṅgkṣayā|
||śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe ādikāvye bālakāṇḍe||
Sage Narada continues his discourse on the story of Rama.
" King Dasartha desired that he should anoint Rama endowed with such great qualities as already described, as the heir-apparent(yuvaraja). Rama was the eldest of Dasaratha's son in age, Bharatha, Lakshmana and Shatrugna following him. Rama was also the tallest in all virtues. He was also the favourite son for the king. And by all means this was the most appropriate decision taken by a king whose highest priority was the welfare of his subjects as Rama was uniformly adored and respected by all the people of Ayodhya. Dasartha had three wives, Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, and Rama was the son of Kausalya, Bharatha's mother was Kaikeyi and Sumitra delivered the twins Laksmana and Shatrugna. When Kaikeyi saw the preparations for the anointment of Rama as the yuvaraja, her ambition to see that her son Bharatha should become the yuvaraja was kindled. Here it must be noted that Bharatha was not availble in Ayodhya at that time. He had gone on a visit to his uncle's kingdom Kekaya, along with Shatrugna. If Bharatha had been present Ramayana would not have proceeded any further. Kaikeyi had once saved the life of her husband Dasaratha by preventing a wheel of a chariot from dislocating itself causing fatal results while he was fighting a war with Shambaraasura and then Dasaratha had granted her two boons which she had deferred to execute. But now to win the kingdom for her son she exercised her option by demanding the king that Bharatha should become the yuvaraja and Rama should be exiled. The king who was bound by dharma and his promise was left with no option other than asking Rama to abdicate and proceed to the forest. Without any protest and eager to fulfil the promise of his father and doing a nice turn to his stepmother, Rama decided to undertake the life in forest for fourteen years. Rama's dearest brother and the source of all happiness to Sumitra, Lakshmana could not think of a life other than in the company of Rama and as a role-model for brotherly affection, he also decided to accompany Rama wherever he went. Seetha the consort of Rama and for whom Rama was dear to her even more than her own life also had no hesitation in accompanying him to forest..Seetha was the perfect woman, with all the elements of beauty endowed to her in abundance as if she was created by the artists of the Gods themselves, and she was the noblest in her character and she was the ideal wife to the inimitable Rama. The celestial star Rohini, the favourite wife of Moon always seeks the company of the Moon and Seetha was similar to that in her devotion to Rama. Rama in the company of Seetha and Lakshmana set out for forest and was accompanied by the king Dasaratha and all the subjects of Ayodhya in grief, for a long distance. They were persuaded to return to Ayodhya, and Sumanthra (the sootha and charioteer) took the three to the banks of Ganga where the town Sringivera (puram) was situated. Rama met his longtime friend and the chief of Nishadas (a hunter community) Guha and with his help crossed the Ganga and entered the forest. The threesome walked long distances from forest to forest and crossed many rivers filled with water and reached the hermitage of sage Bharadhwaaja. As per the directions of the great sage, they settled down in Chitrakoota in a beautiful hut built by Lakshmana. They were living there happily as if they were devas and gandharvas descended to earth. Sumanthra returned to Ayodhya declaring the departure of Rama to the forest and unable to bear the sorrow of separation, king Dasaratha shrugged off his moral coils and left for his heavenly abode. Bharatha was summoned back and the preceptors with the prime minister Vasishta in the lead requested Bharatha to assume the duties of the king. Bharatha refused assume the Royal duties when his elder brother was alive and languishing in the forest. Immediately he proceeded to the forest, taking with him the ministers and accompanied by a large number of loyal subjects and met Rama and begged him to return to Ayodhya to become the king. But the valorous Rama who valued the promise of his father more than the enjoyment of the Kingdom, decline to return to ayodhya before the prescribed fourteen years even in the face of all the earnest entreaties by Bharatha. Finally it was decided that Rama's paadukaas( the sandals) would represent him as the king and receiving the sandals with all respect and dejected that he could not accomplish his mission to take back Rama to Ayodhya, Bharatha returned to the kingdom reluctantly and anointing the sandals of Rama as the ruler, Bharatha adopted the life of an ascetic and ruled the kingdom staying in a hamlet called Nandigrama (about 14 Miles from Ayodhya) as a mere representative of the sandals of Rama, always eagerly awaiting the return of Rama to take back the reins of the Kingdom.
The story till now is a saga of sacrifice. Dasaratha sacrificed his son and his life to protect a promise. Rama sacrificed the kingdom to uphold the promise of his father. Lakshmana and Seetha sacrificed all worldly comforts just to keep the company of Rama. Bharatha, for whom the kingdom was righlfully his now could not even think of Royal positions in the absence of his elder brother. The ambitious Kaikeyi was defeated and she lost her husband and the affection of her son in the bargain.
The only winner was dharma.. The anointment of Rama's sandals has greater significance than the Pattabhishekam of Rama itself in Ramayanam.
--
।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|
|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|
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