RamarpaNam-109

File 109

Dated: August 30th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

VilliRuthu Melliyal thoL Thoindaan.

SudarshaNaazhwar, Chakkrathaazhwar, Sudarshna Narasimhar are the various names and form of Hethirajan and He the latent force behind all other weaponry of Lord VishNu. Sanganidhi, Padmanidhi standing guard in their temple bless the nine-fold wealth to all His Bhaktas.

Now back to the story of Ramayana:

Rama inspected the Bow brought on a trolley of eight wheels, helped by 5000 men of high energy.  It was so colossal that when none of the Gods, Demi-gods, Demons, Gandharva-Yaksha-Kinnaras could shake, lift or hold it properly, would they be able to string it then?

na etat sura gaNaaH sarve sa asuraa na ca raakSasaaH |
ga.ndharva yakSa pravaraaH sa kinnara mahoragaaH

Rama upon the word of the sage Vishvamitra, grasping it at the middle playfully grabbed the bow. While thousands of men were witnessing, He held it upright gripping by His foot-thump and stringed it as well. As He was stretching the string to test its stiffness, it broke in the middle. The people assembled saw it being lifted followed by the sound missing the actions in between.

Kambar’s portrayal of the sequence in the following words is vivid and brief as the act itself.

Eduththathu kaNdanar; iRRadu kEttanar.

Janaka was happy that His pledge had come true. Sita too was impressed over Rama’s valor. She reached Him with the vara-maala on hand. Rama however did not accept it instantly.  Rather wished that to happen with the consent of His parents. And so ministers were dispatched to Ayodhya carrying the marriage proposal from Janaka.

King Dasharatha was briefed about the happenings. Overjoyed by this He consulted the matter of marriage of Seetha with Rama to all His ministers and teachers. They all unanimously agreed to the proposal and planned to travel to Mithila the next day.

Love at first sight but marriage at parents’ will-Do they work well? Rama made it happen not by Himself but keeping Vishvamitra in the front.

RamarpaNam-108

File 108

Dated: August 29th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Shivas’ bow yields to Rama’s will.

Anjaneya born of Anjana, a Hero and the dispeller of Janaki’s sorrow as well as head of all monkey army, He the annihilator of Akshayakumara and the fear of Lank, to Him we bow and propitiate.

He being the God of the nine ‘Raasi-s’, all the prayers offered to Him, please the ‘Navagraghas’ as well. Invoking His blessings, we move on to the story of Sita KalyaNa.

While narrating the tale of Shiva’s bow, King Janaka also mentioned the reason for it being there. The birth of Sita and the Kanya sulkha He had kept for Her marriage are explained next.

atha me kRiSataH kSetram laa.ngalaat utthitaa mama ||

kSetram shodhayataa labdhvaa naamnaa siitaa iti vishrutaa.

She is named Sita, as She was found on the ploughing mark at the Yajna saala.

She having reached marriageable age offered that if Rama can string the Bow, His daughter Sita will be married to Him.

vishvaamitraH sa raamaH tu shrutvaa janaka bhaaSitam |

vatsa raama dhanuH pashya iti raaghavam abraviit ||

Vishvamitra permitted Rama to have a look at the Bow. Rama desiring to feel the Bow took it with ease and tied the string. As He stretched the string to test its toughness and it broke in the middle with a thunderous sound.

tasya shabdo mahaan aasiit nirhghaata sama niHsvanaH |

Dasaratha was pleased that His pledge had come true and that Sita will be a worthy bride to brave Rama.  He then sent His ministers to Ayodhya carrying the marriage proposal

siitaa praaNaiH bahumataa deyaa raamaaya me sutaa ||

and invite to solemnise the occasion.

With the marriage offer from Janaka, Rama did not jump to okay it. As an obedient disciple and as respectful son waited for the consent of Vishvamitra and for the concurrence of His parents. That is to say, He preferred the meeting of the mind of the elders to conclude the marriage proposal over meeting of the eyes between Him and Sita Maata.

RamarpaNam-107

File 107.

Dated: Aug. 28th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Shiva’s bow as Veerya Sulkha.

Paramapada Naadan has incarnated into Archaa idols in several Divya Desams. 106 of them in this world are particularly important as Alwars have sung in praise of these Lords, collectively in their 4000 Divya Prabandams. Of the five statuses, Archaavataram is the closest and the most accessible one for worship by all and sundry.  

In Ramavataar His bow is the inseparable aspect of Rama and no Rama Idol is worshiped without the same.  But the bow he sported during His schooling is called ‘kalvichilai’. The one held at the time of His marriage with Sita was different from what He got from Parasurama’s encounter. This ‘VishNu Danush’ is again different from the one used against RavaNa, in the ultimate fight of the Good over Evil.

‘Silai’ , ‘Vill’ , ‘Karmugam’ , ‘Sargam’ are the different names used to denote His Bow and Azhwar mentions in one of His Pasurams regarding His inalienable association with the Bow as follows.

‘villiRutu melliyal ThOL Thoindaan’ befitting the context of the Shiva Danush and that as bet for Sita’s marriage.

Next day King Janaka appeared in His assembly and Vishvamitra after introducing asked Janaka to show the Shiva’s bow to Rama, LakshmaNa, as they had come to have a glimpse of the same.

darshanaat asya dhanuSo yathaa iSTam pratiyaasyataH

Janaka, before calling for its exhibition, narrated its long history as to how that bow came to His hands, starting from the days of Daksha Prajaapati and Devaraadan, the 6th descendant of Nimi.

Sita is named VaidEhi, as Her ancestor, Nimi was cursed to go body less – Vi + Dedha.

She is named Janaki, as Nimi’s fallen body was churned for a successor to be born – Janaka.

She is named Maithili, as the action of churning is called ‘maththagam’

Rama, LakshmaNa though were not aware of nor informed of the purpose of their visit, Vishvamitra calls it their desire to see the Shiva Danush in the custody of Janaka. To which Rama, LakshmaNa neither objected nor spoke otherwise bringing out the

Acharya paaratantriyam.

RamarpaNam-106

File 106

Dated: August 27th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram

Vishvamitra turns Brahma-Rishi.

Vijaya Raghavan means the Victorious Rama. Not only He parlays His enemies, He wins over the poor by gifts, Rishis by Service and the outer world by His Dharma. So He is called Vijaya Raghavan or PoretRu Naayanar.

How Vishvamitra won over His senses is narrated by Shataananda in the reminder of the story.

atha haimavatiim raama disham tyaktvaa mahaamuniH |
puurvaam disham anupraapya tapaH tepe sudaaruNam

Leaving the north, Vishvamitra reached the Eastern corridor and commenced extremely severe penance without food or water and stood a skeleton for thousand years. In the south He could give up nothing. In the west He Indulged in Kaama in the company of Menaka but resolved to overcome the same in the North. He having fallen victim to Kobha, resolved to overcome the same in the East. Going food less and keeping dump, overcame all the obstacles.

On completing 1000 years He cooked food to break the fasting, When Indra came to His door steps in the guise of a Brahmana and took it in alms.  Vishvamitra, thinking it be a test for His control over appetite gave away every thing to Indra and starved without showing a word of anger or dejection, conforming to His vow of dumpiness.

atha varSa sahasram ca na ucChvasan munipungavaH |

Another 1000 years He continued His penance breathless making all the three worlds to tremble. At that all the Gods appealed to Brahma to proclaim that Brahma-Rishi title is achieved by Vishvamitra. Sage Vashishta too reaffirmed the same with blessings words.

diirgham aayuH ca te brahman dadaami sa marud gaNaH ||
svasti praapnuhi bhadram te gacCha saumya yathaa sukham

Vishvamitra appealed further that if Brahman-hood is to stay permanently, He be blessed with AUM and vaSat syllables along with Vedas’ in its entirety be revealed to Him.

AUM kaaro atha vaSaT kaaro vedaaH ca varayantu maam

King Janaka reverentially paid His gratitude to the Sage for having graced the Yajna while Vishvamitra and Rama, LakshmaNa too retired to respective places.

Vishvamitra after achieving His goal could have shown His pride to Vashishta, His arch rival. But He didn’t do that, as otherwise He would be un-worthy of His Brahma-Rishi title. This goes to prove that scholarliness brings humbleness.

RamarpaNam-105

File 105.

Date: August 24th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Vishvamitra’s self esteem.

We worship Rama in idol form and He is of different sizes and dimensions in various temples. Vaduvur Rama idol is tall and artistic. Trichy Ponmalai Rama is small but equally attractive. The idols of LakshmaNa, Sita and Hanuman have relative dimensions in size as per the sculpture sastra.  If the main deity is small, all other deities will be still smaller in relative proportions. That way Hanuman will be the smallest in size relatively, but obviously the greatest in rendering service to the Lord.

Rama, Sita and LakshmaNa represent the syllables ‘’a’’ ‘’u’’ and ‘’ma’’ in the one letter word ‘’Oum’’.  Sita is VishNu pratama kingkari. LakshmaNa is the next in service of Divya Dambapti. But Hanuman is the ideal servant of both Sita Rama as well as the first Bhagata kingkara.

Smaller the idols, easier the ways to serve Them, while in Archaa ThirumEni.

Returning to the story of Vishvamitra we observe that

rambhaam apsarasam shakraH saha sarvaiH marut gaNaiH |
uvaaca aatma hitam vaakyam ahitam kaushikasya ca

Indra bent on spoiling His penance directed Rambha, the celestial dancer, to undertake actions good to Him and bad to the Sage.

Rambha fearing the wrath of the Sage refuse to help Indra.  But assuring that He will go with her as a cuckoo bird and that Love-God, Manmadha will arouse Vishvamitra into loving her.

kokilo hRidaya graahii maadhave rucira drume |
aham kandarpa sahitaH sthaasyaami tava paarshvataH

Vishvamitra, knowing that she had come at the behest of Indra to interrupt his penance, cursed her to turn a stone for 10000 long years.

dasha varSa sahasraaNi shailii sthaasyasi durhbhage

Having heard the angry words of that great-saint Love-god and Indra went missing and the poor Rambha became a statue.

Vishvamitra repenting to have lost His temper decides to undertake another round of penance, this time in the Eastern corridor, to conquer His own senses.

In an attempt to get over lust, unwittingly He gave way to anger. So He needs to redo His penance with a resolution to that effect.

taavat yaavat hi me praaptam braahmaNyam tapasaa aarjitam

Lust and Anger is the twin enemy to be conquered for all our actions to be pure and sublime. Even for a Sage like Vishvamitra it was not that easy. But determination of His tall order will be required to overcome as well.

RamarpaNam-104

File 104.

Jai Sri Ram.

Vishvamitra turned Maha-Rishi from Kingly Rishi.

In case if Vishvamitra, there were several impediments to His tryst with Brahma-Rishi. In the South the celestial cow was the cause. In the west, King Ambareesha was the cause. Despite all these, He was relentless. His efforts, the impediments, His perseverance coupled with the grace of Gods took him towards His goal of becoming a Brahma-Rishi. With the fulfillment of His wish, He would become a Siddha. However Saint-hood and God-hood are different.

Gods during incarnation also undergo such trials and tribulations. But that does not diminish the status of God-hood, as their role is to educate and guide the people by such chosen sufferings.

Rama for example holding His bow and arrow indicates His Savior role. Krishna holding a butter ball in His hands indicates Atmas chosen for His enjoyment. We are therefore the subject of anubhavam and rakshaNam for and by Him.

Vishvamitra on continuing His severe penance, Brahma appeared and accorded ‘Rishi’ honors to him, whereas Vishvamitra was expecting to be crowned the 'Brahma-Rishi' or ultimate sage-ship title to Him.

RiSiH tvam asi bhadram te sva arjitaiH karhmabhiH shubhaiH

Then came Menaka, a distinguished apsara of Deva loka and started to play swimming sport in the holy lake. Vishvamitra, seduced by her feminine features got enticed with her for 10 long years. Realistion came very late to Him that he should have won over the lust and bid adieu to her.

menakaam madhuraiH vaakyaiH visRijya kushika aatmajaH ||
uttaram parvatam raama vishvaamitro jagaama ha

He therefore, moved northward and close to the banks of the river Kosi He further undertook severe penance by which the gods seemingly were annoyed. They all approached Brahma and made known their consent for Him being called a ‘Maharishi’.

maharSi shabdam labhataam saadhu ayam kushika aatmajaH

Will He be satisfied by that?  No, motivated by the progress from a King to Raja Rishi, to Rishi and now to Maha-Rishi, readied Himself to further penance surviving on air alone. That way there was no stopping Him.

So, Be aware, move forward and stop not till the goal is reached.

RamarpaNam-103

File 103

Dated: August 22nd, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Vishvamitra’s compassion to the Boy, saves him.

Hanumaan Safe guarded Rama from Raakshasa by defeating them all. We find Him in all Rama temples either along with Him or in a separate Sannidhi to symbolize the same. We too have a purpose visiting Him for health, wealth or knowledge.  

Hanumaan is devoid of lust or anger. That which was easily achieved by Him was the impediment for Vishvamitra in His penance to attain Brahmin-hood. The lesson we learn from His story is that lust and anger unless muted nothing high could be achieved in life.

The best way to achieve that is to faithfully chant the Rama Nama that which is equivalent to the Sanjeevini herb held by Hanumaan in His hands.

Next in the story of Shunashepa, Vishvamitra after burdening his sons by curse, spoke to Shunashepa thus:

pavitra paashair baddho rakta maalya anulepanaH |
vaiSNavam yuupam aasaadya vaagbhiH agnim udaahara

Vishvamitra taught two Vedic hymns to the boy, as invocations to rain God Indra and Upendra, one of the incarnations of VishNu as Vamana, with instructions to continue chanting heart to heart, when the ritual was conducted.

Then Vishvamitra put forth a condition that whoever was concerned with the welfare of Shunashepa will only have the right to sacrifice him in the Yajna. His father having bartered him had lost the right. His mother having disowned him for the sake of her youngest son also lost the right. The King who bought him with least concern for the safety of the boy by default again lost the right to give him in sacrifice.

Then Vishvamitra argued that since He took steps to safe guard the boy, He only has the right to leave him for sacrifice and that He would never do so.

In the meantime

tataH priitaH sahasra akSo rahasya stuti toSitaH |
diirgham aayuH tadaa praadaat shunaHshepaaya

The thousand eyed Lord Indra, pleased very much of the boy’s prayers, granted the boon of long life to him as well as helped King Ambareesha complete his Yajna by granting the sacrificial horse needed for the purpose.

This goes to prove that the Gods are bound by the Mantra chanted in their name, especially when it is done with requisite shradha, bhakti, and aachara anushtaanam. ‘’Mantram ethnena gopayeth’’ is the secret behind its validity.

RamarpaNam-102

File 102.

Dated: August 21st. 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Paramapada Nathan sitting pretty at the unreachable Vaikundam controls the entire universe of its destiny.  Those who assist Him are the Anantha, Garuda, Visvakshenaadi NityasoorigaL.

The same Lord coming down to Thiruppaarkadal, incarnates into Varaha, Narasimha, Rama, Krishna vibhava moorthigaL.

In all these places, Nityasooris serve the Lord in several of their capacities and for example Adhisesha or Anantha serve the Lord at Paramapadam as Dharmadhi Peetam, at Thiruppaarkadal as Sesha Paryangam and at Archastalam like Thiruvallikeni as Sesha Peetam. Garuda submits Himself as vehicle to Him and can witness the 11, 9 & 5 Garuda Sevas at Thiru Nangoor, Azhwar Thirunagari and Srivilliputhoor Divyadesams on special occasions.

After claiming Shunesheba, Ambareesha put him on His chariot and drove away fast. By noon they were near the holy lake and while the King took rest and fell asleep, Shunesheba, utilising the opportunity, approached Vishvamitra, his maternal uncle, to save him from human sacrifice.  Sage Vishvamitra asked His children whether anyone them will go as Yajna Pasu in lieu of Shunesheba;

ayam muni suto baalo mattaH sharaNam icChati |
asya jiivita maatreNa priyam kuruta putrakaaH ||

But on hearing these words of the sage, Madhushyanda and the other sons of Vishvamitra refused saying

katham aatma sutaan hitvaa traayase anya sutam vibho |
akaaryam iva pashyaamaH shva maamsam iva bhojane

Sage Vishvamitra cursed his sons for defying his orders and desired to save His nephew as well to help Ambareesha complete the Yajna He started. That is the greatness of Vishvamitra.

What the Nityasoori desire is to serve with willingness to please the Lord. But absence of determination to help a person whom their father has given shelter and lack of faith on fathers’ own words on the part of Vishvamitra children ruined their life to a ChandaLa.  Should not the children trust one’s own father else whom will they confide?

This shows that when faith is lost everything is lost.  

RamarpaNam-101

File 101.

Dated: 20th August, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Shunashepa virutaantam.

Rama is worshiped as dispeller of distress and calamity. His temples are centers of knowledge as well as centers thwarting hunger, by way of anna dhaana kootam. Vedas and scriptures can be taught when one is free of hunger and appetite.  Hence places of worship were used combing all the purpose in one.

The three stages of worship are 1. Dhiyanam. 2. Nithidhiyaasanam. 3. Upaasanam. This is achieved by undisturbed focus on the Divya Mangala vigraham of the Lord. By such continued attempt Bhakti blossoms, betters and matures into para Bhakti, para Jnana, parama Bhakti ultimately fetching Mukthi itself.

Our mental acumen is capable of identifying people and places with name, features and specialty. But when coming to naming and identifying that many temples and the presiding deities there we commonly falter. The reason is lack of focus and repeated mental revisits. This however can be reversed with deep devotion and dedication.

With the ascend of Trishanku to Heaven, Vishvamitra felt

mahaavighnaH pravRitto ayam dakSiNaam aasthito disham

and decided to move west-ward to continue His penance.

He came down to the banks of Vishaala River along the Pushkaram holy lake side and commenced His ascetics living on fruits and roots, ground stem of select plants.

Vishvamitra had to face another ordeal here again in the form of Ambareesha. Sage Shataananda reveals this story next.

When Rama's grandparent Ambareesha undertook a ritual, Indra seized, caged and imprisoned the ritual-horse. Ambareesha then had to look for alternative and fetch a human-animal in the place of the lost horse. He approached Sage Richika as none was available. Sage refused to barter His eldest son and His wife, her last son.

na aham jyeSTham nara shreSTha vikriiNiiyaam katha.mcana |

tasmaat kaniiyasam putram na daasye tava paarthiva

Shunashepa, the middle son of Sage Richika, offered himself in exchange for one lakh cows to his parents. Thanks to Vishvamitra, that human sacrifice did not go through.

This story reveals that at the expense of all His penance, a wrong precedent of human-sacrifice in an Yajna was averted by Sage Vishvamitra, befitting His name ‘friend of universe’.

RamarpaNam-100

File 100.

Dated: 17th Aug. 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Conceited Vishvamitra.

RamayaNa is not mere story telling.  It carries a moral in each of its sections that are useful in the day to day life.  In that respect it needs an in depth scrutiny of the message that our Swamy brings out in each of the Episodes. We have reached a mile stone of 100 episodes with this and the same number of guiding life thoughts are made available to shape the life and behavior of each one of us, of course with thankful reverence to our Swamy.

Coming back to the story of Trishanku, Vishvamitra addressed to the Ridviks to join him in conducting Vedic-ritual in such a way as to Trishanku reaches the heaven of gods.

yathaa ayam sva shariireNa deva lokam gamiSyati ||
tathaa pravarhtyataam yajno bhavadbhiH ca mayaa saha

All the sages assessembled were divided as to

'A Kshatriya is the conductor, and a chandaLa-king is the performer. How can the gods or sages partake in that ritual especially that of a chandaLa?

Finally it was decided that

tasmaat pravartyataam yajnaH sa shariiro yathaa divam

But the gods who were invited to take the offerings in the Yajna did not come forward to receive their share.

pashya me tapaso viiryam sva aarjitasya nara iishvara |
eSa tvaam sva shariireNa nayaami svargam ojasaa

Then the great-saint Vishvamitra, furiously lifted up the shraku (a wooden-scoop used in the Yajna), and said

raajan tvam tejasaa tasya sa shariiro divam vraja

Trishanku, as was haunted and damned by Vashishta and His children, fell down on earth without making to heaven, with head inversed.

guru shaapa hato muuDha pata bhuumim avaag shiraaH.

Vishvamitra kindled by abnormal anger said, 'wait... wait...'

roSam aahaarayat tiivram tiSTha tiSTha iti ca abraviit.

Thus, He created a pseudo heaven with star constellations, what is now called sapta Rishi mandalam across the southern hemisphere to which the Devas and the Rishis ultimately had to accept it as reality.

Though for ignominious cause, this creation over came the opposite reactions of the Devas and Rishis, as it was created out of righteous ritual. That is, when the means are good the end ought to be good as well.

RamarpaNam-99

File 99.

Dated: 16th August, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Trishanku turns to Vishvamitra for grace.

Jaya, VijayaaL are responsible for the safety and security of the Lord inside the temple. Andal before waking up the Lord, prays to the sentry (Thiruppavai 16) posted at the main entrance and at the house entrance for permission to let them inside the premises of Nandagopa.

King Dasaratha too appointed sentries for the premises housing Rama and Sita. He preferred elderly people for the job whose measure of service was safety of the two and nothing else.

Does the Lord require a guard to protect Him? Not really. During incarnation, He subjects Himself as though He is like any other human being and lives the life as they all do.

Continuing the story, Trishanku goes to Vishvamitra, seeking shelter of Him.

na anyaam gatim gamiSyaami na anyaH sharaNam asti me |
daivam puruSa kaareNa nivarhtayitum arhhasi

When the sons of Vashishta spurned him, and even cursed him to become a heinous transfigured man.

tasya me parama aartasya prasaadam abhikaa.nkSataH |
kartum arhasi bhadram te daiva upahata karmaNaH

Narrating his despondent tale and his rightful ritual of going to heaven with mortal body, Trishanku sincerely prayed to Vishvamitra as follows:

kartum arhasi bhadram te daiva upahata karmaNaH

Vishvamitra agreeing to perform Trishanku Vedic ritual sends His disciples to invite all Vedic-scholars. Except for Vashishta and his sons, many sages gathered to witness the ritual out of excitement or fear. Vashishta’s children made a mock of Vishvamitra and Trishanku and they who in turn bashed words of retaliation.

Deformities in physique or transfiguration of appearance are amiable as against dented character of a person, highly deplorable.