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.