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sri rama navami- raama sthuthi - 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • April 4, 2001 


Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

In part 2, we saw the first verse of viraadhan eulogizing Sri raama and
verse 2 only. Now let us see the meaning and few points on next verse. Here
viraadhan says " I have realised you are that aadhi moolam" - the basic and
fundamental root cause for all the worlds.

Kaduththa karaam kadhuva nimir kai eduththu mei kalangi
Uduththa dhisai anaiththinum senru oli koLLa uRu thuyaraal
Aduththa perum thani moolaththu arum paramE paramE enRu
Eduththu oru vaaraNam azhaippa neeyO anRu En enRaai?

Word by word meaning for few words: 
Kaduththa - sinam koNda- ravaged with anger
Karaam- mudhalai- crocodile
Kadhuva- paRRa- caught hold of
VaaraNam- yaanai- elephant

Meaning: Ravaged with anger, the crocodile caught hold of the legs of that
lotus plucking elephant. That frightened elephant lifted its trunk and
started making noise, crying for help, calling aadhi moolamE, param poruLE-
Oh the supreme god, please come to my rescue. This sound filled all the
directions. Oh Sri raama, you are the person who turned up there. Oh! You,
the root cause of this jagath, are the fit person to respond to that call. 

Points: 
1. This gajEndhra mOksham episode is one of the widely accepted versions to
glorify the lord as the beejam of all creations. Also it is considered the
simplest to glorify and show the easiness of the path of surrender which is
prima donna of srivaishnavam. Many aazhvaars and devotees also sing this
episode. Few quotes we will have here. 

2. Meen amar poigai naN malar koivaan vEtkaiyinOdu senru azhintha 
kaanamar vEzham kai eduththu alarak karaavathan kaalinaik kadhuva 
aanaiyin thuyaram theerap puL oornthu senRu ninRu aazhi thottaan 
- periya thirumozhi - 2-3-9 thirumangai aazhvaar
meaning: The elephant had the desire of plucking good flowers from the pond
where fish were roving around. This elephant when caught by the fierce
crocodile living there, started making earsplitting noise. He, that supreme
Lord, wielded his chakra sooner he reached and wiped the sorrow of the
elephant then and there. He responded to the call of the elephant, rushing
swiftly on his carriage vaahanam - that puL- the big bird garudan. 

The speed of responding is slowed down by words- puL oornthu senRu ninRu -
each word has some time significance. But we know with what speed he did all
this.
 
3. kadikoL poompozhil kaamaru poigai vaigu thaamarai vaangiya vEzham 
mudiyum vaNNam Or muzhuvali mudhalai paRRa maRRadhu nin charaN ninaippa
kodiya vaai vilangin uyir malanga koNda seeRRam onRu uNdu uLadhu aRinthu un
adiyanEn vanthu adiyiNai adainthEn
- 3-8-3 thirumangai aazhvaar - periya thirumozhi

meaning: "The crocodile thought, I have full capacity inside water, so when
I pull the elephant into this pond, the elephant will die, and did pull him
into water. But that which really died is that crocodile. Oh lord! Because
that elephant took refuge under your feet, you became angry and killed the
crocodile. So it is sure that if some body thinks about surrendering to your
feet you will go to their rescue swiftly. Another fact is also clear to me
that when somebody thinks bad for your devotees, you will get angry. They
will reap the adverse effects for having such a thought towards the devotee.
So I came and took refuge under your feet, oh lord!" says the aazhvaar.

Actually the elephant took refuge or not is clear here. Please note words-
nin charaN ninaippa- the elephant thought about the lord's feet or thought
of surrendering to the lord's feet. The word charan has 2 meanings - 1.
feet, 2. Surrender. Hence this interpretation.  

4. vizhungiya mudhalaiyin pilamburai pEzhvaai
veL eiyiRu uRa adhan vidaththinukku anungi
azhingiya aanaiyin arum thuyar keduththa
arangaththu ammaa paLLi ezhunthu aruLaayE. - 2 thirup paLLi ezhuchchi by
thoNdar adippodi aazhvaar. 

Meaning: Oh Lord, you, who is also my mother, sleeping at sri rangam, please
wake up and do shower your grace on me. how swiftly you saved the elephant
by killing that crocodile - that white coloured gum of crocodile's teeth is
torn by your chakram so that the poisonous teeth will be relieved from the
feet of the elephant, as well as the crocodile looses all his power-  in the
same way and speed please shower your grace - aruLaayE.
 
5. VEdaththin mun ninRaan vEzham mudhalE enRu azhaippa en enRaan engatkiRai 
nalaveNbhaa kaappuchcheyyuL - The person who stood in front of the vEdhams,
responded asked what, when that elephant called "oh you first", he is our
God.

6. maal yaanai munthu aruLum vEdha mudhale ena azhaippa vantharuLum
senthaamarai- nalaveNbhaa kaappuchcheyyuL - that lotus, thirumaal, comes and
saves when that elephant called "oh you, first of all those who are spoken
in the vEdhaas" such a thirumaal is our god.

7. aazhi mun Enthi kamba maa kari kOL viduththaanE- 5-1-9 periyaazhvaar

8. padhaga mudhalai vaaippatta kaLiRu kadhaRik kai kooppi en kaNNaa kaNNaa
enna udhavap puL oornthu angu uRu thuyar theerththa adhakan - 2-1-9
periyaazhvar
see here the elephant calls him the aadhi mudhalE as krishna - means to what
extent this aazhvaar has drowned himself in that krishna anubhavams. Hadham
seibavan hadhakan - or adhakan in tamil- one who kills.

9. thaazhai thaN aambal thadam prum poigai vaai vaazhu mudhalai valaip pattu
vadhip punvEzham thuyar keda viNNOr perumaanaai aazhi paNi koNdaan - 2-10-8
periyaazhvaar

Like this many more can be quoted on this episode. Viradhan has realised
such an aadhi moolam has come in front of him and gave his salvation from
the curse. So his eulogies are highly enjoyable as poured out by kamban.

We will have the next verse now and meaning in next post.

PuRam kaaNa agam kaaNap podhu mugaththin aruL nOkkam
IRangaatha thaamaraik kaN emperuman! Iyamputhiyaal
ARam kaaththaRku unakku oruvar aarum thuNai inRi
KaRangu aagum enath thiriya neeyEyO kadavaaithaan.

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.

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