how could such a raama do that - post 6

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 24, 2003


Post 6
Dear sree vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
In post 1 to 4, we saw how sree vaalmeeki maharishi and king dhasaratha described the guNangaL - various charecteristics of sree raamaa. As continuation of post 5, in this post also we will continue the study of raama gunam description by the assembled kings, ministers and people of ayOdhyaa [as described by sri vaalmeeki maharishi in his raamaayaNam].

mrudhus cha sthira chiththas cha sadhaa bhavyO anasooyaka: |
priyavaadhee cha bhoothaanaam sathyavaadhee cha raaghava: || 2-2-32

bahu sruthaanaam vrudhDhaanaam braahmaNaanaam upaasithaa |
thEna~sya iha athulaa keerthir yasas thEjas cha vardhathE || 2-2-33

raaghava: = raama, 
mrudhu: cha = soft natured, 
sthira chiththa: cha = stable minded, 
sadhaa = always, 
bhavya: = auspicious man, 
anasooyaka: = who has no envy, 
priyavaadhee = speaks delightfully, 
Bhoothaanaam = to living beings, 
sathyavaadhee cha = speaks truthfully, 
upaasithaa = worshipper, 
vrudhDhaanaam braahmaNaanaam = to aged brahmanas, 
bahu sruthaanaam = endued with knowledge of many sciences, 
thEna = by that, 
asya = his, 
athulaa = incomparable, 
keerthi: = name, 
yasa: = glory, 
thEjas cha = splendor, 
vardhathE = growing, 
iha = in this world.

Meaning: "Raama is soft natured; has stable mind, always an auspicious man, and has no envy. He speaks truthful and loving words to all living beings. He worships aged brahmins endued with the knowledge of various sciences. By that, his name, glory and splendor are growing in this world."

dhEva asura manushyaaNaam sarva asthrEshu visaaradha: |
samyagvidhyaa vrathasnaatho yathaavath saanga vEdhavith || 2-2-34

visaaradha: = efficient man, 
sarva asthrEshu = in various weapons, 
dhEva asura manushyaaNaam = known to celestials, demons and men, 
samyak= well
vidhya vratha snaatha: = took bath in the vow of studies, 
yathaavath = systematically, 
saanga vEdhavith = learnt branches of vedas.

Meaning: he is an efficient man in handling all weapons known to celestials demons and men, he is well versed in studies and systematically learnt all branches of vEdhaas. 

gaandharvE cha Bhuvi srEshtO babhoova Bharatha agraja: |
kalyaaNa aBhijana: saadhu: adheena aathmaa mahaa mathi: || 2-2-35
dhvijair aBhivineethascha srEshtair Dharma artha naipuNai: | [part of slokam 36 is taken here and dealt with]

Bharatha agraja: = Bharatha's elder brother, Rama, 
babhoova = became, 
srEshta: = the best, 
gaandharvE = in music, 
kalyaaNa aBhijana: = one who has the best relatives, 
saadhu: = gentleman, 
adheena aathma = one who is not weak in mind, 
mahaa mathi: = one who has great wisdom.
abhivineetha: = trained in all matters, 
srEshtai: dhvijai: = from the best of brahmans, 
Dharma arthha naipuNai: = skilled in the art of righteousness and in the science of political economy, 

Meaning: Raama is best in the world in the art of music. He has best relatives. He is gentle. He is not weak in mind. He has great wisdom. Raama was trained in all matters from the best of brahmanas skilled in the art of righteousness and in the science of political economy. "

yadhaa vrajathi sangraamam graamaarthE nagarasya vaa || 2-2-36 
gathvaa soumithree sahithO na avijithya nivarthathE |

[note - that is the way the slokam is divided in the original itself]
gramaarthE = for village, 
nagarasya vaa = or for town, 
yadhaa = while, 
vrajathi = moving, 
sangraamam = for a battle, 
gathvaa = (Rama) goes, 
soumithri sahitha: = along with Lakshmana, 
na nivarthathE = does not return, 
avijithya = without victory.

Meaning: If it is necessary to go to a battle to protect a village or a city, Raama goes with LakshmaNa and returns home only after obtaining victory."

sangraamaath punar aagamya kunjareNa rathena vaa || 2-2-37
pouraan svajanavaan nithyam kusalam paripruchchhathi |
puthrEshu agnishu dhaarEshu prEshya sishya gaNeshu cha || 2-2-38
nikhilEna anupoorvyaascha pithaa puthraan iva urasaan | 

sangraamaath = from battle,
puna: aagathya = After returning, 
kunjarENa = on elephant, 
rathhEna vaa = or chariot, 
pauraan = citizens, 
nithyam = always, 
kusalam = well being of, 
paripruchchhathi = inquires, 

svajanavath = like relatives, 
pithaa = father, 
ourasaan puthraan iva = like to their hereditary sons, 

puthrEshu = about sons, 
agnishu = about the fire, 
dhaarEshu = about the wives, 
prEshya sishya gaNeshu cha = about the servants and the disciples, 
nikhilEna = completely, 
anupoorvyaas cha = and as per due order.

Meaning: "After returning from battle, Rama goes to citizens on an elephant or a chariot and inquires about their well being as though they were his own kinsmen, like a father does to his sons. He asks about their wives and children, about the fire, about their servants and students, always completely as per the due order."

sushrooshanthE cha va: sishyaa: kachith karmasu damsithaa: || 2-2-39
va: = your, 
sishyaa: = disciples, 
sushrooshanthE = serving, 
damsithaa: = keenly, 
kachith karmasu = in whatever actions.

ithi na: purusha vyaaGra: sadaa raamO~BhiBhaashathE | 
[part of slokam 40] [balance will be combined with part of next slokam  in next post]

raama: = raama, 
purusha vyaaghra: = the best among men, 
sadhaa = always, 
aBhiBhaashathE = speaks, 
na: = to us, 
ithi = thus, 

Meaning: Raama the best among men always asks us "Are your disciples serving you by keenly performing their actions?"

Now to list the guNams of raamaa as stated by people-

1.	mrudhu: = soft natured, 
2.	sthira chiththa: = stable minded, 
3.	sadhaa bhavya: = always auspicious man, 
4.	an asooyaka: = who has no envy, 
5.	Bhoothaanaam priyavaadhee = speaks delightfully to living beings 
6.	satyavaadhee = speaks truthfully 
7.	bahu sruthaanaam vrudhDhaanaam braahmaNaanaam upaasitha: = worshipper of aged brahmanas who are endued with knowledge of many sciences. 
8.	keerthi: yasa: thEjas cha athulaa vardhathE = for raama name, glory, splendor are growing incomparably.
9.	dhEva asura manushyaaNaam sarva asthrEshu visaaradha: = in various weapons known to celestials, demons and men, raama is efficient  
10.	vidhya vratha snaatha: = took bath in the vow of studies - means fully educated, 
11.	yathaavath saanga vEdhavith = learnt all branches of vedas systematically.
12.	gaandharvE srEshta: = the best in music, 
13.	kalyaaNa aBhijana: = one who has the best relatives, 
14.	saadhu: = gentleman, 
15.	adheena aathma = one who is not weak in mind, 
16.	mahaa mathi: = one who has great wisdom.
17.	srEshtai: dhvijai: abhivineetha: = trained in all matters from the best of brahmans, 
18.	Dharma arthha naipuNai: = skilled in the art of righteousness and in the science of political economy, 
19.	yadhaa sangraamam vrajathi avijithya na nivarthathE = while moving for a battle raama does not return without victory
20.	sangraamaath puna: aagathya pauraan nithyam kusalam paripruchchhathi = After returning from battle always inquires, well being of citizens like the father or close relatives.. 
21.	purusha vyaaghra: = the best among men, 

dhasan

vasudevan m.g.

PS: in the end of the next post, wherein we will conclude seeing raama guNam description by people of ayOdhya, I will add that intriguing question I was asked. Till the next post please bear with me.




--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/