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Sri Rama Navami Day Celebration

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • April 16, 1997 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

Today is indeed the day when Sri Ramachandra 
was born . Last year , I was fortunate to write about
the Ramaashtaka krithis of Sri Mutthuswami Dikshithar
and Swami Desikan"s Raghu veera Gadhyam . This year 
I will attempt to write about the First and Fourth Pancha Rathna
Krithis of Saint Thyagaraajaa , one of the greatest Rama Bhakthaas .

Prior to that I will salute the Pattabhiraaman seated with Sitaa Devi
on the throne in Ayodhyaa . I will mediate upon the two Dhyaana 
slokams associated with Sri Raamaa :

vaidEhi sahitham suradhrumatalE haimE mahAmandapE
madhyE pushpakamaasanE maNimayE veerAsanE susthitham I
agrE vaachayathi prabhanjanasuthE tatvam munibhya: param 
vyaakhAntham BharathAdhibhi: parivrutham Raamam bhajE SyAmaLam II

VaamE bhumisuthA purasccha HanumAn paschAth sumitrAsutha:
satrugnO Bharathasccha paarsvadalayO: vaayvaadhikONeshu cha I
Sugreevasccha VibhishaNascca Yuvaraat TaarAsyuthO JaambhavAn 
MadhyE neela sarOja komalaruchim Raamam bhajE syAmalam II

The beautiful pattAbhishekam scene , where Ramaa is surrounded by 
family and  devotees is described with afection . The great Raghuveeran
is seated in veerAsanam and is like a beautiful blue lotus in hue. HanumAn 
is holding His lotus feet in front of the throne. SitA devi is seated on His
left side.
LakshmaNA stands behind and holds the umbrella as a royal insignia.
BharathA and SatrugnA are at two corners doing saamara kaimkaryam . 
Sri Ramaa is seated in the midst of his retinue(parivaaram ) of fellow soldiers
,
Sugreevan , VibhishaNan , prince Angathan , son of TaarA and  the great bear 
JaambhavAn . The blue effulgence in the middle of all of them is the object
of our meditation as we begin our slautation on this Isvara Samvathsara 
Rama Navami . 

Sri Thyaga Brahmam celebrated Sri navami for 9 days . Today , Sri Rama Navami 
is celebrated in that manner at Oppiliappan Koil .The peak of the celebration
is on April 25 , when Rama Pattabhishekam takes place with pomp and 
circumstance . 

I will cover Sri mautthuswami Dikshithar's Maamava PattabhirAma 
krithi set in Raagam maNirangu in the next postiing .I will follow it
up with the postings on the 108 Divya NaamAs used by Saint 
ThyagaraajA in his Naattai Pancha Rathnam, JagadhAnandhakArakA .
After my return for the brief trip to Europe (April 21-28 ) , I will conclude 
the Naattai Pancharathnam and go on to the VarALi pancharathnam ,
Kana Kana RuchirA .

May SeethA LakshmaNa Hanumath sametha Sri Ramachandra
Parabrahmam bless us all during this holy occasion !

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan