Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri U.Ve.VeLukkudi KrishNan Swamy's UpanyAsam on Srimath RaamAyana TanislOki: Part II

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • August 11, 2000 


Srimath KrishNa samAhvAya namO Yaamuna SoonayE
Yath KatAkshaika LakshyANaam Sulabha: Sridhara: SadhA

Dear BhakthAs:

Sri KrishNan Swamy commented extensively on the deeper
meanings of the follwing SlOkam along the lines of
the commentary of Swamy PeriyavAcchAn PiLlai:

" aham vEdhmi MahAthmAnam Raamam Sathya-parAkramam
  VasishTOpi MahAtEjA yE chEme tapasi shtithA:"
---Baala KhANDam: 19th sargam, 14th Slokam 

(meaning):Oh DasarathA ! I fully comprehend Raaman 
as the greatest of Souls and as the most valorous 
and righteous One . Sage VasishtA of great lustre
due to his superior penance and others like him in
Your court also understand these qualifications of 
Your young son , Raaman .

The depth of meanings of the first three words
(aham vEdhmi MahAthmAnam ) alone took an hour and 
half to cover . Here is a brief summary of 
the covered material:

Brahma Rishi VisvAmithra arrives at Emperor
Dasarathan's court to request Sri Ramaa's help
to protect a visEsha Yaagam at His Aasramam
from the marauding RaakshasAs , who were bent on 
preventing that Yaagam from being completed.
Sage VisvAmithrar pointedly did nor seek 
the great warrior Dasarathan's help , but
asked for the help of his young son .

Sri Raaman is not even Sixteen in age and
the concerned Dasarathan in his role as a 
doting father is of firm mind that his son 
Raaman is too young and inexperienced to handle 
the onerous task of fighting with the powerful
RaakshasAs and protect the Yaagam. Sage VisvAmithrA 
rejects the arguments of Dasarathan by pointing out
that he (VisvAmithrar) understands fully well
the sathya-parAkramam (unfailing valour ), 
the Veeryam (heroism)and indisputable glories of 
Raamachandran and His Yogyathai (credentials/
qualifications ) to handle the task at hand.
Sage VisvAmithrar states that few more in DasarathA's 
court have the same understanding of the valour 
and power of Raaman and can attest to that .
He says that the IshvAku Kula Guru, Sage
VasishtA of austere penance and few other 
Maharishis of great spiritual accomplishments
comprehend fully well the true power and strength
of Raaman to serve as the protector of his Yaj~nam.

Commentary on "Aham vEdmi Raamam"
**********************************
Swamy Periya VaacchAn PiLLai intreprets 
the words of Sage ViswAmithrA (aham Vedhmi)
in eleven different ways to help the confused
Dasarathan understand that he alone does not
comprehend the fitness (yogyathi) and capabiliites
of Raaman to acheive victory in the task of
protecting the Yaj~nam. The reasons that Sage
ViswaamithrA adduces to proove his competence
in the rightful comprehension of Raaman's
glories are :

(1) Oh DasarathA ! I grasp the glories of Raaman
with my inner eye (uttkkaNN) .You fail because of 
your use of the physical eye (veLikkaNN) as 
the tool for your comprehension.

(2) Oh DasarathA! I who has sat at the feet of
many AchAryAs comprehend the glories of Raaman,
whereas you, who is saluted by common folks 
can not understand such glories of your son.

(3)Oh DaasarathA ! I who hold the sacred grass 
(kusa dharbha dharan )in my hand can understand 
clearly the Vaibhavam and parAkramam of Raaman , 
where as you holding a bow in your hand can not 
understand them.

(4)Oh DasarathA! I with matted hair on my head 
can understand the prabhAvam of Raaman, whereas 
you with  a crown on your head can not understand 
Raaman's greatness.

(5)Oh DasarathA ! I of saathvika nature can comprehend 
the glories of Raaman , whereas you of raajasic nature 
can not understand the supermacy of Raaman.

(6)Oh DasarathA! I who sat few steps below 
the aasanam of my AchAryan with revenrence and 
modesty can understand the satya paraakramam
and Vaibhavam of Raaman , whereas you, who sit 
high up on your throne haughtily can not comprehend 
the glories of your son .

(7)Oh DasarathA ! I who follow the path of Yogam 
can fully understand the glories of Raaman , whereas
you who chase bhOgam can not understand this.

(8)Oh DasarathA! I who performed Moksha KaamEshti 
Yaagam ( a Yaagam to earn Moksham ) can understand 
clearly the Vaibhavam of Raaman, whereas you 
who performed puthra KaamEshti yaagam (a yaagam 
for the boon of progeny) can not understand 
his glories.

(9)Oh DasarathA! I who is involved with 
the pursuit of Dharma-Moksha PurushArtham 
can unmistakably understand the true glories of 
Raaman , whereas you who is involved with 
the pursuit of artha-kaama purushArthams can not.

(10)Oh DasarathA!  I who learnt with great effort ,
the svarUpa and svabhAva lakshaNams of Isvaran 
from great AchAryAs can relate to the vaibhavam of 
Raaman ,whereas you who have not bent your head 
in front of an AchAryan to learn these
tattvams and think of yourself as a sarvaj~nan
(who understands every thing) can not comprehend 
the glories of Raaman.

(11)Oh DasarathA ! I who is engaged in 
the understanding of the ParamAthmA through 
veda sabdham , Yaj~nam and imperishable tapas 
can understand the Veeryam ,Sathya ParAkramam 
and Vaibhavam of Raaman ,whereas you who are
involved in such efforts can not comprehend
the greatness of your son , Raaman.After these 
strenous efforts involving Vadam , Yaj~nam and
Tapas , I say confidently to you (DasarathA)
"aham Vedmi Raamam mahAthmAnam Sathya parAkramam ". 

The commetary on the word "MahAthmAnam "
***************************************

Dasarathan now intervenes and asks:
Oh Sage VisvAmithrA ! You say my son 
Raaman , who is only twelve now is a MahAthmA .
What are your reasons to recognize Him
as a great soul ?

Sage ViswAmithran cites ten reasons 
for recognizing and saluting Raaman 
as a MahAthman as response to the chastised
DasarathA's question. Sri VeLukkudi Swamy
quoted extensively from ThiruvAimozhi ,
Upanishads and AchArya Sri Sookthis as
he commented on the individual reasons 
for Sage ViswAmithrA's  deduction that Raaman 
is a MahAthman and not a twelve year old prince .
The ten reasons are:

(1)AathmA -Jeeavn: He is SarvAthma SarIri ; 
He is the aathman for sarva aathmAs (YasyAthmA 
sarIram; ya: aathmani thishtannAthmanOanthara:).

(2)AathmA-Dhruthi or Dhairyam: He is a MahAthman 
because of His superior dhairyam (Courage). 
Even in the most dangerous times ,He stands firm 
and undistracted to accomplish His task . I recognize
Raaman as a Mahaathman for His matchless dhairyam.

(3)AathmA-dEham: He has a dEham , which is eternal
and imperishable (saathvatham) ; that dEham of His 
is blemishless and has svayam jYothi (maasuNAcchudar-
udampu described by NammAzhwAr in ThiruvAimozhi).
This dEham has also been saluted as : nithya Niravadhya
niradhisaya oujvalya Vigraham .It is not made of 
prAkruthic materials.That is why I (ViswAmitharn)
consider Raaman as a MahAthman.

(4) AathmA-SvabhAvam:He is MahAthmA since He has
stated that it is His vratham to save all , who 
seek His protection. He is MahAthmA because He
has described His vrutthi ( calling) as "PaasupAlyam"
( protection of chEthanams in danger ). Aasritha
RakshaNa svabhAvam and aanrusamsyam (Krupai) are
cited by Swamy PVP as the reason for MahAthmA 
nature of Raaman.

(5) AathmA-ParamAthmA: Here Sri KrishNan Swamy
used the ThiruvAimozhi passage:"OtthAr mikkArai
ilayAya MaamAmAyA " to illustrate the MahAthmA
nature of Raaman. adiyEn was thrilled to hear
the reference to my Kula Dhaivam , TannappOrillappan,
ThiruviNNagarAn by Sri KrishNan Swamy here.Raamn
exemplifies the dictum , "YasmAth param 
naaparamasthi kimchith ". There is no equal to
Him or superior to Him. Hence , He is a MahAthman.

(6) AathmA-Yathnam: AathmA is Yathnam , 
Prayathnam and UthsAham . Raaman is the embodiment 
of MahA Yathnam , MahA UthsAham in Saadhu RakshaNam
and dhushta nigraham. Hence , Raaman is a MahAthman.

Swamy Periya VaacchAn PiLLai goes on to give 
four more reasons behind the recognition of Raaman 
as the MahAthman . The recognition of Raaman as 
Sooryan , Agni , Buddhi and Vaayu are the additional 
reasons adduced . 

These additional desiderata for the recognition
of Raaman as the MahAthman will be covered by 
Sri VeLukkudi KrishNan Swamy along with other
Saakshis , who can support his(ViswAmithrar's)
assessment of Raaman as MahAthmA in the second
upanyAsam tomorrow.

Swamy Periya VaacchAn ThiruvadigaLE saraNam,
Daasan,Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan       


  


   


--------------------------------------------------------------------http://click.egroups.com/1/8015/5/_/716111/_/966106368/
--------------------------------------------------------------------|e>-

--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Visit http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/ for more information