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Two More RamAyaNams

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • February 5, 1997 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

It is a pleasure to learn that we will have the opportunity
to learn more about the Prabhandha Paasurappadi RamAyaNam
of PeriyavaacchAn Pillai thanks to Sri Mani .

On this occasion two more celebrations of Rama charitham came to my  mind .
One is by the Avadhootha SanyAsi , Sukha Brahmam through two chapters
in Srimadh Bhagvatham . In the ninth Skandham , Sukha Brahmam starts 
describing the charithram of RamachandrA with a benedictory verse . Sridhara 
Swamy , who wrote a commentary on Srimadh Bhagavatham composed 
his own verse on this benedictory verse . Sridhara Swamy 's verse is as follows:

granthakOtibhirAkeerNam adhbhutham Rama Vikramam I
       adhyAya dvayathO vakshyan EkaslokE namasyathi II

(Meaning ) Sri Ramachandra"s story and His valor has been told with 
brilliance and devotion in an indescribable manner (by Sage Valmiki ) 
through 100 crore slokaas . Sukha Brahmam describes Rama charitham 
in two  chapters in his immortal work . As he begins to tell this story of  
Sri Rama to king  Parikshith, he salutes Sri Rama with one slokam .
This slokam commented upon by Sridhara Swami is a masterful
condensation of the entire RamAyaNam 
and therefore can be described as an EKASLOKI RaamAyaNam :

gurvarthE tyaktharAjyO vyachardhanuvanam padmapadhbhyAm priyAyA :
paaNisparsAkshamAbhyAm mrujithapatharujO yO hareendhrAnujAbhyAm I
vairoopyacchsoorpaNakhyA; priyaviraharushAarOpitha bhruvijrumbha-
trasthAbhdhirbaddhasethu: kaladhavadahana: KosalEndhrOavathAnna : II
      
                                            Srimadh Bhagavatham. 9-10-4

(Meaning ) : May that Sri RamachandrA , who gave up the kingdom 
to keep his father's speech truthful , who wandered in the forests with 
his lotus soft  feet  protect all of us ! Those soft feet of Sri Rama which
could not bear the thought of his dear wife pressing them out of his 
affection for her were removed of their fatigue from walking in the forest
by Sugreeva's and brother LakshmaNA's hands . As a result of his 
disfiguring SurpaNakA for insuting his dear wife , events led to RamA' s 
separation from his wife .His anger at the King of the oceans at the time
of his efforts to build  a bridge  across the ocean to travel to LankhA 
to retrieve  Sita through the expression of  his knit brows made Samudra Rajan 
full of fear for his life and that of the denizens of his kingdom and led to the

construction of the dam across the ocean for the army of Rama to reach
the shores of the capiol of the evil RavaNA for the battle. There , Rama 
was like a wild fire that destroyed the powerful RavaNA , KumbhakarNA 
and their army and was victorious in fulfilling his avathAra Kaaryam
and returned to AyodhyA with His dear wife and enjoyed the coronation
ceremonies performed by Acharya VasishtA . May that PattabhiramA 
protect us all ! 

This Rama Charitham , which has been described as " Atha mrutha 
samjeevanam Srirama charitham prasthuyathE " { This Ramacharitham will
rekindle life even in the dead (Spiritually dead ) }  , has been retold by 
Sri NarAyaNa Bhattadhiri in front of Sri GuruvAyurappan in two Dasakams 
following closely the rendering by Sukha Brahmam . This is the second 
RamAyaNam that comes to my mind on this morning. Bhattadhiri narrated 
the story of RamA in front of Bala KrishNA at the GuruvAyoor temple and got the 
approval from the Lord Himself about the authenticity of the events 
that he described about the Ramacharitham . Sri naryaNa Bhattadhiri used 20
slokams to condense the two chapters of Sukha Brahmam in Srimadh Bhagavatham.
I hope to share them with you at a later date .

Sri Ramachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama :

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan