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sri rama sthuthi- post 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • June 27, 2001 


Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

We saw in post 1, the poet kamban's verse describing vaali, the anti-hero,
saw raama naamam in the arrow, which pierced his chest and made him fall
down. The raama naama mahimai was dealt with in posts 1 as points 1 to 6 and
post 2 had only one point - point 7 concerning that thanip perum padham
"raama" ennum naamam. That kamban's verse of "mummai saal" is so great and
bowled me over completely by its sheer simplicity and sweetness. Please
permit me to delve in the same verse and "raama naamam" in this post also. 

But for those who do not have that patience, please have the raama sthuthi
by vaali, verse 1 (out of 5) and do dwell on the verse. We will deal with
meaning and points in next post.
Evukoor vaaLiyaal yeithu naai  adiyanEn
Aavi pOm vElai vaai aRivu thanthu aruLinaai
Moovar nee, mudhalvan nee, muRRum nee, maRRum nee,
Paavam nee, dharumam nee, pagaiyum nee, uRavum nee.

What a beauty and simple tamil.

Now continuing the points on the raama naama mahimai,

Point 7. The verse starts "Mummai saal ulagukku elaam moola manthiram - that
basic mantra for all 3 worlds is raama naamam - Refer verse 66 of mudhal
thiruvanthaadhi 

Kalai ezhunthu ulagam kaRpanavum- kaRRu uNarntha
MElaiththalai maRaiyOr vEtpanavum vElaik kaN
Or aazhiyaan adiyE Odhuvadhum Orppaanavum
PEraazhi koNdaan peyar 

Kaalai- morning, 
mElai is mERku or west -mElaiththalai is evening time when both the head of
sun as well as people of the world will bow down (in sleep) 
vElaik kaN - vElai is time, ocean, work. VElaik kaN is during the
intervening period where people do work - combining kaalai mElai and vElai-
it represents all through the day when people are awake. 
VElaikaN Or aazhiyaan is naarayaNan who is in the midst of milk ocean. 
Ulagam kaRpadhu pEraazhi koNdaan peyar- people of this world learn the name
of that Lord narayaNan who has that big wheel, periya aazhi- sudarsana
chakram. 
kaRRu uNarntha maRaiyOr vEtpana - the people who are learned of the vEdhaas-
maRaiyOr- they also utter this naarayaNa naamam- not only simply utter- but
utter with a longing -vEtpana.
Odhuvadhu- chanting,  
Orppadhu- mananam paNNuvadhu- can it be called japam? 
Orppadhu- thiruvai solluvadhu -  thiruppi thiruppi solluvadhaal adhu
thiruvai aayiRRu- repeatedly uttering same - all are that naamam- naaraayaNa
naamam- raama naamam. Kamban followed aazhvaar's footsteps- yes.
Ulagam wholly learns, recites chants, in all the time when people of the
world- are awake is that naamam- it is clear that it is the moola manthram-
basic manthra.

8. ThammaiyE thamarkku nalgum- that manthram will give the naamam udaiyavan
himself to who utters the naamam.  See - thammaiyE naaLum vaNangith
thozhuvaarku thammaiyE okka aruL seivaar - 11-3-5 thirumangai aazhvaar.
He, the lord, will grant all the things, which is equal in him to all who
worship Him daily. What is equal to him for the sincere bhaktha- nothing
except himself. This is very clear- so thammaiyE okka aruL means he will
give himself.
That is what kamban also says- ThammaiyE thamarkku nalgum. 

9. raama is the first sabdam in learning samskrit with "akaaraantha
pullinga: raama sabdha:"- the beginning to learn the sabdam- sound in that
language is with raama naamam. Readers may say we first learn praNavam- is
basic naadham- su naadham- and then start with letter a- ezhuththu. But
while starting sound- sabdham- it is raama naamam. Great. 

10. raama naamam immaiyE ezhumai nOikku marunthu- the medicine for removing
the 7 births is raama naamam- thirumangai aazhvaar says "nanju thaan kaNdeer
nammudai vinaikku naaraayaNaa ennum naamam" - 1-1-10 periya thirumozhi.
Concludes the first padhikam [10 verses] with this statement. Poison is the
best medicine for certain killer diseases, we all know. Raama naamam is the
best poison to kill the disease called repeated births.

May be this naaraayaNa or raama naamam is the first medicine to be given
orally and all other medicines (which we have in this physical world)
followed suit to be given as oral intakes.

Namanum muRkalanum pEsa naragil ninRargaL kEtka
NaragamE suwargamaagum naamangaL udaiya nambee 
-	12 thirumaalai of thoNdar adip podi aazhvaar
the yamadharma raajan and muRkalan a good man were arguing at the door step
of hell on the naarayana naamam. Hearing that naamam during arguments
between these two, the people in the hell became puNNiyavaans and thus were
relieved of their hell bound life. KEtka- just hearing that too in hell.
Such a powerful naamam.

11. Pichchai pukku aagilum em piraan thiru naamamE nachchumin
NaaraNan tham mannai naragam pugaan -  4-6-3 periyaazhvaar.
Even if you have to beg please like that naaraayana naamam. That will save
you. Naarayanan will not allow you to go to hell. 
No entry board is hung in hell for such people who like naarayaNa naamam.
Naturally the other alternate place sri vaikuntham has welcome board put up
for such people. 
See the usage of word- nachchumin - virumbungOL- like it, desire it, that is
enough, not necessary to utter. See the amount of emphasis- all that raama
naama mahimai.

12. Raama naamamu janma rakshaka manthram thaamasamu chEyaka bhajimpavE
manasa says another krithi in raaga ataaNa- please do not delay- raama
naamam is the life saving manthra- start uttering- so raama naamam immaiyE
ezhumai nOikku marunthu.

[This song was also made famous by same madurai somasundaram [quoted in post
2]. While singing he will start uttering "gurunathaa" after a pause to
overcome the choking of the throat due to high emotions. All these due to
the lyrics, music, the charge of raama bhakthi in him, which will be
reflected in the listeners seated there]. 

13. By continuous uttering the raama naamam the tongue has got scars says
another aazhvaar - see "EththuginRom naath thazhumba raaman thirunaamam"- 10
-3-1 thirumangai aazhvaar. That part of a body, which does not need any
cleaning with chemical etc when we eat all sorts of stuff, gets a scar by
uttering raama naamam - practised so much that there is a scar. Is it
really- no- just the amount of practice. 
Is this like erumbu oora kallum thEyum. 
The scar becomes so sweet to this bhakthaa as well others for he will make
other tongues also bear that scar mark- oh raama nee naamam Emi ruchiraa. 

14. Naamam pala solli narayaNaa enRu
Namangaiyaal thozhudhum nan nenjE vaamaruvi
MaNNulagam uNdu umizhntha vaNdu aRaiyum thaN thuzhaai
KaNNanaiyE kaaNga nam kaN 8 moonRam thiruvanthaadhi

See here the glory of that naaraayaNa naamam- naamaththai kaiyaal thozhu nan
nenjE- says aazhvaar- once the heart and tongue go together in naama japam
naturally the hands and its bearer the body have to follow suit- to do that
worship- thozhudhu. 
Can be taken as naam angaiyaal thozhudhu- we - let us prey with that
beautiful hands besides uttering through the heart- so that it will be body,
heart, and soul are all dipped in that naamam.
  
13. Naamam pala udaiya naaraNa nambee - 10-8-4 thirumangai
Naamam aayiram Eththa ninRa naaraayaNaa- naranE - naachchiyaar thirumozhi-
2-1 

Like this so many quotes can be given for this raama naamam- naaraayaNa
naamam. 

Raama raama

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.



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