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ThiruveLLUr Kaimkaryam: SapthAham --Third day

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • June 30, 1998 


Dear Raama BhakthAs :

The date of July 6 , ThiruveLLUr MahA samprOkshaNam day 
is fast approaching . I have received as of now pledges
of $450 from 8 BhakthAs . We are now  at the level of 10% neeeded
to meet the short fall . Hence I plead with you all to 
come forth and participate in this MahA Kaimkaryam and 
receive the Divya Dampathi's blessings on this singularly 
auspicious occasion and the MahA prasaadhams that Bhaktha 
SironmaNi Sri K.G. KrishNan has pledged to send to the 
participants . 

Raghuveera Gadhyam and Sri Veeraraagahvan
*******************************************

During the December 1996 period , I covered 
a significant portion of the tributes of Swami 
Desikan to the unparalleled valour and parAkramam
of Sri VeerarAghavan. These postings are available 
in the Bhakthi archives of December 1996 . 
Sri VeerarAghavan , who became Sri Vijayaraaghavan by 
destroying the evil RaavaNA has been saluted by 
Sawmi Desikan in his ParamAtrtha sthuthi . 

Srimadh VaalmIki RaamAyaNam & Sri VeerarAghavan
************************************************
Sri RaamachandrA's prowess has been displayed 
right from the 12th year of His avathAram , when He
accompanied Sage VisvAmithrA to SiddhAsramam .
There , he defended the special Yaagam of Sage ViswamithrA 
with Kodhandam in His hands ( KodhandI kousikasya
krathu varam avithum yAtha abhU : ). There , He broke 
the evil TaatakA into two with the power of His arrows .

He travelled form there to King Janaka's court and
without effort bent  and broke the mighty Siva Dhanus 
and won the hand of SitA piraati in marriage . On the  way
home from the wedding celebrations , He encountered 
the haughty Sage ParasurAmA and subdued him . 

After leaving AyOdhyA to obey His father's pledge to 
KaikEyi , He entered the forest and destroyed 
the fierce RaakshasAs , Karan , DhUshaNan , Trisiras 
and 14,000 other RaakshasAs , who came to attack Him 
single handedly . He lost SitA due to a trick by MaarIcha 
and destroyed latter . After the trecherous and deceitful
act of the cowardly RaavaNA , Veera Raaghavan established 
friendship with SugreevA and HanUmaan and killed 
the mighty Vali , who had offended Sugreeva by stealing 
his wife . 

VeerarAghavan assembled an army of Monkeys , bears ,
built a bridge over the ocean to cross over  
and proceeded to LankhA to fulfill His avathAra goals .
The entire Yuddha KhAndham is a vast treasure house describing 
the matchless bravery of Veeraraaghavan .Adhi Kavi
VaalmIki has 128 sargams in the Yuddha KhAndam . In the 59th 
sargam , RaavaNA meets face to face with VeerarAghavan and 
gets a taste of the power of the Raaama BhaaNams . ValmIki
salutes Veeraraghavan here as "sathya Paraakrama: " to
emphaisze the Valour of Sri RaamA rooted in Righteousness. 
In the battle that ensued , Veeraraaghavan humiliated RaavaNA
by overpowering him and as a great One advised RaavaNA 
that He will not kill him that day , when he was exhausted .
The chivalrous Veerarghavan bid RaavaNA to retire to his 
home , rest and come back next day to fight with him:

" tasmAth ParisrAntha ithi vyavasya na tvAm
sarair mruthyu vasam nayAmi " 

( Oh RaavaNA ! You have fought well today . Knowing 
that you have been fully exhausted by these efforts ,
I shall not put you under the sway of death with 
my fierce arrows now ) .

The humiliated RaavaNA sent his brother , KumbhakarNA
to fight VeerarAghavan the next day . In  a mighty battle 
that ensued , VeerarAghavan tore off the arms and legs
of KumbhakarNA and cut off his head with IndrAsthram .
The collosal ogre fell into the  sea like a mountain .
RaavaNA lamented over the death of his formidable brother .

In the ninty ninth sargam , the mighty batle between 
VeerarAghavan and RaavaNA is described by Adhi kavi .
This description of the fierce battle is carried
over to the 108th sargam , where RavaNA is killed by 
the greatest parAkramasAli , VeerarAghavan . 

ValmIki  describes this battle without any parallel 
as " Raama RaavaNayOr Yuddham Raama RaavaNayOriva " .
RaavaNA's charioteer saves the life of his king by
whisking him off the battle field to protect him
from the Raama BhANams . Sage AgasthyA advises 
VeerarAghavan to recite Aadhithya Hrudhaya SthOthram 
to gain victory over RaavaNA .

The fierceness of the arrow that left the powerful bow of 
VeerarAghavan and destroyed RaavaNA is described by ValmIki
this way :

sa VisrutO mahAvEga: sarIrAnthakara: para :
bibhEdha hrudhayam tasya RaavaNasya DhurAthmana: 

(Meaning ) : As soon as released , the arrow , which was
endowed with terrific velocity and capable of putting an
end to the enemy's body , pierced the heart of the notorious 
and evil-minded RaavaNA .He fell to the ground and the arrow 
reentered VeerarAghavan's quiver after performing its task nobly.)

Celestial drums were sounded by the DevAs and pushpa vrushti
fell from the skies . The assembled Gods and sages watching 
this fierce battle shouted , " Bravo , Bravo ! Well Done ! " 
Sri Raamachandran became the RaNa Pungavan and shone like 
the Sun in a cloudless sky . 

Swami Desikan paid his tribute to the Raghuveeran 
this way in Sri Raghuveera Gadhyam :

sitha Sara Krutha lavana Dasamukha mukha dasaka 
nipathana punarudhaya dahara gaLitha janitha dhara taraLa 
harihaya nayana naLinavana ruchi kachitha kathala 
nipathitha surataru kusuma vithathi surabhitha Ratha patha !
Sri RaamabhadrA! Jaya ! jaya ! 

Saint ThyagarAjA swooned over the thought about
the power of Raama BhaaNam ( arrows of RaamA ) .
In his saavEri krithi , he saluted those matchless
and never-failing arrows of VeerarAghavan this way :

Raama BhaaNa thrANa souryamEmani dElupudhurA Oh ManasA 
( Oh My mind ! How can I describe the saving valour
of RaamA's arrow , the arrow that kileld the army 
of RaavaNA , who desired SitA ( BhaamA kaasaBatu Raavana
mUlabhalamula NElagula jEyu ) .

In his beautiful HusEni Raaga Krithi , " Raghuveera 
RaNadheera " , The bard of ThiruvayyAru saluted 
the valour of VeerarAghavan in the batlefield :

" Come Oh ! Hero of the Raghus , valorous in battle ! 
the destroyer of ParasurAmA's pride , the prop of (all)
Gods! an Indra , who destroys the mountains of RaavaNA , 
KumbhakarNa and Indrajith ! You who are of the form of 
the static and the moving , You who abide in the heart of 
ThyagarAjA ! ( RaavaNa gatakarNa BhalarAthi Ripunaga nagAri!
SthAvara Jangama rUpa! ThyagarAja HrucchAri , Raghuveera !
RaNa dheera raa raa RaajakumArA ! ) 

This VeerarAghavan is going to enjoy His MahA 
SamprOkshaNam on July 6 , the day of Nathamuni's 
Thirunakshathram at ThiruveLLUr . 

Please join in this kaimkaryam and pledge your
support . May the Divya Dampathi's continued blessings 
be with You all , who already enjoy His anugraha Balam .
Fifty Dollars is not much for us in this country .
You are welcome to give more like some of the BhakthAs 
have already done .these funds as you know go a long way 
to fill the gaps in Kaimkaryam set for July 6 . 
Please come forward and help .
Thanks in advance to You all !

I will cover AzhwAr's anubhavam of the Valour of
Sri VeerarAghavan in the remaining postings 
associated with the SapthAham .

Sri Kanakavalli SamEtha Sri VeerarAghava SwaminE Nama: 

Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan