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how could such a raama do that - post 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • March 12, 2003 


Post 1
Dear sree vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
Recently a senior person and myself had a chat [who gives out upanyaasams frequently]. During this chat, he posed me a question starting "how could such a raama do that?" and narrated one of the acts of raama. I was stunned at the truth behind the question and could not offer an answer easily, for the question was so tricky. [of course, at this stage, I can share with you all, that, it has nothing to do with vaali vadham] . 
Then I asked him, "why you qualify your statement saying "such a raama"?". He said, "you better read sargam 1 and 2 of ayOdhyaa kaaNdam and you will be convinced that why I say this 'such a raama'". Then he added, "why not you pose this question with your learned forum of bhakti list and elicit an answer". That is why this mail. 
After reading, sargam 1 and 2, now I am convinced why he said "such a raama". Please read following about 'such a raama' and then we will have the question, so that jointly we will give an answer to him.  [Just for your info, I am yet to have his answer].
Chapter [Sarga] 1 of ayOdhyaa kaaNdam of srimadh vaalmeeki raamaayaNam [ I refer the book published by gorakhpur geetha press]. Main theme in this chapter is: - Sage vaalmeeki describes the innumerable virtues of sree raamaa. King dhasarathha wants to coronate sree raama as the crown prince with the approval of all his people and so he also lists out the virtues of his son raama to make the people accept raama. 
Vaalmeeki's description on raama's guNam: 
[perhaps we have to have this in more than one post] 
[note: slokaas 1 to 5 describe how bharathaa and shathrughna enjoyed their stay with their uncle. Hence not taken up here for consideration and elaboration].
 
thEshaam api mahaa thEjaa raamO rathikara: pithu: |
svayamBhoo: iva Bhoothaanaam baBhoova guNavaththara: || 2-1-6
[2 represents ayOdhya kaaNdam, 1 represents sargam no, 6 represents the slokam number]

raama: = raama, 
svayamBhoo: iva = like the brahma, 
Bhoothaanaam = among all the living beings, 
guNavath thara: = the most virtuous, 
thEshaam api = among those brothers, 
mahaa thEjaa = the mightiest, 
rathikara: baBhoova = was a source of joy, 
pithu: = for his father.

Meaning: raama, like the brahma, among all the living beings, the most virtuous among those brothers and the mightiest, was a great source of joy for his father dhasaratha.

sa hi dhEvair udheerNasya raavaNasya vaDhaarthhiBhi: |
arthhithO maanushE lOkE jajnE vishNu: sanaathana: || 2-1-7

sa: = that raama, 
sanaathana: = the eternal, 
vishNu: =  sree mahaa vishnu, 
jajnE hi = was born, 
maanushE lOkE = on the earth 
arthhitha = as urged by, 
dhEvai hi = gods, 
vaDhaarthhiBhi: = to kill, 
udheerNasya raavaNasya = the egoistic  raavaNa.

Meaning: That raamaa - was He not the eternal VishNu who was born on earth as prayed by celestials to kill the egoistic raavaNa?

kausalyaa susuBhE puthrENa amitha thEjasaa |
yathhaa varENa dhEvaanaam adhithir vajra paaNinaa || 2-1-8

adhithi: yathhaa = like adithi, 
vajra paaNinaa = because of Indhra, 
dhEvaanaaM varENa = the best among celestrials, 
kausalyaa = kausalya, 
susuBhE = shone because of, 
puthrENa = her son, 
amitha thEjasaa = the mighty raamaa.

Meaning: Like adhithi because of Indhra, best among the celestials, Kausalya shone because of her son Raama, the mighty.

sa hi roopopapannascha veeryavaan anasooyaka: |
Bhoomau anupama: soonur guNair dhasarathha upama: || 2-1-9

sa: = Raama, 
roopa upapanna: cha = having beautiful form, 
veeryavaan = a hero of valour, 
anasooyaka: = without envy, 
guNai: = by virtues, 
dhasarathha upama: = like Dasaratha, 
anupama: = Incomparable, 
soonu: hi = son, 
Bhoomou = on earth.

Meaning: - Raama was beautiful in form, a hero of valour without envy. By virtues, he was like Dasaratha. In this way, he was an incomparable son on earth.

sa cha nithyam prasaantha aathmaa mrudhu poorvE cha BhaashathE |
uchyamaanO~pi parusham na uththaram prathipadhyathE || 2-1-10

sa: = that Rama, 
nithyam = always, 
prasaantha aathmaa = with a peaceful mind, 
BhaashathE = talked, 
mrudhu poorvakam = softly, 
uththaram na prathipadhyathE = he did not respond to, 
parusham = hard words, 
uchyamaana: api = spoken by others.

Meaning: That Raama was forever peaceful in mind and spoke softly. He did not react to the hard words spoken by others.

kadhachidh upakaarENa kruthEna EkEna thushyathi |
na smarathi apakaaraaNaam satham api aathmavath thayaa || 2-1-11

sa: = That Rama, 
aathmavath thayaa = because of his good bent of mind, 
thushyathi = feels glad, 
kadhachith = even by , 
EkEna = one, 
upakaarENa = good thing, 
kruthEna = done, 
na smarathi = (but) does not mind, 
satham api = even a hundred, 
apakaaraaNaam = bad things.

Meaning: That Raama, because of his good bent of mind, feels glad even by whatever way a good thing is done to him. He does not remember any number of bad things done to him.

seela vrudhDhair jnaana vrudhDhair vayO vrudhDhaischa sajjanai: |
kathhayan naastha vai nithyam asthra yoga antharEshu api || 2-1-12

asthra yOga + anthareshu api = Even during intervals while practising archery, 
nithyam = always, 
kathayanaastha = used to converse with, 
seela vridhDhai: = elders by conduct, 
jnaana vridhDhai: = elders by wisdom, 
vayO vridhDhai: = elders by age (or), 
sath janai: = with good people.

Meaning: Whenever he finds some time even while practising archery, Rama used to converse with elderly people, elder by way of conduct or wisdom or age or with good natured people.

budhDhimaan maDhuraaBhaashee poorva Bhaashee priyam vadha: |
veeryavaan na cha veeryENa mahathaa svEna vismitha: || 2-1-13

budhDhimaan = wise man, 
maDhuraaBhaashee = sweet conversationist, 
poorva Bhaashee = one who initiated a talk, 
priyam vadha: = whose speech was compassionate, 
veeryavaan = person with valour, 
na cha vismitha: = not arrogant of, 
svEna = his own, 
mahathaa = great, 
veeryENa = valour.

Meaning: Rama was a wise man. He used to speak sweetly. He was the first man to initiate a talk. His speech was compassionate. He was valorous. But he was not arrogant of his mighty valour.

na cha anrutha kathhO vidhvaan vrudhDhaanaam prathi poojaka: |
anuraktha: prajaaBhischa prajaascha api anurajyathE || 2-1-14

na cha = not, 
anrutha kathhaa: = speaking untruth, 
vidhvaan = all knowing person, 
prathi poojaka: = Receptive and worshipful to, 
vrudhDhaanaam = elders, 
anuraktha: = being loved, 
prajaaBhi = by people, 
anurajyathE = loving, 
prajaascha api = also the people.

Meaning: - He did not speak untruth. He was all-knowing. He used to be receptive and worshipful to the elders. People used to love him and he used to love the people.

saanukrOsO jithakrODhO braahmaNa prathi poojaka: |
dheena anukampee DharmajnO nithyam pragrahavaan suchi: || 2-1-15

sa anukrOsa: = had compassion, 
jithakrODha: = conquered anger, 
braahmaNa prathi poojaka: = receptive and worshipful to the wise, 
dheena anukampee = knew what mercy is to be done to the meek
nithyam pragrahavaan = Had always self control, 
suchi: = was clean (in conduct)

meaning: He had compassion. He conquered anger. He used to be receptive and worshipful to the wise. He had mercy towards the meek. He knew what was to be done. He had always self- control. He was clean (in conduct).

Now we will list out the guNaas described in these 10 slOkams.
Raamaa is 
1.	guNavath thara: = the most virtuous, 
2.	mahaa thEja: = the mightiest, 
3.	pithu: rathikara: = a source of joy for his father
4.	sanaathana: vishNu: = that raama is the eternal sree mahaa vishnu
5.	amitha thEjasaa = the mighty raamaa.
6.	roopa upapanna: = Raama has beautiful form, 
7.	veeryavaan = a hero of valour, 
8.	anasooyaka: = without envy, 
9.	gunai: bhoomou anupama: soonu: = by virtues he is an incomparable son on earth.
10.	prasaantha aathmaa = had a peaceful mind
11.	nithyam mrudhu poorvE cha BhaashathE = always talked softly 
12.	uchyamaana: api parusham uththaram na prathipadhyathE = did not respond to hard words spoken by others.
13.	aathmavath = had a good bent of mind,
14.	thayaa kadhachith EkEna upakaarENa thushyathi = even by one good thing done to him feels glad 
15.	kruthEna satham api apakaaraaNaam na smarathi = does not remember even a hundred bad things done.
16.	nithyam seela jnaana vayO vrudhDhai: sath janai: kathayannaastha = always used to converse with, elders by conduct, by wisdom, by age (or), good people. 
	[ just recall tell me who are your friends I will tell about you] 
17.	budhDhimaan = wise man, 
18.	maDhura Bhaashee = sweet conversationist, 
19.	poorvaaBhaashee = one who initiated a talk, 
20.	priyam vadha: = whose speech was compassionate, 
21.	svEna mahathaa veeryENa na cha vismitha: = = not arrogant of his own great valour.
22.	na cha anruta kathaH = = not speaking untruth, 
23.	vidhvaan = all knowing person, 
24.	vrudhDhaanaam prathi poojaka: = receptive and worshipful to elders, 
25.	prajaaBhi anuraktha: = being loved by people, 
26.	prajaascha api anurajyathE = also loving the people.
27.	saanukrOsa: = had compassion, 
28.	jithakrODha: = conquered anger, 
29.	braahmaNa prathi poojaka: = receptive and worshipful to the wise, 
30.	dheena anukampee = knew what mercy was to be done to the meek or mercyful, 
31.	nithyam pragrahavaan = Had always self control, 
32.	suchi: = was clean (in conduct)

Perhaps by now you may feel this is going to be a sree raama sahasra naamam. Yes. We just had krishna sahasra naamam SKSN [or is it sree vishnu sahsra naamam SVSN? [For me it is SKSNonly]. This one is SRSN.  Due to the length of post we will continue in next.

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g




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