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Panguni Sukla Paksha Ekadasi day Reflections .n

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 30, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti group :

Panguni Uttaram Day is April 2. Many 
sacred happenings are associated with this day.

A deep devotee of Sri Ranganathafrom Massachusetts
is planning to post a note on the  sacred work of Sri Ramanuja"s
Saranagathi performed on this day at Srirangam.We all can
look forward to that posting next  week . Sri Rengarajan"s 
observation "Enghu SuRRinum Ranganai Vandhu Sehr"
comes to mind during this occasion.
 
As referred earlier , Sri Ramachandra's  Vivaha
Mahotsvam was concluded on the Panguni Uttaram day 
by Sage Vasishta at Mithilai . Sri Ramanuja"s Sarangathi 
to Divya dampathis occured on this day.

According to the some  commentators of Srimad Ramayanam,
Hanuman returned from Lankha after his misison and 
gave the good news to Sri Rama on Panguni Uttaram day .
It was also Abhijit muhartam that day .At night , it was
Powrnami moon casting its nectar like rays.

Sri Rama is said to have started the journey the same day 
and reached the sea  shore that  Powrnami  evening , stayed on 
Dharbha Sayanam thereafter for three days at ThirupullaNi , spent five
more days waiting for the Sethu Bhandhanam work to be completed .
He  arrived at Lankha Nagaram over the Sethu bridge   and started His
War with Ravana  , destroyed him and got united with Sita Devi.
That is another apect of the greatness of 
Panguni Uttaram day. There are other views 
that date the Lankha Vijayam of  Hanuman
to sarat Ruthu .  

Swami Desikan also  set the Hamsa Sandhesam as taking place in 
the Sarat Rhutu . After Hanuman's return , Swami Desikan has the 
Kalpana to send the Raja Hamsam to Lanka on His mission
and then starts His Journey for the war with Ravana .According to
this time table, Ravana was killed on the day after Margaseerhsa
month Amavasyai . Sri Rama returns by Pushpakam to Bharadwaja
Asrama on Powshkamasa Panchami . In the month of Thai during
Pushya Nakshatram, The Rama Pattabhishekam
takes place in Ayodhya. 

*** HAMSA SANDHESAM: RAHASYAARTHAM

Srimad Ramayanam is revered  as Saranagathi Vedam.
Swami Desikan takes the Hanuman"s Thuthu and 
sets his Sandhesa Kavyam with the involvement 
of a Raja Hamsam in the spirit of the Thuthu requests 
of our Azhwaars.  A great Desika Bhaktha, Late Sri D.Ramaswami 
Iyengar has pointed out the special significance 
of the service rendered  by Swami Desikan thru 
the composition of Hamsa  Sandesam. I will attach 
his observations,since it may be difficult for many
to access his Original preface to Hamsa Sandesam 
monograph of Oppiliappan Koil V.N. Srirama Desikaacchaar
Swamy.

According to Srirama Desikaacchaar Swamy,
the Inner Vedantic meaning is as follows:

This Sariram is like Lankha. This Sariram
is immersed in Samsaric Ocean , just as the island of
Lankha is immersed in the salty ocean. Our Arrogant mind, 
the leader of the  ten Indriyas is like the ten-headed
(Dasagreeva) Ravana. In this Sariram, Jeevan is housed
and it undergoes the sufferings from Vishayaanubhavam.
This is similar to Piratti"s suffering in Ashoka Vanam .
Sita Is equated to Jeevan here; Lord  is Sri Rama;
Hamsa/Hanuman is similar to Acharya, who carries
 the message of the  Lord, Describes His kalyana Gunas ,
 gives the message of the Lord"s resolve to come to the  rescue 
of the Jivan and comforting the Jivan . Hamsam stands for 
Parama Hamsa Acharyas . The Azhwaars chose Annam
for that  reason to send their appeals to the Lord. 
THE CENTRALITY OF THIS RAHASYA ARTHAM 
IS THE CONCEPT OF THE LORD USING ACHARYAS
AS HIS AGENT TO COMFORT THE JIVAN AND RESCUE
THEM FROM THE SAMSARIC SUFFERINGS THRU PRAPATTI
OR BHAKTI YOGA. The comparison of Sita to Jivan may have 
some weakness , but in a larger context of the realtionship
between Bhagavan, His messengers(Acharyas) and the 
suffering/Bewildered  Jivan, this Rahasyaartham can be
accepted. I will add the excerpts from Sri Ramaswamy Iyengar"s
observations on the special significance of Hamsa Sandesam in the
companion posting . 

Sadagopan