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Raghu Veera Gadhyam -- Ayodhyaa Khaandam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 11, 1996 


DhyAnam : 

RAMAM PURAANA PURUSHAM RAMANEEYA VESHAM
RAJAATHIRAAJA MAKUTAARCHITA PAADHA PEETAM I
SITAAPATHIM SUNAYANAM JAGADEKA VEERAM 
SRI RAMACHANDRAM ANISAM KALAYAAMI CHITTEH II

-----SRI RAMA KARNAAMRUTHA SLOKAM 

GS : 26 --Pisitha ruchi vihita dhuritha  valamathana 
tanaya balibhuganugathi sarabhasa sayana truNa 
sakala  paripathana bhaya chakitha Sakala Sura
munivara bahumatha mahaastra Saamarthya !
Jaya ! Jaya ! 

( Meaning ) : O Lord of  incomparable valor whose skills
in endowing a mere blade of grass with the power of 
Brahmaasthram ! You sent that blade of grass from 
your darbha mattress , when You were horrified to see the 
apachaaram done by KAkAsura to your Devi out of his 
desire for eating flesh . All the Devas and sages were afraid 
that  the Darbham consecrated by you to have the power of
the mighty BrahmAsthram would land on them , when KaaakAsuran
sought them as refuge . O Lord of such valor ! Hail to Thee !
Hail to Thee ! 

(Musings ) : KaakAsuran( Crow) was the son of Indran, the king 
of Devaas. Kaakasuran saw Sita Devi in Chitrakutam . She  
was holding the head of  Sri Rama on her thigh as he was taking
rest. The crow slowly approached the Jaganmaathaa and took a
second peck at her breast because of his desire for eating flesh . Blood 
poured out and fell on the sleeping Rama's head. Sita Devi 
would not move since she did not want to wake up Rama by 
her movement. The contact of the warm blood however 
woke up Rama and he sized up the situation immediately . 

Rama was outraged by the aparaadham of the crow 
and he consecrated a blade of Dharbhaa graas 
from his bed and directed it  at the Crow , which was rushing away 
out of fear of Sri Rama. That blade of grass possessing the power 
of the mighty Brahmaastram chased the Crow in all the three worlds . The
crow sought refuge at his father's feet  . Indra was afraid to give protection
to his own son for fear of the damage that will come to him from Rama's
arrow ( empowered Blade of grass ). The Crow flew off to the abodes 
of Brahma , Rudraa and sages. None of them wanted to get in the way 
of the Brahmaasthram for fear of their own lives. They saluted the power of 
the Lord's blade of grass and were awe struck at the event of 
that  blade of grass chasing the guilty crow acros the entire 
span of the Universes . The  arrow chased the Crow with vigor,
when it flew in a direction away from  Rama and slowed down , when
the Crow flew in the direction of Rama.  

GS 27: DRUHINA  HARA VALATHANA DHURAARAKSHA SARALAKSHA !
JAYA ! JAYA ! 

(Meaning ) : O Lord whose arrow's aim can not be interfered with 
even by Brahmaa , Rudraa and Indraa . They could not protect 
the object of your arrow's target with their power. Hail to Thee!
Hail To Thee!  

(Musings ) : The incident of the Apacharam of KaakAsuran 
took place in Chitrakutam . There is however no mention 
of this incident by Sage Valmiki in the Ayodhyaa Khaandam
verses dealing with the life of the divine couple at Chitrakootam.
This incident s mentioned by Sita Devi in Ashoka Vanam
in Sundara Khaandam in her conversations with Hanuman
in the 38 th sargam. She was recalling the anger of Rama 
at the ApachAram of the Crow towards her and was telling 
Hanuman that she could not understand how Rama is now
indifferent to the heinous act of RavaNaa , who kidnapped her 
and held her as a prisoner away  from Rama . 

She recites at length the incident of the Crow hurting her 
and Rama's rage at the crow. Swami Desikan in his 
Chillarai Rahasyam known as " Abhaya Pradhaana Saaram "
dwells at length on Kakasuran's Aparaadham  and Rama's 
Kaarunyam as SaranAgatha Rakshakan even in the case of 
the most undeserving KaakAsuran. Swami Desikan cites 
this incident as one of the many ( VibhishaNa SaraNaagathi ,
Samudra Raja saraNaagathi et al ) to justify his insightful 
description of Srimad RaamaaYaNam as the SaraNaagathi 
Saastram .

Kaakasuran ran everywhere in the three worlds 
and could not escape from the Brahmaastram of
Rama  and could not gain the protection of any one 
to save him from the wrath of the blade of grass .
He  fell at the feet of Rama finally and sought his 
pardon . Sage Valmiki describes the plight of 
KaakAsuran and his SaraNaagathi in Sundara Khandam
through Sita's words :

THREEN LOKAAN SAMPARIKRAMYA TAMEVA SARANAM GATHA :

The SaranAgatha RakshaNam of the Lord is beautifully 
described by the Adi Kavi this way :

SA THAM NIPATHITHAM BHUMOU SARANYA: SARANAAGATHAM I
VADHAARHAMAPI KAAKUTSTHA : KRUPAYAA PARYAPAALAYATH II
Sundara Khaandam Sargam 38 verse 34.

The crow had fallen at the feet of the Lord . That crow was fit 
to be killed (Vadaarhan ) . He was begging for his life( PraaNarthi ). 
The Lord gave him the boon of life ( PraaNa Dhaanam ) . One of 
the reason for Rama's saving Kakasuran's life was due to the 
presence of the Parama KaaruNikatvaam of the Piraatti ,
who was standing next to Rama. This is the Rahasyam behind  
the fulfilment of the SaraNaagathi of Kakaasura by Rama 
according to Swami Desikan .

VARAM NA YAACHEH RAGHUNAATHA YUSHMATH 
PAADAABHJA BHAKTHI:  SATATHAM MAMAASTHU I
IDHAM PRIYAM NAATHA ! VARAM PRAYACCHA
PUNA: PUNA : TVAAM IDHAMEVA YAACHEH II

(MEANING) : O Saranagatha Vatsala Rama! 
O Bhaktha Vatsala  Raghu Naathaa!
 I am not asking You for any boon except  one . May I be
blessed with devotion for your lotus feet always ! 
This is dear to me my Lord . please giveme this boon. 
I will be asking you for this boon  again and again. 

Sri Jaanaki RamaNa Parabrahmaneh Nama: 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan