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Raghu Veera Gadhyam: Yuddha KhAndam--Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 29, 1996 


visAla nethram paripurNa gAthram 
SitA kaLathram suravairi jaithram I
kAruNya pAthram jagadha: pavithram
Sri Rama Ratnam praNathOsmi nityam II

GS : 48 ahita sahodara raksha: parigraha 
visamvAdhi vividha sachiva visrambhaNa 
samaya samrambha samujjrimbhitha 
Sarveswara bhaava ! Jaya! Jaya ! 

O Lord , who revealed your svarupam as the Lord of
all Gods during the occasion when you countered 
the different arguments of the ministers of Sugreevaa and 
energetically motivated them to drop their objections 
to accept  VibhishaNA as a SaraNAgatha at Your lotus feet ! 
Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee ! 

(Background ) : Sri RAmaa had learned about the place of
incarceration of Sita through HanumAn and thereafter arrived at the 
Adhi Jagannatha Kshethram on the sea side with the army 
of monkeys and bears to launch his invasion f Lankhaa .
At that time, the younger brother of RaavaNA known by  
the name of (VibhishaNa) arrived at that site to seek 
the refuge of RAmaa after failing in his efforts to persuade
his brother  RaavaNaa to return Sitaa DEvi to her 
husband and to seek latter's apology . 

VibhishaNA cried out from his position in the sky and 
described his plight  to SugreevA  this way : 

" There is an ogre of evil conduct by the name of RavaNA , who is the 
Lord of ogres. I am his younger brother known by the name of
VibhishaNA . My brother  kidnapped Sita from Jansthaanam , 
killed Jatayu and has incarcerated the helpless Sita . I have 
vehemently opposed his despicable deed and asked him to
restore Sita to Rama with apologies . My brother would not 
listen to me and has discarded my good advise. I have   
abandoned my sons and wife and have left his court and 
flown over here to seek refuge at the feet of Rama.Hence, Please 
let RaghuRAmA,  who has the prowess to protect any one in all the three
worlds,  know quickly  that I am here  seeking his refuge .
VibishaNA's exact words are :

tyakthvaa putraamsccha dhaaraamsccha Raaghavam saraNam gatha :II
nivedhayatha maam kshipram raaghavaaya mahaathmanE I
sarvaloka saraNyaaya vibhishaNam upasthitham II  

Hearing these words of appeal from VibhishaNa , SugreevA
was alarmed. He thought that the brother of RavaNaa might kill
all of them including Rama and LakshmaNaa just as an owl would
destroy crows. He advised Rama to turn VibhishaNaa away on the 
basis of his reasoning that VibhishaNaa was a Rakshasaa by birth and 
a brother of an enemy to boot. The other members of Sugreevaa's retinue 
with the exception of Hanumaan doubted VibhishaNaa's sincerity 
in seeking Raamaa's refuge . Some of them  felt that he intended harm and 
therefore should be killed immediately.The ministers of Sugreeva such as 
Sarabhaa, JaambhavAn, Maindhaa suggested intensive 
interrogation of VibhishaNaa before taking a decision to
accept his plea for protection. They were really not in favor of
listening to VibhishaNaa's soulful cry for help.

Hanuman was the last of the ministers to speak. Valmiki 
describes Hanuman at this point as the foremost of counsellors
and also as " Samskaara Sampanna : " ( One who is learned from
his study of scriptures and Dharma Saastrams ) . Hanumaan 
pointed out brilliantly  the falacies in the arguments of his fellow 
counsellors and took the position that Vibhishana should be accepted 
as a SaraNaagatha . Hanumaan ended his analysis by stating that 
Rama is the best judge to decide on the next step and act on whatever
that needed to be done.

Rama was very pleased with the counsel of Hanumaan 
since he felt the same way about VibhishaNaa and his 
plight. Rama was very much moved by the counsel of monkeys,
who had his  welfare very much on their minds. He thanked 
them and then  revealed his Sarveswarathvam by stating that he can not
refuse to receive under ANY circumstances one , who has 
sought his protection and approached him in a friendly manner.

"mitra bhaavEna sampraaptham na thyajEyam kathamchana I
DhOshO yadhyapi tasya syaath sathaamethadhagarhitham II "

(Meaning ) :I can not abandon  him , who has sought my protection.
Even if there is any concealed wickedness on the part of 
the one, who sought my refuge, he has to be accepted 
and that acceptance will not be considered as a reprehensible
act by good people. 

Swami Desikan salutes here  the prowess of Sri Rama as 
the unfailing SaraNaagatha Rakshaka and his power
as the supreme Lord of all Gods to fulfill his pledge to
provide the protection to all , who sincerely wished for 
his protection.  

Raghukula Vara Rathnam Paathu maam Rama Rathnam .

Sri VaishNava Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan