Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
In the recent brahmOthsavam of the malaiyappa swamy, lord venkatesan of
thirumala, we saw so much of decoration to the lord, with different kinds of
jewels highly costly, many splendor silk clothes, zari woven clothes, multi
coloured flowers smelling good, chandana maalai [sandal wood scraping made as
garland] etc, with so much bright lights to enable every body see him clearly
without any complaint that light is not sufficient etc.
Did the lord ask us to do all these for him? With such decorations only is he
going to get added beauty? If I answer that as a NO, then many bhakthaas will
get offended. But if I put it the other way then all will agree with me. It is
our desire to see the lord decorated in different ways and enjoy his beauty.
For whatever decoration we can do for ourselves, then, it becomes limited and
confined for the enjoyment of a few. Not all can enjoy. If the same is done to
the lord, then all across the world can enjoy. Even if we are not in thirumala,
we can enjoy by TV and internet across the world.
The supreme lord is 'beauty personified'. So he needs no decorations. In fact
these decorations to a large extent reduce his beauty. For when he is without
all these decorations, then, that simple decoration and then the beauty is
incomparable. Perhaps such occasions may be far and few to enjoy. Only few
people, perhaps, would have got such opportunities.
May be that is why having enjoyed that simple and marvelous beauty, many
bhakthaas sing that they are decorating the lord this way with that dress, that
way with this jewel, for the hair with that flower etc. See thyaagaraaja swamy
in his krithi below.
Song: chEthulaara srungaaramu
raagam: bhairavi taaLam: aadi
Composer: Thyaagaraaja Language: Telugu
pallavi
chEthulaara srungaaramu jEsi choothunu sree raama [chEthulaara]
meaning: I want to decorate you nicely with my hands and then see you.
anupallavi
sEthu bandhana surapathi saraseeruha bhavaadhulu pogada naa [chEthulaara]
meaning: hey raama, brahma, dhEvaas et al, should talk about this decoration of
you, raamaa, one who has built the sEthu [across the ocean]
charaNam 1
merugu bangaarandhelu betti
mEtiyou sariga valvalu gatti
sura tharu sumamula siganinti jutti
sundaramagu mOmuna mudhdhu petti [chEthulaara]
meaning: for your waist, oh raama, I will decorate with gold belt [oddiyaaNam]
over the zari woven cloth, for the hairdo I will offer nice and fragrant
flowers, after such decoration I will also implant a kiss on your face
[cheeks?].
charaNam 2
molanu kundhanamu gejjalu goorchi
mudhdhuga nudhutanu thilakamu theerchi
alakalapai raavi rEkayu jaarchi
andhamaina ninnu uramuna jErchi [chEthulaara]
meaning: I will adorn for your head jasmine flowers decorated like an anklet
and put in a raised way, for the lalaatam - the forehead - kasthoori thilakam -
the mark of musk - for the hair [again] decorate the chuttis in the shape of
the chandhran and sooryan - then embrace you, oh raama.
charaNam 3
aaNi muthyaala koNdE vEsi
havusugaa parimaLa gandhamu boosi
vaani surathichE visaraga vaasi vaasi
anuchu thyaagaraaja nuthayanni rOsi [chEthulaara]
meaning: for the kondai - the hair do - good pearl garlands to beautify, for
the chest - good smelling sandal, saraswathy herself will do the fanning [do
the chaamara kainkaryam], I will just stand by the side and enjoy saying well,
good, - says thyaagaraaja.
Points: 1. [gejja means a chalangai -an anklet. Here a jasmine gejja -
malligaip poovai chalangai pOla kattinadhu - thalai mayirai uyaramaaga katti
adharku chalangai pOla alankaaram - raise the hair and do put a haaram of like
jasmine flower]
2. As already we have seen with thyaagaraaja krithis, swamy does not merely
sing his krithis on raama from his devoted heart, but with a proper reference
to many happenings in raamaayaNam - like the hari dhaasulu linked to
celebration after khara dhooshaNa vadham, the recent write of paramaathmudu
krithi to brahma coming and advising vaalmeeki to sing raamaayaNam.
3. In the same way, to analyse what is the happening or sequence in
raamaayaNam, linked to this krithi, Paarvathi, the wife of sivan, is saying
this to raama - I will do alankaaram to you like this, like this, etc.
4. For raama had just then finished the great act of killing raavaNan. Already
all these dhEvaas, sidhdhaas, chaaraNaas, kinnaraas, rishi ganaas, et al were
assembled in the sky to witness and see the war between raama and raavaNa. See
slokam
antharikshE cha bhoomou cha punascha girimoorDhani - 6 - 107 - 64B
dhEva dhaanava yakshaaNaam pisaacha uraga rakshasaam
pasyathaam than mahadh yudhDham sarva raathram avarthatha - 6-107 - 65
meaning: In the sky, all around on the ground, as well on the hilltops, all
dhEvaas, the demigods, the dhaanavaas, yakshaas, pisaasa, snakes, and all
raakshasaas were seeing the great war which was happening throughout the night.
5. Why all had come? It was in their own interest. For they only requested the
supreme lord through brahma, to take human form and kill raavaNan. Also that
kind of war, perhaps, will have no parallel ever to happen again. So they all
came to witness such a war.
They enjoyed the war and victory of raama - and towards the end - just after
raavaNan had fallen - see slOkam
atha: antharikshE vyanadhath soumya: thridhasa dhundhubhi: |
dhivya gandhavaha: thathra maarutha: susukhO vavou || 6-108-27
meaning: then in the sky, the auspicious dhEva dhundhubi [musical instrument]
was played.[made noise]. The air blew across with good smell.
7. Also these people showered a special flower rain on raama.
nipapaatha antharikshaa: cha pushpa vrushti: thadhaa bhuvi |
kiranthee raaghava ratham dhuravaapaa manOharaa: || 6-108-28
meaning: On the chariot of raama a very special flowery rains showered from the
sky, which was not offered to any others.
8. At that stage paarvathi is also there and expresses her desire to decorate
for raama is dusty and a bit unorganized in his dressing, due to the intensity
of the war. So she says I will do all decorations to you, oh my brother. Also
saraswathy, the wife of brahma, will lend me her hand in this effort by
offering to do the chaamara kainkaryam.
raaghava: thava samyukthaa gaganE cha visusruvE |
saadhu saadhu ithi vaak agryaa dhEvathaanaam mahaathmanaam || 6-108- 29
meaning: In the sky the great souls dhEvaas said well, well, good, good.
aavivEsa mahaan harshO dhEvaanaan chaaraNai: saha |
raavaNE nihathE roudhrE sarva lOka bhayankarE || 6-108-30
meaning: the dhEvaas and chaaraNaas hailed the victory over the dreaded and
wicked raavaNan.
Point is - in the krithi of thyaagaraaja also - paarvathi says 'vaasi vaasi
anuchu' - well well, after finishing the decoration.
Dear bhakthaas, see, while raama had his first victory over thaataka, these
dhEvaas et al assembled in the sky and said well, well. But at that stage no
lady was nearby to celebrate. Perhaps since a lady was killed no lady in the
sky celebrated that.
When khara, after dhooshaNa, was killed, these dhEvaas et al people again
assembled and expressed their happiness by showering flower rain. Further one
good thing happened after khara's killing. DhEvi seethaa was there to embrace
raama and express her happiness.
Ethasmin antharE dhEvaa: chaaraNayO: saha sangathaa: |
dhundhubhi: cha abhinighnantha: pushpa varsha samanthatha: || 3-30-29
raamasya upari samhrushtaa vavarshu: vismithaa: thadhaa |
Meaning: In the meantime gods gathering along with charaNaas drummed celestial
drums from all over and showered flowers on Raama from all over.
tham dhrushtvaa sathru hanthaaram maharsheeNaam sukha aavaham || 3-30-39
baBhoova hrushtaa vaidhEhee Bharthaaram parishasvajE | part of slokam 40
meaning: On seeing Raama, that rejoice provider to these great-saints,
vaidhEhee became exultant and with extreme exultancy embraced her husband.
Here, in lanka, seethaa is not there. To make the couple unite again, the
sister in law, naaththanaar, paarvathi has come to decorate her brother, so
that manni seethaa will see her husband in full grandeur after a long
separation.
As we have seen in the winning ways of raama, raama gets a prize after every
success. Here sister is there to decorate him, before arrival of seethaa.
On the raga - bhairavi - the very name suggests it is paarvathi.
[though the books say this krithi is karaharapriyaa [including promiserani's
website karnatik.com - this krithi is heard many a times in bhairavi only by
me]
Even if considering it as karaharapriya - again hara priyaa - sivan's priya
bhaarya - wife of sivan - paarvathi - so that also suits.
Dear raama bhakthaas, enjoy the decoration our 'manaththukkiniyaanai' by
decorating him as said by thyaagaraajaa.
Dhaasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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