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SrI Raama Jayam

Koojantham Raama-RaamEthi madhuram madhurAksharam
aaruhya kavithA-saakhAm vandhE Vaalmiki kOkilam

I offer my salutations to that nightingale with the name of Vaalmiki ,
which climbed on to the branch of poetry and sings with delectable 
music , the sacred name of Raamaa.

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

This is the Third day of PaarAyaNam , when Sargams16-20 are to be covered . 
For slOkams , word by word translation of the 32 slOkams of the 16th sargam and
meanings , please refer to the following URL:

http://www.valmikiramayan.net 

>From 17-68 ,no English translations of the above kind are
available now. I will summarize the meanings of these chapters .
Extensive efforts to provide the slokam by slokam translation has
to wait for another occasion , since it will take many months to accomplish
that task . 
We will now study selected slOkams from each of these five Sargams 
(16-20) and provide a summary of these sargams .

Chapter 16: Sorrow of HaUumAn over the sad sight of SeethA Devi 
*******************************************************************************
HanumAn was now convinced that the lady under the SimsupA tree
was indedd SeethA Devi ( SeethEyam ithyEva nivishta-buddhi: ) .
He reflected upon the sad truth that kaalagathi can not be overcome
by anyone including SeethA Devi , even if She was the divine consort
of the mighty RaamachandrA ( yadhi Seethaapi dukkhArtthA kaLO 
hi DURATHIKRAMA: ). SeethA Devi however was of single mind about 
the unfailing valour of Her Lord to rescue Her and therefore did not lose hope.

HanumAn begins to reflect on the extraordinary close match of SeethA 
PirAtti with Her husband in conduct , age , youth , anga soundharyam 
and all other physical and mental aspects: 

tulya-seelA vayO-vrutthAm tulyApi-jana-lakshaNam
RaaghavOrhathi VaidEheem Tamm chEyam-asitEkshaNA
---Sundara KaaNDam: 16.5

HanumAn then began to recall the many heroic deeds performed by
Raaghava Simham for SeethA PirAtti's sake earlier : Vaali Vadham ,
battle of JanasthAnam , where 14,000 rAkshasAs were killed ,
Khara-Thrisiras vadham , crowning of Sugreeva et al .

HanumAn reflects further on the avathAram of Seethai in the lofty 
kingdom of Janaka maharAjA and Her links by marriage to another
great Kulam ( IshvAku kulam ). HanumAn concludes that the blessings
of the rulership over all the three worlds would not equal that of 
Jaanaki MaathA ( TharailOkya rAjyam sakalam SeethAyaa 
nApnuyAth-kalAm ).HanumAn assesses that the deep love of 
SeethA as a MahA Pathivrathai for Her husband made Her accept 
the suffering of incarceration in LankA . 

HanumAn was now convinced that the beautiful lady suffering 
immensely under the pain of sepaeration from Her husband is
indeed SeethA PirAtti and HanumAn stayed on top of the SimsupA 
tree under which SeethA PirAtti was found by Him . 

Chapter 17: Seeing the Raakshasees surrounding SeethA Devi
**************************************************************************
This sargam has 31 slOkams and goes in to great details about 
the distorted , ugly and frightening features of the many Raakshasis
that RaavaNA has ordered to watch over SeethA PirAtti and 
to frighten Her in to submission to marryRaavaNaa .HanumAn
contrasts the enduring beauty of SeethA PirAtti even under the most
dire circumstance of incarceration in LankA by the evil RaavaNaa.

HanumAn offered now His namaskArams to Raamaa and LakshMaNaa
from AsOka Vanam and was elated over His good fortune to have
located and seen SeethA PirAtti with His own eyes :

namaskruthvA Sa Raamasya LakshmaNAya cha VeeryavAn
SeethA-darsana-samhrushtO HanumAn samvruthOabhavath
---Sundara KaaNDam: 17.31

HanumAn hid amongst the dense foliage of the SimsupA tree 
to avoid detection by the Raakshasees guarding SeethA Devi. 

Sargam 18 : Arrival of RaavaNan at AsOka Vanam
**********************************************************
Sun has set by now. RaavaNaa woke up from his sleep and 
headed for AsOka vanam driven by his desire for SeethA Devi.
He was surrounded by attendant servants.Sage Vaalmiki
describes RaavaNan here as "Kaama ParAdheenan "
( One overcome by Kaamam) and Dhurbuddhi. HanumAn 
climbed to a higher branch of the SimsupA tree now to have 
a better look at the RaakshasA king , who was strutting like
a rogue elephant in rut to come near SeethA PirAtti.There are
32 slOkams in this sargam.

Sargam 19:Description of SeethA PirAtti
***************************************************
As SethA saw this evil-minded RaavaNan , She shook like 
a banana tree hit by a cyclone and She covered Her upper body
with Her folded hands in modesty .In the 23 slOkams of this sargam , 
Adhi Kavi provides outstanding similies to describe the sad plight of 
SeethA PirAtti as She faced the approaching RaavaNan. Valmeeki 
described SeethA Devi's pitiable plight this way :

upavAsEna sOkEna dhyAnEna cha bhayEna cha
pariksheeNAm krusAm dheenAm alpAhArAm tapOdhanAm

aayachamAnam dukkhArTam prAnjalim DevathAmiva
bhAvEna Raghu-mukhyasya dasagreeva-parAbhavam

---Sundara KaaNDam: 19. 21-22

(meaning ):SeethA PirAtti was frail from fasting ;She was overladen
with sorrow and had only water for nourishment and was doing 
penance to be reunited with Her Lord. She was praying with folded
palms to Her kula dhaivam , Lord RanganAtha for the destruction of
RaavaNa by the chief of Raghu Vamsam , SrI Raaamachandran. 

Sargam 20 : RaavaNan's appeal
*************************************
This sargam has 36 slOkams . RaavaNan stands now in front
of the shivering SeethA PirAtti and states that he desires Her 
and asks Her to confer on him the honor of becoming the object of 
his affection ( kaamayE ThvAm VisAlAkshi bahu manyasya mAm priyE).
He asks SeethA PirAtti not to be afraid of him and observes that it
was not fit for Her to observe vrathams and undergo hardships instead of
enjoying bhOgams with him . RaavaNan tells SeethA PirAti that Her youth 
should not be wasted (Youanam vyathivarthatE ) and that the youth will not 
return just as the water that has flown by in previous years.The evil rAkshan
says boldly : Oh MaiTili ! Be my wife ( Bhava MaiTili bhAryA mE). Forget
your delusion about abandoning me ( mOha manam visarjaya).
Decorate yourself to your heart's desire ( icchayA kriyathAmadhya 
prathikarma tavOtthamam ). Give land and wealth to anyone you 
wish as my wife ( yaTEshtam cha prayaccha Thvam pruTiveem 
vaa dhanAni cha). He utters with boldness the advantages SeethA
Devi can get by trustign him and pleasing him . He begs Her
to command him with courage . He offered to place SeethA DEvi
on top of all his wives including the patta mahishi , MandhOdhari
herself . He says that Her relatives and friends will also share 
his immeasurable wealth :

lalasva mayi visraBdhA dhrushtamAgnyApayasva cha
mathprasAdhllalanthyAsccha lalanthAm BhAndhavAstava
---Sundara KaaNDam: 20.24

After praising himself , RaavaNan now begins to ridicule 
SrI Raamachandran , which was like poison to the ears of 
SeethA PirAtti :

nikshiptha-vijayO RaamO gatha-SrIr-vanagOchara:
vrathee sTaNidala-saayee cha sankE jeevathi vaa na vaa
---Sundara KaaNDam: 20.26

(Meaning): Your husband Raaman is without victory ( Nikshiptha-
Vijayan) . He has no property as a wanderer in the forests . He observes
aal vrathams and lies odwn on the ground for sleeping ( instead of
a soft bed) . I am not sure whether he is alive now or not !

na Raamas-tapasA dEvi na BhalEna na vikramai:
na dhanEna mayA tulyas-tEjasA yasasAapi vaa
--Sundara KaaNDam : 20.34

(Meaning ) : Oh Devi ! Your Raaman is not equal to me in tapas , strength ,
valour , material wealth , lustre or reputation ! Please enjoy my company
and all my wealth , eat , drink and be merry ( piBha vihara ramasva bhunkshva 
bhOgAn). 

Commentators observe that RaavaNan's samarpaNam of all 
his Isvaryam to SeethA Devi ( however offensive it was ) led to him 
to attain Lord RanganAthA's anugraham for the retention of
all that wealth in the family as long as there is Sun and the Moon .
Reference here is to RaavaNaa's brother VibhishaNan becoming 
the King of LankA through coronation by Lord Raamachandra 
after RaavaNA's destruction . 

SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:
Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan 

















SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Raama DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan 

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