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 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links a.. To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ b.. 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