SrI Raama Jayam http://www.svuniverse.net/trk.html SrI Raama AvathAram : Reflections on SrI Raama Navami Dinam *************************************************** SrI Raagavam DasaraTAthmajam apramEyam SeethApathim Raghukulaanvaya-rathna dheepam AajAnubhAhum aravindha-dalAyathAksham Raamam nisAchara-vinAsakaram namAmi (meaning ): adiyEn prostrates before Raamachandran , the son of King DasaraTaa and husband of SeethA PirAtti. He is the lamp of rathnam (jyOthi) among the descendants of Raghu Kulam. This lotus-eyed Lord with arms extending all the way down to His knees is the destroyer of all asurAs through His unmitigated and matchless parAkramam(Valour). Raghuvamsa pradheepEna tEna aprathima-tEjasa: rakshAgruha gathaa: dheepA: pratyAdhishtA ivAbhavath --SlOkam from KaaLIdAsA's Raghu Vamsam Lord Raamachandran of incomparable lustre is the brightest among illuminating lamps .He is the lamp that brightens the Raghu Kulam . The lustre associated with His sacred body made the lustre of all the lamps in the prasava gruham ( birthing room ) dull in their lustre.He is ParamjyOthi , the lustre of all lustres . He is Svayam- JyOthi ( Self manifested lustre that is the power behind all lustres). AvathAra Dina VisEsham ********************* He was born after 12 months of residence in the garbham of KousalyA Devi of lasting fame ( Mannu Puhazh) as Her Suprajai ( Cherished , auspicious son ). On the 12th month of the year , Chitthirai Sukla Paksha Navami thithi , RaamA was born , when Karkadaka lagnam was reigning. During this lagna kaalam , Five grahams ( Sooryan , Guru , Sukran, AnkArakan/SevvAi and Sani ) were at their highest positions. Bruhaspathi arose with Chandran at that time.Thus all the five entities ( Month , Thithi , Nakshathram , GrahAs and Lagnam) were all aligned ( PanchOcchE LOkanAyaka: ). This child then is no ordinary child. It is the AkhilANDa KODi , BrahmANDa , Ubhaya VibhUthi Naayakan , SrIman NaarAyaNan ( The Lord of the crores of Universes and the owner of LeelA and nithya VibhUthis).He decended from SrI Vaikuntam to fulfill the purpose of His avathAram to destroy adharmam and reestablish Dharamam. He is the JagannAthan worshipped by the beings of all the worlds (SarvalOka Namaskrutha: ). He possessed the SaamudrikA LakshaNams of the Lord of SrI Vaikuntam. Above is free translation of the selected sections of the chapter on SrI Raama avathAram by ParavAkkOttai HH SrI GopAla MahA Desikan of PoundarIkapuram Aasramam , an outstanding expert in SrImadh RaamAyaNam . He has covered brilliantly the RaamAvatharam in His SrI Sookthi: "IrAaamapirAnai KaRppOm : Volume I ". Let us highlight that chapter ( in free translation) from His monograph released in 2001 C.E. for this year's SrI Raama Navami . AvathAram ********** Lord Raamachandran was born as a result of the penance of KousalyA Devi ; Her drinking the Paayasam of Puthra KaamEshti Yaagam was a vyAjam . She gave birth to the SuprajA , SrI Raaman (KOusalai MaNi vayiru Vaaytthavan) . His avathAram was during the time , when the lunAr mansion of Punarvasu was in ascendance. Both Punarvasu and SvAthi ( the birth star of Lord Narasimhan ) can be on any day . There is no asubha yOgam like MaraNa yOgam , whenever Punarvasu or Svathi reign.Actually , today , amrutha yOgam is ruling . He was born during the Navami Thithi. Normally , we avoid performance of any auspicious deeds or vrathams .The birth of Lord Raamachandran lifted the inauspiciousnes and made that Navami Thithi the most sacred to observe the UpavAsam with Phalan greater than 100 EkAdasi Vrathams . The special AarAdhanam performed for the Lord of AyOddhi on this day and the DhAnam (Charities) given on this birth day of the Lord yield matchless soubhAgyams according to Kali-santharaNOpanishad. The year of SrI RaamA's birth was SubhAnu among the cycle of Sixty years. After Kousalyai , KaikEyi drank the Paayasam of the Yaagam . She gave birth next to Bharathan. Next folowed Sumithrai with the birth of a set of twins: LakshmaNa and ChathrugnA. The avathArams were on Navami+Punarvasu+ Kargatakam for Raamaa; Dasami+Pushyam+ Meena Lganam for Bharathan ; LakshmaNa and ChathrugnA were born in Dasami, when Aayilya Nakshathram was linked to Karkataka lagnam. Lord appeared as the four sons of Dasarathan . Each of these four sons have their own unique guNa visEshams( PruTak GuNavantha: ). Raaman had the guNams of protecting Saadhus , destroying the evil doers , Pithru vaak ParipAlanam , yEka Pathnee vratham , fear of calumny (apavAdhams) . These were SaadhaaraNa dharmams observed by this embodiment of Dharmams ( DharmO VigrahavAn ) . His visEsha Dharmam is CharaNAgatha RakshaNam for those , who performed SaranAgathy at His sacred feet. LakshmaNan had the distinction of being the unquestioning servant of Lord Raamachandran . Raaman was Seshi and LakshmaNa was the true Seshan .Bharathan was Paratantran to Raaman ( Obeyer of anything commanded by His brother , Raaman). Chathrugnan was BhAgavatha Paaratantryan ( Totally obedient to Bharathan , who who was the Bhaagavathan dear to BhagavAn , Raamachandran). Some describe the four brothers as embodiments of the four goals in life ( Four PurushArTams). DasaraTa gained all the four PurushArTams at once thru the birth of the four sons. There were festivities all over the land of Kosalam . At LankA , ill omens were experienced by RaavaNan . The gems from his crown fell down. Naama KaraNam for the Children by Raaja Guru , Vasishtar *********************************************** KshathriyAs have 12days of theettu (asoucham) after child birth (vamsa Vruddhi) in contrast to ten for Brahmins .On the thirteenth day , Sage Vaisishtaa , the Kula Guru chose after much deliberations , the appropriate names for the four children . Vasishtar chose the Name of " Raaman " for the eldest son of DasaraTan and KousalyA Devi. He reasoned that this child, which was going to make all happy and enchant them with His auspicious guNams and exemplary conduct should be called Raaman ( RamayathE ithi Raama: ). Sage Vasishtar named the child of KaikEyi as Bharathan since he foresaw Bharathan protecting the kingless AyOdhyaa ( arAjaka AyOdhyA) through Raama PaadhukAs during his brother's forced exile from the kingdom for fulfilling His avathAra kaaryam . The Veda Manthra dhrashtA , Vasishtar named the twins of Soumithrai as LakshmaNan and Chathrugnan respectively. LakshmaNan was named thus because of His abundant possession of Kaimkarya Lakshmi . ChathrugNan was recognized as the destroyer of all enemies , both external enemies of the kingdom as well as the nithya chathrus of sensory temptations . One of the SankarAcchAryAs, a great Raama BhakthA , whose BrundhAvanam is at Govindhapuram near Oppiliappan Koil , is the author of the delectable SrI Raama KarNAmrutham . He salutes the vaibhavam of SrI Raama Naamam this way: KalyANAnAm nidhAnam Kali-mala maTanam Paavanam PavanAnAm paaTEyam YanmumukshO: sapadhiparapadha prApthayE prasTithasya visrAmasTAnamEkam kavivara vachasAm jeevitham sajjanAnAm Bheejam dharma dhrumasya prabhavathu bhavathAm RAAMA NAAMA (meaning ) : Raama Naamam is the supreme abode of all auspiciouness. It is the destroyer(antidote) of the fierce Kali DhOshams. It is the provision ( Kattu ChORu) during the journey for those who desire Moksham and enjoy the bliss of Parama Padham . His name is the only resting place for all (VisrAma sTAnam) . It is the means for the lives of saadhu janams through the words of Sage Vaalmiki , the leader among poets. This name is the seed for the tree of dharmam . May this celebrated Raama Naamam shine in Your lives !. SrI NaarAyaNa PandithAcchAr , one of the disciples of MaadhvAcchArya is the author of Sangraha RaamAyaNam . In this grantham , this Panditha rathnam gives the following SIX REASONS for Sage VasishtA naming the child , "Raaman " : Raama: SarvAbhirAmathvAth AathmArAmathvathOapi vaa Deva: Maragatha-syAma: ithi vaa Raama nAmaka: nithyam RamAbhisambhandhAth dhAnam SrI: tasya hEthi vaa RaamANam hrudhyabhAvathvAth RAAMAM tamm SajjanA: vidhu: 1. SarvAbhirAmathvam : The child had unmatched and bewitching beauty . He is an ocean of beauty .He is LokAbhirAman , who had vaseekaraNam of all through His dhivya soundharyam.He is therefore Raaman . 2. AathmArAmathvam : He is the ParamAthmA , the Bliss principle in embodiment ( SacchidhAnandha Para Brahmam).Therefore He has AathmArAmathvam hinted by His name . 3. Maragatha SyAman : He has a hue like the dark bluish-green emerald. He resembles the dark hued rainy cloud ( Mega SyAmaLan) and is enchanting to look . He showers His DayA as the rain-laden cloud. 4.Nithya SrI DEvi Sambhandham: RamA ( SrI DEvi ) never parted from Him even for a fraction of a second ( ahalahillEn IRayum AlarmEl Mangai uRai Maarbhan). Her presence on His chest is forever (nithyam). Her sambhandham is hence nithyam. That is why , He is named Raaman. 5. "Raa" means dhAnam . "Maa" stands as the name of Lakshmi. He recieved Lakshmi (Seethai ) as DhAnam ( Raa). He is thus Raaman , SeethA Pathi , JaanakI Raaman. 6. RaamA: means beautiful damsels.As Raaman , He is very dear to those beautiful women although He is yEka pathnI vrathan . He is the granary of beauty. Therefore He is Raaman , priyan for RaamA: KaaLi Daasan pays tribute to the SarvAnga Soundharyam of the Child and its SaamudhrikA LakshaNams that led Sage VaishtA to name the child as Raaman: Raama ithy abhirAmENa vapushA Tasya chOdhitha: naamadhEyam Guru: chakrE JAGATH PRATAMA MANGALAM Here KaaLidAsan recognizes and salutes the Lord as the foremost auspiciousness for the world Kamba NaatAzhwAr , the author of Kambha RaamAyaNam in Tamil revealed to us that Sage Vasishta recited the unfailing Veda manthrams , while He named the child " Raaman " : poy vazhi il muni puhal taru maRayAl ivvazhi peyarkaL isaittha uzhi IRaivan --Kambha RaamAyaNam: Baala KaaNDam Saint ThyAga Brahmam's praise of the Raama Naama Mahimai ************************************************** Krithi after Krithi , Saint ThyagarAjA sang about the prabhAvam of the sacred Raama Naamam: 1.VarALi Krithi : EemEnu galiginandhuku SeetharAma-nAmamE BalkavalEnu . " Having taken this human body , which is prone to a life of indiscipline and rank material outlook through the operation of lust , greed and other evil propensities , one should make proper use of it ( the body)" by resorting to the japam of Raama nAmam . 2. SupOshINi Raagam: RaminchuvAreverurA ? RaghUtthamA ! ninu vinA -- Even the blessed devAs do not know the significance of Your holy name nor attain the blis of Japam of Your name . 3. Kaapi Raagam: Intha Soukyamani nE jeppajaala Only the great ones know about the bliss of drinking the amrutham of music mixed with the sugar-candy of Your ( Raama ) nAmam mixed with it . 3. Kaapi Kruthi: Raama ! Raghukula Jalanidhi SOma ! lOkAbhirAma ! You blessed SankarA ( at VaaraNAsi in the North and VruddhAchalam in the South ) to utter Your Taaraka , Poshaka nAmam in to the ears of human beings during their last minutes on Your earth ! 4. PanthuvarALi : SaaramE ghAni anyamArga VichAra mEDikE ? Oh My mind ! Raama Naamam alone is the most precious wealth to be coveted . Why even bother with other thoughts & paths ? 5. SourAshtram Krithi : mElu mElu Raama Naama sukhami dharalO manasA -- On My Mind ! The aanandham resulting from the utterance of Raama Naamam exceeds every other aanandha anubhavam in this world. 6. KaanaDa : Sukhi yevarurA ? Raama Naama Sukhi yevarurA ? 7. MadhyamAvathi: Raama Naamam bhajarE maanasa 8. Jana Ranjani: SmaraNE Sukhamu Raama Naama -- On this holiest of holy days of SrI Raama Navami Let us offer offer our Bhakthi-filled namaskArams to SrI Raaman , sritha PaarijAthan , and appeal to Him to bless us and guide us to serve Him at all times with Jaanaki MaathA ! SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama: Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan . NamO NamO RaadhavAya anisam , Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
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