Post 4
Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
We are studying sage vaalmeeki's `andha raama soundharyam' before
really comparing with the hanumaan's description of poet aruNaachala
kavi.
As already stated in the chapter of `marriage' of raama and seethaa
there is no description of raama's physical features.
When king dhasaratha proposed raama as the `crown prince' before his
cabinet and people, he described his son's physical features in a
general way - as follows [for a detailed character aspects re `how
can such a raama do' on dhasaratha's description and people's
immediate acceptance]
sa hi roopa upapanna: cha veeryavaan anasooyaka: | 2-1-9 a
sa: = raama
roopa upapanna: cha = having beautiful form
veeryavaan = a hero of valor
anasooyaka: = without envy
meaning: raama was `beautiful in form', a hero of valor and without
envy.
arOga: tharuNo vaagmee vapushmaan dhEsa kaalavith | 2-1-18
arOga: = without disease,
tharuNa: = young man,
vaagmee = speaker,
vapushmaan = person with a good body,
dhEsa kaala vith = knew time and place,
meaning: raama was a young man without any disease. He was a good
speaker. He had a good body. He knew both time and place.
Next soorpanaka the demoness sees raama and in the very first sight
became lovelorn ? vaalmeeki describes her as `madhana aardithaa -
drenched in love', when she saw raama and as kaama roopiNee ? a
person capable of changing disguise easily by wish, and kaama
mOhithaa - a person dazed in love or lust. Her `seeing' raama is
being described by kavi vaalmeeki as
dheepthaasyam cha mahaabaahum padhma pathraayatha eekshaNam |
gaja vikraantha gamanam jataa maNdala dhaariNam || 3-17-7
sukumaaram mahaa saththvam paarthiva vyanjana anvitham |
raamam indheevara syaamam kandharpa sadhrusa prabham || 3-17-8
babhoova indhra upamam dhrushtvaa raakshasee kaama mOhithaa |
dheeptha aasyam = radiant faced
mahaa baahum = lengthy armed
padhma pathra aayatha eekSaNam = lotus petal [like] long eyed one
gaja vikraantha gamanam = elephant in pacing in walk [imposingly
pacing]
jataa maNdala dhaariNam = hair-tuft bunches wearing
sukumaaram mahaa saththvam = delicate greatly vigorous
paarthiva vyanjana anvitham = kingly aspects one having them
indheevara syaamam = blue-lotus-like deep-blue coloured
kandharpa sadhrusa prabham = Love-god similar in his brilliance
indhra upamam = indhra in simile
raamam = at raama
dhrushtvaa = on seeing;
raakshasee kaama mOhithaa = demoness love sickened
babhoova = she [soorpanakha] became.
Meaning: He, whose face is radiant, arms lengthy, eyes large like
lotus petals, stride like that of an elephant, wearing bunches of
hair-tufts, delicate yet greatly vigorous, possessor of all kingly
aspects, complexion deep-blue like blue lotus, similar to Love-god in
brilliance and in simile to Indra, the demoness has seen such a raama
and became lovesick. [3-17-7, 8, 9a]
See here the beautiful description. Please note again and again
the `mahaa baahu' and lotus eyes are described. Now a comparative
description between raama and soorpanakaa in the following slOkams ?
that comparative essay enhances the physical features of raama by
contrast.
sumukham dhurmukhee raamam vruththa madhyam mahOdharee || 3-17-9
visaala aksham viroopa akshee sukEsam thaamra moordhajaa |
priyaroopam viroopaa saa susvaram bhairava svanaa || 3-17-10
taruNam dhaaruNaa vrudhDhaa dhakshiNam vaama bhaashiNee |
nyaaya vruththam sudhurvruththaa priyam apriya dharsanaa || 3-17-11
sareeraja sama aavishtaa raakshasee raamam abraveeth |
dhur mukhee = unpleasing, faced one [soorpanakha]
su mukham = with pleasing, faced one [raama]
mahaa udharee = pot-bellied one [soorpanakha]
vruththa madhyam = with slim, waisted one [raama]
vi roopa akshee = wry, eyed one [soorpanakha]
vishaala aksham = with broad-eyed [raama]
thaamra moordhajaa = copper haired one [soorpanakha]
su kEsam = with neatly tressed [raama]
vi roopaa = ugly, featured one [soorpanakha]
priya roopam = with charming, featured one [raama]
bhairava svanaa = brassy voiced one [soorpanakha]
su svaram = gentle voiced one [raama]
dhaaruNaa vrudhDhaa = deplorably oldish one [soorpanakha]
tharuNam = youngish [Rama]
vaama bhaashiNee = crooked talker [soorpanakha]
dhakshiNam = with pleasant speaking [raama]
su dhur vruththaa = very ill mannered one [soorpanakha]
nyaaya vruththam = rightful one in behaviour [raama]
a + priya dharsanaa = un pleasant one to look at [abominable one -
soorpanakha]
priyam = with pleasant one [to look on amiable one - raama]
saa = she [soorpanakha]
raamam = at raama
sareera ja samaavishtaa = by Love-god besieged
raakshasee raamam abraveeth = demoness spoke to raama
meaning: She that demoness who is facially unpleasant one with that
pleasant faced one, pot bellied one with the slim-waisted one, wry-
eyed one with the broad-eyed one, coppery-haired one with the neatly
tressed one, ugly featured one with the charming featured one, brassy
voiced one with the gentle voiced one, deplorably oldish one with the
youngish one, crooked talker with the pleasant talker, ill-mannered
one with the well-mannered one, uncouth one with couth, abominable
one with amiable raama spoke, besieged by Love-god. [3-17-9b, 11, 12a]
After she was defaced and when the king of demons raavaNan asked her,
who did this job of cutting your nose etc she starts describing
raama. Thus. The physical features of raama are still haunting her
and in all truth she, who is in a fit of fury, commenced to describe
raama.
dheergha baahu: visaala aksha: cheera krishNa ajina ambara: || 3-34-5
kandharpa sama roopa: cha raamO dhasaratha aathmaja: |
dhasaratha aathmaja: raama: = dhasharatha's son raama
dheergha baahu: = one with long arms, or implicitly- inescapable arms
visaala aksha: = broad eyed one or implicitly - keen eyed
cheera = has jute-cloth;
krishNa ajina ambara: = black deer skin as his dress
kandharpa sama roopa: cha = Love-god similar in semblance.
Meaning: dhasaratha's son raama is the one with inescapable arms and
keen-eyed, but has jute-cloths and skin of black-deer for his dress,
yet in semblance he is similar to the Love-god. [3-34-5b, 6a]
So a demoness soorpanaka also cannot but do describing raamaa's
beauty in a positive way only. Such was his beauty. But the crowning
description is from hanumaan only and that as stated by vaalmeeki, we
will see in next post.
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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