Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Raghuveera Gadhyam--Yuddha Khaandham: Part 6

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • December 8, 1996 


GS 53: praLaya sikhi parusha visika sikhA
soshitAkupAra vAripura ! Jaya ! Jaya !

(Meaning ) : Hail to You , O Raghuveera , who 
evaporated the waters of the ocean with the 
power of your arrows that resembled the fire 
which destroys  the world at the time of deluge ! 

(Background ) : The Sea-God did not understand 
the significance of your SaraNAgathi to him and 
ignored you . You were enraged by his indifference .
He would not open a passage for the You and your army 
to cross the ocean . Then , You aimed frightening arrows at 
the Sea-God and his territory. Those arrows were more powerful than 
the assembly of flames that accompany the fire that 
consume the world and its contents during the time of
MahA PraLayam . They spewed forth fire and started their work of 
evaporating the waters of the ocean. Even then , the Sea-God 
did not appear before You. Angered further by this affront , 
You aimed  the most destructive BrahmAsthram at him 
to destroy him and the denizens of his  watery kingdom . 
Now , the Sea-God was seized with fear about  his folly and 
the impending calamity . He rose out of the ocean and with 
joined palms appealed to You , the  RaghuveerA to spare him and 
apologized. The Sea-God agreed to Your  request for a bridge
to be built to cross over to LankhA . 

Rama  still had the powerful arrow in position to fly. He asked 
the Sea-God as to where he should direct that arrow. The Sea-God
suggested that it should be aimed at a group of sinful marauders living 
to the north of where they were standing . Sri Rama let his arrow fly to 
where the Sea-God suggested , which is close to today's MarwAr and 
Bikaneer in RajasthAn . Water gushed forth from the nether world .
The power of the arrow dried up the sea there and replaced it with
water from the netherworld , which resembled sea water in brackishness .
Rama blessed that land to become  acharming region , now rthat the 
sinful marauders were destroyed .

The Sea-God (VaruNA ) suggested that the glorious son of Viswakarma
( the celestial architect ) by the name of NaLA , a commander in the 
monkey army of SugreevA build   the bridge over him and that he will
sustain and support it . NaLA agreed to the command of Sri Rama 
to build the Rama Sethu over the abode of the Sea-God .

GS 54 : prabhala ripu kalaha kuthuka chatula kapikula karatala
toolitha Hrutha giri nikara sAdhita sethupatha seemA semanthitha 
samudhra ! Jaya ! Jaya ! 

( meaning ) : O mighty  hero of the scion of Raghus , who created the 
demarcation of the ocean with your bridge built by the mighty monkeys , 
who out of their eagerness to reach LankhA to fight their enemies 
splintered  huge  mountains and threw them into the ocean as though they
were feathery bales of cotton ! Hail to Thee! Hail to Thee ! 

(Background ) : After the Sea-God gave the permission for 
the bridge to be built by NaLA , latter requested the powerful 
monkeys to collect the material for the building of the bridge.
Directed by Rama , the monkeys went into the forests nearby 
and tore up rocks and trees and dragged them to the beach .
They threw the assembled material as suggested by NaLA at 
the right places to construct the bridge. A well-constructed , 
magnificient , extensive , smooth and solidly -cemented sethu
arose from these efforts and the vast bridge across the ocean 
looked like the parting of a woman's hair. Sri Valmiki's description 
is as follows : 

visAla: sukrutha: srimAn subhumi: susamAhita:
Asobhatha mahAn sethu: seemantha iva sAgarE 

VibishaNa guarded the front of the bridge from the land
and SugreevA requested Rama and LakshmaNa to 
mount HanumAn's and Angadha"s shoulders to travel
across the newly built bridge. The rest of the army headed by 
SughreevA  followed Rama and LakshmaNa
reached the other shore and arrived at LankhA . 
The Devaas  who witnessed that miraculous building of a bridge
across the ocean  hailed the Lord and wished him victory 
in the forthcoming battle with RavaNA this way :

" jayasva sathroon naradeva medhineem sasaagaram 
paalaya saasvathi samaa: " 

(meaning) : " O King ! Conquer your enemies and rule over
the earth including the oceans for numberless years ! " 
Thus ends the twenty second canto of Srimad RamAyaNam
of sage Vaalmiki .

Kodhanda dheekshA gurum aadhimoolam 
guNAsrayam chandhana kumkumAnkam I
salakshmaNam sarva janaantharastham 
parAthparam Ramam aham namAmi II

Sri VaishNava Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan