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Sri Rama Navami Tributes to Sri Ramachandran : Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 11, 1999 


Dear BhagavathAs :

Sriman Balaraman Sriram's posting that included an archival
contribution by a Rama BhakthA on the Krithi , " lavaNya 
RaamA " dealing with the Divya soundharyam and LaavaNyam
is delightful to read and is timely reminder of 
Sri Rama navami celebration . Sri Raamachandra was born on 
a Panguni Punarvasu Nakshthram in auspicious KaDaka laghnam .
This year , Sri Raama navami falls on March 25 .

At Oppiliappan Koil , Sri Rama Navami is celebrated
for 9 days and it concludes with the singing of Pancha
Rathnam and kanakAbhishEkam for the newly weds on March 25 . 

I will add my contributions to Sri Rama Navami Celebration 
and focus on the Roopa Mahimai of SaakEtha Raaman . The Tamil
poet , Sri AruNachala Kavi Raayar in his Raama Naataka krithis
tried to comprehend the sarvanga Soundharyam of Sri RaamA 
and gave up . He declared his helplessnes in the Krithi
with the pallavi : " antha Raama soundharyam aRinthu Sollap pOmO ?
( is it possible to understand anddescribe to others  
the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of the Lord's beauty ?).

NammAzhwAr's statement is , "kaRpAr IraamapirAnai allAl 
maRRum kRpArO? " . One can intrepret the meaning for this
rhetoric question in many ways . If we consider that NammAzhwAr
is talking to the students of SaamudhrikA lakshaNam , then
one can assume that the AzhwAr is suggesting that there 
is no superior embodiment of beauty than Sri RaamA and 
why waste one's time studying the imperfect beauty of others .

Poet Kambhan born in ThErazhundhUr describes the incomparable
beauty of Sri Ramachandran , when He broke the Siva dhanus 
in SitA Svaymavaram . SitA devi was drinking with Her eyes 
the divya soundharyam of Her dear One . Kambhar says :

nampiyaik kaana nangaikku Aayiram nayanam vENDum
kompinaik kaaNum thOrum kurisirkkum annathE aam 

(Meaning ) : Some said : Our Sithai must have thousand eyes
to fully enjoy the beauty of Raaman ; others said Raaman 
should similarly have thousand eyes to enjoy our Sithai's
soundharyam . 

Saint ThyagarAjA's anubhavam of the divya LaavaNyam and 
Soundharyam of his Aaradhana mUrthy are the most exquisite. 
As he performed , nithyArAdhanam , he would be lost in 
the enjoyemnt of the indescribable beauty of the Lord 
blessing him with His darsanam . Out will pour krithis
like : LaavaNya RaamA ! kannulAra jUdavE; athi LaavaNya RaamA !

Many are the krithis of ThyagarAjA , where we enjoy 
the paramAnandham of Saint ThyagarAjA over the experience of
the Divya Soundharyam and LaavaNyam of Sri Ramachandran .
Here are dozen of those krithis and the Raagams in which 
they are set :

1. Inthanuchu VarNimpa TaramA ? BrahmEndhrAdhulakaina 
   Raagam GuntakriyA

   ( Would it be possible for even Brahma and Indra 
     to describe precisely Your beauty ? No ! )

2. MuddhumOmu yElAgu chElanganO ? MunilEDla gani mohincharO ?
   MeLa Raagam : Soorya Kaantham )

  ( How did Sri RaamA's thirumukham with exquisite beauty shine ,
    when He gave the darsana soubhAgyam to the sages of 
    SiddhAsramam ? How did even the sages , who are known for 
    the restraint of their senses got enchanted with that 
    unsatiating beauy ?)

3. alakalalla lAdaga gani yaarANmuni yetu ponganO ?
   Raagam : madhyamAvathi
   
   ( What raptourous bliss did Sage VisvAmithrA have ,
     while he looked at the curly forelocks/kaaka paksham ,
     gently swaying on Sri RaamA's beautiful face ?)

4. Sogasu jooDa Taramaa ? nee 
   Raagam : Kannada Goulai 

   ( Is it posisble to experience such a beauty as that 
     of Your face shining with cheeks like reflecting mirrors , 
     Your lips resembling a ripe BimbA fruit , Your broad 
     chest decorated by vagulA flower garland , Your captivating
     smiles , Your exquisite forelocks waving in the breeze and
     Your brilliant eyes ? ) 

5. Mohana RaamA mukha jitha Soma ! muddhuga BalkumA 
   Raagam : Mohanm 

   ( Oh RaamachandrA of universally enchanting beauty!
     Oh JagadhAnanthakArakA ! Speak softly to me !.
     Your subhAsrayam has special appeal to me . 
     It is known that BrahmA and other semi-gods came down 
     to earth and took the forms of birds , beasts and monkeys
     and enjoyed unceasingly your extraordinary and incomparable
     beauty without winking and were ecstatic over their 
     anubhavam ).

6. MaravakarA nava-manmatha Roopuni 
   Raagam : DevaghAndhAri 

   ( Oh My Mind ! Don't you ever forget the bewitching
     Soundharyam of Sri Ramachandran . His royal bearing , 
     His comfortingly sweet words , the light in His eyes ,
     the beautiful way the angavasthram rests on His shoulders ,
     His graceful gait , the sunAtham that arises from His 
     ankle ornaments as He moves , the shine on His cheeks , His 
     beautiful hands , the rings on His fingers , His other AbharaNams
     which derive their beauty from Him --Oh Mind don't forget ever
     Sri Raghukula Tilakan's beauty ).

7. MerusamAna dheera ! Raghuveera ! JuthAmuraaraa Maha (Meru SamAna)
   MeLa Raagam : MaayAmALagouLai

   ( Oh RaghuveerA , firm and strong like the Meru mountain !
     Pray ! appear before me so that I can feast my eyes on
     Your enchanting sarvAngha soundharyam ,graceful gait ,
     shining sky blue body , the utterly charming forelocks
     on Your forehead , the beautiful shape of Your KasthUri
     Tilakam , the jaajvalyam of Your face and the extraordinary
     assembly of the many AbharaNams adoring Your braod chest ).

8.  nee muddhumOmu JoopavE , naameedha nenarunchi ,
    naLina daLa nayana 
    Raagam : kamalA manOhari

   ( Oh Lotus-eyed RaamA ! Please have mecy on me
     and show me Your divinely beautiful face , shining 
     with the lustre of the autumn Moon to cheer my heart).

9. Paluku KaNDachakkEranu garunE panathulAra ! jooDarE
   Raagam : Navarasa Kannada

   ( The beauty of His speech : The sweetness of His 
     mrudhu BhaashaNam far excells the swetness of
     Sugar candy ).

10. yEmani mADADithivO ? Raama 
    Mela Raagam : Hanuma Thodi

   ( The Beauty of His speech : Oh Raamachandra ! 
     How delightful was Your power of captivating and winning
     people by Your sweet conversation . Every one , who had
     the BhAgyam to hear them were enslaved and felt bound to You
     forever ).

11. Sri Raama RaghurAma SrungAra Raamayani 
    chinthincharAdhE Oh manasA 
    Raagam : Yadhukula KaambhOji

   ( Oh my mind ! How can you not meditate upon
     the exquisite beauty of Sri RaamA , whose hand 
     is held by Jaanaki MaathA , whose body is pining 
     with ecstasy ? )

12. Kana kana ruchirA ; Kanaka Vasana ! ninnu 
    Raagam : Jaala varALi

    ( Grander and Sweeter will be Your BhakthA's
      Joy , the more , he or she , with a pure and loving mind , 
      daily sees You and Your enchanting face radiant with
      beauty and grandeur )

The detailed word by word meaning of the above VarALi Pancharathnam and 
the four others are archived in the Bhakthi List .

Sri SithA samEtha Sri ramachandra ParabrahmaNE nama:
Oppiliappan Koil varadAchAri SadagOpan