Shri Rama's beauty

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 13, 1999


Namo Narayana

Dear Bhaktas 

It was a great Anubhavam to read about the 
Divya soundharyam and LaavaNyam of Shri Rama. 

In so many instances in Ramayana, the beauty of our lord 
is narrated. 

As we all know
 
'Thol kandar thole kandar thodu vayal kamala thal kandar thale kandar
tadakkai kandarum akde 
val konda kannar yare vadivinai mudiya kandar
vool kanda samayathan nam voruvu kandrai vothar' 
 
Who can see the full beauty of our lord? Mind is not able to move itself from
that particular part of the lord which it sees first.
 
Thirumangai Alwar enjoins the beauty of the lord as narrated by Sita pirati on 
seeing the lord enter Mithilai
 
'mai vanna narunkunchi kuyal pin thaya 
magara ser kuyai yirupadilangi aada 
yaivanna ven silaye thunayai yinga 
yiru varai vandar en munna ninrar 
kai vannam thamarai vaai kamalam polum 
kannina aravindam adiyum akdey 
avvanna thavar nilamai kandum thoyi 
avarai nam devanenru anjinome' 
 
Sita pirati explains about the naturally beautiful black hair,
about lords lotus hands, mouth and feet. 
 
Our lords beauty is spoken even in some peculiar situations , 
because no body could resist after seeing lord Rama.

Sage VisvAmithrA, having come to ask Rama to fight with the Rakshasas,
spoke about the Beauty of lords hair  ' kaaka pakshadaram '. 

When Shri Janaka saw Shri Rama and shri Lakshmana with Sage VisvAmithrA,
Shri Janaka who was a Brahma Gjani was so attracted that he did Mangala sasanam 
to Sage VisvAmithrA.

'emau Kumarau vadram te deva thulya parakramau
gaja simha ghati veerau sardoola vrushabau bhavam
padma patra vishalakshau katgatooli dhanurdharau 
asvinaviva roopana samupasthita yavvanam 
yadruchchayayva gam prapthau devalokadhinamarau 
kadam padmamivaprapthau kimartham kasyavamuna 
varayudadaram veeram kasya putrau maha mune 
bhushayanthavimam dhesham chandra surya vivam bharam
parasparasya sadrusham prapaanaingita chastithaihi 
kaaka pakshadarau veerau srou thu michamithat vathaha'

Shri Janaka narrates lords style of walking, lords lotus eyes,  lords feet
and thinks if they are the sons of Aswini( devatas). 

Shri Janaka speaks of samupastitha yavvanam -- 
The time of transformation from child hood to youth.

He states that the whole place was so bright as if sun and moon
were coming together.
 
And ofcourse mentioned the curly forelocks of our lord.
 
Another interesting place is when Surpanakai speaks of the 
beauty of our lords hair as 'Sukesam thamramruthaja'.
This was when Shri Rama was in the forest having 
made his hair a shadai. 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
13th Mar 1999

P.S. Please bear with me if the English alphabets used in the slokas 
are not appropriate.