Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri Raghu Veera Gadhyam--Part 4(BalaKhandam )

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • September 25, 1996 


5. DINAKARA KULA KAMALA DIWAKARA !

Hail to thee , who is the Sun for the lotus 
of Surya Vamsam! 

The Sun makes all the lotuses of the world blossom ,
as it   rises on the eastern horizon. Sri Rama was born in the 
solar race(Surya Vamsam). That   Vamsam is proud to 
have had Sri Rama as its  illustrious scion and shines with  
beauty just like a blossoming  lotus in the morning at the sight of 
the rising Sun(birth of the Lord).. 
.
Swami Desikan equates here the Surya Vamsam to that of a joyous
lotus blossoming over  the warm thought of having Sri Rama as
one of its most famous descendant . Sri Rama is recognized as 
the Divine Sun that makes the lotus of Surya Kulam blossom .

Saint Thyagaraja revered as  the incarnation of Adi Kavi Valmiki
chose Suryakantam as a Ragam to set his Krithi " Muddu Momu ",
where he has a reference to the lustre of Sri Ramachandra's face.
He says respectfully  :" The Lord's face shone forth with the Tejas 
of the Sun and was yet, as it always was , captivating like the moon 
in its Kanthi , a rare combination indeed ". He continues on and
points out that the all-comprehensive beauty of Sri Rama confounds 
the devotees , since they are  not able to concentrate on any aspect 
of the Lord's beauty by the fact that every aspect is equally fascinating. 

Saint Thyagaraja and other Rama Bhakthas following the 
tradition of Swami Desikan has saluted the Surya Vamsam
in their salutations. Two additional examples that come to one's 
mind from Saint Thyagaraja's euology of Sri Rama as the scion
of Surya Vamsam are :

DINAMANI VAMSA TILAKA  LAAVANYA ! DHEENA SARANYA!
(Raga Hari Kambhoji ) and 

KAMALAABHDHA KULA KALASAABHDHI CHANDRA 
(Raga Brindavana Saarangaa) .

In the last krithi , the poetic fancy of the Saint goes one step further .
He says : O Lord, who is the scion of the race of SUN, who is 
the friend of Lotus ! You (in your captivating nature ) is the moon to 
the milky ocean, which rises with joy at the sight of your moon-like
countenance. 

One hears the echo of Saint Thyagaraja's above slautation in Sri Dikshithar's
Manirangu krithi, Maamava Pattabhi Rama in the Charana Vakhyam:

PANKAJA MITRA VAMSA SUDHAAMBHUDHI CHANDRA 
MEDHINI PAALA RAMACHANDRA ". 

Here , Sri Dikshithar 
salutes Sri Pattabhi Rama  as the scion of the race that 
is the friend of the lotus ; he equates that captivating ruler of the 
world , Rama to the moon that lifts up the milky ocean .

The central tribute in all these salutations is to Sri Rama's
birth in the Surya Vamsam as its crest jewel (Siroratnam or Tilakam ). 

6 . DIVISHADHIPATHI RANA SAHACHARANA CHATURA
DASARATHA CHARAMA RUNA VIMOCHANA !

Hail to thee O Lord , who through your birth liquidated the third debt of your 
father Dasaratha , who was famous for his help to Indra in his battles
with Asuraas ! 

Here the reference is to the name of our Lord's father , Dasaratha. 
His valour in driving his chariot in all the ten directions to chase 
the enemies of Indra and to come to the rescue of Indra earned him  
the name  Dasaratha (Dasasu Dikshu Aprathihata Ratha :).

Like all mortals , he had the three debts
to discharge. Emperor Dasaratha liquidated  two of the  three 
debts (viz) , debt to Munis through Veda Adhyayanam and 
debt to the Devas through performance of Yajnaas. One debt 
however stood out without being liquidated (viz), debt to the Pitrus .
When our Lord incarnated as the son of Dasaratha , the last debt 
was destroyed . Hence, our Lord Ramachandra is saluted here as 
" Dasaratha Charama Runa Vimochana"  .

(To Be continued ) .