SreeRAma pAdha mahimA

Dear All, As I mentioned yesterday in my previous post, starting this post, this blog will also feature bhakthi-rich "sathguru krithi anubhavams" of Sri MG. VAsudEvan, an active civil engineer and Carnatic music rasikA who spends his free time in learning and enjoying sathgurus krithis. It is indeed a great bhAgyam to archive such devout bhakthAs experiences over here because this blog is a place to express and share ones bhAvam (emotion). In his first post , let us all enjoy the mahAthmyam of SreerAma pAdham, courtesty Sathguru and Sri MG VAsudEvan. The previous post was on bhAva bhakthi and here in the krithi for this post, we will soon discover that our sathguru has taken the bhAVam of VibheeshanA and converses with SreerAmA. Krithi : Sree RAma pAdhama Many bhakthaas have given verses glorifying the holy feet of God. Recently we also had a new meaning for the `adi' - feet linked proverb - `adi udhavgiraarpOl aNNan thambi kooda udhava maattaargaL'. - Even brothers also will let down but once the lord's feet is taken as the refuge that will help in big way. Adi does not mean 'beating' here. In this article we are going to see a krithi, which glorifies the feet of the lord. raagam: amrutha vaahini thaaLam: aadhi composer: thyaagaraaja language: Telugu pallavi: sree raama paadhamaa nee krupa jaalunE chiththaaniki raavE [sree raama paadhamaa] meaning: hey, feet of sri raamaa, your sympathies [or mercy] on me is enough, please come into [or enter into] my mind. anupallavi: vaarija bhava sanaka sanandhana vaasavaadhi naaradhaadhulella poojinche [sree raama paadhamaa] meaning: the lotus flower born brahma, his sons sanaka and sanandhana, the dhEvendhran, the other son naaradha et al worship you, hey, feet of sri raamaa -- charaNam: dhaarini silayai thaapamu thaaLaka vaaramu kanneerunu raalchaga soora ahalyanu joochi brOchithivi aa reethi dhanyu sEyavE thyaagaraaja bhaagyamaa [gEyamaa] - [sree raama paadhamaa] meaning: that ahalyaa, who was turned as stone, who was the patience personified, could bear the heat [of her husband's curse] and shed tears in that stone form for long time. You saved that `brave' `stone' ahalya [by turning her back to human form]. In the same way let me also be saved, thyaagaraaja, has the credentials to adore you, [sing] oh the feet of sri raama. Note: the word 'gEyamaa' is a paata bEdham - another version of krithi - meaning singing. Points or comments on the krithi: 1. About the raagam selection: The raagam is amrutha vaahini - `a river of nectar', or an army of nectar. This is a smooth and joyous raagam expressing happiness -`aanandham' - a raagam without much twists and turns, and very matching for the situation given below. 2. Situation: VibheeshaNan, the noble brother of wicked raavaNan, when standing in the sky, is anticipating the final nod from Sri raama, for having accepted vibheeshaNan's surrender, since he is coming from enemy camp. As such he is anxiously waiting in the sky along with 4 of his companions. It appears or becomes an `endless wait' for him, for, there is considerable argument between raama, lakshmaNa and vaanara congregation. The arguments are mostly against his induction and a small quantum in favour, and is led by the vaanara king sugreevan, assisted by his prince angadhan, and other seniors like nalan, neelan, jaambhavaan, dhvividhan, maindhan, et al [about inducting vibheeshaNan into the group of raama and lakshmaNa, or the army of nectar]. VibheeshaNa is meanwhile thinking `hey raama - are you listening to such talks well well - evari maata vinnaavO balee balee' - kAmbOdhi Krithi of thyaagaraaja. 3. Acceptance of his surrender by sri raama is the flow of nectar: Finally, the wise hanumaan speaks. Sri raama also rules in favour of accepting vibheeshaNan, he descends and falls at the feet of raamaa. At this stage thyaagaraaja places this song, as sung by vibheeshaNan about the glory of raamaa's feet, which accepts his surrender.   Hearing that he, has been accepted as a member of raamaa's team,   the descending from sky on a positive note,   falling at the feet of raamaa are all joyous matter for him Or to put it in a different language - is all `river like flow of nectar' - `amrutha vaahini' - to vibheeshaNa. As such the raaga selection for this krithi is very apt. Please note the sri thyaagaraaja has selected raagaas for his krithis, which are simply beautiful and matching to the situation and the predominant expression - `rasam' in the composition. 4. On the lyrics of krithi: vaarija bhava is lotus born - brahma. vaarija is lotus - the feet also appears as lotus. That `lotus feet' is being worshipped - poojinche. Who all do that pooja? bhava - sivan, vaasava - indhra, sanaka, sanandhana, naaradha, aadhulu ella. So it is clear in one interpretation - it is brahma, indhra, sanaka sanandhana naaradha. In another interpretation - the list includes sivan also. That may be a specialty here. [inclusion of sivan in the list is not mentioned in the translations or meaning given in books.] Another specialty - vibheeshaNa says - how ahalya is rescued from the thaapam - heat - aa reethi - in the same way let me be saved. In the ahalaya episode - raama asked visvaamithra - what is this place - why it appears so much deserted, a good look in this place also has the appearance that somebody lived here for some time etc. But suddenly from that stone ahalya came out. In the same way, why not save me?For ahalya, no formal request to raama from her to save her, raama has no knowledge on who is being saved, etc. VibheeshaNa thinks `why not in same way of ahalya, me also? But what went just now as I witnessed from above is a rigorous questioning and counters within the team. I am worried what will happen for raama is listening to all these arguments and counters - evari maata vinnaavO?' When vibheeshaNan, standing in the sky, is called to come down to earth, since his asylum is granted by sri raamaa, sri vaalmeeki states [in 2 slokams] raaghavEna abhayE dhaththE samnathO raavaNa anuja: | vibheeshaNO mahaapraajnO bhoomim samavalOkayath || 6-19-1 [note: 6 is yudhDha kaaNdam, 19 is chapter or sargam, 1 is the slokam number] Meaning: While the assurance of protection having been given by Raama, the highly sagacious Vibheeshana the brother of RaavaNa bent down and glanced the earth. khaath papaatha avanim hrushtO bhakthair anucharai: saha | sa thu raamasya dharma aathmaa nipapaatha vibheeshaNa: || 6-19-2 Meaning: The virtuous vibheeshaNan descended joyously from the sky to the ground along with his faithful companions and alighted in the vicinity of raama. Points: 1. Even while descending from the sky, joy flows like a river to vibheeshaNa and his company - so, is it not 'amrutha vaahini', as for as he and his team is concerned? 2. In the website www.valmikiramayan.net the author says for slokam two above papaatha = descended nipapaatha = alighted Whereas for same word 'nipapaatha' in slokam 3 the author gives a meaning nipapaatha = fell prostrate. Of course Sanskrit English Dictionary gives both meanings. But I will use the slokam 3 meaning here also, viz. in slOkam 2 - since 'raamasya avanim nipapaatha' means he fell prostrate on raamaa's land. For he was all these days in raavaNa's land, now he has distanced himself [as he himself says in following slokam], flown himself and landed in a different land, which is raamaa's land. So as soon as he landed, he fell prostrate on the land - fell flat on the raamaa's land - to get that touch of the land, the feel of the land, the puNyam of the land. Like these days, the VIPs when they land in a different country or place, then they touch that land, kneel down on the land; give a kiss to that land. {as the previous pope did once when he visited his homeland, and this incident and the photo became famous}. So what we do today is all nothing new or without precedence. We simply copy the yesteryears. We do these acts, perhaps, even without understanding the significance. 3. The same can be interpreted differently also, vibheeshaNa landed where raama's feet were there [or where raama was standing]. For a person surrendering, the lord's feet are more important. That is why 'sri raama paadhama nee krupa' - so 'raamasya avani' is raama's feet for vibheeshaNa. Continuing - paadhayO: saraNa anvEshee chathurbhi: saha raakshasai: | abraveeth cha thadhaa raamam vaakyam thathra vibheeshaNa: || 6-19-3 dharma yuktham cha yuktham cha saampratham sampraharshaNam | Meaning: Thereafter, vibheeshaNa, along with the 4 demons, fell prostrate and spoke to raama the following words, which were equally suitable and delightful. anujO raavaNasya aham thEna cha asmi avamaanitha: || 6-19-4 bhavantham sarva bhoothaanaam saraNyam saraNam gatha: | Meaning: "I am the younger brother of raavaNa and was humiliated by him. I sought refuge in you, who is the refuge for all the beings". parithyakthaa mayaa lankaa mithraaNi cha dhanaani cha || 6-19-5 bhavadh gatham hi mE raajyam cha jeevitham cha sukhaani cha | Meaning: Abandoning Lanka, friends and possessions, I place my kingdom, life and happiness at your disposal. Point: VibheeshaNa now introduces himself as to 'who he is, what he did before this act of surrendering, what all he expect out of this surrender etc'. Here, it is also understood, 'hey raama, how you did that saving act of ahalya without any questions, in the same way you accept me also without much questioning. Already a lot of discussions took place, which I also observed from the sky' -'aa ahalyaa reethi dhanyu chEyavE'. raama also does respond in the same way, simply, by an easy smile and soothing eyesight on vibheeshaNa. See slokam of vaalmeeki. thasya thadhvachanam sruthvaa raamO vachanam abraveeth || 6-19-6 vachasaa saanthvayithvainam lOchanaabhyaam pibanniva | Meaning: Hearing those words of vibheeshaNa, raama in a soothing tone and with a refreshing look in his eyes, spoke these words. [What he spoke is not relevant to us from the krithi point of view and hence not considered] Point: there in the ahalya episode - the eyesight was set on the stone and the paadha rajas - raamaa's feet dust - did the savior act. Here the eyesight was offering the soothing comfort, the 'bhagavath kataaksham' as it is called in 'paribhaashai' -- and assuring words then flows. How was the words - lOchanaabhyaam piban iva - amrutha vaahini - nectar flowing from eyes and mouth of raama for vibheeshana to drink and be saved in that 'krupa'. Is it necessary to call 'chiththaaniki raavE'. Yes. For us it is necessary - to bring that scene into our vision. Dear bhakthaas - realize thyagaraaja has just poured heart and soul in his krithis, word by word following the srimadh raamaayaNam as could be seen above. Is it thyaagaraajaa's bhaagyam that he has done such krithis or is it our bhaagyam to have such krithis form such a raama bhaktha. I feel it is our bhaagyam. So enjoy that 'raama' amrutham, raama krupa, as well the krithi in full, that amrutha vaahini. Dhasan Vasudevan m.g. Many thanks to Sri vASudEvan MG. adiyEn thyAgayya and rAmAnuja dASan P.S Please spread and share your experiences with fellow bhakthAs and bhakthins.