Adiyen. It has literally been years since I wrote. So please do excuse me if my thoughts seems confused or do not flow or for grammatical and other errors if any.
Last year has been really a mixed bag. My Acharyan who saved my life, who was responsible for everything that I am today passed over to the eternal abode. An Acharyan who I would even grudge Emperuman for taking Him away from me.
But sometimes Emperuman has the knack of revealing that I am still in very safe hands. So year end - Margazhi - I had the good fortune of being in India and to go to Mumbai to pray to the present HH Azhagiyasingar, 46 Jeer of Ahobila Mutt in Sancharam in Chembur, Mumbai.
So this time when I was in Mumbai in my MIL's maternal home, her brother being a very very close devotee of the mutt and a very learned person, handed my husband a copy of Thirukundathai Aandavan's "Acharya Ramamrutham" - a transcripted version of Swami's Ramayana Upanyasam. My husband had been reading it in London and had quoted a few instances from it to me. I had meant to blog about one particular sloka but had never gotten around to do it.
He was very happy to get a copy from his uncle's hands in Mumbai and opened it randomly to a page which miraculously contained this very Sloka.
'' Gajam va, veekshya simham va, vyaghram vaapi varananaa;
Naaharayathi santhrasam, Baahu Ramasya Samasrutha"
(Valmiki ramayanam; Ayodhya Kandam - 60-20 )
The situation unfolds : Rama leads Sita into the forest followed by Lakshmana. The sarathy of Dasaratha, Sumantara, returns back home to the castle and reports that they have been led to the jungle and left alone there. Dasaratha very anxious to know about his daughter in law and her safety asks, ''Was she very afraid? Was she, the darling daughter of Janaka, upset about her safety in the forest? Was she frightened?''
To this Sumantara replies with the above Sloka.
"I watched her go into the forest with Rama. Come may elephants (Gajam) or lions ( Simham) or tigers (Vyakram), {Here Sita is referred to as Varaananaa - one who has a lovely face) She still has no trace of fear on Her lovely face. But why is this so? Bahu - one who the strong arms is common name for Rama. Sundara Bahu, Sahasrabahu, Ajanu Bahu - are all names of Rama. That arm is around her to protect Her.
{Let} elephants come, or Lions yet or Tigers, She
has no fear at all on Her lovely face, for the arm of Rama holds {protects} Her yet.
This sloka is quoted often by my husband whenever I have any fear, confusions, paranoia or anything that pushes me into darkness. So it is something that I have derived strength and comfort from. That all of us need - the arm of Sri Rama around us. It is ever present to protect us.
How has all these survived for so many years? Janmas even? The anubhavam. As long as there is one more drop of nectar left in the flower, the bee keeps returning, does it not? The same way, each anubhavam is so different and so enchanting for each one of us. As we look at every facet of a sloka, as seen by various Acharyas and Vyakyanakaras - how much did they really enjoy unravelling each sloka as the thick matted skin of the jackfruit and pulling out each fruit that is the Lord's name and love from it to present to us?
Another beautiful explanation given by another Acharya (I think it was the 42nd Jeer of Ahobila Mutt; not sure - will clarify) is as follows:
The sloka says, "May elephants come! May lions yet! Or tigers!" If we think about this, elephants are a breed themselves. But lions and tigers? Are they not supposed to similar carnivores? So why should you mention tigers when you have already talked of lions? why not one or the other? Surely both are ferocious, both possess equal strength. Why mention both?
In a forest, even wild elephants are dangerous. You do not know whether they will attack a human or not. But when there is a lion around, the two animals tend to attack each other. Not a human. This is the hierarchy of the forest. Natural order of enmity. But if there is a tiger around - it will always attack the human whichever animal else might be on the scene. So if there is a lion and an elephant, you can be safe and watch even. So even when there is a tiger on the scene which will come for her throat - she is not afraid.
But here Acharyan goes a step further - She is not only afraid. But She is very anxious and so holds Rama's hand - not in fear. But in fear. That Rama might think that She is afraid and harm the poor creatures which are around in the jungle - so that He might not take the arrow and shoot the poor beast down.
That is the karunai of Thayar - the mother of this world who seeks to protect even a beast which does not know who She is and comes for Her. This aspect is highlighted again and yet again in the Ramayana - as She saves Kaakasura, as She even says She will forgive Raavana if he only lets Her go. This is the karunai of the mother who will not strike standing apart from the father whose arrow swiftly finds its mark.
This is the highlight of the Shri Vaishnava Sampradayam - wherein without Her word, - there is no mercy from the Lord, no Prapathi and no Saranagathi. But with Her look, He pardons even the greatest of sinners.
Though the slokam itself brought me strength - it was not the end of the chapter. We were discussing this sloka late at night around 2:00 AM as it was quite late when we returned from the temple and then sat talking. HH 46th Jeer had asked us to be at the Vishwaroopam form Malolan the next day at the mutt. This traditionally (in margazhi) takes place around 4:30 AM. So we really did not have much time. We were back at the temple for the Vishwaroopam and HH Thirupaavai Upanyasam of the day after 2 hours.
HH 46th started the upanyasam with the paasuram of the day and finished with this very sloka and its meaning which was quite surprising and unusual that at the very minute we were talking about this arm of God, HH was actually thinking about the very pasuram that says that the Lord protects us.
For all of us - Baahu Ramasya Samsrutha!
Last year has been really a mixed bag. My Acharyan who saved my life, who was responsible for everything that I am today passed over to the eternal abode. An Acharyan who I would even grudge Emperuman for taking Him away from me.
But sometimes Emperuman has the knack of revealing that I am still in very safe hands. So year end - Margazhi - I had the good fortune of being in India and to go to Mumbai to pray to the present HH Azhagiyasingar, 46 Jeer of Ahobila Mutt in Sancharam in Chembur, Mumbai.
So this time when I was in Mumbai in my MIL's maternal home, her brother being a very very close devotee of the mutt and a very learned person, handed my husband a copy of Thirukundathai Aandavan's "Acharya Ramamrutham" - a transcripted version of Swami's Ramayana Upanyasam. My husband had been reading it in London and had quoted a few instances from it to me. I had meant to blog about one particular sloka but had never gotten around to do it.
He was very happy to get a copy from his uncle's hands in Mumbai and opened it randomly to a page which miraculously contained this very Sloka.
'' Gajam va, veekshya simham va, vyaghram vaapi varananaa;
Naaharayathi santhrasam, Baahu Ramasya Samasrutha"
(Valmiki ramayanam; Ayodhya Kandam - 60-20 )
The situation unfolds : Rama leads Sita into the forest followed by Lakshmana. The sarathy of Dasaratha, Sumantara, returns back home to the castle and reports that they have been led to the jungle and left alone there. Dasaratha very anxious to know about his daughter in law and her safety asks, ''Was she very afraid? Was she, the darling daughter of Janaka, upset about her safety in the forest? Was she frightened?''
To this Sumantara replies with the above Sloka.
"I watched her go into the forest with Rama. Come may elephants (Gajam) or lions ( Simham) or tigers (Vyakram), {Here Sita is referred to as Varaananaa - one who has a lovely face) She still has no trace of fear on Her lovely face. But why is this so? Bahu - one who the strong arms is common name for Rama. Sundara Bahu, Sahasrabahu, Ajanu Bahu - are all names of Rama. That arm is around her to protect Her.
{Let} elephants come, or Lions yet or Tigers, She
has no fear at all on Her lovely face, for the arm of Rama holds {protects} Her yet.
This sloka is quoted often by my husband whenever I have any fear, confusions, paranoia or anything that pushes me into darkness. So it is something that I have derived strength and comfort from. That all of us need - the arm of Sri Rama around us. It is ever present to protect us.
How has all these survived for so many years? Janmas even? The anubhavam. As long as there is one more drop of nectar left in the flower, the bee keeps returning, does it not? The same way, each anubhavam is so different and so enchanting for each one of us. As we look at every facet of a sloka, as seen by various Acharyas and Vyakyanakaras - how much did they really enjoy unravelling each sloka as the thick matted skin of the jackfruit and pulling out each fruit that is the Lord's name and love from it to present to us?
Another beautiful explanation given by another Acharya (I think it was the 42nd Jeer of Ahobila Mutt; not sure - will clarify) is as follows:
The sloka says, "May elephants come! May lions yet! Or tigers!" If we think about this, elephants are a breed themselves. But lions and tigers? Are they not supposed to similar carnivores? So why should you mention tigers when you have already talked of lions? why not one or the other? Surely both are ferocious, both possess equal strength. Why mention both?
In a forest, even wild elephants are dangerous. You do not know whether they will attack a human or not. But when there is a lion around, the two animals tend to attack each other. Not a human. This is the hierarchy of the forest. Natural order of enmity. But if there is a tiger around - it will always attack the human whichever animal else might be on the scene. So if there is a lion and an elephant, you can be safe and watch even. So even when there is a tiger on the scene which will come for her throat - she is not afraid.
But here Acharyan goes a step further - She is not only afraid. But She is very anxious and so holds Rama's hand - not in fear. But in fear. That Rama might think that She is afraid and harm the poor creatures which are around in the jungle - so that He might not take the arrow and shoot the poor beast down.
That is the karunai of Thayar - the mother of this world who seeks to protect even a beast which does not know who She is and comes for Her. This aspect is highlighted again and yet again in the Ramayana - as She saves Kaakasura, as She even says She will forgive Raavana if he only lets Her go. This is the karunai of the mother who will not strike standing apart from the father whose arrow swiftly finds its mark.
This is the highlight of the Shri Vaishnava Sampradayam - wherein without Her word, - there is no mercy from the Lord, no Prapathi and no Saranagathi. But with Her look, He pardons even the greatest of sinners.
Though the slokam itself brought me strength - it was not the end of the chapter. We were discussing this sloka late at night around 2:00 AM as it was quite late when we returned from the temple and then sat talking. HH 46th Jeer had asked us to be at the Vishwaroopam form Malolan the next day at the mutt. This traditionally (in margazhi) takes place around 4:30 AM. So we really did not have much time. We were back at the temple for the Vishwaroopam and HH Thirupaavai Upanyasam of the day after 2 hours.
HH 46th started the upanyasam with the paasuram of the day and finished with this very sloka and its meaning which was quite surprising and unusual that at the very minute we were talking about this arm of God, HH was actually thinking about the very pasuram that says that the Lord protects us.
For all of us - Baahu Ramasya Samsrutha!
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