SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam – 22 – ayOdhyA kANdam 53.31 – na cha sIthA, 59.4 – vishayE thE

_{SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:}

We are currently enjoying the vyAkhyAnam for SlOkams in ayOdhyA kANdam which has been mercifully given to us by periyavAchchAn piLLai in his ‘SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam grantham’.

When SrI rAma conveys to iLaiya perumAL about his decision to go alone to the forest, iLaiya perumAL reacts by responding that it is impossible for both sIthAp pirAtti and him to live without SrI rAma.

He says to SrI rAma, “If it is true that you have decided to go to the forest alone, we will not bear your separation. Just as how a fish cannot sustain to live out of water, sIthAp pirAtti and I cannot survive your separation”.

avathArikai (introduction)

There is no avathArikai for this SlOkam.

na cha sIthA thvayA hInA na chAhamApi rAghava I
muhUrthamapi jIvAvO jalAnmathsyAvivOdhdhruthau II

Word-by-Word meaning

rAghava – SrI rAma! (one who is from raghu dynasty)
thvayA – of you
hInA – bereft
sIthA – sIthAp pirAtti
na – will not survive
ahamApi – I too (being separated from you)
na cha – will not survive
api jIvAva: – in case we survive
jalAth – from the water
udhdhruthau – taken out
mathsyau iva – like two fish
muhUrtham – only for a short duration (we will survive)

Simple Meaning

iLaiya perumAL says, “SrI rAma! Separated from you, neither sIthAp pirAtti nor I will survive. Just as a fish that is taken out of water may try to adapt but will live only for a short duration, we may survive for a moment to ascertain your true intentions. But we will not survive if we know that we are separated from you”.

Notes from periyavAchchAn piLLai’s vyAkhyAnam

iLaiya perumAL says to SrI rAma, “Neither sIthAp pirAtti nor I will survive your separation. The instant we are separated, we will not bear to live”.

api jIvAva: – (iLaiya perumAL says) suppose, we live after knowing about your separation

muhUrtham – for a moment

jalAn mathsyAviva: –

For a moment, we may survive to find out whether your refusal to take us along is true. Suppose those words are true, then, we will not bear to survive after hearing your decision to leave us alone.

This is similar to a fish, that is taken out of water, which may survive for a little while due to the presence of some water on its body surface. But it will not sustain being out of water.

SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam ayOdhyA kANdam 59.4 – vishayE thE

sumanthra accompanies SrI rAma, sIthAp pirAtti, and iLaiya perumAL as they depart from ayOdhyA for the forest and the residents of ayOdhyA also follow them. But after travelling some distance, SrI rAma misleads the people to follow a different route without their awareness and he proceeds in a different direction while they are asleep. sumanthra also returns to ayOdhyA and upon returning, sumanthra describes the condition of ayOdhyA to king dhaSaratha.

This SlOkam is sumanthra’s description of ayOdhyA after SrI rAma’s departure.

avathArikai (introduction)

After leaving SrI rAma on the banks of gangA, sumanthra returns with SrI rAma’s chariot to ayOdhyA. He then goes to see king dhaSaratha to brief him about the changes that are happening in ayOdhyA, the suffering of the people, including the suffering of the flora in his kingdom due to SrI rAma’s separation.

vishayE thE mahArAja rAmavyasanakarSithA: I
api vrukshA: parimlAnAssapushpAngkurakOrakA: II

Word-by-Word meaning

mahArAja – oh, king!
thE – your
vishayE – in country
rAmavyasana karSithA: – suffering due to the pain that befell SrI rAma
sapushpAngkurakOrakA: – with flowers, sprouts, buds
vrukshA: api – the trees too
parimlAnA: – are wilting (suffering)

Simple Meaning

“Oh, king! Even trees (including the flowers, buds and sprouts) in your kingdom have withered, due to sorrow from SrI rAma’s separation.”

Notes from periyavAchchAn piLLai’s vyAkhyAnam

vishayE thE – your country

Your country highlights that his kingdom (king dhaSaratha’s) is superior to that of other kingdoms because of king dhaSaratha’s reign.

vishayE thE – your country

The term “Your country” accentuates the vastness of king dhaSaratha’s kingdom – the southern regions and the northern regions of this kingdom, and all the regions within the boundary of the kingdom.

vishayE thE

SrI rAmAyaNam kishkindhA kANdam 18-6 “ishvAkUNAmiyam bhUmi: saSailavanakAnanA” (this land, including the mountains, waterbodies and forests, belongs to ikshvAku dynasty).

King dhaSaratha protects with pride all the agricultural lands, mountain regions and forests which are within his kingdom (vishayE thE). This highlights the wealth of resources within king dhaSaratha’s kingdom.

vishayE – kingdom

King dhaSaratha’s kingdom encompassed people with specialised knowledge who lived in the cities and others who lived in rural areas. This brings out the fact that the kingdom was well-rounded with versatile people living in different regions of the kingdom.

thiruppallANdu 4 “nAdu nagaramum” (country-side, cities)

King dhaSaratha’s kingdom included different sections of people, such as the sophisticated city dwellers, the naive inhabitants in the rural areas, the hardworking farmers, and those who subsisted by consuming the crops cultivated by farmers.

King dhaSaratha asks “Whose kingdom is this?” sumanthra reiterates, “thE” (yours)

raghuvamSam 1-24 “prajAnAm vinayAdhAnAth rakshaNAdhbharaNAdhapi I sa pithA” (The king by punishing, protecting, and nourishing his citizens, was like a father to the people of his country).

sumanthra says to king dhaSaratha, “You are one such king!”.

“sa pithA yasthu pOshaka:” (one who protects and nourishes is a father).

sumanthra says, “Just as a father protects his own children, you protect your subjects as though they were kept safely in your stomach”.

sumanthra says, “This kingdom that belongs to such a king”

thE

Your kingdom – The kingdom that is ruled by the king who is virtuous such that even the plants and trees are grateful and show affinity.

thE

“haribAhyAsthu bAhlikA:” (the people of bAhlikA were indifferent to hari bhagavAn)

Unlike a kingdom which is indifferent towards perumAL, you rule a kingdom that is attracted to perumAL.

sumanthra says, “Your kingdom is a kingdom that desires perumAL”.

King dhaSaratha asks sumanthra, “Why do you say that such a kingdom of mine is in sorrow?”.

mahArAja

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 63-10 “rAjA vA rAjamAthrO vA” ( being a true king or being a king only by name).

King dhaSaratha’s kingdom is not a kingdom that is being ruled by a weak king or by someone who is subordinate or without a hierarchy to continue the legacy.

thaiththirIya upanishadh “thasyEyam pruthivIsarvA” (to such great king, this earth that is filled with all wealth will be under his control)

raghuvamSam 2-40 “EkAthapathram jagatha: prabhuthvam” (a rule which controls the entire world under the shade of one umbrella)
SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 70-3 “vAryAphalakaparyanthAmabhunktha mahathIm mahIm” (he ruled the vast expanse of earth that is surrounded by ocean)

sumanthra says to king dhaSaratha, “ Your greatness is such that you are able to rule this vast kingdom of yours with such ease as though it is only the size of a thorn head”.

mahArAja

SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 1-14 “ranjanAdhrAjA” (king is one who makes his subjects happy). “anuraktha: prajAbhiScha prajASchApyanuranjathE” (loved by his subjects, gives joy to his subjects)

As such, sumanthra says to king dhaSaratha, “You are such a king who wishes well to all your subjects and who is loved by all the them. Because of this mutual love between you and your subjects, the entire kingdom is suffering along with you”.

King dhaSaratha asks, “Oh! Are they people of ayOdhyA suffering only because they are appreciative of me? Did they not see any goodness in SrI rAma and feel for his pain?”.

rAmavyasana karSithA: The people are suffering due to the pain that befell SrI rAma

SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 16-1 “guNAbhirAmam rAmancha” (after praising the auspicious qualities of SrI rAma, he (hanumAn) begins to contemplate again).
thiruvAimozhi 8-1-8 “valvinaiyEnai IrginRa guNangaLai udaiyAy !” (he is having the qualities which are always tormenting me, who is having powerful sins).

So sumanthra says, “The people of ayOdhyA are also suffering, captivated by SrI rAma’s auspicious qualities”.

rAmam vyasanakarSithA:

The people of ayOdhyA regretted SrI rAma’s departure for the forest; they thought “Oh,the pain that has come to SrI rAma, the one who mingles and shows affection to everyone without any restrictions or limitations!”

rAma vyasanakarSithA:

The people of ayOdhyA became weak and thin due to sorrow, thinking “Oh, what an agony befell SrI rAma who is the sustainer of all!”.

King dhaSaratha asks, “Who are the ones suffering from SrI rAma’s separation?”.

api vrukshA:

It is not just the people, who have the intelligence to think, who suffered, even the trees which are unintelligent, suffered due to separation from SrI rAma.

api vrukshA: the trees too

Because it is said – api vrukshA: – including the trees, it implies that not only the beings in the higher classification (such as celestial beings, beings that crawl and slither (reptiles), and human beings) but also the ones from lower classification such as the trees suffered.

(Note from kAlakshEpam: Although it is mentioned here that the trees do not have intelligence, it has to be understood that there is an AthmA within a tree also. In vishishtAdhvaitha philosophy, inside all beings with name and form, there is an AthmA. This is an important principle of this sidhdhAntham as shown in vEdhantham. The AthmA, depending on the body it is within, will have different capabilities to function, such as capacity to think, capacity to express feelings etc. For example, an AthmA in a human body has capabilities such as speech, thought process etc. In an animal’s body, the abilities to function may be different. An AthmA inside a celestial body will have more abilities when compared to a human body. Similarly, an AthmA in a tree will have abilities but they will be restricted and limited due to their form. Hence, it can be understood that the intelligence will shine brightly (will be displayed) with more abilities in some forms when compared to other forms. And the AthmA, depending on the form, will experience the abilities accordingly. So, here, the trees wilted as a way of expression to show their sorrow).

Did the dhEvas suffer from SrI rAma’s separation?

SrI rAmAyaNam “chukraSurvanadhEvathA:” (the dhEvathas of the forest also cried out loud).

As such, the dhEvathas also called out to SrI rAma in sorrow.

SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 41-10 “athyajan kabalAn nAgA:” (the elephants deprived themselves of food)
raghuvamSam 3-25 “mrugyaScha dharbhAnkura nirvyapEkshA:” (the does (fenale deer) did not show any liking for dharbhai grass and sprouts).

The elephants and other animals let the grass drop from their mouth, unable to even chew them due to sorrow.

SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 47-7 “ihaiva nidhanam yAmO mahAprasthAnamEva vA I rAmENa rahithAnAm thu kimarththam jIvitham hi na:” (There is no life for us without SrI rAma; we will die here or go on a yAthra without a plan to return).

These pramANams describe that not only the people grieved SrI rAma’s separation, even the immovable beings such as the trees showed their grief.

Apart from the trees that were stressed by the summer heat and the withered trees with roots caught in the rocky grounds, even the saplings and green trees with fresh sprouts withered.

Did the trees dry up due to lack of water?

No, they withered due to separation from SrI rAma.

vrukshasEsanE

The root word vruksha means ‘sprinkling water’. Therefore, it can be understood that vruksham (trees) did not dry up due to lack of water. They were well irrigated and were on wet land and yet they dried up because of sorrow.

parimlAnA:

These trees withered and suffered just like a tree that has been improperly cut and stunted.

parimlAnA:

In summer, the trees dry up, but they grow new foliage again when the spring season comes. But the condition of the trees in ayOdhyA is not similar to that, it is due to separation from SrI rAma.

SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 34-6 “Ethi jIvanthamAnandhO naram varshaSathAdhapi” (they are dried and withered but not dead)
SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 19-2 (Even after many years of suffering, happiness will surely find the person who has endured it).

However, they did not wither in the expectation that they can regrow again when SrI rAma returns to ayOdhyA. They withered due to pain from separation.

parimlAnA:

Not only were the top branches dry, even the tender leaves and fresh sprouts were dry.

parithOmlAnA:

The leaves in the top branches as well as those in the lower branches, the tender sprouts, everything dried.

So, did only the leaves wither? No.

sapushpAngkurakOrakA:

All the flowers, tender sprouts, and buds withered.

sapushpAngkurakOrakA:

The flowers which were waiting to blossom, the ones which were presently blossoming, and the ones which had fully blossomed, all of them withered.

sapushpAngkura kOrakA vrukshA api rAmavyasanakarSithA: parimlAnA:

All the big, well developed trees – with sprouts, branches with stems and leaves, buds, and flowers, withered due to separation from SrI rAma. This is similar to members of a family suffering when the head of the family suffers. All the members in the family, including the children and grandchildren feel the pain, their bodies become weak and thin and their faces sullen in sorrow.

thiruvAimozhi 6-1-1 “sey koL sennel” (fresh paddy grows tall and covers the fertile land)

vishayE vrukshA: parimlAnA:

All the trees that surrounded your vast kingdom – the trees which were grown with care in the gardens to provide joy and relaxation to the young women who come there to play and the trees which grew wildly in the forests, all of them withered in sorrow.

This concludes the vyAkhyAnam for this SlOkam.

vishayE thE mahArAja rAmavyasanakarSithA: I
api vrukshA: parimlAnAssapushpAngkura kOrakA: II

vyAkhyAnam for next SlOkam will be continued in the next article.

AzhwAr emperumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

periyavAchchAn piLLai thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Source – SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam – 22 – ayOdhyA kANdam 53.31 – na cha sIthA, 59.4 – vishayE thE Audio Video

adiyEn chithrA rAmAnuja dhAsi

Proofreading/Curating done by – kOsalEndhra rAmAnuja dhAsan, krishNan rAmAnuja dhAsan

Artwork – namperumAL rAmAnuja dhAsan

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