SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam – 25 – AraNya kANdam 19.14 – tharuNau – Part 1

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

In this series, SrI rAmAyaNam thani SlOka vyAkhyAnam, we are enjoying the explanations which were given mercifully to us by periyavAchchAn piLLai. In the previous article, we enjoyed a beautiful SlOkam describing SrI rAma’s words to iLaiya perumAL. perumAL praises iLaiya perumAL by saying that he is a good son since he is saving king dhaSaratha from entering hell (called puth). He also tells iLaiya perumAL that he does not feel that he lost his father, as iLaiya perumAL did everything for perumAL that king dhaSaratha would have done.

The next SlOkam is a description of perumAL and iLaiya perumAL by SUrpaNakhA. In the avathArikai for this SlOkam, periyavAchchAn piLLai brings out the entire history of SrI rAmAyaNam. periyavAchchAn narrates the entire story for the benefit of the readers to understand the background behind SUrpaNakhA falling in love with perumAL, losing her ears and nose, and going back to meet her brothers.

avathArikai (Introduction)

SUrpaNakhA begins to describe SrI rAma and iLaiya perumAL to kharadhUshaNa, being mesmerrised by their divine form, in that process and she speaks the following SlOkam.

tharuNau rUpasampannau sukumArau mahAbalau I
puNdareekaviSAlAkshau chIrakrushNAjinAmbarau II

The entire history starting from the dhEvas performing SaraNAgathi to emperumAn in kshIrAbhdhi, up to this juncture of SUrpaNakhA’s description of perumAL and iLaiya perumAL is described mercifully by periyavAchchAn piLLai here.

The following pramAnams are shown by periyavAchchAn piLLai to elucidate the act of the dhEvas approaching emperumAn to kill rAvaNa.

SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 1-7 “sa hi dhEvairudhIrNasya rAvaNasya vadhArthibhi: I arthithO mAnushE lOkE jagyE vishNu: sanAthana: II” (SrI rAma, who is born as a human due to the imploration of the dhEvas to kill the haughty (due to boons) rAvaNa, is none other than vishNu, the one without a beginning).

As such, the dhEvas controlled by the ten headed rAvaNa, desiring to eliminate the rajO guNa [qualities of passion, aggression, arrrogance etc] of the rAkshasas, go to perumAL and show their dust smeared body. To remove the mangaLa sUthram of the rAkshasas’ wives, they stood with a wheel hanging on their necks (worn by losers in a battle). To make the rAkshasis appear with disheveled hair just like the celestial ladies who were with disheveled hair due to being controlled by rAvaNa’s wives, the dhEvas too appeared with their hair untied (to express their sad state of affairs).

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-2 “vimukthakESyO dhu:khArthA:” (with disheveled hair, like cows which have lost their calves, the rAkshasis suffered in pain due to rAvaNa’s death).

The dhEvas cried and implored emperumAn for help so that the rAkshasis may cry and call out for help upon losing their sons and husbands in the battlefield.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-4 “hA puthrEthi cha vAdhinyO hA nAthEthi cha sarvaSa:” (The rAkshasis everywhere were crying out “Oh my son! Oh my lord!”)

The dhEvas joined their hands in anjali in front of emperumAn so that the rAkshasis may do the same in despair.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-9 “udhruthya cha bhujau kAchith” (a rAkshasi with joined hands in anjali fell and rolled on the ground).

The dhEvas approached emperumAn with tears in their eyes hoping that the rAkshasis would face such a situation with tears in their eyes.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-10 “snApayanthI mukham bAshpaisthushArairiva pankajam” (she wetted rAvaNa’s face with her tears just like how the dew drops wetted the lotus).
raghuvamSam 10-5 “thasminnavasarE dhEvA: paulasthyOpapluthA harima I abhijagmur nidhAgArthA: chAyAvrukshamivAdhvagA: II” (Just as a traveler, exhausted by heat, reaches a tree with shade, the dhEvas, who were tormented by rAvaNa, born in [sage] pulasthya’s lineage, approached janArdhanan).
“chakOrA iva SIthAmSum chAthakA iva thOyadham I adhanA iva dhAthAram dhEvA jagmurjanArdhanam II” (Like the chakOrA birds which flock to the autumn moon, like chAthakA birds which flock to the rain bearing clouds, like a destitute who approaches a patron, the dhEvas approached janArdhanan).

As such, the dhEvas approached emperumAn.

SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 15-17 “thamabruvan surA: sarvE samabhishtUya sannathA:” (All the dhEvathas bowed respectfully and sang his praises and said the following).

The dhEvas started to sing the glories of the supreme lord who is praised in vishNu sahasranAmam as sthavapriya: (one who is pleased by praises).

They celebrated perumAL by saying the following.

vishNu purANam 1-2-1 “sadhaikarUparUpAya” (obeisance to vishNu, the one who is eternally unchanging).

The dhEvas said, “dhEvarIr [your highnesss], the one with no change in svarUpam and rUpam, took birth as a human”

thiruvAimozhi 7-5-2 “nAttil piRandhu padAdhana pattu manisarkkA” (taking birth in a place where his greatness is not understood, going through sufferings which even they do not undergo, for those ungrateful men who blame him subsequently).

As such, emperumAn who is in paramapadham, lowers himself, incarnates as varAha (wild boar), a four legged creature to destroy hiraNyAksha. As though to incarnate as an animal wasn’t enough, he incarnates as part-human and part-lion, narasimha, to destroy hiraNya kashyap.

thaiththirIya upanishadh 10-1 “mahathO mahIyAn” (paramAthmA is bigger than the biggest)

perumAL, who is described thus, shrunk his form and took a dwarf form, incarnated as vAmana.

thiruvAimozhi 3-10-8 “alli malar magaL bOga mayakkukkaLAgiyum” (with SrI mahAlakshmi, who is having lotus flower as her abode, being blissful due to the union)

As vAmana, he took the form of a brahmachAri, completely forgetting the blissfulness of being with pirAtti.

SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 33-26 “dhadhyAnna prathigruhNIyAth na brUyAth kinchidhapriyam I api jIvithahEthOr vA rAma: sathyaparAkrama:” (perumAL, the one with true valour, will only bestow to others, he will not on any occasion, even to save his life, ask for anything from others; will never speak harsh words).
SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-8 “gOsahasrapradhAthAram” (with the hand that has donated thousands of cows).

(Note from kAlakshEpam: After the battle with rAvaNa, SrI rAma does aSwamEdha yAgam, during this time he offers several donations and returns to his palace. On his way, a brAhmaNa comes and conveys to perumAL that he had not received his charity and asks for it. perumAL asks the brAhmaNa to take a stick and throw as far as he could and promises to give him cows that cover that distance.)

thirunedunthANdakam 6 “alampurindha nedum thadakkai” (One with a long and huge divine hand that gives until (the one asking) says it is enough).

emperumAn, the one who gives many positions (padham) such as brahmA, rudhra and indhra, went to mahAbali and asked for 3 steps (padham) of land.

purusha sUktham “brAhmaNOsya mukhamAsIdh bAhU rAjanya: krutha:” (during creation, from his virAta rUpam, from his face brAhmaNas were born, from his shoulders kshathriyas were born).

perumAL, from whom everyone originates, takes birth as a son (paraSurAma) of jamadhagni and rENuka. jamadhagni being a brAhmaNa rishi and rENuka being a kshathriya woman, paraSurAma has the traits of both brAhmaNa and kshathriya.

raghuvamSam 11-64 “pithryamamSamupavIthalakshaNam mAthrukancha dhanurUrjitham dhadhath” (paraSurAma had the yagyOpavItham as a mark from his father and bow as a mark from his mother).

As such, perumAL took birth as a brAhmaNa and as a kshathriya, and annihilated 21 generations of adharmic kings and gave those as a morning food for his paraSu (axe, a weapon).

(Note from kAlakshEpam: One day, kArthavIryArjunan (king) goes to jamadhagni’s hermitage, and notices their surabhi (cow) that has abilities to provide wealth. When kArthavIryArjunan requests jamadhagni to give him that cow, he refuses, so kArthavIryArjunan kills jamadhagni. Therefore, paraSurAma kills kArthavIryArjunan and many other kings who come to his rescue.)

The dhEvas sing praises narrating his avathArams, “You do all these for your devotees”. “bhakthAnAm”

varadharAja sthavam 68 “varadha sakalamEthathsamSrithArtham chakartha” (varadha! Everything that you have, you created only for your devotees).

Saying these, the dhEvas sang sthuthi [praises] and put all their weapons (thunderbolt, axe, staff, and rope) down, so that bhagavAn will take his weapons.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-22 “chApamAnaya” (lakshmaNa! Take the bow)
SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-22 “sAgaram SOshayishyAmi” (I am going to desiccate the ocean).

The dhEvas stood with their eyes filled with tears (indicating the parched ocean as in the above pramANam).

SrI rAmAyaNam kishkindhA kANdam 4-19 “sugrIvam SaraNam gatha:” (SrI rAma took refuge under sugrIva)
SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 19-30 “samudhram rAghavO rAjA SaraNam ganthumarhathi” (SrI rAma, the king, has to surrender to the ocean).

The dhEvas surrendered to perumAL so that he could surrender [later].

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-1 “anjalim prAngmukha: kruthvA” (SrI rAma, in salutation with joined hands facing east towards the ocean, lay down).

The dhEvas joined their hands in salutation so that SrI rAma will do the same [later].

SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 10-9 “prasIdhanthu bhavanthO mE” (Oh sages! Be pleased).

The dhEvas sang perumAL’s praises so that he will later sing praises of the rishis in the forest.

SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 15-17 “sarvE sannathA:” (All the dhEvas said,by bowing down very respectfully).

indhra (elder brother of vAmana) stood in the forefront with the other dhEvas and took refuge under perumAL’s divine feet.

SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 36-11 “na namEyam” (Even if I am broken into two, I’d rather be split than surrender by bending to anyone).

As such, the dhEvas made a request to perumAL. They asked him to force those who refuse to bow down their heads to surrender.

tharuNau rUpasampannau sukumArau mahAbalau I
puNdareekaviSAlAkshau chIrakrishNAjinAmbarau II

Word-by-Word meaning

(SrI rAma and iLaiya perumAL are)
tharuNau – in their youth
rUpasampannau – very handsome
sukumArau – very gentle
mahAbalau – with great strength
puNdareeka viSAlAkshau – with wide eyes resembling a lotus
chIrakrishNAjinAmbarau – adorned in tree barks and deerskin

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

AzhwAr emperumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

periyavAchchAn piLLai thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Source – SrI rAmAyaNa thani SlOkam – 25 – raNya kANdam 19.14 – tharuNau – Part 1 Audio Video

adiyEn chithrA rAmAnuja dhAsi

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

Artwork – namperumAL rAmAnuja dhAsan

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