13.RAMA SAGA

WITH  THE  GREAT

From Halebid temple.

13.  RAMA  SAGA

Arunagirinatha has dealt with all the major events of Ramayana and Mahabharata. We can write the whole Itihasas from his words.  We shall try to cover them though not chronologically.

In Kishkindha


ஏழு மரங்களும் வன்கு ரங்கெனும்
     வாலியு மம்பர மும்ப ரம்பரை
          ராவண னுஞ்சது ரங்க லங்கையு ...... மடைவேமுன்

ஈடழி யும்படி சந்த்ர னுஞ்சிவ
     சூரிய னுஞ்சுர ரும்ப தம்பெற
          ராம சரந்தொடு புங்க வன்

(தோழமை கொண்டுச லஞ்செய் குண்டர்கள்)



Here some major events are captured. 

 Ramachandra sent his mighty arrow (Rama Bhaanam).He pierced the seven  Palmyra trees. He killed the mighty monkey,Vali. He dried up the sea. He killed Ravana who came in a famous dynasty. He destroyed Lanka with its armed might consisting of the four categories. (Chaturanga sena) And with it was destroyed all other wealth.

He restored Chandra, Surya (who is an aspect of Shiva), the other Devas to their former positions .

The point for us to note is that all this was accomplished with just one arrow. 
As Tyagaraja said so well: Rama is noted for oka maata, oka bhaana, oka patni, vratudu. (one word, one arrow, one wife- he has that principle).

Our Master is going to say this again specifically. But there is something very important here. In the first part of this hymn, he lists some categories of people who will surely go to hell:

Those entering hell

• people who seek friendship and then indulge in treacherous acts such as adultery with the friend's wife.(mitra droham)
• people who do not show gratitude for the teacher who has imparted wisdom.
• those who take up a vrata and then give up in the middle.
• those who indulge in slander against pious, saintly persons.
• those who prevent others from doing acts of  religious charity
• taking oath in the name of their Deities, family members, etc and then breaking it.
• those who,intent on their own welfare, covet and take the wealth of others
• those who interfere with 'neeti' and 'dharma'. (This is a fine distinction. Neeti relates to one's profession and position in society. Dharma is common for all. To award punishment is king's niti- Manu niti. But even a king cannot covet another's wife- that is dharma.Those who disturb such arrangements will go to hell.)
• those who roam about, puffed up with ego.
• those who take away the property/ wealth belonging to temples. (Those who collect donations for religious purposes but use it for others.)

There can be no true religion or spirituality without proper ethics and morality in society, and personal discipline. This is what our master is stating here. Perhaps, the thought of Rama- the embodiment of dharma,Dharma Vigraha- induced in him such thoughts. Here is the original:

தோழமை கொண்டுச லஞ்செய் குண்டர்கள்
     ஓதிய நன்றிம றந்த குண்டர்கள்
          சூழ்விர தங்கள்க டிந்த குண்டர்கள் ...... பெரியோரைத்

தூஷண நிந்தைப கர்ந்த குண்டர்கள்
     ஈவது கண்டுத கைந்த குண்டர்கள்
          சூளுற வென்பதொ ழிந்த குண்டர்கள் ...... தொலையாமல்

வாழநி னைந்துவ ருந்து குண்டர்கள்
     நீதிய றங்கள்சி தைந்த குண்டர்கள்
          மானவ கந்தைமி குந்த குண்டர்கள் ...... வலையாலே

மாயையில் நின்றுவ ருந்து குண்டர்கள்
     தேவர்கள் சொங்கள்க வர்ந்த குண்டர்கள்
          வாதைந மன்றன்வ ருந்தி டுங்குழி ...... விழுவாரே

Interestingly, Arunagiri calls them all "goondas". We do have a Goonds Act now- how different!

How it was in the battlefield

Now, our swami describes the scene on the battlefield. It is full of dead bodies, and they provide a feast for the various types of ghosts. Various types of drums are being beaten to raise the fighting spirit. Rama fought here.

செருவி டத்தல கைகள்தெ னத்தென
     தெனந்தெந் தெந்தெ னந்தா
எனஇ டக்கைகள் மணிக ணப்பறை
     டிகுண்டிங் குண்டி குண்டா
டிகுகு டிக்குகு டிகுகு டிக்குகு
     டிகுண்டிங் குண்டி குண்டீ ...... யெனஇரா வணனீள்

மலையெ னத்திகழ் முடிகள் பத்தையு
     மிரண்டஞ் சொன்ப தொன்றேய்
பணைபு யத்தையு மொருவ கைப்பட
     வெகுண்டம் பொன்றெ றிந்தோன்
மதலை மைத்துன 

(விலையறுக்கவும்)

In the first three lines, he is describing the actual sounds made by the ghosts and the different war drums.(thenaththenaththana,  thenandh,thendhanendhaa, digunding gundigunda, dikuku dikkukuku,dikuku dikkukuku, dikunding kundi kundee etc. These sounds can be heard even today in some villages. Then he says:

Rama got angry. He sent one arrow 
அம்பு ஒன்று யெறிந்தோன். That cut off his ten heads with their crowns on them and the twenty arms and shoulders looking like mighty mountains. (2x5+9+1 heads, as stated here). He says Tirumaal- Tamil for Vishnu, sent such arrow.

He takes up the subject in another hymn:

சீதைகொடு போகு மந்த ராவணனை மாள வென்ற
     தீரனரி நார ணன் 

(ஆதிமுதல் நாளில்)


The valorous Hari, Narayanan who registered his victory by slaying Ravana who carried away Sita.

gnanajyothy,org,


Hanuman sets fire to Lanka .



இலங்கையி லிலங்கிய இலங்களு ளிலங்கரு
     ளிலெங்கணு மிலங்கென ...... முறையோதி

இடுங்கனல் குரங்கொடு நெடுங்கடல் நடுங்கிட
     எழுந்தருள் முகுந்தனன் 

(தலங்களில் வருங்கன)



Here he describes how Hanuman set fire to Lanka.

Hanuman was no doubt a monkey, but he did not set fire indiscriminately. He followed a definite principle. Our master describes it beautifully.

Ilangayil ilangiya ilangalum=  the houses which stood decorating Lanka

 arul il enganum =  all those places, may be those which beautified Lanka, but which lacked a divine  or spiritual-religious atmosphere

ilangu yena = "O Agni, go seize them" , ordered Hanuman

kanal idum = so Hanuman set fire

anumanudan = with that Hanuman

nedum kadal nadungida= even as the long ocean shook with fear

ezhundarul mukundan=  Mukundan consented to set foot on the battlefield.

Hanuman setting fire.From;kirtimukha.com

It shows how fair was Hanuman, and careful  This was one characteristic of the dharma yuddha conducted by Hindu kings. The Tamil classic Purananooru lists the categories of people who are not to be touched in war. Even in the Tamil epic Silappadhikaram , when Kannaki orders Madurai to be burnt she requests Agni  to exempt "Brahmins, those engaged in religious discipline, cows, pativratas, old people and children".

Thus again we see it was one dharma which operated throughout this Bharatvarsha. 

The righteous rules relating to war were broken by the invading Muslim hordes. That is one reason why the Hindu kings lost.

More conventional picture.



NOTE:

Tamil Tiruppugazh text taken from kaumaram.org. Gratefully acknowledged.