Jai Seeta Ram :
Saranagati :
Yudha Kanda or the War Chapter is the last of the six Chapters in Ramayana, leaving aside Uttara Kanda, the melancholy of all wherein Seeta departs, ending Her Avatar once and for all. The purpose of first separation when Ravana held Her in captivity proves Her seshatvam. The second separation when Lakshmana at the instance of Rama, left Her in the forest proves Her pAratantriyam. The third and last occasion when She was consumed by mother Earth at Her own instance, proves Her ananyArhatvam.The second and third separations occurring in Uttara Kanda earns the dislike of many for the same as is the case with Yudha Kanda for Rama's physical injury and pain for us.
Unlike the previous Chapter of Kishkinda Kanda where Rama undergoes mental agony on account of Seeta's separation, in this chapter on War, Rama though ultimately triumphs over Ravana but is stretched to His physical limits of exasperation, to the dislike of all of us.
So much so this Chapter is hard to pursue for people of Alwar'stemperament. When our Hero Rama is put to test of physical strength how can we bear the pain that Rama suffers and is liable to be skipped in its entirety but for two excerpt portions under VibheeshaNa SaraNagati and Rama's Coronation elucidated well at the end.
There are two paths to Salvation. Devotion to God otherwise known asBhakti is one and SaraNagati or Surrender at His Lotus Feet is another. The former is strenuous and time consuming while Prapathi is hard to understand but easy to execute and a sure way to success.
Bhakthi is essentially denoted by its root word Baja = sevayAm. SaraNagati on the other hand implies beholding the Lotus Feet of the Lord as a means and end by itself.
Discarded by RavaNa, VibheeshaNa reaches Rama's place with intent to be of service to Him accompanied by four Rakshasas and the mace held in his folded hands. The 4 Rakshasas symbolic of the two hands plus two legs joined together as we prostrate before a SaraNyan.
The folded hands indicate Akinchinyam (= கைமுதலின்மை) while the folded legs denote Ananyagaditvam (= போக்கிட மின்மை).
Anjali Mudra, apart from being a mark of respect do again convey the absence of alternate Means as well as hands off any Efforts to attain Him. His Lotus Feet the exclusive Means, sustenance and nourishment in our case.
Leaving the discard able and beholding the desirable is another aspect of a SaraNagatha. Quitting Ravana for Rama's companionship confirms this. All relation born out of our existence here are inappropriate one when compared to the appropriate relation that we bear with the Lord here and elsewhere.
Vibishana lost no time to reach Rama's place, He who is present with LakshmaNa as well. The swiftness proves the longing and the presence of LakshmaNa with Rama complies with the requirement of PurushakAra prapathi ahead of Bhagavad saraNagati.
From a place where younger brother's words are a dislike, he reached a place where such words are being respected and honoured. Rama's place is தன் வீடு - பிராப்ய பூமி and Ravana's place is அபிராப்ய பூமி - பகை வீடு, worthy of discard.
Periyalwar in His Thirumozhi 5-3-7 confirms பகவத் அஸ்ன்னிதி as அபிராப்ய பூமி as follows :
அக்கரை என்னும் அனர்த்தக் கடலுள் அழுந்தி , உன்பேரருளால்
இக்கரை ஏறி இளைதிருந்தேன் ...
As an arrow shot of a bow, Vibishana came airborne and stood in the openness requiring Rama to show a place to foot. All his actions culminating in (i) longing for Rama's nod ( பிராப்யத்தில் ருசி), (ii) the urgency in that (பிராப்யத்தில் த்வரை), (iii) the need for a mediator like LakshmaNa (புருஷகார அபேக்ஷை) and (iv) with knowledge that where Rama stood is sacrament (பிராப்ய பூமி மஹாத்மியம்).
Alwars and Acharyas promoted and professed Surrender as '' the path '' to Salvation. Vibishana enacting the same in its true spirits got him the name விபீஷண ஆழ்வான்.
The need for a mediator in this act, is in his role helping people of his class (ஸஜாதியத்வம்) , as the Lord is of different class by Himself (விஜாதியத்வம்).
At the sight of Vibishana, Sugreeva got perturbed thinking that he had come to trouble Rama. The one mace Vibishana carried looked many to him. Despite the fact that Rama is no ordinary person to be troubled by any body, Sugreeva out of devotion (பரிவு) felt so, agitatedly. His Softness (சௌகுமாரியம்) rather than His Braveness (வீரம்) concerned him and made him think that Vibishana's folded hands are just pretention to gain entry and to trouble ultimately.
Can Vibishana, a single person be a cause for trouble against a mighty army of his? a question appealing to logic did not in the perspective of a devotee like Sugreeva, who craving for the safety and security of his Lord, wanted Vibishana to be killed in all possible cruel ways; considering an enemy of his Lord as his own.
Vibishana's appeal to Sugreeva in the first place to help his admission in Rama ghostti demonstrates that Surrender to God is to be preceded by surrender to God's men. His appeal thus complies with not only this but every aspects of SaraNagati as detailed below :
ஆனுகூல்யஸ்ய சங்கல்ப: - conforming to the likes
பிராதிகூல்யஸ்ய வர்ஜனம் - discarding the dislikes with
ரக்ஷஸ்யதீதி விஸ்வாச: - firm belief of salvation
கோப்த்ருத்வ வரணம் ததா - behold the God, essentially
கார்பண்யம் - that He expects nothing in return
ஆத்ம நிக்ஷேபே - upon surrendering one's Soul
ஷட்விதா சரணாகதி: satisfy the six sacraments of SaraNagati.
அநந்ய சாத்யே ஸாபீஷ்டே மஹவிஸ்வாசக பூர்வகம்
ததேகோபாய யாஞ்சா பிரபத்தி சரணாகதி:
in other words Trusting the Lord as sole Means to His Kingdom vets சித்தோபாய ஸ்வீ காரம், ஸ்வநிகர்ஷம், பகவத் உத்கர்ஷம்.
அக, சரணாகதனுக்கு வேண்டுவன : ஆகிஞ்சின்யம், அநன்ய கதித்வம் மற்றும் ஸம்சார பயம் காரணமான சோகம்.
சரண்யனுக்கு வேண்டுவன :கிருபையும், எளிவரவும். புருஷகார சாபீஷ்டை கார்ய வேளையில் வேண்டுமேயானாலும், பல வேளையில் தன் சக்தி சாமர்த்தியங்களைக் கொண்டே கார்யம் செய்யும்.
VibishaNa's episode fulfils every aspect of this from both their sides.
No comments:
Post a Comment