श्रीरामस्तुतिः - भागः ३

This one is on the divya dampati who took avatar as Rama and Sita. While Rama came through divine payasam from the heaven (srivaikuntha) Sita appeared from the Earth. My state is akin to a cloud that is caught in between and pulled and pushed by karma (of air). Let that divya dampati descend to my citta.

स्वर्गाद्ययौ यो भुविमण्डलं च भूम्याः बभौ या हृदि तस्य भूम्याम् ।

मध्ये गतिर्मे किल मेघवत्तु चित्ते प्रयातां भुवि दम्पती तौ ।। 21 ।।

स्वर्गात् from heaven ययौ attained यो who (male) भवमण्डलं the Earth च and भूम्याः from earth बभौ shone या who (female) तस्य of his हृदि भूम्यां heart / chest मध्ये in the middle गतिः movement / gati मे my किल indeed मेघवत् like a cloud प्रयातां let them descend चित्ते भुवि to my mind-world तौ दम्पती that divine couple.

Let that divine couple, (out of which) one descended to earth from heaven and the other appeared from the Earth to shine in His chest /heart, descend to my mind-world, who is like a cloud that is caught in between drawn by the wind called karma...

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Sanskrit is a rich language wherein a single letter added to a word will give a different meaning through the process of compounding etc (Samasa etc)

For example, the letter प (indicating the action of drinking or protecting) when added to the word पाद (foot) would read पादप and would mean a tree or a plant as it drinks water through its roots or stem (pada).

One who protects through his feet (power of feet alone) is also पादप (an Acharya or God).

In this verse I am making use of these two.

सुपादपसपादेभ्यः स्तुतिभ्यस्ते सुपादप! ।

अनुपदं रसं पातुं यतमानं तु पाहि माम्।। 22 ।।

सुपादप Acharyas - those who protect through their feet or those who drink the nectar of the Lord's feet (through bhakti)

सपादेभ्यः - पाद means a foot or quarter as in a verse. सपाद means one with feet or quarters - the verses composed by the Acharyas - and from them. स्तुतिभ्यः from the verses (Say Valmiki Ramayana and others) ते your सुपादप Rama! Who graced Ahalya et al by his divine feet. अनुपदं step by step (or word by word) रसं nectar पातुं to drink यतमानं one who is trying पाहि grace माम् me.

Rama! Supadapa! Grace me who is trying to drink the nectar step by step (word by word) from the verses composed by Acharyas (who were intoxicated with the nectar of your lotus like feet).

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Being on the wrong side is not wrong! If we are right then may be we get a chance to cross over to the right side - like Vibheeshana.

Being wrong and being on the wrong side - like Kumbhakarna - only God has to protect!

Alas! I am like Kumbhakarna!

जनिश्च मे राम! दशाननेन विभीषणस्येव न जातु भक्तिः ।

सदाऽनुसारी तु चिरं शयालोः तथापि ते यामि पदं दयालो! ।। 23 ।।

जनिः birth च and मे my राम Rama दशाननेन along with or due to the ten faced (mind) विभीषणस्येव like Vibheeshana's न जातु never भक्तिः bhakti सदा always अनुसारी a follower तु but चिरं long time शयालोः of the one who sleeps तथापि even then ते your यामि attain पदं feet दयालो! O Magnanimous!

Rama, my birth is due to or along with mind, a dashaanana (Ravana), as it has the 5 senses of perception and 5 organs of action as its ten faces. But I do not have bhakti like Vibheeshana. Instead I have been a longstanding follower of the one who slept most of the time (and did not care about the activities of Ravana - mind). Even then I resort to your feet (now)! Hey Magnanimous! (Protect me).

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Some people say one should have enough merit (punya) to even think of God. I, for sure, belong to the non-meritorious (😉, right from school) How do thoughts of Rama cross my mind? Well this verse answers!

मय्यपि ते स्मृतिर्हन्त राम! कौशिकबोधित! ।

कथं स्यात्तद्धि कारुण्यं गोत्रप्रवर्तकस्य मे ।। 24 ।।

मय्यपि even in me ते your स्मृतिः thought हन्त alas राम! Rama कौशिकबोधित! One who was awakened or taught by Kaushika कथं how स्यात् is it तद्धि it is  कारुण्यात् due to the grace गोत्रप्रवर्तकस्य gotra pravartaka मे my

Rama! The one who was awakened (and/or taught by Kaushika /Viswamitra)! How is it that you come in my thoughts? Alas! It could be the grace of my gotra pravartaka (Kaushika)! It was Viswamitra who first sang the famous Suprabhatam 'Kausalya supraja Rama purva sandhya pravartate'......

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This is like teasing Rama to come in my thoughts!

कृपया भ्रम हे राम! मनसि मे तमोवने ।

काननगमनं हन्त सुपरिचितमेव ते ।। 25 ।।

कृपया please भ्रम wander हे O! राम! Rama! मनसि in mind मे my तमोवने dark forest काननगमनं wandering in the forestहन्त alas! सुपरिचितम् is familiar एव only ते to you!?

Rama! Please wander in my mind, a dark forest. Alas! is not wandering in the forests something familiar to you!? Why hesitating?

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Koorattalvan, a great preceptor in the lineage of Srivaishnavas, was more than a disciple to Ramanuja. He was a poet par excellence. I have heard that one of his works is atimanushastava in which he questions the Lord on his seemingly inconsistent behaviour while he assumed avatars to protect his devotees. I am yet to study the work though! Here is a feeble attempt on the lines of the above work!

To find and kill Ravana, Rama sought Sugriva's refuge, who himself was helpless as he was banished by his powerful brother.

किं कपिमगतिं याति शार्दूलस्स्वारिमारणे ।

नरशार्दूल! ते नूनमतिमानुष्यनाटकम् ।। 26 ।।

किं will कपिम् a monkey अगतिं helpless याति attain शार्दूलः a tiger स्वारि one's own enemy मारणे in killing नरशार्दूल best of men! ते yours नूनम् indeed अतिमानुष्यनाटकम् over acting (as a man)!

O Rama! The best of men! Will a tiger seek refuge under a helpless monkey to kill his enemy? Yours (taking refuge under Sugriva) is indeed overacting! Koncham over acting pannittiye!

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This is an attempt to compare Rama to a tree! Idea taken from Ramayana itself. Tara, wife of Vaali, tells him about Rama as a tree which is resorted to by munis (just as how birds would)

द्विजानां च कपीनां च हरिण्या भोगिनस्सदा ।

बभूव पादपो यो वै वन्दे तं शरणालयम् ।। 27 ।।

द्विजानां of birds (sages) च and (for others also) कपीनां of monkeys च and (of others also) हरिण्याः of a deer (Sita's) भोगिनः of a Snake (Lakshmana's) सदा always बभूव became पादपः tree यः who वै indeed वन्दे salute तं him शरणालयम् sanctuary, an abode of refuge..

I salute that tree, (Rama), a sanctuary, which was indeed a refuge to birds (sages), monkeys (Hanuman, Sugriva and others), deer (Sita) and Snake (Lakshmana)!

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Playing with the word पञ्च - will look like a riddle in first read. ☺

नरपञ्चाननो भूत्वा द्विपञ्चाननराक्षसम् ।

पञ्चत्वं प्रेष्य चक्रे सः पञ्चाननां निजप्रियाम् ।। 28 ।।

पञ्चानन means a Lion नरपञ्चानन means Lion among men, Rama he is भूत्वा after becoming द्विपञ्च means ten आनन means head So द्विपञ्चानन means Ravana पञ्चत्वं means death प्रेष्य having sent चक्रे made सः He पञ्च means fully expanded விரிந்த पञ्चानना a lady with a bright face, completely relieved and happy निजप्रिया one's own dear, Sita she is...

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पुरावतारे तव शान्तराम! गुणैर्हि दास्यं समुपागतो यः ।

गुणैकदेशस्य च तस्य दासः कुरुष्व मां शान्ततमं भजे त्वाम् ।। 29 ।।

Serene Rama! (Srirama; Parashurama and Balarama are rosha Ramas ☺) during your incarnation, someone chose to be your dAsa as he was captivated by your gunas (Lakshmana, pl see the end). Iam a dAsa of one of his gunas, (namely anger!), please make me the most peaceful person. I salute you. ☺

In Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, in the Kishkindha kanda, Lakshmana tells Hanuman why they came to the forest. This is when he says the following:

अहमस्यावरो भ्राता गुणैर्दास्यमुपागतः । 4-4-12.

Kind of used the very same words, tweaking a bit. ☺

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कर्मवृक्षस्य मे राम! तिक्तफलानि खादति ।

मयि ते स्मरणं नित्यं वर्धय मधुरं रसम् ।। 30 ।।

Rama! Even as I am reaping the bitter fruits of my karma, kindly grow the sweet rasas of your memories.