Personality of Rama -

ஸர்வதா அபிகத சத்பி சமுத்திர இவ ஸிந்துபி ஆர்யா சர்வ சமஷ்ச்சைவ சதய்வ ப்ரியதர்ஷின

Just as rivers eventually flow into the sea, all the learned people in Ayodhya were eager to converse with Rama on topics of higher learning.

1

Rama passing through Ayodhya streets - Ayodhya Kandam

King Dasaradha confers with his ministers and people to come to a conclusion that Rama can be crowned a prince. He then requests his minister Sumantra to fetch Rama to inform about the decision. 1

Rama is described as someone with broad shoulders, long hands adorned in pitAmBaram (including anGavastram) that is contrasting to hue coloured complexion and a tilak on His forehead.

The following sloka talks about that instance when He passed through Ayodhya street and how 2

people fell in love with Him.

Gandarva rAja pratimam lOke vikyAta pauruSam
dhIrGaBahUm mahAsattvam matta mAdhanGa gAminam
chandra kAntAnanaM rAmam aThIva priyadarSanam
rUpam aUdArya gunaiH pumsAm DriSti cita aparAhinAm

People from different background, from different 3

genders observed Rama. As each individual has unique characteristic, he/she associated them with Rama.

Gandarva rAja pratimam - Chitrarathan was a Gandarva king and considered to be handsome. The ladies on the streets of Ayodhya observed that the Gandarva was no match to 4

Rama’s beauty.

lOke vikyAta pauruSam - young men of Ayodhya knew that Rama did a dhanur banga (Siva Dhanusu/bow) and marvelled at the strong shoulders of Bhagawan.

dhIrGaBahUm mahAsattvam matta mAdhanGa gAminam -

mahAsattvam - majestic in appearance 5

Srimad Ramayanam - jnAnam through guru katAkSam

Sabhari mOkSam is an episode in Aranya Kandam which is considered to be mOkSa kAndam.

In my earlier article, I had written about the importance of guru that gets highlighted through the interaction between Bhagawan and Sabhari. 1

Let us look at what that guru katAkSam will do.

Sabhari was a vagabond, who by chance stumbled onto Rishi Mathanga. He found that she’s a clean soul and worthy of being given tAraka brahmam and offered that to her.

Sabhari enquired as to what the name meant. 2

An ideal guru is someone who gives Narayana, and so with Rishi Mathanga being one, he said that the meaning of that name (tAraka brahmam) will find its way to her abode.

When Rama and Lakshmana visited Sabhari’s abode, the former enquired about the progress of her penance 3

and if it materialised.

Sabhari’s jnAnam was complete with Rishi Mathanga’s katAkSam and this reflected in her response to Rama.

She answered intelligently -

aDyaprAptA tapa siDDiH tava sanDarSanAn maya
aDyamE sapalam janma taptam GuruvaSca supUjitA: 4

அத்ய ப்ராப்தா தப சித்திஹி தவ சந்தர்ஷனான் மயா
அத்ய மே சபலம் ஜன்ம தப்தம் குருவஷச்ச ஸுபூஜித:

My tapas materialised upon seeing you. This happened due to guru katAkSam and my sEvA to him who predicted this event in advance.

She further added boldly 5

Rama’s concern on wellbeing of His bhaktas (bhakta aBimAnI)

Once a jIvAtmA does saranagati, Bhagawan takes immense efforts keeps uplifting them until it reaches Him.

Ramayanam consists of guNAs of Rama and Sita that will make the reader get overwhelmed with emotions towards1

Him thereby building Bhakti.

Yesterday, I wrote about how He gave aBaya to Vibishana without questioning.

This is an instance where He cares for their wellbeing.

Rama and his team of vAnarAs have reached Lanka and are in discussions. Similarly, Ravana and his ministers 2

are inspecting their opponents and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.

Upon seeing Ravana, Sugriva who has become a devout bhakta of Rama, cannot bear the sight of someone who has kidnapped Sita causing immense anguish to his swami (Rama). 3

He leaps in the sky, reaches Ravana and wrestles with him fiercely, causing immense embarrassment in front of his ministers, grabs his crown and places it at Rama’s feet.

Meanwhile, Rama became so concerned as He couldn’t find Sugriva and becomes happy once he’s back.4

இதானீம் மா க்ருதா வீர ஏவம் வித மச்சிந்தித்தம்
த்வயி கிஞ்சித் சமா பன்னே கிம் கார்யம் சீதையா மம

பரதேன மஹா பாக லக்ஷ்மனென யவீயசா
க்ஷத்ருக்னேன ச க்ஷத்ருக்ன ஸ்வஷரீரேன வ புன:

Rama is known for speaking what He really thinks, and doing what He speaks. He never ever makes an 5

Srimad Ramayanam - thAyar greeting rAvanA, different meanings of a single slokA

Vedas are considered apauruSEyam, not made by humans, and therefore cannot be interpreted in any manner. The vEdanta sUtra bASyam has been done by Sri Adi Sankara, Swami Ramanuja and Sri Madhwa 1

On the other hand, itihAsAs and purunAs are made by riSis, but the greatness is that they wrote without diluting the meaning of vEdAs (or Upanishads).

There is lot in them that are dependent on bhakti, which is subjected to bhAvam (or experience). AcAryAs have relished these 2

experiences in Srimad Ramayanam, and one such instance is in Sundara Kandam where thAyAr greets rAvanA when she visits her and places a grass between her and him. She also smiles at his arrogance

The slokA is

तृणमन्तरतः कृत्वा प्रत्युवाच शुचिस्मिता
3

There are bursts of bhAvam for one such slokA.

1) Thayar is used to wearing a veil (gOSA niyamanam) and, hence placed a grass between them.

2) When a person comes to see another person in their place, it’s customary to offer them a seat. As she does not have one, she places
4

grass

3) She’s insinuating that the strength and the valour he displayed is equivalent to that of a grass, meaning nothing.

4) The wealth or the grandeur he displayed pales into insignificance as She was Mahalakshmi, who is the abode of all the wealth in the universe.
5

Srimad Ramayanam - Kausalya's mangalasasanam to Rama

This episode is quite moving.

If Rama displayed courage and resilience in the face of distress through His stoicism and equanimity, Kausalya went a step ahead in being the mom of Rama.

1

She did what a brave mother would do - wished Rama and her mangalasasanam is quite notable.

Specifically, there are 3 that are also recited as mangala slokas upon completion of parayanam.

यन् मन्गलम् सहस्र अक्षे सर्व देव नमः कृते
वृत्र नाशे समभवत् तत् ते भवतु मन्गलम् 2

யன் மங்களம் சஹஸ்ராக்ஷே சர்வதேவ நமஸ்க்ருதே
வ்ருத்ரநாஷே சமபவத் தத்தே பவது மங்களம்

Felicity occurred when the 1000 eyed Indra killed the demon Vriddasura, let that felicity come to you. 3

यन् मन्गलम् सुपर्णस्य विनता अकल्पयत् पुरा
अमृतम् प्रार्थयानस्य तत् ते भवतु मन्गलम्

யன் மங்களம் ஸுபர்ணஸ்ய வினதா கல்பயத்புரா
அம்ருதம் ப்ரார்த்தயநஸ்ய தத்தே பவது மங்களம்

Which blessing was invoked by Vinata to Garuda who was setting off to bring nectar in the past , may that 4

blessing happen to you

अमृतोत्पादने दैत्यान् घ्नतो वज्रधरस्य यत्
अदितिर्मङ्गळम् प्रादात् तत्ते भवतु मङ्गळम्

அம்ருதோத் பாதனே தைத்யானு க்னதோ வஜ்ரதரஸ்ய யத்
அதிதிர் மங்களம் ப்ராதாத் தத்தே பவது மங்களம்

While blessing was bestowed on Devendra, the wielder of the thunderbolt , 5

WEAPONS OF MAHADEV

Sarvaripati Shiva is one of the most fearsome manifestations of Mahadev. Assigned with destroying all of the universes at the end of time, Shiva is one of the most fearsome warriors. He is the Mrityunjaya.
Here are some weapons associated with him:

TRISHULA: the 3 pointed blades denote creation, maintenance, and destruction or the 3 Kalas – Past, Present and Future. They also represent 3 Gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas).
Shiva’s trishul can only be stopped by Shiva himself.
@onlyonenetra @DetheEsha

Trishul is also said to represent Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. These are the three basic nadis – the left, the right and the central – in the pranamaya kosha, or the energy body of the human system.
@iamkamyabuch @unever_followme

PARASHU: axe with 4 cutting edges which Shiva gave to Parashurama. In his anger, Parashurama used the parashu to get rid of the all the Earth’s tyrannical kshatriya caste twenty-one times over.
@harshasherni

CHANDRAHASA SWORD: The divine sword Chandrahasa literally means ‘the laughter of the moon’. Ravana gave this sword to Indrajit on different occasions especially to fight against Devas.
GIRISH: A special sword of Shiva with unique characteristics.

Did you know?
Ahilyabai Holkar was one of India's
greatest women rulers of all time.

Ahilyabai was Born on May 31,1725 in the village of Chondi,Jamkhed distt,Maharashtra to a man named Mankoji Shinde,who was the Patil(Chief) of a village and a member of proud Dhangar Community.

Despite the fact that girls' education was a farther dream in those days, Ahilyabai was homeschooled by her father.
Ahilya didn't belong to any royal family but in a twist of fate she is still remembered as one of the most revered Queen in the history.

While they were living their humdrum lives, one day Malhar Rao Holkar, commander of the Peshwa Bajirao & Lord of the Malwa stopped in Chondi on his way to Pune, where he couldn't help but notice a young 8yrs old Ahilyabai in the temple service feeding the poor & hungry.

He was so impressed by the sheer innocence&beauty with simplicity character of Ahilyabai dat he asked her hand in marriage for his son Khanderao Holkar.Just like that she got married to Khanderao in 1733 at a tender age of 8&became a bride of esteemed Maratha community of Holkars

But destiny had something else in store for her as her husband died in the Battle of Kumbher in 1754 leaving her widow at 29.Distressed Ahilyabai was to commit Sati when her father-in-law Malhar Rao refused to let it happen.

This is Kuinini ‘Nini’ Manumua, the woman who was ultimately displaced by inclusion of Laurel Hubbard.

She’s 21, and it would have been her first Olympics.

@buzz_chronicles @AchuthArora @Artofphysique_ @rattibha Ahoy!

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