Rama
Vibhakti Krtis - Part III
3. rAmacandreNa – mAnji
R.Ravi Chander
| This
kriti employs the third vibhakti & its pallavi is very significant. On
a close comparison of the pallavis of the first kriti & this one, two
important facts emerge: ‘shrI rAmacandro rakshatu mAm – Let lord Rama protect me’ ‘sIta – rAmacandreNa samrakshitoham – I am well protected by Sitarama’ Mark the difference in the words: ‘rAmacandra – sIta rAmacandra’ & ‘rakshatu – samrakshita. In other words, the prayer was to just ‘Rama’ but the blessing came from ‘Sitarama’.This is but an echo of the age old belief that any devata’s anugraha comes from his consort – the mother goddess only.Thus, shiva blesses through parvati,Vishnu through Lakshmi.Dikshitar prayed for ‘rakshanam-protection’ but in answer came ‘samrakshanam-good/complete protection’. Here Dikshitar signifies that what we receive through God’s grace is more than what we pray for. This shows Rama’s 'soulabhya'. Moving on to the anupallavi,‘ramA bhAratI gaurI ramaNa svarUpeNa’ ‘By he who is in the form of the lords of Lakshmi,Saraswati & Parvati..ie,trimurti svarupa’. The vedic concept of ‘eko deva:’ is stressed here. It is pertinent to quote the Mahakavi here : ‘ekaiva mUrtir bibhide tridhA sA – that was but one god that split into three forms’[Kumara sambhavam]. Apart from this Rama is regarded as not just an avatara of Vishnu but as the parabrahma itself by Rama bhaktas. This is also hinted by Dikshitar by this anupallavi. Now, the caraNa, Dishitar starts off by describing the physical beauty of sri Rama.‘handsome like a crore manmathas’ , ‘ having an attractive neck’ , ‘having tender dark skin’.‘shyAma’ means one who is dark skinned. But wherever it is used the word – whether on rAma (as in here) or Krishna or ambal(shyAmala), it is always used it as a positive attribute – as is the ancient Indian custom.Rama was shyama as well as sundara. Let us take back our broad mindedness which we have lost with time.The first three phrases describe Rama’s beauty & tenderness. But this should not lead one to think that he was a delicate prince who never went out of his palace. So immediately he adds ‘kodaNda rAmeNa - By the kodanda wielding rama’.The Lord may be komala shyama but he certainly is also kodanda rama. Our vaggeyakara now becomes personal and sings ‘mAmaka hRdayasthitena – By He who is seated in my heart’. This indicates that Dikshitar already realized the god within him – and how did it feel ? ‘mAruti gItAmRtena’ – like amRta – the nectar of immortality’.RAma is the amRta whose praise was sung by Hanuman. Thus these two phrases must be read together : ‘I am well protected by : The amRta – immortal Atma, seated in my heart & praised by Hanuman’. [amRta meaning the destruction less Atma].This is nothing but the dahara vidyA of advaita vedanta. Next comes the usual hallmark of his kritis,the raga mudra: ‘mAnjIra maNi maNdita mad guruguha mAnitena’ ‘By he who is decked by tinkling anklets & who is held in esteem by my guru – guha’ [manjIra is extended as mAnjIra as a poetic license]. Why the mention of the anklet? Any devotee must ultimately surrender to the feet of the lord & there Dikshitar saw the anklets & hence the reference.‘mad guru guha mAnita’. Here Dikshitar stresses that Lord Guha is his guru. Perhaps we can take it as an internal evidence for the Tiruttani episode whence he burstforth into his first kriti due to Guha’s blessing. May that Sitaramachandra – who well protected dikshitar & who is held in esteem by Lord Skanda, protect us too. |
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