Sundara Kaanda Ramayana (Sri Vidyadeesha Theertha Swami, Palimar Math)

 Sundara kaanda Raamaayana

By

Shri Shri Shri Vidyadeesha Theertha Swaamiji, Palimar Math

Original name :- Shri Ramesh Thanthri

 

Shri Vidyadeesha Theertha Swaamiji has spent 48 days in mouna vrutha in Badari.  During his paryaya he offered vajra kavacha to Lord Krishna in Udipi.  He has also offered for the first time one crore thulasi to Lord Krishna.  He had also introduced mid-day meal in all schools for poor students in Dakshina Kannada.

 

Sundera kaanda is the 5^th kaanda in Raamaayana.  Baala kaanda is the first one.  Ayodhya kaanda is the 2^nd one.  Aranya kaanda is the 3^rd and  Kishkinda kaanda is the 4^th one.

 

In Baala khanda, the description of childhood of Rama is very limited. Instead Rama’s strength is (bala) described.  The one who has bala is called baala.  “Baalanam rodanam balam”.  In Baala kaanda, Rama’s killing of Thaataki,   Maricha and Subahu, giving of life to stone is described.   By seeing Rama, shila baalike Ahalya gets life.  Because of Gouthama’s curse, Ahalya had become shila baalike.  Ahalya was a devotee of Rama.  Because of her devotion she gets back her life.  Rama reunites Gauthama and Ahalya.   In Mithila city, when Rama agreed to accept Vishwamitra as his Guru (Teacher), Rama made Vishwamitra the Guru of the whole universe (Gayathri japa).   This is the bala (strength) of Rama.  The result of reunion of Gauthama and Ahalya culminates in Rama’s swayamvara.  Rama breaks the Shiva dhanus.  Then Sita tries to garland Rama.  But Rama refuses as he was not given permission by Vishwamitra his Guru.  God is nithya thruptha.  He does not anticipate anything.  Dasharatha wanted to arrange Rama’s marriage.  This was accomplished by Vishwamitra.  Parusharama appears at that time and asks Dasharathatha to deliver Rama to him.  Parusharama gives Vishnu Dhanus to Rama and asks Rama to string the dhanush.  Afterwards, Parusharama asks Rama to direct the arrow towards him to destroy Athula (giant) who was hiding inside him.  Both Rama and parusharama are same.  Ayodhya is a place where no war had taken place.  Rama informs his mother Kausalya that he is leaving for the forest as per the order of Kaikayee.  When Rama went, Sita and Lakshmana also followed Rama.  Bhartha came to the forest with his followers.  Bharatha, by placing Rama’s paadike on the throne, performed his duty.  All these signify there was no quarrel of any sort in Ayodhya when Kaike wanted Rama to go to the forest and wanted her son Bharatha to become Prince. 

 

Aranya kaanda: - Aranya kaanda means giving protection. Shabari and Shathibanghe were waiting for Rama’s darshan.  Shabari had believed that Rama will come one day.  Mathanga Rishi had told her that Rama will come and bless her. Shathibange was sleeping on the grass sticks (hullu kaddi).  By his mano yoga he creates fire (Agni) and offers himself to Rama.  Rama comes to forest to protect yagna karya of Rishis.  Rama puts Maricha into the sea and kills Subahu.  From Aranya, Rama comes to Kishkind to protect Sugreeva.  Hanuman brings Rama to Kishkind.  Vali had abducted and violated with Sugreeva’s wife.  Hanuman asks Sugreeva to surrender to Rama to get back his wife.  Rama helps Sugreeva to get back his wife by killing Vali.  Vali thinks himself a very lucky to get killed by Bhagavantha.

 

Sundera kaanda: - “Nashta Dhryuvathye labehi”

After disappearing the appearance of a thing is called Sundara.  Sunder means Bhagvathe.  A handful of rice must be offered to birds every day.  To appease Bhagavathe rice is distributed to birds and dogs.  Hanuman is a very handsome person.  Hence he was selected as the leader by monkeys (kapis).  Near Pampa Theertha, Hanuman meets Rama.  Rama describes Hanuman as the daivee shareer of 32 lakshanas.  Rama does’nt finds any doshas in Hanuman.  Hanu means ‘All-knowing’ or jnana sampada.  When Hanuman sees Rama, he folds both his hands and does namaskara.  This means that before making any sankalpa, one must get approval of God first.  The real namaskara is the joint of the five fingers of both the hands. i.e. the five jnanendriyas and five karmendriyes. In namaskara the most important aspect is the mind.  The duty of Hanuman is to break the boons given to daithyas by Brahma and Rudra. We always do namaskara to elders.  We must do namaskara to Sun (Surya).  Bhagavantha has given bright illumination to Sun.  Rama came from Surya vamsha.  Indra padavi is also given by Paramathma.  Bhagavantha lives in all the jevarashi.  Now we are in seventh samvathsara.  Swayam means living independently without depending on anybody.

 

Before flying, Hanuman pressed the ground (bhoomi) strongly with both his feet.  All the trees started shaking, the flowers and fruits fell down on the mountains, water stream fountains and sprouts from the ground start coming, fire started coming out Sarpas, drunkards in the caves lost their balance, utensils fell down by making big noises.  Spiritually all these signify that the sound came from the ground was the invitation for Devathes (Angels) to come; the flowers and fruits were offerings for Rama, the fire from Sarpas are mangalarathi to Rama, the dropping of plates and utensils are Gante nada.  After offering prayer, Hanuman flew over the sky.

Hanuman Devaru pressed the Mahendra Parvatha strongly.  (If one has to progress, one has to pull the leg of the other). (Seetha is named for the word Seeratha Jatha by taking the first and the last letter).  When he was flying in the sky a golden mountain came out from the sea and appeared before Hanuman.  When one wants to do good deed, it is always good if obstacles come in between.  For all good deeds thousands of obstacles or disturbances appear.  One has to overcome all these obstacles by hard determination.  The stumbling block comes in the form of mud, woman and gold. In the olden days mountains had wings.  Devendra had cut the wings of all mountains as they were disturbing the yoga kriye of Rishis.  At that time this Hymagiri golden mountain surrendered to Vayu Devaru.  Vayu Devaru had dropped this Golden Mountain in the Samudra (Sea).  Hymagiri requested Vayu Devaru to take rest for sometime and offered fruits to Vayu Devaru.  But Vayu Devaru did not take any offer.   Rest is required for one who is tired.  But the wind is tire-less.  Vayu Devaru will be awake even when we are asleep.  Devathes sends Naga mathe to obstruct Hanuman.  She challenges Hanuman to go into her mouth and come out from her mouth. She opens her mouth to eat Hanuman.  Realizing this obstacle, Hanuman goes on increasing his stature as she widens her mouth.  AS his size was more than the size of her mouth, both goes on increasing their sizes.  At one stage Hanuman becomes very small, goes inside and comes outside before she closes her mouth.  Devathes pours flowers on Hanuman.  There is no cooperation between tongue and stomach.   If one overcomes the desire of tongue one can win the whole world.  While flying Hanuman come across the place of Simhike who had the power of consuming the shadow of the flying object by dragging them. Simhike dragged Hanuman’s shadow.  (This is the habit of man).  By putting black mark on the paper people pull down generally.  This is the habit of man.  Then one should surrender to Vayu Devaru to get rid of such problem.  When Simhike pulled Hanuman, he grew to hundred yojane and came out from her stomach by killing her.  (Kantakan kantakaenaiva – Krishna).  Vayu Devaru reached Lanke and landed on the highest mountain.  He assumed Bidara (cat) roopa. (Dog’s ears and cat’s eyes are very sharp).  The rat seals food and cat catches the rat.  Here the rat is Ravana and the cat is Hanuman.  When cat walks it does not make any sound.  Hanuman entered Lanka in the form of Bidara by putting the left foot first.  Ravana is the enemy of Rama.  Hence Hanuman entered Lanka by placing the left foot first.  Hanuman was surprised to see he people immersed in Veda parayana, homa, japa, thapa all over the place.  (This is what we must learn from Atheists).  He entered inside Lanka when all were sleeping.  He reached Ravana’s palace.  He saw a beautiful woman sleeping with Ravana.  At first he became glad thinking that it was Seetha.  He became very happy and jumped all round the place and put his tail into his mouth as a gesture of happiness.  But after thinking deeply he comes to the conclusion that it cannot be Seetha.  Then he decides to search for Seetha in the congregation of women.  His mind becomes disturbed as he comes across women sleeping in different statures.  For bad deeds and good deed it is the mind which is most important.  In this drama, Rama and Seetha are actors.  Even though Seetha had gone to Kailasa, she had not made any statement.  The observers were Devathes, Rishis, and Dhythyas in the Akasha. 

Hanuman happens to see a big forest with Ashoka vruksha.  In the middle, he sees a golden vruksha. (Kedige flower is very dear to Lord).  Rose is protected with thorns.  The golden vruksha was surrounded by thorns.  Ravan had kept Seetha there.   Hanuman saw a river flowing with pure water.  He saw Seetha sitting under a Banyan vruksha.  Seetha was surrounded by Rakshasis.  In the mid-night Ravana came with anthahpura sthrees.  He implores Seetha to come with him.  Seetha placed a grass stick (hullu kaddi) in front of her and told Ravana that if he crosses that it will become Brahmaasthra.  Seetha had spent 10 months in Ashoka vana. This was her 11^th month.  Ravana warns Seetha that only 2 months remained for her to accept him.  After warning seethe Ravan goes away. A Rakshasi by name Thrijede tells Seetha that she had a dream, and in the dream she saw Rama sitting on white elephant and Seetha sitting by his side and Ravana falling and crying.  Seetha became very happy by listening to this and thought that this is a good omen.  At that time Hanuman started chanting Rama japa loudly.  Seetha raises her head and see the Kapi (monkey).  The Monkey climbed down the tree and Seetha got a doubt and thought that Ravan might have come to her in this disguise.  Then Hanuman introduces himself as a messenger sent by Rama.  To clarify the doubt, Seetha asks Hanuman to explain Rama’s features.  Hanuman describes Rama’s personality.  He says that Rama is 7’ tall with wide shoulders and when he is measured with his foot length his body length equals to seven feet (saptha padaha).  Seetha was satisfied with this description. When Seetha gets a doubt about his identity, he gives her the ring containing Rama mudra.  Hanuman asks Seetha to sit on his shoulder.  Seetha tells him that it is dangerous to go like that and if she slips and falls down to the ocean then Rama lose her.  She says Hanuman to bring Rama to her place.  Hanuman asks for some identity to be shown to Rama for having seen her.  Seetha gives her choodamani.  Hanuman bids good bye to Seetha after collecting Choodamani.  To alert Ravan, Hanuman starts destroying trees and jumps from one branch to another branch of the trees. Ravan sends Ashithi crores of soldiers to catch Hanuman. (Ashihti = eighty).  Hanuman was weaponless.  He destroys all of them from his bare hands   Then Ravan sends his son Akshakumar. Hanuman by pretending to surrender to him lifts him up by holding his feet and by rotating him over his head drops him dead.  Ravan sends his son Indrajith.  When mud balls are thrown on stones or when stones are thrown on mud balls, it is the mud balls which get destroyed.  Indrajith’s weapons were all destroyed by Hanuman.  At the end Indrajith uses Brahma asthra.  Then Vayu Devaru becomes still. Thinking that as he is occupying Brahma’s post next.  Hence he surrenders himself.  Rakshas tie up him with rope.  But the Brahmaasthra of Indrajith goes back to him.  This makes Inrajith very sad.  Rakshas take a great procession of Vayu Devaru and keeps him in front of Ravana.  The conversation between Ravana and Vayu Devaru takes place. 

Ravana: - Hey, Monkey, who are you?  From where have you come?

Vayu Devaru: - Hey Ravan, have you taken a bath?

Ravan: - Daily I take bath.  What is your name?

Vayu Devaru: - Have you really taken bath?

Ravan answers that he has taken bath in the river.  Then Vayu Devaru asks whether Ravan remember taking bath in Narmada River.  Ravan remembers that.  When he wanted to take bath 9n the Narmada River, another man with 1,000 hands stood in the river and stopped the water from flowing out.  His name was Kaarthi Veera Arjuna.  Kaarthiveera Arjuna holds the hands of Ravan.  Then Vayu Devaru asks who killed Karthiveera Arjuna?  Ravan answers that Parusharama killed Kaarthiveera Arjuna.  Vayu Devaru asks who killed Parusharama.  Ravan answers that Rama killed Parusharama.  Then Anjeneya says that he is the devotee of that Rama.  Vayu Devaru introduced like this in presence of the enemy of Rama.  Then Vayu Devaru asks Ravan whether he remembers when he went for Sandyavandane, Vali took him under his arms and puts him in the cradle.  That Vali was killed by Rama and he is the messenger of Rama.  Vayu Devaru also tells him that when he went to Seetha’s svayamvara and the one who won the svayamvara was his leader.  He also tells him that he did not win the svayamvara, but he has stolen his wife and he is his messenger.   Ravan asks Hanuman why he destroyed the trees and Rakshas. Vayu Devaru replies that he is a vegetarian and his character is to fly and do not walk on land.  His nature is to fly from branch to branch of the trees  While doing that all your destroyed, because your trees are weak, they got destroyed.  I have not done anything.  I did not kill any Rakshas.  They threw their weapons and it bounced back from my hand and they got killed themselves. Hanuman tells Ravan that he has done a wrong thing in stealing Seetha from Rama and advises him to give back Seetha to Rama.    This makes Ravan very angry.  Vidhura advises Ravan that he should not kill a messenger.  He advises him to shave his head and send him back. Ravan puts fire into Hanuman’s tail.  Vayu is wind.  When wind and fire join together what happens?  Vayu grows in stature and jumps to the sky which resulted in burning of all the houses when he stepped on the houses.  (Alanke means contentment in life.  Lanke means no self contentment.)  Vayu Devaru gives warning to Ravan by this act.  If one kapi has so much power, what would be the power if all the Kapis join together?  Vayu Devaru comes back and makes pranams to Rama.  He puts Choodamani at the feet of Rama.  Rama embraces and gives himself to Vayu Devaru.

Compiled by : - J. Sudhindra Simha, Bangalore