GS 18 : PARIHRUTHA NIKILA NARAPATHI VARANA JANAKDHUHITRU KUCHATATA VIHARANA SAMUCHITA KARATALA! JAYA! JAYA!
Here Swami Desikan salutes the unique valor that, Sri Ramachandra displayed at the Svayamvaram to, win the hand and heart of Sita Piratti. Since none of, the assembled kings other than Sri Ramachandra, were able to string the Siva Dhanus, Sita Devi had to reject, (happily) their wishes to marry her. O Sri Rama! You bent, and broke that mighty bow and qualified yourself to engage, in amorous and conjugal sports with your bride.
GS 19 : SATHA KOTI SATHA GUNA KATINA PARASUDHARA MUNIVARA KARA DHRUTHA DHURAVANAMATHAMA NIJA DHANURAAKARSHANA PRAKAASITHA PAARAMESHTYA! JAYA! JAYA!
Parasurama was the possessor of a mighty axe that was stronger than the Vajra weapon of Indra by a hundred fold. He used that to settle his dispute with the Kshatriyas for the injustice done by the sons of one Kshatriya king by the name of Kaarthaveeryan. Parasurama used his axe as the battle weapon tocut asunder twent one generations of Kshatriyas and made the earth devoid of Kshatriyas (AKSHATRAAMIHA SAMTATAKSHA YA IMAAM TRI: SAPTHA KRUTHVA : KSHITHIM).
Parasurama was a proud and angry sage. He had in his possession a bow which had Vishnu Amsam. It was very powerful bow. No one could string it except Parasurama. When Parasurama heard about the feat of Sri Ramachandra in breaking the Siva Dhanus at King Janaka’s court, he shrugged it off as a simple act compared to stringing the Vishnu Dhanus he had. When Sri Rama was returning to Ayodhya with His family after wedding Sita Devi, Parasurama confronted Sri Rama and challenged Him to prove His valor by stringing the Vishnu Dhanus and fitting it with anarrow. King Dasaratha pleaded for the safety of his “juvenile ” son from the anger of Parasurama. Turning a deaf ear to the entreaty of the worried father, Parasurama reminded Sri Rama that it is the noble duty of a Kshatriya to accept the challenge of a warrior (himself here)to a duel in a righteous cause. Parasurama pointed out that Sri Ramacan qualify himself for such a duel only after stringing the bow of Vishnuand fitting it with an arrow. Sri Rama was indignant over the arroganceof the Brahmin and took the bow from the hands of Parasuramaand quickly strung it and fitted it with an arrow. Then, He asked the Brahmin as to where the arrow should be aimed since it was unfailing once it was made ready to discharge. Parasurama was humbled and recognized then that Sri Rama is none other than Lord Vishnu. He appealed to Sri Rama to put an end to his title as one who can move in an unhampered manner over all the worlds that he won through his severe asceticism. Sri Rama discharged the arrow to remove the title of Parasurama and let him retire to Mount Mahendra to resume his penance. Parasurama walked clockwise around Sri Rama and went on his way (Valmiki Ramayanam Sargams 25 and 26 of Bala Khaandam).
Swami Desikan salutes here the Paarameshtyam (the supremeglory of Sri Rama showing his Lordship over all including the strutting Parasurama as Paramaathmaa. Swami says that the prince of Ayodhya on the occasion of subduing the arrogance of Parasurama revealed his svarupam as the Paramaathmaa to the entire world. Sri Rama as Sriman Narayana pulled away the divine power that He had invested earlier in Parasurama and reminded him that latter was not a sampoorna Avathara of Him.
In the next Gadhya salutation, Swami Desikan’s mind is still occupied with Parasurama and the Extraordinary Valor of Sri Ramachandra in subduing the arrogance of Parasurama. Swami provides a frame of reference to understand the valor of Parasurama first and then goes on describe the mighty arrow ofSri Ramachandra put Parasurama in place.
GS 20 : KRATHUHARA SIKARI KANTHUKA VIHRUTHYUNMUKHA JITAHARI DHANTHI DHANTHA DHANDHURA DASAVADHANA DHAMANA KUSALA DASA SATHA BHUJA MUKHA NRUPATHIKULA RUDHIRA JARA BHARITHA PRUTHUTARA TATAAKA TARPITHA PITHRUKA BRGHUPATHI SUGADHI VIHATHIKARA NATHA PARIDHISHU PARIDHA! JAYA! JAYA!
Swami Deikan’s mind is still admiring the valor and kaarunyam ofSri Rama in dealing with the arrogant outburst of Parasurama. Hence,he devotes one more (this ) gadhya salutation to Parasurama Garva Bhangam. In this salutation which its musical echos (Dahnthi Dantha Danthura Dasavadana Dhaman—), Swami gives an introdction to Parasurama’s valor first. Parasurama destroyed the vamsam of the mighty king Kaarthaveeryan, who at one time defeated the powerful Ravana in battle. Ravana’s valor in the battle was well known. Once he lifted kailasa mountain and shook it. Another time, he humiliated Indra in the battle field and as a souvenir of that battle carried the wounds inflicted by the tusks of Indra’s elephant, Iraavadham. The king of Lanka, Ravana of such valor was defeated soundly by Karhtaveeryarjunan. When the thousand handed Karthaveeryarjunan killed the father of Parasurama, later killed not only the offending king, but he destroyed twenty one levels of descendants of Karthaveeryarjunan in revenge. Parasurams performed Tarpanam for his father from the vast pond of blood of those Kshatriyas and settled the account. Such was the valor of Parasurama. Sri Ramachandra accepted the challenge of Parasurama and humbled him with his arrow from fitted to the Vishnu Dhanus. As a result of this extraordinary and matchless valor displayed by Ramachandra, Parasurama lost acces to the Punya Lokas that he had earned earlier through his severe asceticism. Ramachandra’s broad arrow resembling the lock for a door put an end to the Sugathi or auspicious future of Parasurama. Thus Sri Ramachandra’s valor surpassed that of Ravana, his foe Karthaveerya and his tormentor Parasurama unambigously.
(To be continued…)
