Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sundarakanda Prasasthi

Sundarakanda:
Valmiki has named chapters(kandas) in Ramayana so as to depict the content clearly.
Bala Kanda -- tells abt Rama's childhood
Ayodya Kanda -- Life in Ayodhya
Aranya Kanda -- Rama's life in Aranya
Kishkinda Kanda -- Life in Kishkinda
Yudda Kanda -- Rama's war with Ravana
But Sundara Kanda -- ??? Doesnot clearly tell what it contains.

Sundara Kanda is one such chapter that does not clearly tell what is there in the chapter by looking at the name. In fact it appears to be a cryptic name with some rahasya in it. Sundara Kanda is terated as one of the powerful chapters and is read by devotees. It has so many slokas which are treated as mantras themselves. Mantra is a sloka which generates power by recital.

Hanuma
Hero of the chapter is Hanuman. Scene at the beginning of the chapter is
Sita -- in sad state in asoka vana
Rama -- in sad state in kishkinda
Vanaras -- in sad state near beach unable to cross the sea.
Ravana -- in happy state with possession of Sita

At the end of chapter
Sita -- in happy state anticipating Rama's arrival
Rama -- in happy state knowing whereabouts of Sita
Vanaras -- in happy state for discovering sita
Ravana -- in sad state with lanka half destroyed and death of Son Akshaya

Hanuma is the responsible for this transformation. Even today he is considered as the one who brings prosperity to good people and trouble to bad.

Viswanatha started his sundara kanda in Ramayana Kalpavriksha as

Entavadu kavalenippudu yatpratibha vishistudi
Antavadini nenagugunippudu tatpratibha vishistudani

It shows the confidence and the confidence that is given by a medicine called Rama Bhakti. So whats Sundaram in Sundara Kanda?

sundare sundaro ramah sundare sundari katha
sundare sundari sita sundare sundaram vanam,
sundare sundaram kavyam sundare sundarah kapih
sundare sundaram mantram sundare kim na sundaram.

1) Rama is sundara. Pumsam Mohana Rupaya --> meaning even men would fall in love with him.
2) Katha is Sundara. Ramayana is still being received with awe for its beauty of story. It is dharma shastra illustrated
3) Sita is sundari. It is the reason why Ravan kidnapped her away.
4) Vanam is Sundaram. Asoka vanam has become resourceful once sorrow of Sita is taken away by Hanuma
5) Kavyam is sundaram. Ramayana is still being received with awe for its beauty of narration. For example Ayodhya Kanda starts with word Gachchatam --> meaning move. It is a symbolism Valmiki uses to depict something is going to move. By the end of Ayodhya Kanda, Rama/Sita/Lakshmana move to forest. Dasaradha moves to swarga loka. Bharata movs to Nandigrama. Even throne of Ayodhya moves to Nadigrama. This is the skill of valmiki illustrated in Ramayana
6) Kapih is Sundara. Most temples show hanuman as red colour idol but in reality Hanuma is yellowish colour and very sundara. He is Navavyakarana Pandita and is an illustration how and when to speak.
7) Mantram is Sundaram. Rama nama is mantra that is althrough in Lanka. You may be surprised but every rakshasha wants to get reward by killing Rama.Even through hate they are reciting Rama mantra. Everytime there is a crisis Hanuma recites Rama nama and gets rid of problem in sundara kanda. So what is not sundaram in Sundara kanda??

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