[Advaita-l] saMkShepa rAmAyaNa 1 - upodghAta

[Nagarajan Chidambaram]

👌👍🙏

On Mon, Apr 4, 2022 at 11:15 AM Jaldhar H. Vyas via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> After arati, I was talking with my children about various topics and
> the subject of rAma navami coming up arose.  I decided to study rAmAyaNa
> for my benefit and theirs.
>
> the rAmAyaNa is an epic of approximately 24,000 shlokas.  The first 100
> shlokas give a synopsis of the whole work.  This is known as saMkShepa
> rAmAyana and also bAla rAmAyaNa as it is a good introductory text for
> children learning sanskrit.  Over the next 7 days culminating on the
> navami day itself, I intend to post my own translation of these 100
> together with notes.  As usual I welcome feedback and corrections to
> anything I may have got wrong.
>
> This installment will be the first 7 shlokas which form an introduction.
>
> तपःस्वाध्याय निरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् ।
> नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुंगवम् ॥१॥
>
> ”The ascetic valmIki inquired of nArada, preeminent among the sages ever
> engaged in austerities and the study of the Vedas and best among the
> eloquent.” (1)
>
> को न्वस्मिन्सांप्रतं लोके गुणवान्कश्च वीर्यवान् ।
> धर्मज्ञशच कृतज्ञशच सत्यवाक्यो धृढव्रतः ॥२॥
>
> "Who in this world lives today endowed with excellent qualities, prowess,
> knowledge of dharma, gratitude [1], truthfulness and firmness in his
> vows?(2)
>
> [1] who never forgets even the smallest favor done for him by others.
>
> चारित्रेण च को युक्तः सर्व भूतेषु को हितः ।
>   विद्वान्कः कः समर्थश्च कश्चैकप्रियदर्शनः ॥३॥
>
> “Who is that one gifted with good conduct, given to the wellbeing of all
> living creatures, learned in all things that are to be known, capable of
> doing things which others can not do and singularly handsome?”(3)
>
> आत्मवान्को जितक्रोधो द्युतिमान्कोऽनसूयकः ।
>   कस्य बिभ्यति देवाश्च जातरोषस्य संयुगे ॥४॥
>
> “Who (among men) is self-restrained?[1] Who has conquered anger? Who is
> endowed with brilliance and free from envy? Who is that who when excited
> to wrath even the devatAs, are afraid of (let alone foes)?”
>
> [1] Atmavant is an interesting word.  Literally it means “one who has an
> Atma.”  But doesn’t everyone have an Atma?  Yes, but specifically it means
> one who is always abiding in Atman.  The characteristic of such a one is
> they are unswayed by the vagaries of mind and senses.
>
> एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं परं कौतूहलं हि मे ।
>   महर्षे त्वं समर्थोऽसि ज्ञातुमेवंविधं नरम् ॥५॥
>
> “O mahaR^iShi, if such a man exists, you are competant to know.  If so, I
> would like to hear you tell me.  Indeed great is my curiosity”
>
> श्रुत्वा चैतत्त्रिलोकज्ञो वाल्मीकेर्नारदो वचः ।
>   श्रूयतामिति चामंत्र्य प्रहृष्टो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥६॥
>
> “Having heard these words by vAlmIki, nArada, knower of the three
> worlds[1], said with delight "Listen to me." and invited him to take his
> seat. And then he spoke:”
>
> [1] nArada is the son of brahma, mind-born thus purely sAttvika.  As his
> father was preparing to perform creation at the beginning of the
> yuga-chakra, he asked nArada to help.  But he refused, saying “the jIvas
> who will be trapped in saMsAra will suffer birth after birth filled with
> pain and suffering.  Better to concentrate the mind on shrI hari than to
> perform such an act.”  Brahma grew angry and cursed  nArada to wander
> through the worlds beholding creation.  But nArada was pleased.  He said,
> “Actually you have given me a blessing because now I will not be attached
> to any place or person” And he added “But you who spoke through anger will
> as a result not be worshipped any more by men.”  This is why everywhere we
> have mandirs for viShNu and mahAdeva but hardly any for brahma.  It shows
> how even the mightiest will suffer from the ill-effects of desire and
> anger.
>
> बहवो दुर्लभाश्चैव ये त्वया कीर्तिता गुणाः ।
>   मुने वक्ष्ष्याम्यहं बुद्ध्वा तैर्युक्तः श्रूयतां नरः ॥७॥
>
> "Rare indeed are men endowed with the many qualities you have described. O
> sage I shall tell you of one man I have come to know of who fits that
> description. Listen carefully.”
>
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
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