navarasa slokam

[rmurthy]

Hi all,

I would appreciate it if somebody could give me the meaning for the navarasa slokam; here are the lyrics

SringAram kShitinandInI viharaNE
vIram dhanur bhanjanE
KAruNyam bali bhOjanE
adbhuta rasam sindhou giri sthApanE
hAsyam shUrpaNakhA mukhE
bhayam aghE beebhatsam anyAmukhe
Roudram RavaNa mardanE
munijanE shAntam vapuH pAtu naH

I'm also not sure who this slokam was written by. Any information welcome.

Thank you,

Ramakrishnan

[smala]

All the nava rasAs find adequate expression in the Lord's inimitable performance as Sri Rama, as the following sloka, from Sri Rama KarNAmritam, indicates-

"SringAram kshitinandInI viharaNE vIram dhanur bhanjanE

KAruNyam bali bhOjanE adbhuta rasam sindhou giri stthApanE

HAsyam ShoorpanakhA mukhE bhayavahE bheebatsam anyAmukhe

Roudram RavaNa mardanE munijanE shAntam vapu:pAtu na:"

Romance [sringAram] aplenty is on display during Sri Rama's sojourn in the enchanting forest, in the bewitching company of Sri Mythily.
Valour [viram] is demonstrated in the mastering of the Shiva Dhanu.

Compassion/mercy [kAruNyam] is seen .............???
Marvel [adbhuta rasam] is on show when the deep, broad sea is bridged by mere monkeys, with stones and rocks.

Humour [hAsyam] is exhibited in the unseemly Shoorpanaka's improbable advances to Sri Rama being rebuffed and her nose being cut-off.
Fury and rage [roudram] are exhibited in the terrible war fought with Ravana, and Tranquility [shAntam] in displayed in Sri Rama's interaction with the Rishis of DandakAvanam.

Missing a line ? ....for two other qualities of the navarasa :

Sorrow is on display in Rama's laments upon the abduction of Sita, and elation upon His hearing from Tiruvadi that Janaki was alive and well.


~~ Ramanuja.org.

[smala]

Here is the full write-up for the above.


The Matinee Idol
From : sadagopaniyengar


“All the world is a stage” said Shakespeare. How true!

Everybody, when you come to think of it, appears to be a consummate actor- he or she plays any number of roles, as son, daughter, brother, sister, student, father, mother, grandparent, teacher, etc. etc. Additionally, within the same role too, many a time we affect emotions we do not really feel, either out of a desire to please others or for some personal gain. Acting comes naturally to us. It is only to the near and dear that weshow our true faces. There is any number of masks people wear out of necessity or convenience- politeness, kindness, etc.

It would surprise us to learn that the Lord too is an Actor- in fact, His is the longest innings on the stage. Youmust have heard of Agatha Christie’s “The Mouse Trap” being the longest-played drama. Such plays however pale into insignificance, when we compare the Lord’s performance.

“The Lord, an actor!” even if this sounds strange, it is true, and said on good authority.

SwamiDesikan, in Sri DasAvatAra StOtram, highlights the Lord’s histrionic talents-

“DevO na: shubham AtanOtu dasadhA nirvartayan bhoomikAm

RangE dhAmani labdha nirbhara rasai: adhyakshitO bhAvukai:”.



The accomplished actor that He is, the Lord adorns not one but ten roles, totally unlike one another, displaying a kaleidoscope of emotions in each of the avatArAs.



“MeenAi AmayAi miga urukkAL koNdu angOr

kAnAnAr EnanumAi KarkiyAm innum KarvaNNanE” says Sri Nammazhwar , recalling the different roles that Emperuman has enacted with distinction.



The Actors we have come across start as heroes in the prime of their youth, graduate to “father roles” in their middle age, and fade away unremembered and unsung, in their old age. The Divine Actor, however, is ever young (“nitya yuvA”) and is always the Hero. The “Silver Screen” throws up actors, some of whom specialise in comedy, some in character roles, while yet others are “action heroes”, specialising in rabble-raising fights and stunt scenes. Normally, one specialist actor does not and cannot don the role of another- a comedian will be a failure if he tries his hand at serious action, and vice-versa. Any role, however, is suitable for our Hero, who is an accomplished hand at all types of roles.

The roles enacted by the Lord encompass a vast variety-

He has acted as a merciful Prince (“KaruNA KAkutsttha:”), an alms-seeking Pauper (in Vamanavatara), an unlettered cowherd enamoured of milk and butter, a Teacher of divine secrets (as the “GitAchArya”), as a trigger-happy Rishi (in Sri Parasuramavatara), a blood-thirsty avenger (in Sri NrisimhAvatara) etc.

All the nava rasAs find adequate _expression_ in the Lord’s inimitable performance as Sri Rama, as the following sloka from Sri Rama KarNAmritam indicates-

“SringAram kshitinandInI viharaNE vIram dhanur bhanjanE

KAruNyam bali bhOjanE adbhuta rasam sindhou giri stthApanE

HAsyam ShoorpanakhA mukhE bhayavahE bheebatsam anyAmukhe

Roudram RavaNa mardanE munijanE shAntam vapu:pAtu na:”

Romance aplenty is on display during Sri Rama’s sojourn in the enchanting forest, in the bewitching company ofSri Mythily. Valour is demonstrated in the mastering of the Shiva Dhanu:. Marvel is on show when the deep, broad sea is bridged by mere monkeys, with stones and rocks.

Humour is exhibited in the unseemly Shoorpanaka’s improbable advances to Sri Rama being rebuffed and her nose being cut-off. Fury and rage are exhibited in the terrible war fought with Ravana, and Tranquility in Sri Rama’s interaction with the Rishis of DandakAvanam. Sorrow is on display in Rama’s laments upon the abduction of Sita, and elation upon His hearing from Tiruvadi that Janaki was alive and well.

A drama is never complete withouta Heroine. So too, all the Lord’s performances are to the accompanimentof a supporting role from Piratti. Says Swami Desikan,

“ yat bhAvEshu prithak vidhEshu anuguNAn bhAvAn svayam bhibhratI

yat dharmai: iha dharmiNI viharatE nAnA Akruti: nAyikA”

Whatever be the Lord’s role,Piratti assumes a complementary part in the play, so that the Divine Couple are never apart. If He plays the Prince Rama, She is the Princess Mythily. If He is cowherd Krishna, she is Nappinnai of Yadava kulam. So much so, even when the Lord takes the form of a BrahmachAri in Vamanavatara (which does not permit a patnI), Sri Mahalakshmi refuses to leave Her place on the Lord’s chest, and has to be hidden by Him with His deerskin.

The Lord’s memorable role as a “MOhini” (a damsel of bewitching beauty)- for ensuring that the DevAs alone got access to the nectar (Amritam) from the Milky Ocean- would be remembered for ever. Even today, He does look enchanting when he dons a female role, in “NAcchiAr TirukkOlam”. However, when He preenedHimself before Sri Parasara Bhattar and fished for compliments, Sri Bhattar is reported tohave told Him that though He might dress like Piratti, He could never acquire the look of mercy and compassion that is a natural adornment for Piratti’s eyes.

The Lord puts on makeup too, and sports different hues on different occasions, as the script warrants. Thus He is a golden shade as the Parama Purusha, sapphire blue as Sri Rama, and black as coal, as Sri Krishna. He sports different complexions in different yugAs too, ranging from milky white to jet-black.

No drama is complete without “Special Effects”, those tricks of the theatre, which lend spice to the play. Being a “MAyan”, capable of making the impossible happen, the Lord enlivens His plays with several such items, like the bringing on of night in the midst of day (during the Kurukshetra war), growing from a dwarf into the giant Trivikrama in a matter of seconds, instantly transforming the pitiable hut of KuchEla into a sprawling, splendorous palace, etc.

Like a master-Director, the Lord too devotes much attention to casting, and assembles the cast at appropriate locales, well in advance of the shooting. An example of this is to be seen in Sri Ramavatara, when chosen DevAs were made to take birth at Ayodhya, Kishkinta and other scenes of action, even before the Lord took birth as DasaratA’s son.

And now to conclude: In any well-made film or drama, the dialogues continue to ring in the ears of the audience, for along time after the performance is over. Similarly, the Lord’s dialogues continue to offer us succour even after aeons. Take for instance His dialogue in the Ramavatara-

“SakridEva prapannAya tavAham asmIti yAchatE

abhayam sarva bhootEbhya: dadAmi Etat vratam mama”

We continue to recite till date and draw inspiration from this sloka, spoken by the Lord in TrEtA yugA. So too, the Charama Slokas of the Lord, enunciated in the Varahavatara and on the Kurukshetra battlefield, continue to give us solace till today.

Thus, unlike run of the mill productions, all of the Lord’s sterling performances have an enduring message for mankind. Each of His films or dramas has as its ultimate purpose the protection of the pious, destruction of the wicked and reestablishment of righteousness. The only draw back with His films is that they are so few and far-between.

“The End”

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divyapaduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Dasan, sadagopan.

[rshankar]

There is a recording of Ms. Leela Sampson, Principal of Kalakshetra dancing to this - the understated abhinaya (nATya dharmi) of kalAkshETra is fabulous.

[smala]

Here is a clip performed on the Navarasa emotions by Kalanidhi dance (kuchipudi)....choreographed by Kishore Mosalikanti, disciple of Padmabhushan Vempati garu

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEcuYFgMNUs

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuMnedze ... re=related

[keerthi]

SRngAram kSitinandInI viharaNE vIram dhanur bhanjanE
KAruNyam balibhOjanE+adbhuta rasam sindhau giri-sthApanE |
hAsyam shUrpaNakhA mukhE bhayam aghE beebhatsam anyAmukhe
Roudram RavaNa mardanE munijanE shAntam vapuH pAtu naH ||


My translation :

pAtu naH - May we be protected by, (He who demonstrates,)

SRngAram kSitinandInI-viharaNE [1] - Love, while sporting with the Earth-born (sItA)

vIram dhanur bhanjanE - Valour, in breaking the bow [2]

KAruNyam balibhOjanE - compassion, in forgiving the crow[3]


adbhuta rasam sindhau giristhApanE - Awe, at the ocean being bridged,[4]

hAsyam shUrpaNakhA mukhE - Humour, in SurpanakhA's nonplussed face [5]

bhayam aghE - Fear, at the prospect of sin,

beebhatsam anyAmukhE - Disgust/ disinterest, at the idea of looking another woman in the face[6]

Roudram RavaNa mardanE - terror-striking(Terrific) while killing rAvaNa,

munijanE shAntam - composure, in the company of the sages

vapuH - that form (of rama)


notes -

[1] Ksiti-nandanA is also a pAThantaraM
[2] Referring to the siva-dhanus episode
[3] bali-bhuk or balibhOjana is sanskrt for the crow, as it is designated the role of eating the food-oblation meant for the ancestors. The verse refers to the episode of kAkAsura, upon whom rama discharged a grass-brahmAstra, but late withdrew upon his begging pardon.
[4] rAma, who in his avatAra, behaved like an ordinary mortal, must have expressed wonder at the act of making stones float on the ocean.
[5] i strongly feel, rAma's amusement (literally laughing to her face!) was not in response to her disfigured face, but, before that, when she shuttled between rAma and laksmaNa; not realising that neither was interested in her.
[6] this is to say that the idea of looking at other women(besides sItA) was abhorrent/ repulsive to rAma - the para-nAri-sahOdara.

[rshankar]

Thanks Keerthi! Very nice!

rAma tried to kill kAkAsura becasue the later had the temerity to try and attack/take liberties with sItA by pecking her on her breast, right? Is this story the basis of the peppy (kuntalavarALi) tyAgarAja composition with the pun on 'Sara' - 'Sara Sara samaraika SUrA'?

[[6] this is to say that the idea of looking at other women(besides sItA) was abhorrent/ repulsive to rAma - the para-nAri-sahOdara.

In tamizh rAma is described as the person with one bow (oru vil), a man of honor, one word from whom is binding (oru sol) and a man with just one woman/consort (oru il). The last was distinct from the norms of the day, I suppose - even his fathar, daSaratha had hundreds of wives.....

[ksrimech]

[5] i strongly feel, rAma's amusement (literally laughing to her face!) was not in response to her disfigured face, but, before that, when she shuttled between rAma and laksmaNa; not realising that neither was interested in her.

SrIrAman or iLaiyAzhvAr lakSmaNan were not sadists by any means. This hasyam is already portrayed prior to the disfiguring her. SrIrAman after introducing himself as daSarathA son and briefly describing his past comes to ask who this beautiful lady is.

AraNya kAnDam, 17th sargam, 18th SlOkam:
tvAm tu vEditum icchAmi kasya tvam kA asi kasya vA |
tvam hi tAvanmanognyAngI rAkshasI pratibhAsi mE ||

Meaning: "I too wish to know about you. Whose wife are you? What is your name? Or, whose daughter are you? By the way, you are with a most enthralling personality, and then you must be a demoness.

The hAsyam, as described in vIrarAghavIyam commentary, comes from the fact that SrIraman uses the words beautiful lady and demoness in the same line. Of course, in the slokas prior to this (17-7 to 17-11), vAlmIki maharSi describes how superior SrIrAman is and how inferior SUrpanakhA. SrIrAman is laughing at the fact that being a woman she has no shame (lajja) and aksing him who he was and why he was have jaTAmuDi etc.

Also it is evident from the name of SUrpaNakha, the lady with broom like (large) nails, which brings about laughter!

[arasi]

Thanks all for your interpretations. hAsyam need not be personal. Personal attacks speak of mean streaks in us humans. How could rAmA (the exemplary even among all gods) stoop to this? The beauty of it is that humor is an embellishment even in the heroic.
Krishna,
Did not know in all the years that I've wielded the broom that they are like rAvaNA's sibling's nails

[ksrimech]

Oops my bad. It should be a dustpan (muRam or moRam) than the broom. Sorry for the slip of my mind.

[arasi]

muRam or broom, neither are flattering things to be compared to a young woman's nails!

[ksrimech]

Thats why its hAsyam.