०२ अयोध्या-काण्डम्

परिहृत–निखिल-नर-पति-वरण–
जनक-दुहितृ–कुच-तट-विहरण-समुचित–कर-तल !

परिहृत–निखिल-नर-पति-वरण–
जनक-दुहितृ–कुच-तट-विहरण-समुचित–कर-तल !

Here Swami Desikan salutes the unique valor that Sri RaAmachandra displayed at the Svayamvaram to win the hand and heart of Sita Piratti. Since none of the assembled kings other than Sri Raamachandra were able to string the Siva Dhanus, Sita Devi had to reject (happily) their wishes to marry her. O, Sri Raama! You bent and broke that mighty bow and qualified yourself to engage in amorous and conjugal sports with your bride.

शत-कोटि–शत-गुण–कठिन–परशु-धर-मुनि-वर–
कर-धृत–दुर्-अवनमतम–
निज-धनुर्–आकर्षण-प्रकाशित-पारमेष्ठ्य !

शत-कोटि–शत-गुण–कठिन–परशु-धर-मुनि-वर–
कर-धृत–दुर्-अवनमतम–
निज-धनुर्–आकर्षण-प्रकाशित-पारमेष्ठ्य !

ParasuraAma 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 Kaarthaveerya. ParasuraAma used his axe as the battle weapon to cut asunder twenty one generations of Kshatriyas and made the earth devoid of Kshatriyas (AKSHATRAAMIHA SAMTATAKSHA YA IMAAM TRI: SAPTHA KRUTHVA: KSHITHIM).

ParasuRaama was a proud and angry sage. He had in his possession a bow which had Vishnu Amsam. It was a very powerful bow. No one could string it except Parasuraama.

“Sri Raama & Sri ParasuRaama” When ParasuRaama heard about the feat of Sri Raamachandra 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 Raama was returning to Ayodhya with His family after wedding Sita Devi, Parasuraama confronted Sri Raama and challenged Him to prove His valor by stringing the Vishnu Dhanus and fitting it with an arrow. King Dasaratha pleaded for the safety of his “juvenile” son from the anger of Parasuraama. Turning a deaf ear to the entreaty of the worried father, Parasuraama reminded Sri Raama 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. Parasuraama pointed out that Sri Raama can qualify himself for such a duel only after stringing the bow of Vishnu and 23

fitting it with an arrow. Sri Raama was indignant over the arrogance of the Brahmin and took the bow from the hands of ParasuRaama and 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. ParasuRaama was humbled and recognized then that Sri Raama is none other than Lord Vishnu. He appealed to Sri Raama 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 Raama discharged the arrow to remove the title of Parasuraama and let him retire to Mount Mahendra to resume his penance. Parasuraama walked clockwise around Sri Raama and went on his way (Valmiki Raamayanam Sargams 25 and 26 of Baala Khaandam).

Swami Desikan salutes here the Paarameshtyam (the supreme glory of Sri Raama showing his Lordship over all including the strutting Parasuraama as PaRaamathmaa.

Swami says that the prince of Ayodhya on the occasion of subduing the arrogance of Parasuraama revealed his svarupam as the PaRaamathmaa to the entire world. Sri Raama as Sriman Naarayana pulled away the divine power that He had invested earlier in Parasuraama 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 ParasuRaama and the Extraordinary valor of Sri Raamachandra in subduing the arrogance of Parasuraama. Swami provides a frame of reference to understand the valor of Parasuraama first and then goes on describe the mighty arrow of Sri Raamachandra that put ParasuRaama in place.

क्रतु-हर–शिखरि-कन्दुक-विहृत्य्-उन्मुख–
जगद्-अरुन्-तुद–
जित-हरिद्-अन्त-दन्तुर-+उदन्त+++(=वार्ता)+++–
दश-वदन–दमन-कुशल–
दश-शत-भुज-नृपति–कुल-
रुधिर-झर-भरित–
पृथुतर-तडाक-तर्पित-पितृक–
भृगु-पति–सुगति-विहति– कर-नत+++(??)+++–परुस्+++(=पर्व)+++-इषु-परिघ !

क्रतु-हर–शिखरि-कन्दुक-विहृत्य्-उन्मुख–
जगद्-अरुन्-तुद–
जित-हरिद्-अन्त-दन्तुर-+उदन्त+++(=वार्ता)+++–
दश-वदन–दमन-कुशल–
दश-शत-भुज-नृपति–कुल-
रुधिर-झर-भरित–
पृथुतर-तडाक-तर्पित-पितृक–
भृगु-पति–सुगति-विहति– कर-नत+++(??)+++–परुस्+++(=पर्व)+++-इषु-परिघ !

Swami Desikan’s mind is still admiring the valor and kaarunyam of Sri Raama in dealing with the arrogant outburst of Parasuraama. Hence, he devotes one more (this) gadhya salutation to Parasuraama Garva bhangam. In this salutation which its musical echos (Dahnthi Dantha Danthura Dasavadana Dhamana—), Swami gives an 24

introduction to Parasuraama’s valor first. Parasuraama destroyed the vamsam of the mighty king Kaarthaveerya, who at one time defeated the powerful Raavana in battle.

Raavana’s valor in the battle was well known. Once he lifted Kailasa Mountain and shook it. Another time, he humiliated Indra in the battlefield and as a souvenir of that battle carried the wounds inflicted by the tusks of Indra’s elephant, Iraavadham. The king of Lanka, Raavana of such valor was defeated soundly by Karhtaveeryarjunan.

When the thousand handed Karthaveeryarjunan killed the father of Parasuraama, latter killed not only the offending king, but he destroyed twenty-one levels of descendants of Karthaveeryarjunan in revenge. Parasuraama performed Tarpanam for his father from the vast pond of blood of those Kshatriyas and settled the account. Such was the valor of Parasuraama! Sri Raamachandra accepted the challenge of Parasuraama and humbled him with his arrow from fitted to the Vishnu Dhanus. As a result of this extraordinary and matchless valor displayed by Raamachndra, Parasuraama lost access to the Punya Lokas that he had earned earlier through his severe asceticism.

Raamachandra’s broad arrow resembling the lock for a door put an end to the Sugathi or auspicious future of Parasuraama. Thus Sri Raamachandra’s valor surpassed that of Raavana, his foe Karthaveerya and his tormentor ParasuRaama unambiguously.

“Sri Raama Sita LakshmaNA returning to Ayodhya– Srimatam” 25