Published: 11 Dec 2023 1 PM Updated: 11 Dec 2023 1 PM
Mantra! 19 - The three most precious gems that appeared in the milk!
Sakthi Vikatan Team
Mantra! 19 - The three miraculous beads that appeared in the Milk Ocean!
- Dushyant Sridhar
The machine translation was edited by Veeraswamy Krishnaraj
Sakthi Vikatan
1. Hanuman came to Sri Lanka in search of Thāyār Sita. Before he could overcome many obstacles and be filled with joy when he saw Sita in Asokavaṉam Hanuman was shocked by her actions.
2. Hanuman wanted to stop it when he saw the sight of Sita tying her braid to the tree and deciding to perform prānathyāgam (sacrificing the breath) on the tree.
3. How shocking would it be if a monkey suddenly jumped in front of us? If the monkey speaks, the situation will get worse. Something untoward may happen in that shock. Hanuman wondered what to do. Only one word uttered by him will stop it. Then Rāmanāmam (the name of Rama) sprang in his mind.
4. He began by saying, 'Rama appeared in the Ikṣvāku dynasty’, and he began to narrate the events of Sri Rama's life in a song ending now. When the Tāraka mantra 'Rama' fell on her ears, Sita changed her mind.
Taraka Mantra is a popular Mantra among devotees of Lord Rama. Taraka Mantra is Thrayodashi Akshara Mantra which consists of 13 syllabuses. As the name Taraka suggests, it is believed that chanting Taraka Mantra liberates the person from the cycle of the birth and death.
Comment on Taraka Mantra: drikpanchang.com
Taraka Mantra was first revealed to Goddess Parvati by Lord Shiva. While imparting Taraka Mantra to His spouse Lord Shiva mentioned that chanting Taraka Mantra is equivalent to chanting Sahasranama i.e. 1000 names of Lord Vishnu.
॥ Shri Rama Taraka Mantra ॥
श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम॥
Shri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama॥
Translation of the Mantra
In Taraka Mantra,
• Shri stands for Shakti or Goddess Sita.
• Ra symbolizes the fire that burns our Karma.
• Ma represents water, which means the peace that passeth all understanding.
• Jaya means victory to the spirit over the flesh.
Thus, the entire meaning of the mantra is victory to God with His Shakti i.e. victory, victory to God.
5. Sita knew the events in Sri Rama's life till Ravana kidnaped Sita. When Hanuman narrated what had happened after that, Sita began to observe closely.
Taraka Mantra
6. Hanuman described Jatayu moksha (liberation), Sabari moksha, his friendship with Sugriva, the killing of Vali and performing Sugrīva Pattāpiṣēkam (coronation), and the Vānara armies of Sugriva coming to the south in search of Sita. "Hanuman of the Vāṉarās, hearing the words of and inspired by Jambavan, came towards Sri Lanka and saw Sita in the forest of Ashoka," he said, "Mother, look up." (Sita is the universal mother.)
7. Sita devi looked up. He saw Hanuman sitting on a tree. Hanuman jumped down as he paid homage to the Divine Mother. Sita was happy on one hand and hesitant on other hand. She wondered if Ravana or the other asuras, who had hitherto appeared as demons, had morphed into monkeys. She looked at Hanuman and asked, "Who are you?"
8. Hanuman introduced himself and said, "I have come as the messenger of Sri Rama."
9. Sita immediately said, 'Then what will be Sri Rama's thighs like? Tell me what Rama's hand will be like."
10. Commentators say that this question is very subtle. I didn't ask you to describe Rama's thigh or hand. The question is what was Rama's vathanam (face) like.
11. Someone who has not seen Lord Ram can imagine that ' Rama will be this and that'. But it is not easy for a person who has had darshan of Lord Rama. He will be fascinated by the beauty of Sri Rama. If you think of his Sundaravadhanam (beautiful face), there will be great joy. Words will be inadequate to describe that joy.
12. Even now, when we with devotion stand in the presence of Sri Rama in temples, we can absorb and enjoy the beauty, but words are inadequate to describe his face.
13. The devotees having Darshan of the Archāvatāra Murthy, Perumāḷ, have problem describing him to others. Could the people seeing Sri Ramachandra Murthy in person, describe him? The mind and the words are inadequate and incapable of describing his beauty.
Archāvatāra Murthy = manifestation of Viṣṇu as idols and other sacred symbols which are worshipped in temples and houses, one of five tiru-māl-nilai (=Tirumal’s state).
14. Hanuman said to the divine mother, "I can't describe the beauty of Sri Rama, Thāyē!" The Thāyār had faith in Hanuman. Next, Sita posed Hanuman a question.
Thāyār = Divine Mother = Sita.
15. "You’re a Vānaram (tree-dwelling monkey). He is a human being. How, then, did the two of you become friends?"
16. Hanuman knows the meaning of her question. Sri Rama does not approve of anyone without the blessings of Thāyār. In the forest, Thāyār favored Guha. Sri Rama accepted him. The purport of the question, then, is how Sri Rama accepted the friendship of Vāṉarās without the approval and grace of Sita.
17. "Thāyē! When Ravana was carrying you, you shed your ornaments and gave us grace by offering us clues. It was with the blessings of those restored ornaments to Rama that Sri Rama accepted us."
18. "How is Sri Rama now?" she asked. Hanuman described all the sorrows of Sri Rama without Sita by his side However, there was still a little doubt in Sita's mind.
19. "Hanuman, what is the proof that you are coming from Sri Rama?" Hanuman immediately handed over the ring given by Sri Rama meant to be given to Sita. Seeing this, Sita's face lit up. She took it in her hands and held it close to her chest and rejoiced.
20. Describing Sita's happiness, Valmiki says, "If Sri Rama and the ring are side by side, Sita will choose that ring." The ring gave happiness to Sita to a great extent.
21. Sri Rama renounced all his ornaments before leaving Ayodhya. But Rama did not renounce this ring. The reason is that it is not the property of Ayodhya. The ring was given by Janaka to Sri Rama during the wedding ceremony.
22. Comment: The explanation given by saint Govinda Raja regarding this ring is wonderful.
23. There was a small fight between the two over who won when Sri Rama and Sita were playing in Ayodhya. The two did not talk to each other. Sri Rama wanted to put an end to this conflict. He buried the ring given by Janaka in the soil and said, "The ring given by my father-in-law has just fallen here and disappeared. Let someone find it," he shouted.
24. There was no one there except Sita. On hearing this, Sita was upset. She came running and found it and gave it to Sri Rama. Sri Rama immediately thanked Sita and put on the ring. At that moment the friction between the two subsided. Sita's sorrow was over.
25. Sita, now seeing the ring again in the Ashoka Forest, was overjoyed and said, 'It was this ring that brought us together that day also when we fought and separated. Even today, when we are separated, it is this ring that keeps us together." Sita was moved by the ring that brought Rama close to her.
26. Hanuman realized that the time had come for him to leave. When he would tell Rama that he had seen Sita, Hanuman thought that Rama could ask for some proof from him that he met Sita. So, he said to Thāyār,
27. "Thāyē! You too should give me something as a token that would support my claim that I met you. Please do me the favor.' Sita took the crest jewel she wore on her head and gave it to Hanuman.
28. There are three gems that originated from the milk ocean. One is Kaustubha. It adorns the chest of the exalted Vishnu. The other is Chintamani. Indra took it. Vishnu and the devas gave the third Sūdāmaṇi as an offering to Lord Shiva. Isa gave the gem to Parvati and the Goddess wore it.
29. One day, when Isa and Parvati were flying over the City of Mithila on Rishabha (the sacred bull), the Sūdāmaṇi fell on the earth. Sita took it and put it on her head.
30. According to the Purana, Parvati said that since Sūdāmani and Thāyār (Sri) were born in the milk ocean, it would be appropriate for the crest jewel stay with Sita.
31. Sita, giving such a glorious Sūdāmani to him, confided to Hanuman, "Hanuman, let me tell you a private incident that only Sri Rama and I know."
-Continue...