DID RAMA WEAR PADUKA IN ARANYA FROM ANOTHER GROUP
Pranams to all members of BVP, Bhagavata 9.11.19 says that Sri Rama's feet were lacerated with thorns of Dandaka forest. So, did Sri Rama stop using Padukas after he gave his padukas to Bharata? Valmiki Ramayana seems silent on this topic. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Just adding this piece of information to the topic you have raised: In a recent discourse by Brahmasri Sundar Kumar on the Valmiki Ramayanam, I had heard this: Sītā, while convincing Rama to take her along to the forest, says: yadi tvam prasthitaH durgam vanam adya eva raaghava | agrataH te gamiShyaami mR^idnantii kusha kaNTakaan || 2-27-6 6. raaghava = Oh; Rama! adyaiva = now itself; tvam prasthitaH yadi = if you set forth; vanam = to the forest; durgam = which is difficult to be travelled; gamishhyaami = I shall proceed; te agrataH = before you; mR^idnantii = by trampling down; dusha kaNTakaan = grass with long pointed stalks and thorns. "Oh, Rama! If you set forth now itself to the forest, which is difficult to be travelled, I shall come before you, by trampling down thorns and grass with long pointed stalks." The Bhuṣaṇa of Govindaraja says: फलितार्थमाह--यदीति । अग्रतो गमने हेतुमाह मृद्नन्ती मर्दयन्ती, मृदूकुर्वन्तीत्यर्थ: । कुशरूपकण्टकान् ।। 2.27.6 ।। XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Sri Rama places his feet on the paadukas and leaves them as per the following description: एवम् ब्रुवाणम् भरतः कौसल्या सुतम् अब्रवीत् | तेजसा आदित्य सम्काशम् प्रतिपच् चन्द्र दर्शनम् || २-११२-२० अधिरोह आर्य पादाभ्याम् पादुके हेम भूषिते | एते हि सर्व लोकस्य योग क्षेमम् विधास्यतः || २-११२-२१ सो अधिरुह्य नर व्याघ्रः पादुके ह्य् अवरुह्य च | प्रायग्च्छत् सुमहा तेजा भरताय महात्मने || २-११२-२२ स पादुके सम्प्रणम्य रामं वचनम्ब्रवीत् | चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि जटाचीरधरो ह्यहम् || २-११२-२३ फलमूलाशनो वीर भवेयम् रघुनंदन | Nagaraj Paturi Hyderabad, Telangana-500044 afaik, there is no mention of rAma being barefoot or not after he gave the pAdukA to bharata. while footwear is mentioned in some other cases (like when rAvaNa disguises to kidnap sItA), in case of rAma, there is no explicit mention either way. later bhakti literature surely has description that evoke karunA - like lotus-soft feet -- whereas rAma being a kShatrIya, would not have lotus-soft feet. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX hOPE THIS WOULD CLARIFY AS FROM vEDANTHA DESIKAN: PADUKA SAHSRAM SlOkam 115 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram praNayini padhapadhmE gADamAshliShyathi thvAm viDhisuthakaThitham thadh vaIBhavam thE vidhantha: anudhinamruShayasthvAmarchayanthyagnyagArE raGhupathipadharakshE! rAmagiryAshramasThA: Meaning: Oh Paaduka! At the time of parting with You, Rama's lotus feet embraced You closely-as a lover would, his love while sending off. Then, sage Vasishta spoke on Your greatness. The other sages living in Chitrakoota started, from then on, to respectfully perform Agnihotra oblations to you, every day, individually. Special Notes from V. Sadagopan: 1) UtthamUr Swami’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukhE! At Chithrakootam, when you heard about RaamA's decision to give you as a gift to BharathA, RaamA's feet hugged You tightly fearing separation from You for 14 Years. At that time, Sage VaisishtA explained to the assembled group of sages about your eminence and glory. All of the sages listening attentively recognized immediately Your Vaibhavam and placed you at their altars and began to worship you. Swami Desikan implies that the Rishis of ChithrakUtam obtained new PaadhukhAs for RaamA to place His holy feet on them and used those sanctified Paadhukhais for their daily AarAdhanams. The original Paadhukhais accompanied BharathA to AyOdhyA. 2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: When a Dharma pathni goes to her parent’s house, then the loving husband hugs her tightly before her journey home and blesses her for safe journey and return to her pukkaham. Swami Desikan points out that Lord RaamA's feet, the YajamAnar of the Paadhukais, hugged them tightly before their journey to AyOdhyA with BharathAzhwAn for similar reasons. 3) Swami Desikan names ChithrakUtam as Raama Giri. Here RaamA was very happy living with His dear consort in exile. Thus, these hills became very dear to RaamA as well as to SitA Piraatti. Hence Swami Desikan salutes these hills as Raama Giri. Swami Desikan also points out that the Rishis of Raama Giri listened to Sage VasishtA's exposition on the glories of the Raama Paadhukhais and took home new Paadhukhais blessed by contact with the holy feet of their Lord. These Raama Giri Rishis placed the holy paadhukhais at the sanctum, where they performed AgnihOthram daily and worshipped them there with prescribed Vedha manthrams. SlOkam 116 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram niyatham aaDhirurOha thvAm anADhEya shakthim nija charaNasarOjE shakthim ADhAthukAma: sa kaTham itharaThA thvAm nyasya rAmO vijahvE druShadh upachitha BhUmoU dhandakAraNya BhAgE Meaning: Rama set His feet on You to acquire, for His tender feet, the intrinsic powers You possess; this is certain; if it were not so, how could Rama have walked through the rough rocky Dandaka forest, without wearing You? Sri SRI RANGANATHA PAADHUKA SAHASRAM 85 Special Notes from V. Sadagopan: 1) UtthamUr Swami’s anubhavam: The Rishis of ChithrakUtam obtained new paadhukhAs from RaamA. BharathA took RaamA's original PaadhukhAs in procession to AyOdhyA with all maryAdhais. RaamA did not wear any padhukhAs thereafter during his sanchArams in the forests of DhaNdakaa, since He had given the original PaadhukhAs as a pledge to BharathA to solemnize His return to AyOdhyA at the end of his 14 year's of exile in the forest. RaamA did not therefore want to de-emphasize that pledge through wearing of another set of PaadhukhAs. Lord RaamachandrA's feet were however protected from the thorns and sharp stones of the DhaNdakaa forest by another power. That protection came from the PaadhukhAs embraced His feet, when he stepped on to them at the request of BharathA prior to giving them as His mark of pledge. Part of the inherent and natural power of Paadhukais enveloped the Lord's feet at that time to protect them during His wanderings in the harsh forests of DhaNdakaa. 2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: In the 113rd slOkam, Swami Desikan suggested that RaamA imparted power to His paadhukhais to protect BharathA. Here, Swami Desikan reminds us that the Paadhukhais have their own inherent sakthi and that RaamA stepped on them to receive a part of their unlimited power for protection against the harsh environment of DhaNDakA forest. The inner meaning is that the AchAryAs have even greater DayA and patience than the Lord Himself for correcting the Jeevans with innumerable sins and to prepare them for presentation to the Lord, their owner. 3) Swami Desikan uses the word "anAdhEyam" here, which is the opposite of "AadhEyam", which means to be placed, to be contained. "AnAdhEyam" means svAbhAvikma or naturally powerful without the sambhandham of anything else to empower it. Swami Desikan had wondered earlier (113th slOkam) whether RaamA stepped into the PaadhukhAs to empower them through AadhEyam (placement) of His sacred feet. In this slOkam, Swami Desikan states that the Paadhukhais (AchAryAs) have their own inherent sakthi (anAdhEyam) and therefore were able to share some of that sakthi to protect the Lord's feet, when He roamed the forests of DhaNdakaa without them. 4) Swami Desikan uses the word "Sakthim" twice in this slOkam: "thvAm anAdhEya sakthim" in the 1st Paadham of this slOkam and "nija charaNa sarOjE Sakthim aadhAthukaama:". 1st sakthi is the anAdhEya Sakthi of the PaadhukhAs; the 2nd sakthi is the derived sakthi from the Paadukais by the lotus-soft feet of the Lord. Swamy hints that the Lord wanted to absorb part of the natural sakthi of the Paadhukhais. K RAJARAM IRS 30326 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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