Saint Sketch -5- Sri Bhadrachala Ramadas -Part-5 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji

[Guest guest]

Radhe Krishna To All,

 

“Once I asked God why He had four hands. The Lord replied, 'Two of them are

mine and the other two are yours. Keep in mind that it is Me who does your work

through those handsâ€

 

----- SRI SRI MURALIDHARA SWAMIJI

 

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Prison life in those days, unlike the ones that we see now, was very tough. The

prisoners were often whipped and forced to do hard labour. Thrown into the

prison Ramadas did not eat the cooked food offered but somehow procured a little

rice that he soaked in water and consumed it after offering it as naivedya to

his Rama.

 

Most of Ramadas’ moving kirtans were written during the twelve years spent in

the lonely and cruel prison cell. Ramadas sings, “Deenadayalo! Deenadayalo!

Deenadayaapara Deva Dayalo!†-- Oh! Compassionate one! Oh! compassionate One!

-- At the time when he has been imprisoned by the Nizam Ramadas sings this

Kirtan calling his Prabhu Rama as a Compassionate one. The hot sun is like the

furnace --- bound inside the prison cell --- he had been whipped severely --- he

lived for 12 long years in this jail all alone --- living in that cell one

cannot know if it was day or night --- It was then that he sang, ‘Oh!

Compassionate one! Oh! Compassionate one!’ What deep love (‘priyam’) must

he have possessed for Rama? He built the temple for Rama. But he was imprisoned

and whipped frequently. And he sang, ‘Oh! Rama! I cannot bear Your Grace!’

--- ‘Deenadayalo! Deenadayalo!’

 

The depth of his worship of Personal God (Form) is seen in that with his

fingernails he has carved on the rocky wall of the prison the form of Lord Rama,

Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. He worshipped these. The prison is still to be seen

in Golconda (near Hyderabad) and one gets to see this carving of Ramadas even

today! Ramadas has written about 16000 Kritis on Lord Rama though what we know

and sing is much less. All the 16000 Kritis of Ramadas have been painted on

wooden boards and hung on the marble walls in a ‘dhyana mandap’ built by the

Government in memory of the great Rama Bhakta. At the entrance of this mandap is

a big statute of Ramadas in the attire of a Diwan while outside on top of the

entrance wall is a small statue as the humble servant of the Lord!

 

Ramadas was second only to Jayadev in writing Kirtans on Bhagavan followed later

on by Purandaradas and Thiagaraja Swami. Prior to them the azhwars, Nayanamars

and other devotees only wrote ‘stotras’ and not Kirtans on the Lord. We may

sing these writings of the azhwaars, for example ‘Pachhai ma malai pol meni’

may be sung to a tune but it is only a stotra. Kirtan is sung with Pallavi, anu

pallavi and charanam and this was introduced by Jayadev followed by Bhadrachala

Ramadas. It is Bhadrachala Ramadas who set the tradition of Nama Sankeertanam

wherein we begin with ‘Jaya Janaki Ramana’ (Ramadas’s writing). Later on

Marudaanallur Sathguru Swamigal spread this all over the country.

 

In one Kirtan Ramadas questions Rama, “Wherefrom do you think you have got all

these jewels that you and your family are glittering in? It is neither your

father-in-law Janaka who has adorned you with these nor your father Dasarata who

only ripped you of everything and sent you away to the forest. But it is I who

have adorned you with all these. Should I not enjoy you all adorning them?â€

 

In one of the Kirtans he pleads with Rama to come and save him. With no response

from Rama he asks teasingly, “Rama! Why don’t you give your consent to

whatever I have done? Say that I have not done anything wrong. Is it because

your mouth contains pearls which you fear will spill over if your open the mouth

that you keep a tight lip?†-‘Paluke bangaramayena! Kodandapani! Paluke

bangara maye pilichina palakavemi!’ Ramadas then places his request to Sita.

He prays to her, “Oh! Mother! Why don’t You plead my case with Sri Rama?â€

and goes a step further to brief her when and how She should bring up his case

to Rama! Sita also pleads with Rama on his behalf. But Rama questions her,

“Did I ask him for all these jewels? I am a King myself and am aware what

great problem it is if the funds of the State were diverted. I cannot render any

help in this matter!†But with repeated pleadings from Sita, Rama says, “I

will be able to get him out

of the prison only if I can repay what he had taken away.†Since Sita is none

other than Mahalakshmi (goddess of wealth) she rained down gold coins at the

request of Rama.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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