Table of Contents
7 Aspects of the Deity of Lord Ranganatha and the Ikshavaku Line
- Lord Ranganatha’s connection with the Ikshvaku dynasty.
- Sri Rama’s worship of Sri Ranganatha.
- King Ikshvaku’s devotion in bringing the deity from Brahmaloka.
- Sri Rama’s lessons on humility and love in worship.
- King Dharma Varma’s sadhana and meditation.
- The divine settlement of the deity in Srirangam.
- The Takeaways on service, humility, and unity with the divine.
The Divine Connection Between Lord Ranganatha and the Ikshvaku Dynasty
Lord Ranganatha of Sri Rangam Dham has been long associated with Ayodhya Dhama and directly connected with Sri Rama. The whole of the Ikshvaku line, the great forefathers of Lord Rama have a deep connection with the deity. Each and every king of the Raghu Dynasty or also known as the Kakutstha of Ikshvaku line were pious be it King Anshuman, King Dilipa, King Aja, King Bhagiratha, King Shibhi, King Harishchandra, the list is endless.
It is in this great line of succession that the Supreme Personality Lord Rama descended. Sri Ranganatha, is that self-same Lord Sri Rama.
Sri Rama: The Supreme Lord Concealed in Human Form
The kings worshiped Sri Rama in the form of Lord Ranganatha, little did they know that the very Lord Ranganatha would descend into their line as Sri Rama. Sri Rama assumed the position of an ordinary human being, just revealing his apparently human-like abilities.
But He is the Supreme Lord. How much ever the Supreme Person tries, His colossal abilities could never be camouflaged. Be it the construction of the Rama Setu , a stone Bridge from Bharat to Lanka, with the help of Vanaras or be it defeating the apparently undefeatable Ravana, the greatest of demons and the conqueror of the 9 planets, Sri Rama attained the feat with simply a blessing to his Vanara devotees.
Sri Rama’s Divine Feats and His Worship of Lord Ranganath
Being totally devoid of a regular army, still Sri Rama achieved this impossible task of making the entire Rakshasa clan bite the dust. Who else other than the Supreme Reality attains such a task? Sri Rama worshipped Lord Ranganatha as a daily ritual, who is His own Self in the form of a Vigraha or deity.
Who else can be worthy of worship other than the Lord Himself? One can get insights into the spiritual persona of Sri Rama, if one understands the deity of Sri Ranganatha of Sri Rangam.
The Sacred Union of Sri Rama and Seeta Devi: A Life of Devotion to Sri Ranganatha
Sri Rama’s holy wedlock on the earthly plane to Srimati Seeta Devi marked the beginning of the daily ritual of Sri Rama’s worship of the deity of Ranganatha. Sri Rama spent 12 years of peaceful married life in Ayodhya with Srimati Seeta Maharani and displayed the highest character of Dharma, imbued with spiritual fervor born out of the couple’s worship of the other-wordly deity of Sri Ranganatha. Sri Rama and Seeta Devi worshipped the deity with utter love, devotion and dedication and their moments of spiritual union with the deity was witnessed as that of absolute oneness.
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The Celestial Journey of Sri Ranganatha: From Brahmaloka to Earth
Generations prior to the arrival of Sri Rama on the earthly plane, King Ikshvaku had brought down the deity of Sri Ranganatha from Brahmaloka, the Highest Abode of the Material plane. There are 6 planes of higher existence above the earthly plane also known as Bhuloka.
They are Bhuva Loka, Suvah Loka, Mahar Loka, Janah Loka, Tapah Loka and Satya Loka. Satya Loka is also called the Brahma Loka or the Abode of Sri Brahma where the greatest of Rishis are deep in meditation on that aspect of Omkar or Brahman. The Lord of Satya Loka is undeniably Sri Brahma.
The Suvah Loka is the plane of the Devatas also called Swarga Loka, where the Devatas like Indra, Chandra, Agni etc have their existence in their respective individual bodies.
The Mahar,Janah,Tapah and Satya Loka are filled with living entities of the highest order, the Siddhas who are responsible in maintaining equilibrium of all the material planets, by dint of their sadhana, meditation and tapasya or austerity.The deity of Sri Ranganatha was worshipped by Sri Brahma prior to the deity’s descent to the earthly platform.
King Ikshvaku’s Devotion: Bringing Sri Ranganatha to Ayodhya
King Ikshvaku was a Raja Rishi, a Kingly Rishi who had mustered several spiritual powers because he was a mendicant at heart and simply dispensed his duty as a King, ordained by the Supreme Personality, without an iota of attachment to his powers or position of Emperor of the entire Earth.
He had acquired extraordinary yogic capabilities that allowed him to ascend through these 6 levels of higher existence and during such a visit he met Lord Brahma in Satya Loka. The deity of Ranganatha caught the attention of King Ikshvaku as if pleading him to be taken to his kingdom in Ayodhya ji. King Ikshvaku, in all humility requested Brahma ji to present him the deity of Ranganatha so that he and his successors could serve the great deity of Brahma Loka, back on the earthly plane.
Sri Brahma was pleased by the humility and devotion of the King and was more than ready to bless the pious king with the deity of Ranganatha. Thus the deity of Ranaganatha descended directly to Ayodhya Dham and became the Aradhya Daiwam (ஆராத்யா டைவம், Deity worthy of the highest worship) of Ayodhya ji.
From that day, each and every king worshiped the great deity with one-pointed devotion which made Ayodhya ji a land of plenty, a spiritual land free of material suffering. But as time had it, slowly the quality of worship too declined. Sri Ranganatha desired better worship, he desired the hearts of the king, a heart filled with love for the deity, a heart full of surrender. This went amiss as the Ikshvaku succession line progressed.
The Supreme Lord’s Desire for Pure Love and Devotion
One of the major reasons for Sri Rama’s birth is attributed to the longing of Sri Ranganatha, who desired immaculate loving worship. Who else other than the Supreme Personality is capable of taking the perfect devotee’s position. Here we see a strange paradox of sorts.
The Lord becomes the devotee and serves Himself, setting the standards of worship to the highest levels, raising the bar of worship unimaginable by a living entity. What we fail to understand in divine worship is that the heart should be the center of focus. The heart should be clean, filled with emotions for the Lord.
In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna says that he is happy with a fruit, flower or a leaf. Even if that is not available. A drop of water is enough to propitiate Him, provided the devotee’s intention is to please the Supreme Lord. Only this emotion of Pure Loving service towards Bhagawan has the highest value. Nothing else matters to Bhagawan. He does not care whether we have worldly fame, beauty, strength, wealth, courage or power.
The Lord has it in full and any living entity by no stretch of imagination can compare his miniscule presence to the Presence of the Supreme. The Supreme is only influenced by Pure Love and in Bhagawan’s eyes only this contribution of the living entity is regarded by Bhagawan, nothing else.
Sri Rama’s Bhakti: A Devotee’s Perspective Beyond His Heroic Exploits
Great Vaishnava devotees of the south such as Sri Parashara Bhatta talk about this service of Lord Rama towards Ranganatha Bhagawan as a great example of Bhakti. In fact, pure devotees talk less about Sri Rama’s exploits in the forest and his tryst with Ravana. They are happy to discuss the mode of Bhakti of Lord Rama towards Lord Ranganatha. This is typical of a Pure Devotee of Bhagawan.
Sri Rama’s Vedic Rituals: Exemplifying Divine Love and Humility
Just before his planned coronation in the Ayodhya Kanda, there is a description of how Sri Rama performed a great Vedic Ritual as He worshipped Sri Ranganatha. Sage Vasishtha always reminded the kings of Ayodhya ji towards their service to Ranaganatha Swamy.
King Dashratha and Lord Rama paid special attention towards this service. Sri Ranganatha’s position in Ayodhya ji can be regarded as the epitome of Divine Love, where the Supreme Lord served as a humble devotee of the Supreme Self. This is the character that every individual on the material plane should strive to develop, the summum bonum of all life.
The Vedic Principle of Seeking Divine Permission and Guidance
It is a Vedic principle that no one should start any work without seeking heartfelt permission for the activity from the Supreme Lord. If an individual is sincere and connects with the Supreme Being, that Supreme Will shall definitely guide the individual internally and direct the individual towards right action. The Guru is a representative of the Supreme Lord and one should seek the permission of one’s ordained Guru and abide by the wishes of the Selfless Guru who is in perfect tune with Supreme Will.
The Journey of Sri Ranganatha: From Ayodhya to Sri Rangam
The deity of Sri Ranganatha stayed in Ayodhya ji till the time Lord Rama returned victorious to Ayodhya ji after slaying the evil Ravana. Today we see the very same Ranganatha Swamy fully ornate in the holy Dhama called Ranganatha Puram or Sri Rangam in the Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu.
Now how did this Transit of the Ranganattha deity take place? The story goes like this. The Vanaras and the newly crowned devotee king Vibheeshana visited Ayodhya ji to spend some good time with the Lord. King Vibheeshana was deeply influenced by Sri Ranganatha’s presence in the capital city. He expressed his desire to Sri Rama to carry the deity with him to Sri Lanka.
King Dharma Varma’s Devotion: A Lifetime of Meditation for Sri Ranganatha
In an older era, during the time of King Dasaratha King Dharma Varma of Tiruchirapalli had visited Ayodhya ji at the invitation of Dasaratha ji. King Dharma Varma loved the kingdom of Ayodhya ji .
However he realized that Lord Ranganatha had stolen his heart without his conscious effort. King Dharma Verma returned to Tiruchirapalli but his heart was lost at the feet of Sri Ranganatha. Since then he awaited the Lord’s permission, taking a non-invasive spiritual approach.
He meditated for years on Sri Ranganatha and desired that Sri Ranganatha should somehow come down and settle down in his Kingdom at Tiruchi. He did not know how this would happen, how it could all transpire. What held his meditation was his deep loving tears for the deity. He meditated all his life just to attain the deity, that was his single pointed goal.
Sri Rama’s Omniscience: Fulfilling King Dharma Varma’s Devotion
Now, Sri Rama is the Supreme Person. There is not an iota of difference between Sri Ranganatha and Sri Rama. Sri Rama knew Dharma Verma’s heart, although he had never met the king in person.
How can we discount the fact that Sri Rama exists in every heart. He is Paramatma and knows the deepest intentions of every living being. The Lord never delays a single minute, when the time has arrived. It was time for Sri Ranganatha to reach Srirangam the capital city of Tiruchirapalli, the same spot where King Dharma Verman meditated.
The Divine Settlement of Sri Ranganatha in Sri Rangam: A Testament to Devotion and Sadhana
Meanwhile, Sri Rama allowed Vibheeshana to carry the Sri Ranganatha Deity to Lanka with the condition that he shall not keep the deity down. If by the dint of fate, if Vibheeshana were to keep the deity down, the deity shall remain fixed at that very spot and shall never move from there.
King Vibheeshana complied. However, as the king of Lanka flew over Tiruchirapalli known as Sri Ranga Kshetra, he felt awfully tired. He forgot about the condition that Sri Rama had laid, by Divine will, and unmindfully just rested the deity in front of the meditating King Dharma Verma.
After having taken some rest he tried to move the deity, but alas he remembered Sri Rama’s condition. Now it was impossible for him to take the deity to Lanka. He also learnt about the meditating personality as the King of the Region.
So he handed over the responsibility of the Ranganatha deity to King Dharma Verman. After ages, King Dharma Verman’s wish had been fulfilled, simply by his intense desire to attain Bhagawan. This is the power of Sadhana. This is the love reciprocation of Sri Rama.
Key Lessons from the Divine Relationship Between Sri Ranganatha and Sri Rama
Here are some takeaways from this poignant anecdote of the Sri Ranganatha deity and his relationship with Lord Rama.
Service or Worship is the highest duty of every living being. Even the great Dharma Verman demonstrated it who gave up everything in order to attain Lord Ranganatha. The great Lord manifested right before the king’s eyes, drawn by the emotion of Pure Divine Love.
Humility is paramount in Devotion. Unless one is humble, no spiritual purity can result. For worship or devotion, humility is the raw material. It transcends all worldly qualifications and remains the single-most condition in order to attain Bhagawan’s infinite Grace.
Dharma born out of Devotion and Humility
We may feel that we may be doing our Dharma by going for a job, feeding our family etc. But are we sincere enough towards that Dharma? Are we not feeling the stress and pressure of the dirty world out there?
Are we not being driven by the madness of competition and the jungle rule around us? True Dharma is only born through Humility and Devotion towards the divine. Unless we develop these two fundamental raw materials, we can never be on the path of genuine Dharma, that which the Lord has ordained for us.
Unity of the Devotee and the Divine. When a Devotee is consumed by the Divine, there is absolutely no difference between the worshiper and the worshiped. Bhagawan consumes the devotee and makes him sit on his divine lap.
The Devotee becomes free of the trials and tribulations of life. The Lord appeared in front of King Dharma Verman, the fruition of his sadhana, a point of union between him and the Deity. This is class one Bhakti.
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