मानिषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वं
अगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत् क्रौंचमिथुनादेकं
अवधीः काममोहितः ॥

ಮಾನಿಷಾದ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಂ ತ್ವಂ
ಅಗಮಃ ಶಾಶ್ವತೀಃ ಸಮಾಃ |
ಯತ್ ಕ್ರೌಂಚಮಿಥುನಾದೇಕಂ
ಅವಧೀಃ ಕಾಮಮೋಹಿತಃ ||

మానిషాద ప్రతిష్ఠాం త్వం
అగమః శాశ్వతీః సమాః |
యత్ క్రౌంచమిథునాదేకం
అవధీః కామమోహితః ||

This Sloka is of intense interest as the first Sloka of Sanskrit literature !

We are following the  three thoughts presented by Sri Bhashyam Appalaacharyulu garu, whom many would know.

The three thoughts are:

- The outer Shell - the contextual meaning

- The inner meanings - a meaning heralding the story he (Valmiki) is about to tell as Ramayana !

- Tatvartham - the philosophical underpinning of Ramayana ! 

The outer shell or the contextual meaning  is already well known . The Sloka is as though it is an angry riposte of the saint angered by the cruel act of the cruel hunter which he saw !

The inner meaning is elaborated by many:

The out pouring in the form of a Sloka being attributed to Brahma ( Brahma vak), the attempt has been to see the Story of Ramayana or the Paulastya Vadha/ Ravana’s killing in the sloka.

The pair of birds are seen as Ravana who is a slave of passion and Mandodari.

Ravana who is blinded by passion is the male bird killed by Rama the hunter

The Sloka is read to mean as an auspicious oration ( mangala Sasanam) in praise of Rama who performed a deed for saving the earth by getting rid of a  vile Rakshasa king .

The Sloka reads as follows

Ma nishada pratishtaam tvam agamah Sasavati samaaha |
Yat krauncha mithunath ekam avadhihi kaamamohitah ||

The meanings are elaborated as follows:

Manishada    :   Srinivasa
Tvam            : you
Avadhihi                   : killed 

KraunchaMithunaath :  from the pair of Rakshasas.  

Ekam  Kaama mohitam:     the one infatuated with desire
Tvam                         : You

Pratishthaam  Agamah        ; be well known 
Sasavt samaha      : for many years

"Oh Srinivasa having killed the infatuated male of the Rakshasa couple , you will be well known for many years !!

This is like "nandi" or Mangalasasana for the story of Ramayana.

Ramayana is originally known as the story of Paulastrya( Ravana)  Vadha. This Sloka substantiates that title because it focuses on the Killing of Ravana.

What came out of Valmiki’s heart, what came out as ordained by Brahma is in effect the story of Ramayana praising the act of the Lord Rama in killing a demon blinded by passion!!

An explanation on similar lines has been probably given by many 

The third interpretation is the deeper inner meaning or "Tatvartham".

It is story of self or Atman and Paramatma

Before we jump into the philosophical meaning of the Ramayana we will dwell a little on the Atman- Paramatman complex.

There are a few things we should remember about Atman ( Self)

- The merging of Atman with Paramatman  is Moksha or liberation; it is also seen as the discovery of Paramatman in Atman . It is also the meaning of – "Aham brahmasmi" ; "Tat tvam Asi" – That thou art !

- The second thing we  shall remember about "Self" is how or why  the  self or Atman  does get diverted from Paramatman ; The Jiva is ever affected by three modes of nature  which drive the Self or Atman in different direction .

These three modes are Tamas, Rajas Satvik ; The Tamas and Rajas drive the self on the path of a pleasant mode of life , a life of  fulfilling desires away from the path of good `

The path of pleasant mode of life is seen as an endless path.

When Tamas and Rajas are subdued, then the Satvik way of life is restored and or enhanced.

Then life is no longer about fulfilling one own needs. It is about doing what is right .

 In the process of doing continuously  what is right, one attains a sense of detachment about selfish needs and a sense of fulfillment.

It finally results in the discovery that the Paramatman,  which one is in search of, is indeed   part of every one . It is part of oneself ( the Atman) .

It is the ultimate realization of Atman as the Paramatman !

This is a simple explanation of the Atman – Paramatman complex

How does this translate into the Ramayana story ?

That is where we have SriBhashyam Appalaacharyula garu's Tatva dipika on Ramayana. Here we elaborate his lines.

Rama and Sita represent Paramatman and Atman.

Lanka is the representation of the “body” complex with all its nature good, bad and ugly

Self or Atman in the body is captive of the three modes of nature .

In the body complex of Lanka the three modes of nature are represented by Ravana ( Rajas) Kumbhakarna ( Tamas) and VibhiShana ( Satvic) . 

The capture of Sita by Ravana and his associates represents the ascendency of evil ; and Atman moves away from its natural affinity to Paramatman and becomes captive of Rajas and Tamas modes represented by Ravana and Kumbhakarna.

Rama’s killing of Ravan and Kunmbhakarna is the representation of subduing the Rajas and Tamas  and Vibhishana coronation is the Ascendency of Satvic forces.

The killing of Ravan results in freeing of Sita.

The subduing of Rajas and Tamas results in Atman regaining its Satvic mode

The reunion of Rama and Sita is the formal unification of Atman with Paramatman 

That is the philosophic under pinning of Ramayana.

om tat sat

info@kasarabada.org