Did Ravana act as a Priest for Rama at Rameshwaram?

There is a story being circulated, based on a video of Sri Sri Ravishankar, that

1. Rama wanted to worship Shiva at Rameshwaram before building the bridge. 

2. He invited the maha brahmana Ravana to be the priest.

3. Ravana came and told Rama he needed his wife alongside to do the pooja.

4. Rama offered to have a sand image of Sita. 

5. Ravana said he will bring Sita herself and brought her over in Pushpaka vimana.

6. Rama and Sita worshipped Shiva with Ravana acting as the priest. 

7. When Rama bowed down to Ravana, he blessed him. "Vijayi Bhava."

8. Sita was taken back to Ashoka Vana, and the rest is history. 

I do not buy this story.

Ravana was a despicable character and there is no way Rama would have requested him to be the priest. In fact Shiva has never said Ravana is his great devotee anywhere. He in fact congratulated Rama after killing Ravana, according to Valmiki. 

Somebody says it is in Adhyatma Ramayana. I have taken the trouble to source a translation of it as below. No such story there.

Postscript: I have scanned Adhyatma Ramayana portion from Gita Press in Kannada below. It says exactly the same as the English one. 

Sri Gurupadukastotram

This glorious prayer to the sandals/footwear of the Sri Guru has been composed by the colossus 

Jagadguru Sri Sachchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamiji of Sringeri Math.

We recently went through this great composition as we were taught by Swami Tejomayanandaji of Chinmaya Mission. I am therefore inspired to write this blog. I shall attempt to give the shloka meanings word-by-word and my own understanding.

1.

• नालीकनीकाशपदाधृताभ्याम् - the pair of footwear that bear the lotus-like feet (of the Guru)
• नारीविमोहादिनिवारकाभ्याम् - that remove the infatuation with women (/men) and so on,
• नमज्जनाभीष्टततिप्रदाभ्याम् - that confer fulfilment of a series of desires for devotees who bow down,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

2. 

• शमादिषट्कप्रदवैभवाभ्याम् - that have the glory of conferring Shama and other six-fold virtues to the seeker,
• समाधिदानव्रतदीक्षिताभ्याम् - that are vow-bound to confer Samadhi on the true seeker,
• रमाधवाङ्घ्रिस्थिरभक्तिदाभ्याम् - that grant us firm devotion to the feet of Narayana, Lord of Lakshmi,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

3. 

• नृपालिमौलिव्रजरत्नकान्तिसरिद्विराजज्झषकन्यकाभ्याम् - that are like a pair of divine mermaids shining in  shimmering waters as they dazzle amidst a series of glittering crowns of a line of kings bowing down to the Guru for his grace,
• नृपत्वदाभ्यां नतलोकपङ्क्तेः- and that, equally, confer lordship to the line of even ordinary devotees bowing down to the Guru ,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

4. 

• अनन्तसंसारसमुद्रतार​-नौकायिताभ्याम् गुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - that divine pair of footwear of the Guru that function as the boat to save us from the endless seas of worldly bondage,
• वैराग्यसाम्राज्यदपूजनाभ्याम् - and confer on us the kingdom of dispassion when worshipped,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

5.

• पापान्धकारार्कपरम्पराभ्याम् - that are like a series of suns to dispel the darkness of sinful and ignorant acts,
• तापत्रयाहीन्द्रखगेश्वराभ्याम् - that are like Garuda, lord of birds, to the mightiest of serpents that are the three-fold troubles faced by mankind,
• जाड्याब्धिसंशोओषणवाडवाभ्याम् - that are like the mythical submarine fire that dries up the ocean of man's inertia in spiritual matters,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

6. 

• कवित्ववाराशिनिशाकराभ्याम् - that are like the moon who inspires the sea of poetic and spiritual insight to wax,
• दारिद्र्यदावाम्बुदमालिकाभ्याम् -that are like a series of rain-bearing clouds to put out the fire of misery and wretchedness of man,
• दूरीकृतानम्रविपत्ततिभ्याम् - that ward off the dangers faced by devotees,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

7.

• नता ययोः श्रीपतितां समीयुः - those bowing down to which pair acquire immeasurable prosperity akin to Lakshmi's consort Vishnu,
• कदाचिदप्याशु दरिद्रवर्याः - even when they may be indeed the most wretched lot at present, 
• मूकश्च वाचस्पतितां हि ताभ्याम् - and alike, a dumb mute becomes the lord of eloquence, bowing down to the pair,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

8. 

• कामादिसर्पव्रजभञ्जकाभ्याम् - the pair that destroy the serpentine enemies of man like lust,
• विवेकवैराग्यनिधिप्रदाभ्याम् - and graciously grant the immense wealth of discrimination and dispassion to the devotee,
• बोधप्रदाभ्याम् द्रुतमोक्षदाभ्याम् - that confer wisdom, and quickly enable liberation of the bound soul,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

9.

• स्वार्चापराणामखिलेष्टदाभ्याम् - to the one dedicated to contemplation of the Self, they grant all desires (which will naturally be of a spiritual nature),
• स्वाहासहायाक्षधुरन्धराभ्याम् - they bear the immense weight of Lord Shankara himself (with fire as his  third eye), as his footwear,
• स्वान्ताच्छभावप्रदपूजनाभ्याम् - and they on worship grant one infinite felicity of revelling in the Self,
• नमो नमः श्रीगुरुपादुकाभ्याम् - to that sacred pair of footwear, our repeated obeisances.

We can see that the Sringeri Swamiji has poured great spiritual instruction into this prayer. He has described the immense glory of even the footwear of the Guru and how worshipping them frees us from bondage and takes us to liberation and grants us true devotion.

My thoughts on going through this prayer are as follows. God, as we intuit Him, in infinite glory, is beyond thought and perception for us. In His infinite grace, to redeem us, He manifests as the Guru in human form. The Guru is glory himself as he attracts us, gives us the right direction, insight, and liberation, constantly guiding us through this world of delusions and attractions and addressing our sense of being impoverished.

Even as we say this, we can at once see that even the Guru is thus beyond our comprehension. He is God in human form. The only thing we can express to him is devotion. But our devotion is in too small a measure even to reach him. So an immediate and ready opportunity presents itself to us: to worship his footwear! His footwear appear to be of material access, but indeed they hold within themselves all the power to grant us devotion, insight, and even liberation. Liberation from a sense of want and incompleteness, and liberation in the form of realising Sat-Chit-Ananda-Brahman.  So it is an easy beginning for us to worship the Guru's padukas.

Om Tat Sat!

Postscript: Some versions of this Stotram have a different sequencing of verses. For example Chinmaya Mission. The sequence shown here is taken from the 1913 publication of Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam. This press was set up by a disciple of the Sringeri Swamiji, the author of the Stotram. I therefore believe this is the original. 

November 7, 2017: Shiva Shiva Shiva Bho

|| śrījayacāmarājendra-viracita kṛtiḥ ||

rāga: nādanāmakriyā  tāla: miśrajhampa

śiva śiva śiva bho mahādeva śambho

śivāramaṇa mamāparādhaṃ kṣamasva     | pallavī |

śarva sarvānandakara akhilāṇḍaprabho 

bhavasāgaratāraka akṣayaliṅgaprabho      | anu pallavī |

namaste sthāṇo pralayakālajagadbhakṣaka

namakacamakaprakaṭitarudrasūktatoṣita

kāmāre tripurāre kumbhodbhavastutipātra

kāmeśvarīvallabha kuberamitra

kapālī kālabhairaveti vikhyāta

'śrīvidyāvinuta nādanāmakriyātoṣita     |caraṇa |

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

śiva śiva śiva bho - Oh Lord Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, my obeisances!

mahādeva śambho - the Great God, who confers happiness on all, 

śivāramaṇa kṣamasva  mama aparādhaṃ - the Consort of Devi, kindly forgive my transgressions.

śarva - Oh the great Slayer with the arrow (and bow) of Tripura, 

sarva anandakara - to all, the giver of bliss, 

akhila aṇḍa prabho - Oh, the Lord of all worlds, 

tāraka sāgara  bhava - the One who transports us over the ocean of wordliness,  

akṣaya liṅga prabho -the Lord addressed as the imperishable Linga , 

namaste sthāṇo - Obeisances to you, Oh Immovable and Fixed God ( as the Mount Kailasa)

bhakṣaka jagat  pralaya kāla  - who devours the world at the time of dissolution, 

toṣita rudrasūkta prakaṭita namaka camaka - pleased with the recitation of the Rudra Sukta, manifested as Namaka and Chamaka chants, 

kāmāre tripurāre - the Enemy of the God of Temptation/Lust, the Enemy of the Tripura Demon, 

stuti pātra kumbha udbhava - who received the prayers of Sage Agastya, born in a pot, 

vallabha kāmeśvarī  - Consort of Devi, the Goddess who controls all desires, 

kubera mitra - the friend of Kubera, the god of wealth, 

vikhyāta  iti kapālī kālabhairava  - Well known as Kapaalin, wearing the garland of skulls, and the fierce Kala Bhairava who roams the cremation grounds, 

śrīvidyā vinuta - worshipped by Sri Vidya practices, 

nādanāmakriyā toṣita  - pleased by the raga Nadanamakriya! 

The picture is of the great Srikantheshwara temple in Nanjanagudu, near Mysore.

This song was sung by MSS in the UN Concert. It is one of the best compositions in Nadanamakriya. It is composed by the Mysore Maharaja.

October 15, 16, 2017: I simply give up

Folks, apologies. I simply give up. I find the Samskrita too tough to connect the words and meanings into narrative in a cogent fashion. If anyone can help me, please do so. The full stotra is linked here: https://shlokaaday.blogspot.in/2017/10/october-10-2017-ardhanarisvara-stotram.html 

I am also taking a week-long break for Deepaavali.

Happy Deepaavali, the festival of light, delight, and celebrations!

October 14, 2017: Adhanarishwarastotram - continued

ardhanārīśvarastotram - continued

nedaṃ parṇasamīraṇāśanatapomāhātmyamakṣoragau

paśyaitāvata eva samprati kṛtau 

tanmātravṛttī bahiḥ

premṇaivardhamidaṃ carācraguroḥ 

prāpteyamātmastutī ritthaṃ 

devavadhūmukhacchrutisukhāḥ śṛṇvatyaparṇāvatāt   ||5 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

nedaṃ parṇasamīraṇāśanatapomāhātmyam - "This is not merely the power of (my) severe penance of living on leaves and air as food, alone,

akṣoragau paśyaitāvata eva samprati kṛtau 

tanmātravṛttī bahiḥ - Nor is it that the two coiled mighty serpents are an external manifestation of the five senses (under my control as Prakriti),

premṇaivardhamidaṃ carācaraguroḥ - but this is the union of the moving and immovable (like body and soul) as a result of the infinite love",

itthaṃ  prāpteyamātmastutīḥ  - thus are we vouchsafed the self-expression of prayer

śṛṇvatyaparṇāvatāt - as we hear them from Parvati, called Aparna!

devavadhūmukhacchrutisukhāḥ - Oh the joys! Thus uttered are the prayerful expressions of God's bride herself!

October 13, 2017: Ardhanarishwarastotram - continued

ardhanārīśvarastotram - continued

vihitamajagośṛṅgāgrābhyāṃ dhanurghaṭitam tathā

narakaraṭinordehārdhābhyāṃ gaṇaṃ pratigṛhṇataḥ

dvividharacanā

vāllabhyānāṃ nodherucitā vibhorjayati 

laṭabhāpumbhāgābhyām śarīravinirmitiḥ  || 4 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

vihitamajagośṛṅgāgrābhyāṃ dhanurghaṭitam - As You are described, Your bow is made up of the horns of goats and cows,

tathā - then, 

narakaraṭinordehārdhābhyāṃ gaṇaṃ pratigṛhṇataḥ - Your creation of a half man-half elephant being was accepted as your attendants' chief (=Ganesha),

dvividharacanā - this two-fold design 

vāllabhyānāṃ nidherucitā vibhoḥ - of Your spouse being built into your form, Oh Shiva!

jayati 

laṭabhāpumbhāgābhyām śarīravinirmitiḥ - Glory be to the beauteous woman-cum-man half-n-half body's wonderful creation!

October 12, 2017: Ardhanarishwara Stotram - continued

ardhanārīśvarastortaṃ continued

muñcebhājinamasya kumbhakuhare muktāḥ kucāgrōcitaḥ

kiṃbhājajjvalanena kajjalamataḥ kāryaṃ tavākshṇoḥ kṛte

sandhāne vapurardhayorbhagavatoritthaṃ niṣedhe'pyaheheḥ

kartavye priyayottarānusaraṇdyukto haraḥ pātu vaḥ      ||3 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

muñcebhājinam asya - to Kama, the one who colluded to cheat You,

 kumbhakuhare muktāḥ kucāgrōcitaḥ - by  tempting You by the alluring sight of Parvati (?),

kiṃ bhājajjvalanena kajjalamataḥ kāryaṃ tavākshṇoḥ kṛte -

with the Third Eye of fire, you reduced him to ashes, but later by your kind gaze, you put out the fire and resurrected him (?)

itthaṃ sandhāne  ardhayoḥ  bhagavataḥ  vapuḥ niṣedhe api eheḥ - Thus, by encountering/envisioning your unique Ardha Nari form, (one half destruction and the other grace)??

kartavye priyayā uttarānusaraṇāt 

yuktaḥ haraḥ pātu vaḥ  - as His nature, by following the merciful Devi, Shiva may redeem you all.

This is a tough shloka and I am not sure of my translations.

October 11, 2017: Ardhanarishwara, continued

ardhanārīśvarastotram - continued

vāme sāñjanamakṣi dakṣiṇadiśi 

śyāmāyamāno galaḥ

pāṇau tiṣṭhati darpaṇo'tra 

mukuṭe'mutra sthitaścandramāḥ  |

tanmāteyamayaṃ piteti sucirāt-

sapratyabhijñaṃ śanai

ryasyaotsaṅgamagādguho 

bhavatu vaḥ 

prītyai sa gaurīśvaraḥ  || 2 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

vāme sā añjanamakṣi - On the left, she has applied collorium to her eyes,

dakṣiṇadiśi  śyāmāyamāno galaḥ - the right side of the neck is bluish dark in colour, 

pāṇau tiṣṭhati darpaṇo'tra - here (on the left) in her hand is held a mirror, 

mukuṭe amutra sthitaścandramāḥ - in the crown on that right side is poised the moon, 

tat mātā ayam ayaṃ pitā iti - that this side is the mother, and that side is the father, thus,

sucirāt sapratyabhijñaṃ śanaiḥ - after considerable time, as the recognition dawns slowly,

yasya utsaṅgamagāt guhaḥ - by whose union of two forms a mystery is presented,  

saḥ gaurīśvaraḥ  - that Gauri-Ishwara (=Ardhanarishwara)

bhavatu prītyai vaḥ -may He shower his affection/grace upon you all!

October 10, 2017: Ardhanarisvara Stotram by Kalhana

Dear all,

I am back after a great tour of Sri Lanka, in the company of some very good musicians and a historian. You can see some of my photos here: http://bit.ly/SachiInHarmony1

Now for the resumption of my Samskrita lessons. I have been requested by a very good scholar-friend to take this up. I will take up the Ardhanarisvarastotram composed by the 12th century Kashmiri poet Kalhana, whose work Rajatarangini is a great resource for historians to study Kashmir's cultural history.

This is a tough set of shlokas, I will take up one or two stanzas per day.

|| kāśmīrakamahākaviśrīkahlaṇakṛtam

ardhanārīśvarastōtram  ||

bhālaṃ vahniśikhāṅkitaṃ dadhadadhiśrotraṃ vahansaṃbhṛtakrīḍatkuṇḍalijṛṃbhitaṃ jaladhijacchāyācchakaṇṭhacchaviḥ  |

vakṣo bibhradahīnakañcukacitaṃ baddhāṅganārdhasya vo bhāgaḥ puṅgavalakṣmaṇostu 

yaśase vāmō'thavā dakṣiṇaḥ || 1||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

(Oh Shiva, the personification of glory!)

vahan - as You carry the following

vahniśikhāṅkitaṃ bhālaṃ - With Your forehead adorned with a flaming torch (Third Eye),

dadhadadhiśrotraṃ - with the oceanic cascade of Ganga,

saṃbhṛtakrīḍatkuṇḍalijṛṃbhitaṃ - with Your ear ornaments resplendent as they oscillate, 

jaladhijacchāyācchakaṇṭhacchaviḥ -with Your neck shadowed by the light from the crescent moon on Your crest (born of the ocean during the churning)

bibhradahīnakañcukacitaṃ vakṣaḥ - Your chest covered in sacred ash, 

baddhāṅganārdhasya - bound with Parvati, your other half;

vāmō'thavā dakṣiṇaḥ bhāgaḥ - on either Your left half or right,

vaḥ puṅgavalakṣmaṇostu yaśase - may each of those emblems and descriptions of Shiva be auspicious for us!

Phew. Tough one.

Next shloka tomorrow.

September 1, 2017 : Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra

rāvaṇaviracita śivatāṇḍavastotram

jaṭāṭavīgalajjalapravāhapāvitasthale

gale'valambyalambitāṁ bhujaṅgatuṅgamālikām|

ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamanninādavaḍḍamarvayaṁ cakāra caṇḍatāṇḍavaṁ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam ||1||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

gale - (With His) neck

pāvitasthale - which has become a consecrated spot,
galajjalapravāha - (by Holy Ganga's) cascading water in a flood,
jaṭāṭavī -as it passes His matted hair, thick as forest;

lambitāṁ bhujaṅga -  a long  snake 

avalambya- balanced upon His neck,

tuṅga mālikām  - in a heaped garland, like a mountain;

ayaṁ ḍamaru - and this hand-drum, 

ninādavat ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamat  -sounding ḍama-dama-dama-dama ( as it is played by Him);

śivaḥ - (in this form), Lord Shiva (who)

cakāra - performed His

caṇḍatāṇḍavaṁ - fierce Tandava dance,

tanotu naḥ - May He, Shiva, aid/bless us all.

Ravana, a celebrated anti-hero of Ramayana, was a flawed personality. Of great powers, impossible feats and high accomplishments. His main fault was that he would not let go. Either when he coveted the Atma-linga, or when he desired Parvathi for a wife, or when he abducted Sita. 

In this poem, attributed to him, he prays to Shiva in Mount Kailasa. There is no reference to his circumstance, or his persistent demand. It is a pure prayer.

I have chosen only the first verse. More will follow.

Look at the picture of a sculpture on a pillar in Karnataka's Pattadakal, a world heritage site with a glorious 6/7th century temple dedicated to Virupaksha (Shiva). The artist captures Ravana's personality so well, from behind! Many artifices (like the demon has turned his head 180 deg.) are employed to depict him.

August 29, 2017: Shiva Mahimna Stotra

śrīpuṣpadantaviracita
śivamāhimnastotram

atītaḥ panthānaṁ tava ca mahimā vāṅmānasayoratadvyāvṛttyā yaṁ 

cakitamabhidhatte śrutirapi       |
sa kasya stotavyaḥ katividhaguṇaḥ 

kasya viṣayaḥ pade tvarvācīne 

patati na manaḥ kasya na vacaḥ     ||2||

tava mahimā - (Oh Lord Shiva!), Your glory

vāṅmānasayoḥ panthānaṃ atītaḥ - (Is) beyond the reach/ambit of speech and thought ;

ca api śrutiḥ - and, whilst even the Vedas

cakitaṃ  abhidhatte  - in astonishment describe (actually give up describing)

yaṃ atad vyāvṛttyā  - whom=You by saying "not that", i.e. using exclusions;

saḥ stotavyaḥ kasya - such a person (=You, Lord Shiva) is extollable (with apt descriptions) by whom?

(saḥ)kati vidhaguṇaḥ - - such a person (=You, Lord Shiva) has how many varieties of attributes?

(saḥ)viṣayaḥ kasya - (such a person) can be perceived by whom?

tu kasya na manaḥ na vacaḥ - however, whose mind or word doesn't 

patati pade arvācīne  - drop/enter into that state of beyond (through Your contemplation)?

Pushpadanta, the poet here, is a heavenly musician (Gandharva) who loves flowers, visits a garden in his invisible form,  and robs many wonderful flowers. But the garden belongs to a king, Chitraratha, who grows the flowers only for Shiva's worship. The king finds flowers disappearing, and wants to catch the magical thief. He spreads nirmalya flowers (made sacred by being already used in worship the previous day) on the garden ground. Pushapadanta commits the sin of stepping on the sacred nirmalya flowers, and loses his magical invisibility. He is caught and tied up. He then bursts into the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, a wonderful poem extolling the indescribable glories of Shiva. He thereby pleases Shiva who releases him from the bondage.

You can see how the poet has managed to convey the transcendental glories of Shiva by using negatives and rhetorical questions.