Nine Brahmin Sons and Nava-Rāma

The third sarga of the Manohara Khaṇḍa of the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells of the nine sons of a brahmin named Sundara. Together they did intense tapas (austerity) for the darśana (sight) of Bhagavān Rāma. Because of their shared longing, Bhagavān Rāma appeared in nine separate forms, called Nava-Rāma, one for each son. The sarga also teaches the signs of a true guru, the three kinds of upāsanā, and the forty-four avatāras of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Guru-lakshaṇas: the signs of a true guru

Before the account of the nine brothers, the sarga teaches the guru-lakshaṇas, the qualities that mark a true spiritual guide from those who only play the part.

A sāttvika guru (one filled with truth and light) knows the self directly, is free from desire, cares for the disciple’s liberation and not for his own gain, and teaches in a way that matches his inner state.

A rājasika guru seeks influence, followers and material support. A tāmasika guru leads disciples into confusion, wrong values and bondage, not liberation. The teaching urges the seeker to judge carefully before accepting a guru, because the bond between guru and disciple is the main way liberation is passed on.

The three kinds of upāsanā (devotional practice) are named in the same way:

  • Sāttvika upāsanā: done with jñāna (knowledge), with no attachment to results, as an offering to the divine. It leads toward moksha.
  • Rājasika upāsanā: done wanting particular fruits in this world or in svarga. It brings those fruits but does not free the practitioner from saṃsāra.
  • Tāmasika upāsanā: done with anger, revenge or a wrong aim. It leads the practitioner to more bondage and decline.

The forty-four avatāras of Vishṇu

The sarga lists forty-four avatāras of Bhagavān Vishṇu. This is far more than the ten usually recited (the Daśāvatāra). The list includes the well-known avatāras from Matsya to Kalki and adds other forms across the yugas that are named in the Purāṇas. Birth tithis (lunar dates) are given for the main Daśāvatāra avatāras, to fix the right days to keep them. This list is the background to the Nava-Rāma episode that follows. It shows that Bhagavān Vishṇu’s power to appear in many forms at once is a basic part of his nature.

The nine sons of Sundara

A brahmin named Sundara had nine sons. Every name had the word Candra (moon) in it:

  1. Candra
  2. Aticandra
  3. Candrābha
  4. Candrāsya
  5. Candraśekhara
  6. Candrāṃśu
  7. Jitacandra
  8. Candracūḍa
  9. Guhābhūmicandra

All nine brothers shared one devotion to Bhagavān Rāma. They did tapas at the same time, each longing for the darśana of Rāma. Their tapas was strong and long, and it came from a single wish. They did not want wealth or power, or even liberation as a far goal. They wanted Rāma himself.

Rāma’s nine forms

Moved by the love and longing of the nine brothers, Bhagavān Rāma did not appear in one form for them to gather before. He took nine forms at the same moment, the Nava-Rāma. Each was a whole and complete form of himself, one for each son. Each appeared to a brother in his own place of tapas at the same time.

The fullness of Bhagavān Rāma is not divided when he appears in many places. Each of the nine forms was fully Rāma. None was a part or a copy. The pūrṇatva (fullness) of Bhagavān Rāma is not lessened by many appearances. The Īśāvāsya Upanishad gives this verse:

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśishyate

It means: from fullness, fullness comes out. When fullness is taken from fullness, fullness remains.

After this, Bhagavān Rāma set his favoured way of offering flowers: the nava-pushpāñjali, an offering of nine flowers. He also named nine foods, the nava-pākāna, as dear to him. So these two forms of pūjā were fixed for devotees of Rāma in all later ages.

These nine-fold forms of pūjā carry the memory of the nine brahmin brothers and the nine Rāma-forms.

Sources

  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Manohara Khaṇḍa, sarga 3 (guru-lakshaṇas; upāsanā; forty-four avatāras; the nine sons; Nava-Rāma; nava-pushpāñjali and nava-pākāna)
  • Īśāvāsya Upanishad (the verse on fullness)