Vedanta Desika’s Sanskrit work Raghuveeragadyam is a work in praise of Lord Rama. Praising Lord Rama’s qualities as seen in the Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, Vedanta Desika says Lord Narayana took the Rama avatara because the celestials wanted to be saved from Dasavadana (ten-faced Ravana). Desika then speaks of the greatness of the family in which Rama was born, elaborated T.N. Aravamuda Thathachariar in a discourse. Rama was born in Dinakara kula, says Desika, in a reference to the illustrious Surya Vamsa to which Lord Rama’s ancestors belonged. By being born the son of king Dasaratha, Lord Rama saved the latter from the third debt. Every man has three debts — a debt to sages, a debt to the devas and a debt to his ancestors. While Dasaratha, through the study of Vedas and performance of yagas, had taken care of the first two debts, the third debt was taken care of only when Rama was born. Rama would continue to do whatever was needed for the manes of the Ikshvaku family, and thus Dasaratha no longer had to worry about his debt to his ancestors. Thus, Rama settled Dasaratha’s third debt.
Vedanta Desika also talks of the Ahalya episode. He says Ahalya was rid of her curse by Rama, and restored to her original form, and went on to worship Rama. Desika goes on to praise the mighty shoulders of Rama, which made the breaking of the Siva Dhanus in Janaka’s court very easy. What is impossible for others is just child’s play to Rama. Rama’s eyes stole the beauty of lotuses, which open up when they see their friend, the Sun. Desika, in his Raghuveera Gadyam, praises Rama’s qualities as shown by Valmiki in each kanda. With a description of Parasurama’s pride being crushed by Rama, Desika concludes his salutations to Rama’s qualities as seen in the Bala Kanda.
