The Ramayana is considered the highest epic and one easily accessible to all. The Ramayana, which narrates the avatar of Emperuman, is itself the Vedas, said Dhamal Perundevi in a discourse. Valmiki named it succinctly as Ramayana, by taking the syllables from the four Vedas. From Rig Veda, he used the syllable ‘Ra’, ‘Ma’ from Sama Veda, ‘Ya’ from Yajur Veda and ‘Na’ from Atharvana Veda, in his compilation of the epic of 24,000 verses. The Gayatri mantra has 24 syllables and at the start of every 1,000th verse, the sage used a syllable from Gayatri. The work has been blessed by Brahma, while Narada extended his guidance in order to ensure devotees experience in full the sterling qualities of Rama.
After compiling the epic, the question of how to reach it to the people arose and Luv and Khush rose to the task. Why did Rama listen to the discourse of the two, who were none other than His own children, raised in a hermitage in a forest? It is because the Ramayana is also referred to as Sitayas Charitam Mahath:. Sita allowed Herself to be imprisoned in Lanka by Ravana so that Rama could undertake the purpose of His avatar: vanquish Ravana and retrieve Her. Rama enjoyed the discourse of Ramayana not because it was about Him, but because it narrated Sita’s exemplary story.
It is said that avatar is the act of descent of God in order to help man ascend towards Him. Rama and Krishna avatars are referred to as poorna avatars: in both of them God stayed on for many years, before and after accomplishing the purpose of His manifestation. As Rama, He stayed on to establish Ram Rajya in Ayodhya, the incomparable city.
Devotees often make various appeals in their prayers to God, including the wish for a trouble-free and peaceful life. Akkarakani Srinidhi Swamy said in a discourse that in our prarthanas (prayers), we should include pleading with God to grant us the strength and opportunity to extend our best possible service to Him. Sri Pillai Lokacharaiar says people sometimes forget this due to the turmoil of samsara.
Saint Ramanuja, considered the manifestation of Adisesha, had the sole aim of serving God. The Acharya prayed that God would extend His blessings to us so that we could serve Him. The Acharya suggested the easiest mode of worship, saranagathi or surrender, for the benefit of the people.The Upanishads describe saranagathi in detail. It is well appreciated and followed by Acharyas and noblemen. The scriptures say it is equally relished by God. Keeping in mind the above three, Sri Ramanuja, through his work, exemplified the concept of surrender. Gadhya denotes the prose format (in the order of Saranagathi Gadhyam, Sri Ranga Gadhyam and Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam), and thrayam refers to three. Saranagathi to Lord Sri Ranganatha will result in moksha in Sri Vaikunta.
The mind is like a war zone and controlling it entirely is key to finding God. When one is constantly agitated, internally, how can one find peace? It is imperative that one masters one’s senses, stay immune to sensory temptations that pop up practically everyday in worldly life and achieve complete self control. Once such a state is achieved, the Lord will reside as pure bliss within us, said Swami Mitranandaji.The best example of such mastery is Dasaratha. Only a person who rises above the ten senses is known as a Dasarathi. Rath means a chariot and Dasaratha is one who has the supreme ability to rein in his senses. Despite hailing from an illustrious lineage and ruling over a vast empire, Dasaratha remained inherently detached from materialistic possessions; nor did he indulge in pleasures from such a state. On the contrary, he was focused on performing his duties, rule justly and maintain peace and harmony over the vast kingdom. When such a person is at the helm, prosperity follows forthwith. Why was Ayodhya, his capital, so celebrated? The term literally means ‘no conflict.’ When we tame our minds and achieve complete self-control, we achieve a free (mental) state such as the prosperous and peaceful Ayodhya under Dasaratha.He was an ascetic, which is why, when he invoked God with prayer and penance for progeny, he was blessed with Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. When one achieves a calm mind, one can make decisions, like Dasaratha, with utmost clarity, after intense deliberation. Only in such a state can we experience truly the divinity we invoke, within us.
When people start good deeds, it is customary to seek elders’ permission and blessings to complete the task without any hindrance.
Navalpakkam Sri Vasudevaachariar said in a discourse that Acharya Sri Vedanta Desika showed himself as an example. The Acharya invoked the blessings of four persons before starting to write “Sri Paduka Sahasram”, which glorifies the power of the divine sandals (paduka) of Lord Ranganatha.
In the first sloka, Sri Vedanta Desika invokes the blessings of great noblemen who bear on their heads the divine paduka of Sri Ranganatha, which empowers even the dust from their feet to sanctify and protect people from all inauspiciousness.
In the second sloka, the Acharya pays his homage to Bharatha who showed first to the world the greatness of paduka. He worshipped the sandals of Sri Rama, placing them on the throne and ruled the kingdom for 14 years just as a proxy to Rama. The Acharya pays his homage to Sri Nadhamunigal, who was like Bharatha to Sri Nammazhwar.
In the third verse, the Acharya pays his obeisance to Sri Nammazhwar, who bears the name of Sataari (paduka), being absorbed in Sri Ranganatha’s feet. With the blessings of Nammazhwar, we place our heads at the feet of God (Perumal Thaalil Thalai Vaithom Satagopan Arulale). Nammazhwar sang about 1,000 verses in Thiruvaimozhi. Swami Desika also wished to compose 1,000 slokas in Paduka Sahasram.
Swami Desika prays in the 4th sloka to the sage Valmiki, who had written about the glory of padukas in Srimad Ramayanam.
In His manifestation as Varaha (wild boar), the Lord says (Aham Smarami Mat Bhaktham) that even if a person forgets Him, He will not forget the person who surrendered at His feet. As Sri Rama, the Lord proclaims, He would extend asylum to all those who surrendered (Sakrudeva prapannaya). Lord Krishna says in Sri Bhagavad Gita, “Completely relinquishing all dharmas, seek me alone for refuge. I will release you from all sins. Grieve not” (Sarvadharman Parithyajya — Chapter XVIII sloka 66).
Navalpakkam Sri Vasudevachariar said in a discourse that people who undertake surrender (Saranagathi) will be like newlywed couple who feel the change in life and are happy. Saranagathi is a once-in-a-lifetime procedure and can be done at any time, whether young or old.Saint Ramanuja says this physical body is perishable and that we need not bother about it. The Acharya further advises not to worry about the soul, as it is surrendered and it is His responsibility.
Lakshmana serves Rama in the forest. Yet it is Bharata’s bhakti that is considered superior to Lakshmana’s. Lakshmana’s bhakti was seshatva, while Bharata’s was paratantriya, said Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar, in a discourse. Seshatva is the quality of dedicating oneself to the Lord and serving Him. But paratantriya is the attitude of thinking of oneself as belonging to the Lord. The very existence of such a bhakta is to carry out the Lord’s will. Bharata was one such bhakta. He never questioned Rama. Usually an example is given to show the difference between seshatva and paratantriya. Suppose the Lord asks a person whose bhakti falls under the classification of seshatva to jump into a fire, he will ask, “If I am not here, who will serve You?” But if the same order were given to one whose bhakti can be classified as paratantriya, then he will obey, without questioning the Lord.
In his Paduka Sahasram, Vedanta Desika praises Bharata as the one who first proclaimed the greatness of Raghava paduka (Rama’s sandals). There are many conversations that Bharata has with various characters in the Ramayana. Through every conversation that Bharata has, Valmiki shows us the importance of the dharma sastras. He has nothing but harsh words for Kaikeyi. He assures Kausalya that he had no part in Kaikeyi’s decisions. Vasistha insists that Bharata ascend the throne, but Bharata refuses. When he arrives at the bank of the Ganga, he has a conversation with Guha. Looking for Rama, he arrives at sage Bharadwaja’s ashram, and talks to the rishi, who tells him where he can find Rama.
What is Karma? Will it yield results directly? When will it give? Valayapettai Sri Ramachariar said in a discourse that Karma refers to the deeds undertaken by human beings. It may be a good one (punya karma) or a bad one (papa karma). Not all will ever do only either the good or the sinful deeds. People will do both with or without their knowledge.
Punya karma refers to those activities through which we derive benefits, solace, and comfort. The effect of papa karma will be that which we don’t like to come to us (e.g., disease).
Karma is a non-sentient (Achetana) and cannot give results by itself directly. God, the Supreme One, grants based on our Karma. Adversities often compel a person to blame God, little realising that the divine Agency shows neither partiality nor favouritism. The wealth one enjoys, or the poverty in which he is steeped are but the consequences of his past deeds — noble or wicked as the case may be.
Whenever one is feeling down or sorrowful, wise men say reading of the Ramayana will uplift such a person. Every character in the epic will show all of us the way forward in spiritual and material life and provide relief from sorrow, said Damal S Ramakrishnan in a discourse.
The Ramayana is a practical guide on various premises, including on how a son should conduct himself, upbringing of children by parents, the equation between a guru and sishya, the connection between a ruler and his subjects and the understanding between a husband and wife. Above all, it showcases sibling bonding.
Rama is a stellar example of the ideal brother, right from birth, to Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrugna. Lakshmana, who would not stop crying in his cradle until he was placed in the same crib as his older brother, was inseparable from Rama. When sage Viswamitra summoned the bala Rama to his yagna, Rama took Lakshmana along, who stood by his brother. Bharata, likewise looked up to his two older brothers. When he was summoned to Ayodhya after Rama’s banishment — an event he knew nothing about — Bharata went to the palace of Rama in order to ascertain what had unfolded in his absence. Upon learning of his banishment, and his own impending elevation as ruler, Bharata refused the realm forthwith. He immediately donned the attire of an ascetic and set out to bring Rama, the lawful heir, back to Ayodhya. Shatrugna, who looked up to his sibling Bharata, likewise followed suit. Kausalya. who wanted another glimpse of Rama, also joined the growing ranks of people determined to go to the forest. Guha, the boatman who Rama embraced as his own sibling, was initially suspicious of Bharata’s motive; however, upon coming face to face with him, he too became aware of Bharata’s nobility.
Caught up in earthly matters, devotees nevertheless want to achieve nirvana, a state where there is no sorrow. One can term that state as self-realisation, wherein one lives in this world, but the world is not within one; akin to a boat floating in water and not the other way round. When one realises the real self, within one, then one has attained fulfilment, and there is nothing more to be gained. The entire process is succinctly summed up in the six verses of Nirvana Shatkam, said Swami Ramacharana Tirtha (Nochur) in a discourse.
One is sheathed in various layers and it is important to discard them in order to tap into the core, inner self which alone can offer complete peace. Our physique is the outermost sheath, with the functional organs forming the next. Further buried is the mind (manam), followed by intellect (buddhi). The innermost layer is that of bliss, of chit (anandham) of Sivam, which is another name for fulfilment.
The journey to the inner core is not easy, but it is possible to free oneself of the shackles of external gratifications, remove ignorance and find the limitless inner self. When one listens to music, one experiences sheer joy, but even that is not permanent or continuous. Similarly with the inner self. For example, in between two thoughts, one experiences a state of being where there is only the self and nothing else. One should separate the mind from the body. True bliss comes when one realises that atma is ever free: there is neither aversion nor attachment. What remains is complete equipoise. It is latent in everyone, and one should seek it and own it.
In his Peria Thirumozhi, Thirumangai Azhvar has an entire padhigam (set of 10 verses) extolling Lord Narayana’s dasavataras, explained M.A. Venkatakrishnan in a discourse. He writes about nine of them in order in nine separate verses, but does not devote a separate verse for Kalki avatara. That is because a padhigam can, by definition, contain only 10 verses, of which the tenth has to be the phala sruti verse. So it would not have been possible to allocate a separate pasuram for Kalki. But Thirumangai Azhvar mentions Kalki in the phala sruti verse. There are three avataras in which the name ‘Rama’ features. We have the Parasurama and Balarama avataras in addition to Dasaratha Rama. While talking of Parasurama and Balarama in the phala sruti verse, Thriumangai Azhvar refers to Parasurama and Balarama as ‘Rama.” But for Dasaratha Rama, he uses the Tamil word “thAnAi,” showing that this Dasaratha Rama was a paripoorna avatara, a complete avatara. The Ramayana is read with reverence, because it tells us about this avatara. We have only two Itihasas — the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Among them, Ramayana is superior, says Pillai Lokachariar. That is because it is entirely about the Lord’s avatara, whereas, the Mahabharata is mainly about two warring factions of a family.
Ithihasa are a narative of what has happened as it happens the puranas are a narative of what has happened after it has happened. it's a story.
No comments:
Post a Comment