Daily prayer

 

The ancient Indian and Greek civilisations are renowned for their cultural quotient, with the former being the only entity focusing on bringing man closer to God. This spiritual ethos has kept pace with the changing needs over eons, simplifying the ways and means to reach God, said P. Swaminathan while exemplifying the power of daily prayer to achieve this ultimate goal.

While chasing earthly goals characterises the average person, the only permanent asset is to be free of the cycle of rebirth. One arrives in this world with the burden of sins committed in the previous birth (karma).

How can one overcome the sting of sins of the previous birth? Prayer is the only answer. Prayer, combined with a virtuous life, is the way forward. To this end even God steps in to help a devotee, who prays to him with complete faith. The life of Saint Tyagaraja, the renowned devotee whose immortal compositions praising Lord Rama continue to enthral millions even today, is a shining example. Saint Tyagaraja chanted Rama namam over 1,40,000 times every day, with utter devotion. When the royal household enticed him to sing in praise of the ruler, he refused, choosing to remain in poverty. However, he stayed on the path of dharma. When a nondescript couple and a young boy sought his hospitality, he readily offered them his home and shared a simple meal made of millet flour and honey with them, regaling them with stories of Rama through the night. The next morning the three left and as they turned the corner of his street, they showed their true selves: the visitors were none other than Rama, Sita and Hanuman.

Separation.

With Dasaratha dead, Bharata has to ascend the throne, but he refuses to do so. He goes to the forest to ask Rama to come back and rule Ayodhya. The Rama-Bharata conversation shows us many dharmas we have to adhere to, said Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar in a discourse.

Bharata tells Rama that Kaikeyi had asked Dasaratha to pass on the kingdom to Bharata. But now Bharata is giving it to Rama. So, no one can object to this arrangement. Bharata wonders how he can rule in place of Rama. Can a donkey move at the speed of a horse? Can an ordinary bird be a match for Garuda? But Rama says that a man cannot do as he pleases. He is not the master of his life. Every relationship ends in separation. No one is together forever.

Rama gives an example. Two sticks are brought together by a wave, but the next wave may separate them. In the same way, two people come together in life, but have to separate when it is time to do so. Samsara is like the ocean. The waves are like karma. The two sticks are like human beings, who face the consequences of karma.

A house that was once grand gets dilapidated in course of time. Likewise, a human being too ages and dies. We celebrate seasonal changes. But we tend to forget that with each new season we are moving one step closer to the end of our lives.

The young princes in Ayodhya were growing up delighting everyone and Rama was the most loved of them all impressing everyone not only with his prowess in various fields but mainly due to his goodness which made him shine like the sun. One may wonder how Rama’s war on Tataka dovetails with dharma, but the purity of the act is clear to all, said Swami Mitranandaji.

The all-knowing ascetic Vishwamitra requested Dasaratha to send Rama with him to help in dealing with the demons in the forest who were a great disturbance to the yagnas being performed by the rishis. Dasaratha was greatly distressed as he dared not deny the request of the great sage but was very apprehensive of Rama, who was still a child in his perception, being tasked with such a dangerous endeavour. Dasaratha is reassured of Rama’s safety by Vishwamitra, who further added that Rama was much more than what he seemed. Sage Vasishta also counselled Dasaratha that this would be a proper step in Rama’s development.

As Vishwamitra guided Rama and Lakshmana to his forest abode, they came to a dark and dreary forest where the demon Tataka was roaming free and heaping atrocities on the rishis living there. Vishwamitra asked Rama to kill the ogress to rid the forest of her. Rama was reluctant to kill a female, but is reassured by Vishwamitra that killing such a fiend who was characterised by impiety and who had killed many kshatriya princes was not wrong. Vishwamitra pointed out to Rama that it was his duty to protect and he must not be overcome by any doubt or compassion for the one he has to vanquish. Rama then proceeded to overcome Tataka with a powerful arrow and ended the misery suffered by the sages in the forest. This is also the moment when Rama’s divinity was visible to the discerning.

Good and bad.

The coexistence of good and bad qualities is inherent in all human beings. Not all will ever be with either good or bad alone. Lanka Sri Jeyaraj said in a discourse that a person is called righteous when his good qualities outnumber the bad ones, and vice versa, a person is called impious. We should not allow evil attributes to develop and dominate in us.

Dhritharashtra’s wife, Gandhari, possessed all qualities and kept her eyes closed for her husband’s sake. But on hearing the news of Kunthi Devi giving birth to a child, she became nervous and thought she could not give birth to a son yet. She became impatient and jealous. Parimel Azhagar explains jealousy as a person who cannot tolerate seeing the progress, development, and prosperity of others.

Thiruvalluvar says the Goddess of good fortune (Mahalakshmi) cannot bear the sight of envious people, whom she will return over to her elder sister, the Goddess of misfortune (Moodevi) — (Avvithu Azhukkaru-Kural 167).