Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 46

RAMA AND VALI

Dear All,

We all know about how Rama accepts Sugriva's alliance, wows to help Sugriva in his war against his brother Vali and how Rama shoots arrow from behind a tree to slay Vali.

Upon Vali's allegation as to why Rama shot the arrow hiding himself, Sri Rama replies and in His reply, Rama teaches the world on Dharma.

Swami Writes,

"Rama graciously sat by the side of the dying Vali and said, "Vali! You know that my deeds are not motivated by selfish ends. Give up your wrong notion that I sought and secured the friendship of Sugriva in order to search the whereabouts of Sita. Why, you yourself said just now that I have assumed this human form for the purpose of re-establishing righteousness on earth! Now, tell me, if I simply witness the wrong, the unjust and vicious deeds of yours, what would you call it? Service or dis-service to the world? Righteous or unrighteous? The brother's wife, the sister and the daughter-in-law are all three equivalent in status to one's daughter. To cast sinful eyes on them makes one a heinous sinner. No sin affects one when such a sinner is killed. 

"How unjust was it for you to infer that Sugriva closed the entrance of the cave with the evil intention of killing you! You said you would come out at the end of fifteen days, at the most, and asked him to wait at the mouth of the cave until then. Yet, he waited there, anxiously awaiting you, for one full month! 

Finally, when he was assailed by the smell of blood, he was grieved that his brother was killed by the ogre; he hesitated to enter the cave, for to the ogre who destroyed you, Sugriva would certainly be no match. When he placed the boulder up against the mouth of the cave, his intention was to prevent the ogre from coming out, and to see that he is confined within that cave itself. 

The citizens pressed on him the rulership and he had to accede to their wishes. What crime had Sugriva committed when he acted thus? You did not stay to inquire. He never disobeyed your commands and directives, even to the slightest extent; for he loved you and revered you. He adheres strictly to the path of Truth. But, you treasured in your heart vengeance against him for no reason at all; your overweening pride drove him into the forest. 

When you sent him out, you should have allowed his wife too to go with him. Instead you chose her to be your wife, the person whom you should have treated as your own daughter. Do you call this a sin or don't you? There is no sin more heinous than this. Besides, you occupy the position of the ruler of this region. You have to protect and foster your subjects. How can you punish those who commit crimes when you yourself revel in the same crime? 'As is the King, so are the subjects', says the proverb. The people will be such as their rulers are. Therefore, what you have done becomes more heinous and more reprehensible. Doesn't it?"

Thus, Rama out of His infinite love clarified to Vali the crimes and sins he had committed. Vali listened with attention and thought over what he heard. At last, he realized his error, and said, "Lord! My cleverness has failed to make you pronounce my acts as right. Now hear me! I am not a sinner at all. Had I been a sinner, how could I be floored by an arrow from the Lord's own hands, and how could I pass my last moments looking on the Face of Divinity and listening to the sweet words of the Lord?" Rama was highly pleased at these words spoken with such high wisdom, out of the depths of love and devotion, delight and dedication. Then Rama wished to announce to the world the genuine spirit of renunciation that Vali had at heart. 

He said, "Vali! I am restoring you to life. I am freeing you from the obligation of old age and senility. Come. Have your body back again". He placed His hand on the head of Vali. But, even while He was blessing him so, Vali intervened with a prayer, "Ocean of Compassion; Give ear to my appeal. However many attempts one might make throughout life, at the moment when breath deserts us, death cannot be avoided. At that moment, even the sovereign sages do not get Your Name on their tongues! Unique good fortune I have secured now, here, when I pronounce Your Name, look on Your Form, touch Your feet and listen to Your Words. If I miss this chance and let it slip away, who can say how long I may have to wait for these again? Continuing to breathe, what great achievement will I accomplish? No. I do not wish to live any longer". 

"Lord! Even the Vedas, the Source of all Knowledge, speak of you as only 'Not this' 'Not this'; thus they proceed, until they declare finally, 'This' 'This' I have now secured in my grasp; shall I let it slip? Is there in this world a fool who would give up the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Tree that he has in his grasp for the sake of a wild weed? This Vali, born out of a mental resolution of Brahma Himself, endowed with strength of body and sharpness of intellect and renowned for these qualities, cannot yield to the temptation of clinging to the body as if it is real and valuable. No. If I yield, I will become the target of infamy. Why elaborate? When there is no self-satisfaction, what do other types of satisfaction matter? Lord! 

As a result of Your Darsan and Your words, I have overcome all sense of duality and distinction. I have acquired the Vision of the One, apart from all the rest. The mass of 'consequence' I had earned through my sins has been destroyed; let the Body which is burdened with the Consequence be destroyed along with it. Do not allow another body appear to bear the burden". Vali declared his determination to give up his breath and called his son to his presence. 

He said: "This fellow grew up until now as the lust-born son of this body. He is strong, virtuous, humble and obedient. Now I wish You would foster him as Your Love-deserving Son. I have placed him in Your hands." With these words he placed the hands of his son in the hands of Rama. Rama drew Angada, the son, near Him, and blessed him, with great love. Pleased at the acceptance, Vali shed tears of joy; his eyes were fixed on the Divine Face before him. His eyes slowly closed in death. Will an elephant worry or take any notice of flowers that fall away from the garland round its neck? With the same unconcern, Vali too allowed his breath to slide away from him. 

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Dear All,

Let us contemplate on Swami's words given in this post.

"Lord! Even the Vedas, the Source of all Knowledge, speak of you as only 'Not this' 'Not this'; thus they proceed, until they declare finally, 'This' 'This' I have now secured in my grasp; shall I let it slip? Is there in this world a fool who would give up the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Tree that he has in his grasp for the sake of a wild weed?"

What a great teaching / revelation Swami gives through the above lines.

'Not this', 'Not this', until the vedas declare finally, "This".

This expression represents the highest truth given in vedantha.

Vedantha starts with the Self enquiry "Who Am I?".

In almost all major upanishads, a disciple puts forward this question of Self Enquiry in various ways when he pleads to his Acharya to teach him "THAT, KNOWING WHICH, NOTHING ELSE REMAINS TO BE KNOWN", in other words, the answer to the question , "WHO AM I?"

Acharya then takes over and adopts different techniques / approaches to rule out all the possibilities (not this, not this) to eliminate all the identities of  his disciple (through such teaching to disciple, to the entire world) and then takes him to his only real identity (THIS, THIS) .

Some of the techniques adopted in vedantha for NOT THIS are:-

5 Koshas - Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vignanamaya, Ananda Maya

3 States - Waking, Dream and Deep Sleep state

3 bodies - Gross, Subtle and Causal

4 Anthahkarna - Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara

and so on.

While the Acharya explains the above, he gives the clarity to his disciple that the reality of his identity is not all these, as these are all perishable and also, there has to be someone who is witness to all the above.

Then, he leaves the disciple to contemplate on what he really is, after giving him the clarity that he is none of the above.

Ultimately, with the joint efforts of Guru and Disciple, the disciple is made to know, to be aware, to experience what he really is (THIS, THIS), which is echoed in the 4 Mahavakyas.

1. Aham Brahmasmi
2. Pragnanam Brahma
3. Ayam Atma Brahma
4. Tat Tvam Asi

Dear All,

All this is fine but the real teaching which Swami has given through this post is hidden in this expression of vali where he says, 

"I have now secured in my grasp; shall I let it slip? Is there in this world a fool who would give up the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Tree that he has in his grasp for the sake of a wild weed?"

What Swami reveals through the above expression??

How Bhakti culminates in Jnana

Even if Vali (representing most of us in this Kali Yuga) might not have undergone the entire teachings of vedas and vedanta, the Self enquiry, the path of Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhidhyasanam, the experience of Neti Neti etc., the one darshan of Rama, who is verily THAT BRAHMAN, incarnated in physical form, the one touch of Rama, the one absorption of Vali in Rama Bhakti, is like "divine wish fulfilling tree granting the wish of realizing the THIS, THIS, or, realizing the ultimate reality of  the merger / identity of individual SELF with the SUPREME SELF, the culmination / climax / the final attainment in the path of Jnana, has been achieved!!!

How wonderful!!!

Again, Swami gives us a strong reminder and says as though, 

"If you are able to take up the path of Self enquiry and get into depth of meditation in the path of wisdom, it is wonderful and the most advocated path if you approach me with your higher intellect.

If you are not able to take up that tough path where you do not have any form to focus on, where you have to take up contemplation on the abstract truth of ATMAN, to realize the same at the end, then, there is no need to feel let down, for, 

Here, I am, descended in this Kali Yuga, entered the womb of Easwaramba,  available so easily to all of you. Come, observe, enquire, examine and realize that I am the same TRUTH which the Rishis of yore meditated upon for 100s of years to realize.

All that you need to do - "LOVE ME, DISSOLVE IN YOUR LOVE FOR ME" and in a moment, I shall grant you the final attainment as I bestowed on so many in my various incarnations before and to a few in my incarnation as SAI".

LOVE.