Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 33

VALMIKI HAILS  SRI RAMA

Dear All,

Rama along with Lakshmana and Sita, take leave of Guha and then proceed to the forest.

They first meet Sage Bharadwaja and then they visit Sage Valmiki.

On being asked by Sage Valmiki on the purpose of their visit to forest, Rama  describes about the 2 boons asked by Kaikeyi, to send Rama in exile for 14 years and to crown Bharatha as ruler of Ayodhya.

Swami writes 

"The sage listened to the story, and communicated his joy with a face lit with smiles. He said. "Rama! As you fulfilled their desires then, you have satisfied my desire now. My austerities, vows and yearning have at last yielded fruit today. I must confer on Kaikeyi my heartfelt gratitude and a share of the bliss I am now enjoying."

Valmiki sat long in silence, with his eyes closed, while trying to keep within control the emotions of gratitude and joy surging inside him. Tears gathered in his eyes, tears of Ananda, and they rolled down his cheeks in big drops that chased each other.

Rama broke the silence and said, "We shall reside at the place where you direct us to live. Indicate to us a place where we shall not cause any trouble to any one and where we shall not come in the way of hermits and hermitages; give us proper advice. We shall put up a 'thatch' of leaves at that place and spend some time therein."

These words from a pure sincere heart moved the sage; he said, in reply, "0 Rama! I am indeed blessed. 

• You are as the Flag that proclaims the glory of the Raghu dynasty. For what reason are you voicing thus? 

• You are the force that fosters the path laid down in the Vedas; you are the power that safeguards it from harm. Sita is 'the deluding half of your personality, your Maya. She creates, maintains and destroys (as you 'will') worlds beyond worlds. And, Lakshmana is the very basis of the movable and the immovable, the 'thousand-hooded serpent', the Primal Sesha-Nag, which upholds the Universe. 

• You have assumed forms, in order to carry out the wishes of the Gods, that you re-establish righteousness in the world. 

• You will, I am sure, destroy all demonic hearts, pretty soon. 

• You will protect the good and the compassionate. Rama! You are the eternal Witness of the play named 'The World'. The Universe is the 'seen'; you are the Witness. Even the gods fail to gauge your Reality and your Glory. How then can ordinary mortals understand your Mystery? Only those who have received your Grace, namely, Wisdom, can claim to have known something of your Truth and your Majesty. 

• You have taken this human form in order to promote the peace and security of good men and the gods; as a consequence, you are conversing and behaving like one of us. 

• Only fools are misled into behaving that you are a man among men! We are all puppets who play about as you direct, as you pull the strings. 

• Who are we to direct you to act thus wise or to stay at a certain place? Rama! Are you planning to delude us, ascetics, by your words? 0, how wonderful is your play! How realistic is your acting! Don't I know that you are the Director of this cosmic drama? I cannot understand why you are asking me to select a spot where you can stay for some time in this forest. Which spot can I choose and recommend? 

• For, is there any spot in the whole Universe where you are not, already? Answer me this question, and thereafter, I shall point out the place to which you can go and where you can stay" Valmiki said, looking at the charming face of Rama; in the extremity of his delight, words melted away on his tongue.

• .........."Rama! If you wish that I elaborate further, listen: Stay in the heart of the person who discards the evil in others and loves them for the good they have, who trudges along the journey of life in the path of morality and integrity, who observes approved limits of conduct and behavior, and who has the faith in thought, word and deed, that the Universe is your creation and that the entire objective world is your body.

• "Nevertheless, since you have assumed now this human body and come here in order to carry out the commands of your mother and father, and questioned me in that role, I am venturing to answer, as if that role is real. You can reside on the Chitrakuta Hill. It has all facilities for comfortable stay. It is a holy place, and a charming beauty spot. The atmosphere is saturated with love and peace. Lions and elephants roam together there, with no trace of rivalry. The river Mandakini, extolled in the Vedas, flows round the hill. Sages like Athri live there in hermitages, which you can visit and render more sacred. Confer your blessing on that sublime spot and on that dear divine river."

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Dear All,

Author, even while reproducing the  above relevant portion from Swami's writings, is awestruck and wonders, whether Swami is writing about Rama or about His own incarnation?

In order that you may appreciate why author is awestruck, he has simply highlighted few lines in today's post with bold letters.

As a Sai devotee, you may please relate those highlighted lines with your awareness about the Sai Avatar!!!

Love.

Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 32

Rama meets Guha 

We all know how Rama meets Guha and how Guha is moved by the plight of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

Swami writes,

"Sita slept on the soft bed of grass. Lakshmana sat at the Feet of Rama, in order to massage them tenderly, to relieve the tension of exertion. Rama realized that Lakshmana would continue the service, so long as he appeared to be awake; he desired to induce him to take rest; so, he pretended as if he had gone into deep sleep. At this Lakshmana feared that any further pressing of the feet might disturb the sleep, and he quietly slipped into the distance. 

There, he sat in the 'hero' posture, so that he could gaze intently at the four directions, and recognize at once any wild animal approaching the spot, or any demon or demonic person bent upon disturbing the sleep of Rama; he was all attention and vigilance.

Seeing this, Guha too instructed his faithful lieutenants to guard the area and ensure that nothing happened to disturb the sleep of Rama. He put on his shoulder the pouch of arrows, and holding the bow in readiness, sat near Lakshmana, eager to share his vigil.

Guha, his eyes filled with tears, held his palms folded before him, and asked him, "Lakshmana! The Palace of Emperor Dasaratha is, I guess, grander and more magnificent than the Divine Mansion of the Ruler of the Gods, Indra. In that Palace, everything is charming and beautiful; everywhere there is fragrance and sweetness; soft feather-beds and lamps embossed with precious gems, add to the grandeur and comfort of the palace. There, the beds have sheets light and white like froth on fresh milk, and pillows to match. Sita and Rama who used to sleep on such luxurious beds are now lying

on a grassy heap, with no coverlet or pillow, sleeping through sheer physical exertion! It is insufferable agony for me to contemplate this scene. There his father and mother, his aids and maids were looking after his needs and comforts in various ways. Sita and Rama who lived royally until yesterday are now lying on the ground! Alas, my heart is torn to pieces by grief.

"Sita is the beloved daughter of the world-renowned Emperor Janaka; yet, now, she is lying on a spread of dry grass. What a strange turn of fate is this! Are Sita and Rama fit for life in the forest? O, it is now being proven true that the consequences of one's acts are binding, in spite of everything else.

"Kaikeyi is the daughter of the King of Kekaya State. No one can believe that she is capable of this atrociously sinful act. These two are at a period of their lives when they have to be happy together. What a reprehensible act is it to inflict on them this hard sentence! Such a fate should not overtake even one's worst enemy.

"The Kekaya Princess has proved herself to be the axe that would cut asunder the very roots of the Tree of the Solar Dynasty. Her selfish greed has sunk the world in sorrow. Ah! My horrid eyes are destined to look on this pathetic sight! What despicable sin did I indulge in to deserve this punishment? Whose happy life caused my eyes in the past to become red with envy, that I had to see my beloved Rama in this plight?"

Guha wailed thus; unable to stop the onrush of the surging waves of grief, he kept his mouth shut, and sat with head bowed in irrepressible agony. At this, Lakshmana too was plunged in gloom. 

Lakshmana gathered some courage and said, "O! Chieftain of the Nishadas! One does not get happiness through another, nor does he become miserable through another. He cannot get good fortune or bad fortune through another. There is no possibility for such indirect means to succeed. Nor can one really be either happy or miserable. 

Each one comes for some purpose, urged by the potentiality of his acts in the previous birth or by some Sovereign Will and Resolution. And, in the course of fulfilling that purpose, they appear to be happy or miserable, that is all. A beggar dreams that he is a king; a king dreams that he is a beggar. When they awake, they find that the happiness and the misery were unreal and short-lived. So too, the world is a dream, unreal, illusory. It is Mithya. 

You feel sorrow because Rama is in this plight, but Rama is above and beyond grief and joy. For those who watch him, according to the good fortune or misfortune as decided by the merit or demerit acquired and accumulated, he may appear to be happy or miserable; what you see asjoy or grief in Rama is only the reflection of your own mental state." At this, Guha calmed himself, and gave up the rage he had directed against Kaikeyi, a little while ago. He understood that it was not proper to find fault with another and assign blame.

"People are all laid up in the sleep of delusion. And, they are engaged in witnessing a variety of dreams. This is the way men spend the night called 'life'; the Yogis, self-mastered people, they alone keep awake in the night, without being caught up in or enchanted by dreams. They have no use for the world and its contents. 

They have turned away from all sensual pleasures and entanglements. Until this stage is reached, people cannot refer to themselves as  'awake'. When Jnana is attained and the Reality is realized, then the bonds of delusion fall off, and Love is fixed on the Lotus Feet of Sri Rama". 

Guha's thoughts ran on in this strain. He was comforted and strengthened by them. The rest of the night was spent by Guha and Lakshmana, narrating to each other the super-human attributes of Rama and the fullness of the Glory that was latent in him.

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Dear All,

We have to observe, read and absorb such profound truth/ such profound teachings given by Sai, even while writing on the story of Rama.

A devotee residing in Puttaparthi asked author during his parthi trip last month, "What will you write on this vahini, it is a simple story of Rama".

Author replied, "Even in such simple Rama story, Swami, as an avatar, has given very profound lessons in many places. One must have the eye to catch such lessons and absorb them."

The highlighted para, where Sai gives us such profound truth of life through Lakshmana's conversation with Guha, is worth reading several times and to absorb the same.

Love.

Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 31

SITA CONVINCES ON HER JOINING RAMA IN EXILE

Dear All,

While Rama shares with Sita about the 2 boons of Kaikeyi, about the need for Rama to fulfill father's command and move to forest for 14 years and also, while Rama is explaining to Sita as to how she has to take care of  his mother, father, brothers etc in his absence, Sita smiles and addresses Rama thus:-

"Rama! you are the son of Dasaratha. I have not heard at any time words unworthy of that lineage fall from your lips. Mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter-in-law everyone has to experience a quantum of happiness and misery; in proportion to the good and bad done by each. But, the wife has a special source of fortune, good or bad. That is to say, she has a share in the good and bad for which her husband is responsible. She is endowed with a part of his joy or grief. 

So, if the Emperor Dasaratha has ordered you to go into the forest, he has given me too the order to go. A woman may be fed and fostered by her mother and father; she may be revered by her son; she may be served by her maids. But, they can never be her shield and support. The trinkets and toys with which you try to convince me serve only to arouse amusement in me. 

During the years preceding my wedding, father taught me all the duties that shall guide and bind me. I am neither an ignoramus nor a seeker of power. And, more than these, let me tell you, I do not cling fanatically to any opinion because it is mine. There is no need for you to point out my special duty to me, for, I know them all. It is only when I decide to remain here, isn't it, that you have to tell me how and in what ways I have to serve the parents-in-law, the sisters-in-law, and the ruler of the land? But, when I am with you, what chance is there, what need is there, for me to take on the service of others. I am coming with you in full joy! Since a long time, I have had an unfulfilled desire to spend some years in forests. It is my good fortune that I have now the chance to satisfy that desire, in the company of my Lord! I will not give ear, if you insist that I should not express my point of view in this great matter. Donít be angry with me that I disobey you. It is not just and proper for you to throw me aside here, as one throws out water from the cup after quaffing a mouthful. Believe my word! I shall not continue in Ayodhya even for a moment; take me with you".

With these words, Sita fell at Rama's feet and held them tight. "I have not the slightest sorrow that you were not crowned. I hold you dear, crowned or uncrowned. Wherever you are, that is the Empire for me. There is my Treasure. That is my Glory," she pleaded and prayed. Rama told her that forest life was fraught with fears and dangers. The forest was infested with wild animals and wilder men, demonic depredators and dacoits. One has to encounter floods in rivers, wade through thick thorny undergrowth. He said that she was not used to traverse places on foot and therefore, she will have to undergo great exhaustion. He described various other forms of fear and anxiety that will confront her. But, Sita was unmoved. She replied. "Lord! However wild the animals may be, however thick and terror-striking the forest may be, what harm can they cause, what injury can they inflict on me, when you are by my side? I can walk through forest tracks; it will be no trouble for me. I will be happier if you ask me to walk first, preparing the path smooth for you to tread. I shall pick and cast away stones, pebbles and thorns to lessen pain, making your journey easy. 

Allow me to be with you, so that I may render this service and be happy. Here, in the palace of Ayodhya, and in the zenana, I could not get the chance to serve you. I felt worried and miserable that all services for you were undertaken by attendants and aides. There will be no attendant, no aide in the forest! So, I can be happy, doing all the services myself. That is my great good fortune! Make my life worth while, Lord. Give me that glorious chance!" Sita prayed in a variety of ways, pleading for mercy and justice. Rama was moved to compassion, He said, "Sita! Living in the forest, you cannot be happy, you have to suffer greatly in the coming days". 

Rama expatiated on the horrors of jungles and the sufferings that one has inevitably to meet there.  She replied, "Rama,  You are a scion of the lkshvaku line, which has saved millions from danger and disaster! Can you not guard me against them? Are you so weak of hand? I wonít give you trouble; through me, you will not have the slightest worry. Lord! I cannot but follow you. I will lay myself down and sleep at your feet; that will give me the fullest bliss. Rama! I know and recognize none except you. I cannot exist alive for a moment apart from you. Well. If you hold fast to your resolution and proceed, leaving me in Ayodhya, Sita would have drawn her last breath before you reach the forest. Take this as Truth".

Sita's eyes shed streams of tears as she spoke these words.

Rama tried to pacify her. He said, "0 "Sita, you are a very staunch adherent of Dharma. It is best for you to stick to your righteous qualities maintaining them at this place. You cannot act as your will dictates; you have no freedom to behave as you desire. Your Dharma is to act in accordance with my words. Therefore, give up this idea of yours. I am saying this for your own good. Guarding you will be a burden for me certainly. Streams rolling down from mountain peaks, wild beasts that dwell in the caves, lions and tigers roaming without let or hindrance amidst the hills and valleys - these have to be overcome. Rivers in spate will have to be forded. 

We may have to leap down from huge boulders and rocks. Considering these difficulties I have to tell you in such emphatic terms to stay. You have to wear matted hair and clothes of the bark of trees. We men have to go to some river or lake for the evening rites of worship; at that time, who will watch over you against any calamity that might happen? Whatever may be the crisis, we cannot give up those rites. You know how strict that rule is; so, you may have to be alone for some time daily. We cannot say what will happen when".

Rama tried to picture before Sita fearful scenes of forest life, but Sita was not affected in the least. 

.......Listening to Sita revealing her hard determination, Rama continued. "Sita! You are entangling yourself in the complexities of rights and claims! When I proceed to the forest, the aged parents will be wailing and weeping for me. At that time, you can console and comfort them, with gentle assurances. That is your duty. You must conduct yourself according to the needs of each occasion. Be with them; serve them; that is the way to please me, and give me Ananda". 

"However long you argue, whatever you may assert, I shall not leave off treading along the prints your feet make. You may kill me for transgressing your order, but I assert I can never be without you. Ramachandra! No sooner did you speak of the exile in the forest you are entering upon than I had such an upsurge of joy, remembering an incident that took place in my childhood! You cannot understand the extent of that joy! 

...........Sita bowed low, and fell at Rama's feet with these words. Rama felt that it would be improper to continue resisting her wishes. He resolved to yield. "Sita!" he said, "Give up your grief. Do not give way to sadness. As you desire, I shall take you with me. Engage yourselves quickly in preparing for the journey to the forest!" Hearing the sweet words with which Ramachandra spoke, Sita was elated; she was filled with boundless joy. She said, "Preparation? What has one to prepare, to live in the forest? I am always ready, with whatever I need, for I need only you; I have no other want. I am following you, this moment. In you I have all I need. You know I have no desire for anything other than you". With these words, she held Ramaís hand in hers and stepped forward. 

Rama said, "Sita! Consider this: You will not be in Ayodhya for fourteen years. Therefore, go and release the parrots and birds you have reared as pets with love and care. And the cows you fostered with affection! Give them away to Brahmins, so that they might be treated lovingly. Distribute the various articles of dress, the vehicles, and other articles used by you, to the people, or else, they will be ruined by time. It is far better that they be used rather than get disintegrated". When this suggestion was made, Sita immediately ran towards the cages, and addressing each pet bird in loving accents, told them; "Go! Like us, roam freely in the beautiful forest." With her own hands, she opened the cages and set them free! Then she went to the cow-shed. She fed the cows with various tasty foods and talked to the Brahmins who were to receive them as gifts. Her charming face beamed with joy. Spectators who watched her giving the things away felt their hearts melt with sorrow at her impending departure. They shed tears in streams for they were moved by the large-hearted generosity, and more than all, by her exultation at the prospect of accompanying her husband into exile in the forest. Her ecstasy was beyond the pen of any poet.

Love

Dear All,

Sita, with her perseverance, wins Rama's heart and convinces Rama to take her along with Him for exile.

In the process, she teaches to the humanity for centuries to come on duties of a wife!

Love.