| Sita Ram |
|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna
Sharanam||
|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||
A clever and simple test
that enables one to identify a substance as an acid or alkali can be the
difference between a disfigured body and a healthy one. Swami Vivekananda has
also enforced the principle of testing and experiencing rather than accepting
something from others. Many false ideals and superstitions have been
perpetuated through time because of this inability of humanity test ideas
before accepting them.
The week tapered into an
interesting programme for Ramayana Week celebrations which began on Thursday (attendance
to which can become extremely challenging as the climate becomes conducive to
Kumbhakarna’s favourite past time being sleep). But as the saying goes, ‘he who
snoozes looses’ - it will become important for the true seeker to make an
effort to attend classes on the Ramayana.
Unlike other religions who
prescribe a single scripture for study, Hinduism has a scripture for every
individual constitution and temperament. If you enjoy worshipping God by
glorifying His form, you can do so by reading the wonderful Bhagavatam or
Ramayana; and if you prefer to worship God as the formless, the Vedas are at
your disposal. This is the accommodating nature of Hindu Dharma in taking you
to that one truth that can be achieved through different paths, as explained by
Sri Ramakrishna.
I have noted over the many
years of attending Ramayana discourses that devotees melt into an emotional
devotional bhav as they discuss the
accounts of Sri Ramachandra’s life... and taking cognisance of His impeccable
character and virtues, glorify Him as Mariyadha
Purushotama. However, like a movie gone wrong... towards the end... many
become disillusioned and annoyed at one particular incident where after the
defeat of Ravana in an arduous battle, Lord Rama asks Mother Sita to prove Her
chastity by placing Herself in fire.
I think before people start
to criticise Lord Rama for this action and compare this to the improper
treatment of woman, we need to understand that Puranas should not be looked at
literally, but read with the intention of extracting the imbedded truths.
We are all familiar with
the mythology of how Rama lived in Ayodhya after marrying Sita and just before He
could be crowned King, He was banished to the forest for 14 years because of a
promise His father made to His step-mum. Whilst in the forest, Sita was
captured by Ravana. Accompanied by Hanuman and His allies, He defeated Ravana.
Before returning to Ayodhya, Sita was asked to prove Her chastity in a fire.
After emerging out of the fire pure, they returned to Ayodhya where they were
crowned King and Queen and ruled the Kingdom. It is said during this time much
prosperity, peace and joy reigned over the Kingdom and this period was aptly
named Rama Rajya.
In order to understand the
spiritual message of these events, I recall a discourse by Revered Swami
Vimokshanandaji Maharaj where He adequately explained the concept of Ayodhya. Yodhya in Sanskrit means ‘pain’ and ‘suffering’
hence Ayodhya will be the opposite, He
explained. We notice that Sri Rama’s woes started after His marriage to Sita (not
that getting married is a bad thing always!!! Lol). The word Sita (she
was found by her father while ploughing the field) in Sanskrit means ‘of the
earth’. She is an allegory for the material world or materialism. Sri Rama
represents the jiva who is search of mukthi. When one attaches oneself to materialism,
then peace and joy (ayodhya) is
replaced by misery (yodhya).
Materialism will always bring to light its favourite friend -insatiable desires-,
which is represented by the 10-headed-Ravana.
In the battle we read how
difficult it was for Rama to kill Ravana as every time He shot his head,
another grew in its place. A wonderful parable by Sri Ramakrishna amplifies the
point:
Once a barber was taking rest under a tree and heard this voice who
asked if he wanted 7 jars of gold. The thought of such increased his cupidity
and at once replied with great delight “yes”. The voice instructed him to go
home and he will find the gold. Upon his arrival he was surprised to find the
jars as proclaimed by the voice but alas he saw only 6 full jars and the 7th
was only filled half-way. This incensed him and he wanted to fill the 7th
jar so he could have his 7 seven full jars of gold. He then melted as his gold
ornaments into coins and tried to fill the jar, but alas it refused to fill up.
He became miserable and eventually asked the king to double his salary and
placed all that into the jar which still did not full up. His family was
eventually starving whilst he begged door to door to try and fill the jars. One
day the King came across him and was horrified to see his condition and told
him that he noticed that when he was earning half what he did now he was more
at peace and filled with joy. He then questioned if he has the 7 jars at home.
The barber was surprised as to how the King knew of it. The King explained that
he was also offered the jars but when he question if he could spend all 7 seven
jars the voice disappeared. The barber having learnt his lesson returned the
tree and asked the voice to take back the jars. The voice agreed and when he
went home he found that the jars were gone together with all his wealth as
well.
Once we kill desire it is
important to remove our minds from worldliness and immerse it into spirituality
and God. Hence, after the defeat of Ravana... Rama asks Sita to enter into the
fire. The fire represents knowledge which burns ignorance caused by materialism
(it is said that the real Sita was hidden long ago in the fire... so a
duplicate Sita was captured by Ravana... and after the war, the duplicate Sita
perished in the fire allowing the real Sita to emerge). The true Sita is Mother
Luxmi Herself, who represents shakti,
purity and divine energy. When the atman
(jiva) once again unites with paramathman (divine energy), joy and
peace return... which is represented by the return of Rama and Sita from Yodhya to Ayodhya to be crowned King and Queen.
For the spiritual aspirant,
the materialism must be sacrificed into the fire of austerities like japa, meditation, prayer and seva activities that disconnect the self
from lust, sense pleasure and greed... and replace that with peace, love,
compassion and devotion... which will ensure that you live your life in Ayodhya
under Rama Rajya.
May Sri Sita-Rama bless us
with their grace so that we may never lured into the entrapments of material
life, is my sincere prayer.
From Thursday to today, Hindus have been busy
with New Year celebrations... here’s wishing all Telegu, Hindi and Tamil
speaking readers respectively, a blessed New Year.
With love and prayers always
Yogan
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