Rama and the vision of life

All of us have read or at least know about the Ramayana. But do we understand its vision? Even those who were present at that time and watched the events unfold would get deluded by the spell of maya (illusion). They could gain clarity only by listening to the story of Rama again. Like Parvati, who saw Rama lamenting Sita’s absence and wondered how He could be the Lord if He also cried and felt sad like ordinary mortals. Her doubts and delusion were cleared after listening to the story of Rama (Ramkatha) in detail from Lord Siva.

It is not enough just to listen to the story or watch a television serial on Ramayana. Serious thinking on what is heard is important. If a student goes to a medical college, we expect him/her to come out a doctor, not a patient. Similarly, if you study the Ramayana, you must become like Rama and not Ravana. It is Rama’s vision of life that is the true vision of Ramayana, which we must comprehend.

Everyone has a vision of life, whether it is couched in philosophy or not. A person’s behaviour, actions and reactions are based on his vision and values. An atheist who does not believe in God, scriptures or saints, and thinks that this body and the world around is all there is, will naturally value money and pleasures more than anything else. His goal in life will be to earn money and enjoy life.

This importance attached to money is reflected even in our everyday language. We hear many women say, "I don’t work, I am only a housewife." The never-ending work done by her does not earn any money directly; hence it is not considered work! This is because we value money. Work that does not pay is not considered work. This is how our values are decided by our vision of life. Higher vision of life triggers questions like, “Who is this God I am serving?” and “What is the purpose of my life?”

The thirst for self-knowledge arises. On analysing life we find that the Lord alone dwells in all people, all creatures, all things. We will, therefore, not develop hatred even towards our foes and detractors. This is the vision of life we should have. Lord Rama’s vision of life offers us a standard against which we can measure ourselves and improve. Even his enemy, Maricha, said: “He is the very embodiment of dharma.” Dharma is that which integrates and creates harmony within us, in our inner being, outside, in our family, and so on. If we hold on to dharma, it will protect us. It is said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for everything.” If you don’t have any higher values or goals in life, you will fall easily. It is said that knowledge is our friend in our travels, the spouse is our friend at home, medicine is the friend for the ailing and dharma is our friend after death.

In the Kishkindha Kanda of Tulsi Ramayana, we find many gems of wisdom embedded in the poetry. Some verses describe the monsoons. The search for Sita had to be halted during this period. Rama and Lakshmana lived in a cave on the Pravarshana mountain. They did not play cards or hunt to while away their time. Rama used to tell Lakshmana kathas (stories) — their conversation increased devotion and dispassion; they talked about how a king should live and rule his kingdom, and about common sense, which is so uncommon.

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The impact of not worshiping Goddess Parvati before worshiping Lord Siva

The Karthika women, who brought up Lord Subrahmanya, went to the abode of Lord Siva, and requested Him to teach them the ashta siddhis. The Lord agreed. But while they showed a keenness to learn the use of these ashta siddhis, they ignored an important instruction of His, namely, that they should first worship Goddess Parvati, before they worshipped Him.

Lord Siva was going to be their guru. And it is imperative that anyone seeking instruction should obey the guru implicitly. But the Karthika women, by ignoring Parvati, did not pay heed to the instruction of their guru, namely, the Lord Himself. So the Lord said that they would forget the siddhis that He taught. They would have to go to Earth and become stones there. They would be liberated from that state by the Lord Himself. Thus the six women went to the Earth, and became stones in a place called Pattamangai. The place is in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, and is now known as Pattamangalam, said Raghubai in a discourse.

Under a banyan tree the women lay as stones for thousand years, and the stones were covered with falling leaves. The Lord then took the form of a gnani, and came to the banyan tree. He cast His merciful glance on the women turned to stones, and they came to life at once. What a miracle it was, like iron turning to gold! The women were lucky to have had the Lord's eyes rest on them. This is known as nayana deeksha. The Lord then put His hand on their heads. Thus they also got sparsa deeksha- deeksha by touch. Then the Lord taught them the eight siddhis.

The eight siddhis give one the power to take any form, to traverse all worlds, to make a light object heavy and vice versa, to control the planets, to subjugate even the celestials. These powers were conferred on the women by the Lord. However, He added that those who were His true devotees, would never use any of these powers. These powers would follow them as their own shadows, and reveal the greatness of such devotees to the world.

The Karthika women thus afford an example of what happens to those who ignore Parvati. The Lord and the Goddess are both to be worshipped for worship to be meaningful.

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King Mahabali is a Mahatma

Mahabali, the king who was sent to the netherworld by Lord Narayana, was a rare person, one who can be called a mahatma, said B. Sundar Kumar. He may be called a mahatma for many reasons. He had promised Vamana that he would give Him whatever He desired, and when it came to bending his head before the Lord, who had expanded from the little Vamana to the enormous Trivikrama, Mahabali did not hesitate to offer his head as the next place for the Lord to put His foot on.

When Vamana approached Mahabali and asked him for land that He could measure with three steps of His feet, Mahabali washed the Lord's feet. The water that washed the Lord's feet was later to become the sacred Ganga. Mahabali was blessed to wash the Lord's feet. How many are so blessed?

On Mahabali's head the Lord placed His foot. What greater fortune can there be than this?

Mahabali was a man who had great guru bhakti, and never went against his guru Sukracharya's words. Mahabali was so obedient to his guru that the latter gave him a golden chariot.

Yet, when Sukracharya warned him not to pay heed to Vamana for, Sukracharya suspected that something untoward was going to happen, Mahabali did not obey his guru. He, who had never gone against his guru's wishes, ignored him on this one occasion, for to obey his guru would have meant that he would have had to break his promise to Vamana, and Mahabali was never one to break a promise. Mahabali had the support of his wife in his act of generosity to Vamana. She stood by him when he kept his promise to the Lord. How many are blessed with such a wife? Only a mahatma is so blessed.

It is our duty to behave in such a way that we earn the approbation of our forefathers. Mahabali pleased his grandfather Prahlada so much that the latter gave Mahabali a garland of never fading flowers.

He who is indifferent to wealth and women is a mahatma. Mahabali was a king, who was prepared to give away everything he possessed. Only one with supreme detachment to wealth would be willing to part from all that he owned. Thus Mahabali was a mahatma in this sense too.

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