Dasavatara Sannidhi

[Guest guest]

Sri Ranganatha Satakopa Yateendra Drishtam Lakshmi Nrsimha Shathajit

Karunaika Patram.

Sri Rangaveer Raghurat Satakopa Hridyam Vedanta Desika Yateendram Aham

Prapaddye

Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yateendra Mahadesikaaya Namah:

 

Dear Friends,

 

I thought that I would share a discussion, I had with my wife a few days ago

on Srimad Ramayana.

 

My wife wanted to know how could Bharata call His mother a prostitute. She

was very indignant about this.

 

Since my mind readily thinks of ideas contrary to what someone else has said

no matter what, the following occured to me.

 

How could Bharata who is the Panchajanya Shankha Himself and a Nitya suri be

wrong and how could he do something contrary to Dharma?

 

Bharata's harsh conversations with Kaikeyi were out of his love for Rama. At

this stage of Bhakti, one can do almost no wrong. But from a standpoint of

Dharma, one has to treat one's parents equal to Daivam. From this point of

view, even Bharata was wrong in the way he spoke to his mother. This episode

explains Swami Desikan's statement in the Rahasya Traya Saram, where He says

that even Nitya Suris have to be very careful of committing apacharams, even

though this may happen for the good of the world. This also explains why

Srimad Mukkur Azhagiya Singar explains that Rama protected Bharata when the

latter did Sharanagathi.

 

However returning to the original point of calling Kaikeyi a prostitute, is

this in anyway correct or is a mere outpouring of emotions with no basis in

truth?

 

Going by what most of us know of the Ramayana, Kaikeyi could not have come

even remotely close to being a prostitute. Then are these empty words of one

who is given the foremost place among Jivatmas in our Sampradayam?

 

If we examine the conclusion of all the Vedas as explained by our Acharyas,

or the Divya Prabhandams where the truth has been declared boldly by our

Azhwars, the Jivatma exists to serve Sriman Narayana and no one else. When

we do Prapatti, we enter into a marital sacrement with our Lord. Rama was

therefore Kaikeyi's Lord and husband as much He was to Sita. That being the

case, when Kaikeyi considered Rama an outsider, and Bharata as her son (and

therefore her property), she is serving not her Lord and master Sri Rama, but

her material senses.

 

This makes her no better than a prostitute, or in fact no different from a

prostitute. When I was given this realization, I also realized that I was no

different. I give work etc as an excuse for my laziness and inertia, which I

have been unable to shed, because of lack of sufficient anushthanam. I too

continue prostituting or serving my material senses instead of serving Sriman

Narayana.

 

When I was contemplating, how to get out of this situation, I realized why

successive Jeers of Sri Ahobila Muth make sure that sumptious Prasadam made

for the Lord, by carefully handpicked devotees, is served to one and all and

which benefits everyone from a begger to Bill Gates.

 

Keeping this desire of Mukkur Azhagiya Singar in mind a few of His disciples

have contined the tradition of making Prasadam available from the Dasavatara

Sannidhi to the visitors to the sannidhi.

 

An amount of $500 can feed the visitors for a whole year. The people who

make the Prasadam serve their Acharya. The people who eat the Prasadam make

rapid progress towards Moksham. Those who contribute serve both Acharya and

Bhagavatas. Even a contribution of $11 per person can easily raise the

amount required for 1997. Please respond to this email when you pledge your

contribution and mail your contribution to:

 

Sri Ahobila Muth

5539 Columbia Pike, #808

Arlington, Va 22204.

 

Since I will be leaving for India on January 31, please email your pledges to

me and I will include your contributions when I am in Srirangam whether I

receive your check by January 31 or not.

 

Adiyen.

 

Jaganath.