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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Transient nature of worldly joys

 

CHENNAI, JUNE 9. Human life in the world is a mixed blessing

because man has to undergo both periods of fortune and misfortune

in his life. Unalloyed bliss can be enjoyed only in the state of

Self-realisation when one goes beyond both joys and sorrows. At

this level the person understands the evanescence of worldly

happiness. The God-realised do not concede the joys of the world

as true happiness and refer to worldly life as sorrowful. A

person who has not tasted the bliss of realisation is happy with

the worldly joys he enjoys due to his ignorance.

 

The fact that worldy life is sorrowful has been subtly portrayed

in the Ramayana. It is during tragedies and difficult periods

that a person is chastened which is very important for his

spiritual evolution. A perusal of the epic will show that most of

the episodes elaborated deal only with sorrowful events in Rama's

life though He ruled Ayodhya for several years. The element of

pathos is palpable and the poet experienced the agony of

separation before he composed the life of Ramayana in verse.

 

Likewise, another perceptible current which runs through the

Ramayana is the role of Dharma in the affairs of men. The

intricacies of Dharma are highlighted at every possible juncture.

This is especially true of the episodes in the Ayodhya Kanda

which depicts the most tragic turning point in the life of Rama -

His exile to the forest.

 

In his discourse, Sri B.Sundar Kumar said the fact that desire

was responsible for man's sorrows came through in the epic. Rama

did not think twice about giving up the kingdom of Ayodhya and

leading a life of exile in the forest for He did enjoy His stay

there. Troubles started for Him only after He relented to Sita's

wish to bring the golden deer for Her which eventually led to

their separation. It was this small desire which was the reason

for untold suffering in their lives.

 

Among the incarnations of the Supreme Being in which He assumed

the human form it is Rama who is referred to as ``Mahapurusha''

in the Bhagavata Purana. The reason is not far to seek. Valmiki

portrays Rama as the ideal human being, the embodiment of all

possible virtues that a human being can possess. Rama's divine

nature is underplayed throughout the epic but the poet does not

shy away from waxing eloquent on His auspicious qualities at

every possible instance.

 

In the Ayodhya Kanda which describes the events leading to His

exile to the forest, Rama's virtues are juxtaposed in such a way

by the poet that the behaviour of others only serves to highlight

His exemplary conduct.

 

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