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

 

Perennial appeal of the epic

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 27. When the Supreme Being who is the infinite

assumes a finite form during His incarnations, His divine nature

and glory are in no way hampered. It is with the specific purpose

of helping man actualise his spiritual nature by overcoming his

baser tendencies that the Lord manifests in the world. This was

especially true of the incarnations in which He took birth as a

human being and showed by example and also taught how to lead an

ethical life in the world.

 

A doubt is often raised as to what relevance these teachings and

manifestations of the Lord have in this modern age which is far

removed in time and culture. The Ramayana is not just an epic

delineating the life of Rama but a work embodying the eternal

wisdom of the scriptures which has perennial appeal. The values

it portrays will not become outdated with the flux of time as

human nature will be the same always.

 

In the prevalent materialistic culture it is difficult to remain

uninfluenced by the attractions that impinge on the senses even

for the most spiritually oriented person and hence perusing works

like the Ramayana will help to transcend human limitations. The

name Ramacharitamanasa chosen by Goswami Tulasidas for his

Ramayana gives an insight into the purpose of this work - that a

dip into this divine lake will make man immortal.

 

In his discourse, Swami Shanthinathananda said that the epic

illustrated how the spiritual aspirant should be wary of the lure

of sensory pleasures which would make him stray from the goal of

realising God. When Sugriva met Rama and Lakshmana, he intuited

rightly that Rama was not an ordinary human being and forgave

Vali for his predicament because it was due to suffering at his

hands that he was able to meet Rama and seek refuge in Him.

 

This can be likened to Kunti's prayer to Lord Krishna when He

told her that He would grant her wish. Even after undergoing all

the suffering and personal losses in the Mahabharata war, this

devotee prayed that the Lord should give her sorrows so that she

would remember Him always. Sugriva who lived in abject terror of

his brother Vali after meeting Rama underwent a total change of

heart that it was his present malady which had enabled him to

meet the Lord.

 

Another lesson Sugriva points out is the necessity to guard

against the lure of sensory pleasures by a spiritual aspirant.

When Lakshmana became angry that he had forgotten his promise to

Rama to search for Sita he begged his pardon saying, ``There is

nothing so intoxicating as the pleasures of the sense, which in

an instant infatuate the soul of even a sage.''

 

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