Ahalya

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> --- "S.V.SWAMY" <swamy wrote:

> > Ahalya's story conveys a slightly differrent meaning to me.

> > Ahalya's mind> > wavered for a short time and thus she sinned. So

she was blessed> > (the curse> > of a sage is always a blessing in

disguise) to be 'rocksteady' in> > her> > meditation about Sri Rama.

Till He came and blessed her. What a> > wonderful> > purification?

> > Swamy SV

> > >> --- "I.V.K. CHARY" <ivkchary wrote:

 

 

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Dear SrimAN IVK Chary and SV Swamy,

 

Both of you are right about Ahalya that she did not formally perform

saranagati in the way, say, Vibheeshana did.

 

I recall to mind what the late Sri.Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachari used

to say about the Ramayana. This itihAsa, he used to say, is a virtual

encyclopeadia of saranagati sastra. Every little incident or event in

the Ramayana reveals to us directly or subtly the nuances of

saranagati or of one of more of its 'angA'.When we study the Ramayana

we must always keep this fact in the back of the mind and be alert

and sensitive to the many flavours of saranagati that abound in it.

 

Ahalya may not have formally performed 'saranagati'. She may not even

have used the word "prappadyE" anywhere in the presence of Rama. But

if you study Ahalya's behaviour in the Ramayana, you will have no

doubt that she faithfully followed all the 5 'angas' of saranagati

(viz. 'anukulasya sankalpa', 'pratikulasya varjanam', 'mahavisvAsam',

'akinchinyam' and 'goptrutva..').

 

Being accursed Ahalya calmly accepted her condition and resolved to

await Rama's advent. (anukulasya sankalpam). Having resigned herself

to her condition and resolved to await Rama's arrival, even if it

took many, many years, Ahalya remained steadfast in her resolution...

she abjured the thought of appealing in the meanwhile for succour to

any other 'devata' or divine agency. This shows her exceptional

'pratikulasya varjanam'. Throughout the long period of Ahalya's

incarceration in the form of a 'stone', a period so frustrating that

it must have seemed painfully interminable to her, she never lost her

faith that one day Rama would surely come and redeem her. Is this not

extraordinary "mahAvisvAsam"? Next, while she lay there all those

years, as just nothing but dead and inert 'stone', to be stampled

upon by all and sundry, Ahalya knew fully well the utter helplessness

of her state. That is a measure of AHalya's true 'akinchinyam'.

Finally, AHalya knew that her redemption would come only through the

'pAda-sparsham' of Lord Rama and through no other means ('upAya') in

the world. And there she was surely exhibiting, in a most exemplary

manner, the last 'angA' of saranAgati, is it not?

 

While reading the Ramayana one must not let a rigid and overly

doctrinaire mind-set to cloud our minds from the many subtle beauties

of events and characters in the itihAsa. If we really believe the

Ramayana to be great and unparalleled 'saranagati sAstra', then we

must be prepared to look anywhere and everywhere in this epic and be

able to recognize even the faintest but distinct echoes of the

'saranagati tattva'. Would you agree?

 

I know I'm putting forth a rather unusual/unorthodox view but then it

is food for thought for you all! The onus of proving that I'm wrong

is on you now!

 

Regards,

dAsan,

 

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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