HH Shri Swamiji's Ramayana Pravachanam at Atlanta

[Guest guest]

Jai Srimannarayana!

 

HH Shri China Jeeyar Swamiji's Telugu Pravachanam

at Atlanta on Ra:ma:yanam : Aranya Ka:ndam

 

 

We were fortunate that day when Shri Swamiji has revealed the

inner meanings of the some of the episodes in Aranya Ka:ndam.

 

Swamiji said that even as the story is interesting so also the

philosophical message that comes out with it. One may think that

what philosphical message we can get from the story part where

mostly killing of deamons is the main theme. To our amagement,

Swamiji has brought out the similarities between the story and

human life in a very lucid manner, which I venture to summarize

to the best of my memory. I am sure this will benefit the rest

of the devotees who missed the great pravachanam and sweetness of it.

 

Shri Swamiji and all the knowledgeable persons on the mailing

list, please pardon all the errors in this summary and correct

me as soon as possible.

 

The main story of Aranya Ka:ndam is, Lord Rama entering

Dandaka:ranyam,

Viradha vadha (a deamon who tries to kidnap Sita), meeting several

Rishis, living in Panchavati, Soorpanakha episode, golden deer episode,

Sita haranam, jata:yu episode, search for Sita, kabandha vadha and

sabari episode.

 

Swamiji has elaborated on the meaning of Vira:dha vadha, meeting

Sarabhanga maharshi, Kabandha vadha, and Sabari episode.

 

Swamiji said that in Sanskrit 'ra:dh' means generating

love and affection, "preethi" in our hearts. That is why we call

pooja as A:ra:dhana. Vira:dha is the opposite of that. One who

tries to make others cry with pain may be called Vira:dha. How

do we make others cry with pain?

 

Swamiji says it is one's ego, if forced on others then the other

person will feel the pain of subservice and it will be heartrending

for him. It is always this ego which controls emotions and actions

of human beings leading their downward slide from humanity to

animal/rakshasa behaviour in the present world.

 

If one is not in possession of a thing, one's ego will hurt if

someone else enjoys it and he will try to see that thing is taken

away from the other person too. One wishes that everybody should obey

whatever one says. If others does not listen to whatever one says,

one's ego will get hurt and he tries to mend ways for the other

person to suffer. One feels satisfied when the other person actually

cries with the pain. That is the height of egoism which is personified

in Vira:dha, and all the other deamons, Swamiji says. Rama has killed

Vira:dha when he tried to snatch away Sita, that is when that egoism

reaching alarming proportions.

 

Three kinds of beings live in Forest- Deamons, Animals

and Maharshis. We also have three kinds of people among us in this

world, sajjanas (or equivalent of Rishis), people who are having

deamon like behaviour and qualities, and people with animal cruelty

are also not very rare amongst us. Everyone of us belong to one

category or the other by the virtue of the acts we perform and

thoughts/wishes we cherish. One has to examine himself to get to know

which category he belongs.(Try before a mirror! Am I really...!!!

Oh..No!)

 

When we closely observe, human life is also an aranyam, Dandaka:ranyam

more so. The path ahead is unknown, obstacles and hurdles are

innumerable

and the final destination is undecided. Lord Rama's tour through

the forest gives us the way to behave, a model to follow in such

circumstances. What did Rama do? Not only he killed the deamons

(in our lives these are nothing but the evil qualities like ahamkaram,

egoism, I:rshya etc), he also visited all the Rishis in the

forest (in our lives we will discover and practice all the divine

qualities within and around us). Imagine how many rishis he visited?

 

He was visiting and staying 2/3 or a few days in each Rishi's Ashram

one after another contineously and by the time he took up residence

at Panchavati, as per Sage Agastya's suggestion, he completed more than

10 years of his vanava:sa period!

 

Many of the Maharshi's are Kulapathis, meaning that they run very

big ashrams having several younger Rishis allotted for different works

to take care of with number of disciples learning or practicing under

each of them. Sage Sarabhanga was one of the great kulapathis.

 

Swamiji says that if one follows his varna ashrama dharmas truely and

sincerely, even Gods will respect him, afraid of him and also come to

him to take help if necessary.

 

Lord Rama realized this when he was about to enter Sarabhanga Ashram.

He saw a divine chariot, with yellow horses and immediately recognised

that it belongs to Devendra. He was surprised that Devendra came to

earth to see a Rishi and overheard that Devendra came over to take

Sarabhanga to Swargam as Sarabhanga's life span here was complete.

 

Sarabhanga said that he has to see Rama before he can

come with Devendra and sends Devendra back. Rama was amazed at the

power of the great sage and humbly went to pay his respects to the

Great Rishi. Sarabhanga was very happy to see Rama and when Rama

said that he has killed Vira:dha, Sarabhanga felt even more happier.

He blessed Rama, wished him godspeed, generated yogagni and attained

swargam in that yogagni.

 

Swamiji reminds us of a saying from sashtras here. Whenever one visits

an elederly person, pregnant women, kids, God or Acharya, one should

not go with empty hands. One should always offer something to the other

person, which the other person likes and feel happy about. There are

certain laid down instructions in our sashtras on what has to be

presented in each case, like sweets, toys, money in the form of

dakshina etc.

 

When we visit God, what do we have to offer? Fruits,flowers, etc..?

God is having everything, what he likes the most? It is

our love and affection towards Him which he likes the most. If we

go to Him and say that I am yours, and whatever offering we take

with us, filled with our love towards God, then he accepts it with

great "preethi", as He said in Gita. (Patram Pushpam Phalam ...).

 

Similarly when we visit Acharyas or Rishis there is a rule that

we have to go as 'Samitpa:ni'. There are two meanings here.

Samit means samidhas the small wood pieces required for Homam.

Rishis will perform homams on daily basis and all kinds of things that

are required to continue that ritual, will make them happy.

Samitpa:ni also means that going with both hands folded showing

respect and our belongingness to the Acharya or Rishi. He will be

more pleased if he can hear something which he can feel happy about

or if you can take away some problem which is hampering him.

 

Now Rama was about to visit Sarabhanga and according to tradition,

he should take something, which makes Sarabhanga feel happy.

What can Rama think of to give Sarabhanga! He does not need, samidhas

as he lives in forest and there are hundreds disciples to take care

of daily ashram chores, he does not need anything else as he is about

to leave to Swargam.

 

The only issue with him was the repeated attacks

by the deamons on the young and practising Rishis. Inspite of

restricting the deamons they are a big menace for all the Rishis

for Kulapathi Sarabhanga. Viradha was head of them all and knowing

he can not do any harm to Sarabhanga, he is teasing all the rishis

under him discouraging the practicing Rishis.

 

So when Rama went to Sarabhnaga and told him that Viradha was killed,

Sarabhanga felt immensely happy and blessed Rama. The only remaining

objective for Sarabhanga was to remove the rakshasa peeda for his

disciples and when Rama did it for him, his was joyous.

 

Killing of Viradha means that removing the evil ego from the face

of the earth. His ego was of monstrous proportions. One has to kill

that ego to be able to proceed further in one's life. Then only one

can realize hundreds and thousands of good qualities within us and

among ourselves. It is not so easy as said, but we can achieve that

with the help of God and Acharyas.

 

(.. to be continued)

 

Jai Srimannarayana!

Attachment: vcard [not shown]