DIVINE STORIES - WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO RECITE AND TO LISTEN?

[Guest guest]

Sri Rama asked Hanuman: "Hanuman, what attitude do you cherish

towards Me?"

 

Hanuman answered : "O Rama! When I think I am the body, You are the

Master and I am Your servant, when I think I am the jivatman

(embodied individual soul), You are the whole and I am a part ; but

when I have the Knowledge of Reality, I see that you are I and I am

You."

 

 

Sri Ramacharitamanas

The Ramayana of Goswami Tulasidasa

Extracts from Uttara-kanda- 126 to 129

 

Shambhu (Shiva) spoke to Uma: "I have thus repeated the most sacred

narrative (The Ramayana), by hearing which one is freed from the

bonds of worldly existence and comes to have devotion to the lotus

feet of the All-merciful Sri Ram (The Lord), who is a wish yielding

tree to the suppliant. Again they who listen to this narrative

attentively are absolved of sins committed with the mind, speech or

body. Devotion to Sri Hari (the Lord) can be easily attained by men

who constantly listen to this story with faith.

 

This story should not be repeated to a perverse knave, who does not

listen attentively to the story of Sri Hari; nor should it be recited

to a greedy, irascible or lustful man who worships not the Lord of

all animate and inanimate creation. It should never be repeated to a

Brahman-hater.

 

They alone are qualified to hear Sri Ram's narrative, who are

extremely fond of communion with holy men. They alone are fit to hear

it, who are devoted to the feet of their preceptor, and are lovers of

propriety and votaries of the Brahmans.

 

The story of Sri Ram wipes out the sins of the Kali age and removes

the impurities of the mind."