Ramayana lays stress on control of senses

March 8, 2005

Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

Possession of enormous wealth, acquisition of knowledge, enjoying status and winning fame will all be a waste if a person is devoid of character and integrity. Discipline is of great merit as it is a well regulated life that ultimately succeeds and where it fails, good or noble parentage will not save a man. Learning can be considered worthless if one cannot exercise self-control in conduct and behaviour. What is equally important is that a man's thoughts, words and deeds should all be alike. The warning about the consequences of falling victims to temptations by not controlling our senses has been clearly described in epics like the Ramayana that will continue to serve till humanity survives, through Ravana. Invincible though, as

he was, his moral turpitude caused him ruin. Sri Rama, on the other hand, remained firm in His resolve to be ever loyal to His wife, gave Ravana a last chance to go back to his palace and come back hoping that even at the last hour, he would give up his passion for another's spouse. Rama, the ideal human being, remained committed to virtue, never to transgress moral law under any circumstance. Also, the Divine Mother, Sita, displayed great magnanimity.

If the qualities of Rama and Sita are kept on the two pans of a balance to find who among them is more concerned about human beings, the latter would go down. This is revealed when Anjaneya sought Sita’s permission to deal with the demons who had tortured Her when She was kept in captivity. The Divine mother Sita, the embodiment of patience, forbearance and mercy replied : ``How can I be vindictive and set you upon these women?. They are but helpless hirelings of Ravana, doing his bidding. They have no more teeth now since Ravana is dead. An enlightened person never hates a wrong-doer. Even an unkindly

thought debases the mind. Love and compassion are not wasted even on miscreants.''

The personality of Anjaneya and his role in the Ramayana have been a favourite topic with scholars and devotees. He was a personification of strength, wisdom and self-control, loyalty and devotion, dogged perseverance, endurance and stupendous achievements. How faith in Sri Rama made him face trials and come out unscathed from ordeals and obstacles, carry out incredible tasks, save all the chief characters of the divine drama from virtual extinction and deliver messages of hope and redemption to devotees caught in the trammels of worldly existence are presented to posterity.

Bhagavan Krishna says in Gita, Chapter 4, Sloka 9 & 10 :

janma karma ca me divyam / evam yo vetti tattvatahtyaktva deham punar janma / naiti mam eti so 'rjunavita-raga-bhaya-krodha / man-maya mam upasritahbahavo jnana-tapasa / puta mad-bhavam agatah

( O Arjuna! My avataras (incarnations) and activities are transcendental. One who knows this in truth, does not take another birth after giving up the present body. He certainly attains Me.Freed from attachment, fear and anger, with their concentration fixed on Me, being completely surrendered, and purified by the cultivation of transcendental jnana and tapasya, many

persons have attained prema-bhakti for Me. )

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA!!!

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