Hindu Festivals (10-A).

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal,

 

10 A. SRI RAMANAVMI

 

(Chaitra Sudha Navami)

(March - April.)

 

Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram

 

SALUTATIONS to Lord Rama, an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is measureless,

who is of the nature of pure Consciousness and bliss, who is the consort of

Sita, Master of Sri Hanuman, and the Lord of the three worlds, who took His

birth at His own will in order to establish righteousness, destroy the wicked

and protect His devotees.

 

Ramnavami or the birthday of Lord Rama falls on the 9th day of the bright

fortnight of the month of Chaitra (March-April).

 

Rama was the Lord Hari Himself, incarnate on earth for the destruction of

Ravana. He was well accomplished, beautiful and endowed with royal marks. His

glory and prowess were unlimited. He was peerless on earth. He was free from

malice. He was gentle. He was the protector of all His people. He always

addressed them in gentle words. He never used any harsh words even when somebody

provoked Him. He held sway over the whole world.

 

Let Sri Rama be your ideal. Ideals are remembered and adored for the purpose

of adopting them in your own life. The Ramanavmi celebration or the Vasanta

Navaratri every year is an opportune period for us to saturate ourselves with

the spirit of Lord Rama. We love and adore our ideals because we express thereby

our yearning to unite with them. In our worship of God it is implied that we

should be virtuous, good and perfect even as God is. Hence the wise instruction:

" One should become divine in order to be able to worship God " . One cannot be a

real worshipper of Lord Rama unless one makes an honest attempt to grow in the

virtues that the Lord represents. On the other hand, worship of Lord Rama is

itself the surest means to develop such virtues.

 

One who approaches Sri Rama with love and worshipfulness becomes

large-hearted, pure in spirit, good-natured and dispassionate in thought, word

and deed. A true devotee of Lord Rama is His representative, with His power and

His knowledge.

 

Lord Rama was the prince of the Ikshvaku race. He was virtuous and of manly

strength. He was the Lord of the mind and the senses. Brave and valiant, He was

yet gentle and modest. He was a sage in counsel, kind and sweet in speech, and

most courteous and handsome in appearance. He was the master of all the divine

weapons, and a great warrior. Ever devoted to the good and prosperity of His

kingdom and His subjects, He was a defender of the weak and the protector of the

righteous. Endowed with numerous wondrous powers of the mind, He was well versed

in all sciences--in military science as well as the science of the Self.

 

Deep and unfathomed like the ocean, firm and steadfast like the Himalayan

Mountains, valiant like Lord Vishnu, He was the joy of Kaushalya. Though fierce

like fire on the battlefield, He was calm like the cool breeze of the Mandara

Hills, patient like Mother Earth, bounteous like the god of wealth and righteous

like the lord of justice himself. In the pains and the grief of His people, His

heart swiftly sympathised with the sufferers. In the festive scenes which held

them in joy, He like a father shared their joys. By His honour and heroism, as

well as by His gentleness and love for His subjects, He greatly endeared Himself

to the hearts of His people. Such a great person was the Lord Rama!

 

Lord Rama was the best of men with a sterling character. He was the very image

of love. He was an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal husband, an ideal

friend and an ideal king. He can be taken to embody all the highest ideals of

man. He led the ideal life of a householder to teach the tenets of righteousness

to humanity. He ruled His people so well that it came to be known as Ram-Rajya,

which meant the rule of righteousness, the rule which bestows happiness and

prosperity on all.

 

The noblest lesson embodied in the Ramayana is the supreme importance of

righteousness in the life of every human being. Righteousness is the spiritual

spark of life. Cultivation of righteousness is the process of unfoldment of the

latent divinity in man. The glorious incarnation of the Supreme Being in the

form of Lord Rama has exemplified the path of righteousness. Let mankind follow

His footsteps and practise the ideals cherished by Him, for it is only thus that

there can be everlasting peace, prosperity and welfare in this world.

 

None but the righteous can be truly happy. None but he who has the correct

sense of duty and the will for its implementation can be said to live worthily.

One must be imbued with a definite conviction about the supremacy of moral

principles, ethical values and spiritual ideals. These ought to guide one's

day-to-day actions and serve as powerful means for the culture of the human

personality. That is the purpose of life. That is the way to Self-realisation.

That is the message and the mission of Lord Rama's fife on earth.

 

To a devotee, Sri Rama is not simply a good and a great person, but God

Himself. Rama was the son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya, but He is also the

divine omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient God. The destruction of the

ten-headed Ravana signifies the annihilation of the mind or the ten senses.

Worship of Lord Rama is worship of the all-pervading Godhead Himself. Read the

prayers offered by Mandothari and Brahma in the Yuddha Kanda of the Ramayana.

They refer to Rama as the one Creator of the universe, the God of all, the Ruler

of the universe.

 

Devotion to God is not a simple emotion. It is the result of intense

dispassion and purity of heart and attitude. You should strive your utmost to

possess the good qualities that are extolled in the Ramayana and exemplified in

the life of Lord Rama. Otherwise, emotion may rise up in you temporarily to a

kind of ecstasy, but you will not experience divine consciousness thereby.

Devotion is a fruit which ripens gradually through the processes of

self-restraint and virtue. Without intense dispassion there can be no real

Sadhana for Self-realisation. Only after detachment from the world of things, is

it possible to attain the Supreme Godhead. Remember this.

 

Devotion has absolutely nothing to do with age, caste, creed, position or sex.

Generally, the worldly-minded people say: " We will practise meditation and

devotion when we retire from service. " This is a serious mistake. How can you do

serious Sadhana after squeezing out all your energy in working? How will you be

able to practise the strict Yogic discipline in your old age? Is there any

certainty in life? No, the spiritual seeds of discipline and devotion must be

sown in you while you are young, while your heart is tender and untainted. Then

only will it strike a deep root, blossom forth and bear fruit when you become

old and retire. Only then can you bravely face the god of death and meet him

with a smile!

 

I shall tell you the means of attaining the final release from the great cycle

of births and deaths. Devotion to Lord Rama is a great purifier of the heart.

From devotion arises knowledge. From knowledge comes the realisation of the pure

Self. Knowing this perfectly, one goes to the Supreme Abode and merges in the

Supreme Self.

 

Without first developing devotion to Rama who is the Self, who lives in the

hearts of all beings, who is all bliss and who is peerless, how can man cross

the ocean of worldly life which has sorrow, pain and misery for its waves?

 

Do thou therefore worship Lord Rama who is Vishnu and the consort of Sita who

is Lakshmi. Abandon all foolishness and enmity. Take to the service of Lord

Rama.

 

The Lord is extremely fond of those who have surrendered themselves to Him. He

has given this promise in the Ramayana: " To anyone who once takes shelter under

Me and solicits 'I am Thine', I bestow fearlessness from all beings. This is My

vow " .

 

Even a great sinner who is full of evil qualities and who is fond of other

people's wealth is freed from all kinds of faults that pertain to worldly life

if only he remembers the Lord always. He attains purity and goes to the supreme

abode of the Lord.

 

The Name of Lord Rama is the greatest purifier of the heart. It wipes away all

one's sins. Not only this, but it wipes away the sinful tendencies as well. The

Name is sweeter than the sweetest of objects. It is the haven of peace. It is

the very life of pure souls. It is the purifier of all purifying agencies. It

quenches the consuming fire of worldly desires. It awakens the knowledge of God.

It bathes the aspirant in the, ocean of divine bliss. Glory to Sri Rama and His

Name!

 

O Devotee! Recite His Name, sing His glory and serve His Lotus Feet. Enthrone

in your heart Lord Rama of dark hue, whose image is reflected in the heart of

Lord Shiva. Blessed is the pious soul who uninterruptedly drinks the nectar of

Sri Rama's Name which has been churned out of the ocean of the Vedas, which

removes the impurities of the Kali Yuga or the iron age, which lives constantly

on the lips of Lord Shiva, which is a sovereign remedy or unfailing specific to

cure the disease of worldly existence and which is the life of Mother Sita.

 

Ram-Nam burns ignorance, passion and sin. With or without knowledge, correctly

or incorrectly, when the word " Rama " is pronounced it showers a rain of good

upon the devotee. Sri Rama is Brahman who takes one across the ocean of worldly

existence. Rama is one in across whom the Yogis sport, that is, the Self within.

 

Lord Shiva tells His consort Parvati: " This Rama-Nama is equal to the Lord's

thousand Names or repetition of the Mantra a thousand times " .

 

I call this the anti-gossip tonic. When you find that you are wasting your

time in gossip, repeat His Name several times. You can make up for the time

lost, and the mind will be slowly weaned away from the habit of gossiping.

 

Sri Rama is also a wish-fulfilling tree. He will bestow upon you whatever you

want! Just read what Lord Shiva further says:

 

" The seat of all good things, the destroyer of all impurities of this age of

darkness, purer than purity itself, the food for the journey of aspirants on the

path to salvation, their only resting place, the very life-breath of virtuous

men, is the Divine Name of Sri Rama. So say the sages " .

 

On the auspicious Ramanavmi day take a firm resolve that you will repeat

Ram-Nam with every breath and that you will endeavour to lead a righteous life.

 

Ramanavmi is one of the most important festivals of the Vaishnava sect of the

Hindus. However, even those who adore Lord Shiva celebrate the occasion. Some

observe a strict fast on the day. Temples are decorated and the image of Lord

Rama is richly adorned. The holy Ramayana is read in the temples. At Ayodhya,

the birthplace of Sri Rama, a big fair is held on this day.

 

In South India the Sri Ramanavmi Utsavam is celebrated for nine days with

great fervour and devotion. Those talented in the art of story-telling narrate

the thrilling episodes of the Ramayana. The Kirtanists chant the holy Name of

Rama and celebrate the wedding of Rama with Sita on this great day. It is an

extremely colourful ceremony, highly inspiring and instructive, too.

 

At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, Ramanavmi is celebrated for nine days as

follows:

 

Spiritual seekers do as much Japa as possible. The sacred Mantras Om Sri

Ramaya Namaha or Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram are chanted.

Devotees read the whole of the Ramayana, either the Sanskrit version of Sage

Valmiki or the Hindi version of Saint Tulsidas, during these nine days.

Those who cannot recite the entire epic may read this single verse which

contains in a nutshell the story of the Ramayana: " Formerly, Sri Rama went to

the forests, where Rishis did penance, and killed the illusive deer. Sita was

carried away and Jatayu was killed. Rama met Sugriva, killed Vali and crossed

the ocean. The city of Lanka was burnt by Hanuman. The demons, Ravana and

Kumbhakarna, were then killed. Thus is recited the holy Ramayana " .

 

Devotees greet one another with " Sri Ram " or " Jai Ram-ji-ki " .

Those who have adopted Lord Rama as their favourite Deity observe a fast,

taking only milk and fruit for all the nine days. Some fast only on the

Ramanavmi day itself

On the final or Ramanavmi day, there is a grand worship of Lord Rama in the

gorgeously decorated temple. All the Vedic rituals including Laksharchana are

performed.

A havan is also performed.

From four in the morning to late at night, there is Ram and Ram alone

everywhere!

Leaflets, booklets and books relating to Lord Rama are distributed.

Special meetings are held in the evening at which discourses on the life and

teachings of the Lord are delivered.

Earnest seekers take resolves to accelerate their spiritual progress.

O beloved seekers! Time is fleeting. Know the value of time. Time is most

precious. Utilise every second profitably. Do not procrastinate. Abandon all

idle gossiping. Forget the past. Live every moment of your life for the

realisation of the divine ideal and goal. Unfold your latent faculties. Grow,

evolve and become a superhuman or a dynamic Yogi. Struggle hard and reach the

goal of life.

 

May you all attain the final beatitude of life through intense devotion

towards Lord Rama! May you live immersed in the ecstasy of divine love! May Sri

Rama who is as effulgent as a million suns and who is adored by the gods and

devotees, protect you all! May the blessings of Lord Rama be upon you all!

(By Swamy Sivananda)

 

With love and regards.

 

Sastry.

 

 

 

 

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