SSR Day 3 by HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – January 3, 2014 – Mysore
Jai Guru Datta
Yesterday we discussed on Ayodhya khanda. After this, we will discuss Aranya khanda. May Swamiji bless us all.
Sometimes we don’t know for whom to cry. For what reason to cry. One who has vairagya, is never scared. After giving away everything, Rama walks towards the forest. He does not go in the chariot. Seeing this, everyone in Ayodhya cried. The reason for this situation is Kaikeyi’s jelousy and Dasharatha’s desire. When rama bid farewell, Dasharatha could not say anything, Rama didn’t want to stay even one day for his father’s sake and decided to leave the same day. They wore the same vastra that Saints in forest would wear. He was asked to remove His royal robes. Sita did not even know how to wear the valkala vastra. kaikeyi was still not satisfied. Who did not want Sita to become a queen? Vasishta wanted to make her the queen. But Kaikeyi’s whole body was full of poision due to jelousy. Sumantra bites his teeth and says that Kaikeyi was like her mother. Why shoud Sita go like a recluse. Nobody liked this. A man who has strength will make a forest into a city. For others, even a city will be like a forest. Our Appaji, Who is confident, made our Ashrama which was like a forest, into heaven.
So Vasisthta insisted that Sita goes with her jewells. He was a thrikala Gnani. All the people followed Rama, although Rama drove them away. Seeing Dasharatha and others following, Rama told the driver to drive slowly. Rama told him to go and the people told him to stop. After a while, looking at the dear horses of His father, Rama tells them to stop and give water to the horses. They stay there overnight and get up early in the morning. Early morning is a very good time with good vibrations, especially for attaining siddhi. Rama always had this habbit. This habit started with Viswamitra (Kausalya supraja Rama was the morning hymn that Vishwamitra sang for Rama to wake Him up). Sita never slept. By the time the others got up, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana had already crossed the river. If the others wake up, they will not let them go. That is the game played by Nidradevi or sleep. In Durga saptasati, Brahma prays to Nidra devi .Vishnu is in yoga nidra or sleeping state and from Him a form appears. So Brahma prays to that Devi to wake up Vishnu in order to kill Madhu kaitapa, the asuras. For everything we do, we have a presiding deity. The adishtana devata for laughter is Ganapathy.
Seeing the devatas always very serious, Ganapathy decided to make them laugh. He ate His stomach full and with His big belly, He began to dance. Even His dress and jewells started to fall. Seeing this, everyone began to laugh. So from Ganapathy started laughter. Sleep also has a devata whose form is sleep . we have to pray to her to get good sleep and wake up on time . It is said that we should pray to Anantha Padmanaba Swamy when we sleep.
Nidra is cause for Tamo Guna – ignorance. Rama told Sumantra that he should drive the chariot for some time to the north and sometime to the south, so the people who follow Him will be confused and go back. Then Rama met Guha . He was the friend of Dasharatha. He told Rama to stay there, but Rama refused and had only water to drink and rested under a tree. Seeing Rama and sita resting on the ground, Lakshmana felt very bad. In the morning Rama wanted a boat to cross the river. Guha first wanted to worship the feet of Rama. Jokingly he remarked that when the rock turned into Gowthama muni’s wife with the touch of His feet, then what will happen to his boat? Hearing this, Rama smiled and accepted the worship of Guha. He was the first one to show devotion in Ramayana. He prays to Rama to stay there. God is greatly pleased with devotion. In the story of Baktha kannapa in Kalahasti, Shiva was greatly pleased with his devotion.
Then they began to cross the river and Rama bid farewell to Sumantra who wanted to follow Him. He was told to go back and give the news that Rama has gone to the forest, so that the doubting Kaikeyi will feel happy . Rama reached the forest and began to walk. Rama began to remember His father, mother and all the others. He sat under a tree and broke down, thinking how the desire in His father had made him give up a son like Him. Rama had great respect for His father. He was not complaining. Lakshmana pacified Him. The one who gives up wealth and desire for the sake of dharma is a great soul. The one who gives up dharma for the sake of these are at a lower level. This was a upadesha for Lakshmana. He wondered whether anyone is there to take care of His mother Kausalya and Subadra and wanted Lakshmana to go back to take care of them. Lakshmana comforted Rama and said that his mother will be happy only if he stays with Rama and serves Him. Lakshmana is a great yogi . He is Aadhi sesha.
With the presence of Rama, the Forest became Ayodhya and with His absence, Ayodhya became a forest. Where ever there is God or the consciousness, there is happiness. Like a lifeless body Ayodhya was grief stricken. No one cared for their children and even animals did not eat. Even breeze did not blow. All pancha boothas – the five elements were dependent on Rama. Sumantra came back to Ayodhya covering his head as he had no answer for anybody’s questions. He gave the news that Rama would be back from the forest after 14 years. Kausalya was worried that Sita will suffer in the forest as she is not used to hardship. But Sumantra pacifies them and says that Sita said nothing. Out of great sorrow Dasharatha wonders what wrong he did in the past to suffer this. After knowing that it will hurt, we should not throw stones at others.
We should not do to others what we don’t want them to do to us. This is shastras. He recalls what he did in the past. He had the capacity to aim correctly at a target just by listening to the sound. Once he went out in the night for hunting. Hearing a sound, he assumed it was an elephant that had come to drink water and aimed his arrow. But then he heard the cry of a boy. By mistake he had shot the boy. That boy suffering from the wound of the arrow said that he had come there to get water for his blind parents and said that he was the only one to take care of them. He requested Dasharatha to take the water for them. Unable to see the boy suffering, Dasharatha took the arrow that was piercing him and the boy died instantly. With grief in his heart for the wrong he did, Dasharatha took the water for the blind parents. When they knew he was not their son, they wanted to know where he was and Dasharatha admitted his fault and sought their forgiveness. The old parents said that since he admitted his fault he is saved. If Dasharatha had gone back to his kingdom without seeking repentance, the curse of the parents would have spelled doom on his kingdom. Then they told him to take them near their son’s body. They did the last rites and they also died cursing him saying that he would also die, grieving from the separation of his son. At the same time the boy appeared in the sky consoling his parents and saying that due to the service he did for his parents he got a permanent place in heaven. This was seen by Dasharatha also. He never did any tapas yoga or sadhana. Only the sincere seva to his parents has elevated him.
Dasharatha told that he had to suffer this because of that sin he committed by killing that boy. No one knew this except Sumantra. He told Kausalya to be near him and crying out the name of Rama he died. Death will be easy for people who have done sadhana. So when we have energy in the body, we should do sadhana. Vashistha send this news to the near and dear. There Bharata was getting bad dreams and seeing bad omens. He was worried about Rama and his father. Here a description of the land mass and the rivers the messengers crossed is given in Ramayana by Valmiki. Everything in Ramayana is the truth. The brothers go back to Ayodhya but did not know the news of the father’s demise or the fate of Rama. He was shocked to see his mother seated alone on the throne. She welcomed him and told him to sit next to her. When he came to know that Rama left for forest to let Bharata rule, he was shocked. Bharata said that if ever he cherished a wish to rule, let all the sins in the world come to him and the fruit of all his good deeds go in vain. This shows the greatness of Bharata. He never ever had the idea of ruling. He was very fond of Rama. Hearing his voice, Kausalya came running. Bharata told her that he was not aware of all this and sought her forgiveness. She consoled him.
After doing all the last rites, he went to bring Rama back to Ayodhya. He laid broad streets from Ayodhya to Aranya fully confident about bringing Rama. He went to Bharadwaj Ashrama and from there to Chitrakuta. He and his army were taken care of well and fed well in the Ashrama, just like in our ashrama Swamiji will first tell everyone to eat and come. After eating they also go to sleep and forget all their worries. Swamiji’s Gothra is Bharadwaja. That is why Swamiji is also fond of Annadhana . They made 10 yojana places to feed them. One yojana is 8 miles. All people were so happy with that life that they even forgot the purpose of their visit. That is how ashrama life is.
Bharata went to meet Rama in Chitrakuta and pleaded him to return. Rama enquired about the people and everyone in the palace. When asked about father, Bharata told him about his demise. Rama was very upset and said that Bharata is lucky to do the last rites and said that he wanted to do the pinda pradana. What ever he ate, he gave that as an offering to the soul of His dead father. Whatever we eat, we should offer that to God and ancestors and never say that we don’t have any thing to offer. Here we can recall the Tuesday Upavasa propagated by Swamiji. We should skip a meal and offer it to the poor.
All the wives of Dasharatha come there. Rama prostrated to His mother. He told Bharata that His father has equally divided the kingdom. He said that He would rule the forest and Bharata should rule Ayodhya. But Bharata refused, saying that a cart that is driven by a big ox cannot be driven by a new born baby ox. He said that he can never replace Rama. Then as His Guru Who gave Him gnana, Vasishta told Him to rule Ayodhya. But Rama stuck to His principles of truth. Then Jabalya Maharishi said that whatever Rama is telling, is a lie and all His talk about sticking to truth is a lie. Rama wondered how His father kept him in the kingdom. Thus Rama stuck to the words of His father and never gave in, even when all of them persuaded Him to return.
Then Vashistha said that Jabalya Maharishi spoke like this only to bring Him to Ayodhya. Then once again they talked about His genealogy and told that only the 1st son should rule. But Rama refused saying that He will come back after 14 years and then rule. Then Bharata brought the Golden Padukas of Rama which he got blessed from Rama and took it with him on his head and placed it on the elephant. It should not be called as shoes – footwear. There is a difference between Paduka and chappel. We won’t pay respect to a chappel but we shoud respect a Paduka. With great grief in his heart, they left for Bharadwaj Ashram. Rama had also advised him to treat his mother kindly and that everything happened for the good. This shows the great character of Rama. Baradwaja also told him that there is a reason for Rama’s life in the forest.
Bharata also renounced everything and went to live in Nandhigrama and kept the Padukas in the throne and did pattabishekam for the Padukas. The Padukas are a representative of Rama. He offered everything at the feet of the Padukas. Even the problems of the people were told to the Padukas and then a decision was taken. He also took a vow that he would enter into the fire if Rama did not return after 14 years.
After the visit of Bharata, all the Rishis decided to leave that place fearing the attack of demons as they would have already come to know the presence of Rama there. They also wanted Rama to come with them. Then Rama understood that if He lived there, then some more people will keep coming. So He decided to move from there and reached Dhandakarnya. They reached Atri & Anusuya Ashrama. Atri Rishi had three children. Durvasa, Chandra and Datta swami. None were with them. Seeing these three, they felt as if their children had come. Sita’s face was like chandra, Rama was the form of Datta and Lakshmana’s anger reminded them of Durvasa.
Manotrit trigunateetham Anasuya abhavat mathihi
Thayor brahma padam labdvam dathatreyedi shabditham
Atri was beyond the three qualities which governed the mind and Anasuya was without jealousy. When Mind and buddhi – intellect don’t go in two different directions and remain in the same state, what one would get is liberation. That is why Datta was born to them. Atri and Anasuya treated them well. When Sita prostrated to Anasuya, she gave her Jewells. A Vastra that will never crumple and always remain fresh and a garland that would never dry. Sita only wore those jewells given by Anasuya mata. Anasuya also gave her a sindoor (bindi applied as dot on the forehead by women) which remained in her forehead even till she entered the fire. To make Sita happy, she told her to narrate how she married Rama. Sita began to recollect her happy past and forgot her worries. She appreciated Sita for following her husband and enduring difficulties in the forest. She said that any woman who whole heartedly does service to her husband, is always blessed. Sita told that she also knows about this through her mother. They told them the route to the forest and advised them to be careful as there are rakshasas in the forest. People who don’t do their daily duties and those who always nurture bad thoughts, are affected by demons. Rama roamed in the forest like the Sun around the earth. Thus Rama entered the Aranya.
Before Rama entered Dhandakarnya, all the Maharishis came and met Him. They requested Rama to protect them from Rakshasas who caused hindrance when they performed yagas. There were Rishis who live only on leaves, fruits and also those who do penance standing on one foot. They wanted to be protected like a new born baby. Then Rama was happy to be of help to these Rishis in the forest and promised to protect them. We will see the rest of it tomorrow.
Compiled by Bala Aati