Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 9
Chapter 10
The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra
This Tenth Chapter describes how Lord Rāmacandra appeared in the dynasty of Mahārāja Khaṭvāńga. It also describes the Lord's activities, telling how He killed Rāvaṇa and returned to Ayodhyā, the capital of His kingdom.
The son of Mahārāja Khaṭvāńga was Dīrghabāhu, and his son was Raghu. The son of Raghu was Aja, the son of Aja was Daśaratha, and the son of Daśaratha was Lord Rāmacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Lord descended into this world in His full quadruple expansion — as Lord Rāmacandra, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna — great sages like Vālmīki who were actually in knowledge of the Absolute Truth described His transcendental pastimes. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes these pastimes in brief.
Lord Rāmacandra went with Viśvāmitra and killed Rākṣasas like Mārīca. After breaking the stout and strong bow known as Haradhanu, the Lord married mother Sītā and cut down the prestige of Paraśurāma. To obey the order of His father, He entered the forest, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā. There He cut off the nose of Śūrpaṇakhā and killed the associates of Rāvaṇa, headed by Khara and Dūṣaṇa. Rāvaṇa's kidnapping of Sītādevī was the beginning of this demon's misfortune. When Mārīca assumed the form of a golden deer, Lord Rāmacandra went to bring the deer to please Sītādevī, but in the meantime Rāvaṇa took advantage of the Lord's absence to kidnap her. When Sītādevī was kidnapped, Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, searched for her throughout the forest. In the course of this search, They met Jaṭāyu. Then the Lord killed the demon Kabandha and the commander Vāli and established a friendly relationship with Sugrīva. After organizing the military strength of the monkeys and going with them to the shore of the sea, the Lord awaited the arrival of Samudra, the ocean personified, but when Samudra did not come, the Lord, the master of Samudra, became angry. Then Samudra came to the Lord with great haste and surrendered to Him, wanting to help Him in every way. The Lord then attempted to bridge the ocean, and, with the help of advice from Vibhīṣaṇa, He attacked Rāvaṇa's capital, Lańkā. Previously, Hanumān, the eternal servant of the Lord, had set fire to Lańkā, and now, with the help of Lakṣmaṇa, the forces of Lord Rāmacandra killed all the Rākṣasa soldiers. Then Lord Rāmacandra personally killed Rāvaṇa. Mandodarī and other wives lamented for Rāvaṇa, and in accordance with Lord Rāmacandra's order, Vibhīṣaṇa performed the funeral ceremonies for all the dead in the family. Lord Rāmacandra then gave Vibhīṣaṇa the right to rule Lańkā and also granted him a long duration of life. The Lord delivered Sītādevī from the Aśoka forest and carried her in a flower airplane to His capital Ayodhyā, where He was received by His brother Bharata. When Lord Rāmacandra entered Ayodhyā, Bharata brought His wooden shoes, Vibhīṣaṇa and Sugrīva held a whisk and fan, Hanumān carried an umbrella, Śatrughna carried the Lord's bow and two quivers, and Sītādevī carried a waterpot containing water from holy places. Ańgada carried a sword, and Jāmbavān (Ṛkṣarāja) carried a shield. After Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by Lord Lakṣmaṇa and mother Sītādevī, met all His relatives, the great sage Vasiṣṭha enthroned Him as King. The chapter ends with a short description of Lord Rāmacandra's rule in Ayodhyā.
9.10.1
khaṭvāńgād dīrghabāhuś ca
ajas tato mahā-rājas
tasmād daśaratho 'bhavat
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'From Khathvânga there was Dîrghabâhu, from him was the renown and dexterous Raghu born, from whose son Aja was born the great king Das'aratha.
9.10.2
sākṣād brahmamayo hariḥ
aḿśāḿśena caturdhāgāt
(2) Upon the prayers of the God-conscious was there from him the Absolute Truth in four forms with the Supreme Lord in person and three expansions of Him; they appearing as four sons were thus known as Râma, Lakshmana, Bharata and S'atrughna.
Lord Rāmacandra and His brothers, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna, are all viṣṇu-tattva, not jīva-tattva. The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands into many, many forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33]. Although they are one and the same, viṣṇu-tattva has many forms and incarnations. As confirmed in the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.39), rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan. The Lord is situated in many forms, such as Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna, and these forms may exist in any part of His creation. All these forms exist permanently, eternally, as individual Personalities of Godhead, and they resemble many candles, all equally powerful. Lord Rāmacandra, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna, who, being viṣṇu-tattva, are all equally powerful, became the sons of Mahārāja Daśaratha in response to prayers by the demigods.
9.10.3
tasyānucaritaḿ rājann
ṛṣibhis tattva-darśibhiḥ
(3) Of His transcendental exploits as the husband of Sîtâ, o King, have you more than enough [*] heard through the nice descriptions by the many seers and knowers of the Reality [compare B.G. 4: 34].
Modern Rākṣasas, posing as educationally advanced merely because they have doctorates, have tried to prove that Lord Rāmacandra is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but an ordinary person. But those who are learned and spiritually advanced will never accept such notions; they will accept the descriptions of Lord Rāmacandra and His activities only as presented by tattva-darśīs, those who know the Absolute Truth. In Bhagavad-gītā (4.34) the Supreme Personality of Godhead advises:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Unless one is tattva-darśī, in complete knowledge of the Absolute Truth, one cannot describe the activities of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore although there are many so-called Rāmāyaṇas, or histories of Lord Rāmacandra's activities, some of them are not actually authoritative. Sometimes Lord Rāmacandra's activities are described in terms of one's own imaginations, speculations or material sentiments. But the characteristics of Lord Rāmacandra should not be handled as something imaginary. While describing the history of Lord Rāmacandra, Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit, "You have already heard about the activities of Lord Rāmacandra." Apparently, therefore, five thousand years ago there were many Rāmāyaṇas, or histories of Lord Rāmacandra's activities, and there are many still. But we must select only those books written by tattva-darśīs (jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ), not the books of so-called scholars who claim knowledge only on the basis of a doctorate. This is a warning by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Ṛṣibhis tattva-darśibhiḥ. Although the Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki is a huge literature, the same activities are summarized here by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in a few verses.
9.10.4
(4) Faithful to the teachings [answering to a promise his father made] abandoned He the royal position and wandered He, accompanied by His loved ones [Sîtâ and Lakshmana] who relieved Him of His fatigue on the path, from forest to forest on His bare lotus feet that were as tender to the touch as a hand palm. He was [by Râvana] separated from His sweetheart Sîtâ because of disfiguring S'ûrpanakhâ [the sister of Râvana who got her nose cut off] and found support with the king of the monkeys [Hanumân]. Over the ocean, that was afraid of His eyebrows raised in anger, was a bridge constructed [to Lankâ, the residence of Râvana] and became He, like a forestfire burning the envious ones, the king of Ayodhyâ. May His mercy be upon us.
9.10.5
viśvāmitrādhvare yena
paśyato lakṣmaṇasyaiva
(5) With a [as'vamedha] sacrifice of Vis'vâmitra was His honor defended of indeed under the supervision of Lakshmana, having killed the wanderers of the dark headed by Mârîca, the great chiefs of the Râkshasas.
9.10.6-7
sītābhidhāḿ śriyam urasy abhilabdhamānām
(6-7) It was He who of all the heroes in the world in the hall where Sîtâ would select her husband took up the mighty bow of S'iva that had to be carried by three hundred men. Fastening the string, o King, and bending it broke He the bow in two the way a baby elephant breaks a stick of sugar cane. With first by the victory gaining to His chest the divine girl named Sîtâ, who in her qualities, behavior, age and limbs was a perfect match for Him, met and defeated He on his way home with her the deep-rooted pride of Bhrigupati [Paras'urâma] who three times [seven, thus twenty one times] had rid the earth [of its burden of unrighteous rulers] that now without royalty had Him as the seed.
9.10.8
(8) He had indeed to the order on His head of His father, who so very attached had made a promise to his wife [**], to accept that He had to abandon the kingdom, residence, opulence, relatives and friends and go live in the forest like a liberated soul.
Mahārāja Daśaratha had three wives. One of them, Kaikeyī, served him very pleasingly, and he therefore wanted to give her a benediction. Kaikeyī, however, said that she would ask for the benediction when it was necessary. At the time of the coronation of Prince Rāmacandra, Kaikeyī requested her husband to enthrone her son Bharata and send Rāmacandra to the forest. Mahārāja Daśaratha, being bound by his promise, ordered Rāmacandra to go to the forest, according to the dictation of his beloved. And the Lord, as an obedient son, accepted the order immediately. He left everything without hesitation, just as a liberated soul or great yogī gives up his life without material attraction.
9.10.9
(9) With Him, wandering through the forest living a life of hardship, was the body of the Râkshasa [Râvana] his sister maimed because she had a mind foul of lust and were, with in His hands His invincible bow and arrows, the fourteen-thousand of her many friends headed by Khara, Tris'ira and Dûshana, killed by Him.
9.10.10
jaghne 'dbhutaiṇa-vapuṣāśramato 'pakṛṣṭo
(10) O ruler of man, hearing the stories about Sîtâ, stirred the heart of ten-head Râvana and made him lust to see her. Mârîca in the form of a golden deer then lured Him away from their stay and was, like S'iva did with Daksha [see 4.5: 22], by Him killed on the spot with a sharp arrow.
9.10.11
rakṣo-'dhamena vṛkavad vipine 'samakṣaḿ
(11) With Him together with His brother in the forest, was the unprotected daughter of the king of Videha [Janaka] by the tiger, the most wicked Râkshasa, kidnapped and wandered He around posing as a man who attached to women is in distress over being separated from his dearest wife, thus giving an example [s'ringâra-rasa] of what attachment leads to. In this verse the words strī-sańgināḿ gatim iti indicate that the condition of a person attached to women was shown by the Lord Himself. According to moral instructions, gṛhe nārīḿ vivarjayet: when one goes on a tour, one should not bring his wife. Formerly men used to travel without conveyances, but still, as far as possible, when one leaves home one should not take his wife with him, especially if one is in such a condition as Lord Rāmacandra when banished by the order of His father. Whether in the forest or at home, if one is attached to women this attachment is always troublesome, as shown by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His personal example.
Of course, this is the material side of strī-sańgī, but the situation of Lord Rāmacandra is spiritual, for He does not belong to the material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt: Nārāyaṇa is beyond the material creation. Because He is the creator of the material world, He is not subject to the conditions of the material world. The separation of Lord Rāmacandra from Sītā is spiritually understood as vipralambha, which is an activity of the hlādinī potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead belonging to the śṛńgāra-rasa, the mellow of conjugal love in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the dealings of love, displaying the symptoms called sāttvika, sañcārī, vilāpa, mūrcchā and unmāda. Thus when Lord Rāmacandra was separated from Sītā, all these spiritual symptoms were manifested. The Lord is neither impersonal nor impotent. Rather, He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], the eternal form of knowledge and bliss. Thus He has all the symptoms of spiritual bliss. Feeling separation from one's beloved is also an item of spiritual bliss. As explained by Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ: the dealings of love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are displayed as the pleasure potency of the Lord. The Lord is the original source of all pleasure, the reservoir of all pleasure. Lord Rāmacandra, therefore, manifested the truth both spiritually and materially. Materially those who are attached to women suffer, but spiritually when there are feelings of separation between the Lord and His pleasure potency the spiritual bliss of the Lord increases. This is further explained in Bhagavad-gītā (9.11):
avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā
One who does not know the spiritual potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead thinks of the Lord as an ordinary human being. But the Lord's mind, intelligence and senses can never be affected by material conditions. This fact is further explained in the Skanda Purāṇa, as quoted by Madhvācārya:
nitya-pūrṇa-sukha-jñāna-
aduḥkho duḥkha-vartivat
sambandhaḥ svātmanaḥ śriyāḥ
ayodhyāyā vinirgacchan
jagāmānādir avyayaḥ
sarvoramamayo loko
It was actually impossible for Rāvaṇa to take away Sītā. The form of Sītā taken by Rāvaṇa was an illusory representation of mother Sītā — maya-sītā. When Sītā was tested in the fire, this māyā-sītā was burnt, and the real Sītā came out of the fire.A further understanding to be derived from this example is that a woman, however powerful she may be in the material world, must be given protection, for as soon as she is unprotected she will be exploited by Rākṣasas like Rāvaṇa. Here the words vaideha-rāja-duhitari indicate that before mother Sītā was married to Lord Rāmacandra she was protected by her father, Vaideha-rāja. And when she was married she was protected by her husband. Therefore the conclusion is that a woman should always be protected. According to the Vedic rule, there is no scope for a woman's being independent (asamakṣam), for a woman cannot protect herself independently.
9.10.12
(12) After cremating the one who had died for His sake [the eagle Jathâyu], killed He Kabandha [a headless monster] and made He friends with the leaders of the monkey hordes in order to free Sîtâ. He whose feet are worshiped by Brahmâ and S'iva, but appeared as a normal man, next in their acquaintance killed Vâli [a wicked brother of Hanumân] and proceeded, accompanied by the monkey soldiers, to the shore of the ocean.
When Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā, he was obstructed on the way by Jaṭāyu, a large bird. But the powerful Rāvaṇa defeated Jaṭāyu in the fight and cut his wing. When Rāmacandra was searching for Sītā, He found Jaṭāyu almost dead and was informed that Sītā has been carried off by Rāvaṇa. When Jaṭāyu died, Lord Rāmacandra did the duty of a son by performing the funeral ceremony, and then He made friends with the monkeys to deliver Sītādevī.
9.10.13
(13) The ocean silent of fear because of His angry glance - of which all the crocodiles and sharks were agitated - carried, assuming a personal form, on its head all that was needed to worship Him and said, reaching the lotus feet, the following:
9.10.14
(14) 'We, the dull-minded, are truly not capable of, o Supreme One, knowing You as residing in the core of the heart as the Original Person and Supreme Master of all Universes; the God-conscious under Your direction fixed in their attention are infatuated with goodness, the controllers of the people are infatuated with passion, while the rulers of the physical existence are [as ghosts] under the influence of slowness, but Your Lordship art in Your position the Master over these modes.
The word jaḍa-dhiyaḥ refers to intelligence like that of an animal. A person with such intelligence cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without being beaten, an animal cannot understand the purpose of a man. Similarly, those who are dull-minded cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when punished severely by the modes of material nature, they begin to understand Him. A Hindi poet has said:
duḥkha se saba hari bhaje
When one is distressed he goes to the church or temple to worship the Lord, but when opulent he forgets the Lord. Therefore, punishment by the Lord through material nature is necessary in human society, for without it men forget the supremacy of the Lord due to their dull, blunt intelligence.
9.10.15
(15) You may cross as you like! Just conquer that son of Vis'ravâ called Râvana, that urine pollution of the three worlds, and regain Your wife o hero. Build a bridge here so that Your fame may spread; the great kings and heroes still to come will all glorify You for it.'
One feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Rāmacandra is omnipotence. The Lord can act without regard to material impediments or inconveniences, but to prove that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was not merely advertised as Godhead or elected by popular vote, He constructed a wonderful bridge over the ocean. Nowadays it has become fashionable to create some artificial God who performs no uncommon activities; a little magic will bewilder a foolish person into selecting an artificial God because he does not understand how powerful God is. Lord Rāmacandra, however, constructed a bridge over the water with stone by making the stone float. This is proof of God's uncommonly wonderful power. Why should someone be accepted as God without displaying extraordinary potency by doing something never to be done by any common man? We accept Lord Rāmacandra as the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He constructed this bridge, and we accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He lifted Govardhana Hill when He was only seven years old. We should not accept any rascal as God or an incarnation of God, for God displays special features in His various activities. Therefore, the Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." The activities of the Lord are not common; they are all transcendentally wonderful and not able to be performed by any other living being. The symptoms of the Lord's activities are all mentioned in the śāstras, and after one understands them one can accept the Lord as He is.
9.10.16
(16) After the Master of the Raghu dynasty with all sorts of mountain peaks, complete with trees and plants, that were transported by hand by the mighty monkeys, had constructed a bridge in the ocean [***], entered He, helped by the directions of Vibhîshana [a virtuous brother of Râvana], with the soldiers led by Sugrîva, Nîla and Hanumân [the island of] Lankâ that just before had been set afire [by Hanumân's tail].
Great mountain peaks covered with trees and plants were thrown into the sea by the monkey soldiers and began to float by the supreme will of the Lord. By the supreme will of the Lord, many great planets float weightlessly in space like swabs of cotton. If this is possible, why should great mountain peaks not be able to float on water? This is the omnipotence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can do anything and everything He likes, because He is not under the control of the material nature; indeed, material nature is controlled by Him. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram: [Bg. 9.10] only under His direction does prakṛti, or material nature, work. Similar information is given in the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.52):
yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
Describing how material nature works, the Brahma-saḿhitā says that the sun moves as desired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently, for Lord Rāmacandra to construct a bridge over the Indian Ocean with the help of monkey soldiers who threw great mountain peaks into the water is not at all wonderful; it is wonderful only in the sense that it has kept the name and fame of Lord Rāmacandra eternally celebrated.
9.10.17
(17) Right there were the houses of pleasure, granaries, treasuries, palace doors and city gates, assembly houses, palace frontages and [even the] pigeon houses by force taken in and dismantled by the Vânara [monkey people]-leaders who like an elephant herd turned the squares and crossroads, with all their flags and golden waterpots on the rooftops into one swirling river.
9.10.18
sarvānugān samahinod atha kumbhakarṇam
(18) When the master of the Râkshasas saw that summoned he Nikumbha, Kumbha, Dhûmrâksha, Durmukha, Surântaka, Narântaka and others to fight, and called he as well for his son Indrajit, his followers Prahasta, Atikâya, Vikampana and finally for Kumbhakarna [his mighty brother, see 4.1: 37, 7.1: 44 and 7.10: 36].
9.10.19
nīlāńgadarkṣa-panasādibhir anvito 'gāt
(19) All the râkshasa soldiers with hard to defeat swords, lances, bows, barbed missiles and spears, firebrands, javelins and scimitars [a curved sword] came in front of Him who was surrounded by Sugrîva, Lakshmana, Hanumân, Gandhamâda, Nîla, Angada, Riksha, Panasa and others.
9.10.20
jaghnur drumair giri-gadeṣubhir ańgadādyāḥ
(20) The commanders of the soldiers of the Ruler of the Raghu dynasty, together out to defeat all the enemies, fought the hordes by elephant, on foot, from chariots and on horseback. By the warriors lead by Angada and others were they with trees, mountain peaks, clubs and arrows all killed as the luck of Râvana's dependents had ran out being condemned by the anger of mother Sîtâ.
The soldiers Lord Rāmacandra recruited in the jungle were all monkeys and did not have proper equipment with which to fight the soldiers of Rāvaṇa, for Rāvaṇa's soldiers were equipped with weapons of modern warfare whereas the monkeys could only throw stones, mountain peaks and trees. It was only Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa who shot some arrows. But because the soldiers of Rāvaṇa were condemned by the curse of mother Sītā, the monkeys were able to kill them simply by throwing stones and trees. There are two kinds of strength — daiva and puruṣākāra. Daiva refers to the strength achieved from the Transcendence, and puruṣākāra refers to the strength organized by one's own intelligence and power. Transcendental power is always superior to the power of the materialist. Depending on the mercy of the Supreme Lord, one must fight one's enemies even though one may not be equipped with modern weapons. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, mām anusmara yudhya ca: [Bg. 8.7] "Think of Me and fight." We should fight our enemy to the best of our ability, but for victory we must depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9.10.21
(21) The râkshasa leader fuming of seeing his forces defeated thereupon drove his vehicle forward proceeding towards the effulgent Râma who, glittering on the chariot of Indra that Mâtali [the driver] had brought, struck him with the sharpest arrows.
9.10.22
kāntāsamakṣam asatāpahṛtā śvavat te
(22) Râma said to him: 'You servant of scum, since you criminal like a dog have kidnapped My helpless wife will I as the Time itself in person, will I unfailing in my heroism, for that shameless act, as a result today punish you, abominable evildoer [see also B.G. 16: 6-18]!'
Na ca daivāt paraḿ balam: no one can surpass the strength of the Transcendence. Rāvaṇa was so sinful and shameless that he did not know what the result would be of kidnapping mother Sītā, the pleasure potency of Rāmacandra. This is the disqualification of the Rākṣasas. Asatyam apratiṣṭhaḿ te jagad āhur anīśvaram [Bg. 16.8]. The Rākṣasas are unaware that the Supreme Lord is the ruler of the creation. They think that everything has come about by chance or accident and that there is no ruler, king or controller. Therefore the Rākṣasas act independently, as they like, going even so far as to kidnap the goddess of fortune. This policy of Rāvaṇa's is extremely dangerous for the materialist; indeed, it brings ruin to the materialistic civilization. Nonetheless, because atheists are Rākṣasas, they dare to do things that are most abominable, and thus they are punished without fail. Religion consists of the orders of the Supreme Lord, and one who carries out these orders is religious. One who fails to carry out the Lord's orders is irreligious, and he is to be punished.
9.10.23
(23) Thus rebuking him released He the arrow He had fixed on His bow and that arrow like a thunderbolt pierced his heart. Vomiting blood from his ten mouths he fell from his heavenly vehicle while all his folk roared: 'Alas, what befell us?', just like the pious do when they fall down [see also B.G. 9: 21].
In Bhagavad-gītā (9.21) it is said, kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaḿ viśanti: "When the results of their pious activities are exhausted, those who have enjoyed in the heavenly planets fall again to earth." The fruitive activities of this material world are such that whether one acts piously or impiously one must remain within the material world according to different conditions, for neither pious nor impious actions can relieve one from māyā's clutches of repeated birth and death. Somehow or other, Rāvaṇa was raised to an exalted position as the king of a great kingdom with all material opulences, but because of his sinful act of kidnapping mother Sītā, all the results of his pious activities were destroyed. If one offends an exalted personality, especially the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one certainly becomes most abominable; bereft of the results of pious activities, one must fall down like Rāvaṇa and other demons. It is therefore advised that one transcend both pious and impious activities and remain in the pure state of freedom from all designations (sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaḿ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]). When one is fixed in devotional service, he is above the material platform. On the material platform there are higher and lower positions, but when one is above the material platform he is always fixed in a spiritual position (sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]). Rāvaṇa or those like him may be very powerful and opulent in this material world, but theirs is not a secure position, because, after all, they are bound by the results of their karma (karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa). We should not forget that we are completely dependent on the laws of nature.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
ahańkāra-vimūḍhātmā
"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature." (Bg. 3.27) One should not be proud of one's exalted position and act like Rāvaṇa, thinking oneself independent of material nature's laws.9.10.24
tato niṣkramya lańkāyā
prarudantya upādravan
(24) Thereafter came the wives of the demons headed by Mandodarî [Râvana's wife] out of Lankâ and lamented they upon approaching [their dead husbands].
9.10.25
lakṣmaṇeṣubhir arditān
(25) Embracing their beloved and friends all killed by Lakshmana's arrows beated they, so poor, their breasts and cried they, [for the victors] pleasant to hear, piteously:
9.10.26
tvad-vihīnā parārditā
(26) 'O alas, killed is he who in the past protected us all! O, Râvana, cause of our cries, to whom must the state of Lankâ, overcome by the enemy, turn for shelter, now that it is bereft of your good self?
9.10.27
(27) O greatest patron, as a result of having fallen under the influence of lusty desires, had you really no idea of how mother Sîtâ could put you in a situation like this.
Not only was mother Sītā powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of mother Sītā can also become similarly powerful. There are many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sītā is among them. Mandodarī, the wife of Rāvaṇa, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadī was one of five exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great personalities like Brahmā and Nārada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sītā, Mandodarī and Draupadī. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural power. It is a moral principle that one should not be influenced by lusty desires for another's wife. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: an intelligent person must look upon another's wife as being like his mother. This is a moral injunction from Cāṇakya-śloka (10).
mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
"One who considers another's wife as his mother, another's possessions as a lump of dirt and treats all other living beings as he would himself, is considered to be learned." Thus Rāvaṇa was condemned not only by Lord Rāmacandra but even by his own wife, Mandodarī. Because she was a chaste woman, she knew the power of another chaste woman, especially such a wife as mother Sītādevī.
9.10.28
dehaḥ kṛto 'nnaḿ gṛdhrāṇām
(28) O glory of the dynasty, because of what you did are we and the state of Lankâ now without a protector and is your body there as fodder for the vultures and your soul destined for hell [compare B.G. 16: 19].'
One who follows the path of Rāvaṇa is condemned in two ways: his body is fit to be eaten by dogs and vultures, and the soul goes to hell. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (16.19):
tān ahaḿ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saḿsāreṣu narādhamān
"Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life." Thus the destination of godless atheists such as Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaḿsa and Dantavakra is a hellish condition of life. Mandodarī, the wife of Rāvaṇa, could understand all this because she was a chaste woman. Although lamenting for the death of her husband, she knew what would happen to his body and soul, for although one cannot see directly with one's material eyes, one can see with eyes of knowledge (paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ). In Vedic history there are many instances of how one becomes godless and is condemned by the laws of nature.9.10.29
kosalendrānumoditaḥ
(29) S'rî S'uka said: 'On the approval of the King of Kosala [Râma] performed, of the [Râvana] family, Vibhîshana the funeral rites that for a deceased one have to be observed to save him from hell.
After giving up the body, one is transferred to another body, but sometimes, if one is too sinful, he is checked from transmigrating to another body, and thus he becomes a ghost. To save a diseased person from ghostly life, the funeral ceremony, or śrāddha ceremony, as prescribed in authorized śāstra, must be performed. Rāvaṇa was killed by Lord Rāmacandra and was destined for hellish life, but by Lord Rāmacandra's advice, Vibhīṣaṇa, Rāvaṇa's brother, performed all the duties prescribed in relation to the dead. Thus Lord Rāmacandra was kind to Rāvaṇa even after Rāvaṇa's death.
9.10.30
aśoka-vanikāśrame
(30) Next found the Supreme Lord in an as'oka forest His love back taking shelter in a small cottage at the foot of a s'ims'apâ [as'oka] tree, very lean from suffering the separation from Him.
9.10.31
dīnāḿ vīkṣyānvakampata
ātma-sandarśanāhlāda-
(31) Râma finding His dearmost wife so poor off became very compassionate with her while her lotus-like mouth, the moment she saw her beloved, was overwhelmed by a great joy.
9.10.32
āropyāruruhe yānaḿ
bhrātṛbhyāḿ hanumad-yutaḥ
dattvā rakṣo-gaṇeśatām
(32) The Supreme Lord, putting Vibhîshana in charge of the rule over Lankâ's Râkshasas for the duration of a kalpa, placed her on his vehicle and got in Himself together with Hanumân and the brothers [Lakshmana and Sugrîva the commander] to return to the home town [Ayodhyâ] and to conclude the term of the vow [to stay away for 14 years].
9.10.33
avakīryamāṇaḥ sukusumair
lokapālārpitaiḥ pathi
(33) On the road was He showered by a choice of fragrant flowers offered by the higher class to honor His uncommon activities and were the seer of the absolute truth [Brahmâ] and those belonging to him of great jubilation.
9.10.34
bhrātaraḿ valkalāmbaram
mahā-kāruṇiko 'tapyaj
(34) The One of Great Compassion was very sorry to hear how His brother Bharata with matted locks was lying down on a Kus'a mat, ate from barley cooked in cows urine and had covered Himself with tree bark.
9.10.35-38
paurāmātya-purohitaiḥ
rāmaḿ pratyudyato 'grajam
nandigrāmāt sva-śibirād
paṭhadbhir brahmavādibhiḥ
śreṇībhir vāra-mukhyābhir
bhṛtyaiś caiva padānugaiḥ
pārameṣṭhyāny upādāya
paṇyāny uccāvacāni ca
praklinna-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ
(35-38) Bharata hearing of the arrival took the two sandals on His head [that Râma had left behind on the throne to represent Him] and went, accompanied by all citizens, the ministers and the priests, out to welcome His eldest brother. Departing from His camp Nandigrâma were there songs, the sounds of musical instruments, the constant recitation of mantras by brahmins, with gold embroidered flags on golden chariots pulled by the most beautiful, with gold caparisoned, horses and soldiers in gold-covered armor. In procession with nicely dressed courtesans and servants and also soldiers on foot and everything else that would befit a royal reception, like a wealth of all kinds of jewelry, fell He down at the lotus feet in an ecstatic love that softened the core of His [ascetic] heart and filled His eyes with tears.
9.10.39-40
rāmo lakṣmaṇa-sītābhyāḿ
prajābhiś ca namaskṛtaḥ
(39-40) Placing the two slippers with folded hands before His golden brother embraced He Him with His cheeks wet, bathing Him in His arms for a long time with the water from His eyes. Râma, together with Lakshmana and Sîtâ, personally offered the learned and the others worthy of worship their obeisances and received them also back from all the citizens.
9.10.41
dhunvanta uttarāsańgān
kiranto nanṛtur mudā
(41) Seeing their Lord returning after so many years waved the citizens of Kosala with their upper garments, offered they Him garlands and started they to dance in great jubilation.
9.10.42-43
pāduke bharato 'gṛhṇāc
cāmara-vyajanottame
vibhīṣaṇaḥ sasugrīvaḥ
(42-43) The sandals were carried by Bharata, the whisk and luxurious fan by Vibhîshana and Sugrîva, a white parasol by the son of the Maruts [Hanumân], the bow and two quivers by S'atrughna, Sîtâ had the waterpot with water from the holy places, Angada had the sword made of gold and the King of the Rikshas [Jâmbavân, leader of the bears that also assisted in the war] held the shield, o King.
9.10.44
stūyamānaś ca vandibhiḥ
grahaiś candra ivoditaḥ
(44) To sit on Kuvera's heavenly chariot [the 'Pushpaka' captured from Râvana] made Him, the Supreme Lord, with the worshipful prayers of the women and the reciters, o King, appear as beautiful as the moon risen between the planets.
9.10.45-46
bhrātrābhinanditaḥ so 'tha
gurūn vayasyāvarajān
vaidehī lakṣmaṇaś caiva
(45-46) Properly welcomed by His brother was He thereafter festively received in the city of Ayodhyâ. Upon entering the royal palace paid He mother Kaikeyî, His other stepmothers and His own mother [Kaus'alyâ] His respects. The spiritual teachers, friends of their age and the younger ones were all of worship and befittingly was the welcome returned by Him, the princess of the Videhas [Sîtâ] and Lakshmana.
9.10.47
prāṇāḿs tanva ivotthitāḥ
āropyāńke 'bhiṣiñcantyo
(47) As bodies awakening from sleep rose their mothers to their feet and moistened they, keeping their sons on their lap, them with a continuous flow of tears as they gave up their grief [of being separated for so long from them].
9.10.48
abhyaṣiñcad yathaivendraḿ
(48) Shaving off the matted locks, was by the family priest and the elders of the family according the vidhi with the water of the four oceans and other paraphernalia a bathing ceremony performed to the like of the purification of King Indra [see 6: 13].
9.10.49
suvāsāḥ sragvy-alańkṛtaḥ
svalańkṛtaiḥ suvāsobhir
(49) Thus having been bathed completely, nicely dressed, decorated and garlanded, shone He brightly with His brothers and His wife.
9.10.50
varṇāśrama-guṇānvitāḥ
jugopa pitṛvad rāmo
(50) Pleased with the surrender He accepted the throne submitted to Him by His brother and also the citizens who, engaged in the occupational duties of their status-orientations [varnâs'rama, see B.G. 4: 13], all had become fit for His protection; Râma was therein just like a father and by them was He also considered as being their father.
People are very fond of the pattern of Rāma-rājya, and even today politicians sometimes form a party called Rāma-rājya, but unfortunately they have no obedience to Lord Rāma. It is sometimes said that people want the kingdom of God without God. Such an aspiration, however, is never to be fulfilled. Good government can exist when the relationship between the citizens and the government is like that exemplified by Lord Rāmacandra and His citizens. Lord Rāmacandra ruled His kingdom exactly as a father takes care of his children, and the citizens, being obliged to the good government of Lord Rāmacandra, accepted the Lord as their father. Thus the relationship between the citizens and the government should be exactly like that between father and son. When the sons in a family are well trained, they are obedient to the father and mother, and when the father is well qualified, he takes good care of the children. As indicated here by the words sva-dharma-niratā varṇāśrama-guṇān-vitāḥ, the people were good citizens because they accepted the institution of varṇa and āśrama, which arranges society in the varṇa divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra and the āśrama divisions of brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is actual human civilization. People must be trained according to the different varṇāśrama occupational duties. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four varṇas must be established according to varying qualities and work. The first principle for good government is that it must institute this varṇāśrama system. The purpose of varṇāśrama is to enable people to become God conscious. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate. The entire varṇāśrama scheme is intended to enable people to become Vaiṣṇavas. Viṣṇur asya devatā. When people worship Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Lord, they become Vaiṣṇavas. Thus people should be trained to become Vaiṣṇavas through the system of varṇa and āśrama, as they were during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra, when everyone was fully trained to follow the varṇāśrama principles.
Simply enforcing laws and ordinances cannot make the citizens obedient and lawful. That is impossible. Throughout the entire world there are so many states, legislative assemblies and parliaments, but still the citizens are rogues and thieves. Good citizenship, therefore, cannot be enforced; the citizens must be trained. As there are schools and colleges to train students to become chemical engineers, lawyers or specialists in many other departments of knowledge, there must be schools and colleges to train students to become brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs. This will provide the preliminary condition for good citizenship (varṇāśrama-guṇān-vitāḥ). Generally speaking, if the king or president is a rājarṣi, the relationship between the citizens and the chief executive will be clear, and there will be no possibility of disruption in the state, because the number of thieves and rogues will decrease. In Kali-yuga, however, because the varṇāśrama system is neglected, people are generally thieves and rogues. In the system of democracy, such thieves and rogues naturally collect money from other thieves and rogues, and thus there is chaos in every government, and no one is happy. But here the example of good government is to be found in the reign of Lord Rāmacandra. If people follow this example, there will be good government all over the world.
9.10.51
(51) Although it was Tretâ-yuga became the period equal to Satya-yuga because of Râma's presence as the ruling king in full respect of the dharma that makes all living beings happy [see also 12.3: 15].
Among the four yugas — Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali — the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varṇāśrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (Bhāg. 12.3.51) If people take to this sańkīrtana movement of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement; one need only chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Rāmacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.9.10.52
vanāni nadyo girayo
prajānāḿ bharatarṣabha
(52) The forests, rivers, hills and mountains, the lands, the islands, the oceans and the seas yielded for all the living beings all they could desire for their existence, o best of the Bharatas.
9.10.53
mṛtyuś cānicchatāḿ nāsīd
rāme rājany adhokṣaje
(53) There was no suffering [due to oneself, others and nature], no disease, old age, bereavement, distress, lamentation, fear and fatigue or an unwanted death during the period that Lord Râma, the One beyond All, was king.
All these facilities existed because of Lord Rāmacandra's presence as the King of the entire world. A similar situation could be introduced immediately, even in this age called Kali, the worst of all ages. It is said, kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra: Kṛṣṇa descends in this Kali-yuga in the form of His holy name — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma. If we chant offenselessly, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are still present in this age. The kingdom of Rāma was immensely popular and beneficial, and the spreading of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement can immediately introduce a similar situation, even in this Kali-yuga.
9.10.54
(54) Vowed not to take another woman [for reasons of principle He separated from Sîtâ, see next chapter] was He, as a saintly King pure of character in His dharma, especially teaching the householders by the example of His personal dutifulness.
Eka-patnī-vrata, accepting only one wife, was the glorious example set by Lord Rāmacandra. One should not accept more than one wife. In those days, of course, people did marry more than one wife. Even Lord Rāmacandra's father accepted more wives than one. But Lord Rāmacandra, as an ideal king, accepted only one wife, mother Sītā. When mother Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasas, Lord Rāmacandra, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, could have married hundreds and thousands of Sītās, but to teach us how faithful He was to His wife, He fought with Rāvaṇa and finally killed him. The Lord punished Rāvaṇa and rescued His wife to instruct men to have only one wife. Lord Rāmacandra accepted only one wife and manifested sublime character, thus setting an example for householders. A householder should live according to the ideal of Lord Rāmacandra, who showed how to be a perfect person. Being a householder or living with a wife and children is never condemned, provided one lives according to the regulative principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. Those who live in accordance with these principles, whether as householders, brahmacārīs or vānaprasthas, are all equally important.
9.10.55
premṇānuvṛttyā śīlena
praśrayāvanatā satī
(55) In loving service unto her husband was Sîtâ by her good character always submissive and ready to please, and captivated she His mind being chaste and unafraid, bashfully and understanding her husband's position.'
As Lord Rāmacandra is the ideal husband (eka-patnī-vrata), mother Sītā is the ideal wife. Such a combination makes family life very happy. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ: whatever example a great man sets, common people follow. If the kings, the leaders, and the brāhmaṇas, the teachers, would set forth the examples we receive from Vedic literature, the entire world would be heaven; indeed, there would no longer be hellish conditions within this material world.
*: This and the next chapter are a summary of Vâlmîki's Râmâyana, the original scripture describing the st0ry of Râma.
: 'Mahârâja Das'aratha had three wives. One of them, Kaikeyî, served him very pleasingly, and he therefore wanted to give her a benediction. Kaikeyî, however, said that she would ask for the benediction when it was necessary. At the time of the coronation of Prince Râmacandra, Kaikeyî requested her husband to enthrone her son Bharata and send Râmacandra to the forest. Mahârâja Das'aratha, being bound by his promise, ordered Râmacandra to go to the forest, according to the dictation of his beloved.'
***: This bridge is till today really present there in the form of a narrow passage of land close to the surface of the ocean between Lanka and India. It is called the Adam's Bridge and consists of a chain of shoals, c.18 miles (30 km) long [see picture and article].
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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