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Raamaayan and Geetaa
The following appeared in a
Raamaayan Group, authored by Saroj Ram, I liked it, so I am reproducing it
here. She has tried to prove that the whole Raamaayan is based on Geetaa -
Vaaman Avataar
Vaaman was Gyaan Swaroop -
embodiment of Gyaan. Without Gyaan wealth and power swell the pride as could
be seen in the case of Daitya Raaj Bali, who thought that he had everything
and could give anything to anybody, forgetting that all he had was given to
him by the grace of the Lord. He was a great devotee of Vishnu, but his
behavior shows that even a devotee could become inflated with pride if he
forgets that everything belongs not to him but to the Lord only. When the
pride is destroyed by seeing that he could not give even the land measured
by three feet , the devotion becomes pure and the wisdom becomes all encompassing
like Tri-vikram. The Lord rewards it by giving Himself, as He says in Geetaa --
"Gyaanee tu athmaaiva me matham aasThithah sa hi yukthaathmaa maameva
anutthamaam gathim." (Geetaa 7.28/29)
The Gyaanee is not different from Me. Being united in Me he attains the
greatest status He gave Bali anutthmaam gathim, the highest state and also
promised to be the gate keeper of his abode in Paataal.
Parashuraam
Parashuraam Jee represents the Yogee who has rooted out his inner enemies
like Kaam and Krodh, represented by the A-Dhaarmik Kshatriya. When Rajas
and Tamas qualities are destroyed, Sattwa comes on to the surface and this
is denoted by Parashuraam who donated the Earth conquered by him to Kashyap
Jee. The axe, Parashu of Parashuraam signifies Vivek and Vairaagya by which
he has conquered Rajas and Tamas qualities.
The Ashwatth tree described in
the Geetaa which is nourished by the sensual pleasures born out of desire,
Kaam, is axed by detachment, as said in Chapter 15 of the Geetaa, "ashwattham
enam suviroodh moolam asang shastren dradhen Chhittavaa" (Geetaa 15.3), means
cutting this Ashwatth tree which has deep roots, with the weapon of detachment.
Raam
If the others were illustrations , Raam was an elucidation of Geeata. What
He said as Krishn He lived it as Raam. He displayed as Raam the Anant Kalyaan
Gun" attributed to Him as Lord .Narayana. "Raamo vigrahavan
dharma:",
Raam was the personification of Dharm. He not only preached Dharm to all, but also
set an example to others by His life upholding Dharm.
Dasharath
Dasharath means the one who can fight with ten chariots at a time. It also
means who has conquered one's ten Indriyaan which always attract us towards
the sense objects. His three wives, Kaushalyaa , Kaikeyee and Sumitraa represent
three attributes of life - Bhakti, Gyaan and Karm respectively. When the mind
chariot is drawn by the ten horses Indriyaan is attached to desire-motivated Karm
it loses its discrimination power and is destroyed in the end - "Buddhi
naashaath praNaSyati" as said in the Geetaa. When desire overpowers the
mind it leaves out Gyaan and Bhakti, and Dharm is expelled, though the mind is
at unrest as the result of conscience as Dasharata suffered in sending Raam to
forest.
Of the four brothers, Raam is
Dharm and Lakshman is Arth - "Lakshmano lakshmee SampannaH", Arth meaning
wealth, should always be earned according to Dharm. Arth also means anything
desired and not only wealth. Hence it means that all things acquired, money,
power, position etc, must be according to Dharm. Hence Lakshman is said to
be always with Raam. The greatest Arth, wealth, is the Lord as Desika said
in his "Vairaagya Shatak" - "Asti me hasthisailaagre vastu
paithaamaham Dhanam", there is a great wealth of my forefathers is on
Hastigiri, meaning Lord Varada.
Bharat signifies Moksh as he
was the illustration of the Sannyaasee and devotee described in the Chapter
18 of Geetaa - "Asakt buddiH sarvatra jitaatmaa vigat sprahaH, naishkarmya
siddhim paramaam sanyaasenaadhigachchhati." (BG 18.49)
One who has detachment from everything, being self controlled, free from
desires, also attains the supreme state of inaction through renunciation.
and attains mukthi (Nishkaam Karm Siddhi).
sarvakarmaaNi api sadaa kurvaaNo madhvyapaaSrayaH,
mathprasaadaat avaapnoti Shaashwatam padam avyayam" -- (BG 18.56) "
He attains the eternal and immutable state through My grace when he does all
actions in total dependence on Me always." Shatrughn denotes Kaam which
is associated with Moksh.
Raam and Seetaa
Raam and Seetaa are depicted as Jeevaatmaa and Paramaatmaa from spiritual
point of view. The Jeevaatmaa is happy as long as it is with the Paramaatmaa,
but when the desire for the golden deer, signifying the worldly possessions,
enters the Jeev, it is carried away by the senses - Dashakanth Raavan, and
is imprisoned in Lankaa. Jeevaatmaa's Shareer (body) is surrounded by
Raakshasee - the ills of the Sansaar. The Aachaarya in the form of Hanumaan
comes and gives hope to the Jeev and unites it with the Lord.
The Agni Pareekshaa (Fire
Test) is the rise of Gyaan or Tapsyaa by which the Karm is destroyed, as
declared in the Geetaa -
"yathaa edhaamsi samidDdho agniH bhasmasaat kurute arjun,
GyaanaagniH sarvakarmaaNi bhasmasaat kurute tathaa" -- (BG.4.37),
As a fire, when kindled, reduces all fuel, to ashes, the Gyaan burns all
Karm to ashes.
But Raam and Seetaa had no
Karm to do and did not suffer from it both being the incarnations of
Naaraayan and Lakshmee. The sorrow of Raam during the separation from Seetaa
and in the grief of Seetaa in Ashok Van were only to show that Paramaatmaa
also feels the separation of the Jeev as much as the Jeev does, if not more.
Raam and Seetaa simply enacted their part, Raam acting as appropriate to his
role of a man and Seetaa to fulfill the role of His wife - Avataar Kaarya.
Raavan
Raavan stands as an illustration of the Geetaa Shlok --
"Dhyaayato vishyaan punsaH sangah teshu upajaayate
sangaatsanjaayate kaamaH kaamot krodho abhijaayate -- (BG 2.62)
krodhaat bhavati sammohaH sammohaat smritivibhramaH
smrthibhramshaat buddhinaashah buddhinaashaat pranashyati -- (BG 2.63)
By the mind dwelling upon the sense objects an attachment (Sang) is born for
them and from that attachment is sprung up the longing desire to possess
them - Kaam, and the desire gives way to anger (Krodh). From anger arises
the delusion (Moh) and the delusion causes loss of memory (smritibhranshaH),
which results in destruction of reasoning power (BuddhinaashaH), and as a
result the man is destroyed (Pranashyati).
Thus Raavan represents Kaam
(desire), as he wanted all that is best in everything.
Kumbhakarn denotes Moh (delusion) as he was all the time sleeping. The
downfall of Raavan started with his thinking (Dhyaayato) of Seetaa which
developed into Sang (attachment or longing), then desire (Kaam), which
turned into Krodh (anger) when anyone advised against it. He was deluded (Sammoh)
into believing that Seetaa alone would bring him happiness. He forgot all
his glory and Vaidik learning and his curses etc. This is known as Smriti
vibhram, as a result of which he lost his reasoning power (Buddhi Naash) and
he was destroyed (Pranashyati) as detailed by the Geetaa Shlok.
Raavan wanted to separate
Lakshmee from the Lord, not knowing that if the Lord is invited Lakshmee
will come of her own accord but if Naaraayan is not wanted Lakshmee will not
stay long, and he had to suffer while Vibheeshan united both and got all the
prosperity and good fortune. Thus Vibheeshan represents Sattwa while Raavan
and Kumbhakarn stand for Rajas and Tamas respectively.
Lakshman
Lakshman is the incarnation of Aadi Shesh, the thousand hooded serpent,
which is the mind with thousand thoughts. Aadi Shesh never leaves the Lord
which shows that the mind always engaged in the service of Lord is the
greatest good fortune one can have, which is why Lakshman is termed as
Lakshmeesampannaa. He is the illustration of that Bhakt who has surrendered
everything to the Lord and obtains pleasure by serving Him alone.
"Sarvadharmaan parityjya maam ekam Sharan vraja" as Krishn says
in Geetaa.
So is Vibheeshan - a perfect
example of the above Charam Shlok, as he says "Tyaktwaa putraan cha
dhaaraamsch raaghavam SharaNam gataH", that is, he has given up all
possessions and relations and had come to Raam in surrender and he got
everything including the Lord, as a result.
Ahalyaa Episode
The Ahalya episode is the illustration of the Shlok --
"api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maam ananyabhaak saaDhurev cha manthavyaH.......
(BG 9.30), One who has sinned should be counted as good if he contemplates
on the Lord with devotion and
"kshipram bhavati Dharmaatmaa Shashwat Shaantim nigachchhati (Geetaa 9.31)
and such sinner when he expiate his sin by contemplation of the Lord becomes
good and gets peace. Ahalya was doing penance for her sin in the form of a
stone for years and her penance was rewarded in the end and she came to be
counted as one among the pure women later.
Shabaree
Shabaree illustrates the meaning of the Shlok --
"patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyaa prayacChathi tadhaham
bhakthyuopahrtam aSnaami prayataatmanaH, "
a leaf, a flower or a fruit or water whatever one gives Me in with devotion
I will accept it with pleasure.
Thus the whole Raamaayan is the
illustration of the Geetaa
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