Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi is a great epic and is known as Aadi kaavya (The first poetic work) in Sanskrit. It is of great value for each reader from what ever view he / she looks at it. It is always the perception of the individual that makes him look at it in his own way and get his experience as he likes. There are no standard answers for the questions that one raises arising out of ones own experience(s) in life. One can derive his own answers after studying Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi. This is precisely the reason why this Blog is being created - to attract views from various serious readers for a proper understanding of the philosophy of life to make every ones life a happy and enjoyable one.
Every one looks at everything in life from an applicable philosophy that makes him happy with what he has. For example a person purchases an attractive and automatically playing doll for a throw away price. If he finds that a child had spoiled it in a few minutes of use he would apply the philosophy " After all a good one would have cost me much more; even that would have been spoiled any way. It is good that I lost only a little money."
Some one used to say any thing happening to him or to any other person as " it is happening only for our good and well being".See the story of a minister of a king who followed this philosophy to keep his life comfortable under all odd conditions as well, even to the surprise of the king.
The story goes thus:
One day a king along with his minister went out into a deep forest for hunting. They hunted for quite some time. Accidentally the king lost one of his fingers. The king told his minister that he lost his little finger of his left hand. The minister tried to console the king by saying that it is for our good and well being only. The king grew angry with him for his foolish comment and imprisoned the minister. The minister said this imprisonment is for our good and well being. The king thought that his minister became a nut and is incurable. He hoped that this imprisonment will help the minister to rethink and realise his folly that all things cannot be occurring only for our good; some are bad as well.
A few months after the king got cured of his injury caused in losing his little finger, one day the king went for hunting - this time without his minister as he was in prison. Though the king was accompanied by his henchmen, he lost himself in the thick forest. Suddenly he was caught by the tribals living in that area. They overpowered the king and took him to their leader. They told the leader that they brought a well built man to offer him to their Goddess in sacrifice. The leader was happy. He ordered them to examine his whole body if any part is lame. They carefully examined and reported that he is lame as he lost his little finger. The leader shouted them out for bringing a lame person to offer to their Goddess. He ordered them to leave the person safe.
The king was thus saved. He was still afraid. He took to heels and recollected his minister's words when he lost his little finger. He then appreciated the wisdom of the minister that every thing that occurs in our life is for our good and well being . He still had a question that was haunting him. He wanted to put it to his minister. After he reached home he wanted the minister to be presented before him. The minster was brought from the prison and was presented before the king. The king narrated his escape from near death and how he was saved by losing his little finger.He appreciated the minister for having said that it was for our well being that the king lost his little finger.
The king then asked his intriguing question of why the minister accepted his imprisonment saying that it is for our good and well being. The minister clarified to the king that it saved the minister his own life. He explained further that had he not been imprisoned by the king , the king would have asked him to accompany him for this hunting. The tribals would have left the king but would have taken the minister and sacrificed him. Having explained this the minister once again thanked the king for the imprisonment. The king was mused by his minister's wisdom and practical philosophy. He released the minister from his imprisonment and learnt his lesson that things happen for our good and well being.
Thus to live happily under all odd and testing conditions it is one's own understanding of life and the philosophy he follows alone would help.
By carefully studying the various events depicted in Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi, each can draw his/her own lessons of great importance in life and can live a happy life under difficult situations. We get consoled when we notice others suffering from worse adversities than ours. We then will apply a new philosophy " it could have been worse for us". Some one used to jocularly say, " Could have been worse" in response to any one who asked " How are you?".
Let us study Ramayana with all seriousness and draw our lessons and practicable philosophies of our own. Bloggers are invited to interact to make this a live and attractive forum of the intelligentsia.
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2 comments:
It is reakky a wonderfull collection sir.... i appreciate the work and feel happy if you can post many like this so that many of us can learn atleast few things from vedas.....
" Prayer gives you clarity in thinking and thus guides you"
Context from SrimadRamayana of Valmiki: Sundara Kanda, 13 Sarga: Hanuman got disappointed when he couldn't find Sita in Ravana's palace. Valmiki mentions that Hanuman wanted to die. Hanuman analysed the pros and cons of dying in a haste:
Vinaase BahavO dOsha jeevan Bhadraani pasyati
Tasmaat Praanaan Dharishyami Dhruvo Jeevita Sangamaha (Sloka 47)
Meaning:
Death by committing suicide will cause many Doshams ( wrongs). One should never commit suicide. By living we can see Subhamulu ( good happenings). So I will live and I will see many good things.
This self determination is to be learnt from Hanuman. Every one will have testing and teasing instances in life but one shouldn't lose his cool-- is the lesson from Hanuman.
After having decided to live, he thinks of troubling Ravana and other Rakshasas as he didn't find Sita. While planning his course of action he looks at Asoka Vanam and realises that he missed searching for Sita in that place.
He decides to pray before entering into the Garden.
Sloka 56:
Vasoon Rudraamsthathaaditayaa naswinau marutOpica,
Namaskrutva gamishyami Rakshasaam sokavardahanam.
Meaning: After praying Vasus, Rudras, Aadityas, Ashwini Devatas and Marutus I will get in to Asoka Vanam to increase the Soka (unhappiniess) of the Rakshasas.
Here we learn that before we take up any difficult job we should pray and get the blessings. Once we pray we get the mental strength to face difficult situations. Hanuman thus prays and proceeds to search for Sita.
Interestingly one should notice that till this time after entering into Lanka Hanuman didn't pray while searching for Sita. He got disappointed as he couldn't find Sita in the places he searched by his own will and without praying. Eventhough it is Hanuma who should search with his own will and abilities, he showed that just the human effort will not give results unless it is backed up by prayer. This is proved beyond doubt by Hanuman by his success in locating Sita in Asoka Vanam after entering it with a prayer.
One more interesting point is that Hanuma didn't pray making his request explicit/implicit that by this prayer he should be successful. He just prayed to Ramaa accompanyed by Lakshmana, Sita Devi, Rudra, Indra, Yama, Vaayu,Chandra, Surya, Maruthganams. He never mentioned why he was praying to them.
This is another lesson to us that if we just pray it is sufficient. One need not mention the purpose of his prayer! Just forget to ask, but pray. Prayer gets the required results.
Thse are very important lessons one should learn in these modern days of increasing disappointments and increasing suicides. Stop stooping to such low levels.
Pray and build confidence in yourself. Live to enjoy life in a disciplined manner. Never get disappointed. Analyse and plan your action. Pray and implement the plan . You will succeed beyond doubt.
Implementation of plans without prayer will not be successful as in the case of Hanuman.
Notice that Hanuman prayed before he began to jump the ocean and he suceeded in reaching Lanka in spite of the difficult obstacles he faced enroute. Each task should be taken up only after praying-- is the lesson to be learnt and practiced by every one who loves success.
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