Living upto Father's given word - Three Ramayana characters

Living upto Father’s Given word

pitR-vAkya-paripAlanaM is the central thread of Dharma woven through the entire Ramayana.  Certainly Rama’s greatness in this quality nobody can deny.  But there are two more characters in the Ramayana who are usually missed in this category.One is Indrajit who gave his life for his father.The other is Angada. Angada became loyal to Rama just because his father Vali told him to be so. At least Indrajit did not live to see his father Ravana being killed by Rama. But Angada knew who killed his father and lived all his life serving him. Also it should be noted that  Angada, being a monkey and therefore of a natural chapala-buddhi, could still control himself and discipline himself.  So it appears Angada is greater than Rama in his pitR-vAkya-paripAlana.

But Rama’s pitR-vAkya-paripAlanam has another not-well-known facet to it. Dasaratha once promised to Jatayu (at the time of his love-marriage with Kausalya; it was Jatayu who had united them) to give his first-born son to Jatayu.  But due to the long time that elapsed until Rama was born, both of them obviously forgot it. Finally Rama as a sarvajna did the unique obsequies to Jatayu which he did not do to his father Dasaratha. So he took care to see that the word given by his father were protected in toto

Never 'BY CHANCE' - CONTINUED

Ramakrishna-ji's reference to  vedabase URL which gives a long list of the use of yadRcchA in Srimad Bhagavatam under several different shades of meanings is illuminating and interesting. Wonderful indeed!

His suggestion about 'yadRcchA-lAbha-santushhTaH' (B.G.4-22) is also quite apt. I was myself going to take that post in this next post. The compound word literally means 'satisfied with whatever gain one gets'. Seen more deeply it means 'satisfied with whatever gain one is gifted  by the Lord' and thus succinctly here also 'yadRcchA' means 'By God's Will'!

Thought for 12th November 2011

Never ‘BY CHANCE’

One  Sanskrit word that is mistaken to mean ‘By Chance’ is yadRcchayA. In scriptural and religious literature this word is very sparingly used, implying also this sense. Most often when it is used it means ‘By the Will of the Supreme’.  The word ‘yat’ stands for the supreme; one standard example is the statement in Taittiriyopanishad: ‘yato vA imAni bhUtAni jAyante’  meaning, ‘From the Supreme all these beings emanate’.

It is interesting to list a few of the places where the word is forcefully used to indicate that what happens or happened was not ‘by chance’ but by God’s Will.

1.   B.G. II- 32 ‘yadRcchayA copapannaM ….’ My dear Arjuna, says Krishna, even by looking at one’s svadharma, you should not sorrow; by divine will you have this opportunity of dharma-yuddha, which opens the gates of heaven for you; kshatriyas are rare who meet with such an opportunity ….’

2.   Valmiki Ramayana: Ayodhya kanda, 7 – 1:

‘jnAtidAsI yato jAtA kaikeyyA tu sahoshhitA / prAsAdaM candra-samkAshaM Aruroha yadRcchayA’ .  This is the shloka which creates the turning point in the story of Ramayana. This is where, when the entire AyodhyA is joyously celebrating the ensuing crowning of their beloved Rama – that has just been announced in the King’s Assembly – the old maid-friend of Queen Kaikeyi climbs up the stairs ‘accidentally’ as it were, but ‘yadRcchayA’ in Valmiki’s composition.

3.   At the other turning point in Rama’s story also, namely, on the ‘accidental’ (!) first arrival of SurpanakA at PanchavaTi,  the word ‘yadRcchayA’ is used.  V.R. AranyakANDa: 17 – 5: ‘taM deshaM rAkshhasI kAcit AjagAma yadRcchayA’. In both these situations Valmiki has made it clear by using this word that it was Divine Will that created these turning points in the life of Ram.

4.   In Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the wonderful narration by boy-sage Shuka to King Parikshit for seven days, the arrival of Suka on the stage where King Parikshit  was sitting before an assembly of great Rishis for the purpose of awaiting his death in 7 days according to the  curse he has just invited on himself by his own impulsive action – this arrival is announced as ‘yadRcchayA’, accidentally, as it were, but in reality, ‘by God’s Will’! :

Tatraabhavad bhagavaan vyAsaputro yadRcchayA gAmaTamAno’napekshaH /  -- Bhagavatam1-19-25.

I would like to know where else this ‘yadRcchayA’ is used in this sense.

Thought for 8^th November 2011

Catur-gagAra samyukte punar-janma na vidyate //

This is an old saying.  It means: When the four ga’s are all together with us, there is no more birth again.

The four ga’s are: GangA, GitA, GayatrI, Govinda.

The GangA should be on our heads;

The GitA should be in our minds;

GayatrI should be in our hearts; and

Govinda, the name of God, should be in our tongues.

kAyena, manasA, vAcA – is a familiar refrain in all Hindu thought processes.

By the body, by the mind, by speech .

Sins by the body will lead us to an inanimate state, if not in this life, certainly after life.  AhalyA is one example.

Sins by the mind will lead us to a lower level of reincarnation. Bhishma is one example.

Sins by the tongue will cause us to be born in the speechless animal world. Shirdi Sai Baba narrates a real story to illustrate this.

Finally, GayatrI is the one thing to be cherished in the heart all the time so that we can realise the truth of

Ishvaras-sarva-bhUtAnAM hRd-deshe’rjuna tishhTati /

bhrAmayan sarva-bhUtAni yantrArUDhAni mAyayA // (B.G. 18 – 61)

the meaning of which is: GOD IS IN THE HEART OF ALL BEINGS, CAUSING THEM ALL TO REVOLVE THROUGH MAAYAA, (AS THOUGH) THEY ARE MOUNTED ON A MACHINE.

sadA mohATavyAM carati yuvatInAM kuca-girau
naTaty-AshA-shAkhAsu aTati jhaTiti svaramabhitaH /
kapAlin biksho me hRdaya-kapim-atyanta-capalaM
dRDhaM bhaktyA baddhvA shiva bhavad-adhInaM kuru vibho //

This is Shloka 20 of Adi Shankara's SivAnanda-lahari. This should, by repetition with sincerity, help anybody to overcome sensual thoughts occupying the mind.

Meaning: Oh Lord Shiva, the mind constantly dwells on the sensualities of the woman's form and dances on the hopes and desires generated by such thoughts. Oh Lord, with the skull as the begging bowl please deign to bind my extremely fickle monkey-mind tightly with the rope of devotion and make it totally subservient to you!

For the benefit of us, ordinary mortals, Adi Shankara himself has given us this strong forceful prayer. We have to imbibe it and make it come from our innermost heart.

kArpaNya-dosho-pahata-svabhAvaH
pRchhAmi tvAm dharma-sammUDha-cetAH /
yacchhreyaH syAn-nishcitaM brUhi tan me
shishhyas-te'haM shAdhi mAM tvAM prapannaM//

This is ch.2-7 of the B.G. Arjuna, after lamenting about his compassion and diffidence to wage war, acknowledges his total confusion and surrenders to the Lord and asks for being counselled about what is 'shreyas' for him.

By repeating, with faith,  this shloka several times  in front of an altar we ordinary people can get solution for our extra-ordinary dilemmas which arise almost daily.

Thought for 6th November 2011

tvat-pAdAmbujam-arcayAmi paramaM  tvAm cintayAmyanvahaM
tvAm-IshaM sharaNaM vrajAmi vacasA tvAm-eva yAce vibho /