“(Those) who have established their reputation in the world for their knowledge of the rules of propriety – their soul is your excellent abode.” (Maharishi Valmiki speaking to Lord Rama, Ramacharitamansa)

Brightness is the defining attribute of the moon. Being intimately associated with the earth, the moon acts as the reflector of sunlight, having a glow and effulgence that pervades the nighttime sky. One cannot separate the brightness from the moon.

In the same way, Sita Devi’s defining attribute was her devotion to dharma. Dharma means occupational duty, or religiosity. We usually associate religion with faith and ritualistic practices, when in actuality, dharma is the occupation of the living entity, something inherited from birth. It stems from the Vedas, the original scripture for all of mankind. Dharma also has many rules and laws associated with it, but its aim is to bring one closer to God. Sita Devi was an incarnation of Shri Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. Lakshmi is the eternal consort of Lord Narayana, one of God’s forms in the spiritual sky. As Sita Devi, she performed the same functions by acting as Lord Rama’s wife. Lord Rama was God Himself who came to earth in human form to reinstitute the principles of dharma. Sita was very much dedicated to dharma from her very youth, being well acquainted with all the rules of propriety. Though well acquainted with dharma, she actually transcended all rules and regulations by acting as a perfect wife to her husband. Serving God in a loving way is the real definition of dharma. Since she is God’s wife and eternal servitor, all of Sita Devi’s actions are automatically virtuous.

“The worshipful one ought not to place me on the same footing with unrighteous persons. As brightness does not depart from the moon, so I cannot swerve from virtue.” (Sita Devi speaking to Kausalya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 39)

In the above referenced quote, Sita Devi is responding to words of advice given to her by Lord Rama’s mother, Kausalya. At the time, the couple were about to embark on a fourteen year tour of the forest, where they would live as exiles from the kingdom of Ayodhya. Rama was the eldest son of the king, Maharaja Dashratha, but due to extenuating circumstances, He was ordered to leave the kingdom and not come back for fourteen years. Sita, acting as the perfect wife, refused to allow her husband to roam the forest alone. As they were about to leave, Kausalya reminded Sita to always remain by Rama’s side and to always serve Him, for that is the dharma of a wife. In the Vedic system, a husband and wife are not to lead separate lives. The marriage is a fifty-fifty relationship, but not in the modern day sense. The wife and husband each have their own duties relating to the marriage. If they both execute those duties properly, they both share the religious merit that is earned. The duty of the wife is to view her husband as her deity. She should worship and honor him, and serve him to the best of her ability. If the husband is happy, the couple will have a peaceful family life, whereby they can follow religious observances together. That is the real benefit to having a spouse. A spouse is our life partner that helps us in performing our religious activities. Vedic life revolves around the practice of tapasya, or austerities, which are very difficult to perform alone. A spouse can act as a coach or advisor that ensures we are performing our austerities properly. Tapasya, properly executed, leads us closer to God since it reduces our attachment to material sense gratification. By spending time thinking about God and offering Him prayers, we fulfill the real mission of our life.

Sita Devi, after hearing Kausalya’s words, begged her mother-in-law not to include her amongst the irreligious. Unrighteous persons are those who live on the principles of adharma. Dharma is the code of conduct prescribed by the Vedas, and any act or belief that is contrary to this code is considered adharma. Sita was a perfect devotee, which means she was without pride. However, she was cent percent committed to her husband and to dharma, so she never wanted to be thought of as being irreligious even for a second. In the Ramacharitamanasa, there is a great description of the qualities of a devotee given by Maharishi Valmiki when he was visited by Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana, while they were roaming the forest.

Valmiki instructed Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana to live in the hearts of those who are known for their adherence to dharma. People are known for their different outstanding qualities. Someone may be known to be a great speaker, or a great athlete, or an excellent writer. These are all very nice, but a devotee wants only to be known as a devotee and nothing else. This is their defining quality. They don’t seek fame and fortune for themselves. They only want to be known as devotees of the Lord; servant of the servant of God. They want to be known for their adherence to dharma and for their devotion to Krishna.

Goswami Tulsidas is a great example in this respect. An incarnation of Valmiki who appeared in India some four hundred years ago, Tulsidas wrote wonderful poetry praising Lord Rama and others during his lifetime, with his most famous works being the Ramacharitamanasa and Hanuman Chalisa. However, to this day, very little is known about his life. This can be attributed to several factors, but the real reason is because Tulsidas himself did not covet any fame. He was a very humble man, who used poetry as a means of expressing his love for Lord Rama. Since he was a pure devotee, his writing came out very nice and became very popular at the same time. To this day, the Hanuman Chalisa is recited daily by millions in India. His Ramacharitamansa is a staple in the home of every Hindu. He only wished to be known as a devotee of Lord Rama, and God obliged.

In the same way, Sita only wanted to be known for her devotion to the Lord. As Lord Rama’s wife, she had no desire for earthly riches or jewel studded crowns. As the wife of the eldest son of the king, she was in line to enjoy the pleasures of royal life to the fullest. Yet she renounced all of that at the drop of a hat. The forest is not considered a suitable place for a person to live, let alone for a beautiful and delicate woman such as Sita. Yet she had no qualms about going, for she insisted on following Rama. She only thought of Rama and His happiness wherever she went. For this reason she is loved and adored by millions today. No one can ever put her on the same footing as an unrighteous person. On the contrary, she is the very definition of righteousness.

(Synopsis of a talk given by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India, on November 27, 2009)

When you pour ghee (clarified butter) on burning wood, for a moment it appears as if the fire has gone out, then all of a sudden the flames rise even higher. The disease of desire is like this. If your desire is fulfilled, this gives rise to greed. If your desire is not fulfilled, this gives rise to anger. Either one or the other will happen. If you form a desire, you are caught. Now you can’t escape from suffering.

You all experience this daily in your homes. You formed a desire that your son should follow your instructions. You said to him, “Son, bring me a glass of water.” He ran to bring it to you. “What an excellent son I have!” Five minutes later you said, “Son, just bring my glasses.” He kept sitting. “I said to bring my glasses.” He continued to sit. “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I said?” Still he remained sitting. “I have a demon for a son!” You became angry, and it happened in one second.

Right now you are all listening to what I am saying and smiling. If a stranger were to enter this room he would think, “All the people seated here must be Saints!” But if someone suddenly pushed you, you would become angry. Anger remains hidden inside, just waiting for a chance to attack. We are so foolish that we don’t think that the anger we have inside will first cause us harm. If in anger we verbally abuse someone, hit them or think badly about them, this first harms us. We burn in anger. Our atma-shakti is diminished. Our mind becomes agitated. We practically experience this every day. This isn’t just something that is described in the scriptures.

We suffer due to great desires and also from the smallest desires. Everyone is suffering and everyone is lying about it. “How are you?” “I’m alright.” Alright? Not one thing is right with you – everything is wrong! We smile and say, “Everything’s fine!” What is fine? From morning til night family members are fighting, and whatever your personal suffering may be is separate from that. What you express externally to others is much less than what you feel. A father thinks, “What did I do to get a son like this? But if I say anything to him, it will just get worse. I’ll stay quiet.” A husband thinks, “How did I get a wife like this? But if I say anything it will turn into a huge fight. I’ll stay quiet.” Internally you feel all this and externally you act as if everything is fine. Our whole life passes acting like this – lying and praising. We do this because we are afraid that our self-interest won’t be served.

So desires are the root of all suffering. That being the case, just get rid of them. But this is impossible! Why? We form desires because we need happiness. We can’t eliminate the desire for happiness. This is our nature. We are a part of God, and God is an ocean of divine bliss. Because we are a part of Him, we naturally desire Him. Yet, we are searching for happiness in the world. God is to the East and we are going towards the West.

Real milk

Limestone water

Similarly, there is no happiness in this entire world. Even if you keep on trying 24-hours a day, how will you attain it? Even if you try for uncountable lifetimes, you will fail to find it. So the ones who have thought, “This is the wrong place – happiness is over there in God’s area!” became Saints like Tulsidas, Surdas, Meera and Kabir. All Saints and scriptures say that true happiness is in God’s area, but you never accepted it. Why? You saw everyone else was running towards the world – so you also thought, “Happiness must be over there!”

The fact is that the happiness the soul desires does not exist in the world. Then why does this world exist? God created the world to maintain the body. We are actually two – there is an internal “I” (the soul), which leaves the second “I” (the body) at the time of death. One “I” is live. It has given life to this second “I”. When the internal “I” leaves, then the second “I” becomes lifeless. We have never realised the existence of our inner “I”, the soul, but in reality it is the soul’s happiness that we desire. The happiness that the soul is seeking is God. Happiness of the body is related to material sense objects.

For example, the eyes see and the ears hear. If a person tried to see from his ears and hear from his eyes, he would be sent for a psychiatric evaluation. In same way, the happiness the atma or soul desires is paramatma or God. Trying to find divine happiness in the material world is like trying to see from your ears or hear from your eyes.

(Continued in Part 3)

© Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat and Bhakti Bliss, 2009

Romantic stories, both comedies and tragedies seem to be the most popular form of Literature all over the world. In most of them, the man meets the woman, woos the woman (or the woman woos the man) and the man and woman live happily ever after or in case of tragedies die for each other. The heroines are always in subordinate positions to their male counterparts. Exceptions could be  some stories like that of Razia Sultan and Yakut, although in that case too Yakut was the protector of Razia despite being a slave. I am talking about most of the stories that I have heard or read. The women are usually younger, always virgins, and always so grateful to have been chosen for love by men. Have a look at our old Hindi films and you can see how the hero who was wooing the girl in so many different ways became the pati parmeshwar immediately after the  marriage rituals were over. Nearly all stories end soon after marriage or in case of tragedies after the main protagonists died. There is a story most of us in India have read, which is  actually a very different romantic story. Strangely nobody at least I talked to  has appreciated the romantic side of it or the strength of the  female character in it. We have always seen it through the prism of  ‘there is a woman behind every successful man’ and how a woman should show the right path to a man. I am talking about the story of  Ratnavali and Tulsidas.

Tulsidas was extremely attached to his beautiful wife Ratnavali, who was a very intelligent and pious lady. He  loved his wife  and could never stand even a moment’s separation from her. One day, he went out leaving his wife at home. When he returned he did not find his wife, she had gone to her father’s place with her brother who visited them in the absence of Tulsi Das. This made him very sad and he was unable to bear the separation. He at once set out for his father-in-law’s house. He walked a long distance in the dark through wind and rain, just to be with her. On the way he found that river Yamuna was swollen  but he jumped into it. He mistakenly took a dead body for a log to cross the  river. After successfully crossing it, he reached  his father-law’s home. It was late at night so all the doors were closed. Ratnavali’s room was on the upper floor, he had to climb a rope in order to reach her room. Taking a serpent to be a thick rope, he slipped into his wife’s room. Tulsidas told his wife that he had to walk a long distance and climb a rope to see her,  expecting his wife to be delighted to see him. Instead, Ratnavali  was shocked. She lighted a diya ( earthen lamp) to see the rope through which Tulsidas climbed and reached her room and was  aghast to see a huge  serpent hanging down instead of a rope. Shocked and embarrassed  she told him that the “log” he caught hold of in the river was actually a dead body, and the “rope” he climbed onto her balcony was actually a huge serpent! Ratnavali scorned Tulsidas and implored him to focus his love not on her but on Rama. Tulsidas realized that in his mad love for his wife, he had indeed forsaken Lord Rama. He renounced family life and  traveled all across north India, preaching the story of Sri Rama’s life.

The story of Ratnavali is not only important for causing the consequent emergence of Tulsidas’ Ramayana, but also for her remarks. This type of retort is not typical of Indian wives, at least not in the 16th century, from when this story has been recorded. Sometimes I wonder if Tulsidas’ infamous doha- “Dhol, Ganwar, Shudra, Pashu, Naari, ye sab tadan ke adhikaari” (a drum, an idiot, a shudra and a woman all need severe beating) was the result of  his bruised and wounded male ego at the hands of Ratnavali. You tell this story to a woman of today who hasn’t heard the story before and she is not likely to see it through the prism of religion, she  would find it so romantic, at least the parts where Tulsidas fights the vagaries of nature and all social norms to meet his wife. In fact if you add a little bit of salt to it and exaggerate it at a few places,  men may see Ratnavali  as an ungrateful woman on whom Tulsidas wasted all his love and affection. Feminists  may side with her, pleading that she needed space. We are used to seeing our mythological and historical characters in the light of what is being taught to us in school, colleges or even at home by our parents, grandparents , neighbours, teachers and elders. In most stories  we are so used to seeing the point of view shown to us over the generations that we ignore the larger picture. For us the one dimensional view we are exposed to over the years becomes the only truth. By focusing on the romantic angle of the story and not just the spiritual side we can see unlimited interesting sides to the story of Tulsidas and Ratnavali.

The greatest manifestation of Om or the holy Ghost as the Christians call it, is Hanumanji.  There never was and I suspect there will never be a greater manifestation.  He is the supreme ruler who effortlessly does all the work and is still alive.  Amazingly, Rama Bhagwan took samadhi, but his Guru Vasishtha Maharaj, his disciple Hanumanji and Ravanas brother Vibhishana are still alive. My guru from the subtle world, Vishnutirthji Maharaj told me a few weeks ago that his favorite verse in Sundarkanda by Tulsidaji was verse 54.  I have copied the meaning of the verses here.Each of these monkeys is as mighty as Sugriva (the king) and there are tens ofmillions like them; who can dare count them? By the grace of  Rama they areunequalled in strength and reckon the three spheres of creation as of no more accountthan a blade of grass. I have heard it said, Ravana, that the commanders of the variousmonkey-troops alone number eighteen thousand billions. In the whole host, my lord, thereis not a single monkey who would not conquer you in battle. They are all wringing theirhands in excess of passion; but the Lord of the Raghus does not order them (to march)…We shall suck the ocean dry with all its fish and serpents or fill it up with hugemountains. Nay, we shall crush the ten-headed Ravana and reduce him to dust.. Suchwere the words that all the monkeys uttered. Fearless by nature, they roared and bulliedas if they would devour.

This whole Shloka refers to the Hanumanji who is Om.  This is the universal prana which runs the entire universe and Hanumanji is the living embodiment of this universal prana.  The other ten million monkeys in the verse refers to the ten different kinds of Pranas in the body.  The ten pranas have tremendous power and under the supreme order of God (Rama), and the guidance of Hanumanji, they have the ability to destroy ego (Ravana).  The process whereby this happens is sucking the ocean dry (meaning sucking all the prana from the body and thus destroying all vices) and they fill up the mountain (referring to Sushumna).  At this time they have a very loud roar (which refers to one of the anahata nada) heard.  This is the sound of Om.  The word roar is used which is reminescent of the word used in the bible – Gods voice is likened to a thunder or roar.  It is the constant rumbling / roar heard as a symphony of music at the Agna chakra (or when fully everted – the manas chakra). 

This interpretation which I have given will be very difficult for anyone who has not experienced the manas chakra or the everted Agna chakra to understand.  To reiterate and speak in more plain words – at the Agna chakra, when one is fully surrendered with the ability to fully stay there without any reservation one begins to experience several things simultaneously.

1) A constant symphony of music that is very endearing.  At the apex of the symphony is a constant roar the sound of undifferentated Om

2) With more perseverance one begins to realize that this roar or soun is Shakti, the holy ghost, Hanumanji or the universal prana that controls and runs the entire universe.

3) This universal prana or holy Ghost runs solely at the Will of God. 

4) The best sadhaka has no personal wish but to merge his wish into the supreme Will of God. 

This is the beginning of Sankalpa Shakti.  This is the beginning of conquering dreams.  At this stage, one goes beyond certain Mantras or the automatic recital of certan shlokas or mantras. 

Yesterday, I happened to read a funny imaginary interview of Ravana, of the great epic Ramayana’s fame, by Ashok Banker author of the best-selling Ramayana Series. You can read it here. Besides being funny, Ashok let the character speak for itself and clear some misconceptions. Ravana agrees that he did some bad stuff and accepts it as a matter of fact. He even feels proud to be a famous villain. He tells the interviewer that ‘arya’ (‘aryan’ is a mispronunciation) is not a racial description or something defined by the origin of birth or color of skin etc, but rather it signifies the noble traits. Anyone with a noble spirit and character is an ‘arya’. His referring to Rama as dharmanator, as in “terminator who slaughtered and committed atrocities in the name of dharma” is really humorous.

Ravana also claims that it was he who popularized Ramayana in the modern world. Have you got a blank look on your face? My reaction was exactly the same when I came to that part of the interview. You have to read it in order to know the reason behind his claims. Putting everything from the interview here might not be a good idea (and not to talk about the copyright issues). Here, I’m just trying to present the highlights and in a way urging anyone out there interested enough to look into the original article. It was an entertaining and insightful read for me.

I want to digress at this point and talk about my feelings and thoughts about the epic. Ramayana has been my most favorite story ever since my childhood. I had a children’s version of the epic back then and I’m sure I read it at least a few hundred times. Even then, I used to be immensely drawn towards the description of virtues and adventures of Lord Rama. I haven’t yet read any of the versions by Valmiki or Tulsidas or Ushasri except the one by R K Narayan, which is an English translation of the Tamil poet Kamba’s Ramayana  (which I found to be highly exquisite). I hope to read all those other versions someday.

Even though I’m an ardent fan of Ramayana, I find certain things in it hard to accept. Of course, I’m talking about Rama’s treatment of his wife, Sita. It’s so unfair. No interpretation of those actions seems to justify them, at least as I perceive. Rama declares that he loves Sita very much. If that’s the case, how could he have behaved so insensitively? Why did Sita have to prove her purity of dignity while Rama didn’t have to go through any tests? Why his duty towards his wife was considered inferior to his duties and obligations as a king? It’s not as if there is any credibility in the drunken dobhi’s remarks. Hmm…the rules back then were so biased.

And I also have difficulty with agreeing with the idea that Sita should be regarded as a role model by the modern women. It was emphasized by even the great Swami Vivekananda. I admit that Sita is virtuous and we should all look up to her in many aspects but just following orders and allowing others to hurt your self-respect is definitely not among the qualities I would idolize. My role model would be someone who stands up for herself and seeks justice.

http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/main-article_one-nation-theory_1288289

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One-nation theory

Amulya Ganguli

Monday, September 7, 2009 20:09 IST

The controversy over Jaswant Singh’s book has seen the revival of the debate on Partition. What is curious, however, is the support which the saffron camp has extended to something which it earlier condemned as the vivisection of the motherland.

This transition from the earlier yearnings for Akhand Bharat to the acceptance of the reality of a divided India is a new feature of Hindutva politics.It can perhaps be traced to the observations of Girilal Jain, a former editor of The Times of India in his book, The Hindu Phenomenon, where he said that Jinnah “was the greatest benefactor of Hindus in modern times if he was not a Hindu in disguise. That has been my way of saying that Partition was the best thing that could have happened for Hindus … because without it they could not have produced even a workable Constitution, not to speak of a viable economic and democratic political order”.

In a recent interview, Arun Shourie said that “I have come to realise that Girilal Jain was the one who was right” for he argued that if there was no Partition “we would have been bullied and thrashed and swamped by Islamic fundamentalists”. Similar views were expressed by a former Union home secretary, Madhav Godbole, in The Holocaust of Indian Partition, where he said that undivided India would have presented “a frightening picture of a country torn asunder by internal dissension, political instability and social and communal tension”.

There are at least three factors behind such doomsday predictions. One is a dislike of Muslims, which is undeniably there among sections of Hindus. It was (and apparently still is) a relief to them, therefore, to get rid of the mlechhas. The second factor, which reinforces this sense of animosity, is the dread of the unknown alien with whom there is very little social interaction. And the third is a strange inferiority complex which is evident in the apprehension of being “swamped” by Islamists.

This fear of the Muslims may have increased because of the upsurge of militant fundamentalists in the Af-Pak region. An occasional contributor to a newspaper had wondered, therefore, how a united India could have dealt with the turmoil near the Durand line. He was happy that the Radcliffe line had been drawn.

What is strange about these attitudes is the cursory dismissal of the fact that Hindus and Muslims had lived together in the subcontinent for 12 centuries before 1947 and in divided India for another 60 years after that. Although the saffron brotherhood likes to project the earlier centuries as a period of endless conflict between the two communities, such a view fails to explain the development of the composite culture which wouldn’t have been possible in the absence of close and harmonious intermingling.

As historian Akhilesh Mithal pointed out, dhrupad, khayal, thumri and ghazal in the world of music could not have evolved without decades of friendly interaction. Nor would India have witnessed the architectural achievements of the Taj Mahal or its cuisine being enriched by the culinary innovations of what has come to be known as Mughlai food.

The cultural and literary efflorescence of Tulsidas, Surdas, Meera, Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib and others is also a product of this amicable cohabitation. None of these point to being bullied or swamped.

Instead, Islam itself acquired a gentle face. As the Pakistani historian, Akbar S Ahmed, said, the subcontinental model of sulahkul or peace with all became a feature of Islam, whose most shining example was the dargah of Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer.

“Can you imagine”, he said,” a saint living in Rajasthan in the middle ages surrounded by Hindus and propagating peace and harmony through Islam?”The political face of this model could be seen in the Unionist Party of Punjab, which the Pakistani historian, Ayesha Jalal, described as “a cross-communal alliance of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh agricultural interests” led by the two towering regional figures, Fazl-i-Hussain and Chaudhury Chhotu Ram.

Hussain was invited by Jinnah to preside over the Muslim League in 1936 with the words that “no one can give a better lead to the Mussalmans of India than yourself”.

Fazlul Huq of Bengal’s Krishak Praja Party was another such figure. Neither of them favoured Pakistan because the Muslims were in a majority in their provinces any way. Hussain’s successor, Khizar Hayat Khan Tiwana, told Jinnah, therefore, to “keep his finger out of the Punjab pie” while describing the idea of Pakistan as “nonsense”.

Yet these men are forgotten today along with their secular compatriot Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan while Jinnah’s Direct Action is remembered to justify the break-up in 1947.
Had there been no Partition, it is the likes of Husain and Frontier Gandhi, not to mention Nehru and Gandhi, who would have ensured the continuance of communal togetherness of the last 1,200 years without any side swamping the other.

The writer is a Delhi-based political commentator

A REVIEW OF RAMCHARITMANAS

[Our religious leaders are required to tell the society, that Hindu religion is the only religion in the world which does NOT believe that God sitting in Heavens is going to help the faithful. No! HE will never do this. In case HE has to help the society HE has to come on this earth as an incarnation. Rest of the time, YOU, as an individual has to take care of your family, and also act responsibly as a member of a society, which is involved in SELF RULE]

Goswami Tulsidas lived in the sixteenth (1532- 1623) century. He had immensely contributed for the sustenance of Hindu religion in very difficult times. It is widely believed that he had received blessings from Lord Hanuman. Some say he was an incarnation of Lord Hanuman, other say that he was an incarnation of Maharishi Valmiki. He was definitely a man of vision and foresight, and with lot of commitment for sustenance and revival of Hindu religion.

RAMCHARITMANAS, the Hindi version of Ramayan written by Tulsidas in poetic form in Awadhi dialect, is worshipped and read as a sacred book in all homes in north India. Before Ramcharitmanas became popular, the entire Hindu scriptures were available, only in Sanskrit.

During that period, Hindu religion was fighting a losing battle for survival. Temples were razed by Muslim rulers on the plea that in their religion, destruction of places of worship of other religion had religious sanctity, forceful conversion was taking place, and unmarried young girls were forcibly taken away. To add to their woes, heavy “jizya” tax was also required to be paid by Hindus. Survival of Hindu religion and society was becoming extremely difficult and they were virtually on the mercy of Muslim rulers. The condition was hopeless.

The only hope was provided by the local temple priest and the Brahmin who came to perform pooja in the house. Also the wondering Sanyaasis, who would come and stay for a couple of days in the village temple. They would invariably assure them that God’s help was not far away. Have faith in God (they were told), and they had plenty of it, as there was no other solace. Miraculous deeds of God were told to them, perhaps with a bit of overdose, as there was no other way to keep their hopes alive.

Incidentally Bhakt Surdas, who belonged to the same era, was already doing his bit to soothe the feelings of Hindus. He was presenting, through his Bhajans, Lord Krishna, as a naughty child, and the relation between  Shri Krishna, and mother Yashoda, in such a way that every mother could see a bit of Krishna in his child. He also, through his Bhajans, romanticized the deeds of young Lord Krishna, as young Krishna went around trees, along with young Gopies, with his flute.

The condition of Hindu society was such that Goswami Tulsidas had no other choice. He wrote Ramcharitmanas in beautiful poetic form. The book is full of praise of Lord Ram and the deeds Shri Ram performed. It is true that he compromised on a bit of history, but history was certainly not his objective. His objective was to sustain Hindu society in its difficult time.

There were lot of problem Hindu religion was facing at that time, and he was required to address them. These problems had not started recently, they, were the problem of attitude. And all this started about 1500 years earlier. Outside invasion, oppression and inward coiling of Hindu society, and change in attitude. Then further invasions, far greater oppression, and further inward coiling of Hindu society and further change in attitude. And this cycle continued several times.

The result of all this was that Hindu society became passive. They were willing to accept almost everything so that they can somehow manage to sustain themselves and hope for the better times in future. Child marriages, even forced or compulsory Sati, and oppression of females was the direct result of this.

Goswami Tulsidas did not make any efforts to change that attitude. He was not required to, as at that time this attitude was helping to somehow sustain the religion. That could wait. All his efforts were directed in making sure that Hindu religion survives the difficult period. He succeeded in his mission. He was aware of some serious problems in the society, like: untouchable, caste and exploitation of females. Tulsidas addressed all these problems in his Ramcharitmanas. In the episode of Shabri, he addressed the problem of untouchables. In Uttarkaand, while describing Ram Rajya, he was categorical in stating that every man was allowed to have one wife and that there was no discrimination on the basis of caste.

There were several problems of his time which he seriously addressed, and also used a bit of diplomacy to wade through the troubled waters. He however addressed the problem of dispute between worshippers of Lord Shiv and Lord Vishnu, much more seriously, and tried to address it several times.

The period in which Ramcharitmanas was written was the period of rulers. But now we do not have any rulers, WE HAVE SELF RULE. Yet even now, no effort is being made to reverse the attitude that an average Hindu has.

Our religious leaders are required to tell the society, that Hindu religion is the only religion in the world which does NOT believe that God sitting in Heavens is going to help the faithful. No! HE will never do this. In case HE has to help the society HE has to come on this earth as an incarnation. Rest of the time, YOU, as an individual has to take care of your family, and also act responsibly as a member of a society, which is involved in SELF RULE. Your inaction, and expressing your helplessness is an act of Adharm, which is totally unpardonable, unacceptable and totally negative. You cannot sit in your drawing room, tea or coffee shop and express your helplessness as to what is going on in India. No, you are responsible for corruption, misgovernance, and decline of Hindu religion. YOUR INACTION IS UNPARDENABLE, AND TOTALLY AGAINST HINDU DHARM.

JAGO  INDIA  JAGO!

Awadhi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern India and is grouped under Purvi Hindi Branch of Hindi (hence classified as a variety of Hindi). Awadhi is primarily spoken in Awadh (Oudh) region but it is also spoken outside Awadh e.g. Fatehpur, Allahabad, Jaunpur and Mirzapur districts of Utter Pradesh (UP) state of India. It is also known as Kausali and Bainswadi.  To the east of west of it Kannoji and Bundeli is spoken and towrds the east Bhojpuri is usesd. Indian census of 2001 enumerates 422,048,642 speakers of this language. It is believed that Awadhi has its origin in Ardha Magadhi Prakrut.

Grierson’s Linguistic survey of India provides this brief grammatical description of Awadhi

Awadhi_Grammar

A tentaive list of publications on Awadhi language

1. अवधी शब्दकोश – सूर्यप्रकाश दीक्षित व सजीवनलाल यादव, विश्वविद्यालय प्रकाशन, लखनऊ, 1996

2. वाचिक कविता: अवधी – विद्यानिवास मिश्र, भारतीय ज्ञानपीठ, 2005

3. अवधी लोक कथाएँ – जगदीश पीयूष, लोकभारती प्रकाशन, 2004

4. प्रारंभिक अवधी – विश्वनाथ त्रिपाठी, राधाकृष्ण प्रकाशन, 1975

5. अवधी का विकास – बाबूराम सक्सेना, हिन्दूस्तान एकेडेमी, इलाहाबाद, 1972

6. अवधी बृहत लोकोक्ति कोश – कमला शुक्ल, उत्तर प्रदेश हिंदी संस्थान, लखनऊ, 2002

7. अवधी लोकगीत: समीक्षात्मक अध्ययन – विद्याविंदू सिंह, परिमल प्रकाशन, 1983

8. अवधी लोकगीत और परम्परा – इन्दूप्रकाश पाण्डेय, प्रवीण प्रकाशन, दिल्ली, 1988

9. लोकगीतों में राम-कथा : अवधी – किरण मराली, साहित्य भवन, 1986

10. अवधी का विकास – बाबूराम सक्सेना, हिन्दूस्तानी अकादमी, इलाहाबाद, 1972

11. Evolution of Awadhi- Baburam Saksena, Motilal Banarsidas Publishers, 1971

12. अवधी कोश – रामज्ञ द्विवेदी, हिन्दूस्तानी अकादमी, इलाहाबाद, 1955

13. पूर्वी अवधी: ग्राम्य शब्दावली - आत्माराम त्रिपाठी, आलोक प्रकाशन, इलाहाबाद, 2007

14. अवधी शब्द संपदा - हरदेव बाहरी, भारती प्रेस, इलाहाबाद, 1982

 “O Sita, there is none who can defeat your husband. There is not the least doubt in this. Worshipful madam, the celestials, animals, birds, and others…there is none among them who can withstand Rama, who equals the lord of celestials, Indra, in warfare. In fact there is none who can do away with Rama in battle.” (Lakshmana speaking to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, Sec 45)

The latest Batman movie to be released, The Dark Night, set records for box office attendance. Based on the fictional superhero character of the same name, previous Batman movies also enjoyed similar successes with movie goers. The Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies were so popular that they spawned multiple sequels. The Spiderman movies are another popular series. It seems the best way to ensure a box office hit these days is to come out with a fantasy movie involving one or more superheroes.

The Star Wars movies hold their own unique place in our culture. The first movie, released in 1976, was so popular that people eagerly anticipated the five movies that followed over the next thirty plus years. Fans would camp out in movie theater parking lots just so they could be the first ones to see the new movies. Others would dress up as their favorite characters as a sign of loyalty and adoration. Fans would go back to the theaters to see the same movie two and three times. They just couldn’t get enough.

The popularity of these and other movies involving superheroes shows our natural affinity towards strength and courage. We like to see the good guys win. We understand that we are mere mortals and have limited abilities, so we are drawn to those who can rise above the limitations of ordinary human beings. Superheroes have extraordinary powers that enable them to defeat enemies of immense strength. Movies like Spiderman, Superman, and Batman show ordinary people doing extraordinary things through their special powers. The heroes struggle through adversity, but never give up, and always win in the end. We see evil all around us in our daily lives and we feel helpless in stopping it. Superheroes give us hope that maybe someone is out there who can protect us and give us peace of mind.

Though these stories are very nice and uplifting, they are nonetheless fictional. They were drawn up by the imagination of writers and comic book creators. Once the movie ends, we go back to our normal lives, where superheroes don’t exist. All hope is not lost however.

Many thousands of years ago, there was a great demon by the name of Ravana who was wreaking havoc throughout the world. He had performed many great austerities in order to please the demigods and they rewarded him with special powers. According to the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, the demigods are elevated living entities who manage the affairs of the material world. They are not God, but they have been deputed by Him to handle different departments relating to karmic activity, similar to the way a President will have a variety of Cabinet secretaries handling specific areas of government. The demigods grant benedictions to pretty much anyone who pleases them to their satisfaction. In Ravana’s case, He was given ten heads and granted the boon that no demigod, celestial being, or animal could defeat him. Lost in the jubilation of his new found powers, Ravana forgot to ask to be immune from human beings. Ravana belonged to the Rakshasa race, people who lived off eating flesh and drinking wine. He was an enemy to devotees of God and he persecuted them every chance he could get. Ravana steadily rose to power as a result of the boons he received. The demigods were all afraid of him, as were the great sages, or brahmanas, living in the forests.

Lord Vishnu, God Himself, was informed of the situation by the demigods. To relieve their stressful situation and give protection to the sages, He decided to incarnate on earth as a human being in the form of Lord Rama. He appeared as an ordinary human being, who was the kindest, nicest, most courageous, and the most dedicated to dharma, or righteousness, of all people. He had no desire to please Himself in any way. He was completely dedicated to those who were dependent on Him. The name Rama actually means “one who gives pleasure”. At the request of His father, the king of Ayodhya, and step-mother, the Lord spent fourteen years as an exile from His kingdom. His wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana insisted on accompanying Him to the forest, for they didn’t want the Lord to suffer alone. God actually never suffers, but since He was playing the role of a human being, He agreed to put Himself into stressful situations for the benefit of others. One day while they were living in the forest, a demon by the name of Marica appeared in front of their cottage in the guise of a deer. Sita was very much enamored by the deer and requested Rama to catch it for her, with its life in tact if possible. The Lord chased the demon a long way, finally piercing it with an arrow. As Marica gave up his life, he revealed his original Rakshasa form, and cried out for help in the voice of Rama. Sita, hearing this and getting worried, told Lakshmana to see if Rama was alright. In response, Lakshmana, in the above referenced quote, reminded her that Rama was unconquerable in battle and that the sound must have been an illusion. Nevertheless, as events played out, Lakshmana would end up leaving Sita’s side to go check on His brother, which gave Ravana the opportunity to kidnap Sita and take her to his palace.

Already an exile ranging the forest, now the Lord had to deal with the abduction of His most beautiful and chaste wife. Rama persevered and with the help of the Vanaras, monkey-like people dwelling in the forest, He was able to defeat Ravana in battle and rescue Sita, proving Lakshmana’s words to be true.

We needn’t look to movies or comic books to find a superhero. Lord Rama is the ultimate protector, with powers greater than those of any fictional character. God comes to this earth from time to time specifically so we can have someone to look up to and worship. In times of trouble, we need only turn to Him, as He is the most powerful and most courageous. The lessons from Lord Rama’s story are timeless. The Star Wars movies depicted material advancement in the modes of warfare. Even with advanced weaponry, Darth Vader’s empire was defeated by the powers of good, represented by the Jedis. Similarly, Ravana’s great powers achieved through great boons were no match for Rama’s army, consisting of monkeys hurling rocks and trees. The monkeys, headed by Rama’s greatest devotee Hanuman, were fighting for the good guys, with God on their side, so their victory was guaranteed. Ravana’s demon army cast many illusory spells and used trickery as their weapons. Lord Rama and His brother Lakshmana used simple bows and arrows to defeat them. That is the power of God. He can turn a simple arrow into something more powerful than the strongest nuclear weapon.

God is eternal and so are His various forms. Lord Rama’s activities are still celebrated to this day in India and throughout the world. We are eternally indebted to Maharishi Valmiki and Goswami Tulsidas for giving us the story of the Lord in such great detail. We should all read the Valmiki Ramayana or Ramacharitamanasa at least once in our lives. The story is so wonderful and moving, that we’ll never get tired of reading it. Though the actual events occurred many thousands of years ago, through the power of His holy name, Lord Rama is still with us, helping us fight the Ravanas of today. Let us always remember the Lord, chant His name, and offer Him our prayers. By so doing, our lives will become perfect.

Title: Shri Ramacharitamanasa

ISBN: 8120804430

Author: Goswami Tulsidas, translated by R.C. Prasad

Versions: Print

Synopsis: This is probably the greatest book ever written. The Ramacharitamanasa, or the “Holy Lake of the Acts of Rama”, is the biography of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, written by Goswami Tulsidas several hundred years ago. The original story of Lord Rama was written by Maharishi Valmiki during the Lord’s time on earth. Tulsidas’ version is similar in spirit, but more of a devotional work and doesn’t contain as much detail as Valmiki’s. Considered an incarnation of Valmiki, Tulsidas wrote the Ramacharitamanasa in a dialect of Hindi so as to make it more accessible to the people of His time. The writing is beautiful and one who reads this book with firm faith will be a devotee of Lord Rama forever. Already a staple in the homes of most Hindus living in India, this version, translated into English, gives everyone a chance to enjoy the wonderful pastimes of the Lord, His wife Sita, His brother Lakshmana, and His devotee Hanuman.

One needs to follow Ramayana. The word ‘ayana’ means path and Ramayana thus means the path shown by Lord Rama. Bhagavatham on the other hand is not called ‘Krishnayana’. Bhagavatam is for listening, enjoying and reminiscing the leelas of Lord Krishna.
Our guru Maharaj gives a beautiful explanation as to what Ramayana truly shows us. He says Ramayana shows a path and that is nothing but listening to glories of the Lord.

When we read Valmiki Ramayana, it says, “Vishnor balam vardataam” By reading Ramayana, the strength and power of Lord Vishnu grows. The story in Ramayana has proved to be an elixir for Lord Rama Himself!

Mother Sita was separated from Lord Rama and it was only the story of Ramayana narrated by Lava and Kusha (His own sons) that brought Sita back to him and hence happiness to his own family. That is the greatness of Katha Sravana that Lord Rama himself experienced.

It is true with Hanumanji too. Hanumanji says that He will be present wherever Ramayana is being expounded. He further says that he will not only be listening to the Ramayana but prostrating unto them all time.
“yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam tatra tatra krutamastakaanjalim”

Sita Mata’s lifeline is listening to the nectarine Rama Katha. In Ashokavana, she was about to end her life since the ogresses threatened her and since Ravana had given her an ultimatum of two months and that he would take her life if she failed to concede. It was Rama Katha which was sung by Hanumanji saved her life. It is beautiful how Hanumanji sings the glories of Rama. Sitting on the top of the tree in the Ashoka Vana, Hanumanji witnesses all the happenings until a point when Sita Mataji is ready to hang herself. Hanumanji wanted to help her out, but he was afraid that the Mother would only get more frightened if he appears before Her, him being a monkey, a speaking monkey! So merely sitting on the branches of the tree, He starts singing the divine glories of Lord Rama – right from His birth in Ayodhya up until the point when He is suffering having lost her.

Here it is shown how a satsang should be. A satsang is verily chanting the Divine Names of the Lord and listening to the glories of the Lord. Hanumanji shows here that it is immaterial whether we see each other face to face. Thus, our telecon satsangs are indeed true satsangs where we merely sing the Divine Names and listen to the glories of the Lord, and we all should thank God for giving us a satsang opportunity.

Following the short talk on the significance of Satsang by Sri Narayanan from Boston, Sri Narayan Daveji from Pearland, TX, discoursed on Ramayana.

Tulsidas wrote the divine story of Lord Rama and this is called Ram Charit Manas.
Lord Shiva is continuously reciting the name of Lord Rama in His meditation. So with the divine blessings of the lord, Lord Shiva was able to portray Lord Rama’s divine play that he intended to do when he incarnated on earth. He kept this in His mind and He passed this to mother Bhavani and hence the name Ram Charit Manas (Since Lord Shiva had depicted the form of Lord Rama in his mind).

Lord Rama is considered as a Maryaada Purushottam. His incarnation clearly shows how one should lead a life as a son, a husband, a ruler and a father. Since his life is too ideal to be followed in this age of Kali Yuga, we can keep his Charitra in our minds and very slowly our lives will become akin to Lord Rama. Hence it is called Ram Charit Manas.

Lord Shiva gave this to Tulsidas and he in turn gave it to the world.

It is said in Ramayan,-
Sambat sorah sai ekteesaa | karau kathaa hari pad dhari seessaa ||
naumi bhaum baar madhu maasa | avadpuri yah charita prakaasa || (3) (C-34)

On the day of Rava Navami in Ayodhya, Shri Thulsidas wrote the Ram Charit manas for the benefit of the common man in this Kaliyuga. This wonderful Ram Charit Manas depicts the divine plays of Lord Rama, it also contains the significance of Rama Nam, importance of satsang and the greatness of the Guru.

Daveji expounded on the Guru Mahima from Ram Charit manas.

At the start of Ramcharitmanas, in Bala Kand, Tulsiji offers his salutations to the Eternal Guru, Lord Shiva and then to his own Guru in the following doha –
Bandau guru pad kanj krupaa sindu nararupa hari |
mahaamoh tam punj jaasu bachan rabi kar nikar ||

I bow to the lotus feet of my Guru, who is an ocean of mercy and none other than Lord Hari Himself in human form and whose words are akin to the rays of the Sun which removes the darkness called ignorance.

Further, in the subsequent chaupayi, he says,

Bandau guru pada padma paraagaa | suruchi subaas saras anuraaga ||
Amia moorimaya choorana chaaru | samana sakala bhava ruja parivaaru || (1)
sukrti sambhu tana bimala bibhooti | manjula mangala moda prasooti ||
jana mana manju mukur mal harani | kiyen tilak gun ganbas karani || (2)
Sri gur pad nakh mani gana joti | sumirat dibya drishti hiyam hoti ||
Dalan moh tam so suprakaasu | bade bhaag ur aavayi jaasu || (3)
Ugharahim bimala bilochana hi ke | mitahim dosha dukh bhav rajni ke ||
Sujahim raam charit mani maanik | guputa pragata jahan jo jehi kaanik || (4)

Guru pad raj mrudu manjula anjana | nayana amia druga dosha bibhanjan ||
Tehim kari bimala bibeka bilochana | baranaum raam charita bhava mochan || (1)

I greet the dust of the Lotus feet of my Guru as a salve, which is an elixir for the defect in my eye. I touch the lotus feet of my Guru, to take the dust to treat my troubled eye so that I can describe the glories of Lord Rama”

In Balkand, we have read that Lord Dasaratha was not blessed with a son for long and this very much worried him. Now let us see why Lord incarnated on this earth as Lord Rama. In the previous birth, Dasaratha and Kausalya Matha were born as Manu and Shatrupa. They did immense penance and the Lord appeared in front of them and asked them for a boon. This ideal couple declined the offer and instead they requested for a son akin to Lord Hari who was standing in front of them. The lord agreed to this. Later He realized that there was none like him in this world. So He Himself decided to incarnate in this world as their son. Even though Bhagwan decided to incarnate again, this happened only with a guru’s blessings.

Ek baar bhoopati man maahi | bhai galaani more sut naahi ||
Guru grah gayau turat mahipaala | charan laagi kari binaya bisaala || (1)
Nija dukh sukh sab gurhi sunaayau | kahi bashishta bahu bidhi samujaavu ||
Dharahu dheer hoyihahim sut chaari | tribhuvan bidita bhagat bhaya haari || (2)(C-189)

The fact that King Dasaratha was not blessed with a son made him very depressed. Dasaratha, being a great king went to seek his guru’s advice to seek a remedy for his sorrow.
It is said that one can confide their concerns to their guru and it is only a guru who can direct us in the right path.

And Sage Vashishta said,
“You will have four sons and these four sons and they will be very learned and will be known throughout the three worlds and wipe out the fears of the devotees”

Sage Vasishta having blessed King Dasaratha, invited a very learned sage, Shringi to perform Putra Kameshti Yagna. Following the yagna, Kausalya Maata gave birth to four sons, the eldest of them being Lord Rama and the other being Bharatha, Lakshmana and Shatrugna.

It is very clearly seen in Balkand, King Dasaratha consulted his Guru SageVashista for every advice during the childhood face to ensure that his sons cultivated good habits.

It was Sage Vashista who had named the fours sons to be Rama, Lakshmana, Bharataha and Shatrugna.

Kachuka divas bheet ehi bhaanti | jaat na jaaniya dina aru raati |
naam karana kar avasaru jaani | bhoop boli pataye muni gyaani || (1)
Kari pooja bhoopati as bhaasha | dhariya nam jo muni guni raakha ||
Inha ke naam anek anoopa | main nrup kahab svamati anuroopa || (2) (C-197)

King Dasartha performed pooja to Sage Vasahista and requested him to name his four sons. We can see that even though the Lord incarnated in this world, king Dasaratha requested his guru, Sage Vashista to name his sons.

As the brothers grow up in Ayodhya, the brothers are accorded ‘yagnopavita’ by their Guru and their parents, as it is said in the following verse –
Bhaye kumaar jabhi sab bhraataa | deenha janeu guru pitu maata ||
Gurugraham gaye padhan raghuraayi | alp kaal bidhiyaa sab aayi || (2)
jaaki sahaj svaas sruti chaari | so hari padh yah kauthuka bhaari ||
Bidyaa binaya nipuna guna seela | khelahi khel sakala nrupleela || (3) (C-204)

Even though it was the lord who had incarnated as Lord Rama, he took the Yagnopavitra as any other common man. And then the lord leaves for Gurukul for education and within a short span of time, Lordess Saraswati herself came to the Lord.

The four Vedas are verily the breath of the Lord. The significance of the guru and that of Gurukul is stressed here. One needs to be in the sight of the guru after the Yagnopaveeth. Thus the Lord shows the importance of Gurukul here.

The Lord finished his education in the Gurukul and came back to Ayodhya. At that time, Sage Vishawmitra once visited the kingdom of Ayodhya. Here it is very nice to read how King Dasaratha welcomed the Santh. Even though we offer our respect our guru, it is equally important to receive any Santh with same respect when they visit our place.

Muni aagaman sunaa jab raaja | milana gayau lai bipra samaaja ||
Kari dandavat munihi sanmaani | nij aasan baitaarenhi aani || (1)
Charan pakaari keenhi ati pooja | mo sam aaju dhanya nahi dhooja ||
bibid bhaanti bhojan karuvaavaa | munibar hrudaya harash ati paavaa || (2)
…
Tab man harashi bachan kah raau | muni as krupaa na keenhi hu kaavu ||
Kehi kaaran aagaman tumhaara | kahahu so karat na kaavum baara || (4) (C-207)

When King Dasaratha was informed that Sage Vishwamitra was visiting his kingdom, he immediately went out and prostrated in front of him and offered his throne as a seat for him. There are two interpretations here, “Nij aasan” means king Dasaratha’s own seat was given to Sage Vishwamitra. In a symbolic way, it means that king Dasaratha was ready to accept Sage Vishwamitra’s advices and thus act accordingly. If we look at it in a different perspective, “Nij aasan” – king dasaratha being a very learned man, knew that lot of Mahans and saints will be visiting his kingdom and hence he had allocated seats for them- and he gave the right seat for Sage Vishwamitra.
He performed pada pooja to sage Vishwamitra and told him that he is immensely blessed to have such a great saint visit his kingdom. He then asked Sage Vishwamtira for the reason for his visit.

In reply to this, Sage Vishwamitra asked king dasaratha if he can take Ram and Lakshman to his place. He mentioned that he was doing some yagna and Marich and Subahu were creating hurdles and not allowing him to do yagna.

Sab sut mohi praan ki naayi | raam det nahi banayi gosaayi ||
kaham nisichar ati ghor katoraa | kaham sundar sut param kishora || (3)
Suni nrup giraa prem ras saani | hrudayam harsh maanaa muni gyaani ||
Tab bashishta bahu bidhi samjhaavaa | nrup sandeh naas kaham paavaa || (4)
ati aadar dou tanaya bolaaye | hrudayam laayi bahu baanti sikhaaye ||
mere praan naath sut douoo | tumh muni pitaa aan nahi kouoo || (5) (C-208)

He said to sage Vishwamitra that all his four sons are his lifeline. He further told him that his sons are beautiful and tender when compared to demons, which are strong and wild. He also requested sage Vishwamitra that he will give his entire army to fight the demon.

King Dasaratha is now filled with doubts. He thinks Ram as his own son and ignorance overpowers him and he fails to come to realty that he is indeed Lord. Secondly he didn’t implicitly adhere to the words of Sage Vishwamitra to send his sons along with him.
It is very beautifully seen as to how the guru removes this ignorance in king Dasaratha’s mind. Sage Vashista spent time to explain the king. After having been convinced by Sage Vashista, he very affectionately called his two sons and advised him
He told Sage Vishwamitra that his sons are his very breath and asked him to take good care of them.

The key take away point is that, we should implicitly obey the words of our guru and that will only bring glory to our family.

It is seen that Lord Rama goes to Sage Vishwamitra’s ashram and he gave Moksha to Maricha and Subahu then went to the court of Janak Maharaj where he broke the bow and subsequently married Sita Mata.

Having thus beautifully expounded the greatness of Guru in Balakand, Daveji concluded with first two lines of Hanuman Chalisa that speak of the significance of the Guru.

Shri Guru Charan Saroj Raj
Nij man mukure sudhar
Varnao Raghuvar Vimal Jasu
Jo dayaku phal char

I clean my mind with dust of lotus feet of Guru. The mind is tainted with bad thoughts and we need some thing to clean the mind and it is only that dust that can clean our minds.

The satsang was opened for prayer requests and ended with Nama Sankirtan by Ranjaniji and Rajasekarji from Boston.

When a fellow blogger lifted my lines without attributing it to me, I left him a note and he corrected the error. He attributed my work to me, but used it. So he moved from copying to copy lefting.

When some important organizations reproduced entire articles, they gave me the credit for my work but did not let me know. I was torn between the honour and the indignation. I make no money from my work either directly or through ads, and possibly those organizations have greater visibility than I do. So more people may get exposed to my ideas and expression.

Today a wonderful and much appreciated retelling of the story about a great Telugu man in Telugu was blocked by a man who wrote a less appreciated version but first, in English. He was dissatisfied with the acknowledgement. He was possessive of the parts of the story that conformed to his version and contemptuously dismissive of the parts of the story that were different from his narration.

Tulsidas and Valmiki came to my mind.

Valmiki wrote the Ramayanam, the story of  the great Indian Hero Sri Rama who was his contemporary. It is wonderful work about a wonderful man, in Sanskrit. It has both biographical and historical value. 5000 years or more later, we still know it was Valmiki who wrote the Ramayanam. But he did not make a single gold coin out of it. He told his students Lava and Kusa not to accept money even if Sri Rama himself were to insist.

In the 16th century, Tulsidas felt that this wonderful story needed to be told in Hindi. So that more people would know it. He wrote the Ram Charit Manas which conformed to the original in parts and deviated in parts, but was beautiful in its entireity. The Sanskrit scholars of his time resisted this work. There is a story about throwing it into the fire or putting it at the bottom of a pile or otherwise trying to get rid of it. Then Sri Rama himself saves the work by a miracle and the scholars realise the errors of their ways. All these stories are allegorical! So we deduce that Tulsidas won a challenge of some nature and the ordinary Hindi speaking people have loved his work for 500 years. Neither did Tulsidas copyright his work  or make money out of it. Yet his name his known till today as the author of that remarkable work.

The work of Tulsidas did not detract from Valmiki’s work or supplant it. It carried the story to a wider audience and it made more people love Valmiki, Rama and Sita.

I guess in the case of Valmiki, Tulsidas and hundreds and thousands of our saintly authors and composers, Copy Left where the author gets only attribution was the order of the day. Of course Thyagaraja comes to mind where he has appended his name to hundreds of Kirthanas about Sri Rama but never sold them, or accepted rewards for them. People celebrate his birthday, even today and love to sing his songs and hear them.

 Are we going wrong with our ‘copyrightness’? I believe that ActionAid filed for a patent on potato chips to show the world to what a ridiculous extent we are taking the patent game. 

Of course, there are those who copy left and right without any credit to the original creators and those who try to take credit for the work others. I can’t help disliking them intensely. It seems wrong to Copy and Petty to CopyRight.

I think Copy Left is the better way – if you cannot help copying please attribute this work to me. I am the  Author.

Satya Sarada Kandula.

Iti Satya Sarada Virachita Blogah Postah.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, there is an episode where the Prachetas are instructed to perform penance to the Lord. They head in a particular direction towards doing penances. When they were in a confusion as to how to meditate on the Lord and what to ask, Lord Shiva himself comes as a guru and instructs them. In the song known as the “Rudra Geetam”, He describes the beautiful form of the Lord to meditate upon. He says, “When God comes in front of you, do not ask Him to bestow you with any worldly or spiritual goodness. If at all you ask for something, it should be satsang for even half a second.
Kshanaardhenaapi tulayam na svargam naapunarbhavam |
bhagavat sangi sangasya martyaanaam kimutaasishah ||

The union with Bhagavatas is indeed the rarest of the rarest. Satsang represents sheer bhakti. Association with a Jivan Mukta, or constant chanting of the Divine Name and listening to the glories of the Divine is indeed satsang.

The Nama chanting was lead by Sri Thiagaraj and family from Dallas. It was Rama Navami, a very auspicious day.

Followed by brief round of introductions, Gayatriji from Boston gave a blissful satsang talk.

Following this wonderful lecture, Narayananji from Boston talked about Lord Hanuman. In all our Friday satsangs, there is one person who sits and listens to the satsang but is always anonymous. It is none other than our Hanunmanji. It is said that –
“Yatra Yatra Raghunatha Kirthanam
Thatra Thatra krutam mastakaanjalim
Bhaspavari paripurna lochanam
Maruthim mamada raakshasaandhakam”

Wherever there is chanting of Lord Rama’s Names, wherever one reminisces on Lord Rama, Hanumanji is verily in that place listening to all of these. It is true even today.

There is a great saint in the lineage of Sringeri Mutt. He happened to narrate Ramayana and he kept a plate which had fruits that was offered to Hanuman. One of his disciples one day asked this saint about the plate. The saint replied that it was for Hanuman as he comes wherever Rama Katha is being expounded. But this disciple didn’t quite understand it. When the Ramayana katha was about to conclude on the last day, Hanumanaji did come in form of a vanara and consumed the fruits and went away. This dates back to some few years ago.

In 2004 Our Guru maharaj preformed a Maha Samrajya Patabishekha, in which about hundred and twenty eight Bhagavathas were reading Ramayana. There was one person who listened to Ramayana with full concentration and when there was a small break during the parayana, he used to climb a tree and chant Rama Nama and when the parayana resumed he joined back again. He participated in each and every event during the navaham and after the nineth day he was not to be found. Our Guru Maharaj told the devotees that he was verily a form of Hanuman.

Following this, Sri Thiagarajan talked on the difference between Sharadha navarathiri and Vasantha navarathiri. The former is very holy for goddess Devi and Rama Navami falls during the Vasantha Navarathiri. It is very auspicious to do any parayana or chanting the divine names of the Lord during Vasantha Navarathiri. It is a good time to do Ramayana Parayana because Rama Navami falls on the navami day akin to Sarasawati pooja which also falls on the navami day of the Sharadha navarathiri.

The satsang wrapped up with Namasankirtan prayers.

“O Rama, there is no one more fortunate on this earth than You since you have Vishwamitra as Your spiritual master.”

Sage Shatananda speaking to Lord Rama (Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda)

In this material world, the spiritual master is our link to God. God isn’t always directly physically present on this earth, so it is through the spiritual master that we can understand Him.

In all areas of life, we require a teacher. We are all born not knowing anything. After taking our first birth from our parents, we gradually were taught how to crawl, walk, talk, and even eat properly. Our parents taught us right and wrong, good and bad, and how to behave properly. In many ways, we are the reflection of our parents. Children with good parentage usually grow up to be good standing citizens. From youth to young adulthood, we attended school and were educated by our various teachers. If not for them, we would probably not grow up to be productive adults.

In different areas of work, we require training from those who are already expert in their particular fields. Aspiring doctors require training from experienced doctors. Students finishing law school require the guidance of experienced lawyers to learn the trade. So in this way, we can understand that a good teacher is required for success in any endeavor

The spiritual master, or guru, is required for anyone who is seriously seeking self-realization and understanding of God. A qualified spiritual master is one of saintly character who has completely surrendered Himself to Lord Krishna. He knows nothing else but Krishna and through his saintly character, he voluntarily teachers others about Krishna.

From our education on material subjects, we can try to understand God, but our attempts will always fail. God cannot be understood through mere mental speculation. He can only be known through the grace of one who has completely surrendered himself to God. By agreeing to serve the spiritual master humbly, we take our second and more important birth and begin our spiritual understanding.

When Lord Krishna appeared on this earth, He even accepted a spiritual master, Sandipani Muni, just to set an example for us. The Lord taught us to be very humble to saintly people, and to learn spiritual knowledge from them. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he pretended to be subordinate in knowledge to brahmanas in order to show them proper respect.

In the Ramacharitamansa of Tulsidas, Maharishi Valmiki gives a vivid description of a devotee of the Lord. One of the points he makes is that a devotee loves his guru even more than God Himself. The reason for this is that the spiritual master teaches us about God, and without him, our lives would be meaningless. This underscores the importance of the guru. When Lord Ramachandra was a youth, he and his brother Lakshmana were trained to be the highest skilled kshatriyas, or warriors, by the sage Vishwamitra. Lord Rama was God Himself, but He also humbly submitted Himself before Vishwamitra and voluntarily accepted him as His spiritual master. Vishwamitra was so pious that he was fortunate enough to have God Himself as a disciple. Yet Vishwamitra was held in such high regard by other sages that these sages considered Rama and Lakshmana to be the fortunate ones. Such is the glory of a saint!

In the Vedas, it is said that one of the highest rewards of life is to have association with a saintly person. One doesn’t have to be born in a high class family or possess immense riches in order to make spiritual progress. One simply has to be fortunate enough to come in contact with a saintly person, and then have the good sense to humbly serve that person through taking instruction from them. Anyone who is purely devoted to Krishna is considered a saint and a spiritual master. The perfect spiritual master for this age is A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Though Shrila Prabhupada physically left this earth more than thirty years ago, we can still approach him through his books and recorded lectures. He continues to preach to this day, so we should make the most of this auspicious human form of life by reading his books and following his teachings. In this way, we please the spiritual master, and through his grace, we return back to Godhead.

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   Lord Ramachandra, also referred to as Lord Rama, is the incarnation of Krishna that appeared in Ayodhya during the Treta Yuga. According to the Vedas, the universe is constantly created and destroyed and each creation is divided in to four yugas, or time periods; Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and the Kali Yuga which we are currently in.

The reasons for the Lord’s advent were many and they differ slightly for each creation. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that "whenever there is a decline in religion, I personally come Myself to restore the tradition of the Vedas and to protect My devotees”. Prior to Lord Rama’s advent, there was a very powerful demon named Ravana who was wreaking havoc throughout the world and disrupting the sacrifices of the saintly people on earth. The sadhus of the world prayed for the Lord to personally come and save them and he answered their prayers.

There was a great king who ruled over Adyodhya at the time by the name of Dashrath who was very pious and respected by all. His life was perfect except for the fact that he had no son to whom he could pass down his kingdom. On the advice of his priest Vasishtha, Dashrath performed a yajna (Vedic sacrifice) for Lord Vishnu, and in due time his wives gave birth to four beautiful sons named Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna.

Lord Rama performed many glorious pastimes during His time on earth, but His most celebrated pastime was Hs slaying of the demon Ravana, who had abducted His wife Sita. Stories related Lord Rama’s life are beautifully told in the original Ramayana, written by Maharishi Valmiki, who was instructed to write the Ramayana by his spiritual master Narada Muni. Other historical accounts of Lord Rama’s life can be found in almost all of the Puranas (ancient Vedic stories), including the Mahabharata and the Shrimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). Around five hundred years, Goswami Tulsidas wrote his own poem detailing the pastimes of Lord Rama, called the Ramacharitamanasa, also known as the Tulsi Ramayana. In this beautiful work, Tulsidas references all the stories of Lord Rama contained in various Vedic literatures, but especially the Valmiki Ramayana and the Brahmananda Purana, and merges them to tell the story of the Ramayana in a mood of devotion and love, and for this it is considered to be one of the most important Vedic literatures.

Lord Rama is considered an avatar of Vasudeva (Lord Krishna), and thus there is no difference between Him and God. He is usually worshipped along with His wife Sita, younger brother Lakshmana, and His greatest devotee Hanuman, collectively known as the Ram Darbar. Lord Rama played the role of a perfect human being, a role model for everyone. He was an ideal son, husband, friend, and king. He had no other interest in His mind other than to please His devotees and to serve them. Recitation of Lord Rama’s name is the only means of salvation in this age of Kali as it will immediately remind us of His beautiful form and wonderful pastimes.

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Goswami Tulsidas was a great devotee of Lord Ramachandra (Lord Rama) who appeared in India in the 16^th century. A true saint, he is best known for the books that he authored, the most famous of which was the Ramacharitamanasa.

The original story of Lord Ramachandra, an incarnation of Lord Krishna or God, was written by Maharishi Valmiki during Lord Rama’s appearance on earth in the Treta yuga, and this story is famously known as the Valmiki Ramayana.  Stories relating to Lord Krishna and His incarnations are also found in many other Vedic literatures, such as the Puranas, all of which are written in the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit, known as the language of the gods, is a very difficult language for people to understand in this age of Kali. Tulsidas wanted to make Lord Rama’s story more accessible to today’s society. He wrote the Ramacharitamanasa, also known as the Tulsi Ramayana, in Awadhi, which is a dialect of the Hindi language. His version is based off the historical accounts of Lord Rama found in all the Vedic literatures, but is especially based off the Valmiki Ramayana and the Adhyatma Ramayana found in the Brahmananda Purana. Tulsidas’s Ramayana is written in a mood of pure devotion, using beautiful poetry, making it a wonderful read for anyone.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to “declare to the world that My devotee never perishes.” The popularity of the Ramacharitamanasa is proof of that. Tulsidas’s work is a staple in the homes of all Indians. It is recited regularly during the holy periods of the year relating to Lord Rama.

Aside from the Manasa, Tulsidas also authored several other shorter works relating to Lord Rama, including the Vinaya Patrika, Dohawali, and the Kavitawali. In addition, he is the author of the famous Hanuman Chalisa, a poem which glorifies Lord Rama’s greatest devotee Lord Hanuman.

Tulsidas belonged to the Ramananda Sampradaya, which has a hint of impersonalist philosophy. The Vedas describe the Supreme Absolute Truth as “nirguna”, which means attributeless. Impersonalitsts misinterpret this to mean that God is only an all pervading spirit, or Brahman, and not a person. Nirguna actually means that God is formless in that He doesn’t have a material form, but He is still an individual separate from us. From reading Tulsidas’s works there is no mistaking that he is a pure devotee of God’s form as Lord Ramachandra. In fact, Tulsidas boldly declares that God’s name is even more important than God Himself, since His name directly brings us in touch with Him. He teaches that we should be constantly engaged in reciting the Lord’s name and in this way our lives will be perfect.

Several English translations of his works are available, but sadly they usually include impersonalist and atheistic interpretations which distort the original meanings. Tulsidas’s works must be presented in their original form, with the original meanings preserved. Tulsidas was a great devotee of Lord Ramachandra and his writings leave no doubt about that. He taught devotion to God and nothing else. Krishna’s Mercy is dedicated to honoring Goswami Tulsidas by distributing his works and presenting his teachings without deviation.

Krishna’s Mercy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving the gift of Krishna to one and all.

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I stayed in Benares for 3 nights, considered very pious by many. Not by great design though; thanks to a request from my good friend and IITK colleague Prof Ashok Mittal to visit IITK and give three talks on ERP, SCM Tools and IT & Enterprise and the fact that IIIT-B Senate and Board meetings got over on 17th (and the Selection Committee meeting was only on March 6) and the pay day for February was only on 29th! These are my real constraints as Head of IIIT-B!

I stayed in LD Guest House in BHU. My stay coincided with Maha Shivaratri and Amavasya, considered holy by Hindus. So I was doubly happy.

In spite of extreme indifference shown by successive governments (who approve tens of thousands of crores of Rupees for all “phoney” projects) and the appalling civic conditions of Benares, one cannot but feel the spiritual vibrance of Benares.

• The Kasi Vishwanath temple, Kasi Vishalakshi temple and Annapoorna temple are true abodes of the Gods.
• Ganga Aarti on the river Ganga (in the evenings) is a time to see millions watching the Ganga Puja with riveted eyes (of course with camera-fitted mobile phones these days).
• Tulsi temple where Sant Tulsidas composed his Tulsi Ramayan and the Sankat Mochan temple where the Hanuman Chalisa was offered to Lord Hanuman are other places that one cannot miss.

BHU campus is something that “touches” you; in spite of very little grants (compared to many new generation Institutes including IITs), the sprawling (the largest campus in the country) campus is spartan, but clean; it has a “personality” of its own, thanks to its Founder Mahamana Malaviyaji. It is green and clean by design!

BHU has every chance of becoming a true University that the coveted Institutes likle IITs, IISc, IISERs, IIITs and IIM’s can never match in terms of breadth, they being singular Institutes.

If well developed, BHU can match Oxford & Cambridge of UK or Harvard and UC Berkeley of USA

Unfortunately, the powers that be would like to see BHU decay and wither away, than develop.

It is a miracle that BHU still survives and there are enough scholars pursuing their individual scholarship even today!

Understanding the constitutional position of the soul and its relationship with God is a very complex philosophy that is described at great length in the ancient Vedic texts of India. The great saints of India, such as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Maharishi Valmiki, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, and Tulsidas have all written extensively about Krishna.

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Their works are considered sacred texts and are unmatched in their quality. Krishna’s Mercy attempts to distribute as many of their books as possible by promoting the books in our newsletters, writing blog articles discussing teachings found in their books, providing links on our website to purchase their books, and through book donations to local libraries and bookstores.

Krishna’s Mercy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering Krishna prasadam to one and all.

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“See Me in everything. Surrneder yourself to Me. Do all actions for My sake. Cut off all sorts of attachments. Have perfect, unswerving devotion to Me. Sing My glories”.

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“See Me in everything. Surrneder yourself to Me. Do all actions for My sake. Cut off all sorts of attachments. Have perfect, unswerving devotion to Me. Sing My glories”.

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