Monday 7 May 2012
BROTHERS LOVE- Panchavati was a wonderful place surrounded by mountain peaks and filled with fruit laden trees and flowers. The sound of the river, Godavari close by and the gurgle of the stream near-by, delightful to the ears. Having chosen a level spot, close to the stream, with five flowering trees, champaka, parijatha, ashoka, kadamba and sandalwood, Rama requested Lakshmana to build a small cottage for them. Lakshmana first plucked some flowers and offered them to the gods for protection and requested them to give him leave to build on that terrain. Then he built a beautiful cottage with twigs and-wattle and grass roof and invited Rama and Sita to enter. They were charmed to see the place. He had made separate partitions for eating, sleeping and puja. Everything was made to look fresh and beautiful with an eye to utility as well.
Rama came to the Assembly hall and bowed
to his father and the sages. His loving father asked him, “My dear
child why have you become so sad and dejected, when you have everything
in life? Who has harmed you? What has happened to you”?
Rama replied, “During my recent pilgrimage through this holy land of
ours, I saw many sights which I had never seen before. Agony and
suffering did I see and poverty, disease and death. A new trend of
thought has taken hold of me. What happiness can we have from this ever
changing world? All beings take birth only to die, and die only to be
born again. I see no meaning in this transient phenomenon which has its
roots in suffering and ignorance. Everything in the world depends on our
mental attitude but the mind itself seems unreal, even though we are
bewitched by it. We are not bonded slaves, yet we have no freedom.
Ignorant of the world, we have been wandering aimlessly in this forest
of samsara for many lives. How can this suffering come to an end. My
heart bleeds with sorrow when I think of these things and I do not feel
like eating or sleeping, much less engaging myself in vain pursuits,
unless I have an answer to these questions”.
He went on in this strain for some time and the whole Assembly was
stuck by the depth and perspicacity of the young boy*s reflections. At
last, he said, “I do not consider him a hero who is able to battle
against an army. I regard him a hero who is able to conquer his mind. By
reflecting on the pitiable state of living beings who have fallen into
this pit called samsara. I am filled with grief. My mind is confused. I
have rejected everything but I am not yet established in wisdom. Hence I
am partly caught and partly freed, like a tree that has been cut, but
not severed from its roots. Pray tell me how I am to reach that supreme
state of bliss”?
All the assembled sages and people were thrilled to hear Rama’s
speech and settled themselves down to hear the reply of Vishvamitra and
Vasishta.
Vishvamitra said, “0 Rama! You are indeed the foremost among the wise
and there is nothing further that you need to know. However, your
knowledge needs confirmation and I earnestly request sage Vasishta to
instruct you so that all of us who are assembled here may also be
inspired. Vasishta is truly a liberated sage, who is not swayed by
sensual pleasures and who acts without motivation of fame or any other
incentives”.
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