Ramakatha Rasavahini - Part 1

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1"> To elaborate this error: the father of Rama had three wives; the

first was such and such, the second was of this nature, the third had these

traits! Her maids were of this ugly type ... . The wars fought by Dasaratha,

the father, were characterized by these peculiarities… those specialities … .

In this manner, fancy leads man astray into the region of the trivial and the

colorful, making him neglect the valuable kernel. People do not realise that

the study of history must enrich life and make it meaningful and worthwhile,

rather than cater to the appetite for paltry facts and petty ideas. Their

validity and value lie deep within the facts and fertilize them like

subterranean water. Wear the glasses of Bhakthi (Reverent Adoration) and Sradha

(Steady Dedication); then, the eye will endow you with the pure Wisdom that

liberates you and grants eternal Bliss. As men squeeze

juice out of the fibrous cane and drink only the sweetness, as the bee sucks

the honey in the flower, regardless of its symmetry and colour, as the moth

flies towards the brightness of the flame, ignoring the heat and the inevitable

catastrophe, the Sadhaka (Spiritual Seeker) should yearn to imbibe the

Karunarasa (the expression of the emotion of tenderness, pity and compassion)

that the Ramayana is saturated with, paying no heed to other subjects. When a

fruit is eaten, we throw away the skin, the seeds and the fibre. It is in the

very nature of

Nature that fruits have these components! Nevertheless, no one will eat these on

the plea that he has paid for them! No one can swallow the seeds and digest

them. No one will chew the outer rind. So, too, in this Rama-fruit called

Ramayana, the tales of Rakshasas (demons, ogres and the like) form the rind;

the wicked deeds of these evil men are the hard indigestible seeds; sensory and

wordly descriptions and events are the not-too-tasty fibrous stuff; they are the

sheaths for the juicy nourishment. Those who seek the Karuna-rasa in

the Rama fruit should concentrate more on the central narrative than on

supplementary details that embellish or encumber it. Listen to the Ramayana in

that mood; that is the best form of Sravana (process of spiritual listening).

(Chapter 1 To Be Continued..) SaiRam.