Ram Bhakti (Digest No. 1042)

January 9, 2009

Dear Bhaskarji and friends,

Yes I had been out of the loop for the past few days, busy with some personal work. Bhaskarji called me yesterday (8th. Jan) to be remind me that a visit to this garden of ours was needed. I did respond immediately and have sent two files to him for uploading in the folders section.

I am just trying to add to what Tripuraji has said about Lord Ram and Sri Krishna. This is what I have heard from the various discourses which are telecast on Aastha and Sanskar Channels, and also from the writings of Swami Ramsukhdasji.

The story of Sri Rama is called the Ramcharitmanas. Ram + Charit + Manas. In short the story of Ram's Charitra. And what is charitra? The good aspects in someone's life, his qualites, his goodness, everything, which another person can emulate and copy into his own life style and system. Every thing that Sri Ram has done and as has been narrated by Tulsidasji, is worth emulating. His devotion to his parents, fulfilling the vow of his father and going on "Banwas", his humbleness towards his Gurus and teachers, his repaying Jatayu for all that he tried to do to save Mata Sita, Sugriva and Hanuman, etc. are all to be learnt and adopted in our life. That is why it is "Charit..".

On the other hand, the story of Sri Krishna is called "Krishna Leela". Leela is something which only the Gods can perform. We mortals can only see and observe them, not copy them, for it is beyond our capacity to perform them. Can a 7yr boy pick up the Govardhan on his little finger and stand there for 7 days?? Forget a mountain, he cannot stand still for 7 minutes empty handed. Then, what do you say? Unfortunately, people have started following and adopting aspects from His Leelas into their lives, resulting in all the miseries in society. They argue that if Krishna could do it, why not us? Fair enough. But Krishna also did a lot of things, all His Leelas were performed in his boyhood, "Balyawastha", i.e. by the age of 9yrs, before He left Gokul for Mathura. And what can a 7/8 year old boy do? So all that has been done, has been done by a person who is much much superior to us mortals. That is why Leela.

As Tripuraji has rightly said, and I concur with him, we have to first study and understand the life of Sri Ram, before we even think of studying the life of Sri Krishna. First each of us has to become like Ram, and then think, only think, of Sri Krishna.

This is my humble opinion.

Bhaskarji, I would also like to have the Ganapati Atharva Shiksha strotra, which Sri Tripuraji has sent to you. If possible, I will try to recite it on the Solar Eclipse day.

Regards.

Naresh Mintri

Bollywood news, movie reviews, film trailers and more!