Sai message for the day

[Guest guest]

We hear that the Ramayana shows us ideal figures even among enemies.

Rivals never gave up certain values. Would you please tell us how

enemies reacted towards each other in an ideal way?

 

The Ramayana is another name for idealism. It shows the ideal way in

which you are expected to live and to realise the divinity within

you. The Ramayana clearly explains the proper relationship that

should exist between one individual and another individual, between

an individual and his native land, and finally, between one country

and the entire world. Enmity might crop up at any time for any

reason. But, even as rivals you should maintain certain values.

 

On one occasion, some of the Rakshasas advised Ravana in this

fashion: " Oh King! We are Rakshasas, kamarupa , capable of assuming

any form of our choice. Why don't you go to Sita in the form of Rama

and be accepted by her? " Ravana replied, " What hopeless creatures you

are! You are utter fools. In the form of Rama, how can you be as

lustful as to run after a woman who is someone else's wife? Can kama

exist where Rama is? Rama has one wife, uses only one arrow to kill

the enemy and keeps to the word given (one wife, one arrow, one word,

truth). Don't you know these sacred and noble qualities of Rama? " He

praised the great, matchless and noble character of Rama who was his

rival. Now, you also notice the generous and noble gesture of Rama

too. When Ravana was on his deathbed, Rama sent his own brother,

Lakshmana, to Ravana to learn from him rajadharma or righteous laws

governing the administration and the people. Ravana was a great

devotee of Siva with rich administrative experience.

 

Vibhishana, the only surviving younger brother of Ravana, was not

prepared to perform the funeral rites after the latter's death. Then,

Rama ordered him to perform the last rites and even went a step

further. He said that He Himself was ready to undertake the last

rites for Ravana if Vibhishana persisted in refusing to do so.

 

You will also notice in the Ramayana how Vali died, shot by an arrow

of Rama. Before dying, Vali placed all his doubts before Rama, got

them clarified and finally died at the hands of Rama saying that it

was his great fortune and merit to have been killed by Rama. Vali,

though an enemy, praised the noble qualities of Rama. These are some

of the ideals upheld by opponents in the great epic, the Ramayana.