Philosophy of life to be drawn from Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi

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Philosophy of life to be drawn from Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki

Maharshi

 

Dr. N.V.Koteswara Rao

Formerly, Deputy Director

General, National Informatics Centre, Government of India, Hyderabad.

Phone: 040-27702732. 5.8.07.

 

 

Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi is a great epic and is known as

Aadi kaavya (The first poetic work) in Sanskrit. It is of great value

for each reader from what ever view he / she looks at it. It is

always the perception of the individual that makes him look at it in

his own way and get his experience as he likes. There are no standard

answers for the questions that one raises arising out of ones own

experience(s) in life. One can derive his own answers after

studying Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki Maharshi.

 

The precise reason why this series is being created is to attract

views from various serious readers for a proper understanding of the

philosophy of life to make every ones life a happy and enjoyable one.

 

Every one looks at everything in life from an applicable philosophy

that makes him happy with what he has. For example a person purchases

an attractive and automatically playing doll for a throw away price.

If he finds that a child had spoiled it in a few minutes of use he

would apply the philosophy " After all a good one would have cost me

much more; even that would have been spoiled any

way. It is good that I lost only a little money. "

 

Some one used to say any thing happening to him or to any other

person as " it is happening only for our good and well being " . See the

story of a minister of a king who followed this philosophy to keep

his life comfortable under all odd conditions as well, even to the

surprise of the king.

 

The story goes thus:

 

One day a king along with his minister went out into a deep forest

for hunting. They hunted for quite some time. Accidentally the king

lost one of his fingers. The king told his minister that he lost his

little finger of his left hand. The minister tried to console the

king by saying that it is for our good and well being only. The king

grew angry with him for his foolish comment and imprisoned the

minister. The minister said this imprisonment is for our good and

well being. The king thought that his minister became a nut and is

incurable. He hoped that this imprisonment will help the minister to

rethink and realise his

folly that all things cannot be occurring only for our good; some are

bad as well.

 

A few months after the king got cured of his injury caused in losing

his little finger, one day the king went for hunting - this time

without his minister as he was in prison. Though the king was

accompanied by his henchmen, he lost himself in the thick forest.

Suddenly he was caught by the tribals living in that area.

 

They overpowered the king and took him to their leader. They told the

leader that they brought a well built man to offer him to their

Goddess in sacrifice.

 

The leader was happy. He ordered them to examine his whole body if

any part is lame. They carefully examined and reported that he is

lame as he lost his little finger. The leader shouted them out for

bringing a lame person to offer to their Goddess. He ordered them to

leave the person safe.

 

The king was thus saved. He was still afraid. He took to heels and

recollected his minister's words when he lost his little finger. He

then appreciated the wisdom of the minister that every thing that

occurs in our life is for our good and well being . He still had a

question that was haunting him. He wanted to put it to his minister.

 

After he reached home the king wanted the minister to be presented

before him. The minister was brought from the prison and was

presented before the king. The king narrated his escape from near

death and how he was saved by losing his little finger. He

appreciated the minister for having said that it was for our well

being that the king lost his little finger.

 

The king then asked his intriguing question of why the minister

accepted his imprisonment saying that it is for our good and well

being. The minister clarified to the king that it saved the minister

his own life. He explained further that had he not been imprisoned by

the king , the king would have asked him to accompany him for this

hunting. The tribals would have left out the king but would have

taken the minister and sacrificed him. Having explained this the

minister once again thanked the king for the imprisonment. The king

was mused by his minister's wisdom and practical philosophy. He

released the minister from his imprisonment and learnt his lesson

that things happen for our good and well being.

 

Thus to live happily under all odd and testing conditions it is one's

own understanding of life and the philosophy he follows alone would

help.

 

By carefully studying the various events depicted in Srimad Ramayana

of Valmiki Maharshi, each can draw his/her own lessons of great

importance in life and can live a happy life under difficult

situations. We get consoled when we notice others suffering from

worse adversities than ours. We then will apply a new philosophy " it

could have been worse for us " .

 

Some one used to jocularly say, " Could have been worse " in response

to any one who asked " How are you? " .

 

Let us study Ramayana with all seriousness and draw our lessons and

practicable philosophies of our own. Readers are invited to interact

to make this a live and attractive forum for discussion of the

intelligentsia.