I used to think that the foremost purpose of Ramayana is to
evoke emotions – of empathising with Rama and Sita, to feel like how Rama and
Sita felt for each other. This feeling of missing each other and craving for
reaching each other is the bottom line of Moksha. Like Sita, the Jiva must
crave for reaching Brahman. Like Rama, Brahman takes every effort to reach and unite
with Jiva. The constant thought of each of them for each other is the fuel that
makes them move towards each other and unite. The event of Moksha happens when
the Jiva constantly thinks of Bhagawan and Bhagawan constantly thinks of
reaching the Jiva. It is a two-way movement towards each other in a single
track.
In this equation, Sita does nothing other than ‘thinking’.
Only Rama has to take action! But constant reminders are being sent to him that
Sita is waiting to be taken back to him and by him. This idea is the idea of
reaching Moksha – of a two way Thought process involving every Jiva thinking of
Brahman / Bhagavan and waiting for Him to take over and Bhagavan too constantly
working towards making the union happen. In Krishnavatara this idea is conveyed
by the dance of Krishna with gopikas by holding their hands in such a way that
each gopika thinks that Krishna is dancing only with her.
This dance is a culmination of union or Moksha with
Bhagavan. In mundane level this dance has a girl and a boy alternating each other
in a circle by holding the hands to form a circle and dance around. Originally
the idea is that the boy is in the image of Krishna. The girl who holds his
hand on one side thinks that it is Krishna holding her on one side and again it
is Krishna holding her on the other side. This idea was behind Hallisaka dance of Gujarat. It was known as “Alliya- kootthu” in sangam age Tamilnadu. It was also
the basis of Kuravai- kootthu of Aayar lands
(yadava) of Tamilnadu. This dance was done by girls and boys at the end of bull
fight in which the prospective groom is chosen. The groom and the bride for
whose sake the bull fight was done, were the main couple of the dance that was
in fact a symbolism of union of Jiva and Brahman. It is for this reason, the union
of couple is characterised as “Chitrinbam” (small happiness) and the Union with
God (Moksha) is characterised as “PErinbam” (Big happiness) in Tamil.
Krishnavatara was more recent compared to Ramavatara. Rama did
make it more difficult to drive home the idea of Moksha!! In Ramavatara it was
one to one between Rama and Sita. All the Jivas’ travails had to be conveyed by
Sita and that made things too painful for her for most part. In proportion to
that, Rama also had to exhibit a heavy load of pangs of suffering in having
lost Sita and in working towards reaching out to her.
The symbolism is that
Bhagavan has lost his dear wife, the Jiva in the forest of samsara to be
devoured by asuric forces. He laments, pines and behaves like mad for having lost
her. But he is never found wanting in his efforts to search for her and reach her.
But the moment he got the inkling that Sita had been sighted, what a wonderful moment
it was.
The verses describing that moment in Ramayana move me into
tears every time I read them. Whenever I read this chapter on Sugreeva
conveying to Rama that Sita had indeed been sighted, tears would start pouring
down my eyes. I would stop the reading at that, go near the Ram- Sita
Pattabhisheka picture that I worship and start conversing with Him. “Kausalya Supraja Rama samaashvasihi” (कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम समाश्वसिहि VR -5-64-28) Kausalya Supraja Rama,
get consoled well – the words that Sugreeva speaks to Rama.
Hi Rama, have no worry any more. Sita has been seen. Be happy that she is
alive. Be happy and by that let me be also happy. I am very happy to see you
happy. Enough is enough with all the sufferings. Think about what to do next.
Sita is waiting there with no one to give her hope. Get up. Utthishta Rama. Go and
bring her immediately.
Sita’s words “श्रुता हि
दृष्टाः च मया पराक्रमा |” (5-37-63 ) keep
ringing in my mind. The 4 verses starting from this verse are recited by me every
day. Like Sita I have heard about your valour in battles. She has seen you
outshine others. She has seen you like the Sun. But she is too battered with grief.
You have not yet done anything to redress her grief. Rama, true to your name as
Rama, the giver of joy, start immediately and bring her back. Give her the joy.
She cannot come on her own. She has conveyed this to Hanuman. She has asked
Hanuman to bring you to her. You have to go to her.
स मे हरि श्रेष्ठ
सलक्ष्मणम् पतिम् |
सयूथपम् क्षिप्रम् इह उपपादय |
चिराय रामम् प्रति शोक कर्शिताम् |
कुरुष्व माम् वानर मुख्य हर्षिताम् ||
सयूथपम् क्षिप्रम् इह उपपादय |
चिराय रामम् प्रति शोक कर्शिताम् |
कुरुष्व माम् वानर मुख्य हर्षिताम् ||
("O the excellent of monkeys! You, as such, soon bring my husband here
along with Lakshmana, and the chiefs of army. O the best of monkeys! I am
emaciated with grief about Rama since long. Make me now joyful.")
Go, get her back and bring her the joy.
Rama was addressed in this verse as “Kausalya Supraja Rama” – a term that we are familiar
with in Venkateswara Suprabatham. Rama means ‘the one
who brings joy to everyone” (‘sarve ramanti yasmin iti Raamaah’). The
moment he was born, he brought joy to his mother. From that time onwards he was
giving joy to anyone and everyone who came across him. But the giver of joy was
joy-less after he lost Sita. The joy was recaptured by him when he heard the
news from Sugreeva that Sita must have been sighted by the vanaras who were
reported to have ravaged Madhuvana. While conveying this news, Sugreeva reminds
him of his quality of giving joy to others and for him to be joyous in order to
make others joyful.
I think the Suprabatha verses were formed with this idea derived from
Ramayana. Once having known the whereabouts of Sita, having known that Jivas
are languishing, having known that they have no other succor than Him, it is
for Rama to get up immediately and rush to them to bring them joy.
By this logic, it is also conveyed that it is not right for the Jiva to do nothing to attract the attention of Bhagavan. One has to pray, one has to think of Him constantly as the Protector. Constant prayers, thinking and craving for Him must be there to qualify for Moksha or Union with Him.
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