RAMAYANA-ADVAYAM Page 2

 

 

 

Yatra sarvâtmanâ majjan nânyam pašyati kim ca na |

 

vaidehîm lakshmanam râmam adbhutam jnânavigraham || 81 ||

 

nistraigunyam tridhâ bhinnam drshtvâ ca paramarshayah | 

 

dršyasya mâyikatvâcca mâyâtîtam param viduh || 82 ||

 

Where one is immersed in the fullness of the Absolute, one does not see anything else.  Sita, Lakshmana and Rama together constituted a wonderful (integrated) form of Absolute Knowledge. The sages recognised this phenomenon as the formless one splitting itself into three forms. They realised the illusoriness of the visible and thereby the Reality of Transcendental One beyond the visible.

 

Antašca mrgyam yat tejah sarvatoVpi prakâšate |

 

tatraiva drshticittâni ramanteVnyânapekshayâ  || 83 ||

 

That lustre which one seeks within oneself now shines everywhere.  Their minds fixed therein  they revel in that feast unmindful of anything else.

 

Advaitânandaparamah iti tvam vidito mayâ |

 

Evam virâdhena coktam šarabhango mahân iti  || 84 ||

 

You are the Absolute Bliss without equal, I have understood you, so said Viradha as also the great sage Sarabhanga.

 

Vaikhânasâ vâlakhilyâh samprakshâlâ marîchipâh[1] |

 

ašayyâh salilâhârâh ityâdi niyamânvitâh  || 85 ||

 

Advaitarâmasamprâptâ dandakâranyavâsinah |

 

pûrnânande nimagnâšca bahir antastvarûpakâh || 86 ||

 

There were several types of Rshis living  in the Dandaka forest; Those who were in their Vanaprastha-asrama;  those who were created by Brahma in a dwarf form; those who were known for their ablution of all sins by water alone; Rshis who could  absorb rays of light; those who needed no sleep; those who lived only on water;  these and many more of different disciplines. But all of them had  illumined themselves by the Rama-mantra which is the only non-dual Reality. They were totally immersed in the Absolute (themselves becoming) formless within and without.

 

Sukham nityam svaprakâšam tejo dharmena labhyate |

 

dharmasâram jagaditi[2] sîtâyodâhrtam[3] hitam || 87 ||

 

The essence of Dharma is what sustains the Universe. Sita quoted this maxim in Her advice: Happiness, Eternity, Self-Enlightenment, and Glory all come only from  Dharma.

 

Avyathah kharahanteti  nâyam hanti na hanyate[4] |

 

ity acchedyam param tattvam advaitam ca samîkshate ||88||

 

He was not hurt; he was the one who destroyed Khara.  In reality  (however), he neither kills nor is killed. This ultimate principle of  being unaffected is what is indicated by non-duality.

 

Vaidehî lokamâteti rakshitâ svîya tejasâ |

 

râmo vigrahavân dharmah[5] sandhyâ sîtâ ca tatprabhâ ||89||

 

Sita being the Mother-Goddess of the entire universe, is protected by Her own Power. Rama is Dharma personified and Sita is the Light of that (Glory).

 

Advaitašrîrâmašaktih šakyâ dharshayitum na ca |

 

râmašakty âkrântam idam na tad asti na yatra sâ || 90 ||

 

The Rama-Power is unparallelled. It cannot be overpowered. This Universe is fully possessed by It.  Nothing is there where that Power is absent.

 

Aprameyam hi tat tejah râmabhûtam idam vanam |

 

vrkshe vrkshe ca pašyâmi[6] ity advaitânubhûr aham || 91 ||

 

Mârîcenopadishtam yat tan na drshtam hi rakshasâ |

 

arâmadešam yah pašyet tasya mrtyuh kare sthitah || 92 ||

 

His lustre is unlimited.  This entire forest is totally pervaded by Rama. I see Him in every tree, tree after tree, says Maricha.  This is Advaita.  But this advice given by Maricha was not taken by Ravana. He who sees without seeing Rama -- such a one has his death imminent.

 

Râmavyâptajagaty eva caran šuddhim avâpsyati  |

 

raghuvîra padadhyânam sarvatreha ca mangalam || 93 ||

 

Only by moving  in the world of Rama’s pervasion one obtains Purity.  Meditation on the lotus feet of the King of Raghus augurs prosperity everywhere.

 

Sagune nirgunam jyotih sarvatrâpi prakâšate |

 

pašyan râmâyanam jyotih ekam âlambanam param || 94 ||

 

The attributeless Light shines everywhere  in  that which has attributes. Seeing the Light of the Ramayana is the one ultimate prop.

 

Šrîrâmavancanodyuktau ubhau mâricarâkshasau |

 

kaivâsyeyam kartrteti kâlapâšavašam gatau || 95 ||

 

The two, Marica and Ravana, were intent on  fooling Sri Rama.  Who is the architect of this Fate?  They were both in the grip of (the God of)  Death -- Time.

 

Šrîsîtârâmacetâmsi âkrshya balavân vidhih |

 

navagrahânâm dârdhyâcca krîdatîty adbhutam mahat || 96 ||

 

Mighty Fate enveloped the minds of both Sri Sita and Sri Rama. This is a most wonderful feat of the might of the nine grahas.

 

Arûpam bhagavadrûpam rûpamity aupacârikam |

 

cidânandaghanam satyam tadvyâpyam nahi kutra cit || 97 ||

 

Vyâpyavyâpakatâ mithyâ svayam pûrnasvarûpatah |

 

pûrnavašeshašrutyâ ca na gaccati na tishthati || 98 ||

 

God’s Form is the formless form. The word ‘form’ itself is a conventional weakness of language. Truth is the fullness of Knowledge and Bliss.  That cannot pervade anywhere, because, by its own fullness the talk of ‘pervasion’ and ‘the pervaded one’ is all false. Scripture talks of its Fullness, its Pervasion and also its Residual Fullness.  This only indicates that Rama neither ‘goes’ nor ‘stands’ (in other words, Rama is untouched by his bodily actions).

 

Sa na kimcit karotîti mâyâmâtram hi dršyate |

 

mâyâ sarvatra hantavyâ tadasamsprshtacetasâ || 99 ||.

 

He does not do anything. What we see is only  an illusory appearance. This illusion is to be destroyed -- by a mind which is untouched by it.

 

Adhishthanâvašesho hi nâšah kalpitavastunah |

 

iti nyâyas ca drashtavyah mârîcâdivadhâdapi || 100 ||

 

Only the substratum survives. The imagined appearance is what dies. It is this logic that should be inferred from the killing of Marica.

 

Grhîtvâ pâyasam sîtâ indradattam ca mâyayâ |

 

kshuttrdbâdhâ na lankâyâm maithilyâš ca kadâcana ||101||

 

( In Lanka)  Sita received from Indra, by a mâyâ  as it were, a kind of drink by which she did not suffer from hunger or thirst (during her stay) in Lanka.

 

Idam šarîram nissamjnam bandha vâ khâdayasva vâ |

 

tvayâ sprashtum na šakyâVsmi iti sîtâ ca nirbhayâ ||102||

 

Pratyabhâshata lankešam lokân nodvijate[7] ca yâ  |

 

svašakti jrmbhitam lokam pašyantî râmapûritam || 103 ||

 

 Sita had no fear from anything in the world.  Fearless as she was, She  replied to the Lord of Lanka:  You cannot touch me; you may imprison this inert body or even eat it. Her own spiritual power  extends everywhere in the world which She saw as pervaded by Sri Rama.

 

Naishâ pašyati râkshasyah nemân pushpaphaladrumân |

 

ekasthahrdayâ nûnam râmam evânupašyati[8] || 104 ||

 

Ity ânjaneyavâkyam ca šuddhâdvaitasya bodhakam |

 

âsînah samvišans tishthan[9] kamsoVdvaitam ca drshtavân                                                || 105 ||

 

Neither she sees the Rakshasis surrounding her, nor does she see the trees, fruits and flowers; keeping the One Thing in her heart, certainly she sees Rama alone everywhere.  This was the remark of Hanuman on sighting her for the first time. This teaches nothing but pure Advaita. (In the Bhagavatam, Kamsa) whether he was sitting, relaxing or standing also felt this non-duality by seeing Krishna everywhere.

 

LakshyavedheVpy arjuno hi ekabhâvasamâsthitah |

 

dehâdînâm vismrtiš ca bhaktai rapy anubhûyate || 106 ||

 

In hitting his mark, Arjuna exhibited this concentration on one and only one object.  Forgetting one’s own body is also experienced by intense devotees.

 

Âtmaikyajnânabhâvena kapayah šivarûpinah |

 

gopâlâ gopikâš câpi yathâ dandakavâsinah || 107 ||

 

The monkeys , by their attitude of the one-ness of the selves, were only Siva in different forms. So were the cowherds and cowherdesses of Gokulam, as also the sages of the Dandaka forest.

 

Šrîrâmadaršanam prâpya hy aranye pûtatâm gatâh |

 

bahavo bhâvitâtmânah[10] advaitasya nidaršanam || 108 ||

 

By having the darsan of Sri Rama in the forest, numerous Rshis  were thus purified. by meditating on the (unique universal single) reality.  This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Matangavana ahûtâh nadyas sapta ca sâgarâh |

 

cintite tapasâ[11] ceti advaitasya nidaršanam  || 109 ||

 

The rivers and the seven seas were called to the Matanga forest just by remembering them by force of tapas.  This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Tapah prâdhâniko granthah samvâdoVyam tapasvinoh |

 

tapaso vighnakrd râjâ dukhabhâk putrakâranât || 110 ||

 

The whole Ramayana has its emphasis on tapas.  It  was itself a conversation between two tapasvis.  By being the cause of stopping the tapas (of the Rshi couple and their beloved son) the King (Dasaratha) obtained total misery through his son’s (separation).

 

Tapodrshtyâ srshtam idam šrîrâmâcca tapomayât |

 

utpattih šruta ity etat advaitasya nidaršanam || 111 ||

 

The entire Ramayana  is a creation from the viewpoint of Tapas. By the fullness of the tapas of  Sri Rama it is said to have had its origin.  This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Svânubhûtyaikamânam yat sushuptâvupalabhyate |

 

nânyat kimcillabhyate ca advaitasya nidaršanam || 112 ||

 

The experience of Self-hood that is available in deep sleep and (the fact) that nothing else is available then is the vindication of Advaita.

 

ArcitoVham tvayâ bhaktyâ[12] samšitavratayâ hrdi |

 

ityuktâ šabarî ceti advaitasya nidaršanam || 113 ||

 

I have been (properly) propitiated by you because of your having treasured me in your heart to the extent of freezing me there -- thus was told Sabari.  This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Dehâtpravrajitair eva dehamityânubhûyate |

 

adrsye lînatâmetîty advaitasya nidaršanam || 114 ||

 

Only by (mentally) leaving the body one experiences the illusoriness of the body. (It is thus that) one merges in the Unseen Absolute. This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Hitvâ dehâdi jîrnam yat avikârî ca yat padam |

 

pašyanti sûraya iti advaitasya nidaršanam || 115 ||

 

Leaving the dead body and its associates, the great souls see the Immutable Absolute.  This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Jvalatpâvakasankâšam[13]  tâpasîrûpam âšritâ |

 

svânanyam svargam eveti advaitasya nidaršanam || 116 ||

 

In the midst of the flames of fire did the ascetic woman bodily rise to the heavens. This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Yatra te sukrtâtmânah viharanti maharshayah |

 

samâdhinâ labhyam[14] iti advaitasya nidaršanam || 117 ||

 

That one can achieve by Samâdhi what the great Rishis, souls of Merit, revel in, is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Deham evâdi sampâdya šokâvishto hy abhût kila |

 

pampâtîre râma iti advaitasya nidaršanam || 118 ||

 

Even Rama, by his association with the body was immersed grief, on the shores of the river Pampa. This is the vindication of Advaita.

 

Svamâtmânam mahâtmânam[15] vijâniyâd vicakshanah |

 

mrtyuh sankucitam jnânam iti lakshmanabodhitah || 119 ||

 

Vijnâya svâtmanoVdvaitam râmo dhairyam upâgamat |

 

âtmaikyajnânam advaitam balotsâhâdibhadradam || 120 ||

 

The wise man ought to wake up to his Inner Reality, the great Overself.  Knowledge that is truncated (otherwise), is death. When Lakshmana recalled Him (to this realisation), Rama, coming back to the consciousness of the non-dual Self,  regained  his courage. Knowledge of non-duality of the Self confers the best strength, the best enthusiasm, the best of everything.

 

Râmadagdhah kabandhašca šivam panthânam uktavân |

 

sugrîvašca šubhâcarah ršyamûkena dhâritah || 121 ||

 

Tena sakhyam ca kartavyam tadbhayasya nivâranât |

 

tasya mâhâtmyam uktam ca bhâvikâryasya sûcanât || 122 || 

 

Kabandha whose body was cremated by Rama , gave out the right path: ‘Sugriva, who lives in Risyamuka, is good ; you should make friendship with him, by removing his fears’. By indicating the future (potentialities) through him, his greatness was also told (by Kabandha).

 

Rsyamûkanivâsârhah sugrîva iti sevitah |

 

pâpî vâlîti nišcitya na tatsevâm arocayat || 123 ||

 

By the very fact that he deserved to stay in Risyamukha, Sugriva was sought by Rama. (By the same token), Vali was identified as a sinner and as such Rama did not want to seek his help.

 

Abhishicya ca sugrîvam râmah prašravane girau |

 

girišrngam idam ramyam ramyajnânaikahetukam || 124 ||

 

Iti šrimâtuh pûjâyâm šârade navarâtrake |

 

udyukto munibhis sârdham parâšaktimayoVbhavat || 125 ||

 

On the hills of Prasravana, Sugriva was coronated by Rama. This beautiful mountain peak is the best place for (seeking) spiritual illumination. So thinking, Rama, along with the Rishis, started the (Ritual) worship of Mother Godess in the autumnal navaratri and became One with Her Supreme Splendour.

 

 

Ó Copyright.  V. Krishnamurthy.  April 3, 2002.    Onto Page 3    Back to Page 1           Titlepage