Friday, July 29, 2011

That is the real Raman effect.

अहं वेद्मि महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमं
वसिष्ठोऽपि महजाः ये चान्ये तपसि स्तिताः॥
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे बालकाण्डे
ahaṁ vedmi mahātmānaṁ rāmaṁ satyaparākramaṁ
vasiṣṭho'pi mahaejāḥ ye cānye tapasi stitāḥ||
śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe bālakāṇḍe

This is a very bold statement by Sage Viswaamitra  about Rama.  
Rama and Lakshmana had just completed their education in vedas saastras and archery and time was ripe for the children to enter into their ordained lives. 

Dasaratha was in the seventh heaven  of happiness in the company of sweet Rama. 

 From nowhere appears sage Viswamitra one day in the Court of Dasaratha, and his demand was that Rama should be sent with him to protect the yajanabhoomi where he was planning to conduct a yaaga.  
The sages lived in forests infested with demons and the demons harassed the bearded simple souls by desecrating the homakundas and showering flesh and blood form above the sky on the assembly of sages chanting vedas.  
They wanted protection to conduct the yajna without interruption.  
Viswamitra could not think of anyone more capable of giving the sages protection other than Rama. 
 Dasaratha was upset. 
He was hesitant to refuse becuase the curse of the sage would destroy everything  but he could not dream of exposing his Darling boy to the wrath of Demons. 
 So he offered that he would go to the forest with his strong army and protect the yajna and requested that Rama may be spared. 
 For this Viswamitra say, 

" I know the exalted soul that Rama is... he is the warrior for truth. 
 Not only me the great and lustrous  sage Vasishta who adorns your court as also the great souls who are always engaged in deep penance know who Rama is.."  

The indirect chide is, you  Dasaratha, you dont know that the Person playing with you like a son is not what you think He is . 
He is not your personal property. 
 He is Lord Narayana, who has descended on earth to save dharma. 
 You have no right to claim any special right or affection for Him.  
He is the property of we yogis, like me and Vaishta.. 

See how when it comes to identifying oneself with the supreme soul even an arrogant sage like Vishwaamitra for once forget the enmity he is harbouring for Vasista over miillenia. The kindred souls of the sages recognise the godhead in Rama.  
That is the real Raman effect..

Relutantly Rama and Lakshmana were sent away in the company of Vishwamitra. 

The duo annihilated the demons and protected the yajna. 

Vishwamitra led Rama through the hermitage of Gauthama where Ahalya  slept as a stone and when the Divine feet touched the stone which was Ahalya, she rose back to life.  
Rama was further taken to Mithila where He played with the bow of Siva in the palace of King Janaka and broke it and won the hand of Matha Seetha.  
The rest is history.

This slokam in Valmikiramayanam is considered one of the greatest  in the whole epic.

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