Glorification of Lord Sri Rama - Part 10
Date: 2010-03-24 Author: Anuradha devi dasi
Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This is the transcription based on the wonderful class given by HG Vaijayantimala Mathaji on SB 5.19.3.
In Valmiki Ramayan, Valmiki muni inquired Narada muni whether there is any personality who possesses 16 qualities. Narada muni said it is Lord Rama. In the previous mails we have seen the first 14 qualities of Lord Sri Rama. In this mail we will see the next 2 qualities.
Valmiki Ramayan 1.1.4 says
ātmavān ko jita krodho dyutimān kaḥ anasūyakaḥ kasya bibhyati devāḥ ca jāta roṣasya saṃyuge
"Who is that courageous one, who controlled his ire, who is brilliant, non-jealous and even whom do the gods ear, when provoked to war?"
15.anasūyakaḥ - No Envy We are in this material world because of this quality of envy. We had envy on Lord. We thought why He is the only enjoyer. We should also enjoy. Then Krishna said, "OK go and enjoy in the salt of mine." Everywhere we see only salt is present and there is no sweet. There is no place for envy in the spiritual world. NV (Envy) means No Vacancy in the spiritual world. Lord Rama was completely non-envious. He was not envious even of Ravana. After Ravana was killed in the battlefield, Lord Rama advised Vibeeshana to perform funeral rites very perfectly. At that time Lord Rama glorifies Ravana who carried away Sita. Lord Rama said, "Ravana did not die in the battlefield without making any effort. He exhibited extraordinary enthusiasm. He remained confident throughout the battlefield. He did his Kshatriya duty very nicely. All the three worlds were afraid of him because of his intelligence." Rama nicely glorified Ravana. But we are envious of our own well-wishers. Ravana did so much injustice to Rama, but still Rama glorified him. In Valmiki Ramayan 6.109.25 Rama says that "Hostilities end with death. Our purpose has been accomplished. Let his funeral rites be performed. He is even as good mine, as yours".
Another non-envious nature we can see when Ravana came to torture Mother Sita by words in Ashoka vana. At that time Sita requested Ravana to please become friend of Lord Rama. She told him to enter into the agreement of friendship, so that Rama will forgive all the injustice done by him. At that time Acharyas wrote a commentary on it. Why should Sita tell Ravana to become a friend of Lord Rama? She could have told Ravana to surrender unto Rama. Then Acharyas gave the answer for this. Mother Sita is confident about the victory of Lord Rama. She thought to Herself before speaking to Ravana, once the was is over, they will go to Ayodhya. After some days Rama will sit with Sita and ask what happened in Lanka? What Ravana did? Then She may have to say that Ravana spoke such and such a thing and that She ordered Ravana to surrender to Rama. Immediately Rama will get angry. Rama will say that Ravana is the king of Golden Lanka. Rama is also a king. They are equal. So how can a king surrender to another king? They can only become friends. Mother Sita thought all these things and then only She requested Ravana to become friend with Lord Rama. Because Mother Sita knows the heart of Her husband.
Maharaj says the root cause of our envy is the inclination for sense enjoyment. Lord Rama is Aatmaram, meaning self- sufficient. If we are happy with whatever we have, then there is no question of envy within us. When prasadam is served we have to look into our own plate. But we always look into other's plate. Then we cannot enjoy whatever we have in our plate also. There is a nice story regarding this. Donkey goes for grazing grass during summer time. Naturally in summer time there won't be much grass. After eating the grass, it will look around. There won't be any grass. It will think that it has consumed lot of grass. During rainy season more grass will be grown. That time it will go for grazing the grass. That time the donkey will consume 10 times more grass. Then it will look around. But there will be more grass left around. Then the donkey will feel very sad that it has not eaten enough grass. This is the quality of envy. Envy means we are not able to tolerate another's success, glories and prosperity. Krishna knows what is best for us and what do we deserve. To come out of this envious nature, Maharaj gives a solution. When a person has no longer got anything to enjoy in this world, then the envy will stop. If we come to the conclusion there is nothing to enjoy in this world, then we will stop this envious nature. We must always remember Maharaj's favourite verse S.B.11.10.20. " Death is not all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they provide?".
Maharaj says when the train comes; it will be difficult for a person having more luggages to board into the train. Maharaj said when he was about to leave the body, he has already purchased the ticket and he is just waiting for the train to board. Because he doesn't have anything. That is why he easily boarded into the train very peacefully. S.B.7.15.23 says simply by stopping sense gratification one can conquer envy.
16. kasya bibhyati devāḥ ca jāta roṣasya saṃyuge - Even demigods become afraid of Him when He becomes so angry Rama exhibited real anger when the Ocean god did not give way to cross the ocean. Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could have used an arrow to kill Ravana without even crossing the ocean or he could have made the way to cross the ocean. But since he has taken the human form, he acted perfectly according to that form. So in order to get the help from the Ocean god, He sat down upon a kusha grass and observed complete austerity for 3 days and 3 nights. He prayed to Varuna deva with folded hands. Even after this the Ocean god did not make his personal appearance. At that time Lord Rama became very very angry. He told Lakshmana to bring up His bow and arrow to dry up this whole ocean, so that all the monkey armies can just walk on that. Bhagavatam says that Lord Rama's eyes became so red and because of the heat from His eyes, the ocean started boiling. The ocean overflowed its limit by eighty miles, filling all beings with terror. Then also Varuna did not come. Then Lord Rama asked Lakshmana to bring His Brahmastra. At that time Varuna came with folded hands full of fears. He asked Rama to forgive him. He said everything is having a dharma, like sugar has the dharma of sweetness, the fire has the dharma of burning, the ocean has the dharma, it is unfathomable and impossible to cross. So Varuna was not able to get rid of his dharma. But Varuna gave an idea of constructing bridge with Nala monkey.
In the quality of jitakrodhaḥ, we saw Lord Rama conquered anger. Sugriva did not come even after 4 months of enjoyment. That time Lakshmana got angry. Rama advised him to control his anger. But now Rama got angry on Varuna deva. We will see why Rama got angry with Varuna and why not with Sugriva. a) Sugriva is a monkey. Varuna is a demigod - direct servant of Supreme Personality of Godhead. He should be knowing his duty to the Supreme Lord. b) Rama did not do any austerity for Sugriva to come. But here He performed austerity. Demigods have the responsibility of reciprocating to the austerities and sacrifices. c) Only Lord Rama was affected if Sugriva does not come. But here so many crores of monkey armies are waiting to cross the ocean. Lord Rama thought that it will create inconvenience to them. d) That time they don't know where Sita is. But now Hanumanji found Sita in Lanka and She also said that She will wait only for 2 more months; if Rama doesn't come She will give up Her life.
Anger is also required; it doesn't mean that every place we can remain calm and quiet. Rama became calm after seeing Varuna deva. But we carry over our anger. Maharaj also becomes angry at us when we make a mistake and then immediately he is calm and compassionate and very nice. Because he genuinely wants to give us something very valuable. Therefore this anger out of hatred. The whole system is working under the fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Lord is so merciful because He comes in the form of Hare Krishna Mahamantra, name, deity, scriptures, and spiritual master. Even though the fear element is there in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we can see the mercy element also.
These are the 16 qualities of Lord Sri Rama. Lord Rama's qualities are unlimited. It is only a glimpse of the major 16 qualities.
In SB 5.19.3 Lord Rama is glorified in 8 ways by the devotees. With this series of mails, following 2 ways of glorification of Lord Sri Rama is completed.
1. uttamashlokaaya - Who is always worshiped with selected verses 2. aarya-lakshana-sheela-vrataaya - Who possesses all the good qualities of advanced personalities (16 qualities)
We will see the rest of the glorification of Lord Sri Rama in the subsequent mails, Krishna willing.
Sri Sri Rama Navami Mahotsav ki jai!
Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Anuradha devi dasi, Abu Dhabi.
Moderator's Note: We thank H G Anuradha mataji and H G Vaijayantimala mataji from the bottom of our hearts for delighting us with such wonderful nectarean pastimes and qualities of Lord Ramachandra. It is perfectly fitting that the description of the 16 qualities ended on the auspicious day of Rama Navami. It is important to inform here that Anuradha mataji was very busy in taking care of her younger son who was not keeping well for several days. Inspite of her responsibilities, she made it a point to complete the transcription for the 16 glorious qualities of Lord Ramachandra. By the way, the series is not done yet, mataji will continue with 6 more ways of glorifying Lord Rama in the subsequent mails.