Glorification of Lord Sri Rama – Part 5 [granthraj]

DAILY SB/BG 10-Feb-2010 Wednesday MALA:7 BEAD:045
NITYAM BHAGAVATA SEVAYA SB 1. 2. 18 (Regularly reading/hearing Srimad Bhagavatam or Serving the pure Devotee)
Karma Yoga	(Do Your Duty, Leave the result to Krsna)	Great (easy to do)
Gnana Yoga	Realising Self by controlling senses and mind	Very Great (tough)
Bakthi Yoga KC	Realising the Paramatma is Everything and Surrender to Krishna is the Ultimate goal	Very Very Great (very easy to do)

This is the transcription of the wonderful class given by HG Vaijayanthimala Mathaji on S.B.5.19.3.

In Valmiki Ramayan, Valmiki muni inquired Narada muni whether there is any personality existing with 16 qualities. Narada muni said it is Lord Rama who possess all such qualities. In the previous mails we have seen the first 7 qualities of Rama. In this mail we will see the next 2 qualities of Lord Rama.
Valmiki Ramayan 1.1.3 says,

caaritrena ca ko yuktah / sarva bhuteshu ko hitah
vidvaan kah samarthah ca kah / ca eka priya darshanah

"He Who is conduct-wise blent with good conduct, who in respect of all beings is benign, who is adept and also ablest one, also uniquely good to look to…"

Glorification of Lord Sri Rama – Part 4 [granthraj]

Glorification of Lord Sri Rama – Part 3 [granthraj]

Glorification of Lord Sri Rama – Part 2 [granthraj]

Glorification of Lord Sri Rama – Part 1 [granthraj]

8. sarva bhutesu ko-hitah – One who is thinking of the welfare of all the living entities

Everybody in this material world is selfish. We are concerned about ourselves, our own family, our bank balance, etc. Every body is narrow-minded. But we must think about the welfare of all the living entities. Krishna declares in Bhagavad Gita 5.29 "suhrdam sarva-bhutaanaam"- not only for few people but for all the living entities, because as a Paramatma, He is waiting in the hearts of all the living entities, in the midst of stool and urine, He is waiting for millions of janmas. He is waiting when the living entity will turn to Him. He is so patient. In Ramayana, Rama could have thought that crossing the ocean is difficult and taking all the vanara armies to Lanka, must be very very difficult. He could have told Hanumanji to locate Sita and bring Her to Him. But Rama thought that Ravana imprisoned so many people. Rama wanted to release all those people who are suffering under Ravana’s Kingdom. Rama was not selfishly interested in getting back His wife alone.

At the end of the war with Ravana, Brahmaji asked Rama, if he wanted any boon. Rama has given instructions previously that any vanara who has been killed in the battle, their body should be kept safely. So Rama asked Brahmaji to give back the lives of all the deceased vanara sena. Brahmaji also accepted and said if the body is there he can give back their lives. Rama didn’t stop with that. He asked Vibhishana to bring all the rakshasas bodies also, so that they can also get back their lives. Rama thought of the welfare of all the rakshasas also. But unfortunately, Ravana gave the instructions to throw the demons body into the ocean. Because when the other rakshasas see so many demons were killed, they will become depressed. He thought that, motivation to fight will not be there when they see so many dead bodies. So with that idea, they disposed all the bodies of demons. Rama was ready to give the lives back to demons, but the bodies were not available to fulfill this. Rama performed the righteous funeral to Jatayu, which is a bird. He showed welfare to all the living entities, even to the squirrels which helped in constructing the bridge to cross the ocean.

9. vidvaan – Learned Personality

Chaanakya Pandita gives the real test of a vidvaan. There is a beautiful verse which tells us who is really a vidvaan. Our general understanding of a vidvaan is who learnt many vedas. But the practical definition of a vidvaan is given by Chanakya Pandita. Srila Prabhupada loves this verse. He told that this verse must be given to the children.

maatrvat paradaareshu / paradravyeshu loshtravat
aatmavat sarvabhuteshu / yah pashyati sa panditah

The 3 qualities which are required for a person to be called as vidvaan.

1. Any other lady other than you own wife should be considered to be your mother. That is why in our Hare Krishna movement we have a very good practice to refer everyone as Mathaji. Rama followed eka patni vrata. He considered everybody as His mother.

2. The property which is belonging to others should be treated as a lump of dirt. Rama conquered Lanka, but he did not take Lanka. He gave to Vibhishana. He is not at all concerned about others property. When His father asked Him to go to the forest, He gave His own kingdom to Bharata. He is not concerned about His own property itself.

3. We should see all the other living entities in the same way as we see ourselves. When Rama went to the forest, he saw Sugriva. Sugriva was suffering because his kingdom and his wife were taken away by his brother Vali. Rama understood Sugriva’s position to be just like His, suffering by separation from Sita Devi and his kingdom. Rama understood the pain of others. He saw others as Himself. Rama had wonderful considerations for all the living entities. Rama accepted Guha – a hunter, Sugriva – a monkey and Vibhishana – a rakshasa as his brother. He did not discriminate.

That is why Krishna declares in B.G. 5.18 as "The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog eater (outcaste)".

Rama practically exhibited this sama-darshinah character throughout His life. Similarly, our Guru Maharaj showed love and affection to all the living entities. Even to the car driver, Maharaj used to ask about his health and family. He did not discriminate. Maharaj says that we should have an amicable and workable relationship with everybody. We should have very good relationship with all the living entities. By this relationship our time will be saved. If we start fighting with others, our mind will be full of hatred. This creates anxiety and lack of peace. Then we cannot sit and study Srimad Bhagavatam. So we must maintain good relationship with others. If a person have all the above three qualities, then he is called as vidvaan or pandita. So Rama is a vidvaan.

Other aspect of vidvaan means a learned person or one who read all vedas. Rama exhibited this quality also in one of His pastimes. Rama was about to meet Sugriva. Sugriva sent forward Hanumanji as his messenger. Hanumanji came as a brahmana and once he came to know that Lord Rama has come, he came back to his original form. At that time Hanumanji spoke very nicely to Lord Rama. Just listening to the speech of Hanumanji, Rama highly appreciated Hanumanji. It is given in Valmiki Ramayan 4.3.28-33. It is said in shastras, we should not appreciate a disciple or a son on his face. We have to appreciate that person in front of another person. Maharaj always used to glorify a person to some other Godbrother. Then that Godbrother will call that person and tell that Maharaj praised him. If we appreciate our children in front of them, then they will sit on our head. But we have to glorify our spiritual master in front of them. This is the shastric injunctions. When Hanumanji spoke very wonderfully, Rama couldn’t control Himself and as an exception, He immediately glorified Hanumanji. He said that Hanumanji is a person who has read Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda. Because for every veda some qualification is required. If a person is expert in Rig veda, he must be very much controlled and well trained. If a person is expert in Yajur veda, he must have a very good memory power. If a person is expert in Sama veda, he must have a complete knowledge of vedic notes. All these qualities Rama found in Hanumanji. Rama said that Hanumanji learnt the grammar very nicely, studied other vedic literatures, there is no misuse of any word and a man of time, tradition and character. Rama described all the techniques of speech. Unless Rama had learnt all the scriptures, he cannot comment about others speech. So Rama is a vidvaan.

We will see the other qualities of Rama in subsequent mails, Krishna willing.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Anuradha devi dasi
Abu Dhabi.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups granthraj – run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.