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Five Associations Which Helped Bring Me Towards Rama’s Lotus Feet

By krishnasmercy on July 12, 2023 • ( 0 )

“The wealth, home, happiness, well-wishers, mother, father, and brother which do not help in turning one’s face towards Shri Rama’s lotus feet should burn.” (Dohavali, 139)

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जरउ सो संपति सदन सुखु सुहद मातु पितु भाइ।
सनमुख होत जो राम पद करै न सहस सहाइ।।

jara’u sō sampati sadana sukhu suhr̥da mātu pitu bhā’i.
sanamukha hōta jō rāmapada kara’i na sahasa sahā’i..

A verse found in both his Dohavali and Ramacharitamanasa, Goswami Tulsidas presents a rather harsh assessment of those things which we are typically fond of. There is an underlying context, however, as the same sentiment is found within the Ramayana of Valmiki describing a specific scene.

There are husbands returning home within a specific city. In Ayodhya, the news is that the beloved prince, Shri Rama, is being kicked out. Sent into exile, made homeless overnight, the beautiful princess, Sita Devi, is also affected. Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana, who follows dutifully, is once again living up to his nature by accompanying Sita and Rama.

किं नु तेषां गृहैः कार्यं किं दारै: किं धनेन वा।
पुत्रैर्वा किं सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्।।

kiṃ nu teṣāṃ gṛhaiḥ kāryaṃ kiṃ dārai: kiṃ dhanena vā।
putrairvā kiṃ sukhairvāpi ye na paśyanti rāghavam।।

“Of what use are wealth, comforts and pleasures, home, wives, and sons if one is not able to see Shri Rama?” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 48.7)

The women admonish their husbands. They cannot understand how any person can be happy. What is the use of having so much at home if there is no association with Rama? How can anyone be pleased by the enjoyments which are otherwise false? Like many zeroes without an accompanying non-zero digit in front, the entire world can be in your possession and still have no meaning.

If we analyze on the flip side, we see that the same possessions can have auspiciousness. If their association leads me to the lotus feet of Shri Rama, towards pure devotion, for realizing the purpose of the human life, then I am most blessed to be in that situation.

1. My wealth

“I will acknowledge that it is a rare thing. I think that is why the person in the office was making fun of me. I had failed to pick up my paycheck for several weeks. I had merely forgotten about it. She walked into my office one day and sarcastically remarked that I obviously did not need these, referring to my paychecks she was holding in her hand.

“I was never concerned with wealth. I had no issue finding enough to live on, but when things started to go well, I think I became happier. I could more comfortably go through the daily routine, without worrying as much. I also realized the blessings of the goddess of fortune, whose only interest is pleasing her husband, Narayana.”

2. My home

“There is ample space to store transcendental literature. Though so much has been digitized, available at a single swipe of the screen, it is nice to have the hard-copy backup. When things are not going well, whenever we find trouble, we can open up one of the books and feel instant relief. This is the power of Hari-katha, which is kindly passed down in a tradition of saintly people.”

3. My happiness

“My happiness is a daily reminder of the great fortune I have received. It must be from past lives, from acquiring sukriti. The pious credits are paying off now, but I know that there is always the link to the Supreme Lord. To wherever I go, in whatever situation I find, I will always see Him standing by, holding bow and arrow.”

4. My well-wishers

“It is not that my friends are necessarily pointing me in that direction. Nevertheless, their support helps. When I see their struggles, I understand just how easy it is to be distracted or to be tricked into thinking this thing or that will bring permanent happiness. I am reminded that Rama’s lotus feet are everything. They are the beginning, middle, and end.”

5. My family

“My mother, my father, my brother, my extended family – they have all helped. They are authority figures. They set the standard that I tend to follow. It has been this way since childhood. I have known them my whole life.

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

“Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.21)

“They follow devotion to Sita-Rama. They have so much respect for that avatara of the Divine. They love Shri Hanuman so much. How lucky did I get? I simply had to follow. I did not have to wander aimlessly in the dark. I knew where to go to get answers to life’s most meaningful questions.”