“Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna, of such beautiful and auspicious names – remembering those four sons of King Dasharatha and worshiping them fulfills all the desires of the mind.” (Dohavali, 121)

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राम भरत लचिमन ललित सत्रु समन सुभ नाम
सुमिरत दसरथ सुवन सब पूजहिं सब मन काम

rāma bharata lacimana lalita satru samana subha nāma
sumirata dasaratha suvana saba pūjahiṃ saba mana kāma

1. Rama

He is Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Like an original fire that expands at the greatest possible distribution, as wide and as deep as can be imagined, with a potency that never diminishes, the entire universe can be considered the body of Vishnu.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

This comparison is simply to assist in our understanding. The dichotomy between body and spirit does not apply to the one who is above dualities. The viewpoint of the universe as His body is a means for us to study a distinct object. All beings, moving and nonmoving, and all things, dormant and active, are in Him. This is like the avyakta-murtina, or the worshipable form which cannot be seen. It exists as a concept. It has factual substance, but it is impossible to visualize in isolation.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

The original fire distributes its influence, but the origin is always there. The origin is a distinct entity. It is a person. The avatara of Shri Rama is one way to identify such a person. Since it has distinguishable features, the avatara is known as the saguna form. Rama is Vishnu in a saguna manifestation, blessing the royal home of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Rama is a blessing to that entire dynasty, in fact.

He has all good features and all auspicious qualities. He lives up to the standard of an ideal man. Rama appears within a royal family, and so He follows the stages for a warrior in training. Rama is a born leader, and the standard He sets is the one that others naturally follow.

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)

2. Ramanuja

Dasharatha has three other sons. Though they have different names, they can all be addressed as Ramanuja. The literal meaning to this name is “younger brother of Rama.” It also refers to someone who dutifully follows Rama, who is the eldest brother.

The life experience is not easy. There is one difficulty after another. Nothing is certain. This, by itself, creates a miserable condition. If I should happen to find a peaceful condition, there is concern over maintaining it. I know that the dream will not last forever. One day, the nearest and dearest will leave. I will no longer have their association.

The sons known as Ramanuja have to endure such struggles in their time on this earth. Lakshmana has to tolerate the insult of banishment applied to Rama. Bharata has to bear the burden of being the direct beneficiary named in the scheme hatched by his envious mother, Queen Kaikeyi. Shatrughna has to cope with the extended departure of Rama and Lakshmana and the life of asceticism voluntarily accepted by Bharata.

In spite of these difficulties, Goswami Tulsidas says that the names of those brothers are all-auspicious. It is beneficial to remember those names. The mind otherwise finds so much trouble. It hankers after what is missing, and laments defeats within those pursuits. In this way, there is always a reason to be disturbed. There is barely a moment to relax, to contemplate the higher meaning to life, to decipher the proper direction to travel.

Those four brothers embody dharma with their actions. The eldest brother leads and the younger brothers exhibit the qualities of the sheshi, who is the follower adhering to the actual meaning of dharma. In whatever condition we find ourselves, it is never a loss to remember those names, to meditate upon the image of those glorious sons together, kindly appearing in this world for our benefit.

In Closing:

So kindly appearing,
For our troubles clearing.

With best example to give,
How in dharma to live.

Even though later gone,
Can still dwell upon.

Since Rama the Supreme is He,
And brothers’ devotion to see.

Categories: the two

Tags: dailyprompt, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana