“I tell you this directly: All these monkeys will never follow you. Just as with this Jambavan, Nila and the great monkey Suhotra, I too along with all these monkeys can never be turned away by you from Sugriva’s mission, even if you employ means of diplomacy such as pacification [sama], giving in charity [dana] and so on, or even through punishment [danda].” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.10-11)

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त्वां नैतेह्यनुयुञ्जेयु: प्रत्यक्षं प्रवदामि ते
यथायं जाम्बवान्नीलस्सुहोत्रश्च महाकपिः
न ह्यहं ते इमे सर्वे सामदानादिभिर्गुणैः
दण्डेन वा त्वया शक्यास्सुग्रीवादपकर्षितम्

tvāṃ naitehyanuyuñjeyu: pratyakṣaṃ pravadāmi te
yathāyaṃ jāmbavānnīlassuhotraśca mahākapiḥ
na hyahaṃ te ime sarve sāmadānādibhirguṇaiḥ
daṇḍena vā tvayā śakyāssugrīvādapakarṣitam

From the life experience thus far, we have a certain issue which has become so difficult to overcome that we mistakenly attribute the same defect to the highest being of all. That issue is resentment. It lingers. There is an offense that someone committed against us. The incident might be from decades ago. We hold on to it. We are angry, as a result. We seek some kind of retribution. We dream of it. The offending party might still be close to us, such as a friend or family member. Never mind the distance; we are still upset.

Because of our inability to forget the way we felt, the wrong committed against us, we might believe that the Almighty, the highest being situated above the clouds, is the same way. Some groups depict Him as an old, angry man. He is vengeful in His perch. He has a white beard and looks down disapprovingly at the population below.

Rather than rely on common sense to disprove the fiction that God could be so petty and miserly as to be riddled with a defect that saintly people on earth have otherwise conquered, we can use the authority of the example of the avatara. Vedic culture brings to us the Ramayana. This is a Sanskrit poem describing the historical incidents related to Shri Ramachandra, who is also known as Rama. As described in the Ramayana itself, Rama is an avatara of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

God can be angry if He so chooses. He can exact revenge, whenever necessary, but the reconciliation of contradictory factors is that karma is already inherently fair. The proper reactions to deeds will manifest when the time is appropriate. Shri Rama Himself explains this through the example of the flowers appearing on trees.

अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्

avaśyaṃ labhate jantuḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ
ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpamivārtavam

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

If resentment were the permanent disposition, if God decided to retain memory of offenses committed against Him, He would have sufficient justification to be upset all of the time. Moreover, only He is satya-sankalpa. He can make any desire manifest immediately. This means that there would be no need to let the anger boil over. God could get revenge right away and supposedly feel better about it.

The actions and behavior of Shri Rama provide the example of the ideal man. There is much over which Rama could have remained upset. There were many wrongs committed against Him, in the same way that we living entities have forgotten Him since time immemorial. In lifetime after lifetime, we think we can find a permanent and positive situation through personal effort alone.

1. Kaikeyi

She intentionally harmed Rama by asking for His immediate withdrawal from the kingdom of Ayodhya. She had previously been affectionate. Though she was the youngest queen to Dasharatha, and though the prince named Bharata was born to her, Kaikeyi behaved as if Rama were her own son.

Things took a turn in the negative direction one day. As one door must close for another one to open, Kaikeyi had to introduce some conflict into the real-life story for other events to take place. Rama was the eldest son, and so protocols dictated that He should ascend the throne next. Everything was set for that passing of the torch, but on the eve of the event Kaikeyi decided to spring into action.

2. Dasharatha

The same father who was ready to give his beloved son control over the kingdom abruptly changed course. He accepted the desires of Kaikeyi. He begrudgingly granted the boons she requested. Because of this single decision, not only did Rama have to suffer, but so did Sita Devi. The wife of Rama refused to remain at home. She would accompany her husband to the forest for fourteen years. She would, in fact, hold on to the horrible offense committed against them. She would later describe what happened in a way that was not flattering to Dasharatha.

कामार्तस्तु महातेजाः पिता दशरथस्स्वयम्
कैकेय्याः प्रियकामार्थं तं रामं नाभ्यषेचयत्

kāmārtastu mahātejāḥ pitā daśarathassvayam
kaikeyyāḥ priyakāmārthaṃ taṃ rāmaṃ nābhyaṣecayat

“Being under the control of passion and lust, Rama’s father, Maharaja Dasharatha, wanted to fulfill Kaikeyi’s cherished desire, thus he did not go through with Rama’s installation ceremony.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.12)

3. Lakshmana

Rama’s younger brother also accompanied the group. Lakshmana was close to Rama since birth. He lived up to the Ramanuja name by dutifully following, by acting as a sort of bodyguard, even though Rama did not require such protection.

As if living in the forest for fourteen years were not bad enough, Lakshmana once faced an awful dilemma. A golden deer came within the presence of the group. Sita asked Rama to bring back that deer for her. Rama kindly tried to satisfy her desire. Rama asked Lakshmana to stay back, in case there were trouble.

Later on, there was the sound in the distance of Rama injured. Lakshmana knew better. He assumed it was some trick, which it was. The golden deer was actually a Rakshasa demon named Maricha. The deer had appeared on purpose, as part of a plot to take Sita away in secret.

Lakshmana remained where he was, but Sita then insisted that he leave to check on his brother. When Lakshmana declined, Sita then went on to insult him in the worst possible way. She accused Lakshmana of only following the group to the forest in order to one day steal Rama’s wife. The hurtful words were enough to make Lakshmana go to check on Rama, which left Sita alone and vulnerable.

4. Sita

Her words drove Lakshmana away, and this was the opening for the Rakshasa named Ravana. That ten-headed ogre then took Sita away by force. The two brothers returned to the hermitage to see that Sita was gone. Rama could have blamed Lakshmana and reminded the younger brother of the mistake for years to come. Rama also could have blamed Sita for using such harsh and offensive words to the dutiful younger brother.

5. The Vanaras except Hanuman

Rama later made friends with the Vanara leader named Sugriva. That alliance meant that the army of Vanaras could then go searching for Sita. This is what happened, and the main group included Shri Hanuman. When the time allotted for the mission had expired, that group still failed to make sufficient progress.

The leader of that group, Angada, contemplated quitting. Hanuman tried his best to talk them out of it. He tried to scare Angada by bringing up the consequences to the decision. Nevertheless, the group sat down and essentially gave up. Moments later, like intervention from the heavens, they received the much-needed clue to find Sita.

Rama could have held on to this offense forever. Hanuman is always glorious, but the Vanaras made such a big mistake like this. It was offensive to both Sugriva and Rama, but we know that no one is more dear to Rama than those Vanaras who risked everything for His benefit.

…

We see from these examples that the general disposition of the Almighty towards devotees is the opposite of the miser. Rama extracted the good and set aside the bad, in the manner of the paramahamsa spiritualist interacting with the gross world. Rama maintained love and affection for those devoted to Him. Even a single act of kindness was never forgotten. Those kind acts of bravery and sacrifice were always remembered, while the blemishes were never brought up again. Who can be more endearing than the eldest son of Dasharatha?

Inherent in the promise of liberation is forgiveness of the many offenses previously committed. That forgiveness is like forgetfulness. It is resolving the mistakes. The Supreme Lord is the kindest of all, and through remembering Him we can purify our past existences.

बिगरी जनम अनेक की सुधरै अबहीं आजु
होहि राम को नाम जपु तुलसी तजि कुसमाजु

bigarī janama aneka kī sudharai abahīṃ āju
hohi rāma ko nāma japu tulasī taji kusamāju

“The many past births you spoiled can be rectified right now, today, if you start chanting Shri Rama’s holy name and renounce bad association, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 22)

In Closing:

That offense stinging and deep,
Always memory of it to keep.

Such that revenge to seek,
Retribution cold and bleak.

But with Rama never the same,
Appreciating all who came.

Like the Vanaras risking it all,
Always their glories to recall.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, forgiveness, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana