“O Rama, You should know that just as fish cannot survive when taken out of water, neither Sita nor I can live without You for even a moment.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 53.31)

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न च सीता त्वया हीना न चाहमपि राघव
मुहूर्तमपि जीवावो जलान्मत्स्याविनोद्धृतौ

na ca sītā tvayā hīnā na cāhamapi rāghava
muhūrtamapi jīvāvo jalānmatsyāvinoddhṛtau

You finally reached the age where you wanted more. You started asking questions. You began the search for answers. Some might call you a seeker. You would politely decline that label. You are merely inquisitive. Though you grew up in the tradition, you never really went beyond the rituals. No one did, actually. They simply followed. They insisted that you follow. You did not mind, as religion is certainly important. To think about where you are going, to consider the opinion of a higher power, to follow a path that considers different outcomes, like good and bad, respectful and selfish, helpful and hurtful – a civilized person takes an interest in such matters.

As if noticing your newfound enthusiasm and looking to feed it, your mother recommends a book. Make sure you read this first, she insists. Though she had a copy of the book at home, it was not in the language native to the area. You were quickly able to find a translation from an online retail outlet. The book arrived a few days later, and it might be the only time you were sad when several hundred pages came to a close. You devoured the content. You could not get enough. You postponed all of your rules for sleeping and eating. It is like there was a contest running, to see if you could finish everything in one sitting. A real page-turner, originally published long before books became a means of earning a living.

A few weeks after having completed the book, you mention your interest to someone at a family gathering. You ask if they have heard of the book. They almost laugh at you in response. Of course I have heard of it, they reply. They insist that everyone in the culture has a copy of the same book in their home. It is equivalent to the Bible in a certain region of the world. They do offer the following cautionary words, though:

“You say that you just read the Ramayana, but actually that is not true. The book you read is called Ramacharitamanasa. People casually refer to it as the Ramayana, but the original work is different; it is in Sanskrit. This version you read is in Hindi. It is much more devotional in nature, also. It depicts more of the sentiments of the author, who is Goswami Tulsidas. The original Ramayana is from Valmiki. That work focuses more on the ideal man in Shri Rama. The message is dharma instead of bhakti. Not that there is anything wrong with bhakti, but Ramacharitamanasa is more like speculation or sentiment. The original Ramayana is more like history. It is an accurate telling of the character and deeds, charitra, of Rama, who is an avatara of Vishnu.”

Rather than squabble about the particulars with respect to validity in the work of devotional expression from a Vaishnava saint, we can take a step back and study the nature of devotion itself. If more modern works describing the lila of Shri Rama are more devotional in nature, just what is that devotion? If it means that someone is dedicated to someone else, that they serve with love and without motivation, then the original Ramayana is full of such sentiments. Though not always directly described by the author himself, the principal characters, who are real and part of the history of the world, repeatedly behave in ways that show pure devotion. Bhakti at its highest and finest can be found in precise words expressed by several different people.

1. Better than the aerial path

प्रासादाग्रैर्विमानैर्वा वैहायसगतेन वा
सर्वावस्थागता भर्तुः पादच्छाया विशिष्यते

prāsādāgrairvimānairvā vaihāyasagatena vā
sarvāvasthāgatā bhartuḥ pādacchāyā viśiṣyate

“Whether it be residence on top of a palace, traveling on airplanes, or flying through the sky (via yogic powers), in all circumstances the shade of the husband’s feet is by far superior.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 27.9)

Upward mobility. Climbing the economic ladder. Chasing to overtake and eventually get ahead. Who isn’t after becoming bigger and better? That is the way since the time of birth. To increase enjoyment. To find your passion in life. To enjoy more and more, in what is known as bhoga in Sanskrit.

Sita Devi, the wife of Rama, looks in the opposite direction. For the purposes of comparison, she first references the highest known locations of elevation. There is living on top of a palace. There is travelling through the air using a vehicle. The airplane of ancient times was known as vimāna. Then there is the amazing travel afforded by perfection in yoga. Not anything resembling the exercise studios in the big cities, in genuine yoga there is the potential to acquire mystic perfections. These are known as siddhis in Sanskrit. One of the perfections allows for air travel. No need for a vehicle. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want.

Taking the highest of the high, Sita reveals her preference for the lowest of the low. She wants only the shade of her husband’s feet, which are lotus-like. This means that her husband is everything to her. This means that her devotion to Rama cannot be purchased. There is no corresponding reward within the manifest realm that can compare to the association of her beloved husband.

2. The secret to life

सिद्धार्थास्ते नरा राममागतं सह सीतया
लक्ष्मणं च महाबाहुं द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुनरागतम्

siddhārthāste narā rāmamāgataṃ saha sītayā
lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahābāhuṃ drakṣyanti punarāgatam

“Those men who will again see Rama along with Sita, accompanied by the mighty-armed Lakshmana, returning home will be successful.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 72.38)

Just why are we here? If we are going to die, what should be our goal? What should we try to accomplish before departing? King Dasharatha says that perfection, siddhartha, is available through a vision. If you get to see Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana returning home, you have succeeded in life. To help facilitate the achievement of this goal for the masses, there is the annual celebration known as Diwali. This is reliving the actual return of that group. Sita and her husband, along with the husband’s younger brother. Dasharatha was Rama’s father. These were Dasharatha’s last words, spoken to one of his wives. These words are the very embodiment of bhakti.

3. The wives scolding their husbands

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)

A wife scolding her husband is nothing new. It was happening in ancient times. It was described by Valmiki. The cause was interesting, though. The husbands were not in trouble for having forgotten milk and bread from the supermarket. They were not being yelled at for spending too much time with their friends or sitting around the house doing nothing.

Rather, the wives were upset that the husbands were not eager to follow Rama. The eldest son of King Dasharatha was leaving Ayodhya. It was a great wrong committed against the person who embodied righteousness. Rama lived dharma in every way, and it was adharma to punish Him. But Rama accepted, while the wives of the community did not. If Rama was going to leave, they were going to go with Him. They could not understand why anyone would have so much affection for bodily comforts and family attachments if it meant not seeing Rama. This one statement could itself define bhakti-yoga.

4. The fish out of water

Pose the question to an AI chatbot. Look for the same in an online search engine. What is the origin to this well-known phrase? They will never point to the Ramayana of Valmiki as the answer, but the words cannot be misunderstood. The Sanskrit is as clear as day. If someone uses the phrase, “like a fish out of water,” understand that practically the identical comparison was shared by Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama. He used the comparison to convey the deep devotion he has for his elder brother. Lakshmana said that Sita felt the same way. If a person has so much love that they openly admit to not being able to survive without another person, their devotion is at the highest level. That devotion is what defines them. In this respect, bhakti-yoga and sanatana-dharma can be considered equivalent terms.

5. For one hundred years

परवानस्मि काकुत्स्थ त्वयि वर्षशतं स्थिते
स्वयं तु रुचिरे देशे क्रियतामिति मां वद

paravānasmi kākutstha tvayi varṣaśataṃ sthite
svayaṃ tu rucire deśe kriyatāmiti māṃ vada

“O Rama, for as long as You shall stand before me, even if it be for one hundred years, I will always remain Your servant. Therefore You should be the one to choose a beautiful and appropriate place for the cottage. After You have selected a spot, please then command me to start building.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 15.7)

Someone asks me to do something. That someone is special. I am eager to do a good job. I complete the task. I might get rewarded for succeeding. But what if I was asked again? What if the same was requested, repeatedly, stretching across many years? Would I remain as eager? Would I continue to proceed with a smile? Would the enthusiasm, utsaha, remain steady?

With Lakshmana, one hundred years does not present a barrier. When Rama asks him to build a hut in Panchavati, Lakshmana is ready to continue. He will always serve Rama. The service is not based on conditions. This service is devotional. This devotion is pure.

In Closing:

Devotion not exclusively found,
In modern retellings profound.

The same in original work existed,
Like Lakshmana in service persisted.

Or Sita to the highest levels compared,
Preference for lotus feet shared.

The wives even their husbands to forsake,
If chance at serving Rama at stake.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana, tulsidas, valmiki