“O chastiser of the enemies, along with you I wish to distribute my wealth to the brahmanas practicing austerities – to the many excellent brahmanas who live here, with firm devotion toward their gurus, and furthermore to all of those who depend upon me.” (Shri Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 31.33-34)

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अहं प्रदातुमिच्छामि यदिदं मामकं धनम्
ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तपस्विभ्यस्त्वया सह परन्तप

वसन्तीह दृढं भक्त्या गुरुषु द्विजसत्तमाः
तेषामपि च मे भूयस्सर्वेषाञ्चोपजीविनाम्

ahaṃ pradātumicchāmi yadidaṃ māmakaṃ dhanam
brāhmaṇebhyastapasvibhyastvayā saha parantapa

vasantīha dṛḍhaṃ bhaktyā guruṣu dvijasattamāḥ
teṣāmapi ca me bhūyassarveṣāñcopajīvinām

“As difficult as it may be for you to believe, I find the behavior of Shri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, to be totally reasonable. This is with regard to the general mood of sacrifice, in how Rama does nothing for Himself. He is always thinking about others. As Sita Devi once remarked, the tendency for Rama is to give. He has vairagya to the highest extent, though the visual does not necessarily give away this feature. Rama is the most renounced, while holding the position of greatest opulence as a leader in an esteemed kingdom.”

दद्यान्न प्रतिगृह्णीयान्न ब्रूयात्किञ्चिदप्रियम्
अपि जीवितहेतोर्वा रामस्सत्यपराक्रमः

dadyānna pratigṛhṇīyānna brūyātkiñcidapriyam
api jīvitahetorvā rāmassatyaparākramaḥ

“The truly valorous Rama only gives; He does not take. He does not speak even a few unpleasing words, even to save His life.” (Sita Devi speaking to Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 33.25)

“I can relate to that tendency because I have witnessed it myself. For centuries, it was the women of the households who held everything together. They would wake up early and start on a long day of chores. They would simultaneously keep an eye on the children. They would toil away in the kitchen. At least in my family, the women always ate last. They took whatever was left over, after everyone else enjoyed. They did not have social media handles. They were not itching to take the next selfie. They were selfless, and so they had a dignity about them that is rare to find in the world of today.

“As amazing as the behavior of Rama is, as kindly documented in sacred texts like the Ramayana and many Puranas, I am equally if not more impressed by the way the people of the time reacted. It was almost like they were more giving. They were ready to sacrifice everything for Rama. They appreciated Him so much. They depended on Him, for sure, but it is not like they were exploiting. They never took Him for granted. They just wanted Him to be happy. Wouldn’t that be a great society to live in? Can you imagine anyone today following that direction? I can’t. They would take and take. If ever the service provider should make a mistake or fail to deliver, others would get angry. The tendency of the beneficiaries is to exploit, and so that spoils the entire atmosphere.”

It should be noted that the appearance of Rama corresponds with certain conditions in the earthly realm. The Supreme Lord is already sarvatra. He is everywhere. That omnipresence is fixed. It was not instated at a specific period of time. That all-pervasiveness will never cease. The fixed presence of God is sarvada. He is everywhere, all of the time.

That presence is nonetheless avyakta. It is not obvious, in detection. It cannot be identified on a map, on an x-ray scan, or on a radar screen. It takes wisdom and dedicated practice to be able to notice that presence. The education begins with identification of spirit soul, which is the same across all species. Not the same identity, but the same type of identity. The wise person notices this equality. If they can finally see spirit soul, at the individual level, they have a better chance of seeing Supreme Soul, which is similarly everywhere, but only a single identity.

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

The Supreme Lord is kind enough to appear in a more visible manifestation, one that is unmistakably identifiable. It should be noted that even with the identification, some might mistake God for an ordinary man. This occurred many times in the dealings with the avataras of Rama and Krishna. Bhagavad-gita specifically points out that the fools are not able to properly recognize the visible form.

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिम् आपन्नं
मन्यन्ते माम् अबुद्धयः
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
ममाव्ययम् अनुत्तमम्

avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ
manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mamāvyayam anuttamam

“Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.24)

Rama is one such appearance, and His general tendency is to give to others. This is to live up to the role of kshatriya, which is a leader in society. If a leader is selfish, petty, vindictive, and uncontrolled in their behavior, then what hope do the people have? They are the dependents, after all. The leader can one day decide to lock everyone in their homes, in a two-week sentence that regularly renews, to extend the punishment across two years. The leader makes up stories as justification. They tell one lie after another. While everyone else is suffering, the leader does not live by the same rules. They are free to go anywhere they wish. They can breathe without obstruction. They do not take the same poison injections that they later compel the innocent citizens to take.

Rama is not like this. He will accept punishment for Himself in order to spare others. If He has to leave the kingdom for fourteen years, He will not bring His valuables with Him. He will not keep them in a safe deposit box at the bank. Rather, He will give away in charity. The recipients are worthy, due to the way they live. They do not seek out such rewards, but Rama feels compelled to show appreciation. He never lets down the people who depend on Him.

Those people are amazing in the reciprocation they show. They would rather have Rama than all the jewels and gold in the world. This means that we have as much to learn from the people devoted to the avatara as from the avatara Himself. Today, we might be miserly, petty, and unhappy, but if we maintain good association, in chanting the holy names to remember the prince of Ayodhya and His infinite kindness spread across the entirety of existence, everything can change.

In Closing:

Infinite mercy to extend,
Brahmanas and all those to depend.

Where valuable gifts to receive,
As Rama prepared to leave.

Not that kingdom with Him taking,
Punishment as moving mendicant making.

But love and attachment above all,
Prince their only shelter to call.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana