Sakwar

 Do you know that in this fast developing country, there are pockets where Tuberculosis is still prevalent due to malnutrition? Do you know that there are tribal villages barely 100 kms from India's Maximum city Mumbai where the populace didn't know the concept of agriculture even a few decades back? Well let me tell you a story of  hope - of how a small Ashram of the Ramakrishna order brought in a silent revolution in the tribal belt of Maharashtra.

Sakwar is  a small tribal village, situated on the situated on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, about 70 Kms from Mumbai. Located amidst lush green environs, and surrounded by scenic mountains. A small ashram of the Ramakrishna Mission situated exactly on the bustling highway has been serving the tribal communities since 1972.Working on the grand ideals of Service to the Living God  as espoused by Swami Vivekananda, this small centre has been providing medical care, nutrition, health practices, providing vocational training, enabling villagers to develop pride in their  local culture and build a sense of citizenship.

From small beginnings

The story of this small centre starts with the idea of a few enthusiastic Volunteer doctors and monks  of the Ramkrishna Mission, Mumbai(Then called Bombay). The Ramakrishna Mission sensed the urgent need to cater for health and welfare of the tribals staying in and around Sakwar. They started with a modest medical camp conducted every Sunday under the shade of a big tree. Free consultation, nutritious food , clothes etc were distributed to the villagers. In 1974, the Maharashtra government leased out 10 acres of land for the upliftment of the rural and tribal villages.A tin dispensary shed  structure  was  constructed, where doctors, paramedics, volunteers would come  every Sunday and treat around 800-1000 patients. It was a spontaneous picnic for this highly motivated team , who was motivated by the work of doing selfless service amidst such serene environs. The tide gathered and soon K.E.M Hospital and Nair hospital Mumbai chipped in by deputing resident junior doctors and interns to join the doctors on their weekly visits. A small shrine dedicated to Bhagvan Shri Ramkrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda was setup in the campus. Physical as well as the spiritual wellbeing of the patients and visitors to this centre was of equal importance to the Ashram.

Growth

In 1976, the centre expanded even more. A newly constructed Centre building was inaugurated in 1976. Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj, the then  President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission paid a visit to Sakwar and blessed this pro­ject and the newly constructed building on 9th December, 1976.

Later, a building containing a large OPD, a small operation theatre, a pathological and an ophthalmic unit was also started.

The mission didnt just stop here. The Math understood that there were a host of socio-economic issues of the tribal populace of this area. They started engaging with them and developed an integrated development model. The Ashram started a host of activities to empower them and make them self suffecient. With this in mind , a flurry of activities started . The most important ones were :- 

1. Vocational Training

Vocational training classes began with Tailoring . Gradually other trades like Carpentry, Electrical Wiring, Motor Mechanic courses affiliated to the Maharashtra Vocational Examination Board stated in the 1996. Tata Motors and Tata Telecommunications sponsored these trainings and started employing  these trainees and encourage them to start their own units in villages. In fact , the recruiters started developing a very high opinion of these recruitees. They noticed their honesty, dedication to work, efficiency and over a period of time gave very high preference to these young boys and girls.

2. Training of Medical Social Workers

Students who have passed primary or higher secondary examinations were trained to become medical social workers. The training particularly emphasized – maintaining health and hygiene, nutritious food, regular check-ups and regu­lar intake of medicines for T.B. and Leprosy diseases.

 3. Agricultural Mentoring to enable self reliance

The center started agriculture related activities and dairy keeping with an aim to reclaiming land, creating medicinal gardens, utilization of wastewater, development of better techniques of cultivation, loans to small farmers, road building, etc. The Swamis recount how at one stage, the tribal populace in some of the distant villages was not even aware of agriculture. With these programs many such villages have slowly started becoming self reliant.

 

Memories and anecdotes

Speaking with the Monk-In-Charge, revered Swami Tattwarupanada, I got to hear very unique and unheard stories of this Ashram. The Swami , who is extremely active, and has dedicated his entire life for the service of the poor and  underprivileged, those in misery, is a standing testimony of Swami Vivekananda's ideal of "Service to Living beings as veritable God".

The Swami recounts those days, when along with a team of dedicated volunteers, he would enter the deep forests along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, to discover entire tribal populations , who didn't even have the wherewithal to have a proper bath in six months. This caused skin diseases and a host of other issues for them. The monk and his group cleaned them, washed them, scrubbed them with soap and gave them a proper bath. They started training them about cleanliness, health, hygiene. They took doctors for conducting medical camps at regular intervals, taught them to farm and employment generating skills like motor mechanic works, tailoring , electrician, etc.  Closely following the Swami through his daily routine is an education in itself. From closely overseeing the physical, mental and spiritual development of the resident students, to monitoring the quality of the food served to them, to the classes going on, he is hands-on involved with every activity.

The students also look upon him like a close friend and  confidant. It is a veritable Gurukul system of yore.

 

Impact

The impact of this selfless service that the monks and devotees of the Ramakrishna mission is conducting is very hard to enumerate. But at a very high level:-
1. They have successfully brought down the occurrence of TB in these areas by 85%.

2. Free quality medical treatment is available to remote villages.
3. Many Tribal children are  getting self employed or employed by reputed companies . They are in turn, empowering up the next generation of their community by providing them employment and education.

4. The mission by educating the Tribal boys and girls about Hinduism is ensuring that soul vultures in the form of Christian missionaries cannot convert these gullible innocent people. These children are inculcated with a sense of pride about their country, religion and culture.

5. By training the Tribal populace in agriculture and dairy, the Ramakrishna Mission is ensuring food security for these underprivileged communities.

 Many are such tales  that this small ashram is witness to. Without any advertisement or  publicity this ashram in particular and the Ramakrishna Mission organization in general  is carrying out with the firm belief that every being is God and that there is no bigger worship than the service of the living God. The present writer considers it to be his great fortune to have witnessed such divinity from such close quarters.

 

(Acknowledgment  : https://rkmsakwar.org/)

Bang Bang!!

 

Bang, Bang!! Bang , Bang!! There were gun shots reverberating all across a Non Descript town of Texas state of the United States of America. The year was 1894, and a whole Fiasco was going on in this small town . A group of hardened American cowboys and a Ochre clad, Indian Man wearing  Monk's clothes  and a Turban like an Indian Raja was at the center of this fiasco. The monk was standing on a wooden box, made to look like a Lecture pulpit, at the town center, was going on lecturing on the Highest Indian philosophy to this curious crowd of wild west folks , while these Cowboys where firing bullets at Him, like crazy. 

Lets rewind back a bit before the start of   this scene  which was straight out of a Indiana Jones movie. The Hindu monk , named Swami Vivekananda, aged 30 years, had been a sensation in America for quite sometime now. He had arrived in the USA during the Summer of 1893 as a delegate to the World Parliament of religions, to represent the Oldest religion known to Man, Hinduism. In the September of that year, He had taken the World Parliament of religions by storm with His  Earth Shattering speech on Hinduism, which catapulted Him to instant celebrity in that country. Soon, He was approached by a lecture bureau to lecture across the United States. Vivekananda had signed up with the bureau, and thus would begin a series of His whirlwind tours across the length and breadth of United States bringing the Glory that was India to the West and thus earning Him the epithet of 'The Cyclonic Monk'. As a part of the deal, He had arrived that morning to this town. He had started a soul stirring lecture on the Vedanta philosophy, where He had mentioned that the "Person who has reached the highest truth that there is nothing but One blissful Existence has gone beyond all fear". This group of cowboys was also present there when He said so,  they challenged the Monk on His words. The Swami smiled at them like an indulgent mother would smile at her Naive Child. "Ok, so lets test this on you", the trigger-happy group retorted. And before the monk knew what was happening, they started firing at Him. However the monk continued His lecture as if He wasn't even aware of what was happening around Him. The more He  dwelt on the Luminous truths that the Vedanta philosophy expounded, the more He seemed to become Radiant. There was a palpable aura of Beatitude radiating from Him which captivated these far off people who had never heard of India before. The gunshots from the cowboys  couldn't stop His brilliant talk, and finally they stopped. When after quite sometime the Swami had finished and come down from the podium, these people ran at Him , and taking His hand in theirs , shook  it with the most effervescence. "Man, You are a Right good Fellaw", they complimented the monk, who greeted them back with the greatest generosity and warmth.

The incident of that day, is an example of how a mortal can be established in the state of Abhih (Fearlessness) that the Hindu Rishis speak of. The Gist of Hinduism, as beautifully expounded by the Upanishads , is that by seeing the same Atman(Self) in every being, the Yogi goes beyond all fear. Let me end this story with a very old Vedic Hymn, that a Rishi, who probably having reached this stage proclaimed in Joyous Music to the whole Universe ,

"vedāham etaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāntam ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt /

tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate 'yanāya // (Svetasvatara-Upanishad Upanishad ,3.8)

 

"I have known the Effulgent  one who is beyond all darkness ,

Knowing Him alone will you be saved from death over again,

There is no way other than  this"

Face the Brutes!!

 It was a bright morning in Kashi, the Spiritual capital of India was abuzz with life and vibrancy. From the early morning ablutions in Ma Ganga to the ringing of temple bells , the numerous sadhus roaming around its streets , Kashi was teeming with all sorts of activity. At the famed Annapurna temple of Kashi, a spectacle was going on. A young monk of robust build, and with eyes flashing like the sun had come out after Darshan of the Divine Mother, and was going out of the temple premises.  Suddenly out of nowhere a group of monkeys  started chasing him. These monkeys had made the Annapurna temple and its surrounding areas their fiefdom , people moving in and and out of it had to pay them taxes in the form of food items . They would chase the people and bully them till the taxes were extracted. Many people had suffered at their hands, and the Young monk was their prey today.

The monk was perplexed, his natural instinct was to run, and he did so. But then the monkeys started running after him, he started running even faster , and the monkeys were unrelenting. The Monk was thinking of various options , when suddenly he heard a Loud voice from behind shouting out to him, "Face the Brutes, Face them, donot run away!!". The Young monk turned around and saw an aged Monk shouting out to him. Evidently the monk had been there and seen a lot to know how these monkeys behave. "Quick, stand your ground with your staff held firm", the aged monk continued. The young monk did exactly so. He was no longer running away, he had decided to take the fight back to the adversaries. With eyes luminescent as the sun, he stood with his Staff, the symbol of Dharma that the Sanyasin carries. It was now the turn of the monkeys to twist their tails and start running. And run they did , like there was no tomorrow.

The Young unknown monk of that day would soon be the usherer of a new age of Hinduism and India. As Swami Vivekananda, He would be known as the cyclonic monk who carried the Great message of Indian Religion and Culture to the shores of the Western World, the First Hindu Missionary  to the West, who would fly the Saffron flag of Hinduism High and wide. His was not an easy task, He would be persecuted, maligned , opposed at every step by people and groups frightened by the inevitable rise of an enslaved India again. He had to face dirty rumors about His character, intentionally spread by American Christian Missionaries as well as their Indian partners, who were jealous of His immense success and popularity at the World Parliament of religions held in Chicago, US during 1893 . His coffee would be poisoned, He would be denied entry in decent hotels because of His skin color, but through all this He labored on, unrelenting and undaunted. His Love for India was far far deep than any fear of persecution. He would often quote this story to His listeners , to make them understand that no matter how tough and adverse be the situations, dont run away, "Face the brutes boldly" and they will take flight. These are his own electrifying words, that oh dear reader, we would all do good to remember.

"Face the brutes. That is a lesson for all life-face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them."

~ Swami Vivekananda

God helps those who help themselves

It was the thirteenth day of the great war of Mahabharata. A teenage warrior, the great Abhimanyu, Son of the legendary Kshatriya Arjuna and nephew of Lord Shri Krishna , had been trapped in an unfair fight by a whole group of Great warriors like Dronacharya, Karna, Ashwatthama, Duryodhana. The Young boy had fought like a lion, making even the greatest warrior of the Kaurava camp look like toddlers in front of him. However, vastly outnumbered, up against Maharathis who had ditched every vestige of Dharma Yuddha or principled fighting, resorting to deception,  Abhimanyu died on the field of Kurukshetra , like the Sun setting at the end of a Long day. At the heart of it all was the King of Sindhu, the Brother in Law of the Kauravas, Jayadrath. Due to a boon that he had received after much penance from Lord Shiva, he was able to stop,just for that one day,  the rest of the great Pandavas, except Arjuna who had been led away from the main battlefield by the Samsaptakas, an ally of the Kauravas, from breaching the Wheel formation or Chakravyuh, which only Arjuna knew how to destroy.  

Arjuna returned from the day long fight, having annhilated the Samsaptakas, to a camp which was desolate like a forest singed by  forest fire. No one came out to greet the valorous Arjuna, neither his brothers, to whom he was like their vital breath,  could be seen anywhere around. With panic and unknown fear,  he entered his tent and saw the great Pandavas lying like a tree flattened by a storm. Slowly the horror unfolded in front of Arjuna in all its grotesque . Seeing the lifeless form of his beloved boy, Arjuna collapsed . It was Krishna , who had been his saviour in all things of life, who could bring him back to his feet. Sorrow in Arjuna was now transformed into seething rage, and at the spur of the moment, Arjuna wowed that Jayadratha wouldn't see the sunset of the next day, else he would enter fire and self immolate. Admist the blast of conch shells from the Pandavas camp that greeted this great Vow, Jayadratha shook in fear , he rushed to Acharya Drona and Duryodhan requesting him to allow him to flee back to Sindhudesha. But Drona , pacified him. He told him that he will make such an impregnable military formation to protect him the next day , that not even Arjuna would be able to penetrate it, and thus at the end of the day Arjuna would self immolate himself.

The war of the fourteenth day began, with Arjuna and the Pandavas supremely confident of a victory. True to his words, Dronacharya had formed a complex massive military formation with a combination of Shakatvyuha(Cartwheel shaped), followed by a PadmaVyuha(Lotus shaped) at the middle of the Vyuha and finally a Suchivyuha (needle shaped)Vyuha at the innermost core. Along with six mighty warriors, One lakh cavalry, Sixty thousand chariots, Fourteen thousand elephants, Twenty thousand infantry, spread over a distance of nearly 48 miles and a width of nearly 20 miles. "Not even the Devas can come in and attack you oh Jayadratha, what to speak of Arjuna?", Drona thundered.But then , on a magnificient chariot yoked to seven white Horses , charioted by Vasudeva Himself, Arjuna arrived at the gates of the Vyuha. And now started a storm of arrows from Arjuna's legendary Gandiva. Arjuna was like Yama, the Lord of death today. When he strung his bow, when he took out arrows,and  when he shot them, none could understand. The only indication that Arjuna was shooting arrows was the fact that every arrow found its mark , and soon the outer covering of the Vyuha was pulverised. Now Arjuna slowly started breaking into the inner layers of the Vyuha. Maharathis, who had gathered together on the previous day to kill a unarmed Abhimanyu, were tossed around by Arjuna. Dushasan, Duryodhan, Karna , Kripacharya, and even the great Drona were made short work of. And the heart of the formation Jayadratha trembled in the fear of death, as he saw Arjuna slowly coming within his sight.  All day mighty battles raged on all sides, mostly Arjuna and his brothers ravished whoever or whatever  came  to oppose them.

However, there was something which worried even the Great Arjuna. He was looking up towards the sky again and again to follow the path of the Sun God. His own chariot was racing against the chariot of Surya Deva, with whom Arjuna was Vying today in Brilliance. The more he proceeded towards Jayadratha, the more it seemed to him that he was protected by an ocean of Soldiers, and more the footsteps of the approaching evening.He looked with terpidation at  his Friend and Charioteer, Krishna , who is  the Soul and innermost indweller of all beings. Krishna, who was extremely worried for Arjuna after he  took the rash vow, now decided to intervene. Arjuna had tried everything in his superhuman power to bring down Jayadratha,  had now resigned himself to the protection of the Lord, the ultimate friend and refuge of all. And the Lord, who loves His devotees even more than His own self, gave Him Succor. Yogeshwar Krishna, the Lord of Yoga and all Yogis, now invoked His Insurmountable Yoga Shakti and cast His Maya on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. Suddenly there was darkness all around, and the sun got hidden from Mortal view. There was a hush silence all around, as if the end of times had come. The silence was broken by a uncouth laughter, that of Jayadratha, who had errupted in joy at this turn of events. He was soon followed by the whiole host of Kaurava warriors and their army. "Oh Arjuna, now  self immolate yourself, the sun has set, and Jayadratha Lives, " they bayed for his blood. Throwing all caution to the wind, Jayadratha came out from the protective layer that Drona had so meticulously created from him, and he came towards Arjuna like a moth towards the Fire, with his myriads of taunts,and loads of abuses. "Hurry up Arjuna, don't get dejected, here comes Jaydratha. The sun has not set, I have just cast my Maya over it all, shoot one arrow after another, take off his head from his body, and ensure that the head falls on the lap of his father , who is practicing austerities in a hermitage near this battlefield", the sonorous voice of Krishna, now ringing through the din and commotion of evil all around, like a ray of light through all darkness. And sure enough, Mayadhish Govinda, just withdrew His Maya, and the sun came out spreading its last rays over all. "There, there is the Sun , oh Partha, and Lo , there is Jayadratha", Vasudeva pointed out both , to Arjuna and to the entire host of warriors, stunned by this miracle. Jayadratha, sweating with fear ran, he ran with all his might, but shining crescent shaped arrows from Arjuna's immortal Bow Gandiva raced towards him, bringing the message of death for him. The Severed head fell on the father's lap and fell on the ground. The father's head burst open and split into a thousand parts. Krishna knew that the father had the boon from Lord Shiva, that whoever makes the son's head fall on Earth , would have his own head exploded, and thus He had advised Arjun thus. The Lord had  protected his beloved Bhakta once again.

"Intense Self effort is a prerequisite for God's grace."

May U be enlightened!

The year was 1884. It was a sultry summer evening in Calcutta, the Capital of British India . In a small North Calcutta locality called Simla, Navin, a young  man was dead drunk and rolling in the gutter. He had earned a fine reputation in this predominantly upwardly mobile middle class area  as a habitual drinker and offender. Those were the heydays of the British Raj. Being firm believers of Give and take policy, the Brits were taking  away India's national assets to England, and giving back  English education and value systems to India. Part of the value system was to inculcate among the Young Indians, utmost contempt for everything that was "Indian". Thus was born a young breed, called "Young India". Skeptical, Neither here-nor-there, these young college passouts , had taken to every conceivable Western ill like a fish takes to water. And some of them like Navin, had developed a special fascination for the Western Bottle. While they worked throughout the week, Saturday brought in festivities for them. They would start drinking from the late hours of Friday night, and frolic all through Saturday and Sunday. The fun and frolicking would usually end with the frolickers rolling all over in  muck of open sewers.Thus Saturday used to be called as "Oh What Great Fun is Saturday".

Navin had always been a sweet and sensitive  boy, extremely compassionate  and helpful. Son of wealthy parents, he would go out of his way to help his friends in financial distress. However his compassionate nature soon proved to be his undoing. A group of  hemp smokers and drunkards formed a  coterie around him.Slowly Navin was sucked into the whirlpool of addiction.His mother cried piteously, his father used the stick , but to no avail. Navin went from bad to worse, and then from worse to horrible. Those were the days of child marriages. Boys would be married off by 16, and girls by 12. Thinking that their wayward son might be reformed by marriage, Navin's parents quickly married him off to a pretty little girl.Unfortunately no marriage could help him out, the poor girl suffered a lot, eventually she returned to her father's house.  Navin kept rolling in the muck . He lost his job, his father threw him out of the house.

It was one of those Sunday's  when he was mildly drunk,   that he was accosted by one of his neighbor's. Ram Datta, a professor of Chemistry at the Calcutta University and a highly   respected gentleman  of the area, had always had a soft corner for Navin. He wanted to help out  Navin ,  but didnt quite understand how. Seeing Navin's condition, he asked him,"How’s it going with you my boy? Do you keep drinking all day? Don't you get something to eat with your drink?" Navin innocently replied, "Ram Dada(Elder Brother),  I just 

get a few salted grams with my drink, how can I afford something else?" Ram's eyes moistened a bit hearing this unpretentious answer. "Look Navin, do one thing. Today night we are having a great feast in our house in honour of a very respected guest. Why dont you come along too? I will serve you  Luchi(deep  fried bread) and Spicy Potato curry." "Really Ram Dada, is that true?", Navin was like a little boy in a toy museum, "Really. No one even talks to me now a days. Not even my parents. And you are inviting me to a feast of Luchi and Spicy Potato curry. Ram dada, I see you have not forgotten your little brother?"

As the day drew to an end ,  and the sun set, Navin felt a sense of restlessness. Through his drunken stupor, he felt as if another sunset had snatched away one more day of his life. While he lolled around the squalor in a semi-swine like state, the purposelessness of his life seemed to haunt him.He felt a deep void within him, a world weariness crept in out of nowhere. Slowly the last tinge of the day disappeared into the  dark bosom of the night. The little stars above , and the  street lights below lit up. Ram Datta's house was quite visible in the distance. It had an aura of festivities written all around it. Hackney carriages had started arriving there. High pitched kirtanas could be heard from the distance. Navin was woken  up from his drunken stupor by the sights and sound coming from Ram Dada's house.Ah, Luchi and Aloor Dum!! How I love it, Navin thought. He slowly got out from the gutter and trudged along to Ram Datta's house in an inebriated state. He smelled of muck, and people hurriedly ran away from him. Ram Dada stood at the gate of his house, and was welcoming one and all. From a distance he saw Navin, he quickly took him aside and pushed him in for a nice bath . Navin was a bit sober now.  He was quite hungry. Like a child he started pestering Ram for Luchi and Aloor Dum. 

"Wait , wait my boy.I will serve you. Now, let me receive the guests. You just rest a bit. Look , do one thing. There's religious singing and dancing going on in the central courtyard. Go and enjoy it" Though he was least inclined to do it, Navin couldnt disobey his host. He went to the courtyard. Though it was quite big, there was a huge crowd. A kirtan party was singing devotional songs, while a group of people was dancing to the tune of the song in a frenzied manner. At the centre of this circle  was a ordinary looking middle-aged man who was standing still. The crowd was looking at him with rapt attention, not even a breath seemed to be flowing in or out. Navin was perplexed. In order to gain a closer look at the man, he waded in through the crowd.  As soon as he took a closer look at the man, he was stupefied. There seemed to be a column of light emanating from his body.What effulgence. What divinity!! And what a serene and lovely face the man had .Navin had never seen a more beautiful face before. The man was standing dead still, like a painting. There was a bewitching smile on his lips, a smile which would capture the roughest of hearts. People around Navin started murmuring that the man was in Samadhi , the highest state of superconscious existence, where the border line between Man and God stands erased. Navin could  see that the bodily functions of the man had stopped. Someone went near him and tried putting his palms under the nostrils, but not a trace of breath could be found. There was a doctor in the group, the person checked for heartbeat, turned back to the amazed crowd and indicated that he couldnt find even a single beat. Navin's inebiration suddenly left him. He was shellshocked.How is this even remotely possible?  Is this man dead? But it cant be, all signs of life exist in him. How can a dead man emanate such majesty, such glory. Navin felt strangely drawn to this strange man. Who was he? Was he the honoured guest about whom Ram had been telling him. Navin asked the man standing next to him, "Who's this person?".The man looked at him as if he had asked a very silly question. "You have come here to see the Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwar, and you dont know who he is", the man replied. "Sorry, I am a drunkard and just came for the food. Not for any Paramahamsa". The man sneered at him and then replied, "His name is Shri Ramakrishna, popularly called as the Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwar(Dakshineshwar was then a small village near Calcutta). Some call him a great saint, some a devotee of Mother Kali, some call him the mad priest of Dakshineshwar, and a few, like Ram Babu call him as God come on earth. I guess you came for food, but the food arrangements are in honor of his visit."

There was something about the man, which made Navin forget his food. It was a strange attraction that seemed to draw him to this Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwar. The more he saw him, the more it seemed Navin would lose his heart to him. There was a strange palpable joy emanating from him and covering the whole place. Such joy, he seemed to become intoxicated without wine. Navin was overwhelmed. Slowly the Paramahamsa showed signs of return to external consciousness.There was a deep breath,  signs of life appeared as if a householder had come back to his house post a long vacation.He was murmuring something to himself, and looking at them all as if he was not sure how he came here. People started rushing to seek his blessings, it seemed there would be a stampede. A few of the devotees formed a protective human chain around him to stop this madness. Navin yearned to touch this childlike person, so radiant and  so divine. Like a man not in control of himself, Navin joined the crowd clamoring to touch his feet.He had to touch him, as if his redemption depended on it. He was repulsed by the human chain, but he was obstinate. He spotted a small gap and he barged in through that human wall.He barged in and the he was standing in front of this strange man. With a smile on his face, like a long lost friend, Ramakrishna beckoned him close.And like one mesmerized he went near him. Ramakrishna suddenly touched him on the crown of his head and said in a voice, that oozed sweetness, "May  you be enlightened".The touch of the strange man caused  an upheaval  within  Navin. It seemed as if he was drowning, drowning in an infinite ocean of effulgence. The world around him was being devoured by  waves of radiance,  the radiant form of Ramakrishna emerged out of this effulgence. Navin was now intoxicated again, but this intoxication was divine intoxication- far far stronger than the cheap ones he had tried before. In that intoxicated state, he started weeping profusely taking the name of God, he danced and sang in a strange spiritual mood.There were quite a few in that crowd  who had known him , and used to sneer at him. Seeing this sudden transformation, their eyes nearly popped out. Somebody brought this news to Ram, Ram came running to witness it first hand. "Hari Bol", "Hari Bol"."Take the name of the Lord" echoed throughout the world like the roar of waves crashing on the shore.Everyone was drowned in ineffable bliss. Ah, the worldly pleasures seemed so insipid before this. And in the centre of all this, stood the mad priest of Dakshineshwar, effulgent, radiant , his hands transformed in a shape which seemed to bless the  assembled devotees with boon and fearlessness.

Henceforth Navin's life became surreal. A sure change started coming over  him . He started detesting his old lifestyle, he would take the bottle to drink, but the luminous face of Ramakrishna would come before him,  the memory of that evening would overwhelm him. In disgust he gave up the bottle. Not that it was easy. He started frequenting Dakshineshwar , to the temple of Mother Kali, where lived this strange man , in a small room within the temple premises.He came  to have just one look at that divine form. Ah, how sweet it was. He dared not enter Ramakrishna's room and approach him, but looked and heard him from far and on the sly. But then oneday, as he was tiptoeing in and trying to hide behind a few others, Ramakrishna looked at him, and with a sweet smile called him out like one known through ages, "Why stand so far, come close my boy. Dont worry Navin Chandra, it will all be great with you. Your transformation will be a wonder to  men now and in the future, your story will be read and told in far off places. Now come and sit near me.May my Divine Mother always keep you in bliss".

Shiva!!

Shiva

Perchance in the solitude of the lofty Western Ghats,

A Traveller am i,

Travelling through the Rolling hills and  the green glades and the sylvan streams.

From this mountain to the next, i find this land permeated by Shiva – The Eternal Being, The Ancient One.

Amidst the Majestic peaks, Adorned with Shiva temples, Like the Human Soul adorned with the presence of the Cosmic Lord!

The morning sun, shedding its Golden light upon the mountains,

Like the Divine Mother Gouri- She, whose complexion is like Molten Gold, Embracing the Blissful Shankara in an eternal embrace – The Cosmic Entwining of Purusha and Prakriti, In the  vastness of this land.

The Green Sahyadris greeting my eyes wherever i look, i am reminded of the Virat Purusha – The cosmic form of Shiva.

He, who is Everywhere and in Everything,His three eyes- The Sun, the Moon and the Fire.

The one without a second, The Summum- Bonum of this and  million other parallel universes.

And in the serenity of this setting, amidst pitch-deep silence, where silence covers silence, bubbles forth a voice from the depths of my soul-“I AM”.

“I AM” –The sound of the Primordial EGO.

Reassuring Me “I WAS”, “I AM”, “I WILL BE” - No matter how many deaths come over this puny body.

Verily This “I” have i  identified with “SHIVA”. And This “I AM” has finally melted into “Shivoham”.

“I AM SHIVA”, Lord You in Me, I in You, I have become  You!!

The Perfect Man!!

"I was wondering, if ever there was a man, who was perfect in all respects, endowed with the best qualities of head and heart that Your Father in Heaven, the Creator, Brahma had created". The speaker of these  profound words was a man well into the  sunset years of his life, a deep and venerable man, a great Rishi , who had been a dacoit at some point of life, and who had transformed himself into one of the greatest sages of all time by the power of Chanting of  God's name. He was  in the august company of another  ageless peerless Rishi, a Rishi who though much much older , still looked as if was in the prime of his Youth, a Rishi who was born out of the mind of  Brahma, the Creator,  at the dawn of creation . Thus begins  the enchanting dialogue between Maharshi(The Great Rishi) Valmiki and Devarshi(Celestial Rishi)Narada , and what do they converse....They converse  about the PERFECT MAN ..The Man, whose story would be immortal as long as the Mountains stood in their deep meditation, and the rivers flowed singing myriad tunes to meet their  Lover, the Mahasamudra - The Great Ocean)..they converse in a  world which was much younger and much less corrupted than we live, during the Treta Yuga.


"What is this perfection you speak of, What are these Qualities that you speak of, tell me those qualities, and let me see if I can tell you if  ever  there was such a man with all these qualities"....Devarshi Narad replied.

"Ok, so its this : Integrity, Bravery, Righteousness, gratitude, Truthfullness, dedication to ones principles, character without blemish, concern for all living beings, learning,skill, beauty, a pleasing appearance, courage, radiance, ability to keep anger under control,perfect control, absolute lack of jealousy at all times, undaunted heroism which can frighten even the Celestials", Valmiki , then added , "Too big a list, and certainly impossible to find in a mere mortal man".

Narada didnt reply immediately, he hummed onto to the strings of his vina, as if lost in a deep reverie. Then , slowly coming out of that meditative stillness, he draws Valmiki near to him, as if he wanted to say a Deep Secret... "Oh Valmiki, indeed in this very age, was such a man born, a man who has erased the thin Border between the Divine and the Human..He is God come  down as Man, and also as Man who has elevated himself unto the beatitude of God".... Valmiki, was too stunned for a moment  to even question about the identity of this man, finally gathering the courage of ages, he asked, "And who is this man"..."Rama, The son of The Great Emperor Dasharath, the Prince of Ayodhya"...Narada quipped.


Much time has elapsed after that conversation, Much water has flown down the River Tamasa, along whose bank  Valmiki and Narada had this fascinating conversation. The present age , has different standards of gauging perfection, rather the bylines of our age read perfection as "Nobody is perfect, I am nobody"...Having been born and brought up in a land which has revered Michael Madhusudhan Dutta as one of the founding fathers of Bengali Renessaince, and as an extension have eulogised his magnum opus Meghnad Bodh Kabbyo(The slaying of Meghnad), I had all along heard glorifying accounts of Indrajeet and his father Ravana, and demeaning description of Rama .. Indrajeet was the brave one(although he fought from a thick cover of clouds using sorcery and Maya) and Rama the despicable coward(The prince who fought barefoot , on the ground without even a chariot, fighting for the cause of his abducted wife).  Popular  Urban Lore in Bengal,and sadly now even India, has potrayed Ravana as a noble, large hearted Dravidian  king, who abducted someone's wife, only to avenge the humiliation of his little sister at the Hands of arrogant Aryan princes, and who  treated the abductee with intense honour and compassion...Why then did our ancients portray Ram as none else other than the Supreme Godhead , the Paramatman of the Yogis, the Brahman of the Advaitins, the Ishwara of the Bhaktas.

Lets do some story reading now, leaving aside all Theorizing. After all why has this Man been revered by generations of humanity from India to Sumatra/Bali?

Rama the Compassionate : KarunaSagar(Ocean of Mercy) :

The great war in Lanka was about to start. Rama, the xiled prince of Ayodhya had assembled a rag tag army of monkeys and bears, built a rocky bridge across the ocean and crossed into Lanka, the very same Lanka, where not even the wind moved without the permission of the Great Ravana- The one who made the worlds cry out of fear. Ravana was stupefied, he had ignored his enemy as that of a few monkeys led by a princeling. He sent  his spies to get every available intelligence about the enemy. The spies dressed up as monkeys sneaked into the Monkey camp. They were happily doing their recee, covert operation whatever U say, when they were caught by Vibishana, Ravana's  disowned brother.The monkeys , the wild folks of the forest, quick to come to blows didnt let this opportunity pass.  The spies were beaten up, tied to  a flag pole, and were about to be executed. However Rama interceded. Leave them alone, he said. Let them go through our rank and file, let them see all that they have to see, and hear all that they have to hear. Then let them run away from here. Go my friends, go back to your King  and Report all that you have to, and also tell him, that even if he were to put a ocean of Stars between himself and me, yet nothing will be able to save him from me. So said the Lord of an army which was, atleast resource wise , extremely disproportionate  to one of the mightiest armies of that age.


It was the aftermath of the Great war between Rama and Ravana. Lanka was vanquished. Ravana, the terror of the three worlds was gone. The devas , came down from their celestial world , and out of deep gratitude offered Rama any boon that he desired, absolutely anything. The Prince of light could have the riches of heaven if he desired, the portals of Heavens were open  for him. Not only did Rama not  ask for anything for him, he asked the gods to bring back to life those numerous monkeys and  bears  who had died fighting for him. The thought of their wives  wailing and their children orphaned, or their aged parents left at the mercy of fortitude  sent shivers of pain in him  even before  the start of this war.

The Devas were only too happy to oblige, they got back the  Vanaras to life , and also to oblige Rama they blessed them that wherever the Vanaras stay, they will never face shortage of  Fresh Water and Delicious Fruits.

Such was the greatness of Rama, whatever He did, was always for the good of many, for the welfare of many. 

Rama : The Epitome of Truth :

Even now, when we wish to allude to truthfulness, we refer to Rama . The Prince, who joyfully cast aside his claims to a Kingdom and embraced the life of a wandering hermit just to uphold the Truth. Just to ensure that his father didn't have to become untruthful by being overpowered by his great love for his Son. Well, the story is so common, that I wouldn't  write it down again.

Rama : The equanimous :

Equanimity is a quality rarely seen in an individual.  Gusts of joy and misery sway most of us dangerously, thus rendering us at the mercy of divergent emotions. In the life of Rama, we find an inspiration to be  free from these vissictitudes of Life. Rama has been described by the Adi Kavi(Original poet) Valmiki as "Sada Prasannam"..Always Blissful, with a joyous face. 

It was a momentous occasion in Rama's life. He had been declared as Crown prince of Ayodhya, his coronation was  just round the corner. Everybody was rapturous with Joy. However Rama, was his usual self, not a trace of   super-excitedness was visible in him. People just couldnt make out seeing him that something remarkable had happened.The scene shifts in the very next day. Message pours in that under pressure to keep his word to his second Queen, King Dasharath has agreed to Crown her son Bharata as the crown prince and Banish Rama  to exile for fourteen long years. While the entire kingdon was weeping and wailing at this news, Rama was still "Prasanna Vadanam", there was no change in the joyfulness in his face. He was as unaffected by this news, as he was by the news of his coronation.  And he didnt have  even a word of regret; nor did he play up the victim. Rather , he was excited at this God given opportunity to spend fourteen long years in the company of sages and enjoy the wild beauty of nature.

Rama : The Selfless 

The war had ended, and so had the 14 long years of exile stipulated for Rama . A  victorious Rama was returning to Ayodhya, in order to honour his promise to his Little Brother Bharata, who meant  more than his life to him. Bharata, who was as per Kaikeyi's condition to be crowned prince of Ayodhya, while Rama spent his time in the jungle, was leading a life of a hermit, while he ruled Ayodhya from a small village called Nandigram  as the regent of Rama. Such was his Love  and dedication for Rama. The lure of Power and wealth could never affect an iota the glory and greatness of this Great Soul. When the exile ended, Rama remembered that Bharata had told him at the beginning of his exile, "All these 14 years, I will serve as your regent and  administer Ayodhya, while your Sandals will actually rule over it. But at the end of 14 years, if you delay for even a day to return and relieve me of this burden, I will give up my life". As Rama came near Ayodhya, he made a halt at the hermitage of a great Rishi called Vasistha.While the others enjoyed at the hermitage , at the August Spiritual presence of this great  sage, Rama called aside Hanuman, and asked him to travel to Nandigram incognito and in disguise and meet Bharata. Hanuman was to convey to Bharata the return of Rama. He  was to discreetly notice if any change came over Bharata at this news, if he let out even the slightest sign of disappointment. If that happened, Rama would immediately return to the jungle and spend his remaining days in the Blissful union of God and Nature; he would be more than Happy if his brother wanted to enjoy the kingdom.  

Want to know how the story goes , how Bharata responded. When he got to know of this news, not only was there  no disappointment in him, he went mad with joy..He literally smothered Hanuman with kisses. :) In this age, where we see two brothers fighting with each other for the control of a Business empire, such selfless love will be like a Light House beaming inspiration for ages to come.

Rama : The Unshakable One

Ayodhya had been plunged into an ocean of sorrow because of the foolishness of one woman; Driven to smite by the ill machinations of her servant Manthara, queen Kaikeyi had been succesful in banishing Rama .Sita and Lakhsmana to the forest for fourteen years, while securing the Royal  throne for her son Bharata. The aged king Dasharata had died of a broken heart, taking the name of his beloved son Rama.

Elated and exuberant at her complete victory, Kaikeyi now waited impatiently  for the return of her son Bharata, who unaware of this great tragedy , was spending His days at the kingdom of His maternal grandfather in far off Kekaya. On return , and after comprehending the enormity of what had happened, the Great Bharata felt like a mighty tree which had been chopped off with massive blows. His rage towards His mother was like the great fire of Pralaya that consumes entire creation. Not only did He not reject the throne, He amassed his entire army, and placing the Royal Guru  Vasistha at the head of the retinue, along with the Queens of Dasharath and the citizenry of Ayodhya ,  along with His brother Shatrughna journeyed towards the Pristine forests of Chitrakuta, where Rama had set up His Hermitage.

Arriving there, Bharata fell at the feet of His brother with tears in His eyes like a forlorn child jumps to the lap of his mother . Rama took Bharata onto His lap and kissed His forehead, exactly like a Mother. The reunion of the four brothers was a sight for even the celestials to witness , such love, devotion, respect and selfleness was lacking even in the Devloka. After the initial reunion, the sharing of the heart breaking news of the death of their Father, the completion of the last rites for the deceased emperor, now the work for which Bharata and His retinue had come this far commenced. Bharata made an impassionate speech before all to Rama goading Him to return to Ayodhya. Every nuance of debate, logic , Dharma was put forward by the Great one to Rama. But all these were of no avail. Rama had counter arguments for everything that was said to Him. he was as great a warrior as He was a debater, He wielded the Celestial weapons with as great ease, as He did arguments and counter arguments. Bharata now tried a different approach, He reasoned with Rama, "This kingdom was given to me for the satisfaction of my mother. I am bestowing it back on you. Enjoy it without any obstacles.Like a dyke bursts under pressure by the great surge of waters during the rainy season, this vast kingdom cannot be sustained by any one except yourself.". Rama was now overcome by emotion witnessing this pure selfless love of His brother , but He was a Lord of His senses. After all Dharma was supreme to Him. What He said at that day, remains a ready reckoner for us all, "In a mighty ocean, two pieces of logs meet one another, float together and in due course get separated. In the same way wives, sons, relatives and riches remain together for some time and thereafter get separated. Their separation is certain. Thus O best of men, having seen the auspicious life of our father Dasharatha and his conduct, you also stick to your own duty.You will go back to Ayodhya, I will enter the Dandaka forest accompanied only by Sita and Lakshmana ".

The arguments went on and on, finally when Bharata saw that he was not able to make Rama change His mind, He drew His ultimate weapon, He pleaded with their Guru and the Royal preceptor Mahrishi Vashista, the sage who was worshipped even by the devas to intervene. The great Vasistha, who till now had been following with great pride the arguments and counter arguments of these two favourite disciples of his , now intervened. In measured tones, he told Rama that every Man has three preceptors, His parents and his Guru. Of these three the Guru is the greatest, because although the parents give birth and bring up the child, the Guru imparts wisdom, which ultimately helps a man cross the ocean of Samsara.  Thus it was Rama's Dharma to accede to his request, and return to Ayodhya for the sake of His aged mothers, as also for the citizenry which felt like an orphaned child at His exile. But here also Rama proved to be of a different mettle altogether. Although He had always worshipped His Guru like divinity itself, He was Unshakable in His resolve to stand by the promise He had made to His father, and in a nuanced tone, He said that to Vasistha. 

 Bharata , who now understood that Rama wouldn't return  to Ayodhya,instead  took the sandals of Rama , anointed them as the emperor of Ayodhya and returned back to His Kingdom. Like Rama , He also started living like an ascetic in a small village near Ayodhya, from where He ruled the glorious Ayodhya as Rama's agent. Even He was unshakable in execution of His Dharma. 

Well it has been said of Rama,"Vajradapi Kathorani,Mriduni Kusumadapi". "Firmer than the thunderbolt, softer than a flower". The Life of Rama shows us that a person must stick to His Dharma, the ideals which define her/him , even if the whole world tries to pull her/him away from it. Not even the gods in heaven should be able to deviate us from it. It is only the relentless pursuit of our Dharma, without compromise that  makes a man a World Mover.

Rama - The Valiant

It was the 14th and final year of exile of the Kosala Princes. Shri Ram ,along with his wife  Devi Sita who followed him faithfully in weal and in woe, just as the star Rohini always follows the moon, and His dedicated brother Laxman,  were spending their time peacefully at their serene forest  hermitage of Panchavati, on the banks of the pristine River Godavari. The river was surrounded   by trees with flowers in bloom, filled with flocks of swans, ducks and ruddy geese. It was a veritable piece of paradise.

One day, at this abode of peace  and serenity arrived the evil Shurpanakha , the sharp nailed one, the Sister of the Terrible  Rakshasa King Ravana who was the scourge of the three worlds and who  made even the Devas shiver in fear in their high heavens. Shurpanakha was carried away by the unearthly beauty of the two Kosala Brothers, and decided to have the elder one as her husband at any cost. However all her persuasion were in vain,  and as revenge, she rushed to harm  Devi Sita. Quick as thought, Laxman cut off her nose, and chased her away.

 Roaring with anger and pain , her heinous  fiendish form washed with blood sprouting from her nose, she arrived at Janasthana, a Forest city near Panchavati, which served as an outpost for Ravana. Khara, and Dushana, the two brothers of Ravana , ruled from this area. Seeing his sister's fate , Khara burst out in anger. He sent fourteen ferocious Rakshashas, armed to the teeth to avenge this injury and insult. The Rakshasas arrived with mighty battle cries, but once they faced the effulgent Rama in battle, they were annihilated into ashes in the wink of an eye. Shurpanakha who had led these wicked ones to Rama, like delusion leads a man to destruction,  flew back to Khara and Dushana desperately screaming and shedding tears. Taunting her two brothers and accusing them of cowardice and unmanliness, she provoked the two dreadful Rakshasas to take the battle front themselves.  Thus onwards marched these two ill fated brothers with Fourteen Thousand Rakshasa soldiers to destroy the Princes of Light .  The fourteen thousand demons loyal to the wishes of Khara, took in their hands, maces, piercing weapons, spears, sharp axes used in battle, swords, wheels, splinters, iron clubs, powerful missiles, dreadful iron bars of giant size, bows made of bamboo, clubs and frightening weapons like thunderbolt  and departed from Janasthana.Ill Omens portening advent of great destruction appeared everywhere. Rama who  was an adept in the lore of such signs, understood the grave danger that was on its way, and asked Laxamana to take shelter along with Sita, in an inaccesible mountain cave.

 Now Rama stood facing the massive army of demons, like the Sun faces the deepest darkness. He was splendour personified. The demons, under the leadership of Karana and Dusana, resembling ominous clouds, sent down streams of arrows on Rama just like clouds downpour on mountains. Wounded all over the body, bleeding through the wounds caused by weapons, Rama looked like the evening Sun covered with clouds. The gentle Rama of pleasing looks, was now  like the Kalagni, the great fire at the end of times , which consumes all creation. From Rama's bow bent into a cirle, countless fierce arrows able to take the lives of demons were released. Each arrow was like the noose of the god of Death, the great Yama. Within seconds a whole host of Rakshashas were dead. Just as a forest fire reduces to ashes even the deepest and darkest jungles, so also did Rama, raze down the army of the Nischaras, the ones who thrive in the dark. The helpless Rakshasas rushed to Dusana for succour and refuge. Dusana rushed towards Rama with his host of soldiers, like a firefly dives towards the fire and its eventual death. He covered Rama with a barrage of arrows, like a mountain being hit by Thunderstrikes. But Rama was unfazed. Golden feathered arrows from His bows, cut assunder the bow of the demon, his horses and charioteer was killed by Rama, Dusanas chest was pierced with a set of three arrows,his arms were cleaved off by few more arrows. Dusana fell dead on the ground like a mighty tree, his commanders and followers tried to avenge his death and they met with the same fate. Rama continued the carnage till all that remained of the fourteen thousand were Khara and his commander in chief Trisiras, the three headed one. The devas in heaven watched this super human display of strength with wonder and joy. Trisiras came to face Rama with much fanfare, only to meet the same tragic end as Dusana.  His three heads were hewed away by mighty arrows from Rama’s great bow.

 when he saw Dusana and Trisira killed, Khara was overtaken by fear at the prowess of Rama.He drew his strong bowstring in anger and released the bloodhungry arrows, which appeared like venomous snakes. Rama , Undaunted and unafraid of this mighty demon , also released sharp arrows from the Vaishnava Dhanusha, the great bow of Vishnu given to Him by the Great sage Agastya .He covered the directions by sharp arrows, Rama and Khara now fought like a lion and an elephant. However it was not long before, Rama with thirteen mighty arrows, broke the yoke of Khara's chariot, killed his horses and  charioteer and  splintered the bows and arrows of Khara. Helpless like an infant, Khara now stood on the ground with only a mace. He hurled the mighty mace at Rama, who destroyed it without any effort, and with a slight smile on His handsome face. Sensing that the end of the demon had to be accomplished without any further delay, the effulgent Rama released a barrage of arrows at Khara. Like Rudra, who burnt Kama deva, the mighty arrows reduced to  ashes the invincible Khara, the terror of Danadakaranya, predator of Rishis and holy men of this forest.

 With Khara and Dusana dead, and the hoardes of evil vanquished, all creation rejoiced. The Devas of heaven, and the great sages rained showers of flowers on this brilliant jewel of Raghu clan."Oh, what a great deed has this son of Dasharatha achieved", they proclaimed. The divine bards sang songs of glory about this  Greatest of all Kshatriyas. In the mean time, heroic Lakshmana accompanied by Sita came out of the mountain cave happily and entered the hermitage. Then victorious Rama having been worshipped by the seers and also by Lakshmana entered the hermitage. Sita, the daughter of Janak, whose face resembled the moon , out of joy and pride for Her husband, embraced Him again and again. It was indeed a very happy ending to the great danger that they had all faced. 

 There are times when all of us face evil and danger. It is in times of danger, that we must  bravely stand and face it, we must be valiant. The life of Lord Ram shows us, to  resist evil, face it, be valiant in the face of it. Else , like the Rishis of Danadakaranya, society has to be a sacrificial lamb to evil. Our ancestors believed in nurturing brave men and women, who were honed to fight back and resist evil. The history of India, has been the History of standing up valiantly to hordes of barbaric invaders and oppressors. This is the reason why, India  has continued to retain its original civilizational space, even though many other civilizations fell down and were completely destroyed. 

 May the Valiant  Ramchandra, wearing a tree bark as His dress, with His hair matted, and with mighty bows and arrows in His long arms, resembling the sun when  against the army of evil, inspire us to stand up with pride and glory against any evil that lurks for our Country and Civilization.

Maryada Purushottam Ram - The Embodiment of Dignity

The great war of Lanka had come to a shocking end. Ravana, the lord of the three worlds, the Rakshasa whose very name made all creation tremble in fear, the Emperor who had the boon of invincibility from the creator Brahma, was killed by a mere mortal - Rama of Ayodhya.  All creation basked in joy and relief, Jai Jai , went out the cheers of victory for Rama from the Devas in heaven. The body of Ravana, pierced by the Bramhastra released by Rama, lay couched in dust , still aglow with the brilliance that the Rakshasa was. 

Seeing his valiant brother lying thus on the field, Vibhishana, who till now had despised his evil brother, was overcome with grief and sorrow. "Why are you lying thus on the field, O Noble one, You who had the loftiest of beds and the most exquisite of silks as its cover to put you to rest? Why does your long arms, which are bedecked with armlets, lie motionless? Your Crown, which was effulgent like the sun has been knocked down.

Oh valiant one, all your accomplishments have come to naught because of your arrogance and insatiable lust. Had I not warned you earlier of this fate , and yet you chose to ignore me. The Trail of your arrogance has claimed a whole host of great ones : Prahasta, Kumbhakarna, Atiratha, Narantaka, Aksha Kumar to name just a few." Vibhisana remembered the old times, of his brother who was like a doting father to him, who had a whole host of good qualities , and who unfortunately had ruined all of it due to the arrogance of power and the cheapness of looking upon women as objects to satiate his lust. Vibhisana remembered the countless women Ravana had violated, of the  curse of the divine Rishika Vedavati, who violated by Ravana had cursed him of destruction. The scenes of yore flitted through his mind, he remembered that fateful day when Ravana abducted Sita and brought Her to his citadel of Lanka . Vibhisana  had entreated him to return back Sita to Rama with respect  and seek Her forgiveness. He had warned him , that Sita was all destroying time, Sita was his death, in the guise of a beautiful woman. All that he had got from Ravana in lieu of this sage counsel was ignomity and banishment from Lanka itself. His emotions now took a surge like a river in flood, his laments continued unabated, " With this great hero lying lifeless on the ground, an incarnation of virtue has left us for ever. It seems to me that the sun has fallen on the earth, the moon gobbled by eternal darkness and the fire extinguished. Ah what a tragedy has befallen us. Ah you look like a mighty elephant in rut, lying on the ground, mangled by a lion in the form of Rama. With Rakshasas for its tail, hump and horns; ficklensess for its ears and eyes, the mighty bull in the form of Ravana , the greatest of all Rakshasas, has been felled by Rama, the tiger among all humans".

Rama, who had been hearing this incessant , heart wrenching lament of Vibhishana, was moved by compassion for this sage of a  man. In a voice as gentle and compassionate as the nectar that the moon bestows, the prince of light spoke thus , "Ravana didnt fall in battle without making supreme effort, oh what gallantness he displayed; endowed with terrible prowess; he displayed zeal and enthusiasm of the most extraordinary type ; he remained confident all throughout and fell fighting as befits a great warrior. My friend, don't grieve for such an exalted person, who remained steadfast to his dharma as a King, who was highly learned, and feared by even the King of devas Indra. Even in the past, none has been ever exclusively victorious in battle; a mighty warrior will either get killed by his adversaries, or kill them. Thus has the shastras proclaimed ; don't grieve for a Kshatriya who has died not due to old age or disease , lying helplessly in his bed, but in the din of battle, fighting fearlessly. So oh Vibhishana , be you free from all grief and do that which is appropriate given the current circumstances."  The kindly words and the presence of the person who spoke these words had its desired effect on the Noble Rakshasa. His heart was soothed, and clarity returned to his mind. Recounting the greatness of his just departed brother he said, "My brother who had never been conquered in battle even by the devas, was defeated by you. He was a Brahmin of the highest order, always maintaining a sacrificial fire.  No one returned empty handed from his palace, he was gracious to his servants and dependents. He always kept a sacrificial fire, was a master of the Vedas , performed great austerities. For such a man as him, I wish to conduct, with your blessings ,  the rituals that are needed for a smooth passage to heaven". Rama, the epitome of graciousness and dignity , spoke with love and tenderness to this Jewel of the Rakshasa dynasty, " All hostilities end with death, our purpose has been accomplished. Ravana is as much a brother to me now, as he was to you. Please complete his funeral with due respect". 

The greatness of a human being  is demonstrated by how she/he treats her/his subordinates and a fallen enemy. The Indian army, which is regarded as one of the most professional and valiant forces of the world, maintains a high level of dignity in its dealing with even the enemy forces. During the Kargil war, the Indian army used to recover lot of dead bodies of Pakistani soldiers, and request the Pakistani side to take them back. However, the Pakistani side desisted from doing so. It was the Indian army which gave them a fitting burial, accompanied by the customary Islamic prayers. Dignity even in Enmity, this seems to be a buzzword for our armed forces. In this regard, our armed forces are carrying on the Legacy of Lord Rama. No wonder, that the war cry of the Indian Army regiment, the 8 Rajputana Rifles is "Raja Ramchandra Ki Jai" which translates to Glory be to the great King Ramachandra. No wonder our armed forces are the glory of our nation, and inspire us with high standards of a "Moral Force".

May the great Son of Dasharatha, who was so gracious and dignified, that even His enemies couldn't but help  glorify  Him, grant all of us the nobility of character to lead an exalted dignified life in our personal as well as public dealings.

The Ramayan lists out many many qualities that make Rama the Ideal Man, The Perfect Human Being. Rama is a beloved friend, a darling and doting son, a Romantic Husband, and an Ideal King. He is divine, yet intensely human. The Life of Rama dissolves the barrier between Divinity and Humanity. He is indeed God who came down as Man, and Man who became God. Generations of humanity have been saved from the bondage of worldliness by chanting HIS divine name. Everytime HIS story has been sung, people have lived their lives with HIM. they have seen HIM Love, they have seen HIM suffer. They have seen HIM destroy evil, and they have seen HIM cry at the abduction  of HIS   wife.  This story has been repeated in various tongues, from Sanskrit, to Hindi, to Urdu and even Persian.

Let me end this story with a Quote on Rama from Swami Vivekananda, the Spiritual Ideal of this age "Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, the ideal father, and, above all, the ideal ALL, the ideal king, this Rama has been presented before us by the great saint Valmiki."

               "Namami Ramam, Raghuvamsha Natham"!!