Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 25

Dear All,

Sage Viswamitra approaches Dasaratha and requests for Rama, Lakshmana to be sent by Dasaratha along with the Sage for protecting/ guarding an Yagna from evil forces.

Sage was to perform a very big and significant yagna.

When Dasaratha fears to send his young sons for guarding the yagna from evil forces, Viswamitra laughs and conveys to Dasaratha that his sons are not normal human beings....

The same Viswamiitra, who had spoken about the princes so highly, gets trapped into Maya. 

Now, Swami, in this context, writes on MAYA.

"............The sun was preparing to set; so, Viswamitra called Rama and Lakshmana near him and spoke to them soft and sweet words, "Darlings! Go to the river without further delay and have the ceremonial washing of hands and feet. I shall now impart to you two mystic formulae, (Mantra), which form the crown jewels of all mantras. They are named Bala and Athi-Bala (strength and super-strength). They are both charged with tremendous power. They will restore freshness to you, however exhausted you may be; they will prevent exhaustion however heavily you exert yourselves; they will not allow illness to approach you; they will save you from demoniac forces. Again, whenever you are journeying, they will, if you recollect them, keep away hunger and thirst, bestow exhilarating health and shower joy and enthusiasm. They will strengthen limbs and minds. Rama! These two mantras are supreme over all other Mantras; they are more effulgent and efficacious than the rest." Viswamitra expatiated upon the potency of the Mantras for a long while. 

Rama had no need to be told of them; he listened with apparent surprise and with wonder-filled eyes. Lakshmana, meanwhile, was watching both the Sage and Rama, laughing within himself!

This incident is a good lesson for the world, wherein Rama had come to revive Dharma. It is a lesson Rama taught by his behavior, rather than by words. 

 "Maya is inescapable for any one however great; it will turn them upside down in a moment; it will not loosen its grasp so long as the victim is engrossed in the belief that he is the 'body'; it will not be frightened by the name or fame, the skill or intelligence of the person it seeks to possess. Only when the individual discards name and form, releases himself from body-consciousness and establishes himself in the Atma, can he escape from the misconceptions that Maya inflicts." 

This was that lesson! For, note this! Viswamitra had these two powerful Mantras in his control; he had accumulated a great store of spiritual treasure; he had realized, in spite of his own far-famed resources, that Rama alone had the might needed to outwit and destroy the demoniac hordes intent on

disrupting the Yajna he was set on celebrating; he had counseled Dasaratha against over-affection towards the son, blinding him to the divine majesty of Rama; he had announced that Rama was the guardian of the entire world; he believed that there was no height of heroism that Rama could not reach. Yet he was preparing to initiate those very princes into some mystic mantras, as if they were children of common stock. Surely, Viswamitra was shackled by Maya! He had yielded to the delusion of judging by apparent attributes; Rama laid bare the strength of the stranglehold of Maya on the sage. For, it was He who had shrouded Viswamitra's mind and made him enter proudly upon these initiation rites! 

Rama and Lakshmana finished their ablutions in the river, as directed by Viswamitra. The sage came to Rama and initiated Him into the two mantras. Rama pronounced the formulae after the teacher, and nodded his head as a novice should do, when a mantra is taught. Lakshmana too did the same. They bowed their heads as if they had agreed to be the 'disciples' of Viswamitra.

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Dear All,

Even while declaring and speaking of SAI as divine incarnation, how many times even we or any other so called staunch devotee(s), in their thought, end up treating or  thinking of Swami as a human being, just like us!

We cried when Swami was hospitalized, we felt how much pain Swami would be under going, Even when questions came up as to why so much of cash / jewels were found in Swami's yajur mandir after He passed away, for a split of a second atleast, the same question also came to few/many devotee's mind.

WHEN WE HAVE ACCEPTED SWAMI AS POORNA AVATAR, HOW CAN WE THEN TREAT HIM AS A NORMAL HUMAN BEING? 

HOW CAN WE QUESTION ANY OF HIS ACTIONS?

HOW ARE WE QUALIFIED TO GRASP EVEN 1% OF WHAT SWAMI REALLY IS?

HOW CAN WE ATTRIBUTE PAIN/PLEASURE TO HIS PHYSICAL FRAME?

On a lighter note on the same subject, it is worthwhile to recall how Easwaramma, on hearing that wild animals/lion etc roam around freely in Africa, comes up to Kasturi and requests Kasturi guru to chant Gayatri mantra while accompanying Swami to Africa so that Swami is protected from any danger from any such animal!

Kasturi ji laughs within himself and still respectfully replies to the mother that he will indeed chant Gayatri for protecting Swami (who is the creator and the sustainer of this entire creation)!

Love.