Subh Deepavali Evam Nutan Varshabhinandan – Vikram SAmvat 2075 (Happy Deepavali / Diwali)
The Need and Importance of Śrī Rāma Gītā
On this auspicious occasion of Deepavali and New Year, let us understand the teachings of Bhagavān Rāma, who is the embodiment of truth, who lived like a true Jnānī, always detached from his body, always remaining established in truth, yet at times acting or doing karma like ajnānī (ignorant one). We can see from the life of ideal human being that he rejoiced, he felt dejected, got angry, showed compassion and other human emotions. This is in accordance with our śāstra-s that a Jnānī lives in the world as ajnānī i.e. he / she performs actions just like ignorant humans who do not know their true nature, but in reality is always detached from the actions and his own body by always abiding in truth – Brahman or Paramātmān or in his own Self (Ātman). It is this unique way of living and unique mindset that only another Jnānī can know by abiding in truth, none other.
Our mind is inbetween the saṁsāra (sensual, material world) and Brahman or Paramātmān (God). Māyā by it’s shakti (power) brings avidyā. Avidyā (ignorance, loss of knowledge of our true nature) is root cause of mind experiencing duality, and not God. One does not experience God is because mind has it’s face turned towards saṁsāra and not Brahman or Ātman. Our mind is a reflection of Ātman. It’s source of power is Ātman. Consciousness, which in reality, different and separate from mind and so saṁsāra, is now mixed with saṁsāra through mind and 5 senses. This is due to the effect of God’s illusionary power Māyā. Our consciousness is trapped in 5 kośa-s (sheaths, annamaya, prāṇama, etc). It is like our consciousness, the real ‘I’ identifies itself with mind, body and ego and connects with saṁsāra (the outer and inner world), and has become inseparable from mind just like milk mixed with water.
So there must be a way to dis-associate the mind with saṁsāra and ultimately dis-associate consciousness from mind, by generating dispassion from saṁsāra and being mind’s witness and abiding in one’s true nature which is Brahman. This art of separating milk from water though seems impossible is possible by the grace of Guru and learning of shastra-s. Haṁsa (Swan) is said to have the special ability to separate milk from water and drink only milk (nector of immortality) heaving behind water. This art of unlearning the worldly knowledge, dis-association and detachment with saṁsāra and mind is like a Haṁsa of the highest order. Such a yogi is known as paramhansa. Haṁsa is an important symbol in vedānta.
We are all attached to this world and with our loved ones. Śrī Rāma Gītā shows us the way to detach ourselves from this world and loved ones in a concise, clear and precise way. It is for those who has sattva guṇa as the pre-dominant guṇa and their mind is ready for mental renunciation of saṁsāra. In other words, it is for advanced sādhaka-s (meditators).
Srī Rāma Gītā consists of 62 sloka-s and is considered as ‘ṣruti-sāra-saṃgrah’ i.e. an essence of vedānta. Śrī Rama Gītā is fifth adhyāya of Uttara khanḍa of Ādhyātma Rāmāyaṇa, which is a part of Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa. It is of advaitic nature advocating renunciation of karma including those prescribed in veda-s after advanced disciple is given knowledge of veda-s and instructed by his guru to start advaita way of life and contemplation on the Brahman, the true Self or Ātman.
Pūrvabhūmikā or pretext of Śrī Rāma Gītā
Pūrvabhūmikā or pretext of Śrī Rāma Gītā is created as a reply of curious doubt created by Mā Umā (Parvatī) by Bhagavān Mahesha (Śiva). Compassionate mother, who herself is embodiment of wisdom, for the good of all, raises a question in her mind. Mā Pārvatī asks what is so special about Bhagavān Rāma that Mahādeva adorns. She already knew the divine story of Rāma. She was curious to know the mindset of Śrī Rāma after he ordered Lakshamaṇa to escort Sīta to Vālmiki ashrama when she was pregnant. How did Rāma continue his life without her?” Decision to renounce Sītā would have had great impact on his mind, yet he lived a normal balanced life always taking care of his beloved subjects and establishing Rāma Rājya. It is well known that both Srī Rāma and Mā Sītā loved each other, had full faith in each other and Sītā had already passed ‘agniparikshā’.
In other words, Parameshvarī (Mā Pārvatī) wanted to understand the mindset of Śrī Rāma that allowed him to make this harsh decision. (Earlier too he had sacrificed his throne and went on vanavāsa i.e went on to live in forest.)
Answer given by Mahādeva to this question is known as Srī Rāma Gītā.
Bhagavān Śiva replied, after Laxmaṇa escorted Srī Rāma’s consort Mā Sītā in the forest near the ashrama of r̥ishi Vālmiki and returned with a heavy, guilt and grief sticken sorrow heart, he approached his brother and prayed to him for guidance. Compassionate Īśvara (Rāma) gave Brahma Jnāna to Lakshmaṇa. This discourse between Bhagavān Rāma and his beloved and devoted brother Lakshmaṇa is known as Srī Rāma Gītā.
Srī Rāma Gītā is in itself an essence of vedānta. Hence it is extremely difficult to further concise it. Each and every sloka is important for a sincere sādhaka. I have made humble attempt to put it in 18 points. It is natural that I will have missed a few important sloka-s.
Śrī Rāma Gītā in a nutshell
- Birth is result of past karma. Man influenced by senses seeks pleasure and pain and does good and bad actions respectively. His actions will result in rebirth; when born, man does action again. The world is consequently termed a rotation. (One gets trapped in cycle of birth and death. Karma does not lead to moksha.)
- Man must renounce his varṇāśrama duties (duties related to his varṇa and āshrama) and become sādhana-sampanna i.e. develop 4 sādhana-s -
- viveka,
- vairagya,
- ṣaṭasampatti – (śama, dama, uprate, titikshān śraddhā and samādhāna)
- mumukśhutva
- Karma neither destroys ignorance, nor diminishes attachment; on the contrary, it germinates evil action which again is incapable of warding off saṁsāra. The wise should therefore seek divine knowledge.
- Avidyā is the root cause of duality and bondage. Avidyā is due to the illusionary shakti Māyā of Īśvara.
- Jīva is born out of avidyā and is a reflection of Brahman.
- Individual Self appears as distinct from Parabrahman due to upādhi-s created by Māyā. Self appears to have 5 kośa-s (sheaths), but in reality Ātman is untainted, untouched, unborn and non-dual.
- Saṁsāra is unreal and so one must discontinue all karma-s, even though they are prescribed in veda-s, as karma or karma-kāṇḍa is considered as sakāma karma i.e. karma done keeping in mind it’s results.
- Generate Vairāgya and detach mana (mind) from saṁsāra. (Saṁsāra is actually in mind only). So by viveka-yukta-vairagya, stop involvement and attachment of mind from saṁs
