Rama Rahasya Upanishad says that the letters ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma’ are the essence of the two most important Mantras, viz., Ashtakshara and Panchakshara, which, when the letters ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma’ are removed from them, respectively, not only lose their primary meaning but give the opposite meaning. When Ram Nam is chanted, a significant change takes place in the entire organism of the person chanting it. ---------------------------------------------- Srinathe Janakinathe Abheda Paramatmani | Tathapi Mama Sarvasyam Rama Kamala Lochanah || --- Sri Hanumanji "Although the husband of Sri Lakhsmi and the husband of Sri Janaki are one and the same Paramatma, still the lotus eyed Ram is my all in all. " Sri Ram asked Hanumanji : “Hanuman what attitude do you cherish towards Me?” Hanumanji answered: Dehabuddhyà tu dàso’smi jivabuddhyà tvadanshakah | âtmabuddhyà tvamevàhamiti me nishcità matih || “O Ram, when I think I am the body, You are the Master and I am your servant. When I think I am the jivatman (individual soul), You are the whole and I am a part (but) When I have the knowledge of Absolute (Brahman), I see that You are I and I am You.” ---------------------------------------------- Sri Rama was the Parmatman (Supreme Reality) and that Sita was the Jivatman (embodied individual soul). Each man’s or woman’s body was the Lanka. The Jivatman which was enclosed in the body, or captured in the island of Lanka, always desired to be in affinity with the Parmatman, or Sri Rama. But the Rakshasas would not allow it, and the Rakshasas represented certain traits of character. For instance, Vibhishana represented Sattwa Guna, Ravana represented Rajas Guna and Kumbhakarana represented Tamas Guna. Sattwa Guna means goodness, Rajas means lust and passion and Tamas means darkness, stupor, avarice, malice, and its concomitants. These Gunas keep back Sita, or Jivatman, which is in the body (Lanka) from joining Paramatman (Rama). Sita, thus imprisoned and trying to unite with her Lord, receives a visit from Hanuman, the Guru or divine teacher, who shows her the Lord’s ring, which is Brahma-Jnana, the supreme wisdom that destroys all illusions. Thus Sita finds the way to be at one with Sri Rama or in other words, the Jivatman finds itself one with the Paramatman. -Swami Vivekananda ---------------------------------------------- " Aham Brahmasmi " : When Sri Ram and his vanar sena reached the tip of the ocean, the only way through which they could reach Lanka, He was puzzled by how to cross that huge ocean with all his sena….When Sri Ram found no solution, in frustration he picked up his bow and arrow and threatened the ocean to show them a way to cross or be prepared to be vaporized by his powerful Astra. Varundev appeared frightened and told Sri Ram about the Unique powers of Nal and Neel, the two soldiers of His sena, and asked for forgiveness from Sri Ram. Hanumanji could not believe his eyes, when Sri Ram was alone, he came up to the lord and asked, lord, you have so much power, so much powerful weapons and knowledge that you can even vaporize the huge ocean with them, then why you need the help of our vanar sena ... you can single handedly go to lanka and kill Ravana in an instant. How can Ravana stand in front of so powerful Ram ? Sri Ram smiled and said to Hanuman, " It is right that I have the powers to single handedly wipe out the whole empire of Ravan,, but I don’t want to win Ravan with my Might,Because if I do that, people would become certain that I am an Avatara. I want every person in the world, to have Shraddha (firm faith) in himself, and believe that by ' Paurush ' (endeavour), and for Maryada (honour), one can defeat the all invincible Ravan . I want to make them believe that everybody is the Supreme Brahman, and has the power to win over Ravan Like evils who seem Invincible " ...... 'Aham Brahmasmi '. ---------------------------------------------- " Not Everyone Can Recognize Avatars " : One needs spiritual practice in order to know God and recognize Divine Incarnations. Some take him for an ordinary man, some for a holy person, and only a few recognize him as an Incarnation. Ordinary people do not recognize the advent of Lord. He comes in secret. Only a few of His intimate disciples can recognize Him. That Lord Ram was both Brahman Absolute and a perfect Incarnation of God in human form was known only to twelve rishis. The other sages said to Him, 'Ram, we know You only as Dasaratha's son.' Sages like Bharadvaja adored Lord Ram and said: 'O Ram, You are nothing but the Indivisible Satchidananda. You have appeared before us as a human being, but You look like a man because You have shrouded Yourself with Your own maya.' ---------------------------------------------- " There Is Need Of Everything " : God is omnipresent, He is everywhere. Everything we see is manifested from Him. But there are different manifestations of His Power in different beings. At some places there is a manifestation of His AvidyaŚakti, at others a manifestation of His VidyaŚakti. In His maya there exists Avidyā as well as Vidyā. Darkness is needed too. It reveals all the more the glory of light. Through different instruments God's Power is manifest in different degrees, greater and smaller. Therefore all men are not equal.There is need of everything. Once Maa Sita said to her Husband: 'Ram, it would be grand if every house in Ayhodhya were a mansion! I find many houses old and dilapidated.' 'But, my dear,' said Lord Ram, 'if all the houses were beautiful ones, what would the masons do?' Maa Sita replied, 'Why do you not remove everybody's miseries? Make everyone in your kingdom—all your subjects—happy. You can do it if you like.' Rama answered, 'Can everyone be happy at the same time?' 'Well, they can, if you so desire. Why not satisfy all their needs from the royal treasury?' 'Just as you wish.' Then Rama called Lakshmana and said, 'Go and tell everyone in my kingdom that all their needs will be supplied from my treasury.' When the people heard this, they came and explained their needs. The treasury was laid open. Everyone lived in happiness. But such was the dispensation of Rama that soon the roof of the royal palace showed cracks and water seeped through. Masons were sent for to repair the crack. But there were none to be found. Where was any labourer to be found? The subjects also came and complained that because there were no masons or workmen, their houses and buildings were falling to pieces. Then, seeing no other way, Maa Sita said to Rama, 'We cannot suffer in the wet like this! Let everything be as it was. Then we can get workmen again. Everybody cannot be happy at the same time.' 'So be it,' answered Rama. In the twinkling of an eye everything was as it used to be. One could get workmen again. 'Lord, it is true that this life is only a game of yours!' said Maa Sita. ---------------------------------------------- Lakshmana ran to Ravana when the latter fell dead on the battlefield. Looking at Ravana's body, he found that everyone of his bones was full of holes. Thereupon he said to Rāma: 'O Rāma, glory be to Your arrows! There is no spot in Ravana's body that they have not pierced.' 'Brother,' replied Rāma, 'the holes you see in his bones are not from My arrows. Grief for his sons has pierced them through and through. These holes are the marks of his grief. It has penetrated his very bones.' After the destruction of Ravana at Rama's hands, Nikasha, Ravana's mother, began to run away for fear of her life. Lakshmana said to Rama: 'Revered Brother, please explain this strange thing to me. This Nikasha is an old woman who has suffered a great deal from the loss of her many sons, and yet she is so afraid of losing her own life that she is taking to her heels!' Ram bade her come near, gave her assurance of safety, and asked her why she was running away. Nikasha answered: 'O Ram, I am able to witness all this lila of Yours because I am still alive. I want to live longer so that I may see the many more things You will do on this earth.' ---------------------------------------------- " Go Beyond Knowledge And Ignorance " : Sage Vasishtha was a great Jnāni, but even he was stricken with grief on account of the death of his sons. At this Lakshmana said to Rāma: 'This is amazing, Rāma. Even Vasishtha is so grief-stricken!' Rāma said: 'Brother, he who has knowledge has ignorance as well. He who is aware of light is also aware of darkness. He who knows good also knows bad. He who knows happiness also know misery. Brother, go beyond duality, beyond pleasure and pain, beyond knowledge and ignorance.' ---------------------------------------------- It is said that it was as if a hundred suns were shining when Sri Ram entered the court. Why, then, weren't the courtiers burnt up? It was because the brilliance of Sri Ram was not like that of a material object. As the lotus blooms when the sun rises, so the lotus of the heart of the people assembled in the court burst into blossom. Apadam-apahartaram dataram sarva sampadam | Lokabhiramam Sri Ramam bhuyo bhuyo namamyaham || — " I prostrate myself, again and again, before Sri Rama, the Saviour from all calamities, the Giver of all prosperity, the Delight of the world. Such is the glory of Ram Nam. " Jai Shri Ram !!
