Cover Story

Om Sri Ram Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram - Swamini Saradapriyananda

Though the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara, are together responsible for the world, Lord Vishnu’s part of the job appears to be heavier than the others. To create alone is Brahma’s field. He has no responsibility of maintaining all the innumerable beings created by him. Hence, there is no temple for Brahma. We never asked him to create and he did a thankless job! So, too, Lord Siva is not concerned about the maintenance of the world. When his time comes he has only to open the third eye, and all lie dead. We are not anxious to worship him for destruction though we may do so for other things. He never comes down to our level to guide and lead us on the right path. Thus, it is left to Lord Vishnu to remember the needs of one and all, to watch the trends in the world and to see to it that law and order is properly maintained and that all beings who are alive receive their due. Hence, we see that the Lord came down in ten avataras, twenty-four avataras, nay, an infinite number of avataras, to restore His law, to protect the law-abider, to punish the law-breaker and set the law in order once more.

Of the ten avataras, the first five are only archa avataras, fit to be worshipped and not to be imitated. The sixth one, Rama avatara, is fully humane and ideal, fit for every man to imitate and evolve into. Hence, we find the devotees of Rama in as great many numbers as the devotees of Krishna, though. Krishna avatara is stated to be the poorna avatara. Rama with his human qualities and frailties is nearer to man, and any man with effort can try to follow Rama in his life. The ideal son, ideal brother, ideal husband and the ideal friend, the Lord who does not differentiate between the learned and the illiterate, the cultured and the brutish, the friend and the foe, God in human form sacrificing his comforts to do what is right, man at a divine level rising above the weaknesses inherent within, Rama has become the darling of renunciates as well as grihasthas.

Tulsi Ramayana shaped out Rama as the Divine Being, always conscious of His divinity and yet behaving like a man for outer appearances. He remembered the number of times He came down as avatara, and the many more times He would be coming again. The devotion in Tulsidas came out as the concept of the Supreme in human form.

Prayer to Sri Rama is Tulsi Ramayana is easier than to Sri Rama of Valmiki Ramayana since Valmiki gives out the total story with many apparent lapses in Rama’s nature for which there is no apparent explanation …his sorrow at the loss of his wife, his killing of Vali from behind the tree, his demand for the agnipravesa of Seeta after killing Ravana, and the final ignoble act of abandoning the purest of all, Seeta, even when she was pregnant. Inexplicable and difficult to be approved. But Tulsidas, the devotee, softens all these harsh corners in Rama’s life and presents a lovable, adorable Being who is flawless, and divine.

Click here to view the full content of the articles.

<< Back