Moral Values and Virtues in Ramayana

 Ramayana, literally ‘The History of Rama’, is revered as a holy scripture by some people while the others consider it as a mere literary work that boisterously depicts heroism and eventually deifies an imaginary character called ‘Rama’- the principal character of the epic.

Whether or not one regards the epic of Ramayana as a holy scripture, it does convey innumerable moral values and virtues.  If a human being imbibes and adopts those moral values and virtues, it would certainly make him/her unique and above board. So, now let us temporarily set aside our personal opinions on Ramayana and discuss those moral values and virtues that are worth imbibing and adopting in our daily lives.

Rama is introduced in the epic as the oldest of the four Kshatriya Princes born to King Dhasaratha of Ayodhya through his first Queen Kausalya.  Kaikeyi, the second Queen of King Dasaratha bore him Bharatha and Sumithra, the third and the most favourite Queen of King Dhasaratha bore him the twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. 

The most peculiar thing that is ubiquitous in the epic of Ramayana is the depiction of the impeccable love between the step siblings.  Lakshmana and Shatrughna, albeit twins, share a unique, inseparable bonding with their step siblings, rather than the one between them.  Lakshmana is inseparable from Rama.  So is Shatrughna from Bharatha.  This very pristine love between the two pairs of step siblings conveys one of the highest human virtues, which is, the selflessness.  Selflessness, by itself, is believed to be one of the manifestations of Divinity.

As Dhasaratha becomes old, he decides to make Rama as his successor to the throne of Ayodhya.  Rama, the unadulterated, infallible Prince of King Dhasaratha was loved and adored by every subject of the kingdom.  The news of Rama’s impending crowning kicked off exuberance in the entire kingdom.  Just on the eve of his crowning amidst exuberance in the entire kingdom, Rama is being informed with a heavy heart by his father Dasaratha, in order to keep up two of the promises that he had earlier made to his second Queen, Kaikayei, that Rama has to abdicate his Princely life and lead the life of an ascetic for the next fourteen years in a forest.  Also, Rama is informed that Bharatha, the son of Kaikeyi, will become the successor of Dasaratha.

Quite contrary to the normal human behaviour of retorting or revolting such an unfortunate decision made by the father, Rama, the Deified hero of the epic, whole heartedly accepts the decision of his father with unwavering composure and with a smile.  He instantaneously moves ahead to abdicate the Princely life and sets off to the forest to lead the life of an ascetic.  He is accompanied in that quest by his obedient, chaste, wife Seetha and by his beloved brother Lakshmana.  Such an act of Rama expresses the other virtue of complete obedience to the parents.

When Bharatha learns all the conspiracies leashed out by his mother, Kaikeyi, against Rama, he becomes crestfallen and scornfully scolds his mother.  He visits the harem of his step mother, Kausalya, and begs her pardon for all the wrongdoings of his mother.  He immediately sets off to the forest with the belief that he could console his beloved brother, Rama, and get him back to Ayodhya and enthrone him as the King. 

However, iron willed Rama ends up consoling Bharatha and sends him back to Ayodhya to fill the lacuna that was created by the sudden death of King Dhasaratha.  Bharatha, one of the lovable brothers of Rama, is also equally iron willed.  He agrees to obey the orders given to him by his amenable brother Rama.  However, he goes back to Ayodhya carrying on his head the pair of sandals that were adoring the feet of his dear brother, Rama.  There in the kingdom, the actual seat of the Majestic King of Ayodhya was adorned by the sandals of Rama.  Bharatha chooses to serve as the proxy King of Ayodhya until Rama goes there back after fourteen years of exile.

Also, during his voyage to the forest to meet Rama, Bharatha is confronted by Guha, the head of a group of hunters.  Guha had earlier met Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana and was wholeheartedly accepted by Rama as one of his siblings.  Initially upon seeing Bharatha, Guha felt that Bharatha was craving to serve as the unquestionable successor of King Dhasaratha and was planning to kill Rama.  However, once Guha learns the righteousness of Bharatha and his peerless respect, love and good will for Rama, he ends up hailing Bharatha as, “Even several thousand Ramas are not equivalent to one Bharatha”.  This emphasizes how Ramayana extols and highly regards righteousness and a righteous person.  In the epic of Ramayana, Bharatha even superseded Rama, the deified character, by virtue of his righteousness.

After mighty Valee had learnt that he was clandestinely attacked by Rama to restore Justice in his kingdom of Kishkintha, he disparagingly talks about the cowardice of Rama, while counting his last few minutes on the Earth.  Rama gracefully accepts that it was not a wholly acceptable act of his to clandestinely kill Valee. He also begs the pardon of Valee and remarks that he had no other way to restore Justice in the kingdom of Kishkinta.  Here, we could see that the greatest virtue of submissively accepting one’s own mistakes or faults is strongly conveyed by Ramayana. 

Also, it is described by poet Kambar in Tamil, that Lakshmana upon looking at Thara, the widowed wife of Valee, empathizes with her for the same grief that would have stricken his widowed mother Sumithra and his two step mothers upon the loss of their husband Dhasaratha.  The virtue of empathy, which actually makes a man prudent, is deep rooted in Ramayana.

In Kambar’s rendition of Ramayana in Tamil, Rama says, “We became five siblings, along with Guha and with Sugreeva, we became six.  Finally, we became seven siblings along with Vibheeshana".  This very statement of Rama conveys that race, caste and creed based discriminations were acrimonious to Rama, since Guha is portrayed in the epic as the head of a group of hunters, Sugreeva is portrayed as the eventual King of the monkeys and Vibheeshana is one of the siblings of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic Ramayana.  

The peerless love and respect for every living being is seen almost everywhere in Ramayana.  After the King of Eagles, Jatayu, in his endeavour to rescue Seetha was killed by Ravana, Rama and Lakshmana performed the last rites for Jatayu, as how the sons would normally perform the last rites for a deceased father.  

Jamabavan, the monstrous bear that gave unbearable kicks to Ravana, that finally led to his downfall is regarded and respected by the brothers.  Mighty Hanuman, the son of wind God, who took up the Herculean task of identifying where and how Seetha was in the clutches of Ravana and a squirrel that did its best to help Rama in constructing the bridge across the sea are also loved and regarded by the brothers.  Thus, It is clearly seen that apart from human beings, even birds and animals are given pivotal roles and regarded in the epic for their roles.  It is equivalent to corroborating the most famous statement of nature lovers that the Earth is not only for humans!

Mandothari, the wife of Ravana, is portrayed as a woman with the same degree of chastity as that of Seetha.  The high degree of chastity of Mandothari made even Hanuman wonder whether it was Seetha, when he first saw Mandothari in her harem.  Such a peerless virtue being bestowed on the wife of the antagonist does exalt Ramayana as a virtuous epic.  

Summing up, the epic Ramayana, is, indeed, a didactic poetry as it conveys some of the highest virtues that deify a soul, like, abiding by the promises, righteousness, empathy, selflessness, pristine love and respect for every being and above all chastity, a virtue which could or should never be compromised.  Hence, through this forum, I sincerely declare that Ramayana or The History of Rama should not be confined by religious boundaries.  It is, indeed, a guide for every soul that craves to attain proximity to The Divine.  

Read, recite and revere Ramayana to exalt your soul!

      

Unique Experience on Karthigai Dheepam - Saw Waves in Mid-Air

 Hi All! I am drafting this post to share my unique, divine experience and seek your advice on it. On the 29th of November, my parents and I set off to Thiruvannamalai to offer prayers to The Holy Kaarthigai lamp that was supposed to be lit at the hill top of The Most Holy Thiruvannamalai at 6:00 PM that day. We successfully did so by The Divine Grace of Lord Annamalayaar.

However, when it was 10 minutes past 12 noon, I was standing at a distance of 200 m from the holy hill and I was offering prayers to The Almighty. Suddenly with my naked eyes, gifted by Lord Annamalayaar, I could see colourless to very light grey colored, dense waves traversing in elliptical fashion in mid air at a very high speed.  I cannot explain the speed by words.  Also, I could neither see the beginning nor the end of the waves.

I asked my Mom whether she could see something like that. She responded with a curt 'No'. I just wanted to test myself and looked at the opposite direction(opposite from The Holy Hill). I could see the waves there too.

Until this very moment, I don't understand what I saw or why I saw that.  Has anyone ever experienced that or heard of something like that? Please share your valuable comments with me! By the supreme grace of Lord Annamalayaar, I wish to understand what I saw that afternoon at the most sacred place on the Earth.

இறைவனின் உள்ளக் கிடக்கை

ஒரு முறை திருநாவுக்கரச பெருமானும், திருஞானசம்பந்த பெருமானும் சேர்ந்து பல்வேறு திருக்கோயில்களில் தம்முடைய இறைப்பணிகளை முடித்துவிட்டு, இன்றைய நாகப்பட்டினம் மாவட்டத்திலுள்ள திருமறைக்காடு திருக்கோயிலை வந்தடைந்தனர்.  அவர்கள் இருவரும் நேரம் தாழ்ந்து வந்தமையால், திருக்கோயிலின் நடை அடைக்கப்பட்டுவிட்டது.

அவர்கள் இருவரும் வேறு எங்கும் செல்ல விழையாது இறைவன் சிவபெருமானிடமே தம் அருட் பாக்களால் மன்றாடி திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளைத் திறக்க வைக்க முடிவெடுத்தனர்.  திருஞானசம்பந்த பெருமான் ஒரே ஒரு பாடல் பாடியவுடன் இறைவன் மனமுவந்து திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளைத் திறந்தார்.

இருவரும் மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் திருக்கோயிலுக்குள் சென்றனர்.  பிறகு திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளை அடைப்பதற்காக திருநாவுக்கரச பெருமான் இறைவனிடம் தம் திருப்பாடல்களால் மன்றாடினார்.  அவர் பத்து பாடல்கள் பாடிய பின்னரே ஈசன் திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளை அடைத்தார்.

திருஞானசம்பந்த பெருமான் ஒரே ஒரு பாடல் பாடியவுடன் ஈசன் திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளைத் திறந்துவிட்டதையும் தாம் பத்து பாடல்கள் பாடிய பின்னரே சிவனார் திருக்கோயிலின் கதவுகளை அடைத்ததையும் கண்டு திருநாவுக்கரச பெருமான் மனம் வெதும்பினார்.

இதனை உணர்ந்த சிவபெருமான் அடியாரின் மன வாட்டத்தை போக்க வானத்தில் தோன்றி பின் வருமாறு உரைத்தார், "நாவுக்கரசரே! உம் தமிழின் சுவையில் யாம் மயங்கினோம்.  உம் தமிழின் தெவிட்டாத சுவையில் சற்று கூடுதலான  நேரம் இன்புற்று இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவே யாம் நீவிர் பத்து பாடல்கள் பாடிய பின்னரே திருக்கோயிலின் வாயிற் கதவுகளை அடைத்தோம்."

ஆதலால், இந்த புத்தாண்டு முதல் நம் விருப்பம் ஈடேறவில்லை என்றால் இறைவன் நமக்கு அருள்புரியவில்லை என்று கருதாமல் அவர் நாம் விரும்பியதை விடச் சிறந்த ஒன்றை நமக்குத் தருவார் என்ற உறுதியுடன் அனைவரும் இருக்க வேண்டுகிறேன்.  நண்பர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் என் இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!  சிற்றம்பலமே சிந்தை பலம்!

ஆடம்பரமின்றி அண்ணாமலையானை வணங்க வேண்டும்

திருஞானசம்பந்த பெருமான் தம்முடைய மு°ன்றாம் அகவையிலிருந்தே சிவத்தொண்டு புரியும் பொருட்டு பல்வேறு சிவன் கோயில்களுக்குத் தம் தந்தையார், சிவபாதயிருதயர், அவர்களின் தேளில் பயணம் செய்தும், தாமே காலால் நடந்தும் சென்றார்கள். முற்றிலும் ஞானம் பெற்ற அருட் குழந்தையான திருஞானசம்பந்தரின் பிஞ்சுக் கால்கள் அல்லலுறுவது கண்டு இறைவன் தாமே சிவகனங்களிடம் திருஞானசம்பந்தர் பயணம் செய்வதற்காக முத்துப் பல்லக்கினை பரிசாக அளித்தார்.

இறைவன் அளித்த முத்துப் பல்லக்கினால் திருஞானசம்பந்தர் பல திருக்கோயில்களுக்குச் சென்று இறைவனைப் போற்றி தேனினும் இனிய தேவாரப் பாடல்களைப் பாடினார். ஒருமுறை வேலூரிலில் தங்கி இருந்த போது திருவண்ணாமலைக்குச் செல்ல விழைந்தார்.

அப்போது கள்ளர்கள் நால்வர் வந்து அவரின் முத்துப் பல்லக்கை பறித்துச் சென்றனர். இறைவன் தமக்களித்த முத்துப் பல்லக்கு பறிபோனதை எண்ணி சம்பந்தர் பெருமான் பெரிதும் வருந்தினார், அப்போது பிறப்பறுக்கும் ஈசனின் குரல் வானத்தில் பின்வருமாறு ஒலித்தது, "சம்பந்தா! முத்தப் பல்லக்கினை எம் ஆணையின் படி களவாடியவர்கள் எம் சிவகனங்களே. ஏனெனில், யார் ஒருவர் திருவண்ணாமலையில் வீற்றிருக்கும் எம்மை வணங்க வந்தாலும் எவ்வித ஆடம்பரமுமின்றி எளிமையாகத் தான் வர வேண்டும். அவ்வாறு எளிமையாக திருவண்ணாமலைக்கு வருபவர்க்கே யாம் அருள்வோம். நீ திருவண்ணாமலையை வணங்கியவுடன் முத்துப் பல்லக்கு மீண்டும் உன்னை வந்தடையும்".

ஆதலால் தான் பல நூறு திருக்கோயில்கள் மேல் தேவாரப் பாடல்களை பாடிய எம் திருஞானசம்பந்த பெருமான், திருவண்ணாமலையின் மீது பாடும் போது மட்டும் தான், "அண்ணாமலை தொழுவார் வினை வழுவா வண்ணம் அறுமே!" என்றார்.

"இறைவனிடம் என்ன வேண்ட வேண்டும்?" - வள்ளலார் சொல்லிக் கொடுத்தது

ஒரு முறை அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி வள்ளலாரிடம் அவருடைய குரு பின்வருமாறு வினவினார்:

"இராமலிங்கம்! நீயோ முற்றும் துறந்த துறவி. இருப்பினும் இறைவனை ஓயாமல் வேண்டிக் கொண்டே இருக்கிறாய். அப்படி இறைவனிடம் ஓயாமல் என்ன தான் வேண்டுவாய்?"

இதற்கு உடனே அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி வள்ளலார் பெருமான் பின்வரும் பாடலை பதிலாகப் பாடினார்கள்:

ஒருமையுடன் நின் திருமலரடி நினைக்கின்ற உத்தமர்தம் உறவு வேண்டும்
உள்ளொன்று வைத்து புறமொன்று பேசுவார்தம் உறவு கலவாமை வேண்டும்
பெருமைமிகு நின் புகழ் பேசியிருக்க வேண்டும்
பொய்மை பேசாதிருக்க வேண்டும்
பெருநெறி பிடித்தொழுக வேண்டும்
மதமான பேய் பிடியாதிருக்க வேண்டும்
மரு°உ பெண்ணாசை மறக்கவே வேண்டும்
உன்னை நான் மறவாதிருக்க வேண்டும்
மதி வேண்டும் நின் கருணைநிதி வேண்டும்
நோயற்ற வாழ்வில் நான் வாழ வேண்டும்
தருமமிகு சென்னையிற் கந்த கோட்டத்துள்
வளர் தலமோங்கு கந்த வேலே
தண்முகத் துய்யமணி உன்முகச் சைவமணி
சண்முக தெய்வ மணியே!

இனி தன்னலமின்றி நாம் அனைவரும் இறைவனிடம் இதையே வேண்டுவோமா?

The Unconditional Love......

     On 4th February 2017, I happened to attend the annual day function at the school of my daughters'.  The chief guest of the event narrated a poignant story which is as under:

      There lived a widowed woman with her son.  She lost her husband, when she was quite young but she chose to refrain from getting married again for the sake of her son.  Since she had only one eye, her son abhorred her to the core.  At one point of time, he made up his mind to live separately.  Then, he graduated from the university, got a lucrative job, got married, begot children and started leading a happy life with his family.  He had been happily living without even a thought about his partially blind mother.

      One fine day his mother knocked at his door.  He was quite appalled to see his mother.  He didn't want his wife to understand that it was his mother.  Hence, he bluntly told his mother that he was not the one who was wanted by her.  The old lady went off without even uttering a word.

      Months later, he received an invitation from his school for a reunion.  He joyously attended the event.  He then wanted to visit the house, where he was raised by his one-eyed mother.  Through the neighbours, he came to know that his mother had died few months back.  His mother had left him a letter, which the neighbours gave him.  The letter read as under:

      "My dear son!  Decades back, when your Dad, you and I were on a trip, we met with an accident.  I lost my husband in that accident.  I escaped with minor injuries and you lost one of your eyes in that accident.  I didn't want to see my beloved son being physically challenged.  Hence, I donated one of my eyes to you.  Later, one of my very own eyes didn't even want to look at my partially blind, awful face!"

      The greatest boon which The Almighty bestows on any human being is nothing but the unconditional love of the parents.  Unfortunately, many people throw askance at the peerless boons bestowed on by The Almighty!  Let us all hail & adore the boons bestowed on us by God!

The Holy Temple Of Thingalur

      In seventh century AD, Appothi Adigal, who is being revered as one of the sixty-three Nayanmars (great Saivaite Saints) lived in the town of Thingalur along with his wife, Maragatham Ammaiyaar, and four sons.  He had been an ardent devotee of Lord Siva.  Also, he had been an ardent devotee of Saint Thirunavukkarasar (one of the four greatest Saivaite Saints).

      By virtue of his sheer devotion on Saint Thirunavukkarasar, Appothi Adigal named almost everything that he owned as Thirunavukkarasu.  The school that he ran was named as ‘Thirunavukkarasu Pallichaalai’.  The water shed that he ran for offering water to the passers-by was named as ‘Thirunavukkarasu Thaneer Pandhal’.  The husbandry that he owned was named as ‘Thirunavukkarasu Ko Chaalai’.  He named all his sons as: Thirunavukkarasu – I, Thirunavukkarasu – II, Thirunavukkarasu – III.

      One-day Saint Thirunavukkarasar paid a visit to Thingalur.  It was to worship Kailaayanathar enshrined at the temple of Thingalur.  Saint Thirunavukkarasar was born as Marul Neekiyar.  The name Thirunavukkarsu was given to him by The Almighty.  Hence, he was dumbfounded to see a school, a water shed, a husbandry bearing the divine name ‘Thirunavukkarasu’.  Through the localites, he learnt the devotion of Appothi Adigal on him.  Appothi Adigal, who had never seen Saint Thirunavukkarasar, turned exuberant when he heard the news of Saint Thirunavukkarasar’s visit to his home town.  He, along with his wife, called on Saint Thirunavukkarasar.  The moment they saw him, they both bowed down to his feet and humbly requested Saint Thirunavukkarasar to have lunch that day at their house.  Saint Thirunavukkarasar accepted the cordial invitation.

      Maragatham Ammaiyaar prepared almost everything for serving Saint Thirunavukkarasar.  Just before serving the Saint, she asked her son Thirunavukkarasu – I to fetch a plantain leaf from the plantain tree that was at the backyard of their house.  Thirunavukkarasu – I, while trying to cut a leaf from the tree, was stung by a snake.  With great difficulty, he managed to hand over the leaf to his Mom.  Soon after handing over the plantain leaf to his Mom, he succumbed to the snake bite and passed away.

      Appothi Adigal and his wife were totally devastated by the death of their oldest son.  But they didn’t want to reveal it to Saint Thirunavukkarasar, as nobody would feel like enjoying a lunch in the house, where there was a bereavement.  Hence, they wrapped the dead body of their son in a big plantain leaf and kept it aside at an isolated room in their house.  They were all set to serve lunch for the Saint.  When the Saint sat for lunch, he could see everyone in the family except the oldest son.  He then enquired Appothi Adigal, where his oldest son was.  Since Appothi Adigal had extreme devotion to the Saint, he could not utter a lie.  Hence, he revealed him the truth.

      Saint Thirunavukkarasar instructed Appothi Adigal and his wife to get the dead body of their son to Kailayanathar temple, where he pleaded to the presiding Deity by singing a Thevaram hymn.  Lord Siva was moved by the plea of Saint Thirunavukkarasar and retrieved the life of Thirunavukkarasu – I.  

       There is a separate sanctum-sanctorum for Moon, one of the nine planets in Hindu Astrology, in the temple.  As per Hindu mythology, the 27 stars (considered as 27 sisters) in Hindu Astrology are the 27 wives of Moon.  Of His 27 wives, Lord Mathi/Moon (Lord Chandiran) is extremely fond of two of his wives, namely, Rohini and Kiruthigai.  Hence, more often than not, He remained in the quarters of either of the two.  He almost forgot the remaining 25 wives of His.  Those 25 wives became furious and complained about their spouse to their father.  The infuriated father-in-law cursed his son-in-law to lose all His handsomeness.  The disfigured Lord Mathi (Moon) pleaded to The Supreme Deity (Lord Siva) to forgive Him and to relieve Him from his father-in-law’s curse.  Lord Siva instructed Lord Mathi to go down to Thingalur on the Earth and observe penance so as to get relieved from the curse of His father-in-law.

      Hence, it is believed that if people, who have debilitated or weak or waning Moon in their horoscopes, offer prayers at Thingalur, they would be blessed with everything in their lives that are being signified by Moon.  In Hindu astrology, Moon is the significator of the mother and the mind.  Thingalur is easily accessible by road from Kumbakonam and Thiruvaroor.