FESTIVE PREPARATIONS

RAMAYANA

RAAMA and Seeta spent twelve happy years in Ayodhya. But now the Lord and his consort in human form had to experience the hardships, sorrows and conflicts of life on earth.

As Bhagavaan himself explains: "Whatever avatar I assume, my play must go through the feelings and experiences appropriate to that incarnation." 

Who was the Prince of Ayodhya who through his body, life and experience, suffered the sorrows of mankind and saved the gods? The ever -present , all-pervasive Being who rules the world from within and without.  

Kamban, the Tamil poet, begins the Ayodhya Kaanada referring to this marvel of how the King of Kings allowed himself to suffer the cruel machinations of the hunchback maid-servant and of a step -mother which deprived him of the sceptre and banished him to the forest and beyond the sea.

Dasaratha loved all his four sons and yet he had a special affection for Raama. And the latter deserved it by his royal qualities and adherence to dharma. Queen Kausalya --like Aditi, the mother of the gods-- was proud that she had such a son as Raama. 

Vaalmeeki has filled pages with the tale of Raama's virtues. The muni is never satiated drinking from the ocean of Raama's qualities. He describes Raama's gifts and graces sometimes directly, sometimes as seen and admired by others;thus and in many other ways he dwells on the qualities that made Raama the ideal man.

Contd..next.

BHAGAVAD GITA.

4-21

SUCH a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions, and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by  sinful reactions.

4-22

He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.

4-23

The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.

4-24

A person who is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contributions to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.

Contd..next.

పోతనభాగవతము

ధీమంతుడవైన సూతమహర్షీ! భయంకర పాపాలనే అరణ్యాలను భస్మీభూతం చేయాలంటే,

శ్రీహరి నామ సంకీర్తనలనే దావాగ్ని జ్వాలలే  కావాలి. సంసార ధుఃఖాలనే మేఘాలను పారద్రోలాలంటే, వాసుదేవ సందర్శనమనే వాయు సమూహమే కావాలి. పరితాపాలనే కరి సమూహాన్ని సంహరించాలంటే,శ్రీమన్నారాయణ ధ్యానమనే సింహమే కావాలి. అరిషడ్వర్గమనే అంధకార సమూహాన్నిపటాపంచలు చేయాలంటే, హరి స్మరణమనే సూర్యకాంతి కావాలి. సంసార సముద్రాన్ని దాటి గట్టెక్కాలంటే విష్ణుదేవుని భక్తి అనే నావనే ఎక్కాలి. వేయి మాటలెందుకు గానిమహానుభావా!మాకు శ్రీహరి మహాత్మ్యాన్నివినిపించండి స్వామీ!

మిగతాది..తర్వాత.

Ramo

*శ్రీకృష్ణార్పణమస్తు*