Valmiki Ramayana Mahatmya
Summary of last session (November 14) by Shri. Mohan Khandekar ji
Shri Vijayji started the session by reciting and explaining the following verse of Valmiki Ramayan Mahatmya where Shri Valmiki is narrating glories of Shri Ram and seeking His Grace.
श्री रामः शरणं समस्त जगतां, राममं विना का गती
रामेण प्रतिहन्यते कलिमलम, रामाय कार्यं नमः
रामात तस्यती कालभिमभुजगो, रामस्य सर्वम वषे
रामे भक्तिरखंडीता भवतु मे, राम त्वमेवाश्रयः
“Sri ramah sharanam samasta jagatam, Ramam vina ka gatih
Ramena pratihanyate kalimalam, Ramaya karyam namah
Ramat trasyati kalbhimabhujago, Ramasya sarvam vase
Rame bhakirakhandita bhavatu me, Rama tvameva ashrayah”
Sri ramah sharanam samasta jagatam” Sri Rama is shelter for the whole world. ‘Ramam vina ka gatih’ The Question has been raised is there any other destination for human beings other than Sri Ram? Ram is all in all and the goal of humanity at large.
Ramena pratihanyate kalimalam- Rama is a destroyer of kali-mal anything that is inauspicious, mal — that is dirty is destroyed by Sri Rama.
Ramaya karyam namah- until such Rama and His pastimes and His personality I offer my obsceneness.
He then recapped last week’s discussion and elaborated more over the meaning of Prarthana.
4:1 People with negative disposition will never walk the righteous path. (Example of Crow vs Koel).
4:2 Sant Tulsidas offers his respects to both Sant and Asant (संत और असंत) because they both can be a source of grief. We feel unhappy when Sant leaves us and we feel miserable when we come in contact with Asant. (We must introspect our own nature).
4:3 Being born in the same environment does not mean they have similar characters.
Sant Tulsidasji compares Sant and Asant to lotus and a leech-like animal. I
n spite of being waterborne they exhibit completely opposite tendencies.
4:4/5 Here Tulsidasji gives some examples of opposing characters.
Moon (calm) vs Fire (Anger).
Nectar (अमृत) vs Poison (विष )
Ganga vs Karmanasha(कर्मनाशा) river.
Vijay ji narrated a story about this river
5:1 We all have good and bad qualities. Controlling of senses is essential for discrimination.
5:2 Brahma the creator created the world with good and evil temperament. Knowledge acquired through scriptures is what separates them.
5:3 This Doha further elaborates the above statement through examples of pairs of opposite.