Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals :Ch-3. Part - 9.

Chapter-3. Rama – The Apotheosis of Human Perfection ( Sri Ramanavami )


Part-9.



While Rama himself thinks that he is only a man, Brahma speaks of Him as Narayana and wants Him to go back to His Abode, as His drama in this world is over.

These interesting dramatic contradictions are brought into play by the genius of Valmiki, deliberately, to fulfill the purpose of the epic.

Otherwise, there would be no meaning in the play itself.

It was not at all given to Rama to proclaim Himself as Narayana.

That was not the purpose of the Avatara at all.

It was to defeat the purpose of Ravana who had a poor opinion of human beings.



Being a demon, he thought that human beings and monkeys were only a morsel of food for him.

On account of this, he deliberately omitted men and monkeys from the list of his possible future enemies when he asked for boons from Brahma.

"May I not have death from any one – Gods, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Daityas, Danavas, all superhuman beings," was the boon he asked.

But he never said anything about monkeys and men.

He thought: "They are only food for me; what need to fear them."

Now, this neglect, this contemptuous attitude of Ravana towards aspects through which God could manifest Himself and does manifest Himself, was the occasion for God Himself to teach humanity that He can work miracles even through the lowest of His manifestations.



Swami Krishnananda

To be continued  ...