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| Shri Rama Dootham |
I immediately stood before the Messenger and with breaking voice, asked…
“Sir, did you had food since morning”… ?
The Messenger calmly replied “No Beta, I was with you whole time and waiting for you when you were away”….
How fool I was for not even caring to ask once the Messenger if he had food or if he is in need of anything…?
I felt I had committed a terrible sin and I hurriedly said, "Sir, please forgive me, just give me 5 minutes, I will go to Kitchen and get you something to eat…"
Messenger replied calmly, "No, it’s OK, I am not in hunger, leave it…"
The Messenger didn't yield to my request though I tried to plead Him through various means. Finally I had to abandon my attempts to persuade him.
With few moments of Silence, The Messenger spoke, "Don’t feel bad beta…."
"No Sir!, what I did is a big mistake. I didn't for once thought about you but only remembered my hunger. I should have atleast for formality asked you for food na…?"
"Hahaha… Formality with me… ", Messenger laughed loudly.
"Sir you may laugh and take it lightly, but this habit is not at all good… I feel very bad inside … I cannot sleep in peace today thinking about this…. How can I commit such a stupid Crime… I feel miserable Sir…." I sobbed.
"Bete! There is no need to condemn yourself by thinking, “I am bad, I am bad, I cannot do anything.” You waste so much time in condemning yourself. Who are you to condemn yourself? You don’t belong to yourself. Your body is made of five elements. You cannot create the body again, so your body does not belong to you. Your prana's do not belong to you; your mind does not belong to you; your soul does not belong to you. Who are you to claim that this is bad and that is good? Both claims are not helpful. One feeds the ego, the other cripples your creativity.
Do not condemn yourself. You have no right to do that. You are created by Providence and you should learn to respect its creation. When you stumble against yourself you will also stumble in the external world. Don’t hurt yourself. Be strong.
A human being commits many mistakes because he is not perfect. When you sit down in meditation, have a little dialogue with yourself. What did I do today that was not right? What did I say that was injurious and harmful? This way of keeping track of ideas, thoughts, action, and speech is called housekeeping.
When you have a dialogue with yourself and find that you have committed a mistake, do not repeat it. Why brood on mistakes and create a deeper feeling of guilt for yourself?
What is good and what is right, thinking makes it so. Surrender the mind for a while to God consciousness, and you will find peace.
So remember this always, OK" said the messenger looking at me deeply.
"Sir, I think I have read this somewhere…." I replied...
"Hahah… Is it? You mean to say I am copying what others have said…" again Messenger laughed loudly.
"Oh No sir, please don’t mistake me, I just felt I have read somewhere…" I replied softly.
"What is the use of reading it, when you don’t follow anything…. Ah?" Messenger shot back loudly.
"I agree Sir…. I need someone to keep hammering me with these great teachings, so that I redeem myself from the misery I have created for myself…" I tried to justify myself.
"Yes, that’s why I this time brought Swami Rama Hammer… What I said above is what Swami Rama said once to teach children like you to come out from Self condemnation, so I knew you must have read it already from his books, but what' the use if you don't remember them?"
"Thank you Sir, I will certainly remember it… "
"Don’t lie to me, Tell me what story I told you One hour ago about Shiva & Shakti" ?, Messenger asked me sternly.
"Ya, I know.. You told… "
Before I could say anything, Messenger interrupted stating, "Read the next line in Hanuman Chalisa…. "
I was little disappointed with the Messenger for not giving me a chance to prove my memory. Anyway, knowing His play, I kept silent and got ready to read the next lines in the Hanuman Chalisa from the book I had…
I read loud with full brisk and strength, thanks to the good breakfast, :
Jai hanuman gyan gun sagar | Jai kapis tihun lok ujagar ||
Victory of Thee, O Hanuman, Ocean of wisdom and virtue, victory to the Lord of monkeys who is well known in all the three worlds
Ramdoot atulit bal dhama | Anjani putra pavansut nama ||
You, the Divine messenger of Ram and repository of immeasurable strength, are also known as Anjaniputra and known as the son of the wind - Pavanputra.
Mahabeer bikram bajrangi | Kumati nivar sumati ke sangi ||
Oh Hanumanji! You are valiant and brave, with a body like lightening. You are the dispeller of darkness of evil thoughts and companion of good sense and wisdom.
Kanchan baran biraaj subesa | Kanan kundal kunchit kesa
Shri Hanumanji's physique is golden coloured. His dress is pretty, wearing 'Kundals' ear-rings and his hairs are long and curly.
"Sir, as I read these lines, I feel inside that you should kindly share some of your thoughts on how Lord Hanuman crossed the Ocean and went to Lanka and burnt Lanka into Ashes, could you please let me know"?....
"It's not Hanuman's power, It's all because of Lord Ram, any power that Hanuman have belongs to Him"...
"I agree, but yet something inside me pushes to hear from you again those episodes. If not in detail, atleast briefly let me hear from you how Hanuman managed to meet Sita Devi please..." I started to plead...
"Son, even though you are asking this question so that you can spend more time with me, I still agree to it as what is more joy & bliss for me, than to remember Lord Ram & Sita Mata through this… I am happier to share briefly on these with you as you can understand, Listen!… " the Messenger adjusted his posture a bit and spoke:
"The Vanaras were glad that they had obtained reliable information from Sampati about the whereabouts of Sita. But who could cross the sea and enter Lanka? Leaders of Vanara groups said that they don’t have the strength to attempt the feat. Angada, the great warrior said he could by supreme effort cross over to Lanka , but that he could not trust himself to recross the ocean back to the mainland. Jambhavan, excused himself saying that his feet had become too delicate for such superhuman efforts. But he addressed Hanuman and reminded him thus of his prowess and his great qualities.
Hanuman did not speak about his prowess – he was, as it were, unconscious of it - till Jambhavan suggested to him that he was the only fit person to cross the Lanka and return with news of Sita Devi. But when he heard the words of Jambhavan, already filled as he was with his unbounded enthusiasm for the service of Lord Ram, he became conscious of his powers and thus proclaimed his determination and his confidence".
"Wow!…. Even to feel this scene is so enthralling… during this incident, what must have been going through Lord Rama’s mind…. He must have been anxious too, isn't it?" I asked with full enthusiasm as I was liking this set up even though I have read & seen Ramayana innumerable times.
"Bete, When you came inside the Dhyana Mandir, after having your breakfast what would have you thought, if you didn't find me here"?
I replied, "Sir!, I would have certainly felt much agony as my mind was occupied with your thoughts even while having my breakfast, I was in full anxiety and even doubted if you were trying to get rid of me by sending me to breakfast… But I am pleasantly happy that you were still here… "
"We met only today morning, yet with so much of love & affection, you didn't want to miss me. But think of my Lord Rama, how much suffering & pain He would have gone through missing Sita Devi?
If we say Rama was all affection for Guha, Sugriva and Vibhisana, and that he loved Hanuman, Lakshmana and Bharata, how shall one can describe his love for the beautiful, the holy, the all-suffering Sita ? It was all absorbing love, was his love for his incomparable spouse. The great composer Thiyagayya, from South India says, that Rama’s love for Sita was as unique as his loyalty to his pledged word and his skill in archery. The great poet says:
Rama used to think, "The world is full of life and joy, but Sita is in agony somewhere. And I sit still here. Alas!, she walked cheerfully through the Dandaka forest, as if it were a palace-park. She did not mind the stony ground and the thorns in the path. What must be her suffering now?"
Rama’s passionate love for Sita appears most when at the time of giving final instruction to Hanuman just before the vanaras were sent all over the earth to search for Sita, he dwells with delight upon the beauty of her form, and calls to mind the little telling incidents of their marriage and pre-marriage days such as their first meeting, the incidents that took place when Rama broke Shiva's Bow, Sita's words when Ram decided to go to forest alone, what Sita told Ram when they entered the forest. He further tells Hanuman that, 'Even the lotus has its petals pale, The moon has got its spot, and where is form of any kind without the slightest fault? But none can see any imperfection on Sita. Even the taste of Amrit is nothing when compared to Sita's speech'.
How deep, how tender, how loyal must be the love that could treasure up in Rama's heart, and dwell with intense delight upon such incidents as these? One cannot understand it, unless they understand the pure love between these two. Blessed are those who have such soulful partners..." stating this, Messenger closed his eyes, started singing beautifully:
Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram… Patita pavana sita ram…
Esvara Allah Tero Naam, Sabko Sanmati de Bhagwan
Jai Raghu nandan jai siya ram, janaki vallab sita ram
Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram… Patita pavana sita ram…
Mujme Ram, Tujme Ram, Sare jag Mein Ram hi Ram
Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram… Patita pavana sita ram…
With tears flowing in his eyes, I could sense Messenger visually imagining the plight of Lord Ram and the enormous responsibility & trust that He has bestowed upon Hanuman in search of Sita Devi…
With more to hear from Him, I waited for Him to return back to his senses….
(To be contd..)
-'Bansuri'
(Please note that the views expressed in this fictional story series are the views of the author's own imagination taking reference from various sources which includes but not limited to Valmiki Ramayana, Kamba Ramayana, Hanuman chalisa along with Swami Rama & Guruji Pattabhiram's teachings. If you find any text inappropriate, the author seeks humble apologies.)
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