Some Interesting Points

Some Interesting points:
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
A few special points from ?Sundara KhaNDam? highlighted in a short speech on the occasion of PaTTa abhishEkam of Sri ?Sita-Rama? on the conclusion of ?Sapta Sarga ParayaNam?
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We celebrated this week (11th April to be precise) Sri Rama Navami, the ? Happy Birthday? of Lord Ramachandra moorthi. A Navaaha PaaraayaNam was started on 3rd April 2003 and concluded with "PaTTabhisheka Sarga PaaraayaNam" on 11th April 2003.
We are glad to present a few lessons that Sundara KhaaNDam teaches us.

1. The Role of mind in shaping one?s actions
As Hanuman, (the confirmed bachelor who has perfect control over his senses) goes through the harem of RavaNa in search of Sri Sita, he happens to see ladies lying there in voluptuous postures and rues over his having had to look at them in the course of his search for Sri Sita. But, he finds that this scene did not distract his mind. He concludes saying that -
?It is indeed the mind that is responsible for senses getting attached to sense objects". Since his mind was under perfect control, no opprobrium attached to his going through the harem. Further, if a woman is to be searched for, where else can one hope to find her than where ladies congregate??
?Na hi manasa: kimchit vaikrityam upapadhyatE
ManO hi hEtu: sarvEshaam indriyaaNaam pravrtanE
StriyO hi Streeshu drisyantE savathaa parimaargaNE?(Sargam 11.42-44)

The moral of the story is that one should strive to keep one?s mind under4 control even at provocative situations.

2. Why one should conquer sorrow?
When he gets exasperated on not being able to find Sri Sita inspite of an intensive search everywhere, Hanuman becomes despondent. But, soon he regains composure and tells himself how sorrow would spoil one?s efforts in any pursuit and therefore one should pursue one?s objectives without being overwhelmed by sorrow.


AnirvEda: sriyO: moolam anirvEda: param sukham /
AnirvEdaO hi satatam sarvaarthEshu pravartaka: //
karOti saphalam jantO: karma ytathtath karOti sa: /
tasmaat anirvEdakaram yatnam chEshTEham uthamam //(Sargam 12 ? 10-11)

3. Suicide is suicidal while staying alive may bring a good turn.

There are two occasions where this is highlighted:
(1) Hanuman visualizes the consequences of his return without any news about Sri Sita. He feels that he would become responsible for the demise of the members of the entire Ikshvaaku Vamsam and the entire Vaanara Vamsam, if he were to report a ?No show? about Sri Sita. At first, he thinks of self-immolation but then he decides that only if one were to be alive, one would be able to see good times. With renewed determination, he proceeds on his mission to find out Sri Sita.


?vinaasO bahavO dShaa: jeevan bhadraaNi pasyati /
tasmaat praaNaan dhaarayishyaami dhruvO jeevita sangama: //
(Sargam 13- 47-48)

(2) Sri Sita was in a similar predicament when she was so dejected on seeing no end to her separation from her spouse while she had another bout of doubt on seeing Hanuman suspecting that he was, in fact, Raakshasa in the guise of a monkey. She was so beside with despair that she also thought of suicide. But, then she also regained her composure and gave up the thought saying - that even if it should take a hundred years, patience would surely bring ultimate happiness?.

?yEti jeevantam aananadO naram Varsha Sataadapi? (Sargam 34- 20)

4. Blame it on yourself!
It is natural for people to claim an alibi, to seek to exonerate oneself and attempt to put the blame on someone else for any misfortunes they might face. This is not correct. It is the essential trait of what is known as ?SrivaishNava LakshaNam? to accept responsibility even when one is not at fault - as exemplified in ANDAL?s Tiruppvai in which she took the blame on herself when confronted with accusations from her peers saying ?naanEtaan aayiDuga?.

On several occasions, Sri Sita, even in her worst duress, never sought to blame anyone except herself.
(1) ?keedrusam tu mayaa paapam puraa janmaantarE kritam/ yEnEyam praapyatE duhkham mayaa ghOram sudaaruNam? (Sargam 25-19)
(2) ?kimnu nmE guNaa: kechit kim vaa Bhaaghya kshayO mama?
(Sargam 26 ?44)
(3) ??mamaiva dushkritam kinchit asti na samsaya:/
(4) Samarthaavapi tou yan maam naavEkshatE param tapou??
(Sargam 38- 48)

5. Relationship of husband and wife
On seeing the plight of Sri Sita?s pangs of separation from her spouse, Hanuman is so moved that he says ? The best jewel of all jewels for a wife is her husband?. This is an attestation from a confirmed bachelor!
?Bhartaa naama param naaryaa bhooshaNam bhooshaNaadapi?

6. Why one should control anger?
When RavaNa torched the tail of Hanuman, the latter was so incensed that with that fire he burned almost the whole of Lanka ("Yah sOkavahnim Janakaatmajaayaa; aadaaya tEnaiva dadaaha lankaam").
Suddenly, he realized that he had overlooked that Sri Sita was also in the same Lanka while exhibiting his anger against RavaNa and lamented:
"Kruddha: paapam na kuryaat ka: kruddhO hanyaad guroonapi?(VR 55.4)
?An angry person would not hesitate even to slay his preceptor?
And,
Ya: samutpatitam krOdham kshamayaiva nirasyati /
YathOragastvacham JeerNaam sarvE purush uchyatE //(VR 5.55.6)
? He who extinguishes his anger and replaces it with a sense of tolerance and forgiveness, even as a snake discards its useless skin, can be deemed as venerable?.