Cut Raga with Vairagya
Class notes | October 14, 2018
In Valmiki-ji’s Ramayana, when Sugreeva is with Bhagavan Rama, he gets a glimpse of Ravana sitting in his court, laughing. This makes him angry. He jumps at Ravana who beats him up. Sugreeva escapes and returns to Bhagavan Rama who makes him realize that acting impulsively was a mistake.
Our VIR course is trying to orient our thinking to the big perspective so that we do not act impulsively. We should think about the things we buy, eat and do and their impact on our environment 20 years from now.
Through love, Mandorari tries to convince Ravana to return Mother Sita but fails. She then tries to instill fear by telling him that Bhagavan Rama killed Vali with just one arrow but Ravana laughs it off.
Meghanatha, Ravana’s son wrecks havoc on the monkey army by attacking them from above. An angry Sri Lakshmana goes to battle him but gets hit by an arrow. Perhaps in his excitement, he forgot to prostrate to Bhagavan Rama? On seeing his brother lying unconscious, Bhagavan is saddened. Vibheeshana tells them of Sushena, a medicine man. Sushena says a special herb — Sanjeevani- that grows in North India can help Sri Lakshmana if used before sunrise.
Hanuman-ji assures Bhagwan Rama that he will return quickly with the herb. He ends up carrying the entire mountain!. As he is flying over Ayodhya, a vigilant Sri Bharata, mistaking him for a rakshasa, shoots him with his arrow. He then realizes it is Hanuman-ji and lets him go. With the Sanjeevani, Sri Lakshmana is revived and Bhagavan’s army becomes strong again.
Meanwhile, Ravana tries to wake up his brother Kumbhakarna by bringing him food and wine as he is rajasik, easily influenced. Kumbhakarna remembers Narada-ji’s prediction that Ravana will kidnap Mother Sita- Jagdamba- and they will be killed. But Kumbhakarna falls asleep and forgets to tell Ravana! Kumbhakarna’s sleep symbolizes forgetfulness or tamas that leads to mistakes.
When Hanuman-ji feels proud that he is the only one who can help Bhagavan Rama, he is hit by Sri Bharata’s arrow, for that was rakshasa-vritti or ego taking over. We have to be vigilant like Sri Bharata so that we do not become egotistical. During Navaratri, let us get rid of the darkness and bring out the light from within. Bhagavan Rama has the same amount of love for all. When we see ourselves not as human, but as God’s children, we will have more faith in Bhagavan.
Bhagavan cuts off Kumbhakarna’s head. It drops in Ravana’s lap who starts weeping.
Meghanatha is furious. With the Nagapasha arrow, he unleashes a net of snakes and Bhagavan becomes unconscious. Garuda comes to his rescue. These details help us relate to the Lord. One who cuts down bondage cannot be bound.
Kumbhakarna goes to the battlefield alone, without weapons. He is an icon of ego. Ego makes us think we can succeed without help. The monkeys symbolize different sadhanas. The final sadhana that can take down ego (Kumbhakarna) is knowledge (Bhagavan Rama). We need an entire lifetime to prepare for this knowledge. When Kumbhakarna dies at the hands of Bhagavan Rama, he is enlightened. If a rakshasa can be enlightened, why can’t a purusha?
The wise Jambhavan seizes Meghanatha’s leg and throws him against the gates of Lanka. Meghanatha vows to perform a yajna to become invincible, but Sri Lakshmana kills him. Meghanatha is an icon of raaga or desire. Sri Lakshmana is an icon of vairagya or independence. Only vairagya can conquer raaga. We all have raaga. We also have knowledge but that is not enough. We need discipline and dispassion to defeat desires. Sri Lakshmana’s discipline kills Meghanatha. Intention is important and intention should be inward, not outward. Now, only Ravana remains.
Class discussion: How do you honor loved ones who have died?
CF: By carrying forward values they taught us.
Vivek-ji’s observation: By being better than those who have passed away.
