SUNDARARAMAN  IYER

ARTICLES AND COMMENTS IN ONLINE SITES

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COMMENTS POSTED IN YAHOO NEWS ON NOV. 9, 2012 -

RESPONSE TO BAD STATEMENT  BY POLITICIAN ON EPIC PERSONALITY AND SUPREME Godhead Lord Sri Ramchandra BY POLITICIAN

BY SUNDARARAMAN IYER

It is a misfortune for India that most Indian politicians know very little about Hinduism. Hindusim has over the ages withstood the vicissitudes of time. True to the boon given by Lord Rama to his greatest devotee Lord Hanuman - "as long as mountains and rivers last, so long shall the story of Ramayana be told and retold on earth", even today, the story of Ramayana continues to inspire people not only in India but all over the world. Ramayana and Mahabharata have been translated into umpteen foreign languages including English, German, Persian, Chinese etc. and references to these mighty epics exist in many parts of the world. Lord Rama was an incarnation of the supreme personality of Godhead, a purna avataar and the central and most important human pesonality of that age called Treta Yuga. Being an incarnation of God having come into the world with the sole purpose of establishing righteousness and ushering in a righteous world order, none of his actions could be against righteousness. All the three worlds were in his control even when he was in his human form, and there was nothing that was beyond his power.
In earlier ages like the Treta Yuga and Dwapaara Yuga, physical comforts and wordly happiness were not the topmost priority issues for the people of that age. The aim of life was evolution from the human to the divine and accordingly the standards for attainment of such evolution or Moksha as the main purpose of human life, were set for men and women of that age. The "Agnipariksha of Sita devi" is in the epic to prove to the world the highest level of greatness a woman can attain so much so that even fire cannot harm her. The Agnipariksha proved the greatness of Sita devi just as all actions of Lord Rama proved his being "Maryaadha purushothama" - Lord Rama ruled the world for a long time with Sita devi and other ministers who were his devotees and the best time in the world (Utopia) is what has come to be known as "Rama Rajya" - where no injustice happens, all round happines and virtue and values flow fully in the lives of people. It is only towards the end of the Avataar that the banishment of Sita and other stories have come in. The story of banishment due to a washerman's statement appears to be an interpolation and even if the banishment were true there would be other legitimate reasons which we are not aware of today.

In those days, renunciation was given value. Just as Lord Rama refused to accept the Kingdom and preferred to be banished to the forest, Sita devi would not even accept what is not considered right by Lord Ram - she would prefer to be banished just as Lakshmana asked Lord Rama to banish him towards the end of his avataar. Bharata did not accept the Kingdom in the absence of Ram. Hanuman preferred to be a Ram Bhakt and live in forests. High souls do not live only for themselves or only for their kith and kin. They also live for others and for public good. Their luxury is their renunciation.
God has to be viewed as God and it is not for man to judge God. The small finite mind cannot fathom the infinite. The stories appearing the epics cannot be taken just at face value or in a literal sense alone. There is much more to it than what meets the eye.
Low grade politicians, who owe their position and pelf to the people of India, ought to be ashamed of exposing their ignorance and political stupidity by making unwarranted comments on epic personalities who are worshipped over the ages by millions of people on earth and space. Politicians of today should attempt to take a leaf out of the life of Lord Rama - one woman in life - eka patni vrat; only one word - truth (Satya meva Jayate), only one arrow - ek baan - to defeat the wicked, and start sincerely working for the good of society and the nation - "Dharma sthaapana Tathpara Ram, Bhakti Paraayana Mukthitha Ram"

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