Miscellaneous - Religion   

Invaluable instruction

CHENNAI: Every soul pursues the quest for truth that lies behind the maze of appearances in different ways according to its individual nature and mode.

Scriptures repeatedly stress the difficulty in grasping the essence of truth and the Puranas and Itihasas contain subtle teachings on the path of dharma. Like the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna advises Arjuna, the Siva Gita (a philosophical text in the Padma Purana) is the instruction of Lord Siva to Lord Rama who is in a despondent mood before the war with Ravana.

In a discourse, Sri K. Srinivasan pointed out that the incarnations of the Supreme Being are valuable lessons on how to cope with the sufferings of Samsara. As Lord Krishna, the ultimate preceptor, He instructed the timeless truths and as Lord Rama He played the role of a disciple when he received instruction from Lord Siva. Lord Rama, seemingly unaware of His divine nature, wallows in doubt, self-pity and anguish.

Overcome with dejection and anguish, and reacting as an ordinary human being, He wants to know why these sufferings happen to Him. Lord Siva expounds the philosophical aspects of life that are characterised with the inevitability of change and instability. The power of fate that governs the lives of human beings who are bound by their good and bad deeds, the cycle of births, and joy and sorrow occurring in succession, are all explained.

The exclusive edge for the Jivatma is the opportunity to seek liberation.

It is said that during His incarnation as Lord Rama, the Lord maintained the human trait meticulously and never allowed His divine nature to surface.

Even when the celestials praised Him as the Paramatma, Lord Rama merely stated that he was a human being. Apart from instances as when Jatayu or Sabari attained salvation when His divine power was revealed, He essentially was a finely evolved and praiseworthy man, bound to righteousness and honour.

The purpose of His incarnation being to kill Ravana, who had not taken into consideration a human being as a foe when he besought invincibility from Siva, the Lord chose to remain a human being and not give any suspicion to Ravana about His divine nature.

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