Miscellaneous - Religion   

Power of destiny

CHENNAI: It is not easy to account for the sufferings or joys of individuals from a rational stance. All the same the joyful spells are welcomed and the moments of anguish are wished to be bypassed. The Ramayana illustrates the essence of human life when the Supreme Being incarnated as Lord Rama and lived as a human being thereby teaching by example to deal with the vicissitudes of life.

This epic establishes the value of upholding dharma at all costs and the role of destiny or fate, believed to be the consequence of one’s actions, good and bad, is reinforced at all contexts, pointed out Sri B. Damodara Dikshitar in a lecture. Chastisement and retribution are very much a reality even as compassion of the Lord and forgiveness offer solace and serve to uplift the erring Jivatmas.

Sita views her suffering in Lanka as punishment for her sins and makes a confession of them to Hanuman when he brought tidings of Lord Rama to her. She recalls her regrettable act of accusing Lakshmana when he refused to believe that Lord Rama was in danger for he knew it was the demon Maricha mimicking the voice of the Lord. She had gone to the extent of attributing wrong motives for his refusal to leave the hermitage, saying that he wished to take advantage when an opportunity to be alone with her came his way. Sita accepts this as wrong enough; but she accepts the greater wrong of her attaching wrong intention to Bharata who was not at all in the picture. To accuse Bharata who was totally innocent is a big mistake. She suffered for ten months in Lanka for her wrong against Lakshmana and later she suffered separation form Lord Rama at the hermitage of Sage Valmiki for her sin against Bharata.

Sita pays rich tributes to Lakshmana who went into exile, following Lord Rama, abandoning all domestic comforts of parents and wife, and the riches and prosperity as well. This renouncement is testimony to his affection and respect towards Lord Rama. Sita acknowledges his tender care in the forest as equal to the parental concern of Dasaratha, for Lord Rama did not miss His father. She also states that Laksmana regarded Lord Rama and her as his own parents.

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