From Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swamis

Upanyasam in New Jersey, 2008

Acharyans 45
th
and 46
th
pattam Srimad Azhagiya
Singars

Introduction:
Rama avataram is anushtana pradhana avataram. In Ramayana,
Bhagawan Sri Rama has shown as the proper way to lead our lives. The
entire epic of Ramayana contains six books known as kandas. Each of
the kandas teaches us one particular moral. We must follow these
morals to lead a proper life according to the wishes of Bhagawan.
Bala Kanda:

The moral of Bala Kanda is obedience. Bhagawan incarnated as Sri
Rama in Treta Yuga because obedience was waning in society.
Youngsters stopped listening to the elders. It is important to obey
elders when they try to lead us on the path of dharma. The only time
we can choose to disobey our elders is if their advice is against the
dharmashastras and would make us commit adharma.
It is important to listen to our parents and acharya. There is no temple
more important than our mother and the words our father are the best
manthras in life.
In Bala Kanda, when sage Vishwamitra requested for Ramas help and
asked King Dasaratha to send Sri Rama with him, king Dasaratha
refuses. He suggests that he would come in stead of sri rama in order
to help sage Vishwamitra. King Dasaratha politely refused to send Sri
Rama with sage Vishwamitra. Sage Vashishta then advices king
Dasaratha to send Sri Rama with sage Vishwamitra. The moment the
king heard the words of his acharyan sage Vashishta, he agreed to send
Sri Rama along with Lakshmana without further arguments. Similarly Sri
Rama agreed to accompany the sage without arguing with his father.
In Tatakavana, sage Vishwamitra asks Rama to kill the demoness
Tataka. Sri Rama asked the sage if it was okay to kill a woman.
Immediately He regretted asking this question for He had been asked to
obey the sage by His father. Sage Vishwamitra wanted Sri Rama to kill
Tataka to save humanity. For the sake of protecting the people it was
dharmam to kill Tataka. After duly apologizing to sage Vishwamitra, Sri
Rama killed Tataka.

Ayodhya Kanda:


In Ayodhya Kanda, Bhagawan teaches us to accept pain and pleasure
with equal outlook. In life pain and pleasure, profit and loss come in
cycles. Noone is continuously happy forever. If we are happy today we
know that tomorrow something might happen to make us feel sad. Sri
Rama was happy when King Dasaratha told Him that He was to be
crowned as the next king. The day of the coronation ceremony, early in
the morning, His stepmother Kaikeyi told Sri Rama to go live in the
forest. She told Him that Bharata would be crowned as the next king.
Sri Rama did not feel sad or angry when He heard Kaikeyis words. In
fact He was happier. He accepted both profit and loss equally. He was
happy when He was told that He would inherit the kingdom but He was
happier when He was told that He wouldnt inherit the kingdom.
Bhagawan preached the same concept in Bhagawat geetha when He
instructed everyone to have equal outlook towards profit-loss and pain-
pleasure.
Aranya Kanda:

In Aranya Kanda Bhagawan shows us the value of Sat Sangam. He
shows that it is important to stay close to Bhagawathas and learn about
Bhagawat Vishayams. Sri Rama wandered through Dandakaranya
seeking the company of the sages. He has showed us that we must
listen to the same Bhagawatha repeatedly as well as listen to other
Bhagawathas.
We can find true joy only through Sat Sangam.





Kishkinda Kandam:

Bhagawan has showed us that we must not discriminate amongst
Bhagawathas. Sri Rama accepted Sugreeva as His friend. He did not
discriminate against Sugreeva because he was a vanara. Throughout
Ramayana Bhagawan has displayed His quality of Sauseelyam by
treating His Bhagawathas equally. He accepted the hunter Guha as his
friend , accepted the vanara king Sugreeva and finally He accepted
Vibhishana the brother of the sinner Ravana. He treated His friends the
same way He treated His brothers. To Him, Bharata, Shatrugana,
Lakshmana, Guha, Sugreeva and Vibhishana were all equal.
We must follow Sri Ramas example and treat all Bhagawatas equally
with respect irrespective of their financial status, societal status, caste,
family back ground etc.
Sundara Kanda:

The central figure in Sundara Kanda is Hanuman. He is an acharya. He is
mighty, strong and intelligent but above all he is humble. He never
credits himself to have found Sita. When he was unable to find Sita in
Sri Lanka he felt that he had committed a sin by thinking that he would
be able to locate her. He prays to Sita to reveal herself to him. He
realised that we cannot find Perumaal or Piratti; it is their grace
towards us which makes us reach them. Perumaal and Piratti have to
reveal themselves to us for us to be able to reach them. Our efforts
dont reach us to their divine feet but it is their grace which makes it
possible.
Humility and realising that we depend on the divine grace of Perumaal
and Piratti are important qualities of a Bhagawata.
Yudha Kanda:
This kanda is about forgiving our enemies. Bhagawan instructs
Vibhishana to perform the last rites for Ravana. When Vibhishana
refuses, Bhagawan teaches him that we can only hate someone when
they are alive. We must forgive a person and let go of our hate when
that person dies. The esoteric meaning of this incident is that Ravana
thought that he was independent when he was alive. He didnt realise
that he depended on Bhagawan. Sri Rama was willing to protect even
Ravana but Ravana did not want Bhagawans protection. After death,
Ravanas atma is freed from his body and no longer stops Bhagawan
from protecting him.
The moral to take from this kandam is that we must love all and wish
good things even to our enemies. Everyone is dear to Bhagawan and is
under His protection.