Our Epics keep us eternally relevant & united towards love for all Creation
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1. What is it that keeps the Bharatiya culture and spiritual wisdom still alive even after thousands of centuries, when all other civilizations have lost their moorings – “kuchh baat hai ki hasti mitati naheen hamari“?
Perhaps because our societies were led not by physical powers of Kings and warriors, but by a few Mentors the learned thinkers, Shrestha, who had the wisdom and moral character that not only earned the respect of those with power and authority, but who guided and inspired even the masses to remain on the path of Righteousness, Dharma.
These Mentors were present in every corner of Bharat and continuously interacted with each other thru’ Sanskrit and studied the wisdom from our common Vedic and Vedantic foundation, which logically establishes the worldview of Oneness of Creation; and inspires mankind to realize this highest goal, viz. direct experience of our Oneness with, and love for all.
It is a fact that that masses are generally interested only in Artha and Kaama, Money and Pleasures; and while many know the truth, ideals, right, wrong, etc. their mind is not yet ready to appreciate or adhere to them!
Today we need both a common, universal Vision and Mentors as leaders; and India has now submitted the ideal of “One World. One Family. One Future.”, as a necessity. How do we imbibe these Ideals?
2. Our ancient Rishis had first focused on educating and inspiring people to strive to build powers of mind to excel in work and vocation for good of society and practice imbibing commitment to righteousness and respective duties, kartavya palan. This purifies and expands the mind (chitta-suddhi) to feel love for more and more and prepares it to attain highest spiritual wisdom.
To inspire and educate the masses our Rishis had then created Epics like Ramayana, Mahabharat, Puranas, etc. so that Leaders, Teachers, Parents, could learn from them and share with people; and as a society we could enjoy them and imbibe love for the highest spiritual ideals and wisdom.
3. The Epics had deep Mystical, symbological meanings, they were not just ‘stories’, and were conveyed across the country by wandering ascetics, sannyasis, men of learning. There being no Tourism, etc. people undertook Teertha yatra, spiritual journey to the many holy places, temple towns, centres of learning, ashram etc. and in the evenings gathered to see/listen enactment of Ram Leela, Krishna Leela etc. which united us as Bharatiya and inspired the masses to strive thru’ Righteousness/Dharma to Earn, Enjoy, and attain Perfection/Love for All.
The Rishis had couched the Epics in mystical meanings and as we grew spiritually, their deeper, hidden spiritual wisdom got revealed! It is thus that Bharatiya civilization remains intact after thousands of centuries and unites us, thanks to our Epics, which are still popular!
4. “Living Hanuman” is a recent work that explains many of these mystical meanings from Ramayan. For example, we all know of Sita but what is the mystical symbology of Sita? Here are some meanings:
# Sita is the Shakti (energy field) of Brahman aka One omniscient God, Consciousness that is immovable and changeless
# She is Maha Maya, the veiling power that covers Consciousness and appears as ever changing creation, our uni+verse (signifying Oneness, Advaita).
Sita as Siya represents the Earth. In Sanskrit Sita means a furrow in the field, Earth, that is created by plough, (where she was found at birth!) for sowing seeds that produces food. And all beings subsist on food and therefore Annam Brahman; food is a name of God! What is the relationship of Sita with Earth? The furrow is man’s relationship with Earth; out of this connection ensues life and its sustenance!
Sita is this relationship of each human being with the Earth and all her beings…so Mother Earth. Rig Veda commands “do not cut the trees as they remove pollution”. Atharva Veda elaborates the need to conserve and nourish the Earth and explains how to keep a harmonious relationship with the Earth. Ayurveda says, not a single herb is removed from Earth without saying a prayer that states the need to do so and seeking forgiveness.
Sita as a symbol of our relationship with Earth is extremely relevant. Outwardly Sita represents our relationship with all beings, animals, plants, ecosphere, and Earth. Individually Sita represents one’s relationship with food we consume, material objects we possess, our desires and the Body-Mind-Intellect that I inhabit. At subtle level Sita represents our relationship with the muladhara, Chakra, vortex of energy.
Sita also represents our relationship with our Soul, jivatma. Sita is also expressed as Mind and its functions, ego-sense. Mind sustains our connections with our body and external world. As Maya she is the Cosmic illusion that holds Consciousness in a matrix of Ever-Changing universe.
5. The Rishis understood that the masses are simple people, devoted to their duties and to their God ideal, Rama, Sita, Krishna, and many other symbols of One Supreme God. They also knew that just thru pure devotion, devoted people could also gleam the highest wisdom, without even being educated or learned!
The Rishis therefore created social systems and an educational and spiritual culture which focused on imbibing commitment to duties, Kartavya-palan, selflessness, and expanded our mind in love and developed spiritually, the ideas, words, actions, etc.
6. Who are savages and uncivilized? The Ancients? Or we the educated, selfish, greedy?
Learning from the Epics, don’t we see the uneducated masses still working silently, unselfishly committed to their smallest duties, producing the entire ‘wealth’, without complaint?
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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