Ocean of Nectar: Ramayana | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

1. RAMAYANA

Rama kills Ravana

When the news of Indrajit’s death reached Ravana, he really started to lament, that, "I wish I had listened to Vibishan’s advice."...But it was already too late. As a hero, Ravana himself came to the battlefield and a terrible battle actually ensued. Lakshman was confronting Ravana. Ravana took up a lance, that pierced Lakshman’s body and Lakshman became unconscious. So that is a time, as you know, like to revive Lakshman, Hanuman had to bring the Gadhamandan mountain. Hanuman jumped all the way to the Himalayan mountain to bring these herbs called Vishalakarani. Actually, there were four types of herbs that was needed, Vishalakarani, Suvarnakarani, Sandini and Ritasanjini. Hanuman could not find these herbs himself, so he just uprooted the mountain and carried the whole mountain to Lanka.

Then Shushen found the herbs, and he made a paste of it, and made Lakshman to smell it. And when Lakshman inhaled it, Lakshman came back to life. Then Rama confronted Ravana. Ravana was fighting from a chariot, so in order to match Ravana’s situation, Indra sent his own chariot, driven by Matali, Indra’s chariot driver and then a terrible battle took place between Ravana and Rama. Rama found it was very difficult to subdue Ravana.

Because he would shoot an arrow and cut one of the heads of Ravana, the head would fall on the ground, but another head would just appear. In this way, hundreds of heads of Ravana were chopped off but Ravana was totally unaffected by that. So, then, Agastamuni came there, actually, at one time, Ravana became fatally injured, that his chariot driver took him out of the battlefield. And when Ravana was away from the battlefield, Agasta came and reminded Rama to chant the Adityahridaya Mantra and he reminded Him to use the weapon that he gave Him when Rama came to visit him in Dandakaranya. This was a weapon that was personally created by Lord Brahma. And so, in this way, Agasta Rshi advised Rama, to use that weapon, not to cut his head, but to pierce his heart. Ravana actually had nectar preserved in his heart, that's why he became immortal. So, this time when Ravana came back to the battlefield, Ravana was very upset. He told his chariot driver, "Why did you take me out of the battlefield?" And the chariot driver said that, "I took you out, so that you could regain your consciousness." And so finally Ravana was persuaded. When he came to the battlefield this time, Rama just used this terrible weapon, Brahmastra. It hit Ravana in his chest and Ravana was dead. After Ravana’s death, when the news reached Lanka, all his Queens came crying and they were lamenting and seeing their condition, Rama told Vibishan, "We have to cremate him, we have to conduct his funeral as soon as possible, otherwise these ladies will not be pacified. Because, as long as his body is there, they will be wailing. “Vibishan refused to do the funeral conduct of Ravana. The funeral is meant to be conducted by a family member. Now in his family all his sons were dead. The only male person, family member that was alive was Vibishan. But Vibishan refused to do that, he said "He is such a sinful person, I don't want to conduct his funeral." But Rama reasoned with him that, "whatever he has done, he has done, but now that he is dead, he is not subjected to that. After all, it is his body that has to be cremated. Finally, Vibishvan conducted Ravana’s funeral. And after Ravana’s funeral, Vibishvan was coronated to the throne by Ramacandra.

Sita’s test of purity

Then news was sent to Sita by Hanuman about Rama’s victory and Ravana’s death. Sita became so excited, she immediately wanted to come. But Hanuman said, no you take your bath, get dressed up properly and then come. When Sita came, she found that Rama was very grave and she wondered why Rama seems to be so grave at the time like this. Then Rama said: “You have been kidnapped by somebody, stayed in his house for so long. So, naturally people will question about your purity. And here it is not my feelings which are of consideration. What is of consideration is the honour of our dynasty? Sita was crying and saying: “Why did you not tell me before that you are not going to accept me? Then I would have given up my life. What was the use of killing so many monkeys, killing so many rakshashas, so many lives have been lost for nothing? She said that: “I am going to enter into fire and give up my life”. And then Rama consented to that. He said: “Laksmana, light the fire.” A huge fire was lit and Sita entered there. But then Agnideva himself appeared from the fire with Sita. Everybody saw that Sita’s dress, her hair not even a touch nothing got burned. Agnideva declared Sita was pure. In this way, Sita was united with Rama again. Then Rama told Sita: “I knew about your condition, but just to pacify everybody, so that no one will ever question your character, that’s why I have arranged that. Then it was arranged that Rama along with Laksmana and Sita will go back to Ayodhya. Vibishan requested them to stay for longer, but Rama insisted, “No”. He wanted to go. So then, it was arranged that Vibishan wanted to come with Him.

They all came to Ayodhya

It was arranged that Vibishan wanted to come with Rama, so did Sugriva and all the monkeys. They all got into the pushpaka chariot and they all came to Ayodhya. At that time Bharata was not in Ayodhya. Bharata actually shifted the capital to Nandigram. There, living like an ascetic, living in a cottage, eating only roots and fruits, Bharata was spending his days. Rama arrived and Bharata came back with His shoes. He said that: “Making these shoes your representative, I have been ruling this kingdom, conducting the affairs of the kingdom for all these years. Now you please take your kingdom back.

In this way Ramacandra came back to Ayodhya and took his kingdom back. And after that, for eleven thousand years He reigned over the earth planet. Sri Ramacandra ki jay ! Thank you very much. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION

I first met Srila Prabhupada in a dream. I got a book written by Srila Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion, and as I started to read it, from the very first page it occurred to me that this is what I was actually looking for. And the next night I had a dream of Srila Prabhupada. And I saw Srila Prabhupada was sitting on a majestic throne and those days I did not know what a vyasasana was, because in India the saintly people they sit on a rather simple seat, they don't sit on such a gorgeous throne, it looks rather like a throne. So, I saw Srila Prabhupada sitting on a throne. And there was a brilliant light around Srila Prabhupada, as if the light was coming out of his body. And just the sight of Srila Prabhupada made me feel that finally I found my spiritual master. (Excerpt from “Prabhupada Realizations” by HH Bhakti Charu Swami)

3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS

Ramachandra said something very, very wonderful, he said "On top of everything, if somebody comes to surrender to me and says that he is surrendering to Me, I accept him, even if he is not honest about his admission, even if one pretending to surrender comes to me, still I accept him." And then he said that "And I take care of him, not only throughout his entire life, I take care of him life after life." That is the reward and the result of someone surrendering to Lord Ramachandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

(The content of this E-magazine was based on a Ramayan Seminar given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in the North American Retreat Day 4)

(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Dasi)