Don’t Let The Visual Fool You

“Whose knowledge, speech, perception, qualities and mind are beyond illusion, the unborn one, that same Bhagavan, who is like a sach-chid-ananda cloud, out of His kindness performed activities in the form of a man.” (Dohavali, 114)

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gyāna girā gotīta aja māyā mana guna pāra |
soi saccidānandaghana kara nara carita udāra ||

As Shri Krishna, He was shot in the foot by the hunter. This fulfilled the prophecy tied to the curse of Gandhari, the grieving mother of the Kauravas. It also made real the mistake of omission detected by Durvasa Muni, who had previously asked Krishna and Queen Rukmini to rub a frumenty paste all over their bodies. Krishna missed a spot on the sole of the foot, and Durvasa said that the paste had given them immunity from death wherever it was applied.

As Shri Rama, He is famously depicted chasing after the golden deer, which was actually an ogre in disguise. He used monkeys and bears to build a bridge, and He allowed Himself to be thrown out of His kingdom for fourteen years, without putting up a fight. He lamented greatly at the separation from His wife, and He also required instruction from teachers in youth.

In fact, these blemishes or vulnerabilities exist to help the non-devotees stay that way. Atheism is a choice, after all. Otherwise everyone would be forced to acknowledge and serve God, and by extension love would be lacking. Transcendental taste, rasa, cannot exist without some love, and true love is the result of a choice.

The atheists are fooled by the external vision, and intentionally so. They purposely ignore the other amazing activities. These are transcendental, or beyond illusion. Maya is the illusory energy and as soon as birth takes place there is vulnerability to this illusion. To break out is very difficult, but the Supreme Lord kindly arrives in an avatara form from time to time to give the greatest support in escaping for good.

Fools deride Him, but the devotees know the truth. As Goswami Tulsidas describes in his Dohavali, Shri Rama is actually like a sach-chid-ananda cloud. The cloud is dense, full of potential to distribute rainwater. The comparison is appropriate because the transcendental body of Shri Rama has a complexion that resembles the dark raincloud.

Rama possesses knowledge, eternality and bliss to the highest extent. His cloud-like body is thus sach-chid-ananda. Rama is also aja, or unborn. He appears at a certain time in the royal home of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, but it is not like He didn’t exist before. He always has that transcendental form, from beginning to end. In fact, aja means that there is no beginning for Him. This also means that death does not apply to Him.

In the avatara form, Rama acts like an ordinary human being. To such a person qualities, knowledge, speech and perception apply. There is a mind, as well. None of these are ordinary. They are beyond the illusory energy of maya. Vedic literature is replete with evidence; in one place after another there is proof.

The works with the most detail about Rama’s life are the Ramayana, Ramacharitamanasa and various Puranas. Rama both knows the science of self-realization and lives by its principles. His speech is beautifully composed, meaningful, and pleasant to hear. His perception is unmatched; He can defeat fighters without seeing them. His presence extends to every single living thing, as He lives within the heart as the Supersoul, Paramatma.

Every quality, guna, is transcendental. That very same Bhagavan agreed to appear as a human being. This was done out of supreme kindness. Such kindness should be met by love, service, attachment and allegiance on the other side. There is no risk, as Rama is the only one who can reciprocate fully and perfectly, from lifetime to lifetime.

In Closing:

Fooled not to be,

Despite human-like to see.

With activities, thoughts and speech,

Still the one who inside every and each.

Fighting Rakshasas using only sound,

Protecting sage’s sacrificial ground.

For pleasure of devotees only coming,

Serving Him loser never becoming.