Miscreants To Annihilate

“Hiranyaksha and his brother, Madhu and the very strong Kaitabha - the one who slayed them, Bhagavan, the ocean of mercy, has descended as an avatara.” (Dohavali, 115)

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hiranyācca bhrātā sahita madhu kai।tabha balavāna |
jehiṃ māre soi avatareu k।rpāsindhu bhagavāna ||

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, dharma. Correspondingly, the rise of irreligion, adharma. These conditions trigger the periodic appearances, which to the limited vision look like a janma, or birth, but are not really. The form is described as an avatara, or one who descends. This means that the external is not material, despite what common assessment says.

The avatara descends from the spiritual world for these purposes, and then there are two primary functions carried out. Protecting the pious, the sadhus. These are saintly people, who typically don’t keep attention on defense. There shouldn’t be much concern in this area, as there aren’t many possessions. If need be, the sadhu can take residence inside of a remote cave, sit down in front of a tulasi plant, and all day chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The second function relates to the first. The avatara annihilates the miscreants. The Sanskrit word is dushkritam, those who are interested only in impious work. The miscreants love to harass the saints, and rather than take up weapons and get distracted from their primary business of God consciousness and worship of the Divine, the Supreme Lord Himself takes up the task of defense on their behalf.

He is already everywhere through the expansion known as Supersoul. The material nature works at His direction. While that energy is typically neutral, for the devotees an exception is made. The sadhu comes under the direct supervision of the most intelligent mind. This is because the devotees are considered to be His friends.

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

How exactly does Bhagavan annihilate the miscreants? Should not the material nature handle the responsibility? The avataras are paired with some of the most powerful miscreants in the world. Again, the purpose is twofold. One is to show just how high a person can climb in material advancement. In one sense, the sky is the limit. People like Hiranyakashipu were so powerful that even the demigods were helpless against him.

The other purpose is to show that no matter how advanced a person becomes materially, in any of the different areas of opulence, they are still no match for Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Goswami Tulsidas mentions four different times Bhagavan took on such miscreants to describe how God again descended as the avatara named Rama.

The bad guys have been around just as long as the good guys have. The original good guy is Lord Brahma, who is also known as the creator. Both the suras and asuras trace their lineage back to him. In fact, Brahma is the original father of every species.

“In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma was attacked by two demons—Madhu and Kaitabha—but Krishna saved him. Therefore Krishna is addressed as madhu-kaitabha-hantri.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.13 Purport)

A long time ago Brahma was attacked by two people named Madhu and Kaitabha. Bhagavan was there to protect. The different avataras that offer this protection are of the same identity, that is to say they are the same person. Therefore Bhagavan is also known by such names as Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Narasimha and Varaha.

The Varaha avatara was in the transcendental form of a boar. He defeated the very powerful demon named Hiranyaksha. The brother of the slain victim later vowed to get revenge on Vishnu. His name was Hiranyakashipu and he was defeated by the avatar named Narasimha, who was a half-man/half-lion.

Tulsidas worships the avatara named Rama, who is in a human-like body. The poet gives the background description so that no one will be confused. Rama is the same person who previously slayed Kaitabha, Madhu, and other powerful characters. After His appearance in Ayodhya, Rama would go on to rid the world of even more bad people.

Today the primary avatara is in the form of the holy name itself. This powerful sound cuts through the miscreant known as illusion. Therefore the saints take shelter of this protection, making sure it is always around by constantly producing the sound and allowing others to hear it as well.

In Closing:

Now avatara of Rama the name,

By whom previously demons slain.

Like Madhu and Kaitabha attacking,

Wicked characters of piety lacking.

Hiranyaksha against Varaha the boar,

Whose brother hoping revenge in store.

For the saintly Bhagavan ready to stand,

Now same with Ravana’s fate in hand.

Why Are There Asuras In The World

“O my dear King, Hiranyakashipu was always drunk on strong-smelling wines and liquors, and therefore his coppery eyes were always rolling. Nonetheless, because he had powerfully executed great austerities in mystic yoga, although he was abominable, all but the three principal demigods—Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu—personally worshiped him to please him by bringing him various presentations with their own hands.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.13)

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Friend1: Asuras are pretty bad.

Friend2: What’s your definition of asura?

Friend1: A bad guy. Someone lacking good qualities. Lying, cheating, stealing, intentionally causing distress to others, not respecting life and property, unless it is their own.

Friend2: That’s pretty comprehensive.

Friend1: Yes, I understand the root definition, if that’s what you are getting at. The asura is opposite of the sura. The Sanskrit word is a basic negation. The suras are the good guys. They believe in God. They may not be perfect, but they tend to be on the right side of things.

Friend2: Yes. The conflict between the suras and the asuras has been going on for thousands of years. That is the way of the material world.

Friend1: I get that. Since they worked together to churn the ocean of milk, where so many things were produced, including nectar, the conflict hasn’t subsided. The suras are favored by Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore even if they suffer defeat every now and then, if it looks like the asuras are gaining in strength and prominence, the situation won’t last for long.

Friend2: Yeah. A smart person would realize that the side of the suras is the one to be on. Even if you’re lacking good qualities, from a sheer self-interest perspective Vishnu’s protection would override anything the asuras could offer.

Friend1: Maybe I’ve asked this question before, but it’s something that comes up from other people. Why are there asuras to begin with?

Friend2: What do you mean? Isn’t that like asking why there are trees, plants, rivers, mountains, and people in general?

Friend1: Not quite. The asuras cause so much trouble. They are synonymous with disturbance. The saintly qualities are conducive to good. Why don’t just the saintly people live here?

Friend2: For starters, there is a place where such conditions exist. It is known as the spiritual world. Vaikuntha is the place free of anxieties. You won’t find asuras there.

Friend1: Okay, but why do they exist at all, in any place? Why doesn’t Vishnu prevent them from taking birth?

Friend2: Let me ask you this. Have you ever lied?

Friend1: Of course. I am not George Washington [smiling].

Friend2: Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you?

Friend1: Ashamed to admit it, but yes.

Friend2: Have you ever caused injury to someone else, either physically or verbally?

Friend1: Alright, are you done with the rhetorical questions?

Friend2: I’m asking to show that there is good and bad within all of us. It is part of living in the material world. The event of birth indicates sin. Papa is the opposite of punya. The original sin, if you will, is choosing against the association of Vishnu.

Friend1: Okay, but you still have sura-like people being born. They may be a little bad, but ultimately they are good.

Friend2: And so the bad can be reformed, as well. Maybe not in the present lifetime, but in future ones.

Friend1: But Shri Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita that the worst among men are repeatedly cast by Him into lower species.

Friend2: Sure. That is an appropriate punishment for horrible behavior. It doesn’t mean that things can’t turn around. Everyone is spirit soul, after all. They are God conscious deep down inside.

Friend1: Okay, and so the asura birth is allowing the bad qualities to manifest. It is like providing a playing field for sinful activity.

Friend2: Now you’re getting somewhere. The material world is a playing field. Good and bad or somewhere in the middle. You choose. By being good you gradually go back to the original consciousness. It’s not guaranteed, though. The leader of the suras, Indra, is known for having committed atrocities in the past. It is not like he is perfect.

Friend1: Such as with the Govardhana Puja incident.

Friend2: Exactly. The goal should be to purify to the point of rising above distinctions like good and bad. Be purely good. Be on the transcendental platform. That is ultimately what Vishnu’s association is for. People like Hiranyakashipu learned the hard way. He was the worst character, but at the same time close by was a pure devotee, the son named Prahlada. You might say that the presence of the asuras is inauspicious, and it surely is. But this world has saints, too. You might find both in the same household, and it is up to you to choose which side to favor.

In Closing:

Asuras so much harm to do,

Lying, cheating and stealing too.

Why in this world at all,

Where temporary home to call?

Good and bad inside one of us each,

Possible with reform from pious to teach.

In some households both could even found,

Like Hiranya and son for Vaikuntha bound.

Five Aspects Of Shri Rama That Are Transcendental

“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 ||

The body is a kind of holding cell. The spirit soul is amazing in so many ways. It withstands the changes brought on by the seasons. Through time alone nothing remains the same on the outside. The soul is the exception. Some say it is amazing, some don’t understand it at all, while some are trying their best to wrap their minds around the concept of transcendence and how the soul already possesses that property.

“Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.29)

If it has these amazing properties, why are individuals, who are souls at the core, suffering? Why do they go through birth and death? Why is there pain and distress? These temporary conditions relate to the body only. The knowledge, eternality and bliss, or sach-chid-ananda, get covered up to varying degrees by the type of body, which consists of a specific combination of gunas, which are material qualities.

The Supreme Lord, Bhagavan, is also spirit soul. As Goswami Tulsidas notes in the Dohavali, God is also sach-chid-ananda. The key distinction with Bhagavan is that the body is also spiritual. It is not limiting as is the case for the conditioned souls. Evidence is there in the avatara forms, especially those who appear to be human. Shri Rama is Bhagavan, though giving the visual of a son of a king.

1. Knowledge

Rama’s knowledge is transcendental. It is beyond maya, which is the illusory energy that helps to keep the properties of the otherwise amazing spirit soul in check. It is because of maya that I erroneously associate with the body. Maya makes me worry over the future, when in fact the sober-minded person already understands that everything is destined for destruction. No person escapes death.

Evidence of Rama’s amazing knowledge is there in the interactions with His brother Lakshmana. Rama is the eldest, and so one of Lakshmana’s names is Ramanuja. The younger brother follows the lead of the elder. Sometimes Lakshmana instructs Rama, but he makes sure to mention that the words were first heard through Rama.

"O hero, many times in the past You had spoken the same words of instruction to me. Of course how can anyone, be they even Brihaspati himself, be capable of instructing You?" (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 66.18)

Another avatar of Bhagavan is Shri Krishna, and He is famously known for delivering the Bhagavad-gita to the bow-warrior Arjuna. This is the song of God, the wisdom of the ages, applicable to any person, during any time period.

2. Speech

Rama’s speech is both appropriate and pleasant to hear. Usually, these qualities are contradictory in general conversation. If I have to tell my friend that they are doing something wrong, they may not take it so well. They will get angry at me, even if what I am telling them is correct.

If I deliver only sweet words, how will others learn anything? A harsh tone is sometimes necessary to get a point across. With Shri Rama the contradiction vanishes. He is the Lord of speech, and anyone who speaks in the same way inherits the ability from Him.

3. Perception

I know what is going on in my life. Mind you, the perception isn’t perfect. I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast two weeks ago. I was there. I experienced it. I made the decision. Still, the perception is now a thing of the past. Unless there is a record somewhere else, the observation is gone.

Even with perfect memory, the range is limited. I only know what is going on around me. I can’t tell what you are thinking. The only way I’ll know is if you tell me. The same goes for you. We all have limited ability in this department; hence the oft-asked question of, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound.”

In steps the perception of Shri Rama. He is everywhere through His expansion of the Supersoul. This means that the tree always produces a sound, since at the very least Bhagavan is there for perception. He hears prayers coming from thousands of directions simultaneously.

Rama’s transcendental perception was witnessed directly in His dealings with the Rakshasas. Some of them would fight dirty, in that they would disappear from sight. Rama still defeated them in battle, locating them through sound.

4. Mind

Rama’s mind is not polluted by impure thoughts. He can remember everything and process the information. When asked to leave the kingdom and live like an ascetic in the forest for fourteen years, there was not a moment of hesitation. Rama gladly accepted the sudden reversal without a hitch. He took it as a wonderful opportunity to follow the orders of the father, despite how sad everyone would be at separation from Him. This is because His mind remained steady. Rama is atmarama, or completely satisfied in the self.

5. Qualities

Gunas also imply ropes. As ropes are known to bind, gunas keep a conditioned spirit soul tied to the cycle of birth and death. They come in three different modes: goodness, passion and ignorance.

For Bhagavan the gunas refer to transcendental qualities. They are attributes belonging to the attribute-less one. The contradiction is resolved through understanding the supreme standing of Bhagavan. He is above any dichotomy of visible and invisible. His gunas are on display in the material world for our understanding.

Rama does not have any material qualities, and so He can do amazing things like make rocks float on the water. He can defend Himself against 14,000 fighters attacking simultaneously. He can defeat the powerful Ravana, the evil king of Lanka. He can give pleasure to every kind of species simply through the grace of His feet, which are lotus-like. And He can give liberation through something as basic as the sounds that represent Him: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Though in human form appearing,

Transcendental gunas, to bhaktas endearing.

Like mind sober and steady,

To hear all prayers ready.

Lakshmana knowledge to brother dejected,

Who through Him first accepted.

Speech both appropriate and sweet,

Presence alone ignorance to defeat.

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.

Five Times Shri Rama Showed Vulnerability

“For the benefit of the devotees, the Supreme Lord, Shri Rama, took the body of a king. He performed the most amazing activities in a manifest form, like an ordinary man.” (Dohavali, 113)

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bhagata hetu bhagavāna prabhu rāma dhareu tanu bhūpa |
kie carita pāvana parama prāk।rta nara anurupa ||

Goswami Tulsidas is so appreciative of the Supreme Lord appearing in the human-like form of Shri Rama. Everything looked like what is typically expected. A birth. A growth period. Walking, talking, taking instruction from a guru. When everything was said and done, leaving.

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

As Shri Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita, the janma and karma for God are divyam. This means “Divine.” Just as Krishna is an appearance of Bhagavan on earth as a nara, or man, so is the descent of Shri Rama.

Though a man, Rama was not ordinary. It is impossible for Bhagavan to fully mask His transcendental nature. The effect of the material energy is also a factor. If I am so immersed in a particular desire and meeting it, I may not notice what is around me. So with many asuras during Rama’s time and also Krishna’s, they witnessed amazing things directly performed by the Supreme Lord and still did not change from their stance in atheism.

Not surprisingly, Rama’s activities were amazing, but this is not limited to one side. There was amazing lila, or pastimes, on the side of greatness, but Rama also showed signs of being ordinary, or not Divine. This was just as amazing, as many purposes were served through the exhibition.

1. Playing as an ordinary child

King Dasharatha was blessed to have four sons, after waiting so long just to have one. The extra perk was that each was Divine. Rama is Vishnu Himself and the three younger brothers expansions of Vishnu. Their appearance alone is sufficient testimony of the high character of the king.

If the Almighty appears in your home, how will you act? Likely there will be awe and reverence. Say nice things. Pay attention to etiquette and hospitality. Don’t make any foolish remarks.

How will the person on the receiving end feel? Is this what they are looking for? In the case of Bhagavan, the three worlds continue to sing His glories, and the process started before anyone can remember. It will never end, either, as Bhagavan is limitless.

With the avatara of Shri Rama, the desire was not to get more attention from a distance. By playing as an ordinary child, Rama elicited loving sentiments from the parents. They had a protective mentality. They were willing to do anything for their child, and Rama obliged by playing the perfect one.

2. Needing a ride across the river

Later on in the timeline of events from the Ramayana, Shri Rama is an adult traveling through the forest. He is accompanied by His wife Sita and the younger brother Lakshmana. Per the stipulations laid down by the step-mother, the group was to travel like ascetics. This meant no retinue, no chariots, no personal driver, as was available previously in the kingdom of Ayodhya.

At one point the group needed to get across the river. There was a boatman to provide the service. Kevata had one stipulation. He would not let Rama board the vessel until Rama’s feet had been washed. Kevata would personally see to this.

The excuse was that previously Rama’s lotus feet had liberated the wife of a saint through just contact. She had been cursed to remain in a stone form, and when Rama’s feet touched her she was liberated and returned to her husband, Gautama Rishi.

Kevata was worried that if his boat turned into a human being gone would be his livelihood. Let Rama’s feet be washed first, as this was the service preferred. Those feet are the very definition of purity and the water emanating from contact is pure, as well. Rama can travel as fast as the wind, so He doesn’t require anyone’s help in crossing a river. Kevata received the wonderful opportunity because of his pure devotion.

3. Chasing after a golden deer

While living in an ashrama one time a golden deer appeared. It caught Sita’s attention and she wanted to have it, preferably alive. She was shy in asking her husband for anything, but she mustered up the courage to make the request.

Rama will do anything to please His devotees, including chasing after a golden deer He knows to be a trick. The deer was actually the wicked character named Maricha, who had the ability to mask his true shape. Rama chased after the deer and eventually shot it. His departure from the ashrama allowed the heinous crime of Sita’s kidnapping by the king of Lanka, Ravana, to take place.

This was a show of vulnerability that allows the atheists to this day to continue to deny the existence of God. That is their original desire, after all, and Bhagavan does not interfere. The chase after the deer allowed for important events subsequent to occur.

4. Lamenting separation from Sita

Bhagavan is atmarama. This means “self-satisfied.” He is never bored. He doesn’t need to watch television. He doesn’t need a smartphone by His side to constantly check the news, scores, or stock prices. He is complete in Himself, purna.

Still, Rama lamented greatly after Sita went missing. He shows tremendous love for those who love Him. The expression of emotion was not necessary, but it is genuine nonetheless. As devotees are always thinking of Him, He is never lost to them, and they are never lost to Him.

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.30)

5. Relying on monkeys for help

Rama was the son of a king, a great one at that. Dasharatha earned his name by being able to defend against chariot-fighters coming from the ten directions simultaneously. Rama appeared in that blessed family, and so He had every right to use the royal army.

To find Sita and then overthrow Ravana the help came from monkeys and bears. Ravana and his men used black magic and amazing arrows with the power of nuclear weapons, while Rama’s side hurled trees and rocks.

Since Rama was on their side, victory for the monkey-army was assured. The power of the Divine is such that nothing can overcome it, no matter what the external situation predicts. Rama is so kind that He looks to glorify others, those who serve Him, like Vibhishana and Hanuman.

In Closing:

Odds stacked against,

From arrows of Rakshasas sent.

But Shri Rama on their side,

So victorious monkeys to preside.

Sometimes vulnerable in this way,

Like as child in king’s home to play.

Or chasing golden deer after,

Arrow than Maricha faster.

Is There An Equivalent To Confession In Bhakti-Yoga

“Tulsi says that one should confess to the merciful Shri Rama about the good and the bad. In so doing the burden of sorrow will diminish, and in that full surrender to the Supreme strength will increase and one will become fully satisfied.” (Dohavali, 96)

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Friend1: Forgive me father, for I have sinned.

Friend2: Been to church recently?

Friend1: I don’t think that is part of a formal church service.

Friend2: Yes, it’s confession. I’m not stupid. Still happens at a church, right?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: So, duh!

Friend1: That’s it? No opinion?

Friend2: On what?

Friend1: Confession. Is it a good thing? Is it a waste of time?

Friend2: Why are you asking me? Have you done something wrong?

Friend1: So many things wrong, on a daily basis. I’m thinking more of the comparison between the different spiritual traditions of the world.

Friend2: You are always doing this. You can’t be happy with what you have. It’s been explained to you many times that in the science of self-realization there is nothing missing. Every religion, every idea, every concept, every speculation has been thought of already. There are so many different dharmas, or religious systems, precisely because man has come up with so many different objectives.

Friend1: Dharma is the way to meet the goal, to get success.

Friend2: Saphala. Yes. If you want wealth, there is a way to get that in a religious way. Same goes for beauty, strength, fame, power and other such things.

Friend1: Why do you have a problem with comparisons?

Friend2: Because it’s a de facto insult to works like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. No other books compare. It’s like the pocket dictionary and the regular dictionary. Both help you to define and spell words, but it is silly to say the pocket version can compare to the full thing.

Friend1: I see. Okay, but what if we just analyze different processes? Say confession, for instance. Is there something equivalent in the bhakti-yoga tradition?

Friend2: First explain to me your idea of confession. Why is it done? What is the benefit?

Friend1: That I can’t answer you. I’m sure the purpose is to be absolved of sin. Tell the priest what you have done wrong and he gives you a remedy.

Friend2: Aren’t you supposed to go on a regular basis?

Friend1: I think so.

Friend2: Then?

Friend1: I’m assuming that people don’t stop sinning.

Friend2: There you go. That’s a problem. You show up to something, confess your heart out, leave the establishment and then go right back to your old ways. What was the purpose of telling the priest, then?

Friend1: You’re being blessed by a higher authority.

Friend2: Sure. Man is prone to committing mistakes. I’m not looking for perfection here. But don’t you see the issue, how someone can take advantage of the system?

Friend1: I’m sure they do. I think most people have realized this pattern and have used it as an excuse to forgo confession altogether.

Friend2: You mean they don’t show up?

Friend1: Right. I don’t know anyone that does, at least on a regular basis. We’re getting sidetracked, though. Do you think there is a benefit to confessing? Is there anything mentioned in the Vedas?

Friend2: There is a verse in the Dohavali where Goswami Tulsidas advocates confessing everything to Shri Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A schedule isn’t mentioned, but the idea is to lighten the burden of suffering. The purpose is to bring you closer to God. That is the whole issue with sin to begin with.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Even if I have lived according to the standards of society, there is still sin in me. It started from the time of birth. To have a material consciousness is to be sinful. A material consciousness means forgetting God. Sin therefore means going further away from the original consciousness, from service to the Divine.

Friend1: I see.

Friend2: Piety is supposed to bring you closer. Confession has that purpose here, to strengthen the relationship with the Supreme Lord. Tulsidas also says to confess both the good and the bad. Don’t keep anything from Rama, even though He knows everything already.

Friend1: Okay, that’s a contradiction right there. If He knows, what is the purpose of telling Him?

Friend2: It’s for your purification. The same applies for offering flowers, food, prayers and the like. He doesn’t need anyone’s worship, but the processes are passed down for mankind’s benefit. It is in everyone’s interest to be closer to God. That is the only thing that will make them really happy.

In Closing:

Hope for me seemingly none,

Since daily bad things done.

To confession making the trip,

But again during week to slip.

From Tulsi idea getting,

How closer to God setting.

Telling both good and bad with resolve.

Rama’s grace those sins to absolve.

Five Amazing Things Bhagavan Did As Rama

“For the benefit of the devotees, the Supreme Lord, Shri Rama, took the body of a king. He performed the most amazing activities in a manifest form, like an ordinary man.” (Dohavali, 113)

bhagata hetu bhagavāna prabhu rāma dhareu tanu bhūpa |
kie carita pāvana parama prāk।rta nara anurupa ||

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Bhagavan is Bhagavan, no matter what the external appearance says. There is authority to confirm. The Vedas describe the different incarnations, though there are too many to count. As many waves as there are in the ocean, that is how many times the Almighty descends to the realm of mortality.

The well-known avataras are described, lest there be any doubt after the fact. Since Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is all-powerful, even when He takes an apparently human form the activities are amazing. Everything is done for the pleasure of the devotees, as was the case with Shri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya.

1. Swallow Kakabhushundi

A small child playing in the courtyard of the king, Maharaja Dasharatha. Rama was with His three younger brothers, each themselves partial expansions of Bhagavan. Lakshmana stayed close with Rama, while Bharata and Shatrughna were known to be a pair in association.

Usually a crow is considered a lower species, a kind of material body certainly not suitable for self-realization. The crow is juxtaposed with the swan, to describe the differences between non-devotees and devotees. Crows are known to hang around garbage and weeds, while the swan stays pure amidst the lotus flowers. Rama’s wife, the goddess of fortune, Sita Devi, herself made this comparison one time.

“How can that female swan who is accustomed to sporting with the king of swans amidst lotus flowers ever cast her eyes on a water-crow that stays amidst bunches of grass?” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.20)

Kakabhushundi was a special kind of crow, a devotee at heart. He got to witness Rama’s pastimes directly. For a brief moment he got caught up in the drama, considering the eldest son of the king to be an ordinary person. At that moment the young child chased after the crow. Finally catching him, the crow was put into Rama’s mouth.

While inside, Kakabhushundi saw a version of the universal form. Everything that exists and more. The vision defied the bounds of space. How could so much fit into a tiny stomach? Rama, of course, was playing with His devotee, and the crow was delighted afterwards, remembering the incident fondly.

2. Shoot Maricha while very young

Dasharatha was very attached to his sons, but he didn’t let that stand in the way of duty. One time the venerable Vishvamitra Muni paid a visit to the kingdom. He was in a dangerous situation. Night-rangers, nishacharas, were attacking the tapo-vanas and disrupting sacrifices, yajnas. These were the forests suitable for tapasya, or austerity. The renounced priest-like men had moved there to better concentrate on their spiritual pursuits.

Bhagavan defends the pious, sadhunam, so Rama was the perfect person to go and act as bodyguard for Vishvamitra. The issue was that Rama was very young at the time. The king relented to the request, and Lakshmana followed along with the elder brother.

Sure enough, an opportunity to defend presented itself. The eyewitness accounts are provided by the attacker, Maricha. He says that Rama did not yet have any signs of manhood on His face. Maricha attacked Vishvamitra’s ashrama, but Rama was there to defend. The avatara of Bhagavan did not hesitate in drawing string to His bow.

“At the time, there were not yet visible any signs of manhood on the boy’s beautiful face, which was dark-blue in complexion and had an all-auspicious gaze. Rama had a gold chain around His neck, a small tuft of hair on His head, wore only one piece of clothing, and held a bow in His hands.” (Maricha speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.14)

The arrow released from Rama struck Maricha so hard that the wicked character was hurled several hundred miles away, landing in the ocean. No ordinary human being could accomplish this. Moreover, there was no fear or hesitation. Rama defended as though it were child’s play.

3. Defeat Tataka using just sound

This situation was a little more tricky. Tataka was this large monster-like female. She had been harassing the sages for a long time, and Rama’s duty as a disciple of Vishvamitra was to defeat her. The Supreme Lord hesitated at first. He did not want to kill a female. He thought maybe He would just wound her enough for her to leave.

Vishvamitra restated the purpose, and so Rama obliged. Tataka was expert at black magic, so she could appear and disappear at will. How to fight against someone you can’t see? Rama is antaryami, or the all-pervading witness. He defeated Tataka using just sound, a most impressive feat.

4. Liberate Ahalya through only contact with His feet

The wife of Gautama Rishi was previously cursed for a transgression that she committed accidentally. She was cursed to remain in the form of a stone, but this turned out to be a great blessing. She gained subsequent liberation through only contact with someone’s feet.

Of course those feet were not ordinary. Again with Vishvamitra and Lakshmana, Rama simply brought His feet to the stone and the transformation took place. Those feet are lotus-like and they are the very embodiment of purity. They are the reason Ganga Devi’s water is considered sacred.

5. Defend against 14,000 Rakshasas singlehandedly

Maricha and Tataka were not the only bad characters attacking the tapo-vanas. There were many more where they came from. The place of origin was Lanka, where the leader was the king of Rakshasas, Ravana. He one time sent 14,000 of his men to attack.

This was against one person, Shri Rama. A little later on in the history of the Ramayana, here Rama is only with His wife Sita and Lakshmana. Rama took this battle on Himself. He successfully defended against all the Rakshasas attacking, using only His bow and arrows. God is so amazing that He can defeat anyone using any part of His transcendental body. Indeed, the sound of the names that represent Him have been known to defeat the great enemy of the mind, illusion. For this reason those devoted to Him always chant those names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Sages in forest protection lacking,

From wicked night-rangers attacking.

Rama demon Maricha into distance threw,

Using sound defeated Tataka too.

Against Ravana’s thousands to defend,

Safe against whatever to send.

From spiritual world coming, the eternal home,

So much potency in those lotus feet alone.