Rama Navami 2010

“There was a king named Dashratha, the protector of dharma, as unshakeable as a mountain, true to His promises, well known throughout the world, and whose son is Raghava. Raghava, who is known by the name of Rama, is a righteous soul, famous throughout the three worlds. He has long arms and wide eyes. He is my husband and worshipable deity.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.2-3)

Rama Navami celebrates the appearance of Lord Shri Ramachandra, an incarnation of God who descended to earth many thousands of years ago in Ayodhya, India. The holiday is named as such because of the specific day in the lunar cycle on which Lord Rama appeared. The Vedic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, with certain days being more auspicious than others. Lord Rama appeared on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, thus His birthday is celebrated as Rama Navami. It is similar to the concept of the Christmas Holiday where Christians celebrate the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ. Vedic holidays are a little different in that there are many Christmas-type celebrations each year since God takes unlimited forms, anata rupam. Many of these forms appear on earth. God, being the original person, adi purusham, never actually takes birth, so His birthdays are more aptly referred to as appearances. Since the Lord descends from the spiritual world in an eternally existing form, His appearances are known as avataras. Lord Rama is one God’s primary avataras.

The circumstances surrounding His birth were interesting. During the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, there was a great king ruling over the earth by the name of Dashratha. He only ruled over the town of Ayodhya, but since his dominion was recognized by all the other kings, he was often referred to as mahipati, or the Lord of the earth. Dashratha’s trademark characteristic was his chivalry and kindness. He was famous throughout the world as a great warrior who was dedicated to dharma. The Vedas tell us that an ideal government is one run by the warrior class of men, the kshatriyas. This is because a government’s primary duty is to provide protection to the innocent. Therefore a king, or government leader, must exhibit great fighting skills and strength in order to instill fear in the hearts of the miscreants. If the sinful among us understand that they will suffer the consequences should they harass the innocent, society will function much more peacefully. Thus Dashratha, through his great fighting ability demonstrated in countless wars, established his supremacy throughout the world.

Dashratha pretty much had it all. He was wholly dedicated to dharma, or his occupational duty. Dharma actually means “that which constantly exists with the particular object”. Thus dharma is that which sustains one’s existence. Since the living entity’s existence is defined by its relationship with God, dharma usually refers to religiosity or religious duty. When applied to specific areas, such as government, it refers to the code of conduct or righteousness. Dashratha’s citizens were very happy, and he personally enjoyed life with his three wives. The Vedas tell us that those in the mode of passion, the warrior class, are allowed to marry more than once provided that they can guarantee the complete protection of their wives. The tongue and the genitals are two of the hardest organs to control, so they represent the two biggest stumbling blocks towards advancing in spiritual life. All the Vedic guidelines are put in place so as to help the living entity achieve pure Krishna, or God, consciousness in their lifetime. Only with this mindset can the soul break free of the perpetual cycle of birth and death. We shouldn’t mistakenly think the Vedas and the gurus who follow them are unnecessarily punishing us with their rules and regulations. The complete set of Vedic guidelines represents a form of tough love. Since sex desire is very difficult to control, it is advised that one get married at a very young age, and then only indulge in sex life for the purpose of having children.

From this injunction, we can logically conclude that sex life can only be allowed during one period in every month, when the wife is fertile. The warrior class lives mostly in the mode of passion, meaning they perform work for the purpose of receiving material gain. An outgrowth of living in the mode of passion is that one’s sex desires remain very high. To allow kings to indulge in sex life but still remain committed to dharma, they were allowed to keep more than one wife. This way the women of society were still protected, and the kings could still make spiritual progress.

Dashratha had one thing that bothered him though. He had no son to whom he could pass his kingdom down to. The Vedas tell us that each person acquires three debts at the time of birth. One of these debts is to the forefathers, also known as the pitrs. This logically makes sense because if it weren’t for our parents, we would not take birth under the circumstances that we do. The father must work very hard to maintain the family and the mother goes through so much pain during labor. Thus there is a natural feeling of obligation to repay the great sacrifices made by our parents. This debt actually ascends all the way up the family chain since our grandparents and forefathers also played an important role in determining the circumstances of our birth. The debt to the pitrs can be paid by begetting a son. For Dashratha, this debt was increased due to the fact that he was a king in a very famous dynasty known as the Ikshvakus.

The Bible tells us that God created everything in the beginning. The Vedas give a similar description of the events at the time of creation, including the names of great personalities. The kings are known as rajarishis in the Vedic tradition because they are meant to act as God’s representatives on earth. No one can protect better than God, so He decided that societies on earth would need one of His representatives to provide a similar level of protection on a micro scale. To this end, two lines of famous kings were started at the beginning of creation. One line took birth from the moon-god, Soma, and the other from the sun-god, Vivasvan. The Ikshvakus were part of the solar dynasty, and they were famous throughout the world. If Dashratha didn’t beget a son, he would be doing a great disservice to the family name.

In order to remedy the situation, the king was advised to hold a grand sacrifice. These events took place in the Treta Yuga, or second time period of creation. The Vedas tell us that for each of the four ages of creation, there is a specific method of worship that is most effective in providing transcendental realization. In the first age, the recommended method was deep meditation. Almost everyone lived in rural areas, thus there were few distractions. Many great yogis lived in forests known as tapo-vanas, meaning forests suitable for the performance of austerities. In the Treta Yuga, the recommended method was elaborate sacrifice. Today, Vedic sacrifices are celebrated on a small scale, with a small fire and some oblations of ghee poured into it. In the Treta Yuga, these sacrifices were very elaborate and required highly qualified brahmanas to perform.

Dashratha performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice, and a subsequent Putrakameshti yajna, as was recommended to him. A great deity came out of the sacrificial altar and handed some payasam to Dashratha. He in turn divided the payasam up and distributed it to his three wives. Very quickly they all became pregnant, with Queen Kausalya eventually giving birth to Lord Rama. Dashratha’s two other wives, Kaikeyi and Sumitra gave birth to Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. Thus the king was blessed with four beautiful sons, but Rama remained his favorite. Lord Rama was Dashratha’s prananatha, or the lord of his life air.

Rama was the son that Dashratha had longed for. Like father like son, Rama too was extremely dedicated to dharma. Never did He speak an ill word to Dashratha, for He loved His father very much. The driving force behind Rama’s activities was His dedication to maintaining the good name of His father. Rama viewed Dashratha as His foremost deity, setting a great example for future generations to follow.

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

God didn’t appear only to give Dashratha a son. At the time, there was a great Rakshasa demon by the name of Ravana who was terrorizing the saintly class of men around the world. Ravana was very strong due to boons he had secured from several demigods, thus everyone was afraid to take him on battle. It was at the behest of the demigods that God decided to appear as Lord Rama. Due to the boons he received, Ravana was guaranteed protection in battle against all types of creatures, including celestials. The only species that could defeat him were the human beings. Thus Lord Rama, appearing in the guise of an ordinary human being, was prophesized to be the destroyer of Ravana.

Since Ravana hadn’t directly attacked Ayodhya, there was no way for Rama to go after him and still remain on the virtuous path. Being God Himself, Rama could have easily done whatever He wanted to, but at the same time, He wanted to set a good example for how a king should behave. To secure Ravana’s demise, the demigods set forth a plan whereby Lord Rama would have an excuse to take him on in battle. The first piece of this puzzle was Rama’s exile to the forest. Dashratha wanted Rama to succeed him on the throne, but plans got changed at the last minute due to a fit of jealousy thrown by Kaikeyi. She requested that Bharata become king and Rama be exiled. Dashratha couldn’t ignore these requests because he had granted her any two boons of her choosing on a previous occasion.

For His part, Lord Rama didn’t want to His father turn out to be a liar, so He gladly accepted the exile punishment. Rama’s beautiful and chase wife, Sita Devi, insisted on accompanying Him, as did Lakshmana. While they were in the forest, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana after a diversion was set up whereby both Rama and Lakshmana were drawn away from the group’s cottage. The demigods were quite pleased by this, for they knew that Ravana had met his end. Lord Rama and Lakshmana eventually marched to Lanka, with the help of a huge band of monkeys, and defeated Ravana in battle. Sita was rescued and the group triumphantly returned to Ayodhya, where Rama was crowned as the king.

The beauty of Rama Navami is that it not only celebrates Lord Rama, but all of His devotees as well. In pictures, Lord Rama is usually seen standing alongside Sita and Lakshmana, with Hanumanji offering his obeissances in front of them. Hanuman was part of the Vanara army, and played an integral role in Sita’s rescue and Ravana’s defeat. God is never alone, for His closest associates always remain with Him. This is the view of God given to us by the Vedas. God is the energetic and the devotees are His energy. The two are meant to always be together, side-by-side, enjoying eternal felicity.

Lord Rama is God Himself, so it’s hard to accurately put His qualities into words. Therefore we must study the qualities of His close associates to get an idea. They say that you can judge a person’s character by the company they keep, and in Lord Rama’s case, we see that He had the best friends in the world. Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshmana are so exalted that it is virtually impossible to find a person who can say anything negative about them. Hanumanji is so great that there is an entire book, the Sundara-kanda, in the famous Ramayana poem dedicated to his exploits. Sita and Lakshmana always identified themselves as servants of Rama, and they never ran out of praiseworthy things to say about the Lord.

As spirit souls, part and parcel of God, we are meant to be His energy; we are meant to please Him in the same way that Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshmana do. Celebrating festivals like Rama Navami and Janmashtami are great ways to get into the spiritual mindset. Taking it one step further, we should all try to remember God and His devotees every single day of the year. This can easily be accomplished by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

Karma Phalam

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

On a material level, every living entity has certain qualities that they inherit at the time of birth. There are generalities that are attached to each body type, but pure devotees of God transcend these qualities.

At its core, the living entity is a spirit soul, or jivatma. The jivatma is equal in quality to God, but different in quantity. For example, the jivatma can only exist inside one body at a time, while God exists everywhere in His impersonal Brahman expansion. Higher than Brahman is Paramatma; this is God’s expansion as the Supersoul residing in the heart of every living entity. Thus God is conscious of the activities of every living entity, whereas we are only conscious of things relating to our own body. The other difference between us and God, is that God can never be controlled by material nature. He is the Creator after all, so how can one of His energies be superior to Himself? The jivatma, however, is subject to the control of material nature which forces it to repeatedly accept new bodies after death. The actual type of body the jivatma is placed into depends on guna and karma. Gunas are material qualities or modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Every material activity can be classified into one of these three modes. Karma is fruitive activity, or work. Qualities and desires determine what type of body we receive at birth.

Though the gross material body is subject to creation and destruction, it nevertheless exists for a set period of time. The length of time the soul spends inside the body is known as one’s lifetime. Guna and karma fructify in the type of body we receive, meaning the body itself has certain qualities that it inherits. For example, the animal species are prone to certain activities which human beings would never think of doing. A hog loves to roll around in mud, eating stool. The dog loves to have sex as often as it can, not having any discretion in picking a mate. A dog doesn’t even proposition other dogs, but rather takes to sexual activity in an aggressive manner. Monkeys behave similarly. They love to run around, making noise, and they too are known for their insatiable appetite for sex. In fact, some people have even tried to acquire the sex glands of monkeys through surgical means, all in hopes of enjoying sex life to the fullest extent.

The human being represents an elevated bodily form. It has the intelligence to understand that there is more to life than just eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Still, human beings are living entities after all, and the key component to life on earth is sex. In this regard, the human beings are no different than other species. Actually, as long as one continues to have desires to enjoy sex, they are forced to remain in this material world, repeatedly accepting temporary bodies composed of gunas. God has higher plans for us though. In the human form of life, He wants us to achieve the ultimate aim of material existence, that of returning back home, back to His spiritual world. This can only be achieved by becoming purely God conscious. One who shifts his desires from the material world to the spiritual, becomes eligible to break free of the effects of karma.

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has definitively declared that one’s consciousness at the time of death determines their fate in the afterlife. This consciousness is developed over the course of our current lifetime and also previous ones. For example, if we engage in unrestricted sex life during our lifetime, we are more likely to think of sex at the time of death. The laws of karma are extremely fair, so the result will be that we will likely end up in the body of a dog or a monkey in the next life.

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 13.22)

Devotional service to God is different however. Karma-phalam refers to the fruits, or results, of one’s work. Every action we perform has a resultant reaction, or consequence. This is how karma works and it is very easy to understand. Devotional service, also known as bhakti yoga or bhagavata-dharma, is above karma. Karma-phalam does not touch the devotee. Karma refers to fruitive work performed on the material platform. One may work very hard to earn a nice salary, or one may perform pious deeds to earn good religious merits. Regardless, these are all of the material variety. The work is performed for a desired result. Even if one is unaware of the results of their activities, it doesn’t mean that they are free of karma. Through ignorance, a person can engage in vikarma, or that activity which results in negative consequences, i.e. sins. If one doesn’t know that murder is illegal, but still knowingly kills an innocent person, the law still holds them liable. In a similar regard, karma doesn’t necessarily take into account one’s knowledge, or lack thereof, of the laws of nature. The laws of karma are absolute, with one exception. The devotees working on the bhagavata-dharma platform do everything for the satisfaction of God. This means they have no desire for fruits. It also means they are above the platform of karma.

Sex is considered the highest form of material sense gratification. This is the primary reason for the living entities coming to and remaining in the material world. Wanting to falsely enjoy nature themselves, the living entities are allowed to take birth in various types of bodies. To allow human beings to enjoy sex, God created two genders, male and female. One is the dominator and the other is the dominated. Because of this, there are inherent qualities exclusive to each gender. Males are generally stronger, while females are weaker and thus known as the fairer sex. As far as attraction for a mate goes, women are generally drawn towards men of power and strength. The phenomenon of groupies is an outgrowth of this trait. Rock stars and other famous celebrities have no trouble finding beautiful female sex partners. Usually they have trouble limiting themselves to only one woman. Hollywood actors are always jumping from one girl to another, with divorce being quite common.

“Oh Rama, since the beginning of creation it has been the nature of women to stand by their husbands during good times, and to abandon them during adversity. Women imitate the insatiability of lightning, the sharpness of weapons, and the celerity of Garuda and the wind. But Your wife, Sita, is devoid of all these faults and, just like Arundhati Devi, she is worthy of being glorified. (Agastya Muni speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, Sec 13.5-7)

This isn’t to say that all women are groupies, but it is a natural tendency for a woman to look for specific traits in a man. This is basically what Agastya Muni is referencing in the statement above. He doesn’t mean to say that all women are bad and all men are good, but rather that they are different. Also he is trying to contrast the common traits of women to those possessed by Sita Devi. During the Treta Yuga, Lord Krishna appeared on earth in human form as Lord Rama. He accepted the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila for His wife. Known as Janaki, or Sita, she was beautiful, chaste, and ever devoted to Rama’s welfare.

On one particular occasion, Lord Rama was ordered to renounce ties to His kingdom of Ayodhya and live in the forest for fourteen years. Rama was the eldest son of the king of Ayodhya, Maharaja Dashratha, and He was next in line to be king. Due to His exalted status, both Rama and His wife lived a life of complete luxury. Rama was awakened every day to the chanting of Vedic hymns and the beating of mrdanagas. By renouncing the kingdom, Rama instantly went from being a prince to a pauper. As Agastya points out, Sita was free from any defects born of her gender. During this tumultuous time, she stood by her man with great courage and strength. Rama asked her to remain in the kingdom, but she steadfastly refused.

Forced to take His young brother Lakshmana and Sita with Him, Rama traversed the forests of India. He used the exile as an opportunity to visit all the great sages who had set up hermitages in the woods. Agastya was one such sage, and a very exalted one to boot. Upon meeting Agastya, the group all bowed before him and offered their humble obeissances. Agastya was quite astute however, and He knew full well Rama’s divinity. Amazingly, upon first meeting them, Agastya immediately took to praising Sita. This means that Sita’s devotion to Rama was well known throughout the world at the time.

“O son of Partha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.32)

According to standard societal etiquette, Agastya was the superior and Rama and His group were subordinates. Yet we see from Agastya’s statements that he viewed Sita as a superior. He declared that she was worthy of being praised as the most devoted of wives. The lesson here is that no matter what type of body we accept at the time of birth, we can transcend any and all material designations by taking to devotional service. Sita is the standard bearer for love and affection for God. As a woman, wife, mother, and devotee, no one can surpass her.

Something To Do

“Always engaging in the activities of devotional service, devotees feel ever-increasingly fresh and new in all their activities. The all-knower, the Supersoul within the heart of the devotee, makes everything increasingly fresh…” (Lord Vishnu, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.30.20)

Those accustomed to city life often go into culture shock when visiting the country. Without any bars, night clubs, or cinemas, the countryside is known for its open roads, large farmlands, and peace and quiet. This sort of lifestyle is craved by some and, at the same time, loathed by others.

America is known for its famous cities. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas are some of the more popular urban areas. Throughout the course of human history, people have had a tendency to congregate to areas which are located near large bodies of water. The presence of rivers, lakes, and oceans means that travelling and interstate commerce can occur without major difficulty. Since people are drawn to these type of places, urban life has become known for having high population densities. To accommodate all these people, buildings have to be built higher and thus we have large skyscrapers throughout the world. Underground train systems such as subways are also quite common in large cities. Many people love living in these types of places. There are restaurants, shops, night clubs, and cinemas around every corner. One can get from one place to another very quickly and easily. New York is known as the city that never sleeps due the plethora of entertainment options that are available.

The rest of America lives in the suburbs and the countryside. The central region of America, having large farms and open fields, is referred to as the Heartland. The population density is much lower in the suburbs, thus the houses are more spacious. Having an automobile is almost a necessity for those wanting to get from place to place. Some towns are so remote that one has to travel at least half an hour to get to any important store, such as a supermarket. In many areas, the local Walmart Supercenter is the most popular destination site on weekends.

People that live in the country generally like it. Life is much more peaceful, with limited distractions. On the other hand, people accustomed to city life often hate the suburbs. “There’s nothing to do here. I am so bored. What do these people do for fun?” These are some of the sentiments commonly uttered by city-folk when talking about the suburbs and countryside. These sentiments refer to the lack of public entertainment options in these areas. New York City is so highly populated that it has two major professional sports franchises in baseball, football, and hockey. Tickets for the New York Giants football team are in such high demand, that there is a waiting list of upwards to ten years for people to even get a chance to buy tickets. Contrast this with some of the remote areas of the country, where the biggest sporting event each week is the local high school football game, and we can see that there is a gulf of difference between the two areas.

This advanced material age means we have more time to spend on leisurely activities. Human beings live primarily in the mode of passion, involving themselves in fruitive activity with sense gratification being the ultimate aim. The senses can never be satisfied on a material level, thus people are always looking for new things to do and new ways to fill their time. Nobody likes to be bored.

Lord Rama, God’s incarnation during the Treta Yuga, spent fourteen years living as an exile from His kingdom of Ayodhya. After the order was given by His father, King Dashratha, Rama’s wife Sita Devi and younger brother Lakshmana accompanied Him. Sumantra, the family charioteer, initially took the group to the forest, but then was ordered to return home by Rama. Upon returning to the kingdom, Dashratha asked him how everyone was faring. It wasn’t Dashratha’s desire to send Rama to the forest, but he was forced to do so due to boons he had granted to his wife Kaikeyi on a previous occasion. As soon as Rama left the kingdom, Dashratha was in great pain. Rama was his favorite son, the person he prayed long and hard to have in his life. As a very pious king, Dashratha was childless and worried that the family name wouldn’t continue after his death. Due to this worry, he performed a great sacrifice and was duly rewarded by having Rama take birth as his eldest son, along with three other wonderful boys. Dashratha was anxiously awaiting the report from Sumantra.

"And even in the lonely woods, Sita, as if remaining at home, having fixed her thoughts on Rama, is confidently living without any fears." (Sumantra speaking to Dashratha, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 60)

The charioteer told Dashratha that everyone was alright. Aside from Rama’s welfare, all those assembled wanted to know how Sita was faring. A beautiful, chaste, and kind princess, Sita was loved and adored by all. People pitied her because she was never ordered to leave the kingdom, but rather voluntarily chose to follow her husband. For this reason, they were very angry with Dashratha, for his actions caused someone as beautiful and delicate as Sita to be forced to endure the rigid forest life. Surprisingly, Sumantra informed everyone that Sita Devi was faring just fine. She didn’t appear to be suffering in any way. In fact, she seemed happier than she had ever been. How could this be?

Of all her great qualities, foremost among them was her devotion to Rama, who was God Himself. In every thought, word, and deed, Sita dedicated herself to Rama and His welfare. Rama sternly warned her against coming with Him to the forest, yet through her love and powers of persuasion, Sita was able to convince Him to allow her to come. The wilderness is usually a quiet place. People often retreat to cabins in the forest or mountains to get away from everyone. Great writers have written many books while locking themselves in remote cabins, where they were better able to concentrate. Even during Lord Rama’s time, the great yogis and sages were the only humans that ever thought of living in the woods. The country life is considered to be in the mode of goodness, thereby making it an environment more conducive to the cultivation of spiritual knowledge.

It is often seen that women prefer a glamorous lifestyle with expensive clothes and jewelry. They love getting dressed up very nicely and going out on the town. Sita was a great princess, so she didn’t shun this sort of lifestyle, but at the same time, she had no attachment to it. Her only business was to love God. For this reason, she was always happy in His company, wherever that would be. This is the lesson for all of us. Being a devotee means always having something to do, and never being bored. We will always be happy and satisfied serving the Lord. That is the bliss that comes from pure transcendental love.

Characteristics of a Devotee

“Having come near the middle of the Kalindi (Yamuna) River, Sita prayed to her saying, ‘Hail to you, O goddess! I am crossing you. May my husband successfully complete his vow. Upon Rama’s return to the city ruled by the Ikshvakus, I will worship you with a thousand cows and a hundred drinking vessels.’ Having thus prayed to Kalindi with joined hands, that virtuous lady, Sita, reached the southern bank thereof. And by means of that raft they crossed that fleet-coursing daughter of the Sun, heaving with billows, the river Yamuna with her banks abounding with innumerable trees. Then renouncing the raft and passing by the woods adjoining the Yamuna, they came upon a banyan tree, Shyama by name, of cool shade and verdant foliage. On approaching the banyan tree, Vaidehi saluted it saying, ‘O mighty tree, I bow to you. May my husband fulfill his vow, and may we again see Kausalya and the illustrious Sumitra.’ Having said this, Sita joined her palms and circumambulated the tree.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 55)

When someone is passionate about something or loves someone else very dearly, it’s all they can talk about. It consumes their mind so much that they talk about love to whomever they meet, even if they are strangers.

It is quite natural for boys and girls to be attracted to each other. Especially at a younger age, if a girl meets a nice boy and takes a liking to him, she develops a loving attachment to him. After this attachment is formed, she then spends all her time thinking about his qualities. When she meets with her girlfriends, she talks about all things, good or bad, relating to her boyfriend or husband. “Oh my husband did this today, he did that. I can’t wait to spend time with him this weekend.” This same scenario also holds true for boys that fall in love.

Such situations aren’t exclusive to paramours. People can develop passions for many other things including sports and hobbies. Fans of sports franchises spend hundreds of dollars buying various apparel and merchandise. In America, the tailgate party is a popular pastime at stadium parking lots. Generally, professional football games on Sundays start at 1 pm local time, but fans arrive at the stadium as early as 10 am. They pack up the car with a barbeque grill and various food and drink. They have so much love for their team that they want to spend the whole day thinking about them, gearing up for the big game.

Love is a nice feeling because it detaches us from our own selfish interests. Everyone who takes birth in the material world naturally tries to please their senses first. Thinking in terms of “I” and “Mine” is not something people have to be taught. Loving someone else means wanting more for that person than you want for yourself. In this sense, love can be very healthy. According to the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, the feeling of love as we know it, is but a mere reflection of the pure love that exists in the spiritual world. On a material level, we may love another person or thing, but that can quickly dissolve, turning into hate. In the spiritual realm, the love is pure since it is directed at God.

Lord Rama, His wife Sita Devi, and His younger brother Lakshmana were travelling the forests of India many thousands of years ago. Rama was the eldest son of the king of Ayodhya, Maharaja Dashratha. Through a serious of unfortunate incidents, instead of succeeding His father on the throne, Rama was living the life of a vanaprasthi, having no home nor any possessions. Ordered to spend fourteen years roaming the forest, Rama left the kingdom, with Sita and Lakshmana coming along due to their loving attachment for Him. In the above referenced passage, Sita Devi is praying to the Yamua rivera and a banyan tree to guarantee her husband’s safety and successful completion of His exile stint.

Rama was an incarnation of Krishna, or God. Sita and Lakshmana were also incarnations of celestials, Lakshmi Devi and Ananta Shesha Naga respectively. Sita was a perfect devotee, completely in love with her husband who was God Himself. This is the second such incident where she prays to a demigod for Rama’s safety. In the Vedic tradition, there are famous rivers and trees which are themselves viewed as devatas, or demigods. There is only one God, but He has many deputies who are referred to as demigods. They grant material benedictions to those who please them. Sita, however, wanted no material rewards. Out of pure love for God, she promised to worship the various rivers if they would comply with her requests.

Sita’s behavior is quite exemplary. The forest is an awful place for any person to live, let alone a beautiful princess such as herself. There are no material comforts in the woods, for one is forced to live an austere life when in the wilderness. Sita didn’t complain for one second though. Rather, she was worried about her husband. At every turn and every step, she only thought of Rama and no one else. She was completely unselfish, not asking things from God, but rather giving to Him.

Another point to note is her respect for the various trees and rivers. Members of the modern day ecology movement try to get others to respect and love trees and the environment in general. While such behavior is certainly laudable, one actually acquires all good characteristics simply by becoming a devotee of God. Sita had no attachment to nature, but since she loved Rama so much, she naturally loved the rest of God’s creation. She didn’t look at the trees as something she could cut down and use for her personal interests. Rather, she appreciated the shade and protection afforded by the trees. The rivers are even more valuable. Drinking water, a place to bathe, and a mode of transportation are all provided by rivers. “Oh you are so kind and nice. I respect you. Please protect my husband. If you do so, I will always be pleased with you.” These were Sita’s sentiments.

Devotees are passionate about God. For this reason, they are considered to be the highest class people. Though living in the material world, pure devotees always remain spiritual in nature, jivan-mukta. They exhibit the highest form of love, for they spend all their time talking about and glorifying God. They have the highest love and respect for all of God’s creatures. They are true saints, and having their association is the greatest reward in life.

The Sweetest Thing

“O Brahmana, do you sit comfortably on this mat. Do you take this water to wash your feet. Do you enjoy these well-cooked eatables growing in the forest, intended for you.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana in the guise of an ascetic, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand Sec 46)

The setting for this scene was a forest in India many thousands of years ago. The goddess of fortune, Lakshmi, had incarnated on earth in the form of Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama. Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears on earth from time to time to enact pastimes and to reinstitute the neglected principles of dharma. As Lord Rama, He came in the form of a pious prince, forced into exile from His kingdom of Ayodhya by His father Maharaja Dashratha.

His wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana accompanied Him during His stint in the forest. In this particular incident, the Rakshasa demon Ravana had come to the group’s hermitage in the forest disguised as a mendicant brahmana. Lord Rama had left the cottage to chase after Ravana’s associate Maricha, who had come in the guise of a deer. Lakshmana went to check on his brother’s welfare, when Ravana approached Sita and propositioned her. In response to the phony mendicant’s advances, Sita duly welcomed him to her cottage. She treated him like a first class citizen, worthy of the highest respect, for she didn’t know that the mendicant was actually Ravana.

This particular incident was cause for one of the most stressful moments in Sita’s life. The demon Maricha, upon being pierced by Rama’s arrows, bewailed out loud in the voice of Rama, screaming for help. Sita believed the voice to be her husband’s, so she immediately ordered Lakshmana to go see what was happening. Lakshmana knew the voice wasn’t Rama’s, but he obliged anyway. As soon as Lakshmana left, Ravana approached Sita.  In this most troubling situation, Sita still took the time to properly receive a guest. According to Vedic guidelines, a guest is to always be treated respectfully, even if he be an enemy. Guests are offered water to wash their feet, and a nice place to sit. The hosts are to then offer the best food they have in the house. In this way, householders earn tremendous spiritual merit by satisfying the wayfarers that come to their door.

Sita Devi, being God’s wife, naturally possessed the best qualities a person could have. It is customary for women to enjoy nice valuables such as expensive jewelry and fancy clothes. Woman usually enjoy shopping very much, while men usually dread it. However in Sita’s case, there was no attachment to material possessions whatsoever. Prior to her stint in the forest, she was living a life of luxury in the kingdom of Dashratha, for she was the wife of the eldest son of the king. Lord Rama asked her to remain in the kingdom for the duration of the fourteen year exile period, but she refused. She renounced the glamorous lifestyle in favor of supporting her husband. Just prior to leaving for the forest, Sita and Rama gave away tremendous riches to the brahmanas. One brahmana in particular was hesitant about approaching the Lord for receiving gifts. Yet at the insistence of his wife, the brahmana humbly submitted himself before Rama and asked Him for His help. Lord Rama laughed and smilingly said that the brahmana could ask for anything and the Lord would supply it for Him.

This represents God’s true nature. Brahmanas are the priestly class in society, dedicating their lives solely towards God’s service. They generally don’t involve themselves in fruitive activity such as acquiring money or seeking after sense pleasure. They voluntarily live a meager lifestyle, so that they can focus all of their time reciting God’s names, performing yajnas or sacrifices, and teaching the rest of society on the principles of dharma and devotion to Krishna. In America today, the definition of poverty is slightly skewed, as the poor typically have a few television sets, own a car, and even have air conditioning in their homes. The brahmanas during Lord Rama’s time were legitimately poor, depending solely on the charity of others for their livelihood. God is very nice to His devotees. Those who depend on Him for everything are never let down. Sita Devi, a perfect devotee in her own right, was equally as kind to the brahmanas.

In this particular incident, Sita Devi herself was living a life akin to that of a homeless person. In the Vedic system of varnashrama dharma, the third ashrama, or stage, of life is known as vanaprastha. This is the stage where the husband and wife give up their home and travel around to all the holy places. Vanaprastha immediately precedes sannyasa where the husband takes to complete renunciation. Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana were essentially living in the vanaprastha mode of life, for they travelled to the hermitages of all the great sages during their time in the forest. All they had was each other, and that was enough to survive. Yet still when approached by someone she thought to be a brahmana, Sita offered him full respect. Living on fruits and roots herself, she declared that all the sumptuous food of the forest was intended for the brahmana, and not for her.

As events would play out, Ravana would take advantage of Sita’s kindness by forcibly taking her back to his kingdom of Lanka. This was all preordained, for Lord Rama needed an excuse to go after Ravana and to kill him. Sita Devi was the secret weapon of the demigods who were terrified of Ravana and wanted to see him destroyed. Lord Rama not only eventually killed Ravana, but His army of monkeys destroyed the entire Rakshasa family ruling in Lanka. As kind as the Lord is to the brahmanas and His devotees, He is equally as unkind to those who do harm to them. Ravana paid dearly for taking advantage of Sita’s hospitality. Sita Devi is the goddess of fortune herself. If we are fortunate enough to receive benedictions from her in the form of wealth and prosperity, we should use it in the same manner that she did, i.e. for serving the lotus feet of the Lord. Sita was one of the sweetest and kindest people to ever grace this earth. We should take every opportunity we can get to reciprocate that kindness. By becoming devotees of the Lord, Sita Devi will always be pleased with us.

VIP Treatment

  “Bhagavan means the Almighty God who is the controller of all opulences, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. He is the protector of His pure devotees.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.12 Purport)

When God came to earth in the form of Lord Rama, He spent fourteen years ranging the forest as an exile with His wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana. Around twelve years into their exile term, they were living in a cottage they had set up, when a Rakshasa in the guise of a deer came by and caught the eye of Sita.

At the time, the Rakshasas, an evil race of demons who lived off the flesh of humans and other animals, were wreaking havoc throughout the forest, disrupting the sacrifices of the sages. Their leader was Ravana, the ten-headed one. Ravana was feared by all, for he had procured various boons from the demigods that made him almost invincible. His sister Shurpanakha had come by Rama’s cottage previously and propositioned Rama, which then led to an argument, with Lakshmana eventually disfiguring her. In retaliation, the Rakshasas mounted an attack against Rama, which the Lord easily thwarted. Fourteen thousand Rakshasas were slain by Rama in that battle, a fact which greatly angered Ravana. Ravana then devised a plan whereby another Rakshasa named Maricha would come in the guise of a deer and distract Rama and Lakshmana, leaving the path clear for him to swoop in and kidnap Sita.

Upon seeing the deer, Sita wanted to have it, alive if possible. Lord Rama loved His wife very much, so He was more than willing to accept her request. Lakshmana had a strong feeling that the deer was in fact Maricha, but Lord Rama insisted on catching the deer anyway. Unfortunately, events would play out as Ravana had planned, with Rama chasing and killing Maricha, Lakshmana coming to the Lord’s side, and Sita being kidnapped by Ravana.

Now this was all preordained by the demigods, since they needed an excuse for Rama to go after Ravana and to kill him. Kshatriya warriors strictly follow the codes of conduct, which state that an enemy shouldn’t be attacked without cause. Sita Devi was the ticking time bomb, if you will, which led to Ravana’s demise. The Lord agreed to chase after the deer because He treats His devotees differently that He does ordinary people. Sita Devi never asked for anything in her life. She was completely devoted to the Lord’s welfare, even following Him to the forest just so she could support Him in His darkest hour. She easily could have remained in her father-in-law’s kingdom of Ayodhya, but she chose to bear the austere life in the woods simply for the sake of her husband. Rama knew the sacrifices she had made for Him, so He was more than willing to return the favor.

This same type of behavior is exhibited by parents. All children are different, each having their own qualities and needs. If a child is very obedient and nice and never gets into trouble, the parents tend to be more lenient when that child makes a mistake. On the reverse side, if a child is very mischievous, always looking for ways to break the rules, then the parents tend to be much stricter and less likely to grant favors to such a child. God is the same way with us. If we are devoted to Him and only seek to make Him happy, then He rewards our devotion by removing all our sinful reactions. It is said that if one simply eats prasadam, food first offered to the Lord, all sinful reactions become eradicated. The reason for this is that such food is completely spiritual and immune from the effects of karma. If we prepare food for our own satisfaction, it is considered sinful since it keeps us bound to the material world. Any attachment we have for material things keeps us tied to the repeated cycle of birth and death. Eating prasadam brings us in contact with Krishna, which helps us break the attachment we have to the material world.

“It goes against tradition, looks unseemly, and smacks of willfulness on the part of a wife to command her husband in this way, but I am sunk in surprise seeing the countenance of the deer.” (Sita Devi speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, Sec 43)

Sita Devi was so nice that she felt bad asking the Lord for this one favor of catching the deer. She apologized for even making such a request, for she knew it was against the standard Vedic etiquette prescribed for wives. In loving relationships, we often see women asking for nice things such as jewelry and expensive clothing. Men naturally like to please their significant other, so they are usually quite willing to go the extra mile to secure their happiness. The Valentine’s Day holiday is built around this concept. On that one special day each year, women expect gifts from their paramours, and the men feel the pressure to live up to the expectations of the female. Sita and Rama’s relationship was above this, for it was something out of the spiritual world. Prior to leaving for the forest, Sita gave away all her valuables to the brahmanas and their wives. Along with her husband, Sita was the ultimate renunciate. Rama knew all of this, and that is why He didn’t hesitate in responding to His wife’s request, for He knew how rarely she ever asked for anything.

God always goes the extra mile to please His devotees. When Krishna personally came to earth, He showed similar favoritism to His wives in Dvaraka. As a great king, the Lord simultaneously maintained 16,108 wives. They all loved Him very much and cherished association with Him, so the Lord expanded Himself in order to simultaneously be with each wife separately. Narada Muni came to earth and witnessed this phenomenon. During the rasa-lila in Vrindavana, Lord Krishna similarly expanded Himself so that each gopi (cowherd girl) could enjoy personal association with Him. This was all done to please those who completely depended on Him for everything. Let us all become top-notch devotees so that we too can enjoy VIP treatment from the Lord.

Learning By Example

“Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.21)

Vaishnavas, devotees of Lord Vishnu, are especially competent to teach others in society. Due to their devotion to God, they automatically acquire a status worthy of respect and veneration. We should humbly submit ourselves to these exalted persons, for they set the best example to follow.

Our superiors, be it our parents or teachers, have the necessary experience to impart knowledge and wisdom upon us. Our parents have been through the trials and tribulations of life. Maturing from youth to adulthood is not an easy thing. Life constantly throws hurdles in the way of our progression, making it difficult to achieve advancement in knowledge. Young children are always in the discovery mode. Children under the age of five years old just want to play all the time. They wake up and start playing right away. If they get tired they sleep, otherwise they are playing all day and eating only when told to by their parents. While playing, children constantly take in information, discovering new things that enhance their knowledge. Slowly but surely they learn to crawl, walk, and talk. As they mature into adolescents and adults, the learning continues.

“If only I knew then, what I know now.” As adults, when we see old pictures of ourselves we often think, “What was I thinking? I can’t believe I dressed that way back then.” It is very common for college age youths to experiment with drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Later on in life however, these same people give up or curb these habits since they realize how harmful they are. When they become parents, they don’t want their children repeating the same mistakes they made in their college days. These sentiments are common because we’re always making advancements in knowledge, learning from our mistakes.

Our parents and preceptors, having gone through life’s experiences already, can save us from making the same mistakes that they made as youths. Parents never want their children to suffer in the same ways that they did. When we are crawling around as youngsters, our parents warn us to stay away from dangerous things such as electrical sockets and staircases. If not for their warnings, we would be at risk for serious injury. Our parents give us curfews, force us to eat our meals on time, and make us do our homework. We might not like adhering to all these rules, but in the end we are benefitted by them, so much so that later on in life, we institute similar rules on our own children.

When Lord Krishna, God Himself, advented on earth as Lord Rama, He was banished from Ayodhya by the king, Maharaja Dashratha, who was also His father. Accompanied by His wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana, the Lord was ready to embark for the forest when His mother Kausalya stepped in and offered some words of advice to her daughter-in-law. Concerned very much for the welfare of her son, Kausalya advised Sita to always remain by Rama’s side and to always serve and honor him. Sita Devi was an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, who, in the short definition, serves as God’s wife in the spiritual world. Thus Sita was naturally acquainted with all the rules of propriety, for she has been serving the lotus feet of the Lord since time immemorial.

“O exalted one, having learnt from the most exalted women about the major, as well the minor, duties of a wife, how can I now despise my husband, Lord Rama? A husband is indeed a deity to a woman.” (Sita Devi speaking to Kausalya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 39)

As a good daughter-in-law, Sita respectfully heeded the words of Kausalya, and replied with a few short statements of her own. In the above referenced quote, Sita states that she had learned very well from her superiors all the duties relating to a wife, and that she had no intention of ignoring those instructions.

In the Vedic tradition, the husband is viewed as the foremost deity for the wife. By deity, we mean that the husband is viewed to be as good as God to the wife. Of course he is not the original God, but a good husband who is devoted to serving Lord Krishna should be treated as his representative by the wife. If the wife faithfully serves such a husband, then both are benefitted because they will successfully fulfill the true mission of life, becoming God conscious. People who always keep Krishna on their minds, and who faithfully serve Him, return to His spiritual planets at the expiry of their life.

“While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.49)

Once the soul goes to God’s spiritual realm, it never returns to the material world. In a marriage, it is only required that one party, usually the husband, be expert in serving Krishna. The husband and wife share the same fate once they are married, so if one person is purely Krishna conscious, then the spouse automatically shares in the religious merits. For this reason, it is in the best interest of the wife to make sure her husband is treated nicely and is adhering to the practice of devotional service.

Growing up, Sita was taught all of this by her parents and the brahmanas that lived in her father’s kingdom of Mithila. Since she received such an expert education, it would be a shame for her to not carry out the instructions provided by her teachers. This is the sentiment of a good student and a pure soul. Saintly people always credit their teachers for everything that they know. Even if they become highly advanced in knowledge, they never think themselves to be smarter than the people who taught them.

By worshiping Rama and standing by His side during the most difficult period of His life, Sita was honoring her teachers by faithfully following their instructions. She never for a second wanted to bring dishonor to her family. In this respect, Sita Devi sets the example that we should all follow. Krishna is the Supreme Deity, so we should all worship Him. All women should first accept Krishna as their first husband; for He is God and can accept and support an unlimited number of wives. Husbands should dedicate themselves to serving God, and teach this same principle to their wives. These were the principles that the great Sita Devi lived by, and the best way to honor her legacy is to follow her example.

Giver of Endless Riches

“Why are you asking for only one flower? I would like to give you a whole tree of parijata flowers.” (Lord Krishna speaking to Queen Satyabhama, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 4)

According to Vedic injunctions, a woman is to be given protection throughout her lifetime. Similar to the way we treat our children, women are to always be provided for and watched over. They are the caregivers and nurturers in society, thus men must take responsibility for their welfare and safety.

In a girl’s youth, she is to be protected by her father. Maharaja Janaka, the king of Mithila, showed us the proper way to care for our daughters by the way he brought up Sita Devi. As the goddess of fortune herself, Sita Devi appeared on earth many thousands of years ago on a field in the kingdom ruled by Janaka. He was ploughing his field at the time when suddenly he discovered the baby girl. He was so enchanted by her that he took Sita in as his own daughter. Since she was his prized possession, she was given the best upbringing a girl could have. Though women didn’t attend school back during those times, Sita acquired perfect knowledge of Vedic principles from her mother and father and the brahmanas of the royal court. From Janaka’s example, we can learn the proper way to raise a child. Children should be given full protection and instructed on all Vedic principles throughout their childhood. In the modern age, we sit our children down in front of televisions to watch movies or play video games, but such a lifestyle isn’t very conducive to higher thinking. If we can arouse an interest in religion in our children, we are performing the highest service for them.

After a girl gets married, she lives under the protection of her husband. Not like the modern day system where husbands and wives get into arguments and then divorce, the Vedic system enjoins marriage to be a lifetime commitment. Even if the husband takes to the renounced order of life, sannyasa, the couple is still considered to be married. When they are living as grihasthis, or householders, the husband is required to protect the wife and ensure that she is always happy and satisfied. If a wife is devoted and chaste, a husband should do everything he can to see to her happiness. Lord Krishna, God Himself, lived by this principle during His time on earth. Once while visiting the heavenly planets, one of Krishna’s wives, Satyabhama, plucked a parijata plant. The demigods became very angry at this and lodged a complaint against Krishna. Unable to settle the dispute peacefully, the Lord, wanting to please His wife, went to war with the demigods over the flower. He of course emerged victorious and brought the flower down to His kingdom of Dvaraka so that His beloved wife could be happy. In this way, the Lord taught us that we should go to great lengths to ensure the happiness and protection of a good wife.

In her old age, a woman is to be protected by the eldest son of the family. In the Vedic system, one’s life is to be divided into four stages or ashramas. The final stage of life is known as sannyasa, where the husband completely renounces family life and dedicates himself to serving Krishna and preaching His glories to others. Though the exact requirements for a sannyasi have changed over time, the most important rule is that there must be no intimate connection with women. Sannyasa means complete renunciation from sex life. The husband and wife are still married, but the wife lives at home under the protection of the eldest son. The great devotee of the Lord, Queen Kunti, lived under the care of her five sons after her husband, King Pandu, died prematurely due to a curse. The Pandava brothers took perfect care of their mother, and she in turn was quite pleased with them.

Of these three protectors of women, the husband is considered the most important. Once married, a husband and wife become one entity, sharing a common fate in the afterlife. For this reason a husband is to be considered the most important person in a woman’s life, for he can deliver her to the heavenly planets, or better yet, to Lord Krishna’s spiritual planet, where having gone once, one never returns. The protections and benedictions given by the father and the eldest son are very nice, but they don’t compare to what a good husband can do for a woman.

When Sita Devi grew up, she was married to Lord Rama, a kshatriya incarnation of God appearing in Ayodhya as the son of Maharaja Dashratha. Due to unfortunate circumstances, after enjoying twelve years of blissful married life, Lord Rama was ordered to leave the kingdom and spend fourteen years as an exile living in the forest. Sita, the perfect wife, refused to let her husband live in the forest alone, so she accompanied Him along with Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana. Just prior to leaving for the woods, Rama’s mother Kausalya imparted some final words of advice to Sita. She asked Sita to always remain by Rama’s side and to always serve Him. Now Sita obviously was well aware of her prescribed duties, for she recited them as arguments in her favor when Lord Rama had asked her to remain at home and not follow Him to the woods.

“The father gives in measure. The mother also gives to a limited extent, as does a son. Knowing this, which woman wouldn’t worship the giver of endless riches, the husband?” (Sita Devi speaking to Kausalya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 39)

Sita responded to her mother-in-law with the statement above. She wanted to let Kausalya know that she was well acquainted with the proper duties of a wife. Sita wanted to stress just how important a good husband is, and how a wife should always worship him. As stated before, a good husband provides his wife an everlasting fortune extending beyond the duration of their current life. “For this reason alone, a husband is worthy of worship and respect”, said Sita.

It is simply a matter of courtesy. Someone who provides us something beneficial automatically becomes worthy of our respect and kindness. This same principle holds true with cows. Hindus are mistakenly thought of as being cow worshipers, but in actuality they show a deep respect and appreciation for cows and what they offer mankind. Cows freely give us their milk, which can then be used to prepare hundreds of varieties of dishes. For this reason cows should always be protected and honored, instead of mercilessly sent to slaughterhouses. As children, our mothers provide us milk which allows us to grow up to be strong and healthy. Since the cow also provides us milk, they should be afforded the same respect as our mothers. Unnecessarily killing a cow is quite a horrendous act.

Wealthy businessmen and athletes often talk of “giving back”. Though they haven’t really taken anything from anyone, they equate “giving back” with charity and benevolence. The general idea is that one shouldn’t keep taking from someone without acknowledging and respecting the giver. By the same token, Lord Krishna is the ultimate provider. We gladly harvest the fruits of our labor, thinking ourselves to be the instrument behind their acquisition, when in fact everything in this world happens through God’s energies. As great as we may think ourselves to be, it is the rain provided by God that allows our food to grow which sustains our life. If anyone is worthy of our respect, it is God.

This is the lesson taught here by Sita Devi. God is the greatest provider of wealth and fortune, so who wouldn’t want to worship Him? As we get deeper and deeper into the Kali Yuga, many of us are forgetting Krishna and what He does for us. The time is now to turn our attention back towards Him and thank Him for all that He has done for us. Krishna is more than just a provider; He is our dearmost well-wishing friend. If we choose to have a relationship with Him, He can provide us unending happiness the likes of which we have never seen. So let us follow Sita Devi’s example by always remaining connected with the Lord, and honoring Him with all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Sunshine of My Life

“As long as the sunshine is there, our eyes are useful to a certain extent. But in the absence of sunshine, the eyes are useless. Lord Shri Krishna, being the primeval Lord, the Supreme Truth, is compared to the sun. Without Him all our knowledge is either false or partial.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.11.9 Purport)

In the material world, every device or machine has a key component that defines its existence and makes it operate. Without these key components, these devices fail to operate and become utterly useless.

The automobile was one of the great inventions of the twentieth century. Able to transport people from place to place in a very short amount of time, it grew in popularity very quickly. Nowadays it is the preferred method of transportation for people living in industrialized nations. A car, just like the horse and buggy before it, requires wheels in order for it to work. Without wheels, a car cannot go anywhere. If we get a flat tire, we immediately need to replace it, for just having one malfunctioning wheel can stop a car dead in its tracks. The tires and wheels are so important that race car drivers regularly change them during races so that they can maintain the optimal performance of their car. Without wheels, an automobile is nothing but a hunk of shiny metal that just sits still, not being used by anyone.

A vina is a stringed instrument that is plucked, and it is very popular in India. It is the instrument of choice for the great Narada Muni. Narada is a rishi, or great sage, who is completely dedicated to serving the Supreme Lord Krishna. On one occasion, he was cursed by Daksha, one of the progenitors of man, to never be able to live in one place for more than three days at a time. Because of this, Narada Muni is always travelling the three worlds, providing spiritual instruction to those who need it. He was the spiritual master of the compiler of the Vedas, Vyasadeva. He was also the spiritual master of Maharishi Valmiki. In fact, he transformed Valmiki from a rogue thief into a true saint and expert poet. Narada always carries his vina with him, for he is always singing the glories of Lord Krishna. The strings are the key component of a vina, for the instrument requires the strings to be plucked in order for it to produce music. Without the strings, it is nothing more than a finely shaped piece of wood.

When Lord Krishna incarnated as Lord Rama during the Treta Yuga, He voluntarily accepted the punishment of exile from His kingdom of Ayodhya. The Lord was ordered to spend fourteen years in the forest, living as a recluse, by His father Maharaja Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya. The Lord happily agreed to the request and His wife Sita Devi also insisted on accompanying Him. Sita was the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, who serves as God’s wife in the spiritual world. As the wife is considered the better half of man, so Sita was considered the better half of Rama. She took personally any order given to her husband. If He was to live as a homeless person for fourteen years, then as His wife, she felt it was her duty to suffer the same fate as her husband.

“The Vina without strings does not sound, and the car without wheels does not move, so although having a hundred sons, a woman without her husband cannot attain happiness.” (Sita Devi speaking to Kausalya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 39)

Just prior to leaving for the forest, Rama’s mother Kausalya gave some words of advice to her daughter-in-law. She requested Sita to always remain by Rama’s side and to always serve and honor Him while living in the forest. Sita obviously knew all of this since she was a perfect devotee of God. Devotees, through their sincere service to the Lord, acquire all knowledge relevant to the codes of dharma, or religiosity. After listening to her mother-in-law, Sita humbly replied that she was well acquainted with the proper duties of a wife. Just as a car cannot function without wheels, and a vina cannot product music without strings, so a wife cannot have happiness without her husband. This is the Vedic tenet relating to marriage. Once married, a husband and wife become one person. There is no concept of independence. If the husband is forced to go to hell, the wife must follow. They equally share the merits and demerits of their action. Knowing this, it is in the best interest of the wife to faithfully serve the husband, so that he may be very pious and devoted to the highest dharma, devotional service to Krishna. If a husband becomes a top-notch devotee, the wife is guaranteed to ascend to Krishnaloka or Vaikunthaloka, along with her husband in the afterlife.

Though Sita was referring to happiness in relation to husbands and wives, what she was really saying is that we living entities cannot achieve true happiness without having God in our life. We may have all the material facilities available to us such as a nice car, a large bank balance, a high-definition television, or the latest music player, but these things can never bring about true happiness. The same goes for our family life. We may have a very beautiful wife and wonderful children, but in the end these things are temporary. Our relationship with God is absolute and permanent. The bond we share with Him remains alive even after death.

Material life means constantly hankering and lamenting. These two things are going on constantly and they are the cause of all our pain and suffering. Elevation in spiritual life means putting an end to hankering and lamenting.

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.54)

Sita Devi could feel no happiness without her husband, who was God Himself. While in the forest, she was kidnapped by the evil demon Ravana, who held her captive in his kingdom for many months. She was able to persevere through such a horrific condition by always keeping her mind fixed on Lord Rama. We may not always have the benefit of personal association with the Lord, but thinking of Him, remembering His pastimes, and chanting His names are equal substitutes. God and His names, forms, attributes, and pastimes are all non-different from Him. Simply by remembering, we can have association with God.

Sita Devi gave us the path to true, eternal happiness. Our relationship with Krishna is what defines us, for without Him, we cannot have any happiness. In the Vedic system, the brahmanas, or priestly class of men, are referred to as dvija, or “twice-born”. Our first birth is when we come out of the womb of our mother. The second and more important birth is when we take initiation into spiritual life from a guru, or spiritual master. Real initiation means sincerely devoting oneself to serving Krishna. Pledging our unending devotion to God, we can all take our second birth and begin our real life. Krishna is our dearmost friend and inner life partner. He is always with us, we just need to recognize and love Him. We spirit souls are meant to be eternally blissful and full of knowledge.

A Defining Attribute

“(Those) who have established their reputation in the world for their knowledge of the rules of propriety – their soul is your excellent abode.” (Maharishi Valmiki speaking to Lord Rama, Ramacharitamansa)

Brightness is the defining attribute of the moon. Being intimately associated with the earth, the moon acts as the reflector of sunlight, having a glow and effulgence that pervades the nighttime sky. One cannot separate the brightness from the moon.

In the same way, Sita Devi’s defining attribute was her devotion to dharma. Dharma means occupational duty, or religiosity. We usually associate religion with faith and ritualistic practices, when in actuality, dharma is the occupation of the living entity, something inherited from birth. It stems from the Vedas, the original scripture for all of mankind. Dharma also has many rules and laws associated with it, but its aim is to bring one closer to God. Sita Devi was an incarnation of Shri Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. Lakshmi is the eternal consort of Lord Narayana, one of God’s forms in the spiritual sky. As Sita Devi, she performed the same functions by acting as Lord Rama’s wife. Lord Rama was God Himself who came to earth in human form to reinstitute the principles of dharma. Sita was very much dedicated to dharma from her very youth, being well acquainted with all the rules of propriety. Though well acquainted with dharma, she actually transcended all rules and regulations by acting as a perfect wife to her husband. Serving God in a loving way is the real definition of dharma. Since she is God’s wife and eternal servitor, all of Sita Devi’s actions are automatically virtuous.

“The worshipful one ought not to place me on the same footing with unrighteous persons. As brightness does not depart from the moon, so I cannot swerve from virtue.” (Sita Devi speaking to Kausalya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 39)

In the above referenced quote, Sita Devi is responding to words of advice given to her by Lord Rama’s mother, Kausalya. At the time, the couple were about to embark on a fourteen year tour of the forest, where they would live as exiles from the kingdom of Ayodhya. Rama was the eldest son of the king, Maharaja Dashratha, but due to extenuating circumstances, He was ordered to leave the kingdom and not come back for fourteen years. Sita, acting as the perfect wife, refused to allow her husband to roam the forest alone. As they were about to leave, Kausalya reminded Sita to always remain by Rama’s side and to always serve Him, for that is the dharma of a wife. In the Vedic system, a husband and wife are not to lead separate lives. The marriage is a fifty-fifty relationship, but not in the modern day sense. The wife and husband each have their own duties relating to the marriage. If they both execute those duties properly, they both share the religious merit that is earned. The duty of the wife is to view her husband as her deity. She should worship and honor him, and serve him to the best of her ability. If the husband is happy, the couple will have a peaceful family life, whereby they can follow religious observances together. That is the real benefit to having a spouse. A spouse is our life partner that helps us in performing our religious activities. Vedic life revolves around the practice of tapasya, or austerities, which are very difficult to perform alone. A spouse can act as a coach or advisor that ensures we are performing our austerities properly. Tapasya, properly executed, leads us closer to God since it reduces our attachment to material sense gratification. By spending time thinking about God and offering Him prayers, we fulfill the real mission of our life.

Sita Devi, after hearing Kausalya’s words, begged her mother-in-law not to include her amongst the irreligious. Unrighteous persons are those who live on the principles of adharma. Dharma is the code of conduct prescribed by the Vedas, and any act or belief that is contrary to this code is considered adharma. Sita was a perfect devotee, which means she was without pride. However, she was cent percent committed to her husband and to dharma, so she never wanted to be thought of as being irreligious even for a second. In the Ramacharitamanasa, there is a great description of the qualities of a devotee given by Maharishi Valmiki when he was visited by Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana, while they were roaming the forest.

Valmiki instructed Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana to live in the hearts of those who are known for their adherence to dharma. People are known for their different outstanding qualities. Someone may be known to be a great speaker, or a great athlete, or an excellent writer. These are all very nice, but a devotee wants only to be known as a devotee and nothing else. This is their defining quality. They don’t seek fame and fortune for themselves. They only want to be known as devotees of the Lord; servant of the servant of God. They want to be known for their adherence to dharma and for their devotion to Krishna.

Goswami Tulsidas is a great example in this respect. An incarnation of Valmiki who appeared in India some four hundred years ago, Tulsidas wrote wonderful poetry praising Lord Rama and others during his lifetime, with his most famous works being the Ramacharitamanasa and Hanuman Chalisa. However, to this day, very little is known about his life. This can be attributed to several factors, but the real reason is because Tulsidas himself did not covet any fame. He was a very humble man, who used poetry as a means of expressing his love for Lord Rama. Since he was a pure devotee, his writing came out very nice and became very popular at the same time. To this day, the Hanuman Chalisa is recited daily by millions in India. His Ramacharitamansa is a staple in the home of every Hindu. He only wished to be known as a devotee of Lord Rama, and God obliged.

In the same way, Sita only wanted to be known for her devotion to the Lord. As Lord Rama’s wife, she had no desire for earthly riches or jewel studded crowns. As the wife of the eldest son of the king, she was in line to enjoy the pleasures of royal life to the fullest. Yet she renounced all of that at the drop of a hat. The forest is not considered a suitable place for a person to live, let alone for a beautiful and delicate woman such as Sita. Yet she had no qualms about going, for she insisted on following Rama. She only thought of Rama and His happiness wherever she went. For this reason she is loved and adored by millions today. No one can ever put her on the same footing as an unrighteous person. On the contrary, she is the very definition of righteousness.