Vedantic significance in Ramayana.

[Sankaran Kartik Jayanarayanan]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2000, elmec wrote:

> Hari Om,
>
> Let us talk of Raama for a change !
>
> I have taken the express permission of one Sri Balakrishna of Chinmaya
> Mission, Bangalore, over the phone to reproduce here major portion of an
> article with the above subject written by Swamy Chinmayananda which had
> appeared in Mar/April 1999 issue of Vedanta Vani.
>
> Even if some members have already read it, it is worth going over again
> and ruminate its meaning as Raama Navami is fast approaching.
>
> The article is about the hidden meanings of the different names that
> appear in the story of Valmiki Raamaayana .
>

Thank you for reproducing the article here, it was enlightening!

[..]

> What did she do there ? We must also go thro the same disciplin. She
> refused to co-operate with materialism all around. When she says ' NO '
> materialism can not touch her. She remained under Ashoka tree. Shoka is
> sorrow and Ashoka is sorrowless. Though there is sorrow in all our
> minds, we refuse to recognise it. There under the Ashoka tree she
> contemplated on Ram with a sense of total surrender, recognising and
> realising the terrible mistake that she made and remained there. When we
> thus remain contemplating on Ram, every seeker will get intimation from
> the Divine, Sri Ram, that ' I am coming '. Hanuman reaches her and gives
> her the Symbol. Her hope increases and she is confident that Rama is
> coming. She awaits the arrival of Rama.
>

C. Rajagopalachari, in his translation of the Ramayana, gives the allegory
of Sita waiting for Rama as the bhakta waiting for the Ishvara. The bhakta
only needs to sit quietly and wait for the Ishvara to grant mukti.

[..]

> Regards,
> Hari Om,
> Latha Vidyaranya.
>

Regards,

Kartik

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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From: elmec <elmec at GIASBG01.VSNL.NET.IN>
Subject: Re: panchayatana puja
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Raghavendra Hebbalalu wrote:

> The shaNmathas are shaiva, vaishNava, shAkta, soura,
> gANApatya and koumAra. The Panchayatana pUja applies
> to the daily pUja the devotee does at home.

Thanks for the info. I understand that Panchaayatana pooja is a method
of worship that one adopts at Nitya pooja at home.

But this shaNmatha is still giving me problem. Why did shankara
institute them ? Are the shaiva, vaishnava of these shaNmathas same as
shaivism, vaishnavism etc ? As I understand, shaivites usually follow
the advaita philosophy, vaishnavites follow dvaita philosophy and
srivaishnavites follow vishishtaadvaita. In what way are they different
from the shaNmathas established by shankara ? My confusion is worsening.
Kindly help !

Regards,
Hari Om,
Latha Vidyaranya

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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