Tuesday April 12th
Tuesday April 12th is Ram Navami, the birthday of Sri Rama-the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu made the descent into human form as Rama for the specific purpose of killing Ravanna, the demon king. This story is beautifully told in the ancient Indian epic called Ramayana (Rama's Way). In the Ramayana, just as Rama is about to be crowned king by his aging father, Dasaratha, he is banished to the forest for fourteen years through the wicked manipulations of one of his father's three wives. Being the noble person that he is, Rama humbly submits to his banishment and enters the forest along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. They spend their years of exile happily, visiting the various Rishis who live in the forest and enjoying the wonders of nature. Near the end of the fourteen years, Sita is kidnapped by Ravanna and taken to his island kingdom of Lanka. While Rama and Lakshmana are frantically searching for Sita, they meet Hanuman, the Divine Monkey, who offers to assist them. It is Hanuman who ultimately finds Sita, and at her request, summons Rama to rescue her. Rama builds a bridge to Lanka with his army of monkeys and bears, and invades Lanka. After a prolonged and bloody battle, Rama fulfills his dharma by killing Ravanna, rescues Sita, and they all live happily ever after (well, not quite, but that's another story).
The Ramayana is a story the symbolically describes the yogi's journey of awakening. Rama is the Divine Self who temporarily takes form in a human body. During his human incarnation, Rama forgets his Divine origins and is swept up in the drama of worldly existence. His wife, Sita, is abducted by Ravanna, leaving him in a state of despair and confusion. Sita represents the Shakti, the Divine feminine energy which is our power source. Ravanna is the embodiment of the demonic qualities that keep our Shakti in captivity (the kundalini shakti, or coiled up energy). The demonic qualities are what Patanjali calls the klesas, or afflictions: avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, abhinivesa (ignorance, egotism, attachment, aversion, and clinging to the known). Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the Lord of the Wind. He is the embodiment of Prana and is called Mahaprabhu, the Great Friend. After Sita's abduction, when Rama is in great distress, it is Hanuman who comes to his aid, inspires hope, and ultimately is responsible for Sita's rescue. Hanuman is, indeed, the yogi's best friend. He is our great role model of perfect sadhana, the ideal blend of body, mind, and heart, combining great physical strength with intelligence and devotion. Hanuman embodies what are called the three vital essences: Prana, Tejas, and Ojas. Prana is the essential air element that provides us with energy, intelligence, and adaptability. Tejas, the essential fire element, gives us strength, courage, and penetrating insight. Ojas, the essential water element, keeps the body, mind and heart juicy and cultivates devotion and endurance.
By the way, Sunday April 17th is Hanuman Jayanthi - Hanuman's birthday-traditionally celebrated with 108 repetitions of the Hanuman Chalisa. If you haven't read the Ramayana, this is an excellent time to read it. The William Buck translation is very readable for beginners, Ramesh Menon's version is a little truer to the original story and fleshes things out a bit. The latest version I read is by Ashok Banker, who has recreated the Ramayana as a fantasy epic in six volumes. This is a very nontraditional retelling of the story which makes extensive use of Mr. Banker's vivid imagination. It is entertaining, but perhaps is not for everyone.
Jai Ram! Jai Hanuman!
Tuesday April 12th is Ram Navami, the birthday of Sri Rama-the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu made the descent into human form as Rama for the specific purpose of killing Ravanna, the demon king. This story is beautifully told in the ancient Indian epic called Ramayana (Rama's Way). In the Ramayana, just as Rama is about to be crowned king by his aging father, Dasaratha, he is banished to the forest for fourteen years through the wicked manipulations of one of his father's three wives. Being the noble person that he is, Rama humbly submits to his banishment and enters the forest along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. They spend their years of exile happily, visiting the various Rishis who live in the forest and enjoying the wonders of nature. Near the end of the fourteen years, Sita is kidnapped by Ravanna and taken to his island kingdom of Lanka. While Rama and Lakshmana are frantically searching for Sita, they meet Hanuman, the Divine Monkey, who offers to assist them. It is Hanuman who ultimately finds Sita, and at her request, summons Rama to rescue her. Rama builds a bridge to Lanka with his army of monkeys and bears, and invades Lanka. After a prolonged and bloody battle, Rama fulfills his dharma by killing Ravanna, rescues Sita, and they all live happily ever after (well, not quite, but that's another story).
The Ramayana is a story the symbolically describes the yogi's journey of awakening. Rama is the Divine Self who temporarily takes form in a human body. During his human incarnation, Rama forgets his Divine origins and is swept up in the drama of worldly existence. His wife, Sita, is abducted by Ravanna, leaving him in a state of despair and confusion. Sita represents the Shakti, the Divine feminine energy which is our power source. Ravanna is the embodiment of the demonic qualities that keep our Shakti in captivity (the kundalini shakti, or coiled up energy). The demonic qualities are what Patanjali calls the klesas, or afflictions: avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, abhinivesa (ignorance, egotism, attachment, aversion, and clinging to the known). Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the Lord of the Wind. He is the embodiment of Prana and is called Mahaprabhu, the Great Friend. After Sita's abduction, when Rama is in great distress, it is Hanuman who comes to his aid, inspires hope, and ultimately is responsible for Sita's rescue. Hanuman is, indeed, the yogi's best friend. He is our great role model of perfect sadhana, the ideal blend of body, mind, and heart, combining great physical strength with intelligence and devotion. Hanuman embodies what are called the three vital essences: Prana, Tejas, and Ojas. Prana is the essential air element that provides us with energy, intelligence, and adaptability. Tejas, the essential fire element, gives us strength, courage, and penetrating insight. Ojas, the essential water element, keeps the body, mind and heart juicy and cultivates devotion and endurance.
By the way, Sunday April 17th is Hanuman Jayanthi - Hanuman's birthday-traditionally celebrated with 108 repetitions of the Hanuman Chalisa. If you haven't read the Ramayana, this is an excellent time to read it. The William Buck translation is very readable for beginners, Ramesh Menon's version is a little truer to the original story and fleshes things out a bit. The latest version I read is by Ashok Banker, who has recreated the Ramayana as a fantasy epic in six volumes. This is a very nontraditional retelling of the story which makes extensive use of Mr. Banker's vivid imagination. It is entertaining, but perhaps is not for everyone.
Jai Ram! Jai Hanuman!
Isn't the 17th also a full moon in the northern hemisphere? Is this considered particularly auspicious as well. Certainly in the Hindu tradition there have been many full moons on Hanuman's birthday :)
Posted by: Kyrsten Randles | 04/13/2011 at 10:47 AM