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The Mahābhārata, belonging to the followers of Vedic tradition, depicts the last moments in the life of Karna, the unsung hero of Mahabharata. Badly wounded by Arjuna's arrow, he was wriggling in pain. Sri Krsna appeared before him disguised as a brahmin and demanded alms. The generous Karna did not have anything that he could give to the brahmin. With a sharp stone, he began to knock down his golden teeth. Pleased with his conviction, Krsna stopped him and appeared in his original form. He asked Karna to ask for a boon. Karna requested him to perform his funeral rites on a virgin land, unexplored by any human being. After an extensive search, Krsna found a summit of a mountain in the mid ocean, which he thought would be an unexplored land. He reached there and prepared a funeral pyre. When he was about to lay the mortal remains of Karna on the fire, he heard a resonant voice recite this verse from the lofty skies. 'Hundreds of Dronācāryas have been cremated here, three hundred Pandavas began their last journey from here. Thousands of Duryodhanas were brought here for their last rites and innumerable Karna's have been brought here for their eternal repose. This proves that since the time immemorable, Mahabharata has been unfolded on the earth many a times. In the same way, Ramayana too may have repeated itself many times. We must remember the noblest traits of the descendants of Surya dynasty and try to inculcate them in us.
Jain monks and nuns hold Sita in such a high esteem that when they abandon the sleep in the early morning, they do not even walk a hundred steps, until they remember sati Sita. Sitä may not be present on this planet right now, but she would remain immortal in the hearts of every Indian. We must remember Ramayana and endeavour to enrich our lives through it.
In conclusion, it can be said that, in the beginning, Ramāyaṇa preaches us our duties towards parents, siblings, spouse, in laws, offsprings and friends, and finally leads us to the abstract and the loftiest concepts like Samyakdarśana, Deśavirati, Sarvavirati and finally Mokşa. The plot of Ramayana reveals these ideals step by step. It is said that Ramayana is a treasure trove of detachment and dikşā. The missive from his friend, inspires Daśaratha's father Anaranya, to renounce the world. On seeing the frail and aged chamberlain, Dasaratha remembers the ephemeral nature of the world. Laksmana's death leads Lava, Kusa and Rama to ascetic life. Rāvana's death leads Mandodari, Kumbhakarna and Indrajit to the path of salvation. The setting sun brings about a radical change in heart of Hanumana. These and many other Dikşa's proclaim the ultimate purpose of life in a clear voice.
There are four TEDA
kinds of puruşarthas i.e. efforts in life. They are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa. Artha i.e. money and Kama i.e. fulfillment of carnal desires are puruşarthas for namesake and they generally create an
havoc and compel a soul to reap harvest of karmas birth after birth. Moksa is the true puruşartha and Dharma is a mean to achieve it. Retrospection of Ramayana would reveal that most of the characters in it have laid emphasis on Moksa puruşartha. May the reading of Ramayana inspire you to the purushartha called Moksa and finally lead you to your goal. If I have written anything against the dharmasastra i.e. holy scripts in this book, then Micchami Dukkadam - forgive me. For Personal & Private Use Only
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