Srimad Ramayanam - jnAnam through guru katAkSam

Sabhari mOkSam is an episode in Aranya Kandam which is considered to be mOkSa kAndam.

In my earlier article, I had written about the importance of guru that gets highlighted through the interaction between Bhagawan and Sabhari. 1

Let us look at what that guru katAkSam will do.

Sabhari was a vagabond, who by chance stumbled onto Rishi Mathanga. He found that she’s a clean soul and worthy of being given tAraka brahmam and offered that to her.

Sabhari enquired as to what the name meant. 2
An ideal guru is someone who gives Narayana, and so with Rishi Mathanga being one, he said that the meaning of that name (tAraka brahmam) will find its way to her abode.

When Rama and Lakshmana visited Sabhari’s abode, the former enquired about the progress of her penance 3
and if it materialised.

Sabhari’s jnAnam was complete with Rishi Mathanga’s katAkSam and this reflected in her response to Rama.

She answered intelligently -

aDyaprAptA tapa siDDiH tava sanDarSanAn maya
aDyamE sapalam janma taptam GuruvaSca supUjitA: 4
அத்ய ப்ராப்தா தப சித்திஹி தவ சந்தர்ஷனான் மயா
அத்ய மே சபலம் ஜன்ம தப்தம் குருவஷச்ச ஸுபூஜித:

My tapas materialised upon seeing you. This happened due to guru katAkSam and my sEvA to him who predicted this event in advance.

She further added boldly 5
tvaiyi dEvavarE rAma pUjitE puruSarSaBa

த்வயீ தேவவரே ராமா பூஜிதே புருஷர்ஷபா

Sabhari recognised that Rama was indeed swayam brahman and used the word ‘deva’ and ‘purusha’ - indicating He was indeed PuruSOtamA.

This shows the wisdom that develops 6
once someone comes into contact with the ideal guru and increases steadily until jnAnam is complete.

Jai Sriram

More from Ganesh Dhulipati

Srimad Ramayanam - qualities of Lord Rama

Ramayanam starts with a satsangam between Valmiki Bhagawan and Sage Narada with former asking 16 questions enquiring about a human in their contemporary time with the following qualities: 1

கோன்வஸ்மின் ஸம்ப்ரதம் லோகே குணவான் கஷ்ச்ச வீர்யவான்
தர்மஜ்நஸ்ய க்ரிதஞஸ்ய சத்ய வாக்கியோ த்ரடவ்ரத:
சாரித்ரேன ச கோ யுக்த: சர்வ பூதேஷு கோ ஹித:
வித்வான் க க சமர்தஸ்ச கஷ்ச்சைக பிரியதர்ஷின:
ஆத்மவான் கோ ஜிதக்ரோத: ட்யுதிமான் கோனசூயக:
கஸ்ய பிப்யதி தேவாஸ்ச்ச ஜாத ரோஷஸ்ச்ச சம்யுகே 2

kOnvasmin sAmpratam lOkE gunavAN kaSca vIryavAN
Darmajnasya kritajnasya satyavAkyO dratavrataH
cAritrEna ca kOyuktaH sarva bUtESu kO hitaH
viDvAN ka ka samartaSca kaScaika priya DarSanaH
AtmavAN kO jiDakrODaH dyuDimAN kOnasUyakaH
kasya bibyaDi DevAsca jADa rOSaSca samyuGE 3

1) குணவான் (gunavAN) - virtuous person

2) கஷ்ச்ச வீர்யவான் (kaSca vIryavAN) - valorous / vigorous

3) தர்மஜ்நஸ்ய (Darmajnasya) - unwavering in their dharma or conscientious

4) க்ரிதஞஸ்ய (kritajnasya) - who always remembers good deeds done by others (grateful) 4

5) சத்ய வாக்கியோ (satyavAkyO) - speaking truth

6) த்ரடவ்ரத (DratavrataH) - who always fulfils promises, determined in his deed

7) சாரித்ரேன ச கோ யுக்த (cAritrEna ca kO yuktaH) - appropriate in disposition 5
Why is it important to listen Krishna Bala leelA

Mind has an incessant tendency to keep wandering and thoughts are the waves that never stops.

The proclivity of the mind is like a parasite that it latches on to something. The attraction could be caused by 1

different emotions such as taste, fear, anger, arts etc. entertainment such as watching telly or movie or theatre is exactly for that.

So, all practices prescribed in the religious texts is essentially to curb or control it.

SarvE manO niGraha lakSanAntaH 2

bikSu gItam, Srimad Bhagavatham

Therefore, it is essential to identify an object which is worthy enough to ensure the thought waves are able to get attracted to.

There’s no other object in the universe that meets any of the parameters such as
- Beauty
- Worthiness
- Value 3

Pleasing
Heartwarming and so on

than Krishna. There’s no limit to the content experienced by mind towards Krishna. The only form of Bhagawan that evokes such a desire is Bala Krishna and not any other rupA (for example Narasimha).

Narayana Bhattatri explains the form of 4

Guruvayurappan through the sloka.

யத் த்ரைலோக்ய மஹீயஸோபி மஹிதம்
ஸம்மோஹனம் மோஹனாத்
காந்தம் காந்தி நிதானதோபி மதுரம்
மாதுர்ய துர்யாதபி சௌந்தர்யதோபி சுந்தரதரம்
த்வத் ருபம் ஆஷ்சர்யதோபி ஆஷ்சர்யம் புவனே ந கஸ்யகுதுகம் புஷ்னாதி
விஷ்ணோபி ந பிபோ - நாரயணீயம் 5

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