RamarpaNam-101

File 101.

Dated: 20th August, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram.

Shunashepa virutaantam.

Rama is worshiped as dispeller of distress and calamity. His temples are centers of knowledge as well as centers thwarting hunger, by way of anna dhaana kootam. Vedas and scriptures can be taught when one is free of hunger and appetite.  Hence places of worship were used combing all the purpose in one.

The three stages of worship are 1. Dhiyanam. 2. Nithidhiyaasanam. 3. Upaasanam. This is achieved by undisturbed focus on the Divya Mangala vigraham of the Lord. By such continued attempt Bhakti blossoms, betters and matures into para Bhakti, para Jnana, parama Bhakti ultimately fetching Mukthi itself.

Our mental acumen is capable of identifying people and places with name, features and specialty. But when coming to naming and identifying that many temples and the presiding deities there we commonly falter. The reason is lack of focus and repeated mental revisits. This however can be reversed with deep devotion and dedication.

With the ascend of Trishanku to Heaven, Vishvamitra felt

mahaavighnaH pravRitto ayam dakSiNaam aasthito disham

and decided to move west-ward to continue His penance.

He came down to the banks of Vishaala River along the Pushkaram holy lake side and commenced His ascetics living on fruits and roots, ground stem of select plants.

Vishvamitra had to face another ordeal here again in the form of Ambareesha. Sage Shataananda reveals this story next.

When Rama's grandparent Ambareesha undertook a ritual, Indra seized, caged and imprisoned the ritual-horse. Ambareesha then had to look for alternative and fetch a human-animal in the place of the lost horse. He approached Sage Richika as none was available. Sage refused to barter His eldest son and His wife, her last son.

na aham jyeSTham nara shreSTha vikriiNiiyaam katha.mcana |

tasmaat kaniiyasam putram na daasye tava paarthiva

Shunashepa, the middle son of Sage Richika, offered himself in exchange for one lakh cows to his parents. Thanks to Vishvamitra, that human sacrifice did not go through.

This story reveals that at the expense of all His penance, a wrong precedent of human-sacrifice in an Yajna was averted by Sage Vishvamitra, befitting His name ‘friend of universe’.