Srimad Ramayana Thathvadeepika(16)--Ba:laka:nda

From the Bhakti List Archives

• May 18, 2002


Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha!
Sri Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!

s:amardhyam – Caliber

It is not enough if human beings possess
only 'jna:nam'. They should have the capacity
in addition to the knowledge they possess.
Knowledge without the strength to put into
practice is worthless.

So Valmiki asked Na:rada, "Who is the
vidva:n?" followed by another question,
"Who has sa:mardhyam?”

SriRama had proved to the world that knowledge
coupled with ‘sa:mardhyam’ are essential in
the world. It is not sufficient just to know
the ‘dharmas’, but to have the capacity to
follow and practise them is esential. Knowing
the 'asthra:s' is not sufficient. Having the
skill to exercise them is important. We find
this ability in SriRamachandra.

Sage Viswa:mithra taught him various asthra:s
and their withdrawal. SriRama showed how he
could put them to the best use by shooting
the rakshasas Maareecha and Subaahu with the
asthras. On the banks of the South Ocean when
SriRama prayed to the Ocean God to give them
way to cross over and reach Lanka, he did not
react. Rama became furious at his negligence
and directed his arrow at the ‘samudra’, who
shook with fear and prayed to him by
surrendering, and Rama without withdrawing
his arrow shot at samudraÂ’s enemies who had
made him dry near ‘drumakulya’ on the eastern
side. To show his ‘sa:mardhyam’ to Sugreeva,
SriRama shot an arrow that pierced through the
trunks of seven trees and returned and settled
in his quiver back. In SriRama we see both the
knowledge of the highest degree of archery and
exceptional capacity (s:mardhyam).

In the same manner, what a man needs is not
knowledge alone. A human should acquire the
skill to put into execution whenever, wherever
and however it is needed. Bhagavan, who is
‘para’ has supreme strength along with
unlimited ‘jnana’.

Upanishad says,
”para:sya sakthihi vividhaiva sru:yathe:”
It is not in anybodyÂ’s capacity to explain
His strength.

When nothing was evident there was only one
'ThathvamÂ’. As said,

‘aekame:va advitheeyam’,

The ‘brahmam’ has the capacity to do the
‘srishti’ with just the sankalpa(intention).
Bhagavan has the enormous strength to enter
all the substances as 'athmaÂ’ in the minutest
form keeping the ‘jeevathma’ as His body and
stays there without their knowledge directing
everything.

He is the ‘Almighty’. No one, however
knowledgeable one may be, can know Him. He is
beyond anybodyÂ’s comprehension. SriRamachandra
taught how a human being should behave Knowing
the ‘sa:mardhya’ of ‘Para’.

To be continued...

Jaisrimannarayana!
Ramanujamma Mudumbai

=============
ramanuja dasi
=============

[ A small but important correction on the transliteration.
  The word should be 'sAmarthya', not 'sAmardhya'. -- Mani ]







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