Panchamaha patakas

We must have heard Panchamaha patakas – Five unforgivable sins. But what are they?

Brahma Hatya – Murder of a Brahmin
Stealing Gold
Sura Pana – consuming liquor
Guru Talpaka – Sleeping with Guru’s wife
Friendship with a person who committed one of the above.

These are described by Vyasa Maharshi in Devi Bhagavatam

BhajaGovindam

Kama krodhasya Lobhasya
Dehe tistanthi taskarah
Gnana ratnapa haraya
Tasmat jagrata jagrata

Explanation: This seemingly simple sloka from Adi Sankaracharya explains why even all men are born same why only few attain ultimate gnana.

Kama (sensuous desire), krodha (anger) , lobha (greed) are like thieves sitting in our body. Just like the task of thief is to steal the things, these internal thieves steal the precious jewel of gnana from you. In that case when should we be careful abt these thieves? Generally thieves come during nights so we would be carefully guarding our houses. But these internal don’t have such rule. They sit in our body and wait for an opportunity. So we need to be careful about them at all times.

Gnana here is said to be referring to realization of ultimate reality of God and not the bookish knowledge. Every knowledge that does not lead to bhakti and thus towards God is useless. This can be understood by his famous bhajagovindam song which Sankara sangs when he sees a old Brahmin reciting grammar. Int his context sankara says

BhajaGovindam Bhaja Govindam
Govindam Bhaja Mooda mate
Samprapte sannihite kale
Nah nahi rakshati dukkam karane

You fool pray to Lord Govinda. When you near your death these grammar rules cant save you from your sins. It may surprise some Sankara talks about Govinda(Vishnu) as Ultimate Reality here, in soundarya Lahari says Sakhti/Durga mata as Ultimate Reality and he himself is treated as Ultimate Reality ie., Lord Shiva. He so put forward Advaita School in which he says there is no duality of God. All the three forms mentioned are nothing but one and the same and they are seen in different forms depending on the function they are performing at that moment. Ultimate Reality is said to form less and is an experience that cant be described.
There are many questions left unanswered and it is up to the person to find the answers.

what should we pray when we enter temple?

Many a times we were asked to visit temples. When we were kids we were taught to pray for our prosperity and education. Now that we are grown out of that and are in no mood for education (J) any more, what should we pray when we enter temple? We ask for some wish which we hope for, but many of us don’t have any. During my last visit to temple, I struggled to come up with something I need to wish for. I could not practically think of something tangible I lack now and to pray for. I could have wished for money, car, lands etc., but I know what their true worth is. I already possess them and am not greedy enough to want more.

This gave rise to a question. What to wish for? We know that what we are granted is not entirely our choice. We did not choose our parents. We chose our friends but we did have a choice on the people we encounter. There is a central controlling force called who wrote the script for us to act. If everything is drafted for us why do we need to pray? Swamy Vivekanda has said “Our today’s actions determine our tomorrow”. There are many instances like Markandeya who were able to alter the script written by their Bhakti.

What about blessed ones like us who have (nearly) everything in life. What can we wish for? What do we need to pray when we enter temple? We can wish for prosperity of the world which in turn determines your prosperity. How ever sages say that there are two definite things to ask for when you come face to face with God.

Anayasena Maranam
VinaDinyena Jeevitam

Blessed are those who leave the world with no problems during death. We suffer for all the bad deeds we do. Death is not a punishment for the bad deeds because even good people die. How we die is going to be determined by our punya from this and past lives. Also how we live on earth is determined by our punya. We should live in such a way that we derive respect not only from others but also one’s own conscience. One may do all bad deeds with out proof but his conscience will tell him every single time he looks in mirror what he truly is.

Food for thought: Why do people close eyes when they reach temple after seeing God? Despite taking so much time and pain in reaching the temple like Tirupati, people close eyes in the 5 seconds timeslot given to see Lord Venkatesa. (Answers are anticipated)

Ramo Vigrahavan Dharma.

yadâ yadâ hi dharmasya

glânir bhavati bhârata

abhyutthânam adharmasya

tadâtmânam srjâmy aham

Sri Krishna the God himself said the above statement that means when ever Dharma is not followed and Adharma becomes prevalent I manifest myself to end the trend. God has incarnated in many avaratas out of which Dasavataras are important. Out of these 10 Avataras Rama Avatara is the most important one for mankind. As Rama, Lord Vishnu, relinquished all the divine powers and lead life of a normal man.

Rama has shown by practicing in his life how to lead a life. He has given utmost importance to two things – Satya and Dharma. Rama has faced many problems in his life and faced them like a man with out giving in to any temptations. There are instances when Rama could have avoided problem if he chose to relinquish Satya and Dharma. But he did not and remains as an example for the mankind. Rama was described as “Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmaha Satya Dharma Parakramaha” meaning Rama is the embodiment of Dharma and his main strengths are Satya and Dharma. There is no need to mention this if some sage uttered these words as sages are a bit partial towards him. One will be surprised to learn that these words are uttered by a Rakshasa named MAaricha whom Rama defeated when he is still a young boy.

It is not difficult to stand to Dharma when there is no other choice available. But it is phenomenal if one stands to Dharma when there other options and temptations that surrounds him. There are numerous instances when Rama stood for Dharma despite having other choices for him. Here are few to name.

When Rama was offered hand of Sita after he broke Bow of Lord Siva, Rama replied that it is for his father to decide on his marriage. He did not get married until his father King Dasaratha approved Sita as bride.
When he was asked to go for 14 year vanavasa, he knew that if he talks to Bharata entire vanavasa can be written off. But he chose to go for vanavasa. Here the contrast between people and their following of Satya Dharma is clearly seen. Dasaatha ignored Satya (his promise to have Bharata as his successor) and tried to follow Dharma. (It is Dharma to give kingdom to eldest son) Kaikeyi ignored Dharma (by trying to send Rama to forests) and insisted on Satys. (King’s promise to have her as successor) Rama followed Satya and Dharma and showed the world their practice. He went to forest to reinstate his father in satya and by doing so he followed his Dhrama as a son by saving his father from Astya Dosha.
Surpanaka came as a beautiful girl and tried to tempt Rama. But as a devoted husband to Sita he declined her.
Rama knows that Gold Deer is a plot by some Rakshasha but went in hunt of Deer to follow his Dharma as husband to fulfill his wife’s wish.
When he knew that Sita was kidnapped by Ravana he has a choice. He could have relinquished and avoided war with Ravana (who is an accomplished warrior). He could have gone back and remarried. But he chose to get his wife back as protection of his wife is his Dharma.
Rama knows that Vaal is more powerful than Sugriva and has defeated Ravana once. His job of finding coule have become much easy if he made friends with Vali. But Rama Chose Sugriva as friend as he in Dharma.
He subjected Sita to test to prove the world she is as pure as Agni.
He followed Raja Dharma by relinquishing her owing words of a person his in Rajya.
He did not remarry latter and performed all yagnas with help statue of Sita.

There are some controversies Rama is dragged into by citing them as instances of not following Dharma.

When killing Tataki he killed a woman which is against Dharma. He did it only after his Guru Viswamitra asked him to do that. Here he followed Sishya Dharma and Pitru Dharama. (As his father assured Viswamitra that Rama will do anything at command of Guru)
When he killed Vaali he was accused of killing from behind. His explanation for that was this “The forest falls in kingdom of Ayodhya and Rama is the representative of the king Bharata for forest. Vaali did Adharma by taking his brother’s wife and so has to be punished by the king. As king’s representative Rama punished him. Also Vaali is a monkey and so killing animals from behind is not against Dharma”

Laxmana proved that Rama never did anything apart from Dharma when he was tired and shot an arrow at Ravan’s Son instructing it to kill him if Rama followed Dharma. That killed Indrajit and proved Rama followed Dharma all through his life.

There are many things that can be discussed here but if I did then I will end up writing Ramayana all over again. So stopping here.