top of page
Search

The Ramayana Is Not Just a "Book"!


Image Credits: EBay
Image Credits: EBay

Even though Saints take on a physical form for the salvation of people, they are not their physical form. The vaani (speech) of a saint is who they are. Through their sacred texts (granths), this vaani reaches and uplifts generations of people. 


This is why, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the worship of Saint Guru Nanak’s "Guru Granth Sahib”, of that extraordinary, divine text, is so important. 


Saints, through the vaani of their granths, nourish our devotional sentiment (bhavs). 


Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar would organize a Sadhana Saptaha every year, at Machnur, during which, on Gita Jayanti, there would be a puja of multiple sacred texts. This was a huge celebration/event. 


One spiritual seeker (sadhak) who spent a lot of time in Saint Baba’s company, was an intellectual and quick-witted. Once, Baba said to him, “Compile the verses from the Tulsi Ramayana which have Lord Ramchandra's and Lakshman's statements, and give that to me.”


The sadhak said, “Handwritten?”


Baba said, “Yes!”


To that, the sadhak said, “There is no need for that. Instead, I will go to the market and get two copies of the Tulsi Ramayana, then I can cut and paste the verses together in a notebook.”


Baba then somberly said, “You’re going to cut up the Ramayana?”


The sadhak immediately said, “Yes, it is just stationary after all.”


Then Baba got angry and said, “A wife is also just a woman!”


To call a granth ‘just a book,’ is extreme disrespect.


Humility is extremely important on the path of devotion (bhakti marg), because unless one becomes humble, it is impossible to surrender to the divine, and the true acquisition of knowledge is in a love and devotion to god. 


In his prarthana (prayer), Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar says, “Udbhave Dnyaan Premangi” (loosely: knowledge will emerge/rise from love). True knowledge (dnyaan) is not the knowledge of books, it is acquired by bowing, through love. It is acquired by the grace of the Guru (Guru krupa), for which love for the Guru (Guru prem) and an adherence to the command of the Guru (Guru adnya) are necessary. 


In his text Achaar Sanhita, on the topic of the principles of gatherings of spiritual seekers (satsang niti), Saint Baba says that in a spiritual gathering, one should continually embrace pure dialogue, humble service, calm contemplation and loving faith, in the presence of other spiritual seekers. And then, the appropriate impact of their company happens in our lives and this can be understood through faith. 


There is no doubt that the sadhak from the Saptaha, was uplifted because of being in Saint Baba’s company for many years. This was evident in an article he wrote a few years after Baba was no longer in his physical form. In the article, the sadhak clearly laid out how valuable it is to read and learn from granths in a spiritual life. 

 
 
 

Comments


Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Accessibility Statement

©2035 by Shashwat Sangati. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page