Valmiki
after completing the writing of the great epic Ramayana, showed it to Sita and
she loved it. He showed it to his wife and she praised it. Then he showed it to
Narada, the sage who keeps travelling between heaven and earth, but he was not impressed,”
It is good, by Hanuman’s is better,” he said.
“That
monkey has written the Ramayana too”. Valmiki did not like this at all, and he
wondered whose Ramayana was better, So he set out to find Hanuman.
Narada
directed him to the Kadali-vana, the groove of plantains , not far from
Ayodhya, that Hanuman frequented. There, on seven broad leaves of the banana
tree, Valmiki found inscribed Hanuman’s Ramayana. He read it and found it to be
perfect. The most exquisite choice of grammar and vocabulary, meter and melody.
Valmiki could not help himself. He started to cry.
“Is
it so bad?” asked Hanuman.
“No,
it is so good, “said Valmiki
“Why
then are you crying?” asked Hanuman.
“Because,’
replied Valmiki, “after reading, Hanuman’s Ramayana no one will read Valmiki’s Ramayana.”
Hearing this, Hanuman simply tore up the seven banana leaves on which he had
inscribed his telling of Ram’s tale. “What you have done?” screamed Valmiki,
watching Hanuman cast the pieces into the wind. “Now no one will read Hanuman’s
Ramayana”.
Hanuman
Said, “You need your Ramayana more than I need mine. You wrote Ramayana so that
the world remembers Valmiki; I wrote my Ramayana so that I remember Ram”.
•
At that moment, Valmiki realized how he had been consumed by the desire for
validation through his work.
• He had not used the work to liberate himself from the fear of invalidation.
• He had not appreciated the essence of Ram’s tale to unknot his mind.
• His Ramayana was a product of ambition,.
• Hanuman’s Ramayana was a product of affection.
• That is why Hanuman’s Ramayana sounded so much better.
• He had not used the work to liberate himself from the fear of invalidation.
• He had not appreciated the essence of Ram’s tale to unknot his mind.
• His Ramayana was a product of ambition,.
• Hanuman’s Ramayana was a product of affection.
• That is why Hanuman’s Ramayana sounded so much better.
Valmiki
fell at the Hanuman’s feet and said, “Just as the flesh distracts us from the
mind, so do words distract us from the idea. Now I realize that greater than
Ram is the idea of Ram.
Valmiki
wrote Ramayana to achieve fame and status, whereas Hanuman wrote Ramayana to
find Rama! The intent matters!
Wishing
you most & more
Have
a wonderful day & great weekend
Be
Blissful.
S.SEKAR
Contact:
sekrajc@yahoo.com
