WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

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. 

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