SRI RAMACHARITRA MANJARI

SRI RAMACHARITRA MANJARI

(In this edition, the question “Why did Lord Rama receive the Mantras from Vishwamitra?” has been clarified. Please read, comment and shared. SDN)

Being the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, undisputable Lord of all Gods, Sri Rama silently pretended to being taught the Mantras by Vishwamitra by thinking thus:

*Let everything happen as desired by Sage Vishwamitra.

*The Mantra related to each Astra praises only me.

*Anyone reciting them without any desire or demand will definitely be a recipient of my grace.

*Each Mantra will have additional power if it is recited in a holy place, where my divine presence will be there.

*Is there limit for the grace I will be bestowing upon Vishwamitra if I just lend my ear to him and he whispers the Mantras in my ears?

*Let this Vishwamitra, who did long and arduous penance to become a Brahmarishi after being a Kshatriya by birth, reap the benefits of others reciting the Mantra and earning merits.

*Let the demons think that Rama is less divine compared to Vishwamitra since he has learnt the Mantras and obtained Astras from Vishwamitra and all the good and divine spirit by making demons think that way go to Vishwamitra.

*Let me, by pretending to learn Mantras from Vishwamitra, convey to the world that everyone should learn only through a proper Guru or Master.

*By entering my ears through Vishwamitra, the Mantras will become authentic and sacred.

Both Rama and Lakshmana received the Mantras from Vishwamitra, along with corresponding Astras.

All the deities designated to the Astras presented by Vishwamitra appeared in person in front of Rama and saluted him. Sri Rama told them that he would utilise their services in full during his war with Ravana. The deities expressed their happiness and gratitude. They promised to appear or manifest, whenever called for or summoned, and disappeared.

Sri Madhwacharya has said in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya that Vishwamitra presented the Mantras and Shastras to Rama before the killing of Tataka, though it is mentioned in Sangraha Ramayana as well as Valmiki Ramayana that Vishwamitra gave Rama the Mantras and Shastras after killing Tataka. This controversy needs to be clarified.  

Sri Rama had no need to employ any arrow to kill either Tataka or even Ravana. He could have just killed them all by a wish or will. Therefore, there is no need for either Vishwamitra giving Astras or Rama accepting them. Yet, as explained earlier, Rama wanted to honour the deities designated to those Astras, grace the pious and felicitate Vishwamitra. Moreover, he wanted to indicate to Ravana and other demons that he was just an ordinary human being.

It is interesting to note that Rama did not use any of the Astras that Vishwamitra had given for killing Tataka. He killed Tataka with a single and very ordinary arrow.

Sri Raghavendra Swamy has explained the two incidents of Rama killing Tataka and the repetition of the instance of Vishwamitra presenting the Astras to Rama prior to or after the killing of Tataka in each day of Lord Brahma as Rama is born on each day of Lord Brahma. By stating “TaTakAm GhAtukaha astram BrahmAdyam prApya”, Sri Raghavendra Swamy has clarified that there is nothing in the version of Sangraha Ramayana, Valmeeking Ramayana and Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya of Sri Madhwacharya.