SRI
RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI
(ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ವಿರಚಿತ “ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ
ಮಂಜರಿ ಅರ್ಥವಿವರಣೆ)
2.8 Atula instance concluding part
Thus, by carrying the Vishnu Bow and handing it over to Sri Rama to
handle, Sri Parashurama showed to the universe that both of them were one and
the same and they were incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The hidden hint to Sri Rama
by Sri Parashurama was that the world would know that “You are Vishnu and I am
Vishnu, when you set the bow right and set an arrow on its string”. After Sri
Rama killed demon Atula, the principal message that Sri Rama and Sri
Parashurama were contemporaries and were incarnations of Lord Narayana. The
deities who had assembled there to witness this rare phenomenon were delighted
by the action of Sri Rama and Parashurama and returned to the heavens savouring
the instance.
At that moment, Sri Parashurama wanted to “Sri Parashurama
DAsharaThirAmaikyasamarthana”. That is, he wanted to justify to common people
that he and Dasharathi were one and the same. Therefore, he went into the body
of Sri Rama, stayed there for a while. When this happened, all the people
around saw Sri Rama in the spot where Sri Parashurama was standing and vice
versa. Everyone together said aloud: “Sri Parashurama is Sri Rama and Sri Rama
is Sri Parashurama. What we witnessed so far that Sri Rama defeated Sri
Parashurama is only an enactment of a drama by Lord Hari.”
Sri Parashurama came out of the body of Sri Rama, told that he would go
to do penance and went away. But, the demons thought that Sri Parashurama had
displayed some black magic to lure them. They thought that Sri Parashurama
becoming one with Sri Rama was pretentious and was aimed at concealing the
defeat he suffered at the hands of Sri Rama. The demons could not understand
that Sri Rama and Sri Parashurama were incarnations of Lord Narayana. They
thought that Sri Parashurama had lured and cheated the people.
It has been mentioned earlier that due to the power of the boon
bestowed by Lord Brahma, demon Atula was wearing different forms in different
worlds and was terrorising the righteous. With Sri Rama killing one such form
of demon Atula, a question would arise that he would continue to live in
different forms in different worlds.
The Puranas mention that Lord Indra and other demi Gods were born on
earth on various occasions and died after accomplishing the task they had
undertaken. When their life on earth ends, they were very much there in their
heavenly abodes in their original and eternal forms.
During the Dwaparayuga, Lord Yama was in two forms namely Dharma Raya
and Vidura. When Vidura died, Dharma Raya was alive. Dharma Raya too died later
on. Hence, it is clear that when a deity or demi god assumes multiple forms on
earth, the death of one form does not disturb the life of the other form or
forms. It has no cascading effect.
The same logic holds well in the case of demon Atula too. If this is
true, the destruction of demon Atula in the stomach of Sri Parashurama does not
end the tyranny he had unleashed in other worlds through other forms. This
ambiguity needs to be cleared forthwith.
Firstly, the death of an incarnation does not end the existence of the
original form. Even in the case of multiple forms of incarnation, the death or
injury to one of the forms does not affect the other contemporary form or
forms. But, when the original form is destroyed, the remaining forms also get
destroyed. At the time of Great Dissolution, the original forms of all deities
and demons are destroyed, along with their incarnations or other forms.
Demon Atula was living in other forms in other worlds. They were all
his shadowy forms. His original form was there in the stomach of Sri
Parashurama because as per the boon, that was the safest place for him to
survive. He was living in all the worlds in different forms because of the boon
of Brahma and the boon was bestowed upon him because of the penance he had
done. The power of penance was nullified by the arrow of Sri Rama and he was
killed instantly. As it was his
original form, the destruction of that form meant that all other forms vanished
simultaneously. Sri Rama chanted
specific Mantras while firing the arrow and due to the power of those Mantras,
all the forms of Atula were burnt to ashes. Therefore, there was no way for any
form of Atula to have survived.
Dasharatha, who was wearing a haggard face till the entire drama
enacted by Sri Rama and Parashurama concluded happily, recovered from that
shock. He was delighted. Along with Vasishtha and other sages, Dasharatha re-entered
Ayodhya with a face that had blossomed like lotus. Flags, festoons and hampers
were adorning the streets and thoroughfares alike. Brahmins chanted Vedic
hymns. All the newly wed couples entered their respective rooms.
All those who saw Seetha Devi exclaimed that she appeared as though
Goddess Lakshmi had descended in all her glory and charm.
The qualities of Sri Rama have been described and appreciated in all
the Puranas and other holy literature. However, the qualities are infinite and
beyond verbal description. It is the duty of every human being to keep praising
the attributes of Lord Hari as it paves the way for Moksha.
(The story of Ayodhya Kanda begins in the next episode. Owing to
certain unforeseen circumstances, there is a delay in posting and the inconvenience
is regretted. Access all episodes at https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3857926767002555602#allposts SDN)
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