Historical Significance of pran prathistha of RAM in the new temple at Ayodhya and the civilzational significance of Shree Ram
- in eternal aum consciousness
- Sep 12, 2020
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 22, 2024
A historic day
Today, 22nd Jan 2024, is a historic day, when the consecration ceremony of lord Ram in ayodhya Temple is nearing completion.
To celebrate bhagwan shree ram temple opening and prana prathishta, a civilizational event that is happening after around 550 years...
We are lucky to be alive to witness this. So many generations of our ancestors have dreamt of this event in their lifetimes... Some fought, some watched, some laid down their lives. It is a result of generations of struggle and not giving up.
Today day shall be recorded in history of bharat (not India!) forever.
There are celebrations, debates, opinions, devotion, indifference & opposition in the minds and deeds of billions of souls in the world today.
Going beyond the belief, the emotions, the history, the celebrations, let's see the evidence... the facts!
There are some other subtle aspects of the divine Ram. Which is given below as per my limited understanding, compiled from different sources.
These aspects are not to be believed in, but experienced and known to be true. This is the true spirit of Bharat, where we pursue enlightenment (bhayam ratam iti bharatam)
Superb Bhajan by Narayana.
For a start, Here is a rendering of "Kan Kan mein hai raam". By my close friend, Narayan! He stays at Powai and the video is rendered at the entrance of his home, which has a majesty statue of param Ram bhakt hanuman!
Sanskrit meaning.
1. Meaning in Sanskrit: The word Ra The akshara 'Ra' represents light or fire. That is why the Sun was called 'Ra' in many ancient cultures. This is not just the light of energy but also of knowledge, of enlightenment. The akshara 'Ma' represents the 'Mind' (manas). Also extends to the self, (atma) and down to 'Man.' 'RA MA' therefore is the 'man in search of/ going towards the light, or, enlightenment; the atma towards the paramatma. It is not a coincidence that the Egyptian sun god is called ra!
Let's explore Rama in each atom of the the five koshas... The layers of the self.
Ram in the physical layer.
We know, we don't just belive that the physical body is temporary. However in the moment of losing a dear one, mind becomes overwhelmed by grief, and loses this awareness. Ram resolve this both, for the departed ones and the ones left behind.
"Ram naam satya hai" is the chant we hear when a dead body is on its way to cremation. The five pranas leave the body over a long time... Of a few hours... (Hence the practise of cremation as soon as possible...)
The chant merges the mind and timelessness, facilitating the soul with attachement with desires linked to the roles in the times of this life of the body, progress to sadgati, without getting entangled. Hence in satana dharma, we are on sadgati and not rip (rest in peace...) This also reminds the people around the dead persons body that only and only Ram is the truth (eternal, the soul) and everything else is false (non eternal, like the body of the person). This helps the loved ones cope with the loss while ensuring sadgati to the departed soul.
Ram in Energy body.
Chakras: the word Ram has Ra. the beej mantra of the manipur chakra. The source of all creation. Aam is the vedic recitation of AUM (as against Om, that is pauranic recitation). the recitation of word Ram invokes the ultimate energy. Ma is the place of swadisthan chakra. Energy activation is the maximum here. The uttarance of ram, unleashes the energy in the chakras. Hence Ram is associated with tej or brightness or intense light.
Nadis: Ra is the sun channel. Ma is the moon channel. The word Rama brings them together, leading to the ultimate blissful state. This is explained in a meditation for sun moon where they merge together...an interesting process revealed by sage vashishta. This is where manifestation accelerates.
The science of using the left and right channels is swara yoga, a super interesting way to control the energies. Our ancient sciences had mastry over the koshas and complete well being.
Namasmaran: As we breath in, it is sun channel - Ra and as we exhale, the air is cooler - Ma. The akhand namasmaran of rama linked to breath is both the means and the goal itself. One only has to be aware of it. The embedding of Ram naam in breath is effortless and always in awareness. There are interesting breathing techniques that focus on the instant where the breath stops for a moment, before it reverses direction. As the moment prolongs in pranayama, while in anter or bahya kumbhak, the mind goes silent and the merging of both channels happens, leading to activatation of the central sushumna channel. This is one of the potentet methods in Bhairav tantra, an excellent resource for 112 of these ways of enlightenment.
Ram in Manomaya kosha or the mind layer.
Nama mahima: glory of chanting the name. Valya the dacoit became Shree Valkimi the Sage by reciting the word Ram. millions of time. He chanted mara mara which ultimately became Rama Rama. This proves the sheer power of the word. The naam.
Bhakti movement: Ram appears in many mahamantras. Varkari, iskon and many more. The importance of reciting the name of ram is everywhere in countless books.
Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari
2. Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram
3. Hare Ram hare Ram, raam raam hare hare.
Hare Krishna hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna hare hare!
One partner: It was an accepted practise, in our sanatana society, even till a few generations back, which you can verify on your own, to have multiple wives. An exception, set as an ideal example of commitment, is bhagwan shree Ram being in "ek patni vrata", that is dedication to one wife. Hence in bhakti, one cannot establish a role of lover with Ram like one can do with Krishna, as a gopi. Hence Ram is also called maryada purushottam ram. The highest form of a human being, who always stays within the limits of dharma or the roles.
These are some of the ram bhajans by pt bhisen Joshi in Marathi.
Music has the power to transcend the mind body energy triade to move into self as bliss duet.
Ram in the vigyanamaya koshan or the layer of the self.
The roles at play: In the adwaita philosophy, everything is one. The roles of Ravana and kumbhakarna were also roles. There is no difference between the doer, the act of doing and the deed. It's a illusion of the mind. If everything is one. The 3 collapse into one, which is the leela of pure consciousness at play. We are all a part of this leela.
Hence ravana, the Ramayana, the characters are all manifested to create an example for us to live a righteous ideal life. To guide to mind to focus it from many to few to one to none!
There are some who think, believe or talk about ravana as a bad person. However, it was a role assigned to him to play this part. That's all. Just as roles are assigned to all of us.
Shiv tandav stotra is a mind boggling composition by ravana in the glory of lord Shiva. You will be amazed to read, understand and hear about it. Here is a rendering that gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it.
Rama sent laxmana to learn from ravana as he lay on the battlefield.
Ravana was a Vedic scholar.
Ram raavana battle lasted may days and nights.
Vishnu had to take avatar as ram to end the role of ravana!
Ram in AnandMaya kosha.
Universal consciousness is manifested as lord Rama, one of the dashavtars... Just as you have electric energy in the house, but the appliances are different, like light, fan, heater, Aircon, each having a specific purpose, the manifestation of lord Rama is the ideal of living according to his own dharma or doing eternal duties according to the role one plays, knowing very well, that this is the role . That's all! One consciousness. Many manifestations. That's all.
Once this is clear, the self and bliss are the eternal states. The form of ram, the tej of ram, the energy of ram, the values of ram, and bliss of ram are all manifested at the same time.
Ramayana is real, not a myth.
This is not mythology, but history!
The British coined the term mythology, and not itihasa, to convert the people of Bharat into slaves, by breaking their identity.
Timing of Ramayana is around 12,500 bc.
With astronomical evidences taken from original valmiki ramayana references. An amazing work, which is fact based, not belief based done by Nilesh oak. This becomes older than Roman and Greek civilizations, which can be uncomfortable for the West to digest. But again, we base this on facts! Not on belief.
Celebration.
The occasion of ram temple opening is historic for sanatana Dharma. This deserves a celebration as this is an event of a lifetime. A national holiday, Diwali like celebrations are well deserved.
Diwali is celebrated when Rama returned home to ayodhya after the battle with ravana.
Today Rama returns to ayodhya in his own temple, his house. (In sanatana Dharma the temple is the house of the lord, not a prayer hall)
Tolerance and patience.
Sanatana Dharma has encouraged the pursuit of enlightenment. This is the cradle where major religions have coexisted like Sikhs, Buddhists, Jain's, with diverse philosophies! The focus is on debate and not force. Never in any where in the world history, has a majority pursued a legal recourse to reclaim something which was taken away forcefully more than 5 centuries back. No wonder the santana dharma is based on 5 principles of being, rather than of doing!
The five principles are universal to humanity and are explained in different ways in different books. The ultimate aim is "loka samasta sukhino bhavantu."
Self enlightenment and value addition to the world are the two purposes of life.
Some voices of dissent have asked about the significance of the temple, why a holiday. After reading this, it is clear that in "Kan Kan" there is ram and only Ram. Creating a temple, a national holiday is a the least we can do, see or celebrate for the divine, which has inspired us for thousands of years!
Blessing
May you be in eternal aum in the mind, in eternal raam naam in the breath. May ram be each atom of you body, energy, mind and soul. Let your being reverberate with the sound of ram ram ram.
Jai Shree Ram.
The devotion of the Purushottam Kodandapani very clearly evident in your blog. May you remain blessed.
Great blog. Enlightened to read the various aspects of RAM. Opens up a different and positive stream of vision 👍.
Jai Shri Ram 🙏