~|| Neil Bhatt /Lakshman Appreciation Thread 4 ||~ - Page 96

Originally posted by: vinolya

Take diversion from Lakshman mode... 😆 hmm just kidding... 😊

For a change, ABHI... ❤️ Hope its ok for you all...

wow incredible..i love such diversions..right now am also sitting like abhi with hands on my chin

Just Great The Gulaal Forum Will Close Down.💔

Originally posted by: SilverFairy

Just Great The Gulaal Forum Will Close Down.💔

First The Show Ends Now The Forum. Its Not Fair.

oh really...hmm yea different versions..

btw can some body throw light on kevat scene...i saw FB pic of ram ji in river

i have read lakshman was a great boat builder..and he swam across the river yamuna..what does valmiliki says about this scene..i have no clue..enlighthen me

Originally posted by: arti07

oh really...hmm yea different versions..

btw can some body throw light on kevat scene...i saw FB pic of ram ji in river

i have read lakshman was a great boat builder..and he swam across the river yamuna..what does valmiliki says about this scene..i have no clue..enlighthen me

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=FS9-LxDkVOUC&pg=PA79&dq=ram+and+kevat&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nijMUL6VIsbrrQfK7YDICw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA

This is the story of a boat man called Kewat, that figures in the great Epic
Ramayana. When Lord Rama was exiled for fourteen years, he left the kingdom
of Ayodhya, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. They had to
cross the River Ganges at one place. They requested Kewat to ferry them
across the river. The boat man first refused to do so because he had heard
about Lord Rama touching a stone with his foot and the stone subsequently
turning into a woman! (That was the story of Ahilya.) The boatman expressed
his concern for his boat also turning into a woman! In that case what would
he do for a living? The Lord set his fears to rest and the boatman agreed to
ferry them across.

As soon as they alighted from the boat, Lord Rama looked at his wife Sita as
if asking her, if there was something they could give to this poor boatman
as payment for the ride. Rama being dressed as an ascetic had nothing
valuable on his person, to give to the boatman. Sita immediately withdrew a
ring from her finger and handed it over to Lord Rama, signalling to him to
pass it on to the boatman.

Lord Rama: Here Brother, that is all we can pay you for your kind service.
Please accept it.
Kewat: (Shaking his head). No, My Lord! I can not possibly accept this from
you.
Lord Rama: Why?
Kewat Because people of the same profession do not charge each other for
their services.
Lord Rama Oh!
Kewat A barber never takes payment, when he gives a haircut to another
barber.
Lord Rama: So?
Kewat: Even a washer-man never charges a fellow washer-man.
Lord Rama: What are you coming to?
Kewat: Lord, people of the same profession do not charge each other for
their services. So how can I charge you?
Laxmana Stepped forward indignantly to express his anger. How on Earth could
Lord Rama be of the same profession as this rustic boatman? But Lord Rama
silenced Lakshmana with a single look. He looked compassionately at Kewat
who was kneeling in front of Him with folded hands.
Lord Rama: Brother, how can you and I be of the same profession? You are a
boatman and I a
Kewat: Lord, both of us do the same work. I ferry people from this shore of
the Ganges to the other. You ferry people across the ocean of Samsaara
(Bhavsagar) through the journey of life. How can I accept payment from you?

The Lord was so overwhelmed at this passionate outburst from Kewat, that he
held out his arms and embraced the boatman.

actually there is a song which says "ramji help me to cross the river ganga" its a spiritual song which means lord rama help the ppl and enlighten them... the bhavsagar or ganga is world and the boat is refer to mind and the devotee wants to say dwell in my mind so tht i come out of all the difficulties in the world...and look here wht they did here 😡

one more :

wen sriram asked for the boat the boatman refused saying :
"I know your secret very well. People say that there is a magic even in the dust of your feet as it has a power to turn a stone into beautiful lady (example is Aahilya). My boat is made up of wood that is much lighter than a stone and once you touch it with your feet, then the boat of a poor man like me will turn into sage's wife.
Ram was enjoying his speech. He said, "Don't worry, it will not turn into sage's wife." The boatman said, "even then there is a problem because if that lady is not sage's wife, then I will have to take her home and then it would be difficult to explain to my wife. No way, your majesty, you must accept my condition if you want to cross the river in my boat. I am managing my household running a business with the help of this boat. My father did not teach me any other means of earning money. If I lose my boat, then how can I manage my household?

"Ok, then what do you want me to do?"

"You must wash your feet before getting into my boat so that dust of your feet will not touch my boat and, I will wash your feet, because if you do not wash it properly and even if a small particle remains, that could cause a problem."

While Ram is laughing, Lakshman is angry and Sita is confused but the boatman is calm, sitting peacefully and awaiting the reply from them all. Looking at angry Lakshman, he says, "even if he strikes me with an arrow, I don't care. But without washing feet, I would not allow you to enter my boat. I am not asking for any monetary return."

Shriram is not able to stop himself from laughing. He can see a divine quality named "arjav" - meaning straightforwardness - in his behavior, that is not visible to Lakshman although they both calm down with a thought that at least this boatman is aware of the power of Shriram's feet. Shriam is thoroughly enjoying the internal feelings of the boatman. Boatman is very smart although his external behavior may appear very innocent. Only God can understand the internal feeling of true devotion apparently looking like a stupid behavior.

He surely liked this different language of pure devotion as he might have been bored with the usual daily prayers done by sages and monks. This feeling of friendly association ("sakhya") is unique. This poor boatman is not at all piteous but he is very rich in his feelings. Otherwise, it was not possible for Shiram to allow anyone else to worship him by cleaning his feet. Through his emotions, boatman was having an internal dialogue with Ram.

He was saying, "your majesty, always we are in hurry to see you while you are not in hurry and keep us waiting asking us to perform more spiritual reading, chanting and meditation etc. But today I am not in hurry because no one would like that you leave early from here. Now you have to experience how it feels to be kept waiting for some time".

"You put lots of conditions for a living being to reach the final state of union with God by crossing the ocean of worldly attachments and we are forced to accept them willingly or unwillingly. Now, for crossing this river, you have to accept my condition, and then you will understand our pain.

You are in need to cross the river, but I have to help those waiting here for long time. You might say that none is visible here but my ancestors are waiting here to get across (cross the obstacles and unite with God). Once I wash your feet and drink that sacred water, then my ancestors will be uplifted and then will be your turn to cross the river.

When I saw you coming towards me, I did not get up and bow in front of you because that indicates surrendering myself and then I would have to follow whatever you say. But if I have to force my conditions on you, then I can not bow before you, although I will do so at the time of departing from you after taking you across the river."

Being able to sense all these emotional dialogues, Ram was laughing with joy of this associational affection (sakhyabhakti) but Lakshman and Sita were unaware about it. Boatman said openly, "If you do not want to accept my condition, then I will show you a shallow path from where you can walk down in the water in order to cross the river. The level of water would be just touching up to my waist."

Shriram said, "The calculations of village people are altogether different, we can not predict how much would be the depth of water when they say water level is nearly up to waist. When we ask them about distance of the next village, they say it is not far, just a length of a hand but we have to walk until evening to reach there. Considering this Shriram says, "I will drown in the water leveled up to your waist" while in mind he says, "the water consists of your devotion and I will not feel like coming out of that water. It would become difficult for me, so I prefer not to opt for it". While laughing, he says openly, "Do what ever you need to do to prevent your boat from turning into a lady. As you want to wash my feet, please bring the water as soon as possible and wash the feet. Please take us across early, as we are already late."

Boatman says in mind, "When we tell you to take us across, at that time how do you behave? Try to recollect it" and he goes to bring the water from river.

Lakshman say, "He is denying your requests and still you are happy to follow what he says, this is very strange." Ram said, "I requested you also not to come with me in forest but you said, "No, no, i shall come". You only have started this practice of not listening to me and the boatman is following the same. It is the same love he has when he is saying "no" to me.

credit : saras ramayana

Originally posted by: arti07