Ravan and Ramayan: A Retake?Part 5

 Ravan and Ramayan: A Retake?

Part 5:

Hanuman is the right hand man to Ram. Sita is missing? Go find her. Laxman is ill? Get his medication. Come give the information from the enemy quarters. 

The loyal servant of the virtuous leader.

A monkey by birth. Not even considered at par with humans. His strength, abilities and virtues always underestimated by ordinary people. Ravan annoyed by his antics. 

Yet his worth fully understood and acknowledged by Ram and Sita. 

Imagine a different scenario. Ram recognizes Hanuman’s potential and recruits him in the search party for Sita and later in the army to fight against Ravan’s forces. He works the first day. Goes a few miles in one direction looking for Sita. Returns and says, sorry guys, no luck. Goes again next day and returns with the same answer. This continues for a week. Then he declares he has looked everywhere, right up to the seashore and he couldn’t find Sita. This is about everything he could do. 

He writes his comments in a feedback section. 

“Salary insufficient. Work conditions poor. Resources inadequate. Management support nearly absent. Employer treated me badly. No GPS provided for assistance in the search expedition. It isn’t my fault that Sita is yet to be found. 

Oh, and going long distance to get medication for the boss’ brother is not in my job description or scope of work. I was retaliated against for saying this.

I still need full reimbursement for my travel and labor, compensatory time off for extra days worked and also promised pension. I also deserve to be promoted to managerial position after everything I have done in the last week. My lawyer will contact shortly if employer fails to meet my demands. I also have the full support of the union. ”

Imagine being a servant with this mindset? 

How many of humans can understand Hanuman? Let alone try to be like him? 

In my opinion perhaps the most prestigious and excitement filled role in the entire screenplay of the Ramayan belongs to Hanuman. If I were to pick one, this is the one I would jump at. Imagine to be able to lay down the head at Ram’s feet, be entrusted with the task to find Sita, the task itself calls to fly across the ocean. You test your own abilities and fly. When you arrive in enemy territory you relive your childhood by jumping from one tree to another and set fire with your tail everywhere you go and get to see the disgust on the face of the enemy while they are unable to catch you. You return to your master keeping a straight face like a good boy he thinks you are and get a pat on the back for finding the location of Sita. You are never required to tell what other things you did at the place besides finding her. 

You will be made to pay for the damage some day but at least you let the enemy know that this was a trailer. If they don’t end the standoff, they will be facing the master directly, not this servant. 

My kind of a job. Oh well. Not everyone gets the best job in the world. 

All joking aside, the point is service to Ram means to recognize the principles Ram is representative of and give it your all, without expecting anything. Not even that pat on the back. Not even the guarantee of returning home alive when you are sent on a mission. No promotion, no medal, no benefits. Just plain sincere labor towards the cause you believe in. 

Imagine yourself to be nirmalya! Flowers picked from the garden and offered as worship to God. Their life begins and ends in sacrifice. And they consider that as their greatest privilege and blessing and remain grateful for it from start to finish. 

It is the attitude behind the work and the master one chooses to serve is what makes the difference. Not the worker himself or his assigned work. 

The 13th century spiritual renaissance in Maharashtra is a shining example of the fact that one’s profession doesn’t matter to achieve spiritual and personal excellence. Doing one’s existing work diligently and with devotion towards the principles that stand for truth and justice is important. There were butchers, tanners, cobblers, gardeners, household servants, tailors, barbers, goldsmiths, latrine-gutter cleaners, even sex workers who were recognized for their devotional service and elevated to equal status from a spiritual perspective. Those who chose more prestigious positions in society but neglected the role of devotion and sacrifice failed to get recognized for their contributions. Their work benefited just themselves and was limited to being a source of livelihood and comfort. In contrast the work of the devotional folks served as a source of livelihood, involved personal hardships but in the end proved to be most fulfilling. The concept has been extolled by saints from all generations. And in every generation the concept means everything to some and nothing to some. That’s the way of life.

Hanuman is one such exemplary servant of God. He is worshipped and sought after to protect people from dangers and keep them safe and healthy. But those who see him for what he represents would worship him for a lesson or two about service and choice of the master. They would pray to him to keep them safe with guidance on the choices they make in life. It is those choices and actions that are going to protect them, not Hanuman, not Ram and not any other God with a name or form. 

Ramayan can be said to be understood if we understand the symbolism of each of its characters. And once we understand this symbolism it doesn’t matter if we take the trouble to go to the temple to offer worship. Every moment spent in doing what is our assigned duty will automatically become an act of worship. Without any trace of performance for others to watch and laud us. 

In Taatiche Abhang, Muktabai has said “ आशा दंभ अवघें आवरा”

Let go of expectations of any kind. Let go of hypocrisy. 

Those are usually the last remaining impurities to be removed from our minds before the mind devotes itself completely to its legitimate work and responsibility. When you are fully equipped to identify these impurities within your own mind and take them out of your brain, you are ready to go without needing help.