Women (p3 r 2) lord rama-narada
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The document explains the reasons behind Lord Rama's prevention of Narada's marriage, citing that lust, anger, and greed are significant distractions for wise individuals, with woman being seen as a powerful source of temptation. Lord Rama emphasizes the need for devotion and how he protects his sincere devotees, comparing their vulnerability to that of infants. Ultimately, the text presents women as metaphors for ignorance that can lead to the downfall of the wise, which is why marriage was deemed unfit for Narada.
Women (p3 r 2) lord rama-narada
- 1. Page 1 of 4 Why Lord prevented Narad’s Marriage Women (Part 3: From Ramayana) Tulsi Ramayana (Sri Ramacharitamanasa) Aranya Kanda, 37 A-B: 6 Lakshmana, they who remain firm even at the sight of Cupid’s battle-array are men that count in this world. His greatest strength lies in woman; he alone who can escape her is a mighty champion. Aranya Kanda, 38 A-B Brother, there are three evils most formidable of all: lust, anger and greed. In an instant they distract the mind of hermits who are the very repositories of wisdom. • The weapons of greed are desire and hypocrisy, of lust naught but woman; while anger’s weapon is harsh speech: so declare the great sages after deep thought. Lust: Lust can be either a strong feeling of sexual desire, or a strong desire for something. Aranya Kanda 38 A-B: 1-2 Sri Rama, dear Uma, (says lord Siva) is beyond the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), though the lord of the animate and inanimate creation, and the inner controller of all. (By speaking as above) He demonstrated the miserable plight of earthly lovers and strengthened dispassion in the mind of the wise. • Anger, lust, greed, pride and delusion, all these get eliminated through Sri Rama’s grace. He who wins the favour of that divine player is never deluded by His jugglery. Aranya Kanda, 41: 1-4; 42B “Listen, O Lord of Raghus, generous by nature as ‘You’ are:
- 2. Page 2 of 4 Why Lord prevented Narad’s Marriage • You confer delightful boons that are unattainable as well as those that are attainable. Grant me, my master, only one boon that I ask of ‘You’, even though ‘You’ already know it (even without my asking), indwelling as ‘You’ do the hearts of all.” “You know my disposition, dear sage: do I ever hide anything from my devotees? What object do I hold so dear, O chief of sages that you may not ask it of ‘Me’? • There is nothing which I may withhold from my votary: never give up this belief even by mistake.” Then Narada gladly said, “This is the boon I presume to ask: • Even though my lord has many names, each greater than the rest, as the Vedas declare, let the name RAMA, my lord, surpass all other names in exterminating the whole brood of sins even as a fowler kills an entire flock of birds. “The all-merciful Lord of Raghus replied to the sage, “So be it”. Thereupon Narada felt much delighted at heart and bowed at the Lord’s feet. Tulsi Ramayana (Sri Ramacharitamanasa) Aranya Kanda 42-43-44 Seeing the Lord of Raghus so highly pleased, Narada spoke again in gentle tones; addressing Sri Rama Narada said: • Listen, O Rama, when you impelled your Maya (deluding potency) and infatuated me, O Lord of Raghus, I wanted to marry. Why then, did you not let me accomplish my desire? Sri Rama said: • Listen, O sage; I tell you with all the emphasis at my command that I always take care of those who worship
- 3. Page 3 of 4 Why Lord prevented Narad’s Marriage ‘Me’ with undivided faith, even as a mother tends her child. • If an infant child runs to catch hold of fire or a snake, the mother rescues it by drawing it aside, When, however, her son has grown up she loves him no doubt, but not as before. • The wise are like ‘My’ grown up sons, while humble devotees are like ‘My’ infant children. • A devotee depends on ‘Me’, while the former (a wise man) depends on his own strength; and both have to face enemies like lust and anger. • Pondering thus the prudent adore ‘Me’ and never take leave of devotion even after attaining wisdom. Lust, anger, greed, pride etc., constitute the most powerful army of Ignorance. • But among them all the fiercest and the most troublesome is that incarnation of Maya called woman. Listen, O sage: the Puranas, the Vedas and the saints declare that woman is like the vernal season to the forest of ignorance. • Nay, like the hot season she dries up all the ponds and lakes of Japa (repetition of mantras or the Lord’s name), austerity and religious observances. • Again, lust, anger, pride, and jealousy are so many frogs as it were; like the rainy season woman is the only agency that gladdens them all. Even so latent desires of a vicious type are like a bed of lilies, to which, like the autumn, she is ever agreeable. • All the different virtues are like a bed of lotuses; like the middle of winter, woman, who is a source of base (sensuous) pleasure, blights them all.
- 4. Page 4 of 4 Why Lord prevented Narad’s Marriage • Again, the overgrowth of the Yavasa plant in the shape of mineness flourishes when the close of winter in the shape of woman appears. For owls in the shape of sins, woman is a delightful night thick with darkness. • Even so reason, strength, virtue and truth are all so many fishes as it were; and woman, so declare the wise, is like a hook to catch them. A young woman is the root of all evil, a source of torment and a mine of all woes. Therefore, bearing this in mind, O sage, I prevented your marriage. *******