Taste the Nectar of Leelas, Don’t Tangle in Logic
During his descension in the human form in Treta Yug, Bhagwan Shree Ram performed several leelas. In one such leela Bhagwan Shree Ram is acting grief stricken since his virtuous wife Sita is missing. In despair, He is asking everyone including the animals of the forest, birds, plants, trees and creepers etc. if they have seen His beloved Sita anywhere. Bhagwan Shankar and His divine consort Parvati come to visit Him. Bhagwan Shankar bows down to pay His obeisance to Bhagwan Ram and addresses Him as “Sachidanand”, which means Supreme God. However, looking at Shri Ram's desperate condition, Parvati Ji is very surprised and confused. She does not understand why being Omniscient He is still crying in separation of His wife Sita Ji, just like an ignorant being. She thinks that it proves that Ram is not omniscient. But then She also wonders, why did Her Omniscient husband Bhagwan Shankar, adore Him like God?
To eliminate this doubt, Parvati Ji decided to test Shri Ram’s divinity as God. She assumed the form of Sita Ji and sat down in a beautiful grove in the same jungle, where Shri Ram was bewailing. When ‘Leela Purushottam’ Shri Ram saw Parvati Ji, He assumed His Omniscient self and asked Her in a mode of satire, O Mother! How come You are sitting here alone! Where is father Shankar Ji? Her pretense was caught and She was really embarrassed at Her ignorance. When she came back and met Bhagwan Shankar, He asked Her if She had tested Shri Ram? She bluntly refused and lied to Him, saying, “I went to pay My salutations to Him, just as You did.”
Observation:
This whole divine episode confuses us and begs answers to few questions:
If it is true that Shri Ram is Supreme God, then why was He bewailing with great grief on losing His wife? This is an act of ignorance and material attachment.
Parvati Ji is the divine consort of Bhagwan Shankar. How then, could She not recognize Shri Ram? How did She dare test Lord Ram? Furthermore, how can She ignore the authenticity of Her husband Shankar Ji? And, how can a divine lady lie to Her husband, when She knows fully well that Her husband is God and thus He is also omniscient.
These questions about the actions of Shri Ram and Parvati Ji commonly arise in the minds of people and prevent them from developing complete faith in God. These questions about the actions of Shri Ram and Parvati Ji commonly arise in the minds of people and prevent them from developing complete faith in God.
Conclusion:
There is no doubt that Lord Shri Ram is Omniscient, as it was proven beyond doubt when he revealed his true self to Parvati Ji when she went to test Him. Second, Bhagwan Shankar honored Him saying “All glories to Schidanand Bhagwan." The epithet "Sachidanand" cannot be used for anyone except Supreme God. Also, how can Bhagwan Shankar who is Himself known as “Jagdish” (the lord of the universe), bow down to anyone else other than the Supreme God? Parwati Ji is also an Omniscient divine personality, who had blessed Devi Sita Ji at the time of ‘Sitasvayambar’. Same Parwati asked Bhagwan Shankar. जो नृप तनय ब्रह्म किमि, नारि विरह मति भोरि ।
देखि चरित महिमा सुनत, भ्रमित बुद्धि अति मोरि How can a prince be the Supreme God? Over and above that, how can he be so deluded in separation of His wife that He is asking the trees, creepers and mountains about His wife? Seeing His acts of utter ignorance and divine glories simultaneously, I am extremely confused. Lord Shankar answers,राम कृपा तें पारबति सपनेहुँ तव मन माहिं। शोक मोह संदेह भ्रम मम बिचार कछु नाहिं॥
तदपि अशंका कीनेउ जोई। कहत सुनत सब कर हित होई॥ जिन्ह हरिकथा सुनी नहिं काना। श्रवन रंध्र अहिभवन समाना॥1॥I know for a fact that You have no doubts, illusion or delusion at all. Even then you are asking this question like an ignorant being, just to teach others that using your material mind in the divine pastimes of Almighty God is a sure sign of sheer downfall. Just as a stage play is a demonstration of the acting talent of the people on stage, but it cannot be used to assess the real character of the actors, similarly, God's incomprehensible acts and pastimes are meant to be enjoyed, not to be criticized or evaluated or judged.
MORAL
Just like Goddess Parvati, we often try to question the actions of God. We try to understand “why did He perform certain actions”. We forget that He is “all knowing” and all His actions are divine. Just like a kindergarten student, cannot judge the proficiency of a professor, our material intellect cannot comprehend the actions of the divine God and saints. Saints and God descend on earth to teach human beings that are at different stages of spiritual consciousness. Sometimes God and saints act for benefit of the devotees who are progressing towards the path of God realization and sometimes Their actions are to shower nectar on the God realized souls. However, we should NOT mimic them. We should only follow those actions of God and Saints that are at our level of spirituality.
In a nut shell, we should follow the instructions of our spiritual master. Using our limited material intellect to judge the actions of God and Saints is a spiritual transgression and is an unforgivable sin.
Siyawar Ram Chandra Ki Jai!!!