Implied meaning of some names in Rāmāyaṇ

1. Implied meaning of some names in Rāmāyaṇ

According to H.H. Anna Karandikar

1A Names in Rāmāyaṇ and numerology

Rām (राम) and Sītā (सीता) : There are 2 letters in each name.

Lakshmaṇ (लक्ष्मण) and Urmilā (ऊर्मिला) : There are 3 letters in each name.

Bharat (भरत) and Mānḍavī (मांडवी) : There are 3 letters in each name.

Shatrughna (शत्रुघ्न) and Shrutkīrti (श्रुतकीर्ती) : There are 4 letters in each name.

According to Numerology, the number 3 is closer to number 2. Hence, Lakshmaṇ as well as Bharat being 3 letter words, were closer to Rām which is a 2 letter word. Since number 4 is not so close to number 2, there is not much reference of Shatrughna in Rāmāyaṇ.

1B. Luv : One who bends in whatever direction the wind blows and does not get destroyed; one who can thrive under all circumstances.

1C. Kush : This is a type of grass. Just as grass thrives even on rocks, he is the one who survives even in difficult circumstances. Luv and Kush were princes; yet, they grew up in an Ashram (Hermitage).

1D. The imperishable quiver : The radiance emitting from the sun is reflected back towards the original sun (Sun Principle) in the same amount. Hence, the sun will never perish. Similarly, the number of arrows (meaning ‘Divine Energy’) shot by Rām returned to Him. Hence, His quiver was imperishable.

1E. Shabri : Shabri was conversant with Shābarī vidyā (An occult science). Under the pretext of eating berries, Rām learnt it from her and she willingly imparted that knowledge to Him.

1F. Mārīch : The supernatural power by means of which the form of a deer can be assumed is known as māruchi. The one who possesses this power is known as Mārīch.

1G. The ten-headed Ravan : Ravan means personification of ego. He was ten-headed, that is, a Dashagranthī (A Brāhmaṇ wellversed in the knowledge of the ten Holy texts). ‘Ravan was the grandson
of Sage Pulastya. Sage Pulastya was the mānas-putra (Creation) of Deity Brahmā. Ravan was the son of Sage Vishravā and Kēshinī or Kaikasī’. (Shrīmadbhāgwad, Khanḍa 16 and Pracheen Namkosha,
Page number 358) Pula means the birth passage. This Sage had performed sādhanā through Vāmamārg (Tāntrik spiritual practice).

1H. Bibhishan : According to one school of thought, the jīva is situated above the navel. Due to sādhanā (Spiritual practice) when it descends to the region of the Mūlādhār-chakra, it gets a bhīshaṇ (Yeer<eCe) (Terrifying) experience near the bimba (efyebye) (Navel). Hence, it is known as Bibhishan. Bibhishan is derived from two words – bhīshaṇ (Yeer<eCe) and bimba (efyebye). When the order of words is reversed, the word becomes Bibhishan. Bibhishan’s spiritual level, as his name signifies, was up to the Maṇipūr-chakra (See Glossary).

1I. Lanka : Lanka means the head which lies above the neck. Rām handed over the kingdom of Lanka to Bibhishan, which means that He made him progress spiritually up to the level of Sahasrār.

1J. Indrajit : Indrajit, Ravan’s son was jitēndrīya, which means he had attained victory over all his sense organs.

1K. Bindu and Rekha : These were the queens of Narantak, one of Ravan’s sons. The jīva should not remain bound by attractions of any kind such as Bindu and Rekha, else they become the cause for the annihilation (Anta) of man (Nara).

2. Implied meaning of some incidents from the Rāmāyaṇ

2A. ‘Sītā, the daughter of the earth Incident

Sītā was found when ploughing the land

Implied meaning : Infant Sītā was the manifest form of the  hiraṇyagarbha waves, that is, the waves emanating from the core of the earth. Since sound, touch, form, taste, fragrance and their energies coexist, when one of the components is present, others too are present. (For
example, when a Name is chanted, the form, fragrance etc. accompany it.) Similarly, infant Sītā was the manifest form of a specific energy, that is, hiraṇyagarbha Shakti (Divine Energy); while Sītā as Rām’s
wife was the form of Rām’s Shakti. Detailed information on hiran-̣yagarbha waves is provided in Sanatan’s Holy texts associated with Deities.

2B. Kaikeyi asking for a boon Incident

With one boon Kaikeyi got Rām banished to the forest for 14 years and with the other, she asked that Bharat be made king.

Implied meaning : Shravankumar’s grandfather was Sage Dhoumya and his parents were Ratnāvalī and Sage Ratna. Sage Ratna was the royal priest of the kingdom of Nandigram ruled by King Ashvapati. Kaikeyi was the daughter of King Ashvapati. Sage Ratna had taught Kaikeyi all the scriptures and had also warned her that if Dasharatha had sons, they would either not be able to ascend the throne or if they did (ascend it) after Dasharatha, then within 14 years the Raghu dynasty would be destroyed. To prevent this catastrophe, Sage
Vasishṭha advised Kaikeyi to ask Dasharatha for two boons; through one she would send Rām into exile for 14 years and through the other, ask for Bharat to be made king, because she knew that as long as Rām was alive, Bharat would never ascend the throne. It is on the advice of Sage Vasishṭha that Bharat installed Rām’s pādukā (Wooden footwear) instead of His Idol on the throne. If instead of the pādukā an Idol had been installed, then with the principle that sound, touch, form, taste and fragrance coexist, the effect would have been as if Rām had Himself ascended the throne. ‘The original Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇ contains3 shlokās with this meaning. However, some researchers feel that those who re-wrote the Rāmāyaṇ after 1228 A.D. omitted these’.

2C. Bharat asking for Rām’s pādukā

‘Asking for Rām’s pādukā’ means ‘placing the head on the feet’ or ‘complete surrender’. When Bharat asked Rām for His pādukā He gave them to Bharat. Bharat then carried them on his head in such a manner that the toes were towards the front, installed them on the throne and performed ritualistic worship. Since then, the custom of pādukā-pūjā began.

2D. Bharat’s stay at Nandigram

1. Incident : After procuring Rām’s pādukā, Bharat installed them at Nandigram. He did not reside in Ayodhya.

Implied meaning : Nandigram means the testes. It implies that Bharat observed celibacy. ‘Installation of Rām’s pādukā’ implies that Bharat lived the life of a sādhak (Seeker).

2. Incident : When accepting Rām’s pādukā, Bharat pleaded with Rām to inform him about His return from exile along with Sītā, so that he could prepare for His reception. Upon this, Rām said, ‘So be it’.

Implied meaning : ‘Along with Sītā’ means along with Shakti (Divine Energy), that is, after awakening of theKunḍalinī. ‘About His return’ means before attainment of self-realisation. Bharat said he wanted to know when he would go into nirbīj samādhi (The highest superconscious state, the state of advait [non-duality]).

2E. Lakshmaṇ’s life in exile

Incident : Sītā would presume that when bringing the roots and tubers, Lakshmaṇ must have eaten some. Rām would presume that Sītā must have served Lakshmaṇ. Thus, both would not enquire if he had eaten.

Implied meaning : For 14 years Lakshmaṇ survived only on air. To protect Rām, he did not even sleep. He was constantly engrossed in sādhanā.

2F. Sītā’s abduction (Sītāharaṇ)

Incident : Ravan abducted Sītā and kept Her with him.

Implied meaning : The real Sītā never went with Ravan. She enteredthe fire and Her image accompanied Ravan. It was at this point that Rām’s leelā (Divine play) in the true sense began. When returning from Ravan, on the pretext of purification in the fire, Her image entered the fire and the real Sītā emerged.

2G. Rām embracing the trees

Incident : After Sītā’s abduction, crying out for Her, Rām embraced the trees.

Implied meaning : He perceived how the trees and creepers felt.

2H. Slaying of Vali

Incident : Rām shot Vali with an arrow because of which he died.

Implied meaning : Vali’s spiritual progress had stopped at the level of Anāhat-chakra (See Glossary). After Rām’s arrow struck Vali, his spiritual progress began again and he was liberated.

2I. Slaying of Ravan : Ravan was a great devotee of Deity Shiva.

His spiritual progress had stopped at the level of the Sahasrār-chakra. Rām did not slay him; instead He penetrated his Sahasrār-chakra and blessed him with sadgati (Further momentum after death).

2J. Rajak accusing Sītā

Incident : A washerman (Rajak) in the kingdom said that Sītā was impure; hence, Shrīrām abandoned Her.

Implied meaning 1 : The one accusing Sītā is a washerman (Rajak). His task is to wash clothes and remove all stains. The washerman said this to prevent any stigma from blemishing Shrīrām.

Implied meaning 2 : The word Rajak (jpekeâ) is derived from two words – ‘raja (jpe)’ and ‘ka (keâ)’. The letter ‘ka’ denotes a small part of an object. This means that the washerman had some Raja component in him
because of which, he could not perceive the sāttvik nature of Sītā.

2K. Slaying of Shambuk

Incident : Rām slayed Shambuk, a mātang (One belonging to a low caste), because he undertook austerities.

Implied meaning : Shambuk undertook the wrong austerities. Consequently, the atmosphere on the earth was polluted to such a great extent that the subjects were distressed and the sādhanā of the Sages was interrupted. Hence, to fulfil the duty of a king, in the interest of His subjects and to protect the Sages, Rām beheaded Shambuk.

2L. Rām renounced His body in river Sharayu

Incident : After Sītā was engulfed by Mother Earth, Shrīrām renounced His body in river Sharayu.

Implied meaning : Shrīrām did not commit suicide by jumping into river Sharayu, but took samādhi in its waters. There are several types of samādhis – samādhi in the earth (Bhūmi-samādhi), in water (Jalasamādhi),
in the fire (Agni-samādhi) etc. Saint Dnyānēshwar took samādhi in the earth, while Saint Ēknāth and Saint Rāmtīrtha took samādhi in water. Samādhi is possible only for those who have no attachment to the body. After Shrīrām renounced His body, all the residents of Ayodhya followed suit, because they felt that their life
without Shrīrām was now meaningless.’ – H.H. Anna Karandikar, Dahanu, Maharashtra

Reference: Sanatan’s Holy Text ‘Shrivishnu, Shriram and Shrikrushna’

The Advaitic Meaning In The Ramayana (Rama And Sita)

Where a true miracle happens- alas! the average man has no eyes to see it. Only gross magical acts he recognizes as miracles. Jesus commanding a lame man to get up and walk, is a,miracle. But a fragrant beautiful flower blossoming out of a mere heap of dung, is just an accident! When summer clouds gather and dance in the skies, it is only a routine happening! The very Ramayana started as a miracle.

One day when Valmiki was going to the Gangas to take a bath, he saw a Krauncha couple (a pair of curlews) sitting on the branch of a tree. A hunter shot at one bird which fluttered and fell down dead. The tragic sight evolved in Valmiki, the composition of a poem, which in turn caused the gods to request him to write an Epic Poem. Thus came forth the Ramayana - a miracle in itself.

Ramayana came out in spite of man, through man. The poem was,written by a man well-established in the Ultimate Reality, who was expressing through his work, the pure Advaita Philosophy, the contents of the Upanishads. The glory of the poem is that the ideal states of living are expressed, the ideal brother, son, king, enemy, friend and the ideal man living in society. But all this is mere paraphernalia. The core of this poem is utterly divine which explains why the glorious story of Rama is so popular even today.

Rama, The Pure Self

'Rama' itself means "Sarveshu Ramante lti Ramah" that which revels in everyone of us, the pure light of Consciousness, the Atman, the Self, the Atma-Rama. This spiritual essence in us, can come out only as a son of Dasaratha, one who has conquered all the ten Indriyas -' five Gnanedriyas and the five Karmendriyas. It will be born in you and reborn only in Ayodhya (yuddha means conflict, Ayodhya means where there is no conflict meaning, where all conflict has ended). In that Ayodhya which is ruled only by the self-controlled man (the one given to self indulgence and pleasures can have no peace and tranquility) Dasaratha's son Rama is born.

Sita, The mind

Rama, the pure Self, cannot enter into any active participation in life unless wedded to the mind. Sita (the mind) is ready. She is not born to Janaka by wedlock. While ploughing the land, he finds Sita. If a girl is got every time the land is ploughed, agriculture would have ceased long ago! The mind appeared from the most inappropriate place ever. It is absurd to enquire deep into this. Later you find that the same Sita , disappears into Mother Earth. From Mother Earth she came, to Mother Earth she went back. From where mind comes, and where it disappears during samadhi, nobody can tell. This is Maya.

Wedded to the mind when Rama returns, he finds that he cannot live in Ayodhya. For, once the mind has come, you start expressing through it. You have to enter the forest of life, self-exiled as it were.
Some cause or other must emerge as one enters the forest of existence. So long as Sita was looking up to Rama, living in Rama, for Rama, by Rama, she never found any difference between Ayodhya and a jungle. But how long can the mind remain constantly centred in the higher divine potential in us? It has to become extrovert. And this is just what happened the moment Sita looked away from Rama. The golden deer was noticed.

The finite, ephemeral, ever-changing objects, start pulling you towards them. The mind demands them. Rama may argue, and all the scriptures , might also argue, that it is all Maya, that it is not real, that it is only a Rakshasa. Yet even Sita, Rama's own consort, will not accept it, and she will exile Rama in search of the sense-object. Once desire- polluted, you fall. When Rama goes, he winks at Lakshmana and they both understand that the poor deluded girl is suffering, Sita is left in Lakshmana's charge.

Esoteric Ramayab

Dear Thimmappaji,

Your mail reminds of something.....sometime back I was searching Google to look
for versions of ESOTERIC RAMAYAN....and thats how I happen to discover this
group :-)

Since the topic of ESOTERIC understanding has surfaced, am sharing some
reflections......

" These are thoughts evoked long back after reading Dr.Svoboda's books (Aghora
Series)...

RAMAYAN means RAM=ATMAN (Soul) & AYAN=CYCLE (Journey)... " JOURNEY OF THE SOUL "

There are several characters in this Mythology and they symbolize, as under:
RAM=Atma Shakti / The Power of Soul
BHARAT=Deh Shakti / The Power of Body
LAKSHMAN=Manah Shakti / The Power of Will
SHATRUGHNA=Karma Shakti / The Power of Action
DASHRATH=Mind (Dash means Ten; Rath means Chariot...Mind is like a Chariot with
Ten Horses)
These 10 Horses are our external & internal senses...Eyes, Nose, Ears, Tongue &
Skin...i.e., 5 Karmendriyas and 5 Gyanendriyas.
KAUSHALYA=Satva Guna
KAIKEYI=Tamo Guna
SUMITRA=Rajo Guna
Simple fact, Dashrath (the mind) under the influence of Kaikeyi (tamo guna)
disregards his duties towards Ram (the atma/soul) and offers undue favours to
Bharat (the body) ...something we all are doing 'all the time' :-)
As a result, poor Ram has been sent in exile along with his wife SITA (who
ofcourse is The Kundalini Shakti )
Also, he faces his worst plight when Sita is abducted by Ravana (the ego). The
Ego (Ravana) is supported by various warriors who are extremely powerful. One
among them is Ravana's son...Meg-nad (literally means, The Sound of Clouds).
Its not difficult to understand that our ever agitating Mind is clouded
with the commotion of " Thoughts " ...which never ever allows us to let
rest into the deeper solitude of Inner Self. Meg-nad (The Sound of
Clouds/Thoughts) who is the son of Ravana (the Ego) is too powerful to overcome.
BUT !!!

BUT !!! Noone has ever been able to Stop the Power of the Soul (Ram). Ram seeks
help from LAKSHMAN (Laksh means Goal; Man means Mind...Focused or Concentrated
Mind)
&
THE HANUMAN (who is Son of The Wind God)...its thru the Wind that Life Force
(Pran Shakti) flows within Us. The whole Monkey Army is nothing but, various
forces of the Life Force transmitting Air (Pran Vayu).

Thus, with the help from HANUMAN (Pran Shakti) and LAKSHMAN (Concentrated Mind),
RAM (Atma) defeats RAVANA (Ego) in order to come in union with SITA (Kundalini
Shakti)......What a Beautiful Story !!!
Isn't Ramayana after all, " JOURNEY OF THE SOUL " ???

Now, this is in the lighter side with some new characters:

SUGRIVA = Su means Good + Griva means Throat = A Throat that is
energized/cleansed thru Yoga/Pranayam. Needless to say, SUGRIVA being the King
of Vanaras supplies Hanumana (Pran) as well as the whole Vanar Sena
(Pran Vayu) to assist RAM is his endeavours to free SITA (The Kundalini
Shakti) from RAVANA. An even, not so regular practitioner of Pranayam
can experience this phenomenon.

SHURPANAKHA :-) ..............well, this is getting funnier :-D

We
all know that the very seed of the RAM & RAVANA feud started with
the incident of SHURPANAKHA's nose getting slain by LAKHMAN. It is the
very beginning of the tale that finally makes Ramayana - The Story.
Esoterically, it refers to the 'time' when first of the endeavours of a
this wandering soul to reach back to its kingdom starts - The Neophyte.
In Ramayana also, 13 years of exile had passed.....just after a year
RAMA will be throned back to his kingdom. So, the EGO (Ravana) has to
play its final game in an attempt to not let it happen. Thus, the first
move is taken by Ego's Sister - SHURPANAKHA :-) Shall we explore the
meaning??? SHURPA-NAKHA means Big/Large Nails. And what do we do with
our nails??? No marks for guessing that, we scratch ofcourse :-P

The moment this neophyte Sadhak sits for " Meditation " or " Jap Mala " and tries to
Concentrate 'The Mind'.....Remember? Lakha-Man = Ekagrachitta Man
(Concentrated/Focussed Mind)...there comes the marriage proposal from
Shurpanakha :-)) One feels scratchy here and there :-D))))))))))))

So
next time we feel scratchy while Meditating or Japa, lets not take the
Surpanakha (Nails) to get married to Lakshman :-)
Control...Observe...Get Over...lets slay her nose and drive her out
!!!! :-)

Ofcourse get ready for Marich (The Golden Deer) to come next ;-D


Pranams _/\_,
Anupam



--- On Sun, 9/14/08, M.S.Thimmappa. <thimmappams wrote:
M.S.Thimmappa. <thimmappams
Re: Why we worship Krishna?

Dear Shantnuji,
Bhagavata mention number of wives but as is the case with most 

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Esoteric

Even though i didnot knew the esoteric meaning of Ramayan or the Mahabaratha, in our yahoo Group's discussion one of our wise & Learned freind posted the following message. IAM COPYING THIS WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION in a veiw that his message is read by many people here. the Credit goes to our beloved freind ShantanuJI.

He in this message on the hidden Tantric
meanings of Ramayan(it assumes knoweldge of Kundalni & Chakras) explains as follows:

The hero of Ramayan is Ram, which is also mantra for Manipura
chakra, that defines our personality. He is a pure Satoguni. His wife,
Sita is the Kundalini. She is kidnapped by Ravan, the lower sensory
Ego,and held across the sea-The Swadhistan Chakra is for the element
of water.

Ram need the help of Lakshman. In Sanskrit, Laskshye is one pointed
concentration. So to raise Kundalini, we need to be Satoguni, and must
have complete dedication.

But this isnt enough- they also need someone else, very strong, to
fight demons and clear the way for them. That is Hanuman, who is the
son of Vayu(air). In Upanishads, vayu is also used for Pran(life
force). So Hanuman is the God of Pran. This also makes sense since in
the Upanishads also Pran is the one who fights and destroys the
demons.

Together, these 3 go across the sea(water element of Swadhitan
chakra). To cross the sea they need to build a bridge with stones who
have Ram written on it. So to raise Kundalini, we need pure bakti,
just doing Kundalini or Kriya Yoga isnt enough.

They defeat Ravana, and bring back Sita. Sita hs to give Agni
pariksha, means you have to show your inner fire(agni) is pure, ie you
have complete faith in God. If you dont, you will burn in the fire of
Kundalini.

Once they pass the test, Ram and Sita fly back. Air is the element of
Anahat, or heart chakra. This also signifies that your path becomes a
bit easier after you pass Agni pariksha.

Source(s):What a great Interpretation! Thanks.

ESOTERIC MAHABHARATA

ESOTERIC MAHABHARATA

Posted by Shanracer (on www.indiadivine.org)

Source: http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hinduism-forum/458850-esoteric-mahabharat-1-a.html

(text begins)

Namashkar,

Sometime ago I had posted on the Esoteric Ramayan- Mahabharat also has
a esoteric element hidden in it...

It requires some knowledge of Mahabharats story.

Shantnu is the Parabrahm, the Supreme beyond. He has 2 wifes- the 1st
is Ganga who is pure Conciousness Shakti-or the Adi Shakti. This Adi
Shakti has 8 children. 1st 6 are powers of the 3 worlds(Causal, AStral
& Physical)- for both the Universe level & individual level. 7th is
Universal spirit or Kutashta Chaitnya. These 7 children are hidden
from normal people, or " drowned " by Ganga as in the story.

The 8th child is the Universal Ego, or Bhishma. Bhisma is the
reflection of the Universal spirit. He is not to be confused with our
petty egos- the Universal Ego or Bhisma is noble & pure, & has little
interest in our physical world(accordingly, Bhisma renounces his throne).

Satyavati is the 2nd wife of Shantnu, & is the Primodial nature, or
matter.

Her 1st son is Vyas, Pure discriminating intelligence, who is hidden.
Her other 2 sons are Chitragadha or 1st element, who dies early, as
the 1st element in nature(these are Sankhya elements) breaks into its
parts. 2nd is Vichitraviyra, the Divine Ego.

Vichitravirya has 2 wives-Ambika(negative doubt) & Ambalika, positive
power of discrimimation. Vichitravirya dies early, as the Divine ego
cant survive contact with physical matter. So Vyas, or pure
discrimination & conciousness, is brought to sire 2 children. From
Ambika, or doubt, he sires Dhritrashtra, or the blind sense mind,
blind as it lacks power o discrimination. Thru Ambalika is sired
Pandu, or Buddhi, which is power of wisdom & discrimination.

Dhritrashtra, or blind sense mind, marries Gandhari, or power of
desires, & has 100 children- the 10 sense organs * 10 Mahabhuta. Their
chief is Duryodhan, who represents worst qualities of blind mind- ego,
anger , vanity etc.

Vidur- there are several explanations. One is that Vidur is the
equivalent of Mind born sons of Brahma, who help him in running the
world, but cannot directly interfere.

Vidur was pure energy of Vyas(or Pure discrimanting intelligence), as
his mother wasnt afraid of Vyas. So like the mind born sons of Brahma,
he had full wisdom from birth, with which he tried to help others, but
they didnt always listen to him.

Vidur was a pure soul- he was one of only 3 who saw Krishna in his
Viraat form.

Pandu, or Buddhi, marries Kunti(or power of dispassion) & Madri(power
of attachment to dispassion). With them he has 5 children- who are the
5 elements, or 5 Chakras of our body- Yudhistra or Ether
element(Akash)-the Vishudhi Chakra, Bhima or Air element(Pran) -the
Anahat Chakra, Arjun or Fire element(Agni) -the Manipur Chakra, Nakula
or Water element(Ap) -the Swadhistan chakra, & finally, Sahadev -the
Earth element(Prithvi) Muladhar Chakra.

These 5 brothers have 1 wife- Draupadi or Kundalni Shakti. She spends
time with each brother, & has a son with each(the spiriutal powers of
each chakra).

The Pandavs are defeated in the game of dice, which is the game of
Maya or illusion we can never win. They are then kicked out of their
kingdom(or the body) & the evil tendencies then rule. Then have to
wander for 12 years, which is the time many Yogis say it takes a man
to achieve expertise in Sadhna. The 13th year is spent in disguise, or
when the Sadhaks takes Samadhi, & is lost to bliss & outside world.

Then these positive forces return to the bodily kingdom, but the -ve
forces(ego, arrogance, hatred etc) refuse to share even a part of the
kingdom. So with the help of Krishna, the Divine Guru or his
representative, the +ve forces prepare for battle...

he 1st chapter of the Gita describes in detail the enemies facing
each other on the battle field. Most commentators ignore it.
Yogananda, however, shows how each Hero represents some power- Divine
or Demonic that either helps or stops the Sadhak.

1st, the +ve forces that help the Pandus, or the Sadhak:

1. Yuyudhana- He reprsents devotion, or Shraddha, the faith & love of
God, which naturally force man to fight forces of darkness.

2. Uttamjaus or Celibacy- not just from sex, but all outer tendencies
of mind, which force mind to run to outer things.

3. Chekitena- Smriti or spiritual memory- that reminds us of our true
nature of the image of God.

4. Virat or Samadhi- When the Pandavs were exiled for 13 years, the
condition was they must spend the last year in hiding. They spent that
in King Virats kngdom. Virat represents Samadhi, where the devotee
merges his conciousness into the Divine, & draw spiritual strength.
Note that the Gita doesnt say Samadhi is the final step- the devotee
then has to return & fight negative forces with the help of this
Spiritual Energy.

5. Kashiraj- Pragya or Discriminative Intelligence. Pragya allows the
Sadhak to discriminate between real knowledge, & the traps of the ego.
Its not mere intellectual knowledge, but a Divine Intelligence that
guides the Sadhak.

6. Drupada-Extreme Dispassion- This is not a negative disinterest in
life, but means such an complete devotion to reaching God that all
other goals seem weak in contrast.

As I said in last post, Draupadi is the Kundalni Shakti- she is also
daughter of Drupada. That means Kundalni is only " born " when the
Sadhak achieves an highly Detached(to material things) state.

The next allies represent the limbs of Yoga(as described in Yoga Sutra):

7. Dhrustaketu- Yama- Power of Mental resistance

8. Shaibya- Niyam- Power of positive Mental discipline

9. Kuntibhoj- Asana- Or Posture. Kunti was the Mother of the Panadavs.
She had the power to invoke the Gods, which was how the Pandavs were
born. Kunti represents the devotees power to call for Higher
spiritual power to aid his mission.

As Kuntibhoj " adopted " Kunti, in the same way Asana helps the Sadhak
in calling for Divine help with the help of Pranayam, for which
correct posture is necessary.

10. Yudhamanyu- Pranayam.

11. Purujit -Pratyahar

12. Abhimanyu, or Self Mastery -Abhinanyu, the bravest warrior,
represents the last 3 steps of Yoga- Dharna, Dhyana & Samadhi, which
enable the Sadhak to become a Master of Himself.

13. Sons of Draupadi- These are the awakened Chakras, & the powers
associated with them. The Gita doesnt say(like many Gurus) that these
powers should be ignored; rather they should become soldiers that help
the Sadhak in his battle with darkness.

The enemies of the Pandavs as descibred in the 1st chapter of the Gita
are:

1. Kripa – Avidya, or delusion. Kripa is the Guru of Kauravs, & one of
their main warriors. Avidya forces man to think he is different from
God. At the end of Mahabharat, Kripa survives, & makes peace with
the Pandavs. This shows Avidya can never completely vanish, as then
the manifested world would go back to the Spirit.

2. Bhishma- Ego. Bhisma is one of the most interesting characters of
Mahabharat. He was a Deva, & spiritually advanced enough to see
Krishna in his real form, yet he took side of Kauravs.

Bhishma advised Duryodhan against the war- as the Ego is the Grandsire
of both good & bad qualities/habits of man, & loves them equally.
Bhishma or the Ego takes the side of the lower mind when it becomes
powerful(Duryodhan), but soon tires of his evil ways, & feels sympathy
for his good qualities(Pandavs).

But Bhishma cant be defeated- which shows the Ego cant be defeated
without its cooperation. In the Mahabharat Bhishma tells the Pandavs
the secret how to kill him.

Even then Bhishma doesnt die, as he immortal. He says he will stay
alive till the sun reaches the North in heavens. Later on in the Gita
Krishna says the same thing- people who die when sun is in
North(winter) get Moksha, which has led to a lot of stupid attempts to
die during winter!

The hidden meaning is that Ego is rendered powerless by Samadhi, it
doesnt go completely till the Sun of Inner Conciousness reaches the
Highest point(North) in the body- or the Sahasra Chakra in the Head.

3. Dronacharya- Habit or inner tendency, or Sanskars. Sanskars are the
impressions made on the Chit, which continuously come up & force us to
do things by habit- Sanskars are collected over many lifetimes. Drona
was the Guru of both Pandavs & Kauravs, as we have both good & bad
Sanskars(good Sanskaars can be habit of meditating regularly). But
since our negative Sanskars are more numerous & powerful, they become
our enemy rather than friend.

Drona was the mortal enemy of Drupada, who represents extreme
dispassion. Our dispassion makes us ignore our Sanskars, as we lose
interst in results of Karma. Dron is finally killed by Drupadas son( &
Draupadis brother)- who cuts of Drons head- meaning all Sanskars are
destroyed by the energy born of dispassion.

4. Ashvathama- Latent desires- These are our hidden desires- for sex,
money, power etc. At the end of Mahabharta, Ashvathama survives, but
is rendered powerless & cursed to roam Earth forever. This shows our
desires never die, but are rendered helpless, & no longer affect the soul.

5. Karna -Raga or attachment

6. Vikarna- Repulsion or Dvesha

7. Jayadrath- or Body attachment, & fear of death

8. Bhruishrav or Karma with egoistic desire

Duryodhan & his brothers:

As I said, Duryodhan is the 1st son of Dhritrashtra or blind sense
mind, & represents all the bad qualities of it, like anger, ego greed
envy etc. His brother represents various other -ve qualties mentioned
in Vedas:

9. Kama or Lust or desire- Duryodhan is the himself his quality, as he
refused to share even a millimetre of land with Pandavs due to his
lust for power.

10. Krodha or Anger- Dushansan

11. Lobha or greed- Karna & Vikarna represent this

12. Moha or deluded attachment- Shakuni represents Moha. Our
attachment blinds us, & confuses us with Maya. In the Mahabharat,
Shakuni tricked the Pandavs by cheating in a dice game. The dice game
here is the game of the material world, with its temptations & lures.
By falling prey to these temptations, the Soul is " banished " from it
kingdom of the body, as the Pandavs were.

13. Mada or pride- Represented by Shalya, who was related to the
Pandavs, but joined the Kauravs when Duryodhan flattered his ego &
offered him money. Mada also means insanity, which is what our pride
makes us. He is killed by Nakul/Sahadev, who were his nephews, &
represent power of Yama/Niyama.

14. Matsarya or envy- Represented by Kritvarma, who was related to
Krishna, but went against because of envy.

As we can see, the enemies are numerous, which makes the task of
Sadhak very hard. But the Sadhak has Sri Krishna, the Divine Guru, the
Hidden Spirit. About him we need no introduction.

(text ends)

**************************************************************

ESOTERIC RAMAYANA Version 1

Posted by Shanracer (on www.indiadivine.org)

Source: http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hinduism-forum/458853-esoteric-ramayan.html

(text begins)

Long time ago, I also posted this message on the hidden Tantric
meanings of Ramayan(it assumes knoweldge of Kundalni & Chakras):

The hero of Ramayan is Ram, which is also mantra for Manipura
chakra, that defines our personality. He is a pure Satoguni. His wife,
Sita is the Kundalini. She is kidnapped by Ravan, the lower sensory
Ego,and held across the sea-The Swadhistan Chakra is for the element
of water.

Ram need the help of Lakshman. In Sanskrit, Laskshye is one pointed
concentration. So to raise Kundalini, we need to be Satoguni, and must
have complete dedication.

But this isnt enough- they also need someone else, very strong, to
fight demons and clear the way for them. That is Hanuman, who is the
son of Vayu(air). In Upanishads, vayu is also used for Pran(life
force). So Hanuman is the God of Pran. This also makes sense since in
the Upanishads also Pran is the one who fights and destroys the
demons.

Together, these 3 go across the sea(water element of Swadhitan
chakra). To cross the sea they need to build a bridge with stones who
have Ram written on it. So to raise Kundalini, we need pure bakti,
just doing Kundalini or Kriya Yoga isnt enough.

They defeat Ravana, and bring back Sita. Sita hs to give Agni
pariksha, means you have to show your inner fire(agni) is pure, ie you
have complete faith in God. If you dont, you will burn in the fire of
Kundalini.

Once they pass the test, Ram and Sita fly back. Air is the element of
Anahat, or heart chakra. This also signifies that your path becomes a
bit easier after you pass Agni pariksha.

How many people read the Ramayan without knowing the hidden meanings?
Thats why I said, our scriptures are pregnant with hidden meaning, if
you are smart and brave enough to look for them.

(text ends)

*********************************************************

ESOTERIC RAMAYANA Version 2

Posted by Anupam Shil (on www.indiadivine.org)

Source: http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hinduism-forum/459414-esoteric-ramayan.html

(text begins)

Dear Thimmappaji,

Your mail reminds of something.....sometime back I was searching Google to look
for versions of ESOTERIC RAMAYAN....and thats how I happen to discover this
group :-)

Since the topic of ESOTERIC understanding has surfaced, am sharing some
reflections......

" These are thoughts evoked long back after reading Dr.Svoboda's books (Aghora
Series)...

RAMAYAN means RAM=ATMAN (Soul) & AYAN=CYCLE (Journey)... " JOURNEY OF THE SOUL "

There are several characters in this Mythology and they symbolize, as under:
RAM=Atma Shakti / The Power of Soul
BHARAT=Deh Shakti / The Power of Body
LAKSHMAN=Manah Shakti / The Power of Will
SHATRUGHNA=Karma Shakti / The Power of Action
DASHRATH=Mind (Dash means Ten; Rath means Chariot...Mind is like a Chariot with
Ten Horses)
These 10 Horses are our external & internal senses...Eyes, Nose, Ears, Tongue &
Skin...i.e., 5 Karmendriyas and 5 Gyanendriyas.
KAUSHALYA=Satva Guna
KAIKEYI=Tamo Guna
SUMITRA=Rajo Guna
Simple fact, Dashrath (the mind) under the influence of Kaikeyi (tamo guna)
disregards his duties towards Ram (the atma/soul) and offers undue favours to
Bharat (the body) ...something we all are doing 'all the time' :-)
As a result, poor Ram has been sent in exile along with his wife SITA (who
ofcourse is The Kundalini Shakti )
Also, he faces his worst plight when Sita is abducted by Ravana (the ego). The
Ego (Ravana) is supported by various warriors who are extremely powerful. One
among them is Ravana's son...Meg-nad (literally means, The Sound of Clouds).
Its not difficult to understand that our ever agitating Mind is clouded
with the commotion of " Thoughts " ...which never ever allows us to let
rest into the deeper solitude of Inner Self. Meg-nad (The Sound of
Clouds/Thoughts) who is the son of Ravana (the Ego) is too powerful to overcome.
BUT !!!

BUT !!! Noone has ever been able to Stop the Power of the Soul (Ram). Ram seeks
help from LAKSHMAN (Laksh means Goal; Man means Mind...Focused or Concentrated
Mind)
&
THE HANUMAN (who is Son of The Wind God)...its thru the Wind that Life Force
(Pran Shakti) flows within Us. The whole Monkey Army is nothing but, various
forces of the Life Force transmitting Air (Pran Vayu).

Thus, with the help from HANUMAN (Pran Shakti) and LAKSHMAN (Concentrated Mind),
RAM (Atma) defeats RAVANA (Ego) in order to come in union with SITA (Kundalini
Shakti)......What a Beautiful Story !!!
Isn't Ramayana after all, " JOURNEY OF THE SOUL " ???

Now, this is in the lighter side with some new characters:

SUGRIVA = Su means Good + Griva means Throat = A Throat that is
energized/cleansed thru Yoga/Pranayam. Needless to say, SUGRIVA being the King
of Vanaras supplies Hanumana (Pran) as well as the whole Vanar Sena
(Pran Vayu) to assist RAM is his endeavours to free SITA (The Kundalini
Shakti) from RAVANA. An even, not so regular practitioner of Pranayam
can experience this phenomenon.

SHURPANAKHA :-) ..............well, this is getting funnier :-D

We
all know that the very seed of the RAM & RAVANA feud started with
the incident of SHURPANAKHA's nose getting slain by LAKHMAN. It is the
very beginning of the tale that finally makes Ramayana - The Story.
Esoterically, it refers to the 'time' when first of the endeavours of a
this wandering soul to reach back to its kingdom starts - The Neophyte.
In Ramayana also, 13 years of exile had passed.....just after a year
RAMA will be throned back to his kingdom. So, the EGO (Ravana) has to
play its final game in an attempt to not let it happen. Thus, the first
move is taken by Ego's Sister - SHURPANAKHA :-) Shall we explore the
meaning??? SHURPA-NAKHA means Big/Large Nails. And what do we do with
our nails??? No marks for guessing that, we scratch ofcourse :-P

The moment this neophyte Sadhak sits for " Meditation " or " Jap Mala " and tries to
Concentrate 'The Mind'.....Remember? Lakha-Man = Ekagrachitta Man
(Concentrated/Focussed Mind)...there comes the marriage proposal from
Shurpanakha :-)) One feels scratchy here and there :-D))))))))))))

So
next time we feel scratchy while Meditating or Japa, lets not take the
Surpanakha (Nails) to get married to Lakshman :-)
Control...Observe...Get Over...lets slay her nose and drive her out
!!!! :-)

Ofcourse get ready for Marich (The Golden Deer) to come next ;-D

Pranams _/\_,
Anupam

(text ends)

ESOTERIC RAMAYAN

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

(Dr.Robert Svoboda some years back released the AGHORA Triology sharing personal accounts and teachings of this Master - AGHORI VIMALANAND. Some clues, from one book, on the Esoteric meaning of RAMAYAN, upon further contemplation, is being represented below)

RAMAYAN is, RAM=ATMAN आत्मा (Soul) + AYAN(अयन)=PROGRESS (Journey) = "JOURNEY OF THE SOUL" :-)

There are several characters in this Mythology and they symbolize, as under:
RAM(आत्मा) symbolizing Atma Shakti (आत्मशक्ति )/ The Power of Soul
BHARAT(देह) symbolizing Deh Shakti (देह्शक्ति)/ The Power of Body
LAKSHMAN (एकाग्रचित्त मन) symbolizing Manah Shakti (मनः शक्ति)/ The Power of Will
SHATRUGHNA (कर्म) symbolizing Karma Shakti (कर्म शक्ति)/ The Power of Action
DASHRATH=10 Indriyas (Dash = Ten; Rath = Chariot...Mind is like a Chariot with Ten Horses, which are our external & internal senses...Eyes, Nose, Ears, Tongue, Skin, Hands, Legs, Genitals, etc...i.e., 5 Karmendriyas and 5 Gyanendriyas)
KAUSHALYA=Satva Guna (सत्त्व गुण)
KAIKEYI=Tamo Guna (तमो गुण)
SUMITRA=Rajo Guna (रजो गुण)

It is simple to understand that, Dashrath (the indriyas) under influence of Kaikeyi (tamo guna)disregards its duty towards Ram (the atma/soul) in order to offer undue favour towards Bharat (the body)...something that we all are doing 'all the time' :-)

Poor Lord Rama has been sent in exile along with his wife SITA (who is The Kundalini Shakti)
Also, he faces his worst plight when Sita Mata is abducted by Ravana (the ego). The Ego (Ravana) is supported by various warriors who are extremely powerful. One among them is Ravana's son...Meg-nad (literally means, The Sound of Clouds). It's not difficult to understand that our ever agitating Mind is clouded with the commotion of "Thoughts"...which never ever allows us to seek rest into the deeper solitude of our Inner Self. Meg-nad (The Sound of Clouds/Thoughts) who is the son of Ravana (the Ego) is too powerful to overcome. BUT !!!

BUT !!! Noone has ever been able to Stop the Power of the Soul (Ram). Ram seeks help from LAKSHMAN (Laksh means Goal; Man means Mind...Focussed or Concentrated Mind)
&
THE HANUMAN (who is Son of The Wind God)...it's through the Wind that Life Force (Pran Shakti) flows within Us. The whole Monkey Army is nothing but, forces of the Life Force transmitting Air (Pran Vayu). Thus, with the help from HANUMAN (Pran Shakti) and LAKSHMAN (Concentrated Mind), RAM (Atma) defeats RAVAN (Ego) in order to come in union with SITA (Kundalini Shakti)......What a Beautiful Story!!! Isn't Ramayana after all, "JOURNEY OF THE SOUL"???

Just a revision of characters again with some additions,
RAM = Atma (Soul) आत्मा
SITA = Kundalini Shakti (The Serpent Power) कुण्डलिनी शक्ति
LAKSH-MAN = Ekagratachitta Man (Concentrated Mind) एकाग्रचित्त मन
BHARAT = Sharir (Body) शरीर
SHATRUGHNA = Karma (Action) कर्म
DASHRATH = Indriya (Senses) ज्ञानेन्द्रियाँ+कर्मेन्द्रियाँ
KAUSHLYA = Sattva Guna सत्त्व गुण
KAIKEYI = Tamo Guna तमो गुण
SUMITRA = Rajo Guna रजो गुण

These 3 brothers represent 3 planes on which our "I" Acts...
RAVAN = The Upright "I" (Ego) अंहकार
VIBHISHAN= The Humble "I" (Surrender) समर्पण
Who is KUMBHAKARNA? Let us understand. Kumbhakarna sleeps for 6 months and is awake for 6 months. 50% Ignorant + 50% Wise. It is the "I" of a commoner, like you & me. Wise enough to advise Ravana to withdraw from fighting with Lord Rama, yet ignorant enough to join the fight, lacking Vibhishan's wisdom of Surrendering (समर्पण) at Lord's feet 'at any cost'.

Here are 3 new characters:

MANTHARA = Vices (दूर-अभ्यास) Manthara accompanies Kaikeyi (Tamo Guna) from her paternal home, i.e., Both have same Origin. Gunas (Symbolized by 3 Ranis of King Dasharath) are always malleable by nature. Kaikeyi (Tamo Guna) while in the company of Manthara (Vices) acts differently, however, when Manthara (Vices) is been driven out by Shatrughna (कर्म शक्ति) she repents for her past actions.

SUGRIVA = Su means Good + Griva means Throat = A Throat that is energized/cleansed thru Yoga/Pranayam. Needless to say, SUGRIVA being the King of Vanaras supplies Hanuman (Pran) as well as the whole Vanar Sena (Pran Vayu) to assist RAM (The Atma) is his endeavours to free SITA (The Kundalini Shakti) from RAVAN (The Ego). A sincere practitioner of Pranayam and Meditation can experience and comprehend this phenomenon in a relatively short span of time.

SHURPANAKHA :-) ..............well, this is getting funnier :-D
We all know that the very seed of the RAM & RAVAN feud started with the incident of SHURPANAKHA's nose getting slain by LAKSHMAN. It is the very begining of the tale that finally makes Ramayana - The Story. Esoterically, it refers to the 'time' when first of the endeavours of a wandering soul to reach back to its kingdom of origin starts. In Ramayana too, 13 years of exile had passed.....just after a year RAMA will be throned back to his kingdom. So, the EGO (Ravana) has to play its final game in an attempt to not let it happen. Thus, the first move is taken by Ego's Sister - SHURPANAKHA :-) Shall we explore the meaning??? SHURPA-NAKHA means BIG/LARGE-NAILS. And what do we do with our nails??? No marks for guessing that, we scratch ofcourse :-P
The moment this neophyte Sadhak sits for "Meditation" or "Jap Mala" and tries to Concentrate his/her Mind.....(An Ekagrachitta/Concentrated/Focussed Mind is LAKH-MAN).......there comes the marraige proposal from Shurpanakha. One feels scratchy & itchy here and there :-D
So next time we feel scratchy while Meditating or Japa, lets not take the Surpanakha (Nails) to get married to Lakshman :-) ....Control...Observe...Get Over...lets slay her nose and drive her out !!!!

Ofcourse get ready for Marich (The Golden Deer) to come next ;-)