[Advaita-l] Raama and advaita - a mocker

[V Subrahmanian]

On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 8:16 AM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> In the Panchadashi of Vidyaranya, in the 7th chapter we have a verse:
>
> अवश्यंभाविभावानां प्रतीकारो भवेद्यदि ।
> तदा दुःखैर्न लिप्येरन् नलरामयुधिष्ठिराः ॥१५५॥
> 156. If it were possible to avert the consequences of fructifying Karma,
> Nala, Rama and Yudhisthira would not have suffered the miseries to which
> they were subjected.
>
Vidyaranya, in the Jivan mukti viveka, on the chapter 'Vāsanākṣaya'
('Obliteration of mental tendencies'), while discussing 'loka vāsanā' has
cited the example of Rāma:

// Loka vasana, (concern for the opinion of the world) consists in that
strong desire of the mind which takes the form of 'I shall so conduct
myself that the world around would not censure me, but would, on the other
hand, praise me.'  This is impure, inasmuch as it involves something which
is impossible of achievement. Valmiki asked Narada in many ways: 'Who at
the present day, in this world is virtuous and who is valiant?' (VR 1.1).
Narada said in reply 'He is verily Rama, the one born of the Ikśvāku-s,
known to all the world'.  Yet the world spared not the same Rama and his
wife Sita, the crest-jewel of chastity and the Mother of the world, and
attached to their names a stigma shocking to the ear. If such spotless
beings fared thus at the hands of the world, what need be said in regard to
others? //

Here, Vidyaranya, by saying Sita is the Mother of the world, is accepting
Rama as the Jagadisvara. In this very work, there is a wealth of citations
from the Laghu Yoga Vasishtha where Rama is given instruction on topics
such as sādhana, by Vasishtha.


>
> This verse is cited along with several other verses under the head
> 'bhārata' (Mahabharata?) by Sri Viśveśvara Saraswati in his Yatidharma
> sangraha (p.140 print and 149 of pdf) while discussing the need for a
> sannyāsin to leave things to prārabdha and not be concerned about the basic
> needs for sustenance.
> It appears that Vidyaranya too has cited that verse from some other source.
> In the Valmiki Ramayana, Rama himself says, while lamenting: This
> situation I am facing is only due to past adverse action.
>
>