Summary of last session (January 29) by Shri Mohan Khandekar.
37:4 Shri Vijay ji started the session with the explanation of the word janjala (जंजाला). A person in the samsar gets more and more involved with family responsibilities which prove obstacles to walk on the path of spirituality. There are three kinds of obstacles:
Friends, who deter you from reaching the goal (बाघ)
Elders and older generation, who discourage you (हरी)
Children, who tie you to the family (ब्याला)
We need to study Ramcharit Manas deeply to get the true knowledge and Grace of Shri Ram, otherwise our nature becomes similar to the nature of Heron (selfish) and crow ( enjoyer of the objects), as declared by Tulsidas ji in 37:3.
37:5 Attraction (मोह), this is the biggest obstacle and usually comes from family. Next one is the passion (मद), which arises from wealth and the last one is praise (माना), which pleases everyone.
38:Tulsidas ji is stressing the importance of extreme devotion and full faith . The blessings come from following different sources: Self (स्व कृपा), Scriptures (शास्त्रकृपा), Teacher (गुरु कृपा) and God(ईश्वरकृपा).
Such Grace will indeed lead you to freedom (जीवनमुक्ती).
38:1/2 Here Tulsidas ji illustrates an example of a person without faith and devotion, while continuing the analogy of Mansarovar. Such an individual would wander around this pristine lake with an attitude of merely a tourist without knowing it’s paramount importance. He excuses himself from bathing in the holy water saying it is too cold and criticizes the lake to cover up his own misfortunes. Vijay ji’s comments: what do you do when you go near a sacred river or lake? Three things: sip, lip and dip. Dive deeper into Ramcharit to get the true knowledge otherwise you are likely to condemn it when you glance through it superficially.
38:3 Shri Ram’s Grace will save you from ALL three crises (त्रयताप), Adhyatmic, Adhidaivik and Adhibhautika (आध्यत्मिक आधिदैविक अधिभौतिक).
38:4/5 Therefore “O devotee, surrender at Shri Ram’s feet, soak yourself in His devotion and purify your mind. I have experienced His affection, drenched in His love and energised with the joy of His company” Tulsidas ji proclaims.
38:6 Now Tulsidas ji brings our attention to a beautiful river, Sharyu, which originates from the Mansarovar. He compares this river to the enchanting poetry of a poet. He goes on to name the two banks of the river, Vedmat and Lokmat. The former remains unchanged but later keeps changing. Vijay ji pointed the simile to Ramcharit Manas with the example of Drushtanta and Drashtanta (दृष्टांत द्राष्टांता).
38:7, Doha Tulsidas ji continues to sing glories of river Sharyu, daughter of Mansarovar which has a strength of destroying huge trees (sins).
Harih Aum!