24^th Annual Reading of Tulasidas’s SriRamacaritamanasa at SriLakshmi Temple

वाल्मीकिगिरिसंभूता रामसागरगामिनी । पुनातु भुवनं पुण्या रामायणमहानदी ॥

(May the river originating from the mountain named Valmiki and flowing towards the Ocean named Rama bestow virtue on the world)

The above is a salutation to the great epic that continues to inspire and promote, for the reader, the primary concept of the Sanatana dharma a life of virtue with a sense of living to achieve salvation.  This principle has manifested every year, for the last twenty-four years, during the SriRamanavami celebrations conducted at the Sri Lakshmi Temple.  The twenty-four hour contiguous reading of the Tulasidasa’s profound composition – SriRamacharitamanasa heralds the onset of Spring in our Boston ethnic Indian community.

Sponsored and supported by many families, devotees and the Temple administration, our scholar friend Sri Bijoy Misra and the devotee family of Sri Prabhulal Rathi and Srimati Drupadi Rathi have been organizing this event endowed with grace of Sri Rama, Sri Sita and Sri Hanuman. Pandit Krishna Bhattar, the Head Priest at the Temple and Pandit Balaji Bhattar, of the great SriRamanuja tradition assist in the organization and the services.  Scores of volunteers and several persons in the Temple staff come together for this annual congregation instilling hope and inspiration to the devotees and the community. 

Devotees volunteer to read and schedule their availability with the specific intent to maintain the continuity of reading.  The readers at different blocks of the reading form a bond between them for their reciprocation and fraternity.  The event was hosted this year during the week end of April 1^st and 2^nd.  This event started at 2 PM on Saturday and culminated around 1PM on Sunday with the mahamagalarathi performed around 2PM.  The deities were taken outdoors in a procession around the Temple after the reading session.  All attendees were served the Sriramanavami lunch sponsored by the devotees.

The event marked the absence of Mrs. Sarala Dayal, who had been instrumental in helping in the organization with her counsel and the devotional energy.  She had initiated the Ramayana recitation events in Boston as early as in 1975 and had procured most of the books and the scriptural materials from resources in India.  She was a constant presence at the Temple readings all through and was a source of encouragement to many as a symbol of fortitude and devotion.  “Mataji” reached SriRama’s abode earlier this year.  She was 94.

Saralaji’s story of immigration and faith in hopefulness is unique.  Being widowed at an early age, she followed her son to the US as an immigrant in 1968.  Through pure resilient devotion, she managed her life amidst grandchildren and was blessed to have many great grandchildren.  More importantly, she induced the spirit of hope through many through her distribution of religious books and diligent participation in religious events.  Her knowledge of the scriptures thrilled all conversations.  Srilakshmi Srinivasan paid a tribute to her memory through the singing of Kaushalya’s blessings to SriRama in the Ramayana of Valmiki.  As the फलश्रुति (declaration of results) says:

वाल्मीकेर्मुनिसिंहस्य कवितावनचारिणः । श्रुण्वन् रामकथानादं को न याति परां गतिं ॥

(who among those that have listened to the sounds of Rama’s story as composed by the forest dwelling lion of poets known as Valmiki will not achieve Salvation)

Vineeta Agrawal, Kalpana Krishnan, Manju Tripathi, Sneha Nair, Drupadi Rathi, Satyanarayana Kanakagiri, Ashwani Mishra, Mihir Munshi, Satyendra Sharma, Surendra Vaidya, Sanjeev Tripathi, Pradeep Nair and Prabhu Rathi participated in the overnight reading relay.  When many voices sing the glory of Rama with such harmony and unison, it is no wonder that it becomes a delight to the listener.

अस बिबेक जब देइ बिधाता । तब तजि दोष गुनहि मनु राता॥

काल सुभाउ करम बरिआई । भलेउ प्रकृति बस चुकइ भलाइ ॥

(When Providence blesses one with such discrimination then alone does the mind abandon evil and gets enamored of goodness. In time one gets good results, good conduct always ends in good deeds.) RCM 1.6.1

जुगुति बेधि पुनि पोहिअहि रामचरित बर ताग । पहिरहि सज्जन बिमल उर सोभा अति अनुराग ॥

(if those pearls are pierced with skill and strung together on the beautiful thread of Sri Rama’s exploits, and if noble souls wear them in their innocent heart, extreme beauty results.) RCM 1.11

Such is the effect of reading and listening to the Story of Sri Rama.

We wish to thank the Temple authorities particularly Trustee Ranjini Ramaswamy, President Chokku Manian, Manager B Soundararajan, and Sri Sundar Rao and Sri Krishna from the Temple staff for help.  Srinivasan Meka was instrumental with the paper decorations. The veteran devotional singer Sri Mohan Shyamlal and his family sang devotional melodies like the previous years.

May Sri Lakshmi continue to bless the devotees and foster the practice of scriptural readings in the New England community.

As is traditional in Ramayana recitation, let us conclude with the chant “Jai Siyaram.”

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