Sri Ramacharitamanasa Recitation at Sri Lakshmi Temple, 2014

Listening to this discourse regularly with faith, a man becomes steeped in devotion effortlessly, this rare devotion difficult to get even for sages[1] (Uttara-kanda 126).

Organized at the Sri Lakshmi Temple of Ashland, Massachusetts, Sri Ramacharitmanas Akhanda Parayana was initiated on the auspicious sixth day of Navratri on April 5 and concluded with aarti and mahaprasad on April 6, 2014.

Sri Ramacharitmanas reveals a secret so extraordinarily simple that it fails to register and escapes notice. Man finds it difficult to believe anything which happens to be so straightforward. In this age of Kaliyuga, the age of darkness, where man’s thoughts, speech, and actions tend to be polluted, it is our extremely good fortune that man’s enlightenment has been made so simple by Sri Rama’s grace. In Satya, Treta, and Dwapar Yugas, the path to enlightenment is much more difficult requiring formal puja, yoga, and yajna as man’s personal capabilities allow for such undertakings. However, in Kali Yuga, the simple path of bhakti or devotion is sufficient for enlightenment. How does one get bhakti when the mind and heart are filled with so much unmentionable impurities? In a conversation in the history text of the Ramayana, Bhagwan Shiva explains to Devi Parvati that simply listening to the events unfolding in the life of Sri Rama in the Sri Ramacharitmanas awakens firm devotion in the heart of man (Uttara-kanda 51:3).

The ensuing bhakti is unshakeable and cleans the subtle impurities resident in the mind and the heart. This is the same wisdom that Kakbhushundi related to Garuda to dispel his doubts. Sri Rama has bestowed another important grace on mankind in this dark Kaliyuga bearing in mind the pathetic state of man. Only in Kaliyuga, good mental thoughts accrue punya while no papa accrues from wicked and impure mental thoughts (Uttara-kanda 102B: 4).

This is not a license to entertain poor thoughts but comforting knowledge that if one lapses into thinking critically of others then one can get back on the right track limiting the consequences of such mental actions. So what is required of man to become enlightened? Without any difficulty, in this darkest of times, a man has the capability of becoming enlightened simply by taking Rama Nama (Uttara-kanda 103A).

Listening to the kind and loving acts of Bhagwan Sri Rama as he overpowers the evil forces to release them permanently from the karmic wheel and establishes peace and harmony in the Universe is enough to purify the mind for God Realization to occur.

The purpose of reciting the Sri Ramacharitmanas is to bring purification with the eventual goal of liberation not only in ourselves but also those that happen to be listening. It is a simple process, a failsafe technique. All we need to do is adopt it.

Sri Ramacharitamanasa Parayana began in Boston in 1975 with the efforts of Mrs Sarla Dayal and Sri Prabhulal and Drupadi Rathi.  Bharat Dave and Bijoy Misra helped institute it in Sri Lakshmi Temple in 1994.  Along with several other reading going on in the area, the reading at Sri Lakshmi Temple has secured its distinction for the grandeur, attendance, and celebration.

This year’s program was sponsored by Sri Mahesh and Vimla Sharma and Sri Surendranath Vaidya.  Sri Srinivasan Meka and Sri Satya Kankagiri helped out with the decorations.  The difficult job of overnight segment of reading was handled by Satyendra and Jitendra Sharma, Vinati Agarwal, Satya Kanakagiri, Rajesh Daga, Kavya, Ashwini Mishra alongwith Mr and Mrs Rathi.  Trustee Sri Rama Bhaskar, Temple Managar Sri Soundara Rajan and Mrs Rama Sheshabhattar helped out with the prasadam and hospitality for the devotees.  The deity decoration was magnificently done by Priest Sri Balaji Bhattar and the Ramapuja was diligently performed by Priest Sri Krishna Bhattar. The beginning and the concluding segments were led by Sri Bijoy Misra with the group recitation by the assembled devotees.

The Temple President Mrs. Ranjini Ramaswamy has been supportive of the Ramayana program through her own personal involvement with the Ramapuja.  She had instituted Valmiki recitation in the area and a complete nine day recitation of Sundarakanada of Valmiki Ramayana has been hosted every year since 1993.  Temple Secretary Mrs. Solai Annamalai and Trustee Jatinder Sharma helped out with their participation.  Mohan Shyamlal and his family have supported the music at the celebration for years. 

The most interesting aspect of the celebration was the outdoor tour of the deities carried by jubilant devotees.  A solid group of volunteers carried the huge pedestal on their shoulders, then danced and sang in religious ecstasy making the tiring efforts of the whole event melt away in joy and cheers!

Jai Siyaram 

Om Tat Sat

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