Lanka
Lanka is shown as kigndom of Ravan.
The Lanka word is a combinition of 'Lam'+'Ka'= Lanka.
'Lam' means Maya and 'Ka' means Avastha. So Lanka means
MayamayeeAvastha.
That is why Lanka is depicted as made up of Gold;main
cause of Maya.
From this word only we have the word Alankar.
'A' means absence.
'Lankar' means MayaveeAvastha.
So 'Alankar' means absence of MayaveeAvastha.
That means when Sita throws her Alankar on the way to Lanka it should be clear
that the Sita(Kaya) when gets kiddnap by the Ravan(Hyping tendency) must
denounce the 'Mayavee Rahit Avastha' absence of Maya, that is Alankar. When
this is done then only Sita(Kaya) will get into the Lanka(MayaveeAvastha). This
Lanka was shown as Island. The Maya should
always be surrounded by the SanSar. So Maya present all over the world rather
entire world as Maya is what is Lanka of Ravan.Ravan
Ravan is nothing but "Ravaiteeti RavanH". Anyone who says all about
himself in the greatest possible sound and from every possible corner is Ravan.
Who so ever goes into the trap of self amplification and glorification for his
Knowledge and the Sadhana is a Ravan. Such a person is essentially good at
scriptures and understanding of that but instead of concentrating on the Brahma
this Sadhak indulges on Self Glorification. That is why Ravan character is
shown with the Brahman caste. He is shown to have all knowledge of Vedas and
conquer Indra and his kingdom. Here Indra means Indriyas and kingdom of Indra
is Kaya. So Ravan is shown to have conquer all his senses(Indriyas) and has
total control over his body. Such a state in Sadhana is essentially of Brahma
state.That is why Ravan is shown as Brahmana in Ramayan. But this state of the
Sadhak if not controlled gets into the self Glorification by all possible
means. This makes the Ravan Dashanan.Kumbhakarna
Kumbhakarna is shown as brother of
Ravan in Ramayan. The story attached with the Kumbhakarna is equally
interesting. Usually, Kumbhakarna means a person who is fond of sleeping. The
person who spends most of the time in sleeping is consider as Kumbhakarna. The
story of Kumbhakarna sleeping goes like this:One day Kumbhakarna started Tapasya
to please BrahmaDev. Subsequently, BrahmaDev was pleased and asked for the
boon. Looking at BrahmaDev Kumbhakarna forgot to ask what he wanted to ask.
Instead he asked "I should be allowed to sleep all the time".
BrahmaDev agreed happily. Kumbhakarna realized his mistake and started another
Tapasya. Over the peroid BrahmaDev appared and asked the reason. This time Kumbhakarna
said to make him Jagrut(Alert) all the time. "Make me Alert all the
time". To that Brahmadev made him realized his earlier wish and reason the
contradictions in the later wish. Then a compromise was offered and it was
agreed to make Kumbhakarna Jagrut for Six Month and Sleep for Six Month. This
way Kumbhakarna is depicted in Ramayan. Kumbhakarna is as well shown to have
MahaKaya so much so that when he used to stand up in the Ocean, his half of
body remains to be above the Ocean. So Ramaynkar depicted Kumbhakarna with a
Huge Body and always sleeping.True Kumbhakarna
The above story tells the fickle
mindedness of the character Kumbhakarna. KumbhaKarna means the person with a
Karna(Ear) like Kumbha(Pot). Basically, this Kumbha is to show that the Sadhak
has acquired the knowledge all through listening only. The Sadhak that that
great potential to gather the knowledge through listening only is reffered as
KumbhaKarna. The Sadhak is not ready to work out for the the Knowledge but he
is happy to get it from the others only. This type of Sadhak is all
knowledgeable hence shown as brother of the Brahman Ravan and since this type
of Sadhak is gets easily carried away by the others, he is shown as Rakshash.
Since he is that Sadhak who has acquired knowledge all through listening, he is
shown to have fickle mind. This state of the Sadhak is depicted by the story of
he doing Tapasya twice. Since his knowledge is not self earned, the Sadhak
usually forgets at the time when it needs it most. This is what happened first
time with with him with BrahamaDev. The Six month Jagrut and Sleep state is to
indicate the states in which such Sadhak usually ponders. The Sadhak, half of
the time must listen only without understanding (Sleep State) and half of the
time should pretend to have acquire knowledge that is why Jagrut state. Such a
Sadhak is hence shown as KumbhaKarna. The MahaKaya description is just to
indicate the state in which Kumbhakarna Sadhak behaves in. He always pretends
to be in the Brahma
State. So the
Ahankar(Ego) of such Sadhak makes their Kaya(Body) larger than life. Although,
Kumbhakarna Sadhak acquires knowledge through listening only but it is consider
better than AGyani. So he is shown to have kept his half body above the
BhavaSagar. Agyani gets down in the BhavaSagar Brahmayani goes completly above
the BhavaSagar and KumbhaKarna Sadhak is in half way. Ved Vyas depicted the
same state in the Karna Character.Modern KumbhaKarnas
In a sense dont we have today more
KumbhaKarnas. Modern Kumbhakarnas acquire knowledge through not only listening
but as well reading and Internetting. We all read,listen,and use WEB to acquire
knowledge and pretend to have more knowledge than anybody else. Web is the
epitom of Kumbhakarna
State.IndraJeet
Why Ghanta is sounded before entering Hindu Mandir(Temple)?
Indrajeet is shown to have one more
name in Ramayan "MeghNad". MeghNad is that Sadhak who listens sound
of clouds. In the course of Sadhana, a state arrives when Sadhak starts
listening AnahatNad. He listens lots of sound because of strength acquired by
his senses. GhantaNad is the most common in this state. This is the last step
before the BrahmaState. This is the reason we have Gahnta in our temples. By
sounding Ghanta, we take the Darshan of God in the Temple. That is the reason why Ghantas have
to be installed in the Temple.
It is not there because we want to alert God as many people say. It is the
symbolization of the Anahad state nothing else.The MeghNad state is very complex
and difficult state to sustain. The thoundrous sounds of the clouds make a
Sadhak to loose consciousness. It requirs lot of Sadhana and strict discipline
to overcome this state. A Sadhak who enjoys Maghnad state must also be a
IndraJeet. IndraJeet is not who over come the God Indra. God Indra is nothing but
the all Indriyas(Senses) and whosoever over powers indriyas reffered as
IndraJeet. A Sadhak who is in MeghNad state must be in IndraJeet State
as well. But, when the power of Indriyas is used for destructive purpose rather
than constructive then Sadhak is shown as Son of Ravan. See, Ravan himself is
shown as knowing Brahma and IndraJeet is shown as son of Ravan. The philosophy of the RamayanaBy
Swami VivekanandaSri Rama was the Parmatman (Supreme Reality) and that Sita was the
Jivatman (embodied individual soul). Each man’s or woman’s body was the Lanka.
The Jivatman which was enclosed in the body, or captured in the island of Lanka, always desired to be in affinity
with the Parmatman, or Sri Rama. But the Rakshasas would not allow it, and the
Rakshasas represented certain traits of character.For instance, Vibhishana represented Sattwa Guna, Ravana
represented Rajas Guna and Kumbhakarana represented Tamas Guna. Sattwa Guna
means goodness, Rajas means lust and passion and Tamas means darkness, stupor,
avarice, malice, and its concomitants.
These Gunas keep back Sita, or Jivatman, which is in the body (Lanka) from
joining Paramatman (Rama). Sita, thus imprisoned and trying to unite with her
Lord, receives a visit from Hanuman, the Guru or divine teacher, who shows her
the Lord’s ring, which is Brahma-Jnana, the supreme wisdom that destroys all
illusions.Thus Sita finds the way to be at one with Sri Rama or in
other words, the Jivatman finds itself one with the Paramatman.
