Under the benign guidance of His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji, founder and head of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (DJJS), Sri Ram Katha was organised by DJJS, at Indora, Himachal Pradesh from 8th to 12th Jan 2018. Sadhvi Tripada Bharti Ji, preacher disciple of Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji, was the narrator of the event. She expounded in detail the greatness of Sri Ram Katha in the path of Bhakti Yoga. With the help of various captivating Bhajans, the Katha moved the audience to take on Bhakti yoga, the path of union with the Brahm. Bhakti yoga is a life guided by devotion. It is through Bhakti i.e. Divine Love that an everlasting relation between a 'jivatma' (mortal being) and the 'Parmatma' (supreme power) is established.
This process is depicted in Ramayana in the form of an allegory that is filled with symbolism for various characters and circumstances. For instance, Lord Rama and Mother Sita can be related to 'Parmatma' and 'Jivatma' bound by Divine Love. Ravana abducts Mother Sita is similar to the situation when Jivatma is lured by materialism and existentialism, resulting in life filled with actions of self-gratification through the fulfillment of five senses. Lord Rama eventually finds and saves Mother Sita for the sake of her Divine love for him with the help of Sri Hanuman. This symbolizes the victory of Divine love over deception.
In this allegory, it is important to note how Mother Sita identifies Sri Hanuman as the messenger of Lord Rama? Lord Rama gives his ring to Sri Hanuman with the help of which Sita recognizes Hanuman's true identity. The ring depicts Divine Knowledge or Brahma Gyan that the Guru bestows upon the jivatma and hence begins the end of its separation from its beloved.
It is through various such symbolisms that Sri Ram Katha can be applied in our lives to follow the path of Bhakti Yoga. Sri Ram Katha is a powerful instrument to improve our understanding about the world that surrounds us. This world is filled with instruments of Maya, the deceptive power to sway us from the path of Bhakti. Getting trapped in Maya, an individual feels the pain of separation from his eternal source of existence i.e. Paramatma.
From time immemorial, it is only through the Divine Knowledge or Brahm Gyan given by a Perfect Master, such as Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji, that individuals can free oneself from the trap of Maya. It is then that the individual begins to traverse Bhakti Yoga, the path of union with its source which is the eternal Brahm.
