Life’s vicissitudes can be nerve-racking and can easily destabilise an individual. In this world where the opposites of joy and sorrow invade every being’s
life, unless one learns to maintain a balanced state one is likely to become a mental and psychological
wreck. The Bhagavad Gita extols the man of wisdom as a Stitaprajna and describes Him as the essence of equanimity.
What the Bhagavad Gita teaches is already practically demonstrated in the Ramayana by the
Supreme Lord Himself. In a lecture, Sri Sankararama Dikshitar drew attention to Valmiki’s description
of the dramatic scene which captures the equanimity
in Rama. When Kaikeyi conveys the news of the missed coronation and of His imminent14-year
life in the forest, Rama remains unruffled.
Rama is concerned about Dasaratha. He tells Kaikeyi that He would never dream of acting against His father’s wishes. He considers His father as a venerable person and a rightful king. His only hurt was that the king had not directly informed Him.
Rama says He would willingly give up even Sita along with the kingdom, His life, loved ones and wealth. This being the case, how would He ever deny the kingdom to Bharata? He then expresses the desire to send messengers to bring Bharata immediately to
Ayodhya. But Kaikeyi shows impatience and wishes that Rama should leave immediately.
Valmiki stresses on Rama’s equipoise. “The loss of kingdom could not diminish such a great splendour of Rama as night cannot diminish the splendour of the moon. In that Rama, who was leaving the kingdom after having decided to go to the forest, there was no perturbation of mind in Him like in an ascetic who is beyond worldly pain and pleasure.” Rama wishes to leave as soon as possible. He leaves the palace
to inform His mother and walks without the regal paraphernalia of umbrella, etc. His maintains a
dignified stature knowing fully well that others would break down on hearing this unpleasant news. Valmiki says, He kept the sorrow within Himself and subdued
His senses to maintain equipoise. The people in Rama’s vicinity could not spot any change in His countenance.
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