The Atma is Rama. He has come in the character of Jiva, wearing the dress called body. It is all a play, His Leela, sport. What is joy for Him? And what is suffering for Him? He is Anandaswarupa who knows neither. By His Will to create Maya, He can produce everything. He has enacted on the stage of the theatre of the world, with Himself taking a role and showing each quality or guna as a separate form. Such a Ramayana is taking place, even today, in every heart. Rama is the Heart, the Atmarama is observing everything, as the Witness.
This Jada accepts the active Chaitanya, viz., the knowledge of Brahman. Chaitanya is born with the name of Sita. The Jada-Chaitanya becomes One. This is referred to as Sitarama. So long as the Jada and the Chaitanya are One, there is no trouble and no suffering. It is the separation of one of these two that is the origin of all the bother.
Sita, who is Brahma jnana, goes away from the Atma, which is in the form of the Jiva, hence falling into the darkness, or the jungle, is inevitable. Rama has acted in this way to show us this; if Sita, or Brahma jnana, is allowed to be lost, one cannot escape wandering about in the jungle of darkness. One should not be alone in the dark jungle of life; one should have the Manas ever by one’s side. It is for this that Lakshmana is kept near always.
When wandering in the dark jungle one gets overcome by despair but one should have discrimination. Vali and Sugriva have a vengeful hatred of one another. Vali who is despair has to be destroyed; then only can success come. Despair is Vali; discrimination is Sugriva.
Hanuman is of great help in the destruction of despair, viz. Courage! That is Hanuman. He is in the form of courage. Because of the association one has developed with courage, it is possible to cross the ocean of delusion, with the army of zest, strength and steadfastness represented by Jambavan, Angada and the other Vanaras. That is why Rama has shown that He built the Sethu, or bridge, with the help of Hanuman.
Rama, after crossing over the bridge and conquering Moha, or illusion, slew Rajo guna and Tamo guna in the forms of Ravana and Kumbhakarna. The remaining brother, the last, the Sattva guna, viz., Vibhishana was crowned king. The three gunas have been illustrated in the characters and careers of the three brothers, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.
Next is the attainment of Anubhavajnana, or Sita; the Jnana reached after experience, Jnana realised in actual life. When both Jada and Chaitanya unite again, that is the Pattabhisheka, the Coronation; that is to say, Jivanmukthi, salvation for the Jiva. Therefore, the fundamental teaching of the Ramayana is this: ‘The Jiva, Manas, Jnana, despair, discrimination, courage, delusion, Rajas, Tamas, Sattva; these demonstrate themselves each in a different form; it is to be learnt how and in what way each of these can be either acquired or subdued’.
All this is done by the Atma, who has come in the form and with the name of Rama, by His acting, behaving, directing and guiding. So the Ramayana did not end that day. As long as in each one’s life there is a struggle for achievement through these paths and persons attain the Anubhavajnana in the end, and Sattva guna is crowned at last, the Ramayana will continue to take place in the heart of man. The life is led perpetually. This is the Sukshma form of Ramayana.
That means, in the Ramayana of actual life, Atma is Rama, Manas is Lakshmana, Brahma jnana is Sita; and when that Sita is lost, Rama falls into the forest of existence; there, in that forest, there are Despair and Discrimination. If we associate ourselves with Hanuman or Courage, we can go across the sea of delusion, with the army of zest, strength and steadfastness represented by Jambavan, Angada and other Vanaras. As soon as we cross it, we can destroy the Rajasika quality and the Tamasika quality symbolised by Ravana and Kumbhakarna. The Sattvika quality or Vibhishana can then be crowned; Anubhavajnana or Sita is then attained. This union of Japa and Chaitanya, that is, of Sita and Rama is the ananda, the Jivanmukthi, and Salvation for the Soul. The Ramayana accomplished as the Son of Dasharatha is being enacted now as the Subtle Ramayana, through Gunas and Indriyas, qualities and senses in each individual. It is happening as the subtle Ramayana!
Gunas are bred in the senses. The senses of action are five; the senses of knowledge are five. These ten, with the help of the Manas, create attachment in Atma. Otherwise there is no merging at all. Born in Maya bred in Maya, Man’s mission is to master maya. So too, born in the Senses bred in Senses, the Jada Chaitanya had to master Senses. That is the basic characteristic. The ten senses were all in the form of Dasharatha From the ten senses, not only four, but any number of Gunas and Rupas can originate. But only the most important, symbolising the four faces of the Lord, originated by His will. They are born as Rama, Lakshmana, Bharat and Shatrughna. In the subtle form, they are Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema. These are the four faces of the Lord.
Rama is Satya swarupa. ‘The status and the honour should go to him who has the right, not to me’, said Bharat and so he is Dharma Swarupa. Placing complete faith in the Atma, that is, the Rama Swarupa, believing that there is no ananda sweeter than its uninterrupted company, Lakshmana followed Rama, and so he is Prema Swarupa. Having no individual separate ambition of his own, treading the paths followed by these three, Shatrughna was calm and unperturbed and so he is Shanta Swarupa.
Born in Maya, bred in Maya, one has to transcend this Maya; so also, one is born from Gunas, one is brought up with Gunas and finally, one has to transcend the Gunas.
Just to show this fact, the three mothers represent the three gunas! Among them, Kausalya is Sattva guna, Kaikeyi is Rajo guna and Sumitra, Tamo guna; they play those roles. Dasharatha in the form of Dasendriyas, is associated with these gunas and so he is Indriya guna Swarupa. It is because man cannot easily grasp the truth through the senses and the gunas that the Lord taught him through the Ramayana by means of a variety of forms; the Lord is teaching even to this day.
The Lord performed that day the gross Ramayana in those days, whereas today He is performing the Sukshma Ramayana in the heart of man. (Sandeha Nivarini p.90-96)