Today is birthday party or Rama’s appearance day celebrations
Dated: 25 March 2018
Venue: ISKCON Bangalore (Seshadripuram)

Dinesh, Din-isa, the master of the day is Surya, sun. So while the sun’s ruling time is the day, Rama appears. Night time is ruled by moon. Moon is also called as Raka, Raka isa becomes Rakesha, or Rajani also means ratri , night time. Rajanish that is moon, night time ruling, the moon is ruling. So Suryavamsi Rama appears during the day, mid-day. And Sri Krisna appears midnight when Candra is ruling.

Ayodhya dham ki jay! Lord Rama appeared; of course Ayodhya is His dhama, His home. He is Ayodhyavasi Rama. Rama is what? Ayodhyavasi Rama ki Jay! But then again we want to remind you, this is not only Rama has taken birth today, at this time of day, Laxman also, today is appearance day of Laxman and Bharat and Satrughna. So today is Rama navami, today is Laxman navami, today is Bharat navami and Satrughna navami is today.

Dasharatha had no children, no sons, and then today he received four sons. They are all Lord. Laxman is also Lord and Bharat is Lord and Satrughna is Lord. Some time we do not know or we do not think like that. Instead we say Lord Hanuman. One who is not Lord, we make him a Lord. We make Hanuman Lord but we do not think Laxman is Lord. We think Rama is Lord but Bharat is also Lord. He is Lord Bharat, Lord Satrughna.

This is how Sukadeva Gosvami describes, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, these are the four Lords, Caturvyuha, the quadruple expansions of the Lord. They all four of them appeared on occasion of navami I should say. That navami’s name has become Rama navami. This navami became famous as Rama navami. As one astami has became known as Krsna astami. One purnima has become known as Gaur purnima, like that. So today is reserved for, today is this Navami, reserved for Sri Rama. And for almost one million years since Lord’s
appearance, this navami is celebrated as Rama navami.

So we have assembled here to celebrate appearance day, birthday. It’s a birthday party and the news is which is also good news, that all over the planet, as International Society for Krsna Consciousness has spread all over the planet. And today the birthday party or Rama’s appearance day celebrations are not India limited any more. It is unlimited. On the way to here through internet we were watching, Rama navami is being celebrated in Bombay and Delhi and London and may be not right now. Some places are still sleeping. Soon they will be getting up and that will be navami for them, and morning mangal arati. It’s not 12 o’clock everywhere, yeah, may be somewhere mid night 12 o’clock. But through out the day there is celebration of Rama’s appearance, all day long. This is mid day. Lord is appearing at mid-day, madhyanha time. Madhyanha time for devotees in Middle East is going to be after one two hours. In Europe it’s going to be after 3, 4 hours, their mid day. In New York it’s going to be after 7, 8 hours.

Los Angelis going to be after 12 hours, in Hawaii may be after 13, 14, 15 hours, like that, and in Japan, 16 hours. And Singapore, like that, you understand right? So it’s not 12 0’clock everywhere on the planet right now. But celebrations are being held and would be held all over the world. Jay Sri Rama! So like this Rama’s glories are spreading everywhere. Rama’s name is spreading everywhere. Rama mandirs are everywhere now. In London there is ISKCON Rama mandir. In Washington there is ISKCON Rama mandir. Like that, so many of them. We Gaudiya vaisnavas or in ISKCON we worship Radha Krsna. Of course we worship Sri Sri Gaura Nitai ki Jay! We worship Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra; we worship Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman ki Jay! So these are some of our worshipable deities, worshipable Lords. They all are worshipable. There are so many more of them.

advaitam acyutam anadi ananta rupam

But some forms, some rupas we worship formally, regularly and one of those forms is Sri Rama. Jay Sri Rama!
We sing the same song. We don’t have many songs atleast I don’t have.

ayodhyavasi rama rama rama dasaratha nandan rama rama

Rama is Ayodhyavasi. Not today He became Ayodhyavasi. No no, He is always Ayodhyavasi, Ayodhyavasi Rama. But today He became Dasarath nandan, Dasarath nandan Rama. He appeared as son of Dasarath.
Dasarath nanadan Sri Rama ki Jay!

He also appeared as Kausalya nandan Rama. Kausalya nandan Rama. Kausalya ananda vardhanam, Ramayan says, as He appeared, what did He do? Kausalya ananda vardhanam, increased ananda of Kausalya. He gave so much ananda to Kausalya. Kausalya became happy and what about you? In fact of course He gave ananda to Dasarath and to Kausalya but to give ananda to all of us He appeared.

And right now, right now, is there some ananda? Are you experiencing some ananda? (Hari Bol!) Who gave that ananda to you? Rama! Directly Rama is the cause of ananda. That’s why also He is called Rama. Rama means arama, ananda, joy, Rama means joy. There is some genuine ananda, joy that is because of Rama. dasarath nandan Rama……

bolo rama jay sri rama! bolo rama sita rama
patit pavan janaki jivan sita mohan rama rama.

Patit pavan Rama, what kind of Rama He is? Patit pavan! That is why He appeared today. To become pavan, the purifier, uplifter, the liberator of who? Patitas, the fallen! We are patit and He is pavan.

Patit pavan and He is Janaki jivan,
He is life of Janaki, Sita Maharani ki Jay! Patit
pavan janaki jivan sita mohan rama.
As Krsna is Radha Mohan Krsna, Rama is Sita Mohan Rama.

Rama appeared in Ayodhya today. There is a big celebration; big festival all over Ayodhya, there is jubilation, celebration. They are all chanting and dancing and feasting also. So, how to celebrate Rama navami? Residents of Ayodhya, on this day, one million years ago when Rama appeared, they had set the example, they were chanting and singing.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! …… (Kirtan)

kujantam rama rameti aksaram madhuraksaram
aruhya kavita sakha vande valmiki kokilam.

We offer our obeisance’s unto Valmiki muni. We are grateful to him, having presenting Ramayan. That says in this vandana. Vande Valmiki kokilam, Valmiki has become kokila paksi (bird). Kuhu kuhu! It is best of the birds, singing birds, sweet singing. So vande Valmiki kokilam.
Kujantam, this kokila paksi is kujantam, singing. Rama Rama iti, he is singing glorifying Rama Rama. Aksaram madhuraksaram, every aksara, syllable, word, a verse of Ramayan is amrita. Aksaram madhuraksaram. Aruhya kavita sakha, as if Ramayan is compared to a tree and Valmiki is kokila and he is sitting on the branch of this Ramayan. So many branches, so many parts of that Ramayan. Bal kanda, at least we could say the names of those branches or portions or sections of Ramayan.

Bal kanda, Rama janma is part of Bal kanda. Then Ayodhya kanda, more things have happened in Ayodhya. Then Aranya kanda, aranya is what? Forest! Rama in forest, forest dweller Rama. He is no more Ayodhyavasi, He is vanavasi, vanavasi Rama, so that is Aranya kanda. Then Kishkinda kanda. Is Kishkinda in Karnataka?

Yes? Aranya kanda is upto Panchavati. So after kidnapping of Sita happened and left Panchavati and banks of Godavari and search of Sita, He is coming down south this way and He comes to Kishkinda. That is capital and on the top of mountain. Did you ever go to Humpi? Which is supposed to be birthplace of Hanuman is also there.

Shabari’s asram, Shabari maiya ki Jay! What a devoted lady! She was waiting and waiting for Sri Rama and finally Rama had come. Then she greeted Sri Rama and made Him sit down and fed Him berries which she had picked up from around, her little dwelling there. And while feeding, what she was doing? She was not eating as such, she was testing. She was tasting to test. These are two words. Test and taste. In exam you have test and juice you taste. So she was tasting and testing, making sure, those berries are ripe and sweet. And that maha maha prasad kind of, she was feeding Rama.

So that’s part of Kishkinda ksetra. That’s where first meeting of Rama and Hanuman takes place. Hanuman used to stay at the top of the hill, Rishyamuka parvat along with Sugriva and others. And then he was sent ‘go go find out! Some one is coming in our direction.’ Sugriva used to be always scared. So Hanuman had gone and they met, Rama Hanuman milan, bheta at the bank of Pampa sarovar they met. They introduced each other and Hanuman made Rama’s and Laxman’s job easier. Otherwise mountain climbing was involved; top mountain to be climbed. So what did Hanuman do? He said, Lord please have a sit, here and there (patting both shoulders). So two Lords sat on the shoulder of hanuman and he took off and landed on that Rishyamuka parvat.

And then meeting with Sugriva takes place there and of course Rama and Laxman they are looking for Sita. ‘Site, where are you Site!’ they are screaming out loud. They had been doing this from the time they left Panchavati, everywhere, ‘Site Site!’ Possibly She is somewhere in the same forest. Shabari also, ‘you go top of this mountain. You will get more clues of where about of Sita.’ Shabari also made a mention like that. ‘You go there, you will get clue about Sita.’ Of course Rama and Laxman were looking for Sita. ‘Have you seen our Sita, my Sita? Oh Sugriva have you seen?’ ‘Well I can’t say whether I have seen but I saw some viman, aircraft going this way and someone in the aircraft was saying the name Rama Rama Rama Rama.’ So there Rama was also saying ‘Site Site’ and Sita was also saying ‘Rama Rama’. ‘And while that aircraft just passing above here, little bundle, a cloth, something wrapped in it was dropped.’ And then Sugriva said, ‘please take this may be you will and we will find some more clues of where about of Sita or was that Sita in that aircraft.’ So Sugriva handed that potali to Rama and as Rama was anticipating, yes yes most probably that person flying over here and screaming Rama Rama, who else that could be? She must be Sita. And if She is the one who has thrown this little pouch, she said Rama Rama and touched and held that, Rama felt, His body was trembling. And His eyes were full of tears. Well He opened with His hands to check out what was inside, but He was not able to recognize. He was not able to
see because His eyes were full of tears. He called Laxman, ‘Oh Laxman Laxman check this out. See some ornaments here. Could they be Sita’s? This one – it was

bajuband, armlet of Sita. So Rama was showing ornaments one after the other- this one, could this be Sita’s?’

naham janami keyure

These are armlets. No, I can’t say whether they are of Sita’s. I never saw her armlets, arms or armlets. Naham janami kundale, and these are ear rings but I never looked Sita’s ear rings that closely. Ahh but these ones, these are ankle bells. Oh for sure these are Sita’s. Padami vandane, whenever I looked at her feet, offer my obeisances and looked at her feet, I have seen this. For sure these are ankle bells of Sita maharani.’ And then it was conformed, for sure, at least thus far Sita had come or the person who flew in that aircraft that is Sita.

So that is Kishkinda kanda, that is whole kanda, Kishkinda kanda. Then comes Sundar kanda which is full of Hanuman lilas or searching, looking for Sita. Hanuman had gone, others were also looking in different directions and Hanuman found Sita. Hari bol! And finally when they met, Hanuman said, ‘let’s go, back to Rama. How? Climb up my shoulders.’ Sita said, ‘no, nothing doing. I can not touch another man, another person. You go, let’s Rama know where abouts of me. Let Him come, battle with Ravan and as a hero let Him prove His prowess and rescue
me, have me back again. That will be glorious than me running away like this or you take me back.’

So Hanuman, at least he knew now, Sita is alive. She still exists. And he knew where exactly she is residing, existing. And Hanuman came back to Kishkinda.

‘I have good news for you’.
Hanuman had not only good, the best news.
‘I know I know where about of Sita.
I found out, I met her.’ And Rama, His joy had no limit.
He was so happy so happy to know where abouts of Sita.
Sita maharani ki Jay!

And Rama had said, ‘Hanuman, if I was in Ayodhya today, I could have given you big reward, big gift. But, I want to give big gift but I have nothing. I don’t have anything. I am vanavasi. I am empty pocket. I don’t even have pockets. My clothes even do not have pocket. But if you do not mind, if you don’t mind, you may like to accept my embrace.’ Saying so Rama stepped forward and He gave deep embrace to Hanuman. (Hari Bol!)

Wasn’t that the best reward for a devotee, Lord has fully accepted you, the devotee. Lord is embracing and Lord is holding that devotee to His heart. You would like to be accepted by Rama like so? (Hari Bol!) Then you have to give up the tight embrace of Maya. Maya is embracing us. As Rama embrace Hanuman, and he was in tight grip of arms of Sri Rama, like wise the conditioned souls are, or in tight grip of Maya in so many forms.

“balam pasya me mayayah stri-mayya jayino disam” (SB 3.31.38) Lord Kapil deva said to His mother. Balam me pasya mayayah, stri maiyyam, in the form of woman. For a man, woman is Maya and for a woman, man is Maya. I want to say that otherwise, ‘Be fair’. So Sundar- kanda, then comes Yuddha kanda, whole battle took place in Srilanka, which went on for many months. And it was a day of dasami, Rama Vijay Dasami,
Ravan was killed. Hari Bol? Someone got killed and you say Hari bol. (shankha dvani at background, from altar) Victory! When conch shell is blown, victory is declared, proclaimed. That is what conch shell, shankha dvani does, victory to Rama, victory to Sri Krsna, victory to Jagannath. So that was rama vijay dasami. And then Rama returns to Ayodhya and of course there is uttar-kanda, seventh and final is uttar -kanda. From Lanka to Ayodhya and many more things are of course happening on the way. Lord is stopping Kishkinda and at different places and He is not walking back to Ayodhya. From Ayodhya He started walking and walking and southerly direction, all the way Lanka. If He had to walk back, that could have taken few more years. But Lord was looking at the watch. Not just watch, but the whole calendar. And the fourteen year period was going to be expired very soon. And again He had promised Bharat, ‘brother I will be back.’ But Bharat had said, ‘Rama, make sure You come back on time. Preferably before time but not after the expiry of fourteen years time. Well You may come, whenever You come, but if You come late, You will not find me alive. I am going to be keep track of the time.’ This is Bharat’s and Rama Bharat milan had taken place.

So Rama had to go faster back to home, back to Ayodhya. So He preferred taking flight and not Padayatra. Padayatra is 4 Kms only per hour. So Rama has flown. But then He was at Prayag, another stop at Prayag. Bharadwaj muni’s asram. From there Rama send Hanuman, Hanuman you better go. Go fast, go ahead of us. And let Bharat know that I am on the way. Let him know I am coming.’ So Hanuman took another flight. He did not have to sit in another aircraft. His body is aircraft. So Hanuman went ahead of Sri Rama. Letting everyone know, especially Bharat, ‘Rama is on the way’.

And then in Ayodhya, Rama is greeted there. Big reception and that was another great celebration. Which ended up in becoming Dipavali. Ravan was killed, that is Dasahara. Das- ten headed Ravan; hara- his head is taken away or chopped off, Dasahara, Rama Vijay Dasami. And by the time, Rama reached Ayodhya, everyone was happy. The whole city was lit with lamps, one lamp, another lamp and another lamp, Dipa avali, rows of lamps everywhere. Town was lit up. Everyone was well dressed, new dresses. And they came all to greet Rama and Laxman and Sita and there are Sugriva and few others also, Jambavan also accompanied. And then Uttar-kanda.

Uttar- kanda is longest time, period wise, factor wise. Rama was on the planet for dasa sahasra dasa satani ca. So many years, dasa sahasra, ten thousand, dasa satani, that is another thousand. So that is total of eleven thousand years Rama was on the planet. So by the time He came back to Ayodhya after vanavas, not much time has passed. Fourteen years in forest and some years may be 20, 30; anybody knows how old was Rama when He left for forest? 25, 27? Let’s have battle. Anyways its close, if that is correct. So some two dozen or so years before He left for forest. Add fourteen years, so that’s only those many years, all the kandas, all other six kandas or cantos are covered. And the remaining ten thousand nine hundred sixty or something years Rama is going to be ruling Ayodhya. And that is all in Uttar- kanda. But you don’t find much because His ruler ship started. Yeah some beginning years are described and rest is left for your imagination or these are getting repeated.

raghupati raghava raja rama patit pavan sita rama sita rama jay sita rama

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!