Sitting on the beeches of Kochi , thinking of my unfinished film on Ramnavami :
Dasharatha
means one who can run ten chariots at a time. Your body is Dasharatha, the ten
chariots, which include the five organs of senses and the five organs of
action. These take the mind into ten different directions.
The three names of Dashratha’s queens are also very interesting. The first wife
is Kaushalya, which means skill. The second wife is Sumitra, which means good
friend. There could be many friends, but not all are good friends. Many
times, friends drag you in the wrong direction. Sumitra is one who takes you in
the right direction. The third wife is Kaikeyi, one who stands by your side,
although she appears differently; but deep within, she is benevolent. It is
like a doctor who gives you a bitter medicine, or a vaccination. As soon as the
children see him, they start yelling and crying, but the vaccination does good
to them. Similarly, Kaikeyi who apparently is not pleasant, but inwardly, does
that which is good for you.
Dasratha did a yagya called Ashwamedha, after which he got four sons. Shwa
means yesterday or tomorrow, Ashwa means today - not yesterday, nor tomorrow.
It means it is eternal and the present moment. Medha means purification. Medha
also means intellect. Ashwamedha means purifying the intellect by being in the
present moment, purifying the spirit, the senses, the body-mind complex; going
deep in the spirit.
When Dasharatha did the Ashwamedha yagya, Rama was born. This is the spiritual
significance of Sri Rama’s birth. The words - 'rays', 'radiance', all these
come from the Sanskrit root Ra, which means to shine, radiance, brilliance and
light. Ma means within me, in my heart. 'Rama' means ‘the light in my heart’.
When the mind in this body, with some skill gets into the present moment, it
purifies the mind and the heart, and then Rama, the light in our heart, shines.
Four things come out of you when Ashwamedha is done. When your senses are
purified, then what comes up is the Divine light in your heart (Rama), and
awareness (Lakshmana). Then, you have no enemies (Shatrugnan), and all the
talents (Bharat) come to you.
