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Shri Rama: What Constitutes His True Worship
We know the scriptures recommend the worship of Shri Rama as a sure means of cleansing our inner selves. This worship inevitably consists of offering flowers etc. to our beloved Rama. However, the thinking devotee cannot but pause to wonder over the following dilemma: "What great merit can hope to be accrued by offering to God what has been created by God Himself, and which truly belongs to Him only?" Indeed, can a flower said to be the creation of human hands? Man can fashion a paper flower, but can he infuse it with fragrance? The ground over which a flower grows, the water which sustains it, all have been created by God. The flower has been truly created by Him only. The fragrance in the flower too has been established by Him. Indeed, everything in this world belongs to Shri Rama.
However, there is definitely merit in offering to Rama what is already His own. It generates pleasure on the part of Rama; but this pleasure is partial only and not complete. This is the initial most stage of Bhakti, when we, whether we want to do it or not, perform Puja towards Shri Rama, taking the scriptural word to be command. Slowly and steadily our interest is awakened as to who Shri Rama is? What is the narrative surrounding Him? It is at this stage, when we delve into what the ancient scriptures like Valmiki Ramayana say about Him, that we take a step towards performing true Bhakti towards Shri Rama, leading to His full satisfaction and pleasure. What exactly do we need to do be this especial winner of His grace? We need to follow His life.
Each and every action Shri Rama performed during His life was bound by Dharma. Actually, when we bow to Shri Rama we are but saying that: "I am under You. I surrender to You both my head and hands." The head represents our brains and hands our capacity to action. Thus both are offered to Him, surrendered at the altar of Dharma.
Source: nitish kumar
We know the scriptures recommend the worship of Shri Rama as a sure means of cleansing our inner selves. This worship inevitably consists of offering flowers etc. to our beloved Rama. However, the thinking devotee cannot but pause to wonder over the following dilemma: "What great merit can hope to be accrued by offering to God what has been created by God Himself, and which truly belongs to Him only?" Indeed, can a flower said to be the creation of human hands? Man can fashion a paper flower, but can he infuse it with fragrance? The ground over which a flower grows, the water which sustains it, all have been created by God. The flower has been truly created by Him only. The fragrance in the flower too has been established by Him. Indeed, everything in this world belongs to Shri Rama.
However, there is definitely merit in offering to Rama what is already His own. It generates pleasure on the part of Rama; but this pleasure is partial only and not complete. This is the initial most stage of Bhakti, when we, whether we want to do it or not, perform Puja towards Shri Rama, taking the scriptural word to be command. Slowly and steadily our interest is awakened as to who Shri Rama is? What is the narrative surrounding Him? It is at this stage, when we delve into what the ancient scriptures like Valmiki Ramayana say about Him, that we take a step towards performing true Bhakti towards Shri Rama, leading to His full satisfaction and pleasure. What exactly do we need to do be this especial winner of His grace? We need to follow His life.
Each and every action Shri Rama performed during His life was bound by Dharma. Actually, when we bow to Shri Rama we are but saying that: "I am under You. I surrender to You both my head and hands." The head represents our brains and hands our capacity to action. Thus both are offered to Him, surrendered at the altar of Dharma.
Source: nitish kumar