In Ramayana, Manthara was instrumental in sending Lord Rama into wilderness for 14 years, by advising Kaikeyi to make it happen through Dasaratha. SaiAustin's newsletter has nicely elaborated the net effect of Mathara's apparently evil advise.
What most people do not know is that in her previous life, the "evil" Manthara was Dundubhi, a Gandharvi (celestial being). She was instructed by none other than Lord Brahma Himself to take birth as the hunchback Manthara, and speak the "evil" words into Queen Kaikeyi's ears. If she had not spoken this way, Rama would not have been exiled into the forest. If he was not exiled, the demon Ravana, who was causing a lot of grief to the gods and holy men, would never have been killed. So this evil, hunchbacked woman, popularly reviled by those who read the Ramayana, was actually the linchpin in God's grand design to rid the universe of evil!I see the point, but I am not sure if we are justified in not being judgmental about folks like Hitler. I will blog my thoughts on this later.
This knowledge about Manthara is meaningful because it tells us that unless we are omniscient, it is better not to make judgments about who is good and who is evil. Of course, we want to keep our distance from those that harbor bad thoughts, but ultimately, the best attitude is to realize that everyone is playing their own part in the grand design. Rama Himself never for one second harbored a bad thought about Manthara or Queen Kaikeyi and his exile to the forest.
No comments:
Post a Comment