Mine and Others’

When a Sadhaka is given a mantra, he becomes silent in the course of doing japa of the mantra. And she had become silent. She didn’t feel like. Who had given the mantra to her? No, it was Manthara, the embodiment of rajasic and tamasic tendencies, who had given the mantra to her. It was not a mantra; it was rather an evil mantra, a devious design. When Manthara came to know of Lord Rama’s due coronation, she met Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi was very happy. She said, “MY eldest son will become the king tomorrow.” Kaikeyi and Ramaji used to get along very well.

Kaikeyi said to Manthara, “Take this necklace. My worthy son will be crowned tomorrow.”

“What did you say? Your son?”
“Yes, is Rama not my son?”

“Well, in a way yes but blood is thinker than water.”

Manthara gave the evil-mantra to Kaikeyi. What gives rise to attachment and hatred is an evil-mantra and what frees us from attachment and hatred and takes us nearer to knowledge of the Ultimate Truth is a propitious mantra. Manthara gave an evil-mantra to Kaikeyi which poisoned the queen’s mind and consequently she forced Kind Dasharatha to make Bharata the king and send Lord Rama into exile. This was the effect of that evil-mantra. Sumitra gave another kind of mantra to her son lakshmana. “Go and serve Ramaji and conduct yourself in the world for the sake of Ramaji. As a devoted wife serves her in-laws and there guests for the sake of her husband, i.e. because of their being related to her husband, you too should deal with people for the sake of Rama. See one in all and don’t distinguish between people on the basis of their being your own or others” This was the sattvic or propitious mantra given by Sumitra, while manthara gave the evil mantra, “This is ‘Mine’ and that is ‘others”

In fact if we examine closely, who is after all our all our own? Even our body doesn’t obey us, nor does our mind do so. A son doesn’t conduct himself according to his parents’ wishes. Nowadays friends too betray us. Nobody knows whether or not those we call our won will help us in times of need. Sometimes, our own people turn indifferent towards us and at times, strangers come to take our side. The basic truth is that the Supreme Self alone is truly ours. It doesn’t part with us even after d3eath. It alone is our won. The rest is all but a dream.