Lord Accepts All
“Our Lord accepts all”: this is a very important reminder to all of us. C. Rajgopalachari explains this very well in one episode in Ramayana.
When Vibhishana comes to Ram and seeks his friendship, others are not happy about it. Sugreeva protests and questions whether they should trust one who has deserted his own brother. But Ram says as follows, after explaining reasons why friendship and alliance with Vibhishana may be good thing to do:
“But there is a stronger reason. When one comes to me for refuge, I cannot reject him. This is my dharma. It doesn’t matter if as a result of this I suffer. Even at the cost of life I must do this duty of mine. Never can I deviate from it. Verily, I tell you, even if Raavana himself came to me for sanctuary, I would accept him without hesitation. How then can I reject his brother who has done me no wrong? Go and fetch Vibheeshana.”
Understanding this, Sugreeva lauds Ram for his sense of dharma and says, “May he (Vibheeshana) too become a loving friend of yours, even like us!”
In the Vaishnava tradition, this episode, in which Vibheeshana is taken by the Prince into his camp and innermost council, is held to be as important as the Bhagawat Gita episode in the Mahabharata.
It illustrates the doctrine that the Lord accepts all who in absolute surrender seek shelter at his feet, regardless of their merits or defects. Their sins are burnt out by the mere act of surrender. This is a message of hope to erring humanity. It is the heart of the Vaishnava faith that there is hope for the worst of us if only we surrender ourselves to the Lord.
This divine assurance is the life and light that a world filled with sin and darkness, needs.
(C. Rajgopalachari; Ramayana; Chap LXV, The doctrine of surrender and grace; P413-414)
- Rahul
“Our Lord accepts all”: this is a very important reminder to all of us. C. Rajgopalachari explains this very well in one episode in Ramayana.
When Vibhishana comes to Ram and seeks his friendship, others are not happy about it. Sugreeva protests and questions whether they should trust one who has deserted his own brother. But Ram says as follows, after explaining reasons why friendship and alliance with Vibhishana may be good thing to do:
“But there is a stronger reason. When one comes to me for refuge, I cannot reject him. This is my dharma. It doesn’t matter if as a result of this I suffer. Even at the cost of life I must do this duty of mine. Never can I deviate from it. Verily, I tell you, even if Raavana himself came to me for sanctuary, I would accept him without hesitation. How then can I reject his brother who has done me no wrong? Go and fetch Vibheeshana.”
Understanding this, Sugreeva lauds Ram for his sense of dharma and says, “May he (Vibheeshana) too become a loving friend of yours, even like us!”
In the Vaishnava tradition, this episode, in which Vibheeshana is taken by the Prince into his camp and innermost council, is held to be as important as the Bhagawat Gita episode in the Mahabharata.
It illustrates the doctrine that the Lord accepts all who in absolute surrender seek shelter at his feet, regardless of their merits or defects. Their sins are burnt out by the mere act of surrender. This is a message of hope to erring humanity. It is the heart of the Vaishnava faith that there is hope for the worst of us if only we surrender ourselves to the Lord.
This divine assurance is the life and light that a world filled with sin and darkness, needs.
(C. Rajgopalachari; Ramayana; Chap LXV, The doctrine of surrender and grace; P413-414)
- Rahul
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