Lessons from Ramayana

Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman were spending their days in exile in the forests. Sita was abducted by Ravan. While Ravan was on his way to Lanka, Sita threw some of her jwellery as a lead on Mt. Rishyamuk. Sugriv found some of them and kept them with him. In their search for Sita, both Ram and Lakshman came to the mountain. Sugriv, on their enquiry, brought Sita's jwellery and narrated what he had seen. Shri Ram gave the jewels to Lakshman to see if he could recognize them. Lakshman failed to identify Sita's earrings and a necklace, but when he saw her anklet he burst out joyfully, "This is mother Sita's anklet." Ram asked him why he hadn't recognized Sita's earrings (kundal) and bracelet (keyur). In reply Lakshman answered,

Naham janami keyuram, naham janami kundalam,
Nupuram eva janami, nityam padabhivandanat

"I have never seen mother Sita's earrings and her bracelet but while touching the dust of her holy feet everyday I had noticed these anklets."

For 14 long, testing years when only three individuals lived and moved together in the forests, we find Lakshman serving both Ram and Sita with unswerving discipline. The epic Ramayana eloquently drives home a lesson of respect bordered with discipline. Lakshman attributes his nobility by saying,

Pita yasya shuchimurto mata yasya pativrata,
Ubhabhyameva sambhrutaha tasya no chalate manah.

"One's mind is never soiled by evil thoughts when one is born of pure noble parents."

Courtesy: An excerpt from "Turning Point - Enlightening Essays on Life Part 1" - Swaminarayan Aksharpith