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Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimat Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai!!


Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

The Ramayana describes how Lord Rama built a bridge and crossed the sea to Lanka. Before the battle with Ravana began, Ravana’s youngest brother, Vibhishan, abandoned his evil brother and came to take shelter of Rama. Rama immediately granted him shelter. That is the duty of a king, a kshatriya. If someone seeks shelter, they must be given protection.

But the associates of Lord Rama said, “Prabhu! Don’t give him shelter. He’s from the enemy’s camp and he is after all a rakshas. He has come here as a spy.” Lord Rama then told his associates a story.

Once, a man was passing through a dense jungle. In that forest were many ferocious animals bears, lions and tigers. One tiger came to attack that man, so he climbed a tree and saved his life. But the tiger had developed greed for human blood. So the tiger sat down underneath the tree to wait.

The tiger then noticed a monkey in the tree. He told that monkey, “You are my brother. This human is your enemy. When you jump from one tree to another to get fruit, the human beats you and throws stones at you. And when you come down to the ground he sends his dog to attack you. Also, human beings cut down trees. You should understand this. You are very intelligent; you are my brother and my friend. Don’t stay with such an enemy. It is very dangerous. Push that man down from the tree. I am hungry. If you do this then I’ll get food. I’ll satisfy my hunger and our friendship will remain forever. I’ll be very, very grateful to you.”

The monkey replied, “O my brother tiger, I understand what you have said. But the human being has dharma. Although I am but an animal with no dharma, still my conscience says that it is wrong to put one in danger who is trying to save himself.” Then the hungry tiger thought of another ploy. He began addressing the man, “O my brother, you have dharma, you are a human being. Is it not your dharma that you should give food to one who is very hungry? I am very hungry now, should you not give food to a hungry jīva. You should push down this monkey, then I’ll get food.

The man thought, “Yes, very good. If the tiger eats the monkey then he will go away from here..”, and he pushed down the monkey, who fell in front of the tiger. But the tiger didn’t eat him and the monkey jumped back up the tree. The tiger had developed greed to drink human blood, so he didn’t want to eat the monkey.

Then the tiger said, “O my brother monkey! You see?! I didn’t harm you. I spared you because we are friends. But see what that irreligious man did. He pushed you down right in front of me. So now you should push him down so that I can satisfy my hunger and thereby he will get a good lesson”. The monkey said, “This man may be adharmic. Although I am only an animal, I am not adharmic. I cannot do it.”

It is considered that the human birth is a very rarely achieved, the most superior birth. But some humans have a history of irreligiousness which is not found even in the society of animals.

Bhagavan Ramachandra told this story and said, “This is my dharma. I have come to establish ideal behavior in human society.” Therefore, he is known as Maryādā-purushottama, the topmost example of Vedic propriety. He never transgressed veda-maryādā, Vedic regulation and etiquette.

Lord Ramachandra said, “If someone comes to take shelter of me, I never think of his past history. I immediately give him shelter. Vibhishan has taken shelter of me. I have given him shelter and he is our friend. No one should have any doubt about him. He has been made the commander-in-chief.”

This is the nature of Lord Ramachandra.