AvadhootaDatta Peetham

 

 

Nowhere in this vast creation of the four-faced Lord Brahma have we ever seen or even heard of a golden deer. We have read so many Puranas; has there ever been a mention of a golden deer? No. Yet, the great Sri Rama, the exalted disciple of Maharshi Vasishtha and Maharshi Vishwamitra ran after the golden deer and invited great suffering thereafter. When the great Sri Rama who was entirely well versed in all arts and skills could not escape suffering, what then can be said of the ordinary man?

The Parashara Smrti says

That means that everyone, including Devatas, must experience the fruit of their karma. God is the universal witness and not affected by our praise or blame. Yet, the ones who praise God earn merit and the ones who blame God incur sin. Those with merit experience happiness and the sinners experience suffering.

Through the example of the golden deer, the ordinary man is being given a divine lesson. The desire to possess what is out of one’s reach is called “vyaamoha”. Due to such infatuation, even God has to suffer. Sita Devi, the daughter of King Janaka was infatuated with the golden deer, as women naturally are overcome with motherly feelings when they see children or flowers. But why did not the intellect of Sri Rama, the descendant of Raghu clan, function? Lakshmana knew it was a demon’s maya and with the power of his penance, he tried to protect Sita Mata by drawing a line she was not to cross. Did Rama who ran in pursuit of the golden deer fail to recognize the illusion caused by the demon, or was he just slave to Sita Mata? This is the only instance in the Ramayana where Sri Rama blindly followed Sita’s words. Neither during the encounter with Soorpanakha nor during the return flight on Pushpaka Vimana with the entire vanara army after the battle against Ravana did Sri Rama display such blind adherence. So, Sri Rama was never portrayed a slave to his wife’s wishes anywhere else in the Ramayana.

In the same vein, Sita Mata too blamed Lakshmana for not going away to protect Rama only in this one instance of the golden deer. When divinity does not favor, the minds of even the great souls do not function properly. If Sri Rama had not gone after the deer, or if Lakshmana without heeding Sita’s words had not gone after Sri Rama, Ramayana would have taken a different turn. It is due to the deviated intellect of the two characters - Sita and Rama - that the events turned out as they did.

So, we should understand that as one’s doom approaches, even the pious and intelligent people’s intellect works against his/her best interest. One’s fate cannot be changed. That is why it is said “vināśa kāle viparīta buddhiḥ”.

You will understand this sookti even better if you listen to Adhyatma Ramayana.