Every Karma is borne out of a Kama(desire). The Bhagavad Gita declares that no one can remain without action, even for a moment (न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् | na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit BG 3-5). Kama emanates from the depths of the being and pushes forth towards an object of desire. This object may be an idea, a thing or a person.
Understanding Kama: One must grasp the basics of Kama before wading deeper into this topic. The reason why Kama emanates is, there is a false perception of the Self (Atman). Due to this error in judgment, the perceiver is unable to shake off the expansive nature of Atman. It feels a definite lack and shortcoming. There is a strong internal pressure of the Vasanas, the past imprints of Karma OR a strong external attraction from the world outside, which appeals to the manas through the messages coming from the senses deployed. This creates a strong pressure within the manas that the perceived lacuna in the self can be fixed only through the incorporation of the desired object.
The Bhagavad Gita provides a thorough insight into the way Kama arises in the mind. When a man thinks of objects, attachment for them arises due to the mental association; from attachment desire is born; desire gives birth to anger (ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते । सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥ dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate BG 2-62). The bottom line is the lack of understanding of our true Self and also the otherliness of objects, perceived as a completer of the lacuna felt in the mind.
This bodiless, formless Kama(Desire) undergoes numerous modifications. Thus it is narrated in the Puranas as Kamadeva in a non corporeal form, where as his wife Rati, the state of happiness and beauty had an embodied form. Once Kama is attained with the obtaining of the object of desire, the agitation in the mind rests, temporarily. This rested state is wrongly registered in the manas as Sukham(happiness). If it were to be a real source of Sukham, there should be no need for further objects of desire or for the same desire to repeatedly seek an outlet. For example, the laddu once eaten should give you permanent happiness, which it doesn’t. Worse yet, sometime later, it creates the same desire expression. This proves that the objects of Kama do not yield Sukham, despite their tantalizing false image.
If the object of Kama is not obtained, then it results in Dukham (Sorrow) or its myriad other forms Arishadvarga – six passions – kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (intense attachment or temptation based on delusion), mada (pride or hubris) and matsarya (jealousy).
Kama in its original expression, as repeated thoughts or after its modifications as Sukham, Dukham, or other emotions leaves an imprint in its wake, Vasana. Thus, the seed for its perpetual expression exists in every Kama born. One of the grander objectives of the spiritual journey is to attain a state of Vasanakshaya, the complete absence of Vasanas, where thoughts don’t arise due to Vasanas. They may still be absorbed from the cosmic mind, where the individual acts as a vessel of the cosmic Self.
Kama is the uncontrollable urge that comes with a strong connection with the to-be manifested outcome. This is called Attachment. The intensity of Kama is directly proportional to the intensity of Attachment. Hence to combat the strong powers of Kama, the primary prescription is Viveka (Intelligent discrimination) and Vairagya (Dispassion).
Kama, once it emerges in the bosom can be expressed as is. But civic society imposes certain curbs for such unbridled expressions. Still many backdoors exist for the overwhelming control of our manas and indriyas by Kama. For instance, drugs are banned, still people find a way to get it. Alcohol is a proven poison, yet culture masks its consumption and even promotes it.
The opposite of such expression is to temper Kama expression through DHARMA. Ideas not sanctioned by Shastras or not conformant with Dharma are curbed and transcended. For example, in modern world, promiscuity and infidelity are justified expressions of lust, but Dharma cautions such behavior. This results in lust being transmuted.
Kama governed by Dharma gives us the playing field to express our Vasanas and exhaust it, but the fine tuning done by Swadharma gives the individual the rules of engagement. To easily grasp this concept of unregulated Kama, Kama done under increasing Dharmic attitude and Kama that is transcended and transmuted as Bhagawan’s expressions, one must study Ramayana. In this focused analysis, we will analyze the different ways Kama has been at the root of some of the major Ramayana characters’ behavior. Ramayana gives us a wonderful opportunity to study the different states of Kama expression and their outcomes though a diverse cast of its characters. Hence the title, Kamayana. We will not a get a complete study, due to the vastness of Ramayana, but attempt at a few case studies and interpretation models.
Desire is infectious: It is normal to understand this, as we all live in a world of advertisements. Lies, hyperbole, deception at the core of many advertisements promote the products to us nonstop. Seeing one person experience, immediately our mind triggers a manufactured need. This is the infectious nature of desire. A child watching another child eating ice cream develops a desire to eat ice cream, even if the first child was eating a flavor disliked by the observing child. But if an alcohol addict sees another person consume a nonalcoholic beverage, it creates a strong and intense desire to consume alcohol. Desire when it gets transferred gets a gunakarma transformation. Based on the vasanas, raaga-dveshas and gunas, a prejudiced modification of the incoming sensory input results in the birth of a modified desire or even worse its modification as anger, greed, jealousy, sorrow and the like.
Manthara driven by her own evil nature sprouted the idea of sending Rama to the forest, but lacked the ability to fructify it. She merely transferred her mental virus to Kaikeyi, who had two boons from Dasaratha to cash against her desires. She literally destroyed Dasartha psychologically, took over the desire expression, as if it was on his behalf. Desire thus can be forcefully expressed even if it is against the wishes of the individual.
We see a similar transfer of desire when Sita enchanted by the golden deer, sends Rama to fetch it, as she lacked resources to do it herself. Shoorpanka keeps wavering between Rama or Lakshmana as a choice of mate and decides to have both. But when punished for her transgressions, she injected her desire as desire to punish through Khara and Dhushana. Their failure led to an emotional outburst to Ravana. Since everybody has a preferred way of desiring, her message was codified to him as lust for Sita. His lust pattern was so popular that Akampana, the sole surviving spy had earlier used the same method to lure Ravana.
The mind that is similar in alignment or which can communicate to through a preferred desire channel or one that is strongly attached to a prejudiced outcome are excellent candidates for transferring of the desires from one individual to the other.
Outcome of intensity of desire/attachment: Desire has only one objective – manifest at all costs, even if it destroys the person desiring. The intensity of attachment to the object of desire is the driver its manifestation. As we realized, it doesn’t matter even if the desire fails, there is a continuation seed as vasana. Desire doesn’t care about the individual who expresses it or what happens to the outcome of the desired object. Alcoholics or drug addicts don’t care about their own health and life being destroyed only to support an ephemeral desire. Nations go to war merely to express some simple desire, even if contorted. The Iraq war was based on a pure lie.
We saw how Manthara’s desire working through Kaikeyi had to express. Kaikeyi knew Rama was the primary occupant of Dasaratha’s heart and Dasaratha was so attached to Rama. Still she was adamant at manifesting her desires that it resulted in the death of her husband. Failing to read the Dharmic nature of Bharata was another costly blunder of hers, which was due to her desire to make things happen, her way.
Lust of Ravana or Shoorpanaka is directly due to the intense attachment to their desires. Ravana had a harem filled with women, yet he was lusting after different women, driven by his adharmic desires. This fact of lacking sense control is brought out by the lamentations of Mandodari upon Ravana’s death.
We see Lakshmana being portrayed as a character who is easy to anger. Again this righteous anger can be traced to his intense attachment to Rama.
Anyone can succumb – Kama is very powerful. Anyone can succumb to it. We see many Rishis in Itihasapuranas succumbing to anger or lust. Though Ramayana doesn’t catalog Vishwamitra’s biography unlike Mahabharata, he is very good example of succumbing to his lust for Menaka, later to pride wanting to restore Trishanku to svarga. The vice grip of Kama and its modifications are too powerful for the vasana addicted frail mind like ours.
Indra, the King of Devas, one who has great wisdom of the Self, as depicted in the Upanishads himself seems to fall very deeply in lust. Ahalya, Brahma’s daughter, was given in marriage to Gautama Maharishi, though Indra desired for her hand too. Ahalya had a grown son, Shatananda, who was the Rajapurohit for Janaka. Still Indra stooped so low to cheat Ahalya to get intimate with her. What is appalling is Ahalya knowing agreed to play the role with Indra. Both get punished. But just goes to show that even the ideal ones can fall from grace, due to the powerful attack from Kama or its modifications. Kama urges one to make one casual mistake to take advantage of, even if one has an impregnable fortress of Sadhana.
Another example is Sita, who was perhaps happier in the forests than in Ayodhya, as she had all the time with Rama. If we visualize Sita as a Jivatma that is always happier to be with Rama, Paramatma, the golden deer represents the attractions of the Jagat. Even a split second distraction from Bhagawan is enough to get attached to a mirage, a lie, the mareecha. Suffice to reiterate that one must always be at guard against these powerful forces.
Flaw even when with the highest - We saw that even Sita fell for the trap. But the bigger lesson is that of Dasaratha. In Ramayana, very many characters knew the real nature of Rama as Paramatman. They would include the Rishis, Sumitra, Hanuman, Tara and Mandodari. Despite having all the clues in front and the messages repeatedly broadcast to him, Dasaratha chose to see Rama only as his son. This Dehatma Buddhi never let him rise to his true potential. Extreme attachment to Rama as his favorite son only resulted in his death. Further more, it resulted him going to Svarga and not attain Moksha.
Dharma – To escape the vice grip of desires, only one option exists. This is to submit, regulate and filter all the desires through DHARMA. While Kama has a tendency to close the mind and keep it centered only on the object of desire, Dharma keeps expanding the mind, increases the Sattva guna quotient in the Guna and Karma. The mechanism they both operate are the same, except the direction and the nature of their outcome. Kama results in getting more deeply mired in Vasanas and Samsara, while Dharma leads to Moksha.
We see the examples of the diverse Rishis and Sabari in Ramayana who have completely transcended the desire plane through their Sadhana. If at all any lingering semblance of desire exists, it is to have the Darshan of Bhagawan Rama in person, as they are already acquainted with HIM as a Principle.
Sugriva was so suspicious of Rama, till Hanuman calmed him. Though a Vanara filled with desires, his proximity to Rama and his willingness to serve, slowly carved away his rough edges. He offered his entire resource only to aid Rama find Sita and later fight against Ravana. Sugriva gives us the complete evolution and transformation path, while Vibhishana is already an evolved Dharmatma. His shackles to be bound to Ravana weaken the minute Rama appears on the scene. Dharma releases one from the Vasana and Kama death grip, thus enabling the Saranagati.
Ramayana offers more characters that give us a deeper insight into the Dharma end of the spectrum. With Dharma alone at the center and having Rama as its embodiment, Rama’s brothers – Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna overpower their own desires, but are committed to Rama and Dharma. Still the best example of transforming oneself into a tool at the hands of Bhagawan, working hard to make HIS wishes a reality and only being centered on HIS desires, thoughts and needs is provided by Hanuman.
Hanuman derives his strength, overpowers his doubts and questions, by intensely making himself devoid of personal desires and simultaneously making himself a vessel for Paramatma to playout HIS leelas through him. The deeds performed by Hanuman in the search of Sita, during Yuddha Kanda, transforming himself to a shuttle service for bringing timely medicines are superhuman feats. This formula will work for us also provided we do the dual play Hanuman demonstrated with his mind.
Warning for Kali Yuga/asuric tendencies – We understood that the more intense desires produce tamasic and asuric mindset while adding Dharma expands it to eventually match and dissolve in Paramatma. With Dharma chintana fading from our bosom, with deliberate, cultivated materialism fanning the flames of Kama, we must understand its consequences. The natural question that comes to the mind, why can’t I be centered on my needs and myself.
There are some traits that distinguish a human from animalistic and tamasic tendencies. The beautiful sanskrit subhashita captures in great detail - (आहार-निद्रा-भय-मैथुनं च समानमेतत्पशुभिर्नराणाम् । धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेषो धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥ āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṃ cha samānam_etat_pashubhir_narāṇām | dharmo hi teṣhāmadhiko visheṣho dharmeṇa hīnāḥ pashubhiḥ samānāḥ ||) The primordial, primititive urges are food, sleep, fear and procreation/mate. Dharma alone is the differentiator, as without this special thing, humans are no better than animals.
Ahara: Today as we live in a world of Swiggy, Zomato and midnight biryani for snack, with everybody posting what they eat, our mindset will scare even the hungry Bhakasura, ravenous appetite Bhima and just woken up Kumbhakarna. We cannot match their feats, but we overplay our food card to our peril. The maximum deaths are happening only due to metabolic syndrome, all linked to our oddities with eating.
The gateway to early and bad death is the unfettered tongue. Tataka gets a curse to transform from a powerful Yakshini to a cannibal, as she used her power to swallow Agastya in a fit of rage. Kabandha is another food centered asura who gets release from such a pitiable state. During his visit, Hanuman finds the Rakshas consuming different viands and drinks, including many intoxicating ones. On the other hand, Ramayana is replete with wondrous examples of Rishis, Sabari, even Rama, Sita demonstrating excellent control with respect to food.
Nidra: Though we are creatures subject to circadian rhythm, we ignore our bodily demands and today sleeplessness is an all pervasive syndrome. Sleeping at awkward times, reduced sleep, sleeplessness induced obesity, not taking advantage of Brahmamuhurta are all accepted norms of today’s society. On one extreme end of the spectrum, we find Kumbhakarana who was chasing permanence(nithyatvam) reduced to its opposite, sleep (nidratvam). Despite all the power, a messed up sleep cycle of too much or too little robs all the potency. On the other hand, we find Rama being captured in Ramayana of starting his days at Brahmamuhurta, even if he has to leave a place, let alone take advantage of the quietude for Sadhana.
Maituna: Itihasapuranas are filled with numerous incidents that warn us of crossing this obsessive state that is self destructive. The fall of Indra and Ahalya is a powerful warning that this weakness can creep even to the most advanced being. Vishwamitra’s fall to Menaka shows Sadhana is no easy defence to the power of Kama. Kakasura episode is another strong reminder that even with Paramatma facing away briefly, the Jiva is vulnerable. Ayomukhi meets her end, by kidnapping Lakshmana to be her sex slave. Shoorpanaka, the one who is crucial plot character, is drawn towards Rama and Lakshmana only for her intimacy needs. Her Tamas transforms even her bleeding nose and ears as lusty expressions to Khara Dushana. Even when instigating Ravana, she knows his vulnerabilities to lust and merely appeals to the same.
Vaali gets his death punishment as he transgresses his own daughter like younger sister in law, Ruma, driven by lust. But Ravana tops all these characters by making serial rape as his terror weapon of choice and outlet of his real deep Tamas. His long list of victims include Vedhavati, his own daughter in law – Rambha and Sita, amongst the countless young women. Hanuman’s discovery of his harem filled with women, who were involved in fulfilling his lecherousness was only confirmed by Mandodari’s lamentations, upon Ravana’s death that how he morphed from a person of austerities to be a victim of his own concupiscence.
With a society that is so much infested by porn and many religions that are centered only on peddling sex in this life and beyond, the norms are bent beyond recognition. The boundaries of Adharma have blurred the normalcy, but the consequences of violating Ahara, nidra and Maituna are bound to provide strong repercussions. This violation of Dharma manifests as Bhaya. A person who is disciplined by Dharma is devoid of any Bhaya, even that of death.
Ramayana through its myriad characters puts the spotlight on the different aspects of Kama. Some characters are subtle while others are quite explicit. Every desire is a doorway. If centered on our narrow understanding of the self, it drags us deeper into the mire of Samsara. If we apply Dharma to broaden our horizons, then the same Kama plays out without strengthening our vasanas, thus acting as an outlet. When we align our Karmas with our Swadharma and offer our Karmaphala back to Bhagawan, then our desires align with the cosmic will, leaving no trace behind. Just like fish leave no trace where they swim or the birds leaving no tracemarks in air, an advanced Sadak lets the Kama flow through effortlessly to express Praradbha Karma.
Ramayana is a wonderful treatise to dissect and understand the different charcters and then look inward at our own foibles, to introspect and work on ourselves. This pattern of investigating is to stimulate our way of thinking and is by no means definitive. May we take advantage of the wisdom of the Rishis, their works including the itihaspuranas and transform ourselves into the divine beings, we really are.
ॐ तत् सत
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