In plain words
Because he gave so sacred a mantra as the Gāyatrī to the universe, he became the friend of the universe itself, and came to be called Viśvāmitra. But what is the inner form of all this? Viśvāmitra means the embodiment of Prema. Kauśika means one who is full of desires, and so until then he did not see Rāma. The day he gave up everything and became one who had renounced every attachment, that day he had the darśan of Rāma. To fulfil his vow, he came to Rāma. Rāma set out with Viśvāmitra to protect the yajña. Yajña means sacrifice. ‘Svāhā’, ‘svāhā’ means giving up everything to the fire. In this there is one called the aṅga-yajña. ‘Netraṃ samarpayāmi’ means, ‘I have offered my eyes.’ So I have nothing to do with any sight but God. ‘Śrotraṃ samarpayāmi’ means: I will listen to nothing but Your name. ‘Hastaṃ samarpayāmi’ means: I will take to nothing but Your work. ‘Hṛdayaṃ samarpayāmi’ means: in this heart there is no place for anyone but You. But how are these aṅga-pūjās changing today? In those days, in the age of Satya, people did them with thought, word and deed as one. But today, in the Kali age, saying is one thing and doing is another. We follow these ways, we trust them, we enjoy them. Today, at the time of pūjā, we say, ‘Netraṃ samarpayāmi.’ We take a flower, touch it to the eyes and offer the flower. What we say is the eye; what we offer is a flower. This is how it has gone on changing.
The Rāmāyaṇa is not just a book; it is part of man's daily life
In the Rāmāyaṇa, the Ātma itself is named ‘Rāma’. Even in everyday speech we say, ‘Only Ātmārāma knows.’ To protect Satya and Dharma, Rāma went to break the bow of Śiva. Śivam means auspiciousness. He went to receive auspiciousness. We depend on the earth. We worship Mother Earth.