Passage 7

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In plain words

Then he said, “Mother! Lakṣmaṇa belongs to the portion of Rāma; Śatrughna belongs to the portion of Bharata. Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna, who until now pined like fish taken from the water, felt joy like fish come back to the water as soon as each reached the one he is a portion of.” In the Bhagavad Gītā Kṛṣṇa said, “Mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīva bhūtassanātanaḥ.” That is, He made it known that all men are His own portions. So man, a portion of the Divine, can know full Ānanda only when he reaches the Divine. Man today grieves and suffers only because he does not go near to the Divine.

The ideal of brotherly love

Once he came into Rāma's presence, Lakṣmaṇa's pain vanished without a trace. He followed Rāma constantly and dedicated his life to Rāma's service alone. In the same way Śatrughna too followed Bharata and spent his life in Bharata's service alone. The brotherly love of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna is supremely exalted. There are no such brothers anywhere in this world. The people of Bhārata usually name twins Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. But those very Rāmas and Lakṣmaṇas, once they have grown up, go to the Supreme Court over property! The Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa of the Rāmāyaṇa, though, went in unity to the supreme stage.

In the war Lakṣmaṇa fell senseless at the blow of the arrow Indrajit shot. In grief he could not contain, Rāma at once flung down his arrows and laid Lakṣmaṇa's head on his lap: “Lakṣmaṇa! If I try, I may find in this world even a mother like Kausalyā. I may find even a wife like Sītā, but a brother like you I shall not find,” he said. Rāma was one who had that much love for Lakṣmaṇa. Their brotherly love is a great ideal for all mankind. If you forget such ideals, there is no use in reading the Rāmāyaṇa. You must inquire which deed Rāma did, when, where and in what way, and take that ideal for your own. What is the Rāmāyaṇa? Rāma was born, married Sītā, slew Rāvaṇa and was crowned. Is that all it is? No, no. For what was Rāma born? He was born to establish Dharma.