Rama’s advice to Vali’s wife
When Rama killed Vali in the battle, all monkeys were terrified and ran back to the Kishkindha and told Valia’s wife Tara, “O Queen, Rama had killed your husband. Please direct the ministers to close down the gates of Kishkindha and protect your son Angada”. On hearing this, Tara became and very sad and cried that, “What interest I have in this kingdom when my husband killed. I want to die along with my husband” and she ran towards Vali.
When she saw Vali’s dead body covered with blood and dust, she cried uncontrollably. Tara looked at Rama and said, “Oh Rama!! You killed my husband because my husband has not followed his dharma. I cannot live without my husband. Even in heaven, I am not happy if my husband is not with me. Ravana has abducted your wife, and you know how separation from loved ones can cause grief. Please kill me also with the same arrow.”
Rama consoled Tara by saying, “why are you grieving foolishly? Who is your husband? Is it Vali’s body or his atman? If Vali’s body is your husband, it is still lying here. Then why are you crying? This body is composed of five elements (space, Air, water, earth, and fire) and produced by time and action (karma). This body is unintelligent, and it is bound to decay. The intelligence comes from the Atman. It is neither male nor female. It is neither born nor dies. It is all-pervading and everlasting.”
Tara asked Rama, “When the body is unintelligent like wood and the Atman is all-pervading, which is causing the pain and pleasure? Where do they come from?” Rama replied saying, “Your sense of identification comes from ahankara and when ahankara is superimposes the atman, it causes the bondage. Crystal is colorless, but when it brought near a colorful object red or blue, the crystal also takes the color of red or blue. The mind is incapable of knowing the true Atman. Instead, it can only recognize its creation thoughts, the unintelligent body. As long as the mind focused towards external things that are perishable, there is duality – birth & death, pleasure & pain. When the mind directed towards the everlasting, exuberant atman, you realize the truth, and you will not have any sorrow”.
After Rama’s discourse, Tara left all the sorrow and bowed in front of Rama and thanked him.
