Sri Tulasidasji says, mangal bhavan amangal hari drabahu sudasrath achar bihari—the Lord is all auspicious. Mangalam bhagavan vishnum mangalam garunadhwajah —all auspiciousness to Lord Vishnu, all auspiciousness to the one who has Garuda as His flag, all auspiciousness to the one who has lotus-like eyes and all auspiciousness to Lord Hari! Thus the Lord is all auspicious. Wherever He descends, everything becomes auspicious. Like when light comes, darkness automatically goes away. No one can remove darkness without the help of light. Same way, all inauspiciousness will go away when the Lord appears.

Who is Maryada Purshottam Ramachandra ? He is the embodiment of complete sat-chit-ananda and complete auspiciousness.

oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
oṁ śānti oṁ śānti śānti śānti
(Sri Ishopanishad)

“Taking Poorna from Poorna, Poorna indeed remains. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.”

The Lord Himself is peace personified. The Lord has appeared, meaning auspiciousness has appeared. If we have observed and celebrated the appearance day of the Lord but our inauspiciousness and the attachments to non-eternal things have not diminished and still we feel the pangs of three-fold afflictions of this world then we have to understand that Lord Ramachandra has not yet appeared in our heart. This tells us whether we have got the actual grace of Lord Ramachandra or not. If we are still suffering in this world then we have to think that something is not right. There is something lacking in our surrender. The Lord is All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss and we have our eternal relation with Him, but we have not understood our relation with Him.

Now, today on the appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, we can also remember what Karbhajan Risi has said about the appearance of Gauranga Mahaprabhu in this Kaliyug. Our guruji says we can remember on the day of Lord Ramachandra's appearance that ontologically They are the same. Karbhajan Risi says,

dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭa-dohaṁ
tīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam
bhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla bhavābdhi-potaṁ
vande mahāpuruṣa te caraṇāravindam
(Srimad Bhagavat 11.5.33)

“O Lord! Just remembering You constantly, all of one's desires get fulfilled.”

So the importance is of the mind and not of the body. If at present someone is in Navadvip D ham or Vrindavan Dham and the mind is thinking about worldly objects then the person is in the material world and not in the Dham. It does not matter where the body is. Even being here, Dhamvas (staying in the Dham) is possible. When my mind is thinking about the Lord, His Name, Form, Pastimes etc. then I am in the Dham. The cause of everything is our mind only. Mind only is the cause of bondage and it is also the cause for liberation.

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya
muktaye cātmano matam
guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya
rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.15)

This is said by Kapil Bhagavan in Srimad Bhagavatam. “When the mind is bound by the three gunas of the material nature, sattva, rajah and tamah, the jiva is conditioned. The body is born of the rajo guna, it is maintained by sattva guna and destroyed by tamo guna.”

The body is made up of three gunas, it will stay in them for some time and then will be destroyed. All the relatives of this body are also made up of the three gunas.

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam
ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ
sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto
mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.20)

Kapil Bhagavan has explained this clearly, prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam—attachment to wife, son, friends etc. is the cause of our strong bondage in this world. The mind gets attached to the three gunas that is to the non-eternal body and contemplates on the object related to it. This association of mind to the non-eternal objects is the cause of strong bondage in this material world. I am not seeing the soul. I am just seeing the outer covering. Wherever attachment with this body exists, and a desire to give it happiness, that will become the cause of bondage only.

What should we do to become rescued from this conception? We should hear about the Supreme Lord, then we will be able to liberate ourselves from this misconception. But the difficulty is that I am not able to see the Lord. We see Radha-Krishna as idol. He is not talking to us, there is no reciprocation. How will I have attachment to Him who is not even talking to me? Very rarely He would have talked to some devotees. Out of crores and crores of jivas, there might be one with whom He would have talked with. But He does not talk to the ordinary human beings. I understand that this world is temporary. It is not that I do not understand this. My body is temporary. All the relatives of this perishable body are temporary. But I am able to talk to the persons who are around me and I get attached to them. And I also know that hearing or talking about the Lord will give attachment to Him. But I am just able to see Him as an idol, He is not even talking. How will I get attachment to Him? But it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam that if we have the same exchanges with a sadhu to whom I can talk to, then we will get liberation from these non-eternal attachments. Sometimes the Lord Himself comes to this world but most of the time He sends His personal associates to rescue the enslaved jivas from this prison house. In the external behaviour, sadhu is like us only. We can talk to him; we can have exchanges with him. But he must be a true sadhu. If he is a false sadhu then the fruit will be opposite. It is very rare to get a true sadhu. If we ask for quality we will not get quantity. How many persons are there with a good character in Kolkata? Very rare. There are many characterless persons. We will get crores of characterless persons but we will not get any benefit from associating with them. One person with a true character can bring auspiciousness to crores and crores of people.

What is important, quality or quantity? Quality is important. We will not get both. Mahadev is saying to Parvatidevi,

bahavaḥ guravo santi
śiṣya-vittāpahārakaḥ
durlabhaḥ sadgururdevi
śiṣya-saṁtāpa-hārakam
(Padma Puran)

“There are many so called guru to take away the wealth of the disciples but a sadguru is very rare to be found who takes away all the miseries of the disciple.”

Mahadev is guru for all. He is giving this instruction to us. It is very rare to find a sadguru in this world. A bona fide guru, a bona fide sadhu is very rare to be found in this world. Now I have been given the position of a guru, though I have so many non-eternal material desires, so many bad thoughts. The real guru is my Gurudev. Whoever has seen my Gurudev, they know that his appearance is not like an ordinary man. His conduct was most ideal. However much someone tries to find faults in him, he will not be able to find a single one. His personality and conduct has attracted us to him. He is so affectionate. It is not the same with an ordinary man. We have so many faults in us, so many sins and offenses we have. He knows about everything but although knowing this, he has kept us with him. So much affection he has! He has parental affection for all. It is not found in an ordinary man. A sadguru has affection and love for all. The sunlight is for all. It does not discriminate that something is good or something is bad. Some take advantage of sunlight and some do not. What is the fault of the sunlight in that? The mercy of the Lord, mercy of guru is everywhere. The mercy of Lord Ramachandra is everywhere. The original guru is Lord only. The disciplic succession (Guru-parampara) starts from the Lord, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ —the Mantra which is not taken from any bona fide Sampradaya will be futile.

All the Sampradaya (Guru-parampara) starts from the Lord. He is the original guru. There are total four Sampradaya. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted Madhva Sampradaya. So it is called Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya Sampraday. Wherever our Paramgurudev spoke Harikatha he paid obeisances to the Guru-parampara, so that the knowledge would descend to him. That’s the reason it is said here, dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam—O Lord! Just remembering You constantly, all of one's desires get fulfilled.

Lord Ramachandra and His merciful form, guru, is one only. When Ramaji comes to give His blessings, He blesses in the form of a guru. When He comes, He also comes as a guru along with Him. Who is He? Lakshman. Like Krishna is Lord Himself and along with Him Balaram is there, Lord in the form of a guru. Without the mercy of Balaram it is not possible to get Krishna. In Ramalila, He is Lakshman. Ramachandra appeared to establish and uphold the principles of ethics and by His mercy we can be saved from immorality and adharma (unrighteousness), having which we cannot attain the Lord.

What is the ideal of Lakshman? When Ramaji was ordered to go to forest, Lakshman and Sitadevi were not forced to go with Him, but Lakshman told that “I am the younger brother of Rama and My duty is to serve Him.” He is showing us how a guru serves the Lord. You can find in Ramayan and in Srimad Bhagavatam how Lakshman served Lord Ramachandra. Lakshman did not eat for 14 years. Can we stay for one day without eating? Lakshman is Jitendriya (one who has full control over his senses). Indrajeet, the son of Ravana, had a boon that he will be killed by a person who has not eaten for 14 years. Lord Ramachandra gave Prasadam to Lakshman but He did not tell Him to eat, so He did not eat. Thus, He stayed for 14 years without eating. He served Lord Ramachandra always. Lord Ramachandra is moving from one forest to another without wearing anything on His soft and lotus-like feet just to establish moral conducts. Lakshman, Sitadevi, Hanuman, Sugriva, all are moving along with Him to get the service opportunity. We do not want to serve. We want to take rest. But Lakshman, Sitadevi, Hanuman, Sugriva, they did not act like us. They served the Lord. They all stayed in the forest. What great ideals they have established. Bharat did not go to the forest, but, staying in Ayodhya, He served the Lord. Rama, Lakshman, Bharat and Satrugna all are same ontologically. The pastimes are different. Bharat, when He came to know that, because of his mother, Lord Ramachandra has to go to forest, He felt sorrow in His heart and He neglected His mother. He is giving the teaching that if a mother does not give the instructions to the child about devotion to the Lord and does not liberate him from this mortal world then she may not be given the position of a mother. To become a king or a leader, what nonsensical acts we do. But, Bharat did not take His position on the throne. He always thought it is Ramaji's kingdom so He does not have the right to take the position of the king.

Where has He stayed? He sat in the lower position. He wore the bark of the tree, He did not wear normal clothes. He used to eat barley boiled in the urine of the cow. Can we even imagine that! He never thought, “I am a king, I will eat palatable dishes and will enjoy.” He put Lord Ramachandra's lotus feet, the Paduka (footwear), on the throne and He himself sat in a lower position. Can we even imagine this in today's world? Bharatvarsha is such a land in which we have Lord Ramachandra, Lakshman, Bharat, and being in such a pious land, what are we doing? Where have we gone? For small temporary benefits we do abominable acts. Someone is killing someone. The leaders are fighting amongst themselves.

Lord Ramachandra took so much of pains upon Himself. He knew the chastity of Sitadevi but just to satisfy the citizens of His kingdom, Lord Ramachandra had to send Sitadevi to the forest, who was so much dear to Him. He took all the pains upon Him just to satisfy the inhabitants. All the citizens of Ayodhya were very happy on witnessing the return of Lord Ramachandra along with Lakshman, Sitadevi, Hanumanji and others. Bharat brought Lord Ramachandra's Paduka from the throne and told Him, “I am not the king, your Paduka is the king.” Lord Ramachandra also saw that Bharat has not worn the clothes of a king, instead he was wearing the bark of the tree. Ramachandra became astonished seeing Bharat like this. What unmatchable conduct! Can anyone even think about this in today's world?

After Lord Ramachandra returned to Ayodhya, three sacrificial ceremonies were performed. In the third sacrificial ceremony, Valmiki Risi came there along with Lava and Kusha. After hearing Ramayan from Lava and Kusha, Lord Ramachandra came to know that both of them are His sons. After that Sitadevi was called for and was asked to prove Her chastity for the third time for the satisfaction of the habitants of the kingdom.

Sitadevi told, “I had already proved My chastity twice before, I have to prove it again?” Saying thus Sitadevi, in front of everybody, addressed Prithvidevi (Mother Earth), “O Prithvidevi! If I have not thought about any person other than My husband in My mind, and if I have engaged all My senses all the time in the service of My beloved husband only, then please separate into two parts.” Earth immediately split open and divided into two parts; a throne came out of it. Sitadevi then sat on that throne and left for Rasatala.

All the habitants of the kingdom hailed Her. What did Lord Ramachandra do? He started weeping in the grief of Sitadevi’s separation. Did He doubt the chastity of Sitadevi? No! For the pleasure of the residents of the kingdom He took all pains on Him, but at last He couldn’t tolerate this upon the most chaste Sitadevi. For the purpose of Ashvamedha sacrifice, everybody advised Him to marry again but He did not accept it. Instead He ordered to prepare a golden image of Sitadevi and performed the sacrificial ceremony. If He had any doubt about Sitadevi’s chastity then would He have prepared Her golden image? She served Him in such a manner. Such a chaste woman She is! Beyond comprehension!

If we remember Lord Ramachandra and Sitadevi from the core of our heart, all the ulterior worldly desires, sinful desires and all kinds of ulterior motives that bind us in this material world will vanish. Lord Ramachandra can fulfill even our desire of getting Krishna, because Rama and Krishna are non-different from each other. After having darshan of Lord Ramachandra, the Rishis of Dankarayna expressed their desire to serve Him in conjugal mood. Lord Ramchandra told, “In this pastime, I have come to establish the moral codes and conducts, I cannot marry more than one woman. If you want to serve Me as your husband then it is possible only when I will appear in the house of Gopi in Vraja Dham. You can serve Me under the shelter of the Gopis of Vraja Dham.” So, when Rishis of Dankaranya expressed their desire, Lord Ramachandra showered His mercy on them and they took birth as Gopis in Vraja Dham in Lord Krishna’s Pastime.

We can also get Rama. We can also get Krishna , but we must have that strong desire. Abhīṣṭa-dohaṁ tīrthāspadaṁ—who is the root of all kinds of tirthas? The Lord Himself is the root of all tirthas. He is the original tirtha. Where the Lord’s presence is absent, then that place is not a tirtha. Ganga and Yamuna are also tirthas. Sinful persons take bath in them and make the rivers impure. Then when any pure devotee takes bath, they become purified. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni—a pure devotee is such a tirtha that he even purify the tirtha.

What does a pure devotee do?

mayy ananyena bhāvena
bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām
mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas
tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.22)

“A pure devotee worships the Lord with firm faith and one-pointed devotion. For the sake of the Lord he renounces all other connections, such as family relationships and friendly acquaintances within the world.”

The Lord resides in a pure devotee, so any place can be purified by the presence of a pure devotee. All the demigods, including Shiva, worship Him. The Lord takes away all the miseries of His servants and protects the surrendered—bhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla. What is the meaning of praṇata-pāla? See, when Vibhishan advised Ravana, “Lord Rama is the Supreme Lord Himself, don’t do like this. Let His wife go.” Then Ravana became angry at Vibhishan and told, “You are younger than me and you are trying to teach me?” He abused him and kicked him. Vibhishan thought, “Ravana is my elder brother and he has a right to abuse me, kick me, insult me but he is giving pain to the potency of the Supreme Lord, he is blaspheming the Lord. I should not stay with him. I should leave this place immediately.” After thinking so, he left His brother’s Kingdom and went to Lord Ramachandra. That time Lord Ramachandra was busy in discussing about how to prepare the bridge to reach Sri Lanka . Seeing Vibhishan, Angada, who had never met him before, told, “I think Ravana has come, let’s kill him.” But Hanuman clarified, “He is not Ravana, he is Ravana’s brother Vibhishan. He is a devotee. When I had gone to Ashoka Vatika to see Ravana’s power, I ruined the whole garden there and killed all the demons present. That time Ravana sent his son Indrajit to bind me. I wanted to see Ravana so I accepted the binding. I became smaller in size and he bound me and dragged me to Ravana’s assembly. I astonished to see Ravana having ten heads, and his beautiful assembly.”

Ravana asked, “Who are you? From where have you come? Why have you come here? Tell us the truth and we will not kill you. You are a messenger here, and a messenger should not be killed.” Hanuman continued, “I am the servant of Lord Ramachandra. You have kidnapped His potency Sitadevi. You have done an abominable act. Leave Her immediately otherwise I will break your ten heads.” Ravana shouted, “Kill him! He is a small monkey and he has so much daring!” That time Vibhishan stopped Ravana and told, “A messenger should not be killed.” Then Ravana replied, “Alright, then tie his tail with cloth and put it on the fire.” But when they were trying to tie his tail, he extended it so much that however much cloth they brought, they failed to tie it. Around 10,000 demons then held the tail and put it on the fire, and then Hanuman burned the whole of Lanka. He wanted to bring Sitadevi along with him but She refused to go with him. Hanuman came back to Lord Ramachandra and gave the information about Sitadevi. So, Hanuman knew that he is Vibhishan, a devotee of Lord Ramachandra, and not Ravana.

Before coming to Lord Ramachandra, Vibhishan had gone to Kubera and told him, “I don’t want to live with Ravana, I want to go to Lord Ramachandra.” Kubera told, “Lord Ramachandra is the Supreme Lord Himself, it is good to take His shelter. You go to Him.” Again, one doubt aroused in his mind and he went to Shiva and told him, “Ravana does not know that Ramaji is the Supreme Lord and that He is going to kill him. And after killing Ravana, if Lord Ramachandra will order me to become the king of Lanka, then people will blame me for helping Him in killing my brother. So, I am worried. What is your advice? What should I do?” Shiva replied, “Do you have any desire of a kingdom? Not even a tinge of it. Then why you should worry about it. Go and take shelter of Lord Ramachandra. Whatever He will order you, you just do that. Being surrendered to Him, will you do anything else other than His desire? Let the whole world blame you. Do not worry.” Then Vibhishan was convinced, and he took shelter of Lord Ramachandra. When he came to Lord Ramachandra, everybody, including Hanuman, started saying that he is a brother of Ravana, and they asked Lord Ramachandra, “Will You give him shelter?” On this Ramaji told, “Not only Vibhishan, even if Ravana comes to Me and tells that, “Ramaji, I am Yours and I take Your shelter,” then I will protect him also. This is My promise. Whoever will come to Me, I make him fearless.”

So, we will also get delivered from this ocean of births and deaths if we take absolute shelter of Lord Ramachandra.

tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ
dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam
māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad
vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam
(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.34)