Valmiki says that seeing Rama, Sita and Lakshmana walk, was like seeing the Pranava mantra walking. This observation contains a significant philosophical message, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi, in a discourse. The Pranava has three syllables — akAra, ukAra and makAra (aum). ‘A’ stands for the Supreme One Vishnu. Parasara Bhatta, in his Ashtasloki, says, “akArArtO Vishnuh.” The very syllable ‘a’ denotes Vishnu, the all- pervading One. That is why Ramanujacharya started his Sri Bhashya with the letter ‘a.’ The jivatma aspires to reach the abode of the Supreme One, and to serve Him there. The jivatma is connoted by the syllable ‘ma.’ There are said to be twenty-five tattvas, with the jivatma also being one of the tattvas. The intervening syllable ‘u’, denotes Sri Devi, the Goddess who takes us closer to the Supreme One. She is the One who leads us to Him. So, when Valmiki says that observing Rama, followed by Sita, followed by Lakshmana, is like the Pranava mantra walking, it is clear that Rama is the Paramatma, Sita is the Goddess who leads us to Him, and Lakshamana is the jivatma. Valmiki symbolically indicates Rama’s Supremacy.
It is the jivatma which experiences joy. One example will serve to show the truth of this. After we have a good night’s sleep, we say, “I enjoyed that long sleep.” The question that arises is, “ We do not know what happens when we are asleep. How then can we say we enjoy sleep?” The answer to that is that the jivatma is always awake.
All jivatmas are His sareera. The jivatma’s duty is to serve Him. The atma also belongs to Him. That is why the divine mystic Andal says She cannot bear the suggestion of a connection with ordinary mortals. She yearns for the Lord. She cannot contemplate marriage with anyone but Krishna.
