मागी नाव न केवटु आना।
कहइ तुम्हार मरमु मैं जाना
Which essence is he talking about?
“सुनि केवट के बैन प्रेम लपेटे अटपटे।
बिहसे करुनाऐन चितइ जानकी लखन तन॥”
Kevat openly disobeys, yet before his beloved Lord. And Sri Ram, stripped of his throne and sent to exile, is confronted by a mere commoner who demands conditions—yet he smiles, looking at Sita and Lakshman, and fulfills them.
Goswami ji rightly said
उमा राम सुभाउ जेहिं जाना।
ताहि भजनु तजि भाव न आना॥
How can the essence Kevat refers to, and the swabhav of Ram which Shiva is referring , be known?
This beautiful story is the depiction of the ancient Vedic truth of the interchange between God and man. Man must give what he has and can to the Divine. In return the Divine too gives himself to the devotee. When we put ourselves in the service of the Divine then the Divine takes up and does the sadhana for us.
Behind the apparent disobedience of Kewat is the sweetness of his love and the recognition of the divinity of Lord Rama.
The swabhav of Lord Rama indicated by the great god Shiva is compassion, forgiveness, calm discernment, calm strength, and a universal love for all creatures regardless of their birth or position, and of course tyaga and tapasya, renunciation and sacrifice. He is free from all greed and desire and lust and fear, free of all ambition and vanity. He is the symbol of nobility and self restraint, maryada, who is friendly to all creatures, fulfiling all his duties as a son, brother, husband and king. Courageous and fearless in battle, he is the ideal king setting highest ethical standards of public probity placing his subject’s welfare before his own. These and many other divine qualities are conjured in a single word swabhava.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
