Listening or reading Ramayana
People in the Tretayuga were telling each other that God would realise and understand their difficulties if only He came down from the realm of His abode. Hearing this, the Lord has transcended as Rama and lived for about 11,000 years. Although he faced several problems, he did not give up following dharma. That is why, even after millions of years, people continue to celebrate Rama Navami, the auspicious day of Rama's manifestation. Rama tried to hide his divine identity. After conquering Ravana, the celestials, including Brahma, the God of creation, asked Rama whether he was Lord Ranganatha. Still, Rama politely replied that he was an ordinary human being and the son of Dasaratha 'Aatmanam Manusham Manye Ramam Dasarathaatmajam'.
Kesava Vajapeya Swamy said in a discourse that our sins act as impediments to our happiness and well-being. It is unfair to accuse God of not answering to our prayers or clearing our sufferings. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that 'only the ignorants disregard Me, not knowing my higher stature as the supreme Lord of all beings' (chapter 9, verse 11).
In other Yugas, if people undertake only good deeds, such as going on a pilgrimage to Kasi kshetra, they would derive benefits. However, in the Kaliyuga, people can derive benefits by thinking of performing good deeds. Equally, in all other yugas, if people even think of evil deeds, they will incur sins, but in the Kaliyuga, such mere thinking will not attract any sin.
Three ways are prescribed to cleanse our sins: performing Yagnas, giving to charity, observing Tapas (penance) and reading or hearing Ramayana is a tapas. The Ramayana begins with the word 'Tapas' (Tapaswadhyayaniratham). If a person cannot read the entire Ramayana, one can recite the Sankshepa Ramayanam or the Gayatri Ramayana, which contain 24 slokas.
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