Shloka 23
Lord Rāmacandra’s Charity, Sītā’s Departure, and the Lord’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha
पुरुषो रामचरितं श्रवणैरुपधारयन् । आनृशंस्यपरो राजन् कर्मबन्धैर्विमुच्यते ॥ २३ ॥
puruṣo rāma-caritaṁ śravaṇair upadhārayan ānṛśaṁsya-paro rājan karma-bandhair vimucyate
โอ้พระราชาปริกษิต ผู้ใดรับฟังด้วยโสตะและเก็บรักษาไว้ในใจซึ่งเรื่องราวลีลาของพระราม ผู้นั้นย่อมหลุดพ้นจากโรคแห่งความริษยา และพ้นจากพันธนาการแห่งกรรม
Here in this material world, everyone is envious of someone else. Even in religious life, it is sometimes found that if one devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious of him. Such envious devotees are not completely freed from the bondage of birth and death. As long as one is not completely free from the cause of birth and death, one cannot enter the sanātana-dhāma or the eternal pastimes of the Lord. One becomes envious because of being influenced by the designations of the body, but the liberated devotee has nothing to do with the body, and therefore he is completely on the transcendental platform. A devotee is never envious of anyone, even his enemy. Because the devotee knows that the Lord is his supreme protector, he thinks, “What harm can the so-called enemy do?” Thus a devotee is confident about his protection. The Lord says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “According to the proportion of one’s surrender unto Me, I respond accordingly.” A devotee must therefore be completely free from envy, especially of other devotees. To envy other devotees is a great offense, a vaiṣṇava-aparādha. A devotee who constantly engages in hearing and chanting ( śravaṇa-kīrtana ) is certainly freed from the disease of envy, and thus he becomes eligible to go back home, back to Godhead.
FAQs
This verse teaches that attentive hearing of Lord Rāma’s divine deeds purifies the heart and leads to freedom from karmic bondage.
While describing Lord Rāma’s spotless rule and glory, Śukadeva highlights the spiritual fruit of hearing such narrations—inner transformation and release from karma—for Parīkṣit, who was preparing for death through devotional hearing.
Regularly hear or read authentic Rāma-kathā with attention, and consciously cultivate compassion in daily choices—these practices reduce reactive karma and strengthen devotion.