Ratnakar first went to his father. 'Will you share my sins with me', he asked. His father was offended. No scripture states that the son's sins would be shared by his father. His father said in life, there are changes. In one stage, he is the father and he has a baby, that is his son. In the later stage of life, there is a reversal of roles and now the father is like a child, and the son like the father. It is the duty of the son to now take care of the father. When you were small, the father continued, it was my duty to take care of you. If I had sinned then, then those sins would stay with me, would not touch you. Now there is a role reversal and you are like a father to me and you need to take care of me. Also, I never asked you to kill people and thus run the family. This was your choice and you need to bear the consequences.
Hurt, Ratnakar then went to his mother. Tell me the truth, Mother, will you share with me my sins. When I bore you in my womb, I made sure my sins do not affect you.I will not be a part of your sins.
Dejected, Ratnakar then went to his wife.Tell me, o beloved, he asked her, will you share my sins with me. His wife said I am your wife, and it your duty to take care of me. When you married me, you took vows that come what may, in whatever circumstances, you will always take care of me. If you have sinned, which you should have not, those will not touch me, as that is part of your duty.
He was scared now. What have I done. I thought I would have my family share all my sins, but no one was willing to. Raising an iron mace, he struck himself and fell senseless on the ground.
Coming to him senses, Ratnakar decided to go to the sage he had tied up. Maybe he can help me.
Saluting Brahma, Ratnakar said he had realized that there was no one to share his sins. He wanted to know what was the way of salvation for him.
Brahma asked Ratnakar to have a dip in the pond nearby and come to him. So much had he sinned, that the moment he touch the water of the lake, it all evaporated. The water creatures started dying.
Coming back to Brahma, the dacoit said he needed help. The pond was full of water but the moment I touched it, it all vanished and now innocent water creatures are dying because of me.
In the holy pot that Brahma was carrying, there was some water. Brahma took some water from there and sprinkled it on him. Thinking of a way to remove the sins, Brahma asked Ratnakar to utter the name of Rama.
Though he tried, he could not take the name of Rama. So great were his sins that his tongue got twisted when he tried to take Rama's name.
Brahma began thinking. This was not good. Ratnakar needed to take the name of Rama. He thought - Rama is spelt as Ra and Ma together. If you reverse the order say Ma and then Ra, after some time it will become Rama. Calling Ratnakar, he said, when you kill a person and the person is dead, what do you call that dead person? Ratnakar said why they say Mara. (Note - in bengali, the dead - Mara is spelled as ম ড়া ). Brahma said, change the Ra and say Mara (ম রা ). After struggling for some time, Ratnakar was finally able to utter Mara (ম রা ). Utter this in continuation, Ratnakar was finally able to utter ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা .... which became transformed to রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম ... He was now free of his sins. He was now liberated.
Turning to Narada, Brahma said, this is what Shiva had spoken of. The greatness of the name of Rama. Just once did Ratnakar utter the name, and all his sins were gone.
Hurt, Ratnakar then went to his mother. Tell me the truth, Mother, will you share with me my sins. When I bore you in my womb, I made sure my sins do not affect you.I will not be a part of your sins.
Dejected, Ratnakar then went to his wife.Tell me, o beloved, he asked her, will you share my sins with me. His wife said I am your wife, and it your duty to take care of me. When you married me, you took vows that come what may, in whatever circumstances, you will always take care of me. If you have sinned, which you should have not, those will not touch me, as that is part of your duty.
He was scared now. What have I done. I thought I would have my family share all my sins, but no one was willing to. Raising an iron mace, he struck himself and fell senseless on the ground.
Coming to him senses, Ratnakar decided to go to the sage he had tied up. Maybe he can help me.
Saluting Brahma, Ratnakar said he had realized that there was no one to share his sins. He wanted to know what was the way of salvation for him.
Brahma asked Ratnakar to have a dip in the pond nearby and come to him. So much had he sinned, that the moment he touch the water of the lake, it all evaporated. The water creatures started dying.
Coming back to Brahma, the dacoit said he needed help. The pond was full of water but the moment I touched it, it all vanished and now innocent water creatures are dying because of me.
In the holy pot that Brahma was carrying, there was some water. Brahma took some water from there and sprinkled it on him. Thinking of a way to remove the sins, Brahma asked Ratnakar to utter the name of Rama.
Though he tried, he could not take the name of Rama. So great were his sins that his tongue got twisted when he tried to take Rama's name.
Brahma began thinking. This was not good. Ratnakar needed to take the name of Rama. He thought - Rama is spelt as Ra and Ma together. If you reverse the order say Ma and then Ra, after some time it will become Rama. Calling Ratnakar, he said, when you kill a person and the person is dead, what do you call that dead person? Ratnakar said why they say Mara. (Note - in bengali, the dead - Mara is spelled as ম ড়া ). Brahma said, change the Ra and say Mara (ম রা ). After struggling for some time, Ratnakar was finally able to utter Mara (ম রা ). Utter this in continuation, Ratnakar was finally able to utter ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম রা .... which became transformed to রা ম রা ম রা ম রা ম ... He was now free of his sins. He was now liberated.
Turning to Narada, Brahma said, this is what Shiva had spoken of. The greatness of the name of Rama. Just once did Ratnakar utter the name, and all his sins were gone.
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