Śri Guru Dattatreyaya namah

At a close distance from the Rushyamukha Mountain wherein Sugriva resided, flowed the River Pampa. Due to a deep depression close to the mountain, the river water flowed into it forming a huge lake. The excess waters that remained after the depression was filled to the brim continued to flow away. Due to the constant inflow of fresh water, this depression, which was known as Pampa sarovara (lake) eternally brimmed with pure, clean waters.

Lakes that contain stagnant waters differ from lakes into which fresh water eternally flows. Water that eternally flows is pure and clean and hence can be put to many uses.

‘Pampa’ implies ‘that which dispels sorrows’. This lake is very dear to Lord Hanuman and hence during the consecration of the 85 feet Hanuman in West Indies, we traced a sacred and breathtakingly beautiful lake that flowed in the nearby forests and which was constantly replenished with fresh river water and named it as Pampa sarovara. We bathed in it and offered worship. Event to this day, the mention of this lake gives me goose-bumps. Remembering Hanuman while bathing in this lake draws us close to him.

Although Hanuman resides in the Gandhamadana Mountain, he frequents the lake Pampa Sarovara situated at the base of the Rushyamukha Mountain. Taking on a form and travelling at the speed of wind, he arrives at this spot. When seen from the peaks of the Rushyamukha Mountain, the Pampa lake, the river and their surroundings were breathtakingly beautiful. Often, Sugriva and Hanuman would spend their leisure hours admiring Nature’s beauty.

Very often we come across people who declare that they listen to divine stories as it is a wonderful pastime (kālakshepa). This is incorrect. How can divine stories be considered a mere pastime? Time will pass whether we seek it explicitly or not. Time will not wait for anyone or anything. It is up to you to complete your duties within that time as it will not wait for your completion.

One morning when Sugriva and Hanuman were leisurely sitting on the peaks of the mountain admiring the beauty of the surroundings, near the lakebed they noticed two well-built strong men, holding bows in their hands.

To a person who is seated atop a mountain, the creatures below appear tiny and different from what they truly are. Similarly, when we look up into the skies objects appear different from what they are. Take the case of the clouds. As we observe the clouds, we see different, unusual images in them. We see shapes of animals, of Gods and other objects in those clouds. Our minds are enraptured by the beauty and we seek to observe them endlessly.

Jaya Guru Datta