Which is more important - self-effort or Divine Grace? Bhagawan lovingly explains to us by revealing a precious and rare perspective from the Ramayana today. The nectar in the story of Rama is like the Sarayu river, which moves silently by the city of Ayodhya, where Rama was born and ruled. Sarayu has its source in the Himalayan Lake of Mind (Manasa-Sarovar), just as this story is born in the lake of the mind! The Rama stream bears the sweetness of compassion; the stream of Lakshmana (Rama’s brother and devoted companion) has the sweetness of devotion. Just as the Sarayu river joins the Ganges and the waters commingle, so too, the streams of tender compassion and devotion (stories of Rama and Lakshmana) commingle in the Ramayana. Between them, compassion and love (karuna and prema) make up the composite picture of the glory of Rama! That picture fulfils the heart’s dearest yearning of every Indian, and to attain it is the aim of every spiritual striving! The effort of the individual is but half the pursuit; the other half is the grace of God. People fulfil themselves by self-effort as well as divine blessings; fulfilment takes them across the dark ocean of dualities to the immanent and transcendent One!