What was Surasattama's request to Vishnu?

राज्ञो दशरथस्य त्वमयोध्याधिपतेर्विभो
धर्मज्ञस्य वदान्यस्य महर्षिसमतेजसः
तस्य भार्यासु तिसृषु ह्रीश्रीकीर्त्यपमासु च
विष्णो पुत्रत्वमागच्छ कृत्वात्मानं चतुर्विधम्
तत्र त्वं मानुषो भूत्वा प्रवृद्धं लोककंटकम्
अवध्यं दैवतर्विष्णो समरे जहि रावणम्
स हि देवान् सगंधर्वान् सिद्धांश्च ऋषिसत्तमान्
राक्षसो रावणो मूर्खो वीर्योत्सेकेन बाधते

rAj~jO daSarathasya tvamayOdhyAdhipatErviBO

dharmaj~jasya vadAnyasya maharShisamatEjasaH

tasya BAryAsu tisRuShu hrISrIkIrtyapamAsu ca

viShNO putratvamAgacCa kRutvAtmAnaM caturvidham

tatra tvaM mAnuShO BUtvA pravRuddhaM lOkakaMTakam

avadhyaM daivatarviShNO samarE jahi rAvaNam

sa hi dEvAn sagaMdharvAn siddhAMSca RuShisattamAn

rAkShasO rAvaNO mUrKO vIryOtsEkEna bAdhatE

Shloka Translation:

He is Raja Dasharatha who is the King of Ayodhya
He is righteous, well spoken and equivalent to a Maharshi
In order to turn the blame as blessing to his three wives
Hey Vishnu, please arrive as Sons by dividing your soul into four
Then you Being a Human, destroy the worldly affecting power
And kill Ravana in a battle, who has become undefeated
By the Devas, Gandharvas and the Rushis who have attained Siddhi
He is Ravana, the foolish rakshasa troubles with his over enthused valour


The above shloka can be found in the 14th Sarga of Valmiki Maharshi's Ramayana. Here, The surasattama (a group of Gods) are asking Vishnu (during Dasharatha's Putra KaameShThi yaga in order to beget Sons from his three wives) to divide his soul into four parts and become Dasharatha's sons and then being a human being please destroy a demon who troubles everyone with his power and thinks that as a valour. This clearly shows that everything is predecided and Rama's birth happened due to bring in peace to the world by killing the wicked demon. However, Rama's path was formed as if he was a human being, but rises to the top when it comes to righteousness and Governance defined by him in all respects. One has to remember that he is a major portion of Vishnu's Soul and he is no ordinary.

Where can one see Gods?

पशून् देवताभ्यः प्रत्यौहत्

तस्मात्सर्वदेवत्वं प्रोज्ञितं

प्राजापत्यमालभंते

Shloka Meaning

Pashoon devataabhyaH pratyouhat

tasmaatsarvadEvatwaM prOgnitaM

praajaapatyamaalabhaMtE

The Species hold Gods in them

That’s how Gods can be visualized everywhere

This procreative power gives unique strength

The above is a great shloka from Bruhadaaranyaka Upanishat. This shloka mentions the importance of every living thing as one can see God in each of the being. It further says that the God being there in each being gives them the unique strength and enlightens, empowers and gives the right behaviour where relevant to the individual.

How does desire behave?

य एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कामं

कामं पुरुषो निर्मिमाणः

Ye Esha suptEShu jaagarti kaamam

Kaamam puruShO nirmimaaNaH

Shloka Meaning:

Even when one is sleeping, Kaama (Desire) is awake

However, Kaama is created by the beings

Sri Bhagavadpada, when he is writing the Brahmasutra Bhashyam mentions that the desire in any being will be there whether they are sleeping or awake and he further adds that the desires are due to certain ambitions created around it by the beings and they stick to it knowingly or unknowingly to gain something and get personal.

Whom did Sri Bhagavadpada refer to?

यो ब्रह्माणं विदधाति

पूर्वं यो वै वेदांश्च प्रहिणोति तस्मै

तं ह देवमात्मबुद्धिप्रकाशं

मुमुक्षुर्वै शरणमहं प्रपद्ये

Yo BrahmaNam vidadhaati

poorvam yO vai vEdaamshca prahiNOti tasmai

taM ha dEvamaatmabuddhiprakaashaM

mumukshurvai sharaNamahaM prapradyE

Shloka Meaning:

Which has specially created this universe

Which beholds the Vedas in it

To that, I bow deeply and willing to give this

Intelligent Light of Godly Soul for salvation

By Saying so, Sri Sri Bhagavadpada is talking about the great light which controls the senses and everything in this Universe. He says I bow to that light which has created this and I would give away the light that it has given to me as a Soul in order to reach the salvation. This shloka was mentioned by him before the commencement of his Brahmasutra Bhashyam.