This is a very strange story which I myself (a Hindu and a TAM-BRAM – (who has Uncle’s who are well versed in ancient Indian scriptures giving discourses on a regular basis ) was not aware of until recently.
It is from the Ramayana.
Its about when Lord Rama reached the southern most tip of India – Ramaeshwaram. He finally knew where Devi Sita was. He just had to get her by diplomatic exchange or WAR.
The next thing that was in line was to do a FIRE SACRIFIXE (Homam / Yagyam) to please the LORD SHIVA to bless the huge mission he was undertaking along with his VANARA (monkey) ARMY. This was in line with the HINDU TRADITION.
All the arrangements were quickly done for the FIRE Sacrifice except for one, FINDING A BRAHMAN PRIEST to perform it. Lord Rama could not cause
- He was a Kshatriya
- He was the KARTA –
Lord Rama after much contemplation of the situation in his mind comes to a very very strange & awkward decision – he asks LORD HANUMAN to FLY to LANKA and request RAVANA to come & perform the HOMA. The reason is that that RAVANA is the best possible choice under the given circumstances because of the GEOGRAPHIC closeness of the locations. This completely shocked the entire vanara army
Lord Hanuman, the NOBLE LOYALIST that he was to LORD RAM considers his solemn duty to obey his master’s command and flies to LANKA with the invitation to RAVANA. The people there too are flabbergasted on receiving news of such a request from the ARCH ENEMY of their KING.
You know what RAVANA does, he ACCEPTS the invite. YES HE DOES as thats the VEDIC TRADITION and his devotion to LORD SHIVA. He could not deny the request to do SHIVA POOJA even if it came from his arch enemy Lord Rama, Also that RAVANA was a highly learned scholar.
Ravana came to RAMESHWARAM with Lord HANUMAN to perform the homa. On taking note of the arrangements he told Lord Rama – O prince of Ayodhya all the arrangements are stupendous except for one. Everyone is eagerly watching what’s going to come out of Ravana’s mouth and he say “You are not eligible to SIT on the HOMA because you don’t have your wife SITA”
There’s absolute silence. Everyone is shell struck.
Lord Rama with his coll gait responds – “Hey Ravana please suggest a solution to this problem for you are the greatest PUNDIT’s around. You should have a solution to this”.
Ravana replies I cannot be the person to spoil a SHIVA homa by any means cause I am a great SHIVA BHAKT, so I will bring Devi Sita for the duration of the ceremony and return her to Lanka once the HOMA is done.
Yes, Ravana does that. The pooja’s are finished in the best possible way.
Its time for Ravana & Lord Rama to part ways. That’s when Lord Rama asks Ravana about his fees for the ceremony. Ravana is a character who has NEVER taken anything ever (except for Devi Sita). He has always been a GIVER.
He refuses. But on further coercion from Lord Rama he says “ O Sri Rama, knowing you very well, the only fees I ask for is that you stand near me when my life departs”.
Thus when Ravana’s last moments came, Lord Rama stood by him.
Thus the precedence of calling Lord Rama at the time of death was set. It was believed to provide you SALVATION, NIRVANA, MUKTI.
That’s why PROBABLY MAHATMA’s GANDHI’s last words were “HEY RAM”.
In north India when they would people would take their dead to the funeral pyre they would keep chanting “RAM NAAM SATYA HAI”.
All of that comes from this story.