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The teachings given by him to his younger brother Lakshmana are found in three places: Aranya kanda 4.19-55; Kishkindha kanda 4.11-40; and Uttara kanda 5.3-62.
However, it is the third discourse that is normally considered as the Rama Gita
It is full of the usual teachings on the Advaita Vedanta as propounded by Shankara (A.D. 788-820) and his followers.
The following are some of the topics dealt with:
Lakshmana’s surrender to Rama and his request for spiritual wisdom by which he can cross over transmigratory existence; need to purify one’s mind by the performance of one’s duties as per the varna and the ashrama; ajnana being the root cause of bondage, it has to be eliminated only by jnana (or atmajnana); defects accruing to Vedic rituals; hence, the need to renounce karma or action altogether; to get jnana one has to approach a competent guru and get the teaching of a mahavakya like tat tvam asi by applying the principle of bhaga-lakshana or jahadajahal-lakshana; description of three kinds of shariras; atman is free from all kinds of changes; on adhyasa or superimposition; different schools of Advaita Vedanta; methods of nididhyasana or meditation on the atman leading to its realisation; how to associate the three syllables of the Pranava or Om with this meditation; the inevitability of prabrabdha karma; final dissolution into the Atman or Brahman; Rama is Brahman.
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