Sri Rama Navami
On Chaitra Sukla Navami (the ninth day of the bright half of Chaitra) 'Sree Ramanavami' is celebrated. Sree Rama was born on this day and years later on the same day Rama married Sita. 'Sree Sitarama Kalyana Mahotsav' (wedding) is performed in the abode Sitarama Temple, Bhadrachalam, Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh with great tradition and Bhakti. On behalf of Andhra Pradesh Government, Chief Minister with his wife visits the Kalyana Mahotsav and offers Silk Clothes and Pearls as Talambralu (auspicious) to the God and Goddess. The whole of this celebration is telecasted live in Doordarshan. "Wherever four Hindus live, Rama and Sita will be there" so said Swami Vivekananda, one of the foremost harbingers of modern national renaissance of Bharat. The reverse also is equally true - wherever Rama and Sita live, the people there will remain and live as Hindus. Every hill and rivulet of Bharat bears the imprint of the holy feet of Rama and Sita. Sri Rama reigns supreme to this day in the hearts of our people, cutting across all barriers of province, language, caste or sect. Even the tribes living in isolated valleys and jungles have names like Mitti-Ram and Patthar-Ram. In some other tribes, every name carries the proud suffix of Ram, such as Lutthu Ram, Jagadev Ram, etc. In many northern parts of Bharat mutual greetings take the form of Jay Ramjee Ki. Sri Rama has become so much identified with all the good and great and virile qualities of heroic manhood that expressions such as 'Us me Ram nahi hai' (there is no Rama in him) - meaning that a person has lost all manliness and worth - have become common usage. And when a Hindu quits the world stage, he is bid God-speed in his onward journey with Ramanama satya hai or Raghupati Raghava raja Ram, patita paavana Sita Ram. In fact, the latter couplet has become the nation's bhajan par excellence. Sri Rama's story, Ramayana, has been sung and resung in all the languages and dialects of Bharat. The tradition of writing epics centering round the saga of Rama's achievements started by Valmiki in Sanskrit and was continued by Tulsidas in Hindi, by Kamban in Tamil, by Ramanujan in Malayalam, by Krittivasa in Bengali and Madhav Kambali in Assamia and in fact, in almost every Bharatiya language. The tradition is being continued up to the present day. The Ramayana Darshanam of K.V. Puttappa, the national literary award of Bharat by the Jnana Peeth. The enchanting Geet Ramayana composed in Marathi by G.D. Madgulkar and set to tune by Sudhir Phadke is now thrilling the hearts of millions in Maharashtra. The various tribal groups too have sung the story of Ramayana in their dialects. Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Janaki mirror the ideals for millions of tribal boys and girls. The Khamati tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, which is Buddhist, depicts Ramayana as the story narrated by Buddha to his first disciple, Ananda, and carries the universal message of Buddha. How deeply significant that every group and sect even in distant and far-flung parts of Bharatavarsha should have found a radiant reflection of its own ideals in the form of Sri Rama! The comparison of Sri Rama's fortitude to Himalayas and the grace and grandeur of his personality to the ocean - 'Samudra iva gaambheerye, dhairye cha Himavaan iva' - portrays how inseparably his personality has been blended into the entire national entity of Bharat. Where in lay the secret of this unique greatness in Rama's personality? He is called Maryaada-Purushottama - the great one who never deviated from the norms set by Dharma. In the eyes of the Hindu, the touchstone of human excellence is Dharma. Devotion to Dharma came first in Rama's life and considerations of his personal joys and sorrows came last. It was his supreme commitment to putra-dharma (duty of a son) that made Rama smilingly depart to the forest for fourteen years at the bidding of his father. And this he did on the very day he was to be anointed as the future emperor of Bharat. He would not budge from the path of Dharma - righteousness - even when his own preceptor, his parents, his brothers and the whole body of his subjects tried to dissuade him. He upheld the supremacy of Dharma in every one of his human relationships and hence became an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal husband, an ideal disciple, an ideal friend, an ideal kind and even an ideal foe. The one and supreme concern of Sri Rama's life was the welfare of his subjects. He would forsake everything else to uphold his kingly duties - the Rajadharma. The night previous to his scheduled coronation, when Rama and Sita were alone in a happy mood in view of the next day's joyous occasion, Sita asked Rama, "What is that thing which hold dearest to your heart?" Rama fell serious for a moment and said, "Dear Sita, you know I love you most dearly, but I love the subjects of Ayodhya more and if their welfare demands, I would not hesitate to sacrifice even you!" The following couplet conveying this idea is cited often: Sneham dayaam cha soukhyam cha yadi vaa Jaanakimapi| Aaraadhanaaya lokasya munchate naasti me vyathaa|| And Sri Rama did live up to his words. When he felt that the call of his royal duties - Rajadharma - demanded the forsaking of Sita, he wavered not in carrying it out. The most crucial test came when Lakshmana violated the orders of Rama and admitted Durvasa to Rama's presence with a view to averting the destruction of Ayodhya by Durvasa's curse. Rama stuck to the law of the land and awarded death penalty to Lakshmana - one whom he loved dearer than his own life. It was with such a fiery faith that Rama followed the dictates of Dharma. To such a one, how could power and pelf hold any fascination? When Bharata came to him in the forest and implored him to return to Ayodhya and become the emperor, Sri Rama firmly refused. Here was enacted a scene unparalleled in the annals of world history - each of the two brothers trying to out-argue the other to make him accept the emperorship of a great and mighty kingdom. Sri Rama's role as one of the first and foremost national unifiers of Bharat is also unique and extraordinary. He embraced Guha, the forest King and ate in his house without the least hesitation. No sense of high or low ever touched his all-embracing love of his people. He even enjoyed a fruit tasted and offered with devotion by Shabari, a tribal lady in the far south. The Vanaras or the forest-dwellers too felt that Rama was their own. He endeared himself to them so intimately that they became, in fact, his chief allies against Ravana. All over Bharatavarsha, the dear, little squirrel with its three brown stripes bespeaks the devotion to Sri Rama even among the animal world. Along with the Vanaras, a solitary squirrel had played his humble part in carrying sand for the construction of bridge to Lanka and Sri Rama's caressing of the little one on the back had left those indelible stripes for all future generations. Sri Rama's intense adoration for the motherland has been immortalized by a legendary couplet which is playing on the lips of millions even to this day: Janani janmabhoomischa swargaadapi garreyasi (the mother and the motherland are to me greater than the heavens themselves). The story of Rama is not that of a single towering personality dwarfing all others. The other characters like Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Hanuman too shine in their own greatness. All of them are so closely interwoven with Sri Rama's life and achievements that it is well-nigh impossible to think of any one without the other. In fact, the most popular picture of Sri Rama, i.e., of Sri Rama Pattabhisheka includes Sita, Hanuman and all his brothers. And in the bringing out of the greatness of all these partners of his life-drama, Rama's instinctive recognition of their merit and virtues played no mean part. He would always be the first to openly appreciate the unique and noble traits in others' character. Even for Kaikeyi, who was responsible for his banishment to forest, Rama had only words of kindness. And as for Ravana, the abductor of his wife, Rama's unstinted praise of his erudition and prowess at once lifts the story of Ramayana to heights unsurpassed in the annals of human history. No wonder, the story of Sri Rama has crossed the boundaries of Bharat and inspired by many a distant people, their culture and literature. Indonesia - with Muslims forming 80% of her population - continues to adore Rama and Sita as her great cultural standard-bearers, and Ramayana as her national epic par excellence. Indonesia also prides herself in having the biggest drama stage in the world - with Ramayana as its chief attraction. And the credit goes to that country for celebrating the very first grand World Ramayana Festival some years ago. The birthday of Sri Rama, indeed, signifies an event worth of remembrance by every one, whatever his country or race or religion, who cherishes the time honored sublime values of human culture and civilization. Swami on the Ramayana "The Ramayana cannot be compared with other Puranic texts. It is not merely a great poetic work, but a great treatise on human relationships between parents and children, between brothers, husband and wife and the king and his subjects. it is only when we are able to understand the significance of Ramayana in this larger context, that the country will prosper with love and affection between the citizens. The whole world will realise the greatness of Ramayana and try to emulate the ideals set in Ramayana. The greatest truth propounded by Ramayana is the oneness among humanity. When there is such unity, there will be mutual love between people. When that mutual love between different people develops, the whole world can experience great joy and happiness. Thus, it is only Ramayana that can provide great joy to the entire humanity. Hence, let every individual chant the Divine Name "Rama! Rama! Rama!" Urmila, the wife of Lakshmana was a good painter. She was painting a picture to be presented to Sri Rama on the occasion of His coronation. Exactly at that moment, Lakshmana entered her room. She wanted to get up and look who was the visitor. In the confusion, the paint got spilled over the unfinished painting. She felt very bad. "How come this painting got spoiled when actually I wanted to portray the beauty and majesty of Sri Rama on the occasion of His coronation and show it to the world", she thought. Urmila had a very compassionate heart. She always entertained noble thoughts. She did not feel sad even for a moment when her husband Lakshmana accompanied Rama to the forest. She was always contemplating on Sri Rama during His exile to the forest. Not only she, the wives of Bharata and Satrughna, Mandavi and Srutakeerthi were also engaged in constant contemplation of Sri Rama and praying for His return to Ayodhya. Thus, when they were in constant contemplation of Rama, their strength increased day by day. If you analyse the underlying meaning of every incident in the Ramayana, all of them point to only one principle - the principle of unity; unity between the brothers, unity between their wives, etc. Even in times of calamity like when Lakshmana fell unconscious during the war with the Rakshasas (demons) in Lanka, Rama did not lose heart, neither Sumitra, the mother of Lakshmana. She was always confident that no danger would ever befall Lakshmana, since he was in the service of Lord Rama. Thus, during the entire period of 14 years of Rama's exile to the forest, all the brothers and their wives were always thinking and wishing the well-being of Rama only; so, were their mothers. Such was the nobility of their hearts. - From Swami's Ugadi Discourse in 2005 Sri Rama Navami Sri Rama Navami celebrates the Birth Day of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, >From Ugadi, the next nine days, we celebrate the Vasantha Navaratri which >concludes with Sri Rama Navami. Sri Ramachandra embodies the Qualities of Truth and Purity. Lord Rama was the embodiment of Both these Qualities. Sri Rama voluntarily subjected himself to untold hardships for fourteen years of forest life just to keep up a promise not made or given by him but by another even before he was born. What an ideal of highest purity is this life long vow of Eka Patnivrata. The declaration made by Sri Rama: "The fire may abandon its heat; ice its coolness; jasmine its fragrance, but I never break the promise made to my father" should ring in our hearts today after reading or watching Ramayana. The heroic adherence to truth that Prince Bharata exemplifies with grand, superhuman resolution for fourteen years. He stuck to his lofty vow and to the little village of Nandigram bowing with folded hands and bent head before the royal sandals of Lord Rama. And at the end of the period, had but Rama delayed a moment more, then true to his word, Bharata would have cast himself into burning pit of a blazing fire. Such is the stuff of Truth which makes man immortal. Then comes, the marvellous fidelity of Mother Sita Devi in the grove of the Ashokavana. Even when Ravana tries to convince her that Rama is dead by producing an exact likeness of Rama's severed head before the shocked and agonised gaze of Sita, we note the unwavering constancy of Sita who was Truth personified. The 'Sthala purana' of Kasi says that the deity Kasi Viswanatha initiates the Rama Nama to each and every being at the time of their death, in their right ear. The Lord Dakshinamurthy observes silence because He doesn't want to waste any time without chanting the Rama Nama. The Sun God ever chants the Rama Nama as he is proud that Sri Rama came in his dynasty. The chief among the Mantras for the Shaivites is the Panchakshari mantra, 'Om Nama Shivaya'. Without the letter 'ra', in Om Namo Narayana would read as 'Nayana' that means one without a way (gati), without the letter 'ma', 'Namasivaya' would read as 'Nasivaya' that means inauspicious. So the Jiva akshara or Life giving Letters 'Ra' and 'Ma' of these two Mantras are put together to form the Rama Nama! So Anyone chanting this Divine Name thus worships both Shiva and Vishnu at the same time! The Wonderful and Awe Inspiring Bhadrachalam temple of Sri Rama has three Unique features that no other Sri Rama Temple has : 1. It is the only temple where Sri Ramachandra has four hands. 2. It is the also the only temple where Sita Devi sits on his left lap 3. In this wonderful temple Sita Devi has 3 Mangala sutras one from her father - Janaka, one from her father in law - Dasaratha and by Gopanna or Sri Rama Dasu. Rama is the name that is latent in your heart - Swami Rama is one, whether you identify it with the Atma or with the form installed in your heart. Every year comes the festival of Sri Rama Navami. But we have not so far understood its true significance. You identify Rama with a form. But Rama is not limited to any particular form. It is the name that is latent in your heart. Many changes and variations keep occurring in the world, but the name of Rama is immutable, is eternal, unsullied and everlasting. Rama was not an ordinary individual. He was verily God who incarnated on earth for the welfare of mankind. People call God by many names like Rama, Krishna, Easwara and Mahadeva. They are all the names of one God. You should recognise the glory of this name. Sage Vasishtha said, "Ramo Vigrahavan Dharma" (Rama is the personification of Dharma). Dharma itself incarnated in the form of Rama. You should follow Dharma. Which Dharma should you follow? Do not follow the Dharma associated with your mind. Follow the principle of Dharma which comes from your heart. - From Bhagawan's 2007 Ramanavami Discourse
