Let us understand the purpose of Prabhu Shriram’s Birth

An air of excitement and joy envelops the entire Nation anticipating the imminent inauguration of Shriram Temple. The eagerly awaited event, just a few days from now, has captured the attention and enthusiasm of the entire Nation. We need to understand the journey of Prabhu Shriram, who we hold in such great reverence, from a Rajkumar (Prince) to ‘Maryada Purushottam’ Prabhu Shriram.

1. Was Prabhu Shriram born only to slay Ravan ?

There is a prevalent notion about Prabhu Shriram that He was born primarily to slay Ravan. Some admirers of Ravan argue, “Ravan was so great that it took God to incarnate and walk barefoot in the forest”.

So, was Shriram born solely to slay Ravan ? Was Ravan really so formidable that God had to manifest in human form just to eliminate him ? Or were there other reasons or duties for which Bhagawan Vishnu incarnated on Earth ? To address these questions, we must delve into the entirety of Prabhu Shriram’s life.

2. Prabhu Shriram’s birth was to protect countless Yajnas

Prabhu Shriram was born as the Rajkumar (Prince) of Ayodhya, the son of King Dashrath from the illustrious ‘Ikshvaku’ lineage, and Queen Kausalya. During His childhood, Ram received His education at Rishi Vashishta’s Ashram, where, despite His royal status, He was not pampered but learned like any other ordinary child. This marked the beginning of Ram’s actual journey to becoming Prabhu Shriram.

After returning to Ayodhya from the Ashram, Ram had to accompany Maharshi Vishwamitra. While performing Yajnas, many demons would come to destroy them. At such a time, Maharshi Vishwamitra wanted to take Ram with Him to slay these demons. Vishwamitra appealed to Dashrath, “O’ Dashrath ! Give me your eldest son who is worthy of protecting the Yajnas”. With a smile on His face, Ram accompanied Maharshi Vishwamitra. Despite being a prince, Ram embarked on foot with Maharshi Vishwamitra to reach Siddhashram. This decision demonstrated awareness of His duty, since He understood that His purpose was not merely to revel in wealth but to safeguard Dharma.

Ram faced and conquered formidable adversaries, including Tratika, Marich and Subahu, ensuring the perpetual freedom of numerous Yajnas from the threat of demons. Shriram’s birth was a Divine mission to protect and uphold the sanctity of countless Yajnas.

3. Liberating Ahilya from Her curse

Subsequently, Maharshi Vishwamitra departed for Mithila in the company of Ram and Lakshman. Enroute, they paid their respects to Ahilya. Mata Ahilya was waiting for Ram. Saint Ramdas Swami beautifully expresses, ‘Ahilya shila Raghave mukta keli, padi lagta Divya houni geli’, conveying that Ahilya, cursed to be a stone, attained liberation through the Divine touch of Ram’s feet. Ram was born to emancipate the great Ascetic Ahilya who had turned into a stone.

4. Prabhu Shriram demonstrated that duty takes precedence over emotions

After marrying Seeta Mata, Ram returned to Ayodhya. However, a new storm emerged in His life a few years later. Dashrath, deciding to crown Ram, brought joy and celebration throughout the kingdom. Yet, Queen Kekayi’s maidservant Manthara poisoned Kekayi’s mind against Ram, leading to Dashrath’s reluctant decision to send Ram into exile. This must have been overwhelming for Ram. Just as preparations for His coronation were underway, He had to abruptly depart for the forest, and that too for a period of 14 years. However, Ram willingly accepted this exile, because for Him, duty had greater significance than His own coronation. His primary objective was to eliminate thousands of demons, bringing fearlessness and happiness to the people. Additionally, He aimed to meet and liberate numerous Sages, fulfilling the purpose for which He was born. Perhaps, this is why Ram’s exile was preordained.

Beyond these reasons, Ram also sought to establish the ideal that orders of the parents, no matter how challenging, should be obeyed. Thus, Ram’s journey into exile must have been preordained.

Ram met Bharat near the Chitrakoot Mountain and told him to return to Ayodhya. Ram’s actions exemplified that duty surpasses emotions, reinforcing the profound principle He was born to uphold.

5. Various reasons for Prabhu Shriram’s birth

After Seetaharan (Ravan kidnapping Seeta Mata), Ram met Mata Shabari along His journey; she had been eagerly anticipating their meeting. Ram’s purpose extended to meeting Shabari and fulfilling a Divine connection. Subsequently, He met Sugreeva, and Hanuman embarked on a journey to Lanka.

After meeting Seeta Mata, Hanuman ji set Lanka ablaze and returned to Ram. He also made Ravan aware of his limitations during their encounter. Bibhishan’s meeting with Ram was destined for the Bhakti (devotion) of Bibhishan, highlighting the spiritual aspect of Ram’s birth. Following the building of the Ramsetu, Ram entered Lanka, engaging in a fierce battle that culminated in the slaying of Ravan. Seeta Mata returned to Ayodhya. Ram liberated the Deities who had been imprisoned by Ravan, emphasizing His mission for the freedom of Deities.

If Ram wanted, He would have sought help from Ayodhya to slay Ravan. Any other king would have come to help; instead, Ram took the help of Sugreeva whose kingdom was usurped by his brother. Ram not only restored Sugreeva’s kingdom but also entrusted him with significant responsibilities, cultivating leadership qualities in Sugreeva, Angad and Hanuman. Ram was born to mould leaders and establish the ideal that regardless of the magnitude of the crises, finding a way forward was paramount.

6. Ramrajya

We constantly hear of Ramrajya. What was its nature ? The people in His Rajya (Rule) had faith in God and were honest about their work. They loved their kingdom. They were ready to work hard and make great sacrifices for the kingdom. Such a kingdom is Ramrajya. Prabhu Shriram was born to create such a kingdom.

7. Prabhu Shriram’s birth was also to teach humans how to live

Ravan was not invincible; both Vali and Sahasrarjun had defeated him earlier. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to assert that Shriram was born solely for the purpose of slaying Ravan. In this Incarnation, Shriram accomplished numerous other remarkable feats. His entire life serves as an exemplary model, setting ideals for every relationship – be it as a son, husband, brother, king, or friend.

Shriram’s journey from an ordinary prince to ‘Maryada Purushottam’ was far from easy, marked by various crises that often required prioritizing duty over emotions.

This transformation adhered to the constraints of human existence. Shriram’s actions aimed at setting an example, illustrating how a person should live. His birth, perhaps, was intended to convey this profound message about the ideals of human life.

– Ms Annada Vinayak Marathe (Chiplun, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra) (15.12.2023)

Challenges in ushering in Ramrajya

While thinking of Ramrajya, we should also think about the challenges we might face to establish it.

A. The challenge of faith : The most important challenge comes from ourselves. Today, we have strayed from faith. This is nothing but faith in our Dharma, God and work.

We do not have faith in our Hindu Dharma. We are ashamed of it. We no longer have faith in God. If something happens against our will and expectations, we lose faith in God. We do not even love our own work, because we do it not from our heart, but only because we get money.

B. Indifference to duties and responsibilities : Another challenge for Ram Rajya is our indifference to duty and responsibilities. We should be aware of our duty to our family, society and country. All these should be coordinated. While doing something for the happiness of the family, we should ensure that society is not harmed. We should also spare time to do some good work for society and the country as well.

C. Adherence to ethics : We can certainly practice ethics in our own lives. We need to ensure that others are not hurt or saddened when we strive for our own happiness. Even if we think of others while fulfilling our own desires, Ramrajya is just around the corner.

The ‘Hindu Rashtra’ that thousands of Hindus aspire for, is no different from Ramrajya. It is the same – in which belief in Dharma, duty towards the country and adherence to mutual ethics will be important.

Misconceptions about Ramrajya must be removed. Children too should be taught to dream of the Ramrajya.

– Ms Annada Vinayak Marathe