Rama Navami 2012

“The most fortunate Kausalya looks charming as she sits on the beautiful bedstead holding the child Rama in her lap. Gazing upon His moon-like face again and again, she makes her eyes like a Chakora bird to His form.” (Gitavali, 7.1)

subhaga seja sobhita kausilyā rucira rāma-sisu goda liye |
bāra-bāra bidhubadana bilokati locana cāru cakora kiye ||

Rama Navami celebrates the appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, the delight of the Raghu dynasty, who has a moon-like countenance to please the Chakora-like devotees, who never tire of gazing upon His beautiful face, which wears an enchanting smile and gives off a soothing radiance that douses the fire of material suffering. In fact, it is the association with the divine that is the only remedy for all ills, for the root of pain and misery is forgetfulness of that supremely fortunate person, who holds every opulence at the same time and to the fullest degree; hence one of His many names is Bhagavan.

In general social etiquette, it is not polite to stare at others. The reason for this should be quite obvious. Would you like it if someone else was looking at you all the time? Perhaps you wouldn’t mind the attention if the sentiment was positive, but after a while, the instinctual reaction would be, “Hey man, quit looking at me! Can I help you with something?” Indeed, the gawking husband has been the painful burden of the devoted wife for ages, as the man can’t help but try to assess the attractiveness of another female when he first sees her. Of course this is very rude behavior towards the wife, for the desire to look at another woman indicates that the man might not be pleased with whom he has for a life partner.

One sneaky way to get around the impoliteness of staring is to find situations where the person being looked at either doesn’t know what you are doing or is powerless to stop you. Thankfully for us, the creator made one situation which is favorable for staring and which also doesn’t violate any common standards of decency. The young child, especially the dependent, can be looked at nonstop, especially if they are really new to this world. Their vision can be so enchanting, making you really believe in a higher power, for how else to explain such innocence placed into a tiny bundle of joy? For a mother a long time ago, she couldn’t help but stare at her newborn. To make the situation that much more auspicious, the delight she held in her lap was the honoree of the soon-to-be instituted tradition of Rama Navami.

During a period of time in the Treta Yuga, King Dasharatha was at the helm of Raghu’s clan, the dynasty of kings originating with King Ikshvaku and which subsequently had the good fortune of including King Raghu as one of its members. The descendants in that line were thus often referred to as Raghava. A key for rulers in this family was to keep it going. If you have a famous family that is known for its ability to protect the citizens, to give them proper guidance in all matters of life and to keep out the influence of sin and vice, including that which comes from foreign attack, it’s important to keep that line of succession going. This way the citizens won’t have to worry when the king gets old. They can rest assured knowing that he will pass on his good reputation and character to his heir.

This was the problem for Dasharatha. He had no sons to whom to pass down the kingdom. After consulting with his royal priests, it was decided that a sacrifice would be held. The queens would eat the remnants of that sacrifice, and from that sanctified food they would become pregnant with child. Sure enough, everything went according to plan, except no one could predict the beauty and grace of the four children. The four sons born to Dasharatha were expansions of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His opulently adorned, four-handed form.

The eldest Rama was Vishnu Himself, and the three younger brothers were partial expansions. Queen Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharata, and Sumitra to Lakshmana and Shatrughna. The children were a delight for their mothers, and Rama was especially enchanting to everyone, including Dasharatha. There is much attention paid when a new child is born, and since these boys were to be successors in the ancestral line, there was even more celebration when they took birth.

Brahmanas were fed, cows were milked, and gifts were distributed quite liberally by the king. The townspeople felt as if the four boys were their own children, so they showed up to the royal palace with so many gifts. They also decorated their homes very nicely, creating auspiciousness all around. Whenever the Supreme Lord personally appears, there is automatically an auspicious condition, but these residents had pure love, so they didn’t take anything for granted. They prayed for the welfare of the four sons, that they would grow up to be brave, strong, pious, and just as dedicated to the welfare of all as Dasharatha.

Queen Kausalya had a special benefit, for she got to spend time with Rama alone. In those quiet moments, she got to stare at her young child, and there was nothing He could do about it. As one gets a little older, the smothering attention from the mother can become a bother. The child doesn’t know any better, as they can’t understand at such a young age what type of attachment the mother has formed with them. In the infant years, though, the child can only pleasantly smile in return when the mother constantly stares at them.

In the above referenced verse from the Gitavali of Goswami Tulsidas, we see that Dasharatha’s chief queen looked especially charming when seated on her wonderful bedstead. She held the Supreme Lord in her lap, for she earned His company from pious acts performed in previous lives. Can we imagine the happiness she felt? The most beautiful person in the world lay in her lap in a form that required motherly affection. He was in front of her in a special form that best brought out spontaneous, parental affection, loving feelings that were not inhibited in any way.

Of course to try to understand Kausalya’s feelings at the time is a little difficult, so the kind poet gives us some help. He says that she made her eyes like those of the Chakora bird, which constantly stares at the moon. The Chakora has a pure love for the moon, for it looks constantly at the bright luminous body in the dark sky and doesn’t ask for anything in return. No other light gives it as much happiness, and when that moon is gone, there is no source of happiness that can replace it.

In a similar manner, Queen Kausalya’s only source of pleasure was Rama, and because of this she was considered most fortunate, or subhaga. How can she be described in any other way? Where we get our primary pleasure is what will determine how fortunate or unfortunate we are. The drunkard worships the bottle of whiskey and thus finds only distress amidst illusory and temporary elation. The gambler worships the game and the next roll of the dice, and the sensually stirred person hangs on the next move of their significant other, not realizing that the same type of pleasure is already available to the less intelligent animals. The voracious meat eater takes their pleasure from the flesh of animals that were needlessly killed.

Because these sources are not pure, those taking their primary pleasure from them will be in unfortunate circumstances. On the other hand, one who finds pleasure from the person who is the most fortunate, Bhagavan, can in many ways be considered more fortunate than God Himself. Lord Rama has the company of His devotees and His pleasure potency expansions like Sita Devi, but the Chakora-like devotees have the association of both Shri Rama and His associates. As they depend only upon Rama and His every move for their happiness, they are never bereft of the pleasure that is every person’s birthright.

On Rama Navami, we celebrate that very fortunate queen, who would love her son for the rest of her life. He would have to leave her company several times when He got older, but never did He leave her heart. She constantly gazed upon His moon-like face, and not at any time was the behavior impolite. On the contrary, the Chakora-like devotees know that devotion is the only auspicious path, and that through following it Rama will never abandon them, either in this life or the next.

In Closing:

In common circumstances impolite to stare,

To look at someone for too long we don’t dare.

 

In one situation that behavior is actually fine,

To stare at newborn, they are too young to mind.

 

Shri Rama created this for His loving mother,

She stared at Him in her quiet room, for God no bother.

 

So adorable was the Supreme Lord in the small size,

That mother like a Chakora bird made her eyes.

 

On Rama Navami the mother and son we celebrate,

To Lord and devotee’s pleasure this life we dedicate.

Rama Navami 2011

“Today is the most auspicious day; the time and circumstance are joyous and beautiful. Shri Rama, the abode of beauty, character and divine qualities, has appeared in the king’s palace.”  (Gitavali, 1.1.1)

āju sudina subha gharī suhā’ī |

rūpa-sīla-guna-dhāma rāma nṛpa-bhavana praga।ta bhae ā’ī ||

Shri Rama Navami, the appearance day anniversary of the compassionate Lord, the abode of all virtue and good qualities, Shri Ramachandra, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty, the only savior for those who have abandoned all hope for finding satisfaction in a temporary world full of ups and downs, defeats and gains and losses and victories, is especially honored, remembered and celebrated by the devotees. While worshiping God and dedicating our lives to His service entails a daily dedication to action and routine, the holidays of the Vedic tradition, the special occasions that bring an added emphasis on remembrance, help to both maintain the devotional mindset and also bring others into the celebration, allowing everyone in the world to feel the transcendental bliss that can only come through mental association with our dearmost friend, the living being who never undergoes birth or death and who remains steadfast in His vow to always protect the surrendered souls.

More than a mere process of religion or spirituality, complete and total surrender to God enacted voluntarily in a mood of love and affection represents the true dharma of the soul, the constitutional mindset for every form of life. Yet only in the human species can the distinctions between lifestyles and activities even be made. This assessment will ideally be followed by a sober evaluation, where tasks are properly prioritized. Of all the priorities we may think take precedence, none is more important than the maintaining of the fidelity of the relationship with the Supreme Spirit, the spiritual entity who resides within our heart next to the individual soul. For all of eternity, it’s just the two of us, ourselves and the Supreme Lord, who never leaves us for even a second.

Does this mean that God is with us right now? The Supreme Person’s presence can be felt during every second of every day within every sphere of life. But only through an advanced level of intelligence, one secured through rigorous training following humble submission to a bona fide spiritual master, an authority figure who has himself abandoned all other engagements in life that have no relation to bhakti, or divine love, can this omnipresence of the Supreme Lord and His accompanying worthiness of worship be properly understood. At the time of birth, these concepts remain unknown to us, especially if our accepted body type happens to be a lower form, like that of an animal. If it eats, sleeps, mates and defends, it’s a form of life. If the autonomous entity goes through birth, old age, disease and death, it is a life. Never mind its level of intelligence or whether or not it knows who or what God is. Indeed, many human beings take to stupid activity, reckless and nonsensical behavior that doesn’t further any tangible purpose. Despite the presence of such fools, we would never consider them to not be living beings, to not have souls inside of them. Similarly, even the animal kingdom, though not having anywhere near the intelligence levels of human beings, are God’s children, spirit souls who have every right to be in the association of the Supreme Lord.

“The intelligence of the individual soul is exhibited like fire in wood. Although fire is always fire, it is exhibited in a size proportionate to the size of the wood. Similarly, although the individual soul is qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord, he exhibits himself according to the limitations of his present body.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 32)

Through bhakti the divine consciousness can be awakened. Knowledge of God and His spiritual attributes is currently resting in a dormant state within the heart, like a book that hasn’t been opened for a very long time. Just like their Supreme Father, every living being is eternally blissful and knowledgeable, but since God is superior, only He can retain these properties at the highest levels at all times. The individual spirit souls, when choosing to leave the personal company of the Ultimate Reservoir of Pleasure, have their attributes deprecated by both the natural effects of material nature and the competing forces vying for supremacy. A fire can burn at a great intensity provided it has enough fuel and objects to consume. The living entities have potencies that function similarly, but in the conditioned state their abilities are limited to the body type they accept. In the spiritual land, however, where everyone wants to serve the Lord, there are no limitations on action or enjoyment. Therefore through a simple shift in consciousness, wherein thoughts and desires are turned towards meeting the interests of the Supreme Lord, from whom all our wonderful qualities emanate, the supreme destination can be attained. With that return to the spiritual realm, the primary source of all miseries in life gets removed, thereby allowing the soul to enjoy a permanent blissful condition.

Sharanagati is the process of full and complete surrender that brings about this bliss. Realizing the need for surrender is quite difficult, especially if we have been programmed otherwise through many lifetimes on earth. Therefore explicit processes of bhakti are required to help train the mind properly. The most effective method of devotional service for the people of the present age is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The word “Krishna” describes the Supreme Lord’s form as the all-attractive wielder of the flute and the delight of the residents of Vrajabhumi, the spiritual land of Vrindavana. Rama addresses the jewel of the Raghu dynasty, the pious and handsome prince who appeared in the family of King Dasharatha on the wonderful occasion of Rama Navami. The key benefit of chanting the names of God is that time is spent engaged in devotional service, and thus consciousness can get shifted.

All processes of bhakti-yoga have the same objective, that of keeping the thoughts of the mind focused on the Supreme Lord, His names, activities and pastimes. As consciousness is the key ingredient in attaining spiritual salvation, it would make sense that remembering, or smaranam, would be another important tool employed by the sincere transcendentalist following the bhakti tradition. Indeed, remembering alone can solve all problems, as the mind can travel millions of miles to another land, and even many years into the past. Goswami Tulsidas, the celebrated Vaishnava poet, in his Gitavali seemingly travels directly back into time with his spiritually infused mind to delight in the occasion of Rama’s appearance in Ayodhya, an event which occurred many thousands of years ago during the Treta Yuga.

In the above quoted verse, Tulsidas is declaring the day of Rama’s appearance to be all-auspicious. Having mentally transferred himself to the city of Ayodhya on the wonderful day of Rama’s advent, the poet notes that during this time all external conditions are favorable and conducive towards good fortune. Though according to our estimation Rama was a historical personality who appeared on this earth in the past, the comings and goings of the Supreme Lord and His various incarnations constantly take place in other universes as well. Therefore remembering God and His pastimes doesn’t necessarily have to involve focusing on the past. Somewhere at this very minute Shri Rama is appearing on an earthly planet, and His beloved devotee Tulsidas is gladly watching the scene and noting the behavior of the wonderful citizens of Ayodhya-dhama.

Shri Rama appeared in a royal dynasty, one descending from the first king on earth, Maharaja Ikshvaku. Due to the family’s exalted status, whenever a son was born into their line, it was a big deal. At the time of Rama’s advent, the present ruler of the dynasty, Maharaja Dasharatha, was without a son. Therefore the birth of the first son from the womb of Queen Kaushalya, the king’s wife, was a grand occasion, one that signaled the beginning of the transfer of ownership of the kingdom to a new generation. But this was no ordinary son. As the Supreme Lord, Rama is the abode of all good qualities, character and beauty. It is a mistaken belief by some transcendentalists that the material world is false and thus the cause of only misery. Any object, without knowing how to make proper use of it, can certainly be damaging. And it is indeed a fact that the material universe was created to facilitate the desires of those souls who wanted to imitate God in the areas of creation, maintenance and destruction. In the material land, the pure spirit souls are enveloped by gunas, or material qualities, which can be of the goodness, passion or ignorance variety.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.22)

But gunas can immediately become spiritualized if they are used to further one’s God consciousness. Since matter comes from God, when it is associated with Him, it becomes glorious and completely spiritual. Indeed, the spiritual world is not filled with void or formlessness. There is to be found every variety of engagement and beauty within the transcendental sphere. Distinctions are made between the two lands because matter in the imperishable realm is considered divine, or daivi prakriti. Shri Rama is the origin of all gunas, or the abode of all qualities. Wherever He goes, all His transcendental traits come with Him.

Rama is also the most beautiful, as that is one of the features possessed by Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is replete with the six opulences of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom and renunciation simultaneously. Just one look at the smiling face of Shri Ramachandra is enough to defeat the pride of even the staunchest devotee of gross matter. Rama is also of the highest character, both under the spiritual estimation and also under the regulative principles of piety. In reality, religious principles, or the most important law codes, only exist to allow one to eventually understand the Supreme Person and His worthiness of worship. But Rama, as a ruler of a pious group of citizens, made sure to uphold the dedication to dharma so nicely passed down to Him from the previous members of the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Since Rama is the abode of every wonderful quality, it is to be understood that He is never bereft of anything. The devotees who associate with Him get to bask in these transcendental features and realize the true benefit to having an existence. In all other spheres of life, we are attracted by wonderful qualities such as beauty and character. These features factor in how we form our friendships and decide on which engagements to take up. Since the Supreme Lord is the storehouse of all energy, material and spiritual, anyone who loves Him with all their heart will have no need to turn towards any other activity, as the attractiveness of Rama is enough to maintain the steady link in consciousness to the transcendental world that is yoga.

Rama’s appearance took place in the Vedic month of Chaitra, which is based on the lunar calendar. Because He appeared on the ninth day of the moon cycle, His appearance celebration is known as Rama Navami. All signs were auspicious on this day, as the exact constellation of stars at a particular time can forebode evil or great fortune. Not surprisingly, Rama descended to earth at a time where everything was auspicious. All the creatures in Ayodhya, both animate and inanimate, were thrilled, for they were about to gain the direct audience of the Supreme Lord. The brahmanas of the community, those of the priestly order, were also ecstatic, so they started to chant the glories of the Lord as a way to welcome His appearance. Just as an exalted guest is welcomed with well-wishing words and sumptuous food, the residents of Ayodhya made sure that Rama knew that they were thrilled to see Him.

The celestials, the demigods managing the material affairs, were on the scene playing songs and dropping flowers from the sky. Mother Kaushalya was especially thrilled, for her first son was about to be born. Through Him she would gain eternal fame, as she would go on to be respected as the most wonderful mother, a sweetheart of a lady who never deviated in thought, word or deed from her vow to love Shri Rama. Tulsidas says that the happiness felt by everyone on that first Rama Navami was too great for him to even describe.

Though Maharaja Dasharatha was very excited to have his first son, he nevertheless made sure to abide by all the regulative principles, calling in the priests to perform the perfunctory rituals and regulations. Dasharatha purified himself in every way, as the opportunity to witness the appearance of the Supreme Lord in the form of a small child represents the most wonderful benediction. Just as we bathe in the morning and prepare ourselves nicely before going out in public, the emphasis on purity is enhanced when one is about to see Shri Rama face-to-face.

The royal palace was filled with singing and glorification of the Supreme Lord. In the Vedic tradition auspicious occasions are typically celebrated by giving charity to others. As the mission of human life is to understand God and the need for worshiping Him, every prescribed regulation is aimed at minimizing the effects of the senses and the possessive mentality assumed at the time of birth. Giving in charity is a great form of sacrifice, a way to loosen attachment to possessions which originally belong to God. On this occasion the primary wealth that was distributed was the sweet singing of the devotees and their constant attention on the holy name.

Outside the palace, everything was wonderfully decorated, with opulence and extravagance visible everywhere. At the palace gates, bards, their disciples and well-wishers were all present singing the praises of Shri Rama before He even appeared. The women of the city decked themselves out very nicely and arrived in throngs at the front of the palace, bringing with them all sorts of gifts for the new child, hoping for His long and prosperous life. Under a government not driven by God consciousness, the citizens are always leery of sending money to the state, for taxes are considered the greatest burden. But in the wonderful kingdom presided over by Maharaja Dasharatha, the women, the maintainers of the family, were enthusiastic to celebrate the wonderful occasion of Rama’s birth and bring Him the most wonderful gifts as a sign of their appreciation.

The roads were so filled with sprinkled liquid preparations, such as saffron and water mixtures, that there was a slush created. But everyone was so jubilant in their dancing that they didn’t notice anything around them. They had transcended the effects of their material bodies through transcendental ecstasy borne of anticipation of the appearance of Shri Rama. Only in bhakti can something as innocent and simple as dancing be a source of supreme felicity, providing a benefit greater than that found through meditational yoga,  study of the scriptures, or any other engagement.

Maharaja Dasharatha gave away many cows, horses, elephants, jewels and gold in charity to the proper recipients. This was the happiest day in his life, so he was going to share his joy with others. It is said that all the siddhis, or perfections in life, could be found in his palace, as there can be no perfection greater than having the Supreme Lord visit your home and be welcomed in such a wonderful way by so many people.

Tulsidas says that the saints, demigods and brahmanas were all delighted at this time, while the miscreants were very unhappy. This foretells of future events, as Rama would go on to destroy the most powerful enemy forces terrorizing the innocent people of the world. The saintly class of men, the suras, are always delighted just to even think of Shri Rama, while the demons are always trying to undercut His authority and His Supreme Position. During even the most auspicious occasion of Rama’s birth, the demons could find no joy.

A small drop of the Supreme Lord’s limitless transcendental energy has empowered wonderful figures like Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva with divine abilities and tremendous fame, but the same energy was in such great abundance in Ayodhya on Rama Navami that it was flooding the entire city. This comparison by Tulsidas points to Lord Vishnu’s supreme position as the origin of all life and the worshipable figure of even great personalities like Shiva and Brahma. Though they are divine entities in charge of the material modes of passion and ignorance, they sometimes must break their concentration and their focus on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. The residents of Ayodhya, however, were fully swooning with transcendental ecstasy, for the very same Vishnu was coming to grant them His darshana. This comparison also indicates that Shri Rama is a non-different form of the original Personality, so He is not lacking anything in terms of features. Energy expansions, or transcendental sparks, emanating from Vishnu create the innumerable living entities and also give them their power. But the origin of all energy, the reservoir of pleasure Himself, had personally descended to Ayodhya.

Tulsidas says that the evidence of the wonderful results that come from remembering the Lord was seen that day in Ayodhya. God consciousness secured through the bhakti mindset is a force like no other. Through remembering the divine appearance of Shri Rama and the wonderful activities He would go on to perform in the company of His dear associates like Sita Devi, Lakshmana and Hanuman, we can get a taste of what the residents of Ayodhya felt on that wonderful day, the time the Lord of their life came to rescue them from the doldrums of material existence. May the same level of devotion found in them awaken in our hearts, and may we never forget such a wonderful and benevolent master as Shri Rama.

Rama Navami 2010

“There was a king named Dashratha, the protector of dharma, as unshakeable as a mountain, true to His promises, well known throughout the world, and whose son is Raghava. Raghava, who is known by the name of Rama, is a righteous soul, famous throughout the three worlds. He has long arms and wide eyes. He is my husband and worshipable deity.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.2-3)

Rama Navami celebrates the appearance of Lord Shri Ramachandra, an incarnation of God who descended to earth many thousands of years ago in Ayodhya, India. The holiday is named as such because of the specific day in the lunar cycle on which Lord Rama appeared. The Vedic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, with certain days being more auspicious than others. Lord Rama appeared on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, thus His birthday is celebrated as Rama Navami. It is similar to the concept of the Christmas Holiday where Christians celebrate the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ. Vedic holidays are a little different in that there are many Christmas-type celebrations each year since God takes unlimited forms, anata rupam. Many of these forms appear on earth. God, being the original person, adi purusham, never actually takes birth, so His birthdays are more aptly referred to as appearances. Since the Lord descends from the spiritual world in an eternally existing form, His appearances are known as avataras. Lord Rama is one God’s primary avataras.

The circumstances surrounding His birth were interesting. During the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, there was a great king ruling over the earth by the name of Dashratha. He only ruled over the town of Ayodhya, but since his dominion was recognized by all the other kings, he was often referred to as mahipati, or the Lord of the earth. Dashratha’s trademark characteristic was his chivalry and kindness. He was famous throughout the world as a great warrior who was dedicated to dharma. The Vedas tell us that an ideal government is one run by the warrior class of men, the kshatriyas. This is because a government’s primary duty is to provide protection to the innocent. Therefore a king, or government leader, must exhibit great fighting skills and strength in order to instill fear in the hearts of the miscreants. If the sinful among us understand that they will suffer the consequences should they harass the innocent, society will function much more peacefully. Thus Dashratha, through his great fighting ability demonstrated in countless wars, established his supremacy throughout the world.

Dashratha pretty much had it all. He was wholly dedicated to dharma, or his occupational duty. Dharma actually means “that which constantly exists with the particular object”. Thus dharma is that which sustains one’s existence. Since the living entity’s existence is defined by its relationship with God, dharma usually refers to religiosity or religious duty. When applied to specific areas, such as government, it refers to the code of conduct or righteousness. Dashratha’s citizens were very happy, and he personally enjoyed life with his three wives. The Vedas tell us that those in the mode of passion, the warrior class, are allowed to marry more than once provided that they can guarantee the complete protection of their wives. The tongue and the genitals are two of the hardest organs to control, so they represent the two biggest stumbling blocks towards advancing in spiritual life. All the Vedic guidelines are put in place so as to help the living entity achieve pure Krishna, or God, consciousness in their lifetime. Only with this mindset can the soul break free of the perpetual cycle of birth and death. We shouldn’t mistakenly think the Vedas and the gurus who follow them are unnecessarily punishing us with their rules and regulations. The complete set of Vedic guidelines represents a form of tough love. Since sex desire is very difficult to control, it is advised that one get married at a very young age, and then only indulge in sex life for the purpose of having children.

From this injunction, we can logically conclude that sex life can only be allowed during one period in every month, when the wife is fertile. The warrior class lives mostly in the mode of passion, meaning they perform work for the purpose of receiving material gain. An outgrowth of living in the mode of passion is that one’s sex desires remain very high. To allow kings to indulge in sex life but still remain committed to dharma, they were allowed to keep more than one wife. This way the women of society were still protected, and the kings could still make spiritual progress.

Dashratha had one thing that bothered him though. He had no son to whom he could pass his kingdom down to. The Vedas tell us that each person acquires three debts at the time of birth. One of these debts is to the forefathers, also known as the pitrs. This logically makes sense because if it weren’t for our parents, we would not take birth under the circumstances that we do. The father must work very hard to maintain the family and the mother goes through so much pain during labor. Thus there is a natural feeling of obligation to repay the great sacrifices made by our parents. This debt actually ascends all the way up the family chain since our grandparents and forefathers also played an important role in determining the circumstances of our birth. The debt to the pitrs can be paid by begetting a son. For Dashratha, this debt was increased due to the fact that he was a king in a very famous dynasty known as the Ikshvakus.

The Bible tells us that God created everything in the beginning. The Vedas give a similar description of the events at the time of creation, including the names of great personalities. The kings are known as rajarishis in the Vedic tradition because they are meant to act as God’s representatives on earth. No one can protect better than God, so He decided that societies on earth would need one of His representatives to provide a similar level of protection on a micro scale. To this end, two lines of famous kings were started at the beginning of creation. One line took birth from the moon-god, Soma, and the other from the sun-god, Vivasvan. The Ikshvakus were part of the solar dynasty, and they were famous throughout the world. If Dashratha didn’t beget a son, he would be doing a great disservice to the family name.

In order to remedy the situation, the king was advised to hold a grand sacrifice. These events took place in the Treta Yuga, or second time period of creation. The Vedas tell us that for each of the four ages of creation, there is a specific method of worship that is most effective in providing transcendental realization. In the first age, the recommended method was deep meditation. Almost everyone lived in rural areas, thus there were few distractions. Many great yogis lived in forests known as tapo-vanas, meaning forests suitable for the performance of austerities. In the Treta Yuga, the recommended method was elaborate sacrifice. Today, Vedic sacrifices are celebrated on a small scale, with a small fire and some oblations of ghee poured into it. In the Treta Yuga, these sacrifices were very elaborate and required highly qualified brahmanas to perform.

Dashratha performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice, and a subsequent Putrakameshti yajna, as was recommended to him. A great deity came out of the sacrificial altar and handed some payasam to Dashratha. He in turn divided the payasam up and distributed it to his three wives. Very quickly they all became pregnant, with Queen Kausalya eventually giving birth to Lord Rama. Dashratha’s two other wives, Kaikeyi and Sumitra gave birth to Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. Thus the king was blessed with four beautiful sons, but Rama remained his favorite. Lord Rama was Dashratha’s prananatha, or the lord of his life air.

Rama was the son that Dashratha had longed for. Like father like son, Rama too was extremely dedicated to dharma. Never did He speak an ill word to Dashratha, for He loved His father very much. The driving force behind Rama’s activities was His dedication to maintaining the good name of His father. Rama viewed Dashratha as His foremost deity, setting a great example for future generations to follow.

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

God didn’t appear only to give Dashratha a son. At the time, there was a great Rakshasa demon by the name of Ravana who was terrorizing the saintly class of men around the world. Ravana was very strong due to boons he had secured from several demigods, thus everyone was afraid to take him on battle. It was at the behest of the demigods that God decided to appear as Lord Rama. Due to the boons he received, Ravana was guaranteed protection in battle against all types of creatures, including celestials. The only species that could defeat him were the human beings. Thus Lord Rama, appearing in the guise of an ordinary human being, was prophesized to be the destroyer of Ravana.

Since Ravana hadn’t directly attacked Ayodhya, there was no way for Rama to go after him and still remain on the virtuous path. Being God Himself, Rama could have easily done whatever He wanted to, but at the same time, He wanted to set a good example for how a king should behave. To secure Ravana’s demise, the demigods set forth a plan whereby Lord Rama would have an excuse to take him on in battle. The first piece of this puzzle was Rama’s exile to the forest. Dashratha wanted Rama to succeed him on the throne, but plans got changed at the last minute due to a fit of jealousy thrown by Kaikeyi. She requested that Bharata become king and Rama be exiled. Dashratha couldn’t ignore these requests because he had granted her any two boons of her choosing on a previous occasion.

For His part, Lord Rama didn’t want to His father turn out to be a liar, so He gladly accepted the exile punishment. Rama’s beautiful and chase wife, Sita Devi, insisted on accompanying Him, as did Lakshmana. While they were in the forest, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana after a diversion was set up whereby both Rama and Lakshmana were drawn away from the group’s cottage. The demigods were quite pleased by this, for they knew that Ravana had met his end. Lord Rama and Lakshmana eventually marched to Lanka, with the help of a huge band of monkeys, and defeated Ravana in battle. Sita was rescued and the group triumphantly returned to Ayodhya, where Rama was crowned as the king.

The beauty of Rama Navami is that it not only celebrates Lord Rama, but all of His devotees as well. In pictures, Lord Rama is usually seen standing alongside Sita and Lakshmana, with Hanumanji offering his obeissances in front of them. Hanuman was part of the Vanara army, and played an integral role in Sita’s rescue and Ravana’s defeat. God is never alone, for His closest associates always remain with Him. This is the view of God given to us by the Vedas. God is the energetic and the devotees are His energy. The two are meant to always be together, side-by-side, enjoying eternal felicity.

Lord Rama is God Himself, so it’s hard to accurately put His qualities into words. Therefore we must study the qualities of His close associates to get an idea. They say that you can judge a person’s character by the company they keep, and in Lord Rama’s case, we see that He had the best friends in the world. Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshmana are so exalted that it is virtually impossible to find a person who can say anything negative about them. Hanumanji is so great that there is an entire book, the Sundara-kanda, in the famous Ramayana poem dedicated to his exploits. Sita and Lakshmana always identified themselves as servants of Rama, and they never ran out of praiseworthy things to say about the Lord.

As spirit souls, part and parcel of God, we are meant to be His energy; we are meant to please Him in the same way that Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshmana do. Celebrating festivals like Rama Navami and Janmashtami are great ways to get into the spiritual mindset. Taking it one step further, we should all try to remember God and His devotees every single day of the year. This can easily be accomplished by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

Rama Navami 2009

Today is Lord Ramachandra’s appearance day. This day is known as Rama Navami, and it marks the anniversary of when Lord Krishna descended to earth in the form of Lord Rama, to give protection to His devotees and to kill the evil demon Ravana. The best way to celebrate the occasion is to think about Him throughout the day and read about His pastimes found in the Vedic literatures. The following excerpt from the Valmiki Ramayana describes the story relating to His birth. In city of Ayodhya, many thousands of years ago, a great sacrifice had been performed in the royal court of King Dashratha, the most pious of kings, in hopes of attaining a son. In due time, his three pregnant wives, Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, became pregnant and were due to give birth.

“And then when the six seasons had rolled away after the completion of the sacrifice, in the twelfth month, on the ninth lunar day, under the influence of the Punarvasu asterism presided by the demigod Aditi, when the Sun, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus were at Arius, Capricorn, Libra, Cancer, and Pisces, and when Jupiter had arisen with the Moon at Cancer, Kausalya gave birth to that lord of the universe, bowed to by all the worlds, Rama, the descendant of Ikshvaku, furnished with excellent marks, the one half of Vishnu, exceedingly righteous, with rosy eyes, and might arms, having a crimson nether lip, and endowed with a voice like the sound of a kettledrum. Then on having given birth to that son of immeasurable prowess, Kausalya looked resplendent, like Aditi on having brough forth that foremost of celestials, Indra.

Then was born to Kaikeyi, a son named Bharata, having truth for prowess, endowed with all the virtues, and respresenting the very fourth part of Vishnu.

Then Sumitra gave birth to Lakshmana and Shatrughna, heroic, and skilled in all weapons, and endowed with the other half of Vishnu.

And Bharata of purged intelligence was born under the asterism Pushya, when the Sun had entered Pisces; while the two sons of Sumitra were born when the Sun arose in Cancer, under the asterism of Ashlesha. (The ninth lunar mansion)

Thus were separately born four high-souled sons to the king, crowed with qualities, graceful, and in loveliness resembling the constellations Prosthapada. Thereat the Gandharvas began to chant sweetly, and the Apsaras to dance. The celestial kettledrums sounded, and blossoms were showered down from the sky.

And high festivities were commenced by the multitude in Ayodhya. The spacious highways became filled with players and dancers, glittering with all kinds of gems, and resounding with the music of singers and performers on instruments. And the king bestowed gifts upon bards and genealogists and panegyrists, and he also gave away cows by thousands to the brahmanas.

When the eleventh day had gone by, the king performed the naming ceremony of his sons. Experiencing great delight, Vashishtha conferred the names. The high-souled eldest one was called Rama; Kaikeyi’s son was called Bharata; Sumitra’s son was called Lakshmana, and the last was named Shatrughna.

The king fed the brahmanas as well as the inhabitants rural and urban, and he bestowed heaps of jewels upon brahmanas.

Thus did he celebrate the natal rites of the princes. Among all those princes, the eldest, Rama, like that of Ketu, (The ninth of the planets) and the special delight of his father, became the object of general regard, even as the self-create Himself. And all of them were versed in the Vedas, heroic, and intent upon the welfare of others.

All were accomplished in knowledge; and endowed with virtues. Among them all, the exceedingly puissant Rama, having truth for prowess, was the desire of everyone, and spotless like to the moon himself. He could ride on elephants and horses, and was adept in managing cars. He was ever engaged in the study of arms, and always occupied in ministering to his sire.

Even from early youth, that enhancer of auspiciousness Lakshmana, was ever attached to his eldest brother Rama, that delight of all. Like to another life of Rama, Lakshmana furnished with auspiciousness was in everything attentive to Rama’s wishes, even at the neglect of his own person. That foremost of persons did not even attain sleep without Rama’s company, nor did he partake any sweetmeat that was offered, unless Rama partook it with him.”

Related books:

Valmiki Ramayana

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