7th AVATAR – RAMA AVATAR

In Rama Avatar, Sriman Narayana incarnates himself as Rama, the central character in the epic Ramayan. In the epic, the character Rama is expected to show the world the characteristics of an ideal person, including ideal son, ideal husband, ideal king and an ideal person.

Rama was incarnated upon this planet to get rid of the Asura with ten heads, called Ravana, who had been granted a boon from Brahma. He is to have immunity from the Gods and other celestial beings. Ravana was too vainglorious to be thinking of being vanquished by a man. Hence Rama was born, Lakshmi, wife of Sriman Narayana was born as Sita. Lakshmana is the reincarnation of Sheshnag and Hanuman, the 11th form of Lord Shiva.

The story of Ramayan, is an exciting nail-biting story of the war raged by Rama against various evil elements of the world and in the end against Ravana. The Ramayan epitomises the ideal behaviour of man, with special focus on man-wife relationship, son-father relationship and the rules for ideal governance by a King.

A King called Dasharatha had four sons named Rama, Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Bharata by his three different wives, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. From Kaushalya, Rama was born, Lakshmana and Shatrughna from Sumitra and from Kaikeyi, Bharata.

Being the eldest, Rama will be the successor to the throne of Ayodhya. Sita is the beloved wife of Rama and daughter of King Janaka. She is the incarnation of Mother Lakshmi (the consort of Sriman Narayana). Sita is potrayed as the epitome of female purity and virtue.

When King Dasharatha decided to hand the throne to Rama, his youngest wife, Kaikeyi became envious. She wanted the throne for her son. During a battle, Kaikeyi saved Dasharatha’s life and he promised her two wishes.

She claimed her wishes by demanding that Rama be banished for 14 years and her son Bharata be crowned as King of Ayodhya. Dasharatha dies heartbroken after Rama goes into exile. Bharat did not want the crown, for he loved Rama dearly. Under instruction from Rama he promised to look after the kingdom until Rama’s return to Ayodhya, provided that Rama’s sandals sit on the throne.

Lakshmana, the younger brother also chose to go into exile with Rama. He spends his time protecting Sita and Rama during which he fought the asura Surpanakha by cutting off her nose. He is forced to leave Sita, who was deceived by the asura Maricha into believing that Rama was in trouble.

Before leaving on any adventure, Rama used to draw a magical circle around the hut to protect Sita from any danger. It was at this point that the asura King Ravana, disguised as a sage tricked Sita into believing that he required help. She stepped out of the circle and Ravana captured her.

Jatayu, King of the vultures, tries to rescue Sita, but is mortally wounded. At Lanka, Sita is kept under heavy guard by many female asuras. Ravana demands Sita to marry him, but Sita, eternally devoted to Rama, refuses him all the time. Rama and Lakshmana learn about Sita’s abduction from Jatayu, and immediately set out to save her. During their search, they meet many asuras and an ascetic, called Shabari, who directs them towards Sugriva and Hanuman.

Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman, the greatest of monkey heroes and Sugriva, the banished King to the throne of Kishkindha. In exchange for helping Rama to recover Sita, Sugriva befriends Rama. Lord Rama and Lakshmana help him by killing his terrible and dictator elder brother Bali thus regaining the Kingdom of Kiskindha.

However Sugriva soon forgets his promise. The clever monkey Queen, Tara, convinces Sugriva to honour his pledge. Sugriva sends search parties to the four corners of the earth, only to return without success from north, east and west. The southern search party under the leadership of Angad and Hanuman learns from a vulture named Sampati that Sita was taken to Lanka. Sampati is the younger brother of the late Jatayu.

After learning the whereabouts of Sita, Hanuman assumes a gargantuan form and makes a colossal leap across the ocean to Lanka. Here, Hanuman explores the asura’s city and spies on Ravana. He locates Sita in the Ashoka grove. He sees Ravana trying to entice and threatened Sita to marry him and is awestruck by her devotion to Lord Rama.

Ravana leaves her with an ultimatum, that upon his next visit, if Sita doesn’t accept his hand in marriage, he will kill her. Hanuman appears and reassures Sita, giving Rama’s signet ring as a sign of good faith. He offers to carry Sita back to Rama, however she refuses, reluctant to allow herself to be touched by a male other than her husband. She says that Rama himself must come and avenge the insult of her abduction. It is Lord Rama’s destiny to do this.

With the permission of Sita, Hanuman wreaks havoc in Lanka by destroying trees and buildings, and killing Ravana’s warriors. He allows himself to be captured and produced before Ravana. He gives a bold lecture to Ravana to release Sita.

He is condemned and his tail is set on fire, but he escapes his bonds and, leaping from roof to roof, sets fire to Ravana’s citadel and makes the giant leap back from the island. The joyous search party returns to Kishkindha with the news. Having received Hanuman’s report on Sita, Rama and Lakshmana proceed with their allies towards the shore of the southern sea.

The Simians named “Nal” and “Neel” construct a floating bridge (known as Rama Setu) across the ocean, and the princes and their army cross over to Lanka. There they are joined by Ravana’s renegade brother Vibhishana who advises them on certain battle strategies and how to destroy Ravana. A lengthy battle ensues and Rama kills Ravana by shooting an arrow into his belly (Ravan’s life force). Rama then installs Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka.

On meeting Sita, Rama asks her to undergo the Agni Pariksha, the test of fire to prove her purity, since she had stayed at the asura’s palace. When Sita plunges into the sacrificial fire, Agni the Lord of fire raises Sita, unharmed, to the throne, attesting to her purity.

At the expiration of his term of exile, Rama returns to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana, and a coronation to crown him KIng was performed. This is the beginning of Rama Rajya, which means an ideal state with good morals.

It is a place where all religions, creed and castes can live together in harmony and work towards progress. Rama Rajya is the ultimate state of a true democracy where through unity one gains strength and protects the other as humanity is the greatest essence above all.