Ram Navami : The Divine Descended

Ram Navami (to be celebrated on Friday, April 15, 2016) is the divine day when Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu was born. Lord Rama illustrated how to be an ideal son, brother, husband and King of His subjects. He exhibited how to symbolize the divine and how one can live in harmony with other living beings in accordance with scriptural injunctions. The Ramayan is a standard, eternal, universal message of Vedas shedding light on karma, akarma and vikarma meaning actions that are undertaken as one's prescribed duties as mentioned in the Vedic scriptures (karma), actions that liberate one from the cycle of birth and death (akarma) and actions that are forbidden and yet undertaken through the misapplication of one's freedom or power (Vikarma).

Ravana: The Great Vedic Exper

Ravana was born into a Brahmin family and was considered one of the greatest Vedic experts who knew a lot about scriptural philosophies and metaphysical texts. He was influential, self-motivated, and robust in appearance. As the bright and sharp-witted king of Lanka he possessed everything one would need to be content and serene in life. However, one may think what made him so conceited demon that he lost the great battle against Lord Rama? Vedic scriptures mention he was egotistical, self-conceited, avaricious and above all, lustful. His voracious desires made him hanker after unlimited economic, social and political powers, wealth, and beautiful women.

Lord Rama and King Ravana: What Made Them Great?

Avaricious desires can certainly not be satisfied, and the perpetual pursuit for them invites only frustration. Consequently, notwithstanding how intelligent one is, how affluent one is, or how fine-looking one is, if one’s heart has nothing but anger, greed and lust, they turn diabolical.  And this was the basic difference between Lord Rama whose heart was always full of compassion for all living beings and Ravana who always envied others including the Lord Rama.

Both were able kings who ruled their respective kingdoms and both were experts in the Vedic scriptures. As said earlier, Lord Rama always exhibited love, kindness, modesty, and a sense of familial, religious and political duties. Ravana, despite his birth to a Brahmin father, was extreme materialistic, envious, and arrogant. In the presence of Lord Rama, even animals felt diving pleasures and desirous to be His devotees whereas on the land ruled by Ravana, humans behaved like lunatic animals. 

Lessons To Be Learnt From Rama’s Life

The key to growing wisely is to simply learn what Lord Rama did as an ideal personality in the family and the society. The Lord set numerous examples by practicing what He preached through His life and principles. The way to conquer evils and achieve divinity is to follow in the footsteps of great saints, sages, prophets and Lord Rama.  

What Do We Learn From Lord Rama’s Life?

·         Perform your duties without any reservations or selfish intentions. If you perform an action keeping a selfish motto in the mind, then that action generates a reaction which can be enjoyable or may make you suffer.

·         Put your ego aside while performing the duties that you are required to do. Take a cue from Ravana’s life. It is said that the Lord did not actually kill him but his own arrogance and selfish mottos to harm others killed him. If you do not change your egoistical mindset now, be ready to face the music.

·          Never be under illusion that you are the center of the world just like Ravana did. Do not consider yourself as the doer of everything. If you are under the false spell (illusion) and someone better than you shows up, you feel frustrated and envious because you haven’t developed humbleness to accept the new and the unknown. You end up making enmity or killing all your potentials by constantly thinking over how to harm the other one.

·         Be humble just like Rama and everyone will respect your thoughts and actions.

·         Refrain from showing off your status. Lord Rama never showed His supremacy because He was supreme by His actions, humbleness and humility.

·         Be an ideal son, brother, friend, husband, father and grandfather. People will always remember you and your actions that leave greater impact on their life.