Ram Navami
Shri Ram is the Father of all.
On this blessed day, during the treta yug, The All-Gracious Lord Shri Ram descended on Earth in Ayodhya, India, as a child.
He appeared into the family of King Raghu, who was His great-grandfather. His parents were King Dashratha and Queen Kaushalya.
Unlike normal births, Shri Ram did not grow in Queen Kaushalya’s womb. Lord Ram appeared before Mother Kaushalya. That is why, He is considered her son.
Saint Tulsidas has described this scene beautifully in Ramcharit Manas. A brief description is given below
भए प्रगट कृपाला परम दयाला कौसल्या हितकारी।
हरषित महतारी मुनि मनहारी अदभुत रूप बिचारी॥
लोचन अभिरामा तनु घनस्यामा निज आयुध भुज चारी।
भूषन बनमाला नयन बिसाला सोभासिंधु खरारी॥
bhae pragaṭa kr̥pālā parama dayālā kausalyā hitakārī।
haraṣita mahatārī muni manahārī adabhuta rūpa bicārī॥
locana abhirāmā tanu ghanasyāmā nija āyudha bhuja cārī।
bhūṣana banamālā nayana bisālā sobhāsiṁdhu kharārī॥
To grace Mother Kaushalya He first appeared in His most enchanting divine chaturbhuj form as a 16-year-old, fully dressed and adorned with ornaments. He had four arms, holding a conch, a disc, a mace, and a lotus flower.
He told Queen Kaushalya that He was coming as Her son because in her past life she had wished for a son like Him. Since no one is like Him, He chose to become her son.
कह दुइ कर जोरी अस्तुति तोरी केहि बिधि करौं अनंता।
माया गुन ग्यानातीत अमाना बेद पुरान भनंता॥
माता पुनि बोली सो मति डोली, तजहु तात यह रूपा।
कीजै सिसुलीला अति प्रियसीला, यह सुख परम अनूपा॥
kaha dui kara jorī astuti torī kehi bidhi karauṁ anaṁtā।
māyā guna gyānātīta amānā beda purāna bhanaṁtā॥
mātā puni bolī so mati ḍolī, tajahu tāta yaha rūpā।
kījai sisulīlā ati priyasīlā, yaha sukha parama anūpā॥
Queen Kaushalya first worshipped Him, sang His glories, then implored Him to appear as a baby instead of in His divine form as a Father of all. She also requested Him to make her forget she had seen Him as a God. Shri Ram is divine kalptaru. He grants every wish of His God-realized saints.
सुनि बचन सुजाना रोदन ठाना, होइ बालक सुरभूपा।
suni bacana sujānā rodana ṭhānā, hoi bālaka surabhūpā।
He then transformed into a baby. Unlike ordinary children, he didn’t cry at birth. Instead, He smiled first, and later acted like a baby, and cried. He lived on earth for 11,000 years, performing many divine lilas before returning to His divine abode, Saket Lok.
Shri Ram descended on Earth to establish the ideals of Vedic Varnashram Dharma, showing the perfect way to fulfill roles like being a son, brother, king, and husband. That’s why he is called Maryada Purushottam Ram (Devanagari: मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम राम ISO15919: maryādā puruṣottama rāma), meaning the perfect man of honor.
He is known by many more names based on His lilas, such as:
- Suryavanshi (Devanagari: सूर्यवंशी ISO15919: sūryavaṁśī): From the Sun dynasty.
- Raghupati Raghav (Devanagari: रघुपति राघव ISO15919: raghupati rāghava): Lord of the Raghu's family.
- Raghavendara Sarkar (Devanagari: राघवेंद्र सरकार ISO15919: rāghaveṁdra sarakāra): Leader of the Raghu's family.
- Siyapati (Devanagari: सियापति ISO15919: siyāpati): Husband of Mother Sita.
- Dashrath Nandan (Devanagari: दशरथ नंदन ISO15919: daśaratha naṁdana): Son of King Dashrath.
For 11,000 years, Shri Ram performed divine lilas on Earth, leaving behind His name, places where He performed those lilas, and His form. Many seekers have used these to find spiritual bliss and achieve their ultimate goal of life.
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