SRI RAMA: THE SUPREME EXEMPLAR OF APPLIED RELIGION
On this blessed occasion of Sri Raamnavami, let us imbibe in the ideal, the glory and ever living truth that Lord Sri Raam is to the universe. As a Sanatanee Hindu let us be proud of oyur Raam. Happy Raam Navami!
What the Hindu and Indian civilization owe to Sri Rama cannot really be estimated. Though no one has even taken an inventory of what Sri Rama has done for us, yet we seem to have always been aware of what we owe to Him. So, for ages we have cherished Him in our heart—talked about Him, sung His glories, chanted His name, gone on pilgrimage to places associated with His life and acts. All of these indicate how dearly we, the Hindus, cherish Him.
It is really amazing how one person’s life and teachings can have such a powerful living inspiration for millions of people down the ages. In the Valmiki Ramayana we read of the prophesy of Brahma: “As long as the hills stand and rivers flow upon earth, so long will the story of Rama be current in all parts of the world.” 
As time rolls on, Rama’ story continues to be narrated in a large number of languages. Age of technology and technocracy has not dimmed Rama’s popularity. Millions of people read or hear some literature on him; millions more constantly take His name while rising and going to bed, in sorrow or despair, wonder or joy, on birth and death, on meeting and parting. ‘Ram Ram’: this is Hinduism most understood language, philosophy, inspiration and medicine for the sufferings of life. What is the secret of Rama’s such unquestioned abiding hold on people’s hearts, his power over changing passions and fashions of time?
One of the secrets seems to be that Rama fulfills everyone’s dream of perfection in a most pleasing and satisfactory manner. In one person Rama is the ideal son, ideal brother, ideal husband, ideal friend, ideal hero, ideal soldier, ideal teacher and ideal king. Man longs for an ideal to fulfill his deficiency. As the ideal, Rama simultaneously satisfies the diverse needs of man.
The second and more important secret is that Rama is the supreme exemplifier of applied religion. Every person in his heart knows that one does not live without food or by food alone, but needs the food of the spirit. And in search of that food he is always in difficulty. The difficulty of the Hindu is all the more in this regard for he has the stupendous good luck of having so many scriptures which can have a common man’s little mind completely confused as to how one should live according to religion in many fields of life making conflicting demands.
In this difficulty, Rama comes to man as the dynamic savior, who acts in our world and shows how Dharma has to be lived or believed. He is no theoretician, theologian. He is a man of action. He preaches through conduct, shows through doing that Dharma is highly practical and beneficial. Indeed, religion is the application in life of the highest and noblest thought of man.
Some of the phenomenon that is Rama is done from many rewarding contexts. Our study will be simply on “Rama as the supreme exemplar of applied religion.” The source is Valmiki Ramayana.
Religion is a mere word if it is not applied in life. Applied religion is when Truth (Satyam) and Righteousness (Dharma) become involuntary habit patterns and conduct in the life of a person. Of this, Sri Rama is the supreme exemplifier, so much so that every movement or action of Rama amounts to Satya Prakasha—revelation of truth. And Dharma Pratishtha—establishment of righteousness, to the extent that what Rama does, that is Dharma, and what Rama does not do, that is Adharma, negation of Dharma. It should be clearly borne in mind that applied religion does not mean a kind of watered down religion, but making the true, pure and transcendental religion flow in every detail of life or making every moment of our thought and action responsive and responsible to the principles of essential religion.
In Rama’s exemplification, the highest spiritual principles become like spontaneous inhalation and exhalation of breath. Rama has crystallized the essence of Sanatana or Vaidic Dharma. In this sense, he is Veda Purusha. He embodies or personifies the quintessence of the Vedas.
The first and foremost among Rama’s qualities is His roopa—the personal beauty and charm of His appearance. Valmiki describes Him as extremely charming to look at and gives the etymology of His name as the delighter of all. Says Valmiki: “He captivates the mind and heart of men by His beauty and magnanimity and is most pleasing to look at.” From the standpoint of God’s mission, the avatara’s mission among mankind, Rama’s personal charm is about the finest strategy of applied religion.
Rama is so captivating that He compels attention and adoration. One becomes then the captive of the deliverer. By dwelling on Rama’s form, one gets weaned away from all enticing distractions of the world; the mind becomes lovingly concentrated on the Lord and meditation becomes the spontaneous movement of the mind. To His personal charm is added His natural majesty, which easily inspires confidence.
Next to His personal beauty come the sweetness and charm of His speech. Valmiki repeatedly says (also Tulsidas) that Rama spoke first when He met another, (not being stuck up in His own importance), and spoke most endearingly, and always prefaced His words with beatific smile. Tyagaraja, the mystic musician says: “The sweetness of Rama’s speech surpass that of sugar candy.” In another song he says: “How wonderful is your power of winning people by sweet words, suited exactly to the person addressed.” The sweetness of Rama’s words did not depend on the art of using words. It was the natural result of His attained perfection in what has been called the austerity of speech. He always uttered such words that caused no vexation, were true, agreeable and beneficial. Besides, He was the master of the Vedas and the very embodiment of Vedic Dharma.
Rama lived through critical, controversial and unusual situations of life. Through all such situations in which man easily drops Truth or even decency in language, Rama used the charm of His words in order to see that Dharma prevailed. That He was the very personification of Dharma is manifested through whatever happened in his life.
Gold is gold all over. It is not that one particle of it could be mud. Rama is Rama all over. He is Rama in fullness even in one hour’s action as through His life. Rama, the avatara, does His work of Dharma samsthaapana, establishment of righteousness, more through spontaneous conduct than through didactic discourse. As the world teacher, he teaches more by behaving that by discoursing. In the ultimate analysis, a teacher can impress the taught only to the extent of what he is, and not so much to the extent of how he talks. And what a teacher is, is best known by the manner of his carrying himself through a situation –by the ways of his reaction to the unexpected, and when he is taken unawares. This is the secret of Rama’s sweeping and enduring influence on Hindus.
Rama shows by doing, and not doing for showing. When Dasaratha sent round the first feeler as regard Rama’s coronation, all the advisers of the court unanimously said something significant,–that Rama never returned unsuccessful from any undertaking. In other words, Rama has proved himself to be very practical and successful person.
On the morning he was to be crowned, he was asked to go into exile for fulfilling the truth of His father’s word. If Lakshmana could have his way, he would have killed the doting old king. But how wonderful is Rama as the ideal son. He made no secret of His inner feelings. With persuasive firmness, Rama said to Lakshmana: “Your love for me and valour I know; my mother’s grief, poignant as it is, takes no note of the bearings of truth and peace; father has made a promise and the word has to be kept; it is on the word of father that Kaikeyi has asked me to go. Abandon, therefore, this ignoble military mind; resort to Dharma (righteousness) and not to violence; follow my mind.”
Seeing Lakshmana still agitated, Rama said words, which he alone knew how to speak on such an occasion. And these words substantially outline his practical philosophy of life: “Of virtue, material gain and desire, all three are secured by safeguarding the first, i.e. virtue or Dharma; to seek only material gain or to be solely addicted to desire is not praiseworthy. Get over this insult; take your mind on good cheer; let our father save himself from danger of transgressing truth and losing the other world. It is only by my departure that Kaikeyi will be happy. I have decided to and prepared my mind for it and I do not propose to do violence on myself; I shall leave quickly. Take it that a higher power is responsible for this and not Kaikeyi.”
Rama knew that His own mother, Kausalya, was always ill-treated by Dasaratha. He knew His father was a henpecked husband of Kaikeyi. Yet he said father is the visible God on earth—for he was the root to whom he owed everything. So there was nothing in the world that he would not do for his father’s honour and pleasure. This worshipful regard of Rama for parents, though we may not be aware of it, has been the spring of inspiration, which has sustained our noblest family traditions and filial relationship down the ages.
When Kaikeyi snatched away his throne, he did not utter one word of anger, for the simple reason he had no anger in his heart. He simply complained that with all her authority on him she could have herself commanded him, instead bothering the king with this. While leaving Kaikeyi’s apartment, he prostrated himself before Dasaratha and also Kaikeyi knowing fully well what she was engaged in doing.
Such was his unfailing courtesy to a woman whom all Ayodhya was cursing. Valmiki carefully points out that when Rama heard for the first time about the exile, he left Kaikeyi’s room with his natural cheerfulness undisturbed; his head held high. He was not a downcast man.
What does this act of Rama hold for the world—a Prince, used to palace luxuries and ministrations of a youthful loving wife, to proceed to the forest on exile at an hour’s notice? Rama’s instantaneous readiness to immediately proceed into exile placed before the wondering world the highest example of several attained perfection in one stroke. Here we find the example of absolute renunciation, absolute unconcern for self-interest, absolute self-sacrifice and absolute fearlessness. No amount of discoursing, no reading of ‘learned’ volumes could cause on us this impression which Rama makes in this moment of truth. Hindus have never forgotten this and will never forget. Seeing this act of Rama, Hindus have taken courage down the ages to do heroic acts of the application of Dharma in life.
Fourteen years of perilous life in the forest were complete. Sita had been recovered. On the way to Ayodhya, Rama stopped at Bharadwaja’s ashram. Looking in the direction of Ayodhya and in deep thought Rama called Haumaan and said: “Go and see if all is well at the place; first call on Guha and tell his of my welfare; he is a friend of mine who I regard as equal to my own self; from there he would direct you to Ayodhya where you would meet Bharata. Tell Bharata everything and report to me how he reacts to the news and what attitude he bears to me. Observe closely indications of speech, face appearance, etc.—for a kingdom like this may convert anybody’s mind. If he shows a desire for the kingdom, let him rule.”
Of course, Hanumaan found Bharata as the truest brother-in-spirit of Rama. But what is to be noted is that Rama was ever ready not to claim the throne even after fulfilling the promise of his father’s boon to Kaikeyi and vindicating his honour.
That much criticized and regretted incident of Rama’s abandonment of Sita in the forest when she was carrying Lava and Kusha in her womb was indeed a mighty oblation of himself in the sacrificial fire of Dharma. Rama himself explained his controversial deed in these pithy words: “The life of a ruler is to be guided by public duty and not by private inclination.” The world does not require proving the fact that Rama loved Sita more than himself. Yet if Rama put Sita through the fire ordeal, it was because gold required proving, and if he renounced Sita after moving heaven and earth for her sake, it was because he loved Dharma even more than Sita. If he were not ready to sacrifice everything, pluck out even his own heart for the sake of Dharma, as he did in banishing Sita, he would not be Rama. He would then have been a mere hero of a comedy. We would then not worship him.
Sita was not mere wife of Rama, but the partner in righteousness—saha –dharmini—the partner in the establishment of righteousness. If Rama did this in a particular way, that was the need of the time and should be viewed in that context.
Another great quality through which Rama, being effective as the exemplar of applied religion is made possible, in his totally unself-conscious easy accessibility. Though a born aristocratic, an incarnation of manifold perfection, he does not inspire awe and create distance between himself and people, but inspires love and loyalty. And loyalty to Rama means loyalty to Dharma. In many passages of the Ramayana, his remarkably easy accessibility is to be seen.
As he returns from an engagement, he alights and enquires after the welfare of every citizen as if they were his own kith and kin. His cordial accessibility is so well illustrated by his behavior toward Guha, Sabari, and the Vanaras. When after the fall of Ravana Sita was being conducted to his presence, Vibhishana chased away the Vanaras who were rushing to see Sita for whom they have fought the bitter battle. This pained Rama very much and he reprimanded Vibhishana for his high-handedness. He asked Sita to get down from the palanquin and walk towards the Vanaras and claim them as her own people.
Easy accessibility was so spontaneous with Rama that he treated everybody equally. He comes down to the level of everyone, and he becomes everyone’s own with all that he is. He is everyone’s equal, but remains the arya, the noble and righteous. Rama belongs to the people in most real and pervasive sense as an uplifting power. Hence, his inspiration has been the mightiest influence for raising the moral standard of a whole nation down the ages.
But Valmiki lays the greatest emphasis on Rama’s two most important virtues signified by the word dharmaatma, whose very soul is righteousness, and satyasandha, determined in truth. Dharma is Rama’s very soul, and the soul of his every word, thought and action is Dharma. It is mainly for the exemplification of the ways of Dharma that Rama assumed the human form. Dharma in Rama’s ministry became dynamic action, sometimes even controversial action. Eyebrows have been raised to the propriety for the killing of Bali. Why Rama did not hesitate to shed blood when saving the soul was the question.
Sexual immorality is one of the most corrupting factors which destroys the moral fibre of a people. Rama became the supreme exemplifier of sexual purity by his inspiring practice of absolute fidelity to one wife for all life, ekapatnitva. When Bharata returned from his maternal uncle’s home, he asked Kaikeyi why Rama had been banished to the forest, and whether he had violated the person of a woman. Kaikeyi told Bharata: “The wives of others Rama does not even see with his eyes.” One who was working at the very roots of a religious culture of a people for its betterment had, therefore, to do something exemplary by way of absolute repudiating the practice of incest in any form. And Bali was guilty of it.
Besides, to die at the hands of the Lord incarnate upon earth was not destruction, but liberation. Rama had the divine authority to devise his own means of establishing Dharma as well as liberating souls. He does not sentimentalize on piety but he revolutionizes religion and the pursuit of it.
In his treating of Ravana on the battlefield, Rama evinced the most magnanimous heart. When Ravana was nearly defeated, he asked him to go and return refreshed. When Vibhishana refused to performed Ravana’s Shraaddha ceremony, he said he would himself perform it. How can anyone forget these acts of charity, after having once seen them being practiced at these crucial hours of life?
Last but not least comes Rama’s devotion to truth. Rama never spoke twice; once he spoke, he carried it out; he never went back upon his words. Nothing in the world, no weight of authority, no lilt of language, no persuasion of sentiment, no fear of uncertainty, no prospect of insecurity could influence him to deviate from truth. When Bharata came to Chitrakuta with all his counselors, to say with all Ayodhya, to persuade him to return, Rama was match for everyone and more. With sweet reasonableness he proved how the best course of everyone’s well-being lay in treading the path of truth without equivocation. One of the counselors, sage Jabali tried to use materialistic arguments to see if Rama could somehow be induced to return. Rama repudiated his arguments and defined his own position in memorable words: “Character alone reveals a man. Truth and kindness form the eternal principles of kingly conduct; the state embodies truth; truth is all in all; prosperity goes only with truth; there is nothing greater than truth; not out of avarice, not out of delusion, not out of ignorance will I break the bounds of truth. That policy which the low, cruel, avaricious and the criminal resort to, I shun as vice in the cloak of virtue, with my five senses contented, I lead my life in this world, without deceit, with faith in values, and with competence to distinguish right from wrong.”
This thunder of Rama is on our head, on our soul, on our conscience.
He calls them low, avaricious, cruel and criminal who knowingly resort to untruth in any form; low, because such a person cannot find the higher path; avaricious, because he is devoid of self-control; cruel, because he inflicts great pain and sufferings on himself and others; criminal because he does the dacoity— dacoity on the welfare of society.
Today, our system of values has reached to such a low level that many of us cannot just anymore tell the right from the wrong, truth from untruth. Nothing disturbs our moral sense, for that sense is dead altogether. If we do not have a moral sense, we cannot have a civic sense. And if we are going to have a democracy without civic sense, we will have the government of a type under which a people tends to disintegrate. They are not to blame, however. For are they not all our representative? Indeed they are!
Rama said: “I live with my five senses contented.” None of our sense is contented; they are burning with the fire of lust, as the Buddha said in his famous sermon. Rama said: “I have faith in virtues.” Well, we too have tremendous faith, but mostly in the two lower values of artha (wealth) and kama (pleasure). Our development plans which are devoid of concern for Dharma (righteousness) or Moksha (liberating the spirit) will tell us the story of our fall. Rama said: “I live with the competent to distinguish right from wrong.” With most of us, there is no more any dividing line between two. Rama said he would never forsake Truth and Dharma for any prize here or hereafter. But the first things we are ready to drop under the slightest provocation or temptation are Truth and Dharma. The world today is passing through the travail caused by our massive deviation from the clear principles of applied religion, which Rama taught us so convincingly through his supreme exemplification.
In a beautiful way, saint Tyagaraja sums up in a song the essence of Rama’s personality as matchless prowess, chastity and truth of words. As he puts it: “one arrow, one woman and one word.”
Rama teaches us to have all the power and strength, and also all the wisdom and self-control to use that power for the good of humanity. We must recapture the virtue of chastity, to be truthful in thought, word and deed. Devotees of Rama are very many, but many are satisfied with the ceremonial piety of only singing the name and glories of Rama. To the extent we do this is good, no doubt. But infinitely more will we gain—and there is the greatest need for this gain as we are called upon to live through this most demanding times of history—if we would practice the five principles of applied religion which Rama taught by living:
- Purity of personal life,
- Strength and fearlessness,
- Ethical conduct through all situations of life,
- Sacrificial and sacramental living,
Our devotion to Rama must be combined with the practice of spiritual principles exemplified by Rama. And this world will not then be big enough to contain our beneficent power.
Original source of article acknowledged.
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