As per original story of Ramayana, composed by
Sage Valmiki, Shri Rama was projected as the prince of Kosala Kingdom,
- a
follower of Vedic practices
- an
adherent to TRUTH and Dharma,
- unvanquished
warrior in a battle,
- an
obedient son, who abdicated his right to kingdom, in order to save his
father’s word given by his father to another wife
- a
Guru to his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana.
However, Shri Rama was not projected as
the incarnation of Vishnu, which was a subsequent development.
——
Rig Veda emphasises the importance adherence
to TRUTH and DHARMA - Ṛta (ऋतम्),
which is sine qua non for any spiritual aspirant.
If viewed from an ordinary person’s
perspective, adherence to TRUTH and DHARMA provides stability to the
smooth functioning of the society.
—-
Sage Valmiki was the follower of Vedic
practices.
Hence, with a view to communicate the Rig Vedic
lofty concept of adherence to TRUTH and DHARMA - Ṛta (ऋतम्), he chose the life of Shri Rama, and composed
Ramayana.
Normally, ordinary people will follow a
strong, positive role model, for rectifying defects/mistakes in their
personal lives.
The life of Shri Rama, thus, present a perfect
role model, as an ideal son, husband, brother, friend and a warrior.
For Example:
a) Even Mareecha, who was a demon and thrown
into the ocean by the power of Shri Rama’s weapon, acknowledges that Shri Rama was an embodiment of
TRUTH, DHARMA, OBEDIENCE, AND VALOUR.
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः साधुः सत्य पराक्रमः |
राजा
सर्वस्य
लोकस्य
देवानाम्
इव
वासवः
|| ३-३७-१३
Rama is the embodiment of righteousness,
truthfulness, obedience, valour, and as with Indra to all gods he is the king
of entire world.
b) Sage Valmiki wanted to communicate the
result of adherence to TRUTH and DHARMA - Ṛta (ऋतम्), also.
During the bitter battle between Lakshmana and
Indrajit, when all DIVINE weapons failed to show impact in eliminating
Indrajit, Lakshmana invokes Aindrastra
and supplements it with the ascetic power of Shri Rama in adherence
to TRUTH and DHARMA and the fact of his status of an unconquered warrior.
That ascetic power of Shri Rama in adherence
to TRUTH and DHARMA and the fact of his status of an unconquered warrior
eliminates Indirajit.
धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामो दाशरथिर्यदि || ९०-६-७१
पौरुषे
चाप्रतिद्वन्द्वस्तदेनं जहि रावणिम् |
O my dear arrow! If Rama the son of
Dasaratha has set his mind on virtue, keeps up his promise and is second to
none in his prowess, destroy this Indrajit.
——
The original story starts with the Birth of
Shri Rama, and ends with his return to Ayodhya after eliminating his wife
Sita’s abductor Ravana, along with his army, and his coronation as the King of
Kosala Kingdom.
With the advent of a new method of viewing this EPIC, composed
with the purpose of communicating to the world the importance of adherence
to TRUTH and DHARMA, in a Bhakti angle, some people inserted
the following episodes, elevating Shri Rama as the incarnation of Vishnu.
a) Many episodes in Bala Kanda (part-1)
and (part-2).
b) Disowning of Sita by Shri Rama and Sita
Agnipravesha, and
-----
The main problem with this shifting the focus
of the story of Shri Rama from being an adherent to TRUTH and DHARMA to the incarnation
of Vishnu, is that it made people concentrate on Bhakti alone, but not tuning their lives in adherence
to TRUTH and DHARMA.
