Rama Rajya - राम राज्यम् (Reign of Shri Rama in Ayodhya)

 

The concept of Rama Rajya - राम राज्यम् (Reign of Shri Rama in Ayodhya) is being heard now, after the consecration of Shri Rama’s idol in Ayodhya on 22-1-2024.

Sage Valmiki mentioned about happy, peaceful life of the people in the reign of Shri Rama in the last Sarga of Yuddha Kanda.  The following sloka briefly narrates the life in Rama Rajya.

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्रा लोभविवर्जिताः |

स्वकर्मसु प्रवर्तन्ते तुष्ठाः स्वैरेव कर्मभिः || ६-१२८-१०५

आसन् प्रजा धर्मपरा रामे शासति नानृताः |

Brahmins (the priest-class), Kshatriyas (the warrior-class), Vaishyas (the class of merchants and agriculturists), Shudras (the servant-class) were performing their own duties, satisfied with their own work and bereft of any greed. While Rama was ruling, the people were intent on virtue and lived without telling lies.

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Translations into regional languages appeared in the subsequent periods.

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Shri Ranganatha Ramayanamu (శ్రీ రంగనాథ రామాయణము), a rendition of Valmiki's Rāmāyaṇa in Telugu language by the poet Ranganatha—also known as Gona Budda Reddy—between 1300 and 1310 CE,  gives similar idea about Rama Rajya.

నిండార ధర్మైకనిష్ఠతోఁ బదునొ - కొండువేలేండ్లు దా నుర్వి బాలించె;

బాలించి యేలుచోఁ బ్రజలు దు:ఖములఁ దూలరు దురితము ల్దుర్భిక్షతతులు

కలుగ వెయ్యెడలను గాలదోషములఁ జలియింపవెన్నఁడు సత్యధర్మములు;

పరహితాచార తాత్పర్యంబులెల్ల - పురుషులయందును బొలుపారుచుండు

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Though not exactly the same, but similar idea as to what Rama Rajya used to be, was mentioned by Goswami Tulsidas in his Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Valmiki's Rāmāyaṇa in the vernacular Awadhi language.

बरनाश्रम निज निज धरम निरत बेद पथ लोग

चलहिं सदा पावहिं सुखहि नहि भय सोक न रोग

When everyone lives according to the Dharma of their Varan and Ashram 0r when everyone does what they are supposed to do in their work and as per their stage in life as defined in the Vedas. When there is no fear, no sorrows, and no diseases

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Shri M.K. Gandhi  stated (19-9-1929) on his understanding of Rama Rajya, as follows;

“BY RAMARAJYA I do not mean Hindu Raj. I mean by Ramarajya Divine Raj, the Kingdom of God. For me Rama and Rahim are one and the same deity. I acknowledge no other God but the one God of truth and righteousness.

Whether Rama of my imagination ever lived or not on this earth, the ancient ideal of Ramarajya is undoubtedly one of true democracy in which the meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice without an elaborate and costly procedure. Even the dog is described by the poet to have received justice under Ramarajya.”

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Shri GEORGE JOSEPH, M.A., BAR-AT-LAW (5 June 1887 – 5 March 1938), a lawyer, Indian independence activist and one of the earliest and among the most prominent Syrian Christians from Kerala to join the freedom struggle, criticised Gandhian model of Rama Rajya in July-August 1931, which perhaps used by many subsequent persons to criticise the concept of Rama Rajya itself.

His criticism of Gandhian model of Rama Rajya, in brief is as follows;

·       It means self-contained villages, a primitive rural economy, ploughing by men and spinning by women, no machinery.

·       There will be an all-pervading doctrine of Swadeshi, whereby each village should be content with the articles it produces and the handicrafts-men who produce them

·       There will be no such thing as foreign trade

·       Machinery being discouraged and non-violence being the creed of the nation, the Indian Army will not be equipped with modern arms

·       There will be no modern hospitals because medicine and surgery, as we know it today

·       Government will vest in the hands of moderately-paid men who will be just and wise and with a continuous regard to the poor and oppressed

·       No room is allowed in this scheme for the common human experience that the vast majority of men and women are prone to sin and error, greed and personal self-seeking, and that they can be kept in order and decent behaviour only by an external authority that is pledged to the laying down of laws and their enforcement

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Now, the following questions may arise, with reference to the Rama Rajya.

·       What is actually meant by Rama Rajya? 

·       What are the driving forces of that concept?

·       Whether such rule did not happen earlier to Shri Rama?

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In order to understand the concept of Rama Rajya, we have to understand the vision of the rishis or sages of India, who used to guide the kings and the people from the behind, for happy and prosperous life materialistically as well as to progress SPIRITUALLY.

The rishis or sages of India found that in order to minimise all types of arguments/fightings among the humans, it is advisable to regulate the basic thinking of the humans based on the ETERNAL DIVINE VALUES,ie., TRUTH and DHARMA.

If the rulers lead their lives based on the ETERNAL DIVINE VALUES,ie., TRUTH and DHARMA, the common people will follow the rulers life, so that their materialistic living will be smooth.

Further, this type of living will automatically opens up the higher levels of SPIRITUALITY.

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We have to understand that even in the ancestors of Shri Rama followed the same line of thinking.  However, these qualities reached their heights in Shri Rama.

These ideas were not covered exhaustively in the last Sarga of Yuddha Kanda, but were dealt with in the 2^nd Sarga of Ayodhya Kanda, when King Dasarath proposes in the Royal Assembly, his idea of coronation of Shri Rama as the crown prince.

कथं नु मयि धर्मेण पृथिवीमनुशासति |

भवन्तो द्रष्टुमिच्छन्ति युवराजं ममात्मजम् || २-२-२५

"Why do you desire to see my son as the prince, when I am ruling this earth with righteousness?"

ते तमूचुर्महात्मानं पौरजानपदैः सह |

बहवो नृप कल्याणा गुणाः पुत्रस्य सन्ति ते || २-२-२६

Those kings together with urban and rural citizens after hearing those words spoke to the great soul Dasaratha as follows: "Oh king! Your son Rama has many auspicious virtues".

गुणान् गुणवतो देव देवकल्पस्य धीमतः |

प्रियानानन्ददान् कृत्स्नान् प्रवक्ष्यामोऽद्यतान् शृणु || २-२-२७

"Oh king! We shall tell you now the various virtues of your wise son, listen to them. His qualities are equal to those of celestials. They are liked by all. They give happiness to all."

दिव्यैर्गुणैः शक्रसमो रामः सत्यपराक्रमः |

इक्ष्वाकुभ्योऽपि सर्वेभ्यो ह्यतिरिक्तो विशांपते || २-२-२८

"Oh king! Rama is equal to Devendra in heavenly qualities. He has true valor. He is greater than all the kings born in Ikshvaaku clan."

रामः सत्पुरुषो लोके सत्यधर्मपरायणः |

साक्षाद्रामाद्विनिर्वृत्तो धर्मश्चापि श्रिया सह || २-२-२९

"Rama is the world renowned gentleman. He is keenly interested in truth and righteousness. Only Rama can make both righteousness and wealth combine without separation."

धर्मज्ञः सत्यसन्धश्च शीलवाननसूयकः |

क्षान्तः सान्त्वयिता श्लक्ष्ह्णः कृतज्ञो विजितेन्द्रियः || २-२-३१

"Rama knows all righteousness. He is true to his word and has good character. He has no envy. He has patience. He consoles those who are in troubles. He speaks good words. He has gratitude. He keeps senses under control."

मृदुश्च स्थिरचित्तश्च सदा भव्योऽनसूयकः |

प्रियवादी च भूतानां सत्यवादी च राघवः || २-२-३२

बहुश्रुतानां वृद्धानां ब्राह्मणानामुपासिता |

तेना स्येहातुला कीर्तिर्यशस्तेजश्च वर्धते || २-२-३३

"Rama is soft natured; has stable mind, always an auspicious man, and has no envy. He speaks truthful and loving words to all living beings. He worships aged Brahmans endued with the knowledge of various sciences. By that, his name, glory and splendor are growing in this world."

देवासुरमनुष्याणां सर्वास्त्रेषु विशारदः |

सम्यग्विद्याव्रतस्नातो यथावत्साङ्गेवेदवित् || २-२-३४

"He is skilled in the use of various weapons known to celestials, demons and men. He has duly concluded his vow of studying the various sciences and has systematically learnt all the Vedas along with its branches. "

द्विजैरभिविनीतश्च श्रेष्ठैर्धर्मार्थनैपुणैः |

यदा व्रजति संग्रामं ग्रामार्थे नगरस्य वा || २-२-३६

गत्वा सौमित्रिसहितो नाविजित्य निवर्तते |

"Rama was trained in all matters from the best of Brahmans skilled in the art of righteousness and in the science of political economy. If it is necessary to go to a battle to protect a village or a city, Rama goes with Lakshmana and returns home only after obtaining victory."

व्यसनेषु मनुष्याणां भृशं भवति दुःखितः || २-२-४०

उत्सवेषु च सर्वेषु पितेव परितुष्यति |

"Rama feels very sad towards afflictions of men; and feels delighted in all functions celebrated by people on the occasions of child birth and the like, just as their own father does."

प्रजापालनतत्त्वज्ञो न रागोपहतेन्द्रियः || २-२-४४

शक्तस्त्रैलोक्यमप्येको भोक्तुं किं नु महीमिमाम् |

"He knew the ins and outs of public administration. His senses are not afflicted by passion. He is capable of administering not only earth, but also the three worlds."

नाऽस्य क्रोधः प्रसादश्च निरर्थोऽस्ति कदाचन || २-२-४५

हन्त्येव नियमाद्वध्यानवध्ये च न कुप्यति |

"Rama's anger or mercy is not arbitrary at any time. He kills those who are to be slain as per rules. He is not angered at the innocent."

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Can we expect backward thinking like prohibition of foreign trade/advancements in machinery  and depending upon only rural economy, as apprehended by Shri GEORGE JOSEPH, M.A., BAR-AT-LAW and some others, in Rama Rajya, when Shri Rama was described to have obtained DIVINE missiles and interested in the welfare of his subjects?

It is advisable to read the original Ramayana by all concerned.