RAMA - THE ONE TRUE IDENTITY OF INDIA

Before I start with this article let me clearly state that this is not a report on the history and battle of Ram Temple site, so don’t expect facts, figures, a lot of dates, official judgements etc. Today is an emotional for me not only as a Hindu but also an Indian, so this article will be more emotional than informative. If you still to keen to know the facts of the matter google ram temple dispute and follow up the link provided by Wikipedia, ignore the part where Wiki asks for donation and then read the entire twenty minute article. You will have more facts than your digestion capacity.

This article is about how Ram is more than a mythical figure or God for this country. How he is important for every fabric that binds this nation together. How he is ethos of diversity in Indian diaspora. How he is the emblem of the ‘SANSKRITI’ that unites Indian Democracy. How he is important to India’s constitution that talks about liberty, sovereignty, freedom and equality. How Ram is the ONE TRUE IDENTITY OF INDIA.

INTRODUCTION

So who is Rama and why do we know about him? What about him is so different that even after centuries of cultural suppression he is still the single most important cultural, mythological and with permission of sold out left wing historians historical figure of Indian Diaspora. Well let’s find out –

So Rama who has been mentioned in several texts that span across different religions including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism , Sikhism etc. he is mainly evident from the accounts of RAMAYANA a text created and recreated by several writers most prominent and oldest being Maharshi Valmiki. Now although no exact date has been given about how ancient these texts are but some real historians unlike ones like Zainab Sikander label them back to 3rd century C.E.

The Ramayana is one of the largest ancient epics in world literature. It consists of nearly 24,000 verses (mostly set in the Shloka/Anustubh meter), divided into six Kands (Adi (Bala) Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundara Kand, Lanka Kand) and about 500 sargas (chapters). Uttar Kand which is also read today in the Ramayana is a part of Kakbhusundi Garud Samvad and is not a part of original Valmiki Ramayana. In Hindu tradition, it is considered to be the Adi-kavya (first poem). It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal husband and the ideal king. Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life and culture.

But more on Ramayana and its impact in universal unification later first let’s talk about Rama and only Rama. Rama a king of the Ikshvaku-Raghu lineage and the Raghuvanshi dynasty , Fourth in his name and 58th in the Ikshvaku dynasty was born ninth day of the lunar month Chaitra (March–April), a day celebrated across India as Ram Navami. This coincides with one of the four Navratri on the Hindu calendar, in the spring season, namely the Vasanth Navratri. He was born to third king of Raghuvanshi linage Dasharatha and his first queen Kaushalya. Dasharatha was the king of Kosala empire residing in the capital city of Ayodhya. Rama later earned this kingdom and ruled over it. So what, you may argue there have been millions of dynasties and many more kings. They why is Rama the only one significant.

The Answer is his life , his journey and his conduct throughout that journey.

His journey is explained in the Ramayana through seven kands or parts namely the Balkand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Yuddha Kand and finally Uttar Kand.

Lets scale though this magical journey and analyze it in the upcoming section.

THE MAGICAL JOURNEY AND MY ANALYSIS

Dasharatha was the King of Ayodhya. He had three wives: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. He was childless for a long time and anxious to have an heir, so he performs a fire sacrifice known as Putra-Kameshti Yajna. As a consequence, Rama was first born to Kaushalya, Bharata was born to Kaikeyi, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born to Sumitra. These sons are endowed, to various degrees, with the essence of the Supreme Trinity Entity Vishnu; Vishnu had opted to be born into mortality to combat the demon Ravana, who was oppressing the gods, and who could only be destroyed by a mortal. The boys were reared as the princes of the realm, receiving instructions from the scriptures and in warfare from Vashistha.

Rama’s childhood although unlike most of the children in Indian hinterland today was still relatable in many ways. He had to leave comforts of his home in order to educate himself in all trades that will enable him to administer his kingdom, a practice still regarded highly in the Indian subcontinent. His principles which he followed while educating himself are still considered compulsory for a good education. To leave our home, respect our teachers, to maintain a balance in work and play, to emphasize equally on value education with academic knowledge, the principles of stress and stress management all are mentioned in the Balkand of Ramayana. Rama lead a childhood which resonates with most of Indian youth mostly educating himself but the fact that he perfected the sutra to a perfect education is actually what made him special.

When Rama was 16 years old, sage Vishwamitra came to the court of Dasharatha in search of help against demons who were disturbing sacrificial rites. He chose Rama, who is followed by Lakshmana, his constant companion throughout the story. Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions and supernatural weapons from Vishwamitra and proceed to destroy Tataka and many other demons. There is also mention of Ahilya who due to a curse had turned to stone and Rama through the touch of his feet revived her soul.

This is the beginning of Rama’s extraordinary journey. His power was always ample enough to destroy anything but how he weaves this destructive energy is the real reason this quest turned out to be the greatest in Indian mythology and with no respect to people like Ramachandra Guha Indian history.

Janaka was the King of Mithila. One day, a female child was found in the field by the King in the deep furrow dug by his plough. Overwhelmed with joy, the King regarded the child as a "miraculous gift of God". The child was named Sita, the Sanskrit word for furrow. Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm. The King had decided that whoever could lift and wield the heavy bow, presented to his ancestors by Shiva, could marry Sita. Sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila to show the bow. Then Rama desires to lift it and goes on to wield the bow and when he draws the string, it broke. Marriages were arranged between the sons of Dasharatha and daughters of Janaka.

The destruction of Shiva’s bow by Rama was again an event that should be remembered not for his immense power but for his wise dealing with angry Parshuram. How Ram not only convinced Parshuram of through his logical and rational arguments has been aptly described in the Ramayana. The same trait that is taught in every professional field from administration to management. A trait so significant that its absence is considered a major flaw in one’s personality. Rama is the perfect answer to the question on why Indian’s do so well when it comes to expression and speech and why are Indian corporates and managers regarded so highly in the entire world. Moving on…..

Then follows the sad part, I will cut this long story short as I want to emphasize more on its implications rather than the story. And above all if you don’t know the story of Rama’s exile while you live in India then its better you search for company of Ashok Swain and Rana Ayyub, you may get a chance to teach in a foreign university and spread hatred about India or you may get a job at Washington post and then spread hatred about India. Well lets not deviate from the issue, so Kaikey’s self-ambition forces Rama and Sita to go on fourteen year exile into the forests.

I think this is the most important part of the story even though it does not include any of Rama’s extraordinary or mystical feats. This is the part which actually shows who Rama really is, the part which actually makes him a God and separates him from normal human beings like us. Imagine someone taking your entire property and then forcing you to leave everything even your clothes and go to a place with absolutely nothing but wilderness. You will either fight this out legally or commit a crime something like a culpable homicide. But Rama according to the Ramayana put his head down and accepted as if he was being offered elixir. This part which is borderline to Ayodhya and Aranya Kand is according to me the part where “ India accepts Rama as the one true Identity of Indian society.”

The further journey shows more shades of Rama’s personality and different situations which test a different skillset but the part where he deals with each and every one of these situations with utmost perfection and poise is what earns him the title of “ MARYADAPURSHOTTAM” the one who never leaves the path of modesty.

Further the story explores the part where after thirteen years of exile Surpnakha comes into picture. Again I will cut short the story and emphasize more on Rama. So the confrontation with Surpnakha makes Ravana furious and hence he abducts Sita. Now Rama knowing that he needs to act quickly shows utmost level of patience first while dealing with Bali and then with Sugreev. He shows his power when he threatens the ocean in his to give away path but then to save marine life residing in the Samudra he finds out another way. A trait of analytical and comprehensive decision making something which is really important when you try to make a career in management .

Further his journey describes war and events that take place during it. At one point Rama destroys every weapon in Ravan’s bag but then does not kill him as it is not honorable to fight someone with no weapon in hand. It was Rama’s principles of war that centuries later inspired leaders like Gandhi and inspired him to emphasize on the tools of Satyagraha and Ahimsa. It was Gandhi’s vision of Ram Rajya that provoked him to fight for independence of India.

If we leave the Uttar Kand which was supposedly added later by different people and word of mouth this was the entire analysis of Rama’s life. I am not picking up Uttar Kand as it concentrates less on Rama and more on his future generations.

Now lets talk about how Ramayana as a epic Unites India and the world with India….

HOW RAMAYANA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INDIAN UNIFICTAION

I guess Ramayana is single most recreated, retold and replicated story in the Indian subcontinent. It has broken the barrier of language and religion, it has retold with different characters, backgrounds and cultural identities across each and every part of this large country. Each section of the Indian diaspora knows a different version of Ramayana.

During the 12th century, Kamban wrote Ramavataram, known popularly as Kambaramayanam in Tamil, but references to Ramayana story appear in Tamil literature as early as 3rd century CE. A Telugu version, Ranganatha Ramayanam, was written by Gona Budda Reddy in the 14th century. The earliest translation to a regional Indo-Aryan language is the early 14th century Saptakanda Ramayana in Assamese by Madhava Kandali. Valmiki's Ramayana inspired Sri Ramacharit Manas by Tulsidas in 1576, an epic Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi) version with a slant more grounded in a different realm of Hindu literature, that of bhakti; it is an acknowledged masterpiece of India, popularly known as Tulsi-krita Ramayana. Gujarati poet Premanand wrote a version of the Ramayana in the 17th century. Other versions include Krittivasi Ramayan, a Bengali version by Krittibas Ojha in the 15th century; Vilanka Ramayana by 15th century poet Sarala Dasa and Dandi Ramayana (also known as Jagamohana Ramayana) by 16th century poet Balarama Dasa, both in Odia; a Torave Ramayana in Kannada by 16th-century poet Narahari; Adhyathmaramayanam, a Malayalam version by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in the 16th century; in Marathi by Sridhara in the 18th century; in Maithili by Chanda Jha in the 19th century; and in the 20th century, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu's Sri Ramayana Darshanam in Kannada.

In the Buddhist variant of the Ramayana (Dasharatha Jataka), Dasharatha was king of Benares and not Ayodhya. Rama (called Rāmapaṇḍita in this version) was the son of Kaushalya, first wife of Dasharatha. There is a Jain version of the story too which recounts the tale with a different supporting cast.

In Guru Granth Sahib, there is a description of two types of Ramayana. One is a spiritual Ramayana which is the actual subject of Guru Granth Sahib, in which Ravana is ego, Sita is budhi (intellect), Rama is inner soul and Laxman is mann (attention, mind).

Apart from this countries like Nepal also have their own versions of Ramayana. Even the country with largest percentage of Islamic population Indonesia has its own version of Ramayana. Apart from this Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and many more have their own different version of Ramayana.

What more evidence do we need to establish the fact that Ramayana as an epic is the reason not only for the reason for unification of Indian subcontinent but also for the international spread of the Hindustani culture.

WHY WAS A TEMPLE NECESSARY

Now this issue should be addressed. We know why does Indian population identify itself with Rama, but why did this population press so much for a RAM TEMPLE.

Now with no respect at all to Mr. RUBBISH KUMAR lets start this discussion.

The disputed land was reason for disruption in the city of Ayodhya for over 200 years. It has been under Judicial and administrative scrutiny for almost seventy odd years. So first of all when people say that this decision is a Majoritarianism decision and a blot on Indian democracy they should actually burn all their degrees and throw those ashes in ganga, Ram Mandir decision shows the greatness and power of Indian democracy. The fact that this decision was taken up by the Judiciary on three different levels and almost each and every plea was heard and cross checked before the final decision on 9th November 2019 shows the beauty and charm of the Indian Judicial System.

And you want to know what was actually majoritarianism, turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque out of nowhere by the Turkish government. ……. And I just saw Ashok Swain die because of excess Sickularism……..

So to answer this question let’s ask some questions-

Why is a mosque necessary at Mecca?

Why is there a structure as grand as St. Peter Basilica in Vatican.

Why is there The Great Synagogue at Jerusalem?

I hope you got your answer….it is not about a temple but about the place. If Ayodhya is the place where Rama the supreme Hindu deity of all was born then why shouldn’t there be a temple to mark his place of birth.

HOW IS RAM ONE TRUE INDENTITY OF INDIA

Rama is not just a god he is the ethos of Indian subcontinent. He is the person who lives in each and every being of the Indian diaspora. We irrespective of our religion recite his name in your everyday lives and don’t even notice it, you say Ram Ram when you meet someone, you say hey ram when some tragedy befalls, mothers call their children by the name of Rama to inculcate his values in them.

Rama is the vision of an ideal Indian diaspora and Ram Rajya is the ultimate goal for the entire Indian democracy. Accept it or not each and every person in this land is in one way or the other influenced by Rama. Rama is the thread that binds this highly diverse land into one nation. Rama is the founder of all democratic principles that preamble of Indian constitution describes. Rama is the finest fabric of secularism which is the reason for harmony in this great nation.

So ultimately Rama is and always will be the One True Identity of India.

As the Prime Minister of India quoted , “ Sab mein Ram.” Each and every one of us has Ram inside his or her heart, just keep looking for him. And when you find him your life will be better than it has ever been.

सुनु कपीस अंगद लंकेसा।‬

‪पावन पुरी रुचिर यह देसा।।‬‬

‪जद्यपि सब बैकुंठ बखाना।‬‬

‪बेद पुरान बिदित जगु जाना।।‬‬

‪अवधपुरी सम प्रिय नहिं सोऊ।‬‬

‪यह प्रसंग जानइ कोउ कोऊ।।‬‬

‪जन्मभूमि मम पुरी सुहावनि।‬‬

‪उत्तर दिसि बह सरजू पावनि।।‬