(Picture from here)
rAma's life as documented first by sage vAlmIki has seeped into the psyche of Indian society like no one else's. The reason for such popularity of the epic is the celebration of rAma in the epic as an embodiment of truth, upholder of righteousness, stickler to principles, unfailing friend, beloved brother, able husband, terrifying foe and so on! In fact the first sarga of rAmayaNam begin by listing of sixteen qualities (some of which are listed above) by vAlmIki and asking sage nArAda about a wonderful being who has all those qualities. nArada tells vAlmIki about rAma and his qualities.
Entire rAmAyaNam can be said to be an elaboration of these qualities and exemplifying the same through the life events of rAma. The Indian populace and several near by countries also celebrated this description of rAma and made his ideals as their own and thus rAma came to take the centre-stage in the people's lives. While the personal qualities of rAma were aspirational for the populace, his rule of law was a model for the state.
The 128th sarga of the yudhhakAnDam (please check verses 98-106 in this chapter) gives glimpses of how great the rule of rAma was and how much people celebrated him and looked up to him. The uttarakAnDam gives further details of his great rule. rAmAyaNam is also replete with instances of administrative excellence, rule of law, diplomacy, excelling of citizens, might of a righteous army and accessibility of the leadership to the commoners.
By these two counts rAmAyaNam filled the space for the personal and social ideal of people and the state and led to a harmonious existence people for centuries. It can be arguably said that the foundations of a vibrant culture, logical thinking, aesthetic presentations, evolution of literature and philosophy actually lay in such a model administration which was dubbed as rAmarAjya in subsequent times.
While the first epic by sage vAlmIki is in samskRit, as regional languages developed, each felt a need for rAmAyaNam in their own language and thus in India now the epic is re-told in various languages in hundreds of different ways. There have been lots of epics written in ancient India. The love for rAma's story is evident in the fact that it is only rAmAyaNam which has captured the imagination of people across generations because of it's ultra natural presentation of human behaviour and emotion and sticking to a principled stand in times of crisis. It won't be an overstatement to say that the love for rAma in people is in fact their love for goodness itself!
Hence every new born in this country knew about ayOdhya to be the playground of the maryAda purushOttama SrIrAma. Association of ayOdhya with rAma was as obvious as association of sun rise to the eastern direction. It was to be, until we came across the courts of law which valued material evidence more than history of the civilization. In these times when both ideas as well as evidences can be manipulated with a sophistication which forces one to believe, it was becoming increasingly difficult to argue the case that rAma was actually born in ayOdhya and the land on which the 1992-demolished unused structure stood was sacred to the citizens of the country.
It took the people a long time to present their case in a manner the judiciary understood. While they diligently did so, the huge 2019 political mandate to a dispensation favorable to the rAma temple meant that judiciary can't pretend as if the case was not important for people. It examined the evidence and also respected the pulse and the sentiment of the people and gave verdict in late 2019 giving absolute ownership of the land to the presiding deity rAm lalla virAjmAn.
The government has been playing fair in not getting entangled in day to day operations at the site and gave up the operations to a trust which it formed under the directions of the honourable supreme court.
A good nine months after the verdict, other formalities have been completed and we move in the direction of laying of the foundation stone for a grand temple at the site which is the birth place of lord rAma. It is an unbelievable moment for crores of our citizens who were pessimistic about the possibility that rAma will ever return to ayOdhya.
On 5th August when the honourable prime minister Modiji does the SilAnyAs he would become the chosen child of destiny to have done so. What else can one say about it when rAma returns to ayOdhya after 500 years and this man does the honours of welcoming him.
May the symbolic return of rAma usher the return of rAmarAjya in our sacred land. In this highly connected world it can influence even more countries to imbibe and adapt those values embedded in rAmarAjya.
Therefore what is going to happen on 5th August 2020 is a civilizational epoch which while celebrating our ancient civilization and values holds hope for a resurgence and celebration of values in our society.
rAmOrAjamaNi sadA vijayatE.... rAma, the crest jewel of kings is always victorious.
jAi SrIrAma.
Read the Valmiki Ramayanam in English here.
