Children, God incarnates on earth when dharma declines and adharma flourishes. The day of Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Sri Rama after killing the mighty Ravana, when Ayodhya celebrated by lighting lamps all over the kingdom. It has a symbolic meaning as well. Rama is believed to be the very embodiment of dharma. Avatars teach people by personal example. They reflect the limitations of the age they live in. Like everyone else, they, too, have to undergo trials and tribulations in life. They teach us not how to evade problems, but how to live in their midst without compromising one’s ideals and values. They show us how to face the trials of life with unruffled poise. Thus, their lives serve as an inspiration for us to follow the path of dharma.
Many people might wonder why, if Lord Rama was all-knowing, he went after the golden deer. Did he not know that it was the demon Maricha in disguise? It was then that Sita was abducted. Lord Rama assumed the human form with all its quirks and foibles. Therefore, like other human beings, he, too, manifested knowledge and ignorance, strength and weakness. Once you have started playing a game, you cannot change the rules of the game halfway through, can you?
A prince was once playing hide and seek with his friends in the palace garden. He forgot himself completely in the joy of the game. When it was his turn to find his friends, he ran around and searched in many places for a long time, but could not find even one of them. An attendant watching all this, asked him, “O Prince, why go through all this trouble to find your friends? Just order them, ‘Come before me!’ and they will come running to you at once, won’t they? All you need to do is to exercise your authority and command them just once.”
Hearing this, the young prince looked with pity at the attendant and said, “If I did so, what fun would
there be in the game?”Just like other people, mahatmas also face joys, sorrows, challenges, problems and limitations in their lives. They do so in order to allow others to draw closer to them and establish a personal bond with them. The ways in which Lord Rama faced each situation in life are lessons for us
to learn.
In truth, avatars come with an aim that surpasses the safeguarding of dharma: they aim to cultivate devotion in human hearts. They captivate people through their enchanting leelas. From childhood, we grow up, forging bonds with others. Our first bond is with our mother. We then establish ties with our father, siblings and others. It then becomes easy for us to connect to God in human form.
This is how Sri Rama won a place for himself in human hearts, and the culture of devotion flourished. His life teaches us how one ought to behave towards parents, siblings and friends, the ideal behaviour of a king towards his subjects, and how to conduct oneself during moral crises. Rama was not overly elated when he learnt that he was to be crowned king, nor did he become disheartened when the prospect of kingship was snatched away. He continued to behave lovingly and respectfully even towards Kaikeyi, who was instrumental in this change of fortune. Thus, in every way, Lord Rama was an ideal exemplar of the noblest values that we ought to follow in life. The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian