Lord Vishnu was born in his seventh incarnation as Lord Sri Rama, whose main objective was to rid the earth of sin by killing Ravana and reestablishing Dharma.
But in the form of Shri Ram, he set such an ideal that every incident in his life became an inspiration for us. If we analyze any incident in his life, we will find that every incident teaches us something.
An introduction to the life of Lord Sri Rama
Birth of Lord Sri Ram
King Dasharatha of Ayodhya had three queens named Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. On the other hand, Lanka was ruled by the evil king Ravana, the king of demons.
His demons were not only confined to Lanka, but also spread across the ocean in the forests of Dandakaranya, causing difficulties for the sages in praising the Lord and performing religious duties.
Even the gods in the sky were distressed by Ravana’s growing influence. Then all went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu said that the time has come for him to take his seventh incarnation.
After this he was born as Dasharatha’s son from Queen Kaushalya’s womb, who was named Rama.
His three half-brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughan (Sri Rama or Kitane Bhai) were also born with Sri Rama. The people of Ayodhya were overjoyed to meet their future king and preparations for the festival began all around.
Shri Ram used to go to Gurukul with his brothers
For a few years after his birth, Sri Rama stayed with his brothers in the palace of Ayodhya. When he was of schooling age, he was sent to a gurukula after performing his upanayana rites.
Sri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya and Narayana himself, though an avatar, received formal education while staying in a gurukula.
His guru was Maharishi Vashishtha Rajguru of Ayodhya. Like the rest of the disciples in the gurukul, they took education, begged for alms, slept on the floor, cleaned the ashram and served the guru. After completing his education, he again came to Ayodhya.
While in the Gurukul, he never let his three younger brothers remember their parents. He always thought of his brothers before himself. His three brothers also served their elder brother a lot.
Brahmarishi Vishwamitra used to carry Sri Rama and Lakshmana
When Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya after receiving education, Brahmarishi Vishwamitra came to Ayodhya. He told Dasaratha that his ashram was attacked by demons every day.
Due to which he is obstructing the Yajna etc. So he should let Sri Rama go with him. Then Dasharatha after some hesitation ordered Sri Rama to accompany him.
As Lakshmana always stayed with his brother Sri Rama, he also went with him. Going there Sri Rama killed Tadka and Subahu on the order of his Guru Vishwamitra and threw Maricha into the sea on the far south coast. In this way he removed the crisis that had befallen the ashram.
In this Shri Ram gave this message that taking up arms or killing a woman is said to be against dharma in the scriptures but if the order of the Guru is disobeyed then it is an act of more dharma. than that.
That is why in this religious crisis he chose the best religion and blindly obeyed the orders of the Guru.
The story of Ahilya and Sri Rama
While Sri Rama was walking with his Guru, he saw a stone rock in the middle. Vishwamitra told him that this rock was the first Ahilya Mata which became a stone rock due to the curse of sage Gautama.
Since then she has been waiting for God’s touch to save her again. Hearing this, Lord Shri Ram saved Mother Ahilya by touching his feet and freed her.
Marriage of Sri Rama with Mother Sita
After this Brahmarshi Vishwamitra took him and Lakshmana to the kingdom of Mithila, where mother Sita was swayamvara. In that swayamvara, Maharaj Janak held a competition that whoever picked up Shiva’s bow kept there and offered it to him would be married to his elder daughter Sita.
When Sri Rama saw Mother Sita picking flowers in the garden, the two met for the first time in the world of death. Both knew that they were incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Mother Lakshmi.
But they had to practice their religion in human form. The competition started and one by one all the kings tried to lift that Shiva bow.
That Shiva bow was so heavy that five thousand people carried it to the assembly. There was no bahubali in the assembly who could pick up the bow and string it.
Finally Vishwamitra ordered Sri Rama to raise that bow. After getting the Guru’s permission, Shri Rama bowed to Shiva’s bow and raised the bow in one bend and started stringing it, causing Shiva’s bow to break.
All the guests present there were amazed to see this sight. After this Sri Rama married mother Sita. This teaches us that the Guru can take even the most important decisions of his disciple’s life.
When a parent gives the hand of their child to a Guru, that Guru becomes its parent. His command is considered the command of his parents, the obedience of which becomes the ultimate duty of every human being.
Lord Parasurama’s anger on Sri Rama
At that time, Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was also present on this earth and absorbed in Shiva meditation. When he heard Shiva’s bow breaking.
Then he reached that meeting in great anger. Seeing him so angry, all the members got scared. They challenged Shiva the bow breaker to come forward and fight with them.
Seeing Parashurama getting angry and insulting Sri Rama in this way, Lakshmana could not contain his anger (Parashuram Ram ka milan) and started arguing with Parashurama.
But in the meantime Shri Ram neither lost his composure nor uttered any bitter words. He continued to persuade Parashuram and Lakshmana and apologized to them even after hearing Parashuramji’s harsh words.
Finally, to appease Parasurama’s anger, he portrayed him as his Vishnu avatar. When Parasurama realized that the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu had been born and that he was Lord Rama himself, he left.
To promise a wife to Sita
At that time it was common for a man to have more than one wife. Mainly a king had many wives. Lord Rama’s father Dasharatha himself had three wives, but Lord Rama promised Mother Sita that he would never think of a foreign woman for the rest of his life.
Only and only mother Sita will be his wife for life and no other woman will ever get this right. Thus they established ideals of husband and wife.
Fourteen years of exile for Sri Rama
Shortly after his marriage, he was summoned to the Rajya Sabha on behalf of his father Dasharatha and his decision to enthrone him was announced.
At first Sri Ram felt uncomfortable but he accepted his father’s orders. After this it was announced throughout the city of Ayodhya and preparations for the festival began.
The next morning when his father did not come to the Rajya Sabha, he learned of Dasharatha’s presence in his stepmother Kaikeyi’s chamber.
Going there, he learned that Kaikeyi had asked King Dasharatha for his two old promises, the first being the coronation of Rama’s younger brother and Kaikeyi’s son Bharata, and the second being fourteen years of exile for Sri.
Rama, his father felt helpless to fulfill this promise, so he sat in his room and mourned. When he reached the room he found his father sad.
His father asked Sri Rama to rebel and take this kingdom away from him and become the king himself. Sri Rama flatly refused this and readily accepted exile to fulfill the promises made by his father.
With this he told his mother Kaikeyi that if she wanted a kingdom for Bharata, she would have told him directly, she would gladly give that kingdom to Bharata.
Sri Rama’s exile with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana
Sri Rama decided to go into exile to fulfill his father’s promise. His wife Sita decided to go into exile with him, practicing her husband’s religion. Along with this his younger brother Lakshman who was always with him also went with him.
At that time his two brothers Bharata and Shatrughan were in their grandfather’s kingdom Kaikeya, so he was not aware of any incident. When Sri Ram went into exile, the people of Ayodhya revolted.
He categorically refused to accept Bharata as his king. Seeing this, Shri Ram persuaded the people of Ayodhya and asked them to obey the orders of their king.
After going into exile, Shri Ram asked Bharat to cooperate in running the state. From this Sri Rama learned that whatever injustice befell him, he never held any grudge against his stepmother Kaikeyi and Bharata.
The people of Ayodhya also called King Dasaratha good or bad. At the same time Lakshmana also considered Dasharatha and Kaikeyi to be bad, but Sri Rama asked everyone to respect both of them. He also asked Lakshmana not to disrespect mother Kaikeyi.
Leaving the subjects of Ayodhya behind
Shri Ram explained a lot to the people of Ayodhya but loved them so much that he was willing to go into exile with them for fourteen years. The people of Ayodhya followed his chariot on foot even after repeated entreaty of Lord Rama.
Due to which Shri Ram saw a political crisis in Ayodhya. Then Sri Rama stopped his chariot near the river Tamsa near Ayodhya and asked to rest there for the night.
The people of Ayodhya also stayed there with Shri Ram. When everyone slept, Sri Rama got up early in the morning and left with his wife Sita and Lakshmana.
Later, when the subjects of Ayodhya arose, they found that Sri Rama had gone alone to perform his duty, so they all returned to Ayodhya dejected.
Shri Ram Nishad Raj Milan
After this Sri Ram next reached the city of Sringwarpur which was a tribal place. The king there was Nishadraj Guha who belonged to the tribal community. Both had studied together in Gurukul so there was a friendship between them.
When Nishadarajan learned of Sri Rama’s arrival in the forest near his city, he arrived there with the entire people and asked him to rest in his city. He also asked Sri Rama to rule as the king of his city for fourteen years.
Sri Rama refused to accept his kingdom and even refused to go to a distant city. As promised by his father he had to live only in the forest for fourteen years.
During this time he was forbidden to enter any city. So he politely declined Nishadraj Guha’s invitation. Then arrangements were made for Shri Ram to rest in the same forest.
Sri Rama slept on the ground with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. The thing to keep in mind here is that Lakshmana was so engrossed in the service of his brother Sri Rama that he could not even sleep at night.
He decided to serve Sri Rama and Mother Sita during the day and guard them at night for their safety. So Lakshman did not even sleep for fourteen years.
Rama left the chariot and went ahead
After this, he asked Sumanta, the minister of Ayodhya and King Dasaratha’s friend who had accompanied him, to return with the chariot. Exile means to renounce all kingdoms and live as a deserter.
At that time only arms and weapons could be carried with them to protect them. After this Lord Shri Ram crossed the river Yamuna with the help of a boat and proceeded.
That is why he made it a condition to wash Sri Rama’s feet before taking him in the boat. Shri Rama understood his devotion and gave him this order. Then Kevat worshiped Lord Rama with full devotion and then took him across the river in his boat.
Dialogue between Kevat and Shri Ram
Passengers who cross the river in their boats are called cavats. Sri Rama also had to cross the river to reach that bank, but the boatman knew that he was Narayana Avatar.
That is why he repeated Ahilya’s story in front of Sri Ram and said that if even his boat turns into a woman as soon as it falls at his feet, his source of income will be gone.
That is why he made it a condition to wash Sri Rama’s feet before taking him in the boat. Shri Rama understood his devotion and gave him this order. Then Kevat worshiped Lord Rama with full devotion and then took him across the river in his boat.
Meeting of Sri Rama and Bharata at Chitrakoot
After crossing the Yamuna, Sri Rama built his hut in the forests of Chitrakoot (Chitrakoot Ramayana in Hindi) and lived with Sita and Lakshmana. It must have been a few days that he saw that Bharata, the entire royal family of Ayodhya including the Rajguru, the people of Ayodhya and the soldiers had arrived there.
He received the news of his father’s death from Bharata. Hearing this, both Sri Rama and Lakshmana became impatient and offered obeisance to their father.
After this, Bharata considered Sri Rama as the King of Ayodhya and requested him to go to Ayodhya again. Kaikeyi also took back his promise and asked Sri Rama to go back but Sri Rama refused to go.
He said that only the person who gave the word can take it back. Maharaja Dasharatha had given permission to Sri Rama to go to the forest, so only he could take this promise back from him.
Therefore, if he is no longer alive, Sri Rama can return only after completing his fourteen years of exile.
Sri Rama taught that even after his father’s death, he did not let his promise go wrong and followed it with complete devotion, but Bharata was not ready to accept himself as the king of Ayodhya.
Since Bharata got this kingdom as promised by his father and now Bharata wanted to return this kingdom to Sri Rama of his own free will, Sri Rama accepted it.
Then Sri Rama ordered Bharata to take over the administration of Ayodhya during his fourteen years of exile. Taking the command of his brother Shri Rama, Bharata went to Ayodhya with Shri Rama’s khadai on his head and stood on the throne.
Along with this, like Shri Ram, he began to live in the forests of Nandigram near Ayodhya and from there began to handle the affairs of the government.
Shri Rama’s visit to the forests of Dandakaranya
A few days after Bharata’s departure, Sri Rama decided to leave that place and go to the forests of Dandakaranya.
As the people of Ayodhya came to know about Sri Rama, someone would often come there to see him and this would hinder the sadhana of the sages. That is why Shri Ram proceeded from there.
For another ten years he met various sages in the forests of Dandakaranya, learned from them, entertained them. Along with this, the evil demons of Ravana who were troubling the sages in those forests, Shri Rama also killed them one after another.
Finally, he pitched his camp in the forests of Panchavati. This was the last year of his exile. He befriended Jatayu, stationed in the security of his hut, near the forests of Panchavati.
The story of Surpanakha and Khar-Dushan
One day when Sri Rama was sitting in his hut, Ravana’s sister Surpanakha came wandering there. On seeing Sri Rama she fell in love with him and proposed marriage to him.
Sri Ram politely rejected his proposal by calling one of his wives as Dharma. He then proposed the same to Lakshmana which Lakshmana scoffed at.
Seeing her ridicule, she rushed to eat Sita and Lakshman cut off her nose and one ear with his sword. She went crying to her brother Khar-Dushan. Khar-Dushan was the brother of Ravana whose camp was in the same kingdom.
Then Khar-Dushan came with his fourteen thousand soldiers to fight Sri Rama, Sri Rama defeated them all with a single arrow and killed Khar-Dushan.
Mother Sita Ka Haran
Then one day Mother Sita saw a golden deer roaming near her hut, so Mother Sita requested him to fetch it for her. Hearing this Lord Rama went to collect the deer but it was a ruse of Ravana. It was not a deer but Ravana’s maternal uncle, Marich.
The deer took Sri Rama away from the hut and when Sri Rama realized that he was elusive, he shot an arrow at him. As soon as the arrow struck, the deer started shouting Lakshmana and Lakshmana in Rama’s voice.
Seeing this, mother Sita sent Lakshmana to help Sri Rama. Lakshmana drew a line and went there to protect Mother Sita. As soon as Lakshmana leaves, Ravana abducts Sita from behind and takes her to Lanka in Pushpaka Vimana.
When Sri Rama and Lakshmana came back, they were saddened not to find Mother Sita there. When the two brothers searched for Sita in all directions, they later found Jatayu dying.
Jatayu told them that Ravana, the king of Lanka, had kidnapped Sita and taken her to the south. Saying this, Jatayu passed away. After this, Shri Ram took charge of his own funeral and performed all the duties like a son.
Ram Sabari Milan
After this, Shri Ram reached Shabari’s hut in search of Mother Sita. There were huts of many rich and accomplished people in that place, but Sri Rama went to the hut of his devotee Shabari.
Shabri waited for Shri Ram for many years and decorated her hut with flowers for him every day. She plucked the berries for Sri Rama’s food every day and tasted them to see if the berries were sour.
When Shri Ram reached Shabari’s hut, he entertained him. After this, when he gave his zuthe berry to Sri Rama, Lakshmana was disgusted but Sri Rama smilingly ate the berry.
Along with this, Sri Rama taught that even if wrong food is offered to God with a sincere heart, God accepts it.
Ram Sugriva friendship
After getting Sugriva’s address from Shabri, he reached Rishyamook mountain where he met his devotee Hanuman. Through Hanuman, he met Sugriva and his minister Jamvant, who had been expelled from the kingdom of Kishkindha by his elder brother Bali.
Sri Rama befriended Sugriva and the two promised each other that if Sri Rama would get Sugriva his lost kingdom, Sugriva would help him find Mother Sita.
After this Sri Rama killed Kishkindha king and Sugriva’s elder brother Bali by hiding behind a tree. It was necessary to kill Bali secretly because he had the power that half the power of those who would fight him would come to Bali.
After killing Bali, Sri Rama tells him that he does not trust his brother and banishes him from his own kingdom. The greatest sin that Bali committed was that he took his brother’s wife as his wife against her will.
Sugriva was given enough time
You can take an example of Sri Rama’s patience from the fact that even after Sugrivan regained his throne, he refused to search for mother Sita immediately. At that time the rainy season had started.
So it was impossible to meet Mother Sita at such a time. That is why he asked Sugriva to find mother Sita after four months and ordered Sugriva to set up his kingdom by then.
Search for Sita
Four months later, an army of monkeys was sent in all directions to find Mother Sita. After a few days, Hanuman came from a group of monkeys that had gone in the south direction and told the address of Mother Sita.
Mother Sita was kept by Ravana in Ashoka Vatika in his city of Lanka. Hearing this, Sri Rama ordered the monkey army to attack Lanka.
Construction of Ram Setu
The entire monkey army reached the sea shore under the leadership of Sri Rama, but it became difficult how to cross. For this Sri Rama prayed to the ocean god, but on his refusal, he researched the Brahmastra.
Then the sea god appeared and asked his army to build a bridge over the ocean with the help of a curse received by two monkeys named Nal-Nil.
Nal-Nil was cursed that anything thrown by him into the sea would not sink. Then in just five days, Sri Rama’s army built a hundred yojana long bridge across the sea, connecting the southern tip of India with Lanka.
Ram Vibhishan Milan
When the work of building a bridge over the sea was going on, Ravana’s younger brother (Vibhishan Kaun Tha) came from the sky to shelter Sri Rama. He told Sri Rama that he was a devotee of Vishnu and that Sita was being returned by him.
Hearing that, Ravana expelled them from the city. That is why they have come under the shelter of Shri Ram. Despite being the brother of an enemy, Sri Rama considered it his dharma to protect the animal that came under his shelter.
At the same time, Hanuman also told him that when he went to Lanka to search for Mother Sita, he met this gentleman there. Along with this, Shri Ram gave this message that even if the enemy comes under your shelter, you should help him.
Shri Ram’s message of peace
Although Ravana was a sinner who kidnapped Sita and made Sita a deer, still Rama wanted to send a message of peace to Ravana before the war started.
He was of the opinion that if the personal enmity of two persons could be resolved between themselves, the destruction of countless lives in war could be prevented.
For this, Lord Rama sent Angad, son of Bali and nephew of Sugriva, to Ravana’s meeting as a messenger of peace, but Ravana rejected Lord Rama’s message of peace in his arrogance.
Sri Rama and Ravana War
After this a fierce battle started between the army of Sri Rama and Ravana. In this war all the brothers, brothers, friends, warriors of Ravana were killed and finally Ravana also died. Along with this many calamities also befell the army of Shri Ram.
Sri Rama’s return to Lanka after the slaying of Ravana
When Ravana was killed, all his wives including Mandodari came there and started mourning. As a result of Ravana’s arrogance, everyone in his family was killed, leaving only Ravana’s grandfather to survive. Apart from this only Vibhishana was on the side of Sri Rama.
After killing Ravana, the only surviving member of the Lankan royal family, Malyavan ji came and accepted his submission by placing the crown of the king of Lanka at Sri Rama’s feet.
Sri Ram then declared in front of all the Lankans that his aim was never to conquer Lanka or conquer Ayodhya. His aim was only to put an end to the evil Ravana and to get his wife Sita back with honor.
Saying this he declared Vibhishana as the next king of Lanka and returned Lanka to the people of Lanka.
Mother Sita’s Agni Pariksha
After declaring Vibhishana the king of Lanka, he ordered the release of mother Sita. He then asked Lakshmana to arrange fire so that Sita could return after undergoing the ordeal.
Lakshmana got angry after hearing this, then Sri Rama told him that Sita who was taken away by Ravana was not the real Sita but her shadow.
He handed over the real Sita to Agnidev before her abduction because Ravana was not strong enough to abduct mother Sita in the form of Goddess Lakshmi. After this fire was arranged and Lord Sri Rama retrieved his wife Sita from it.
Return to Ayodhya and coronation
After this Shri Ram Pushpaka returned to Ayodhya by plane. That day was the new moon of the month of Kartaka, the darkest night of the year, but the people of Ayodhya lit up the entire city with lamps in celebration of the return of their king Sri Rama.
Ayodhya was shining from a distance. Shri Ram reached Ayodhya amidst numerous lamps. Today we all celebrate this day in the name of Deepavali festival.
After this, Sri Ram’s coronation was performed. As soon as he became king, Shri Ram started working for the welfare of his subjects. Anyone in his kingdom had the right to meet Sri Rama and all respected their king.