Ramayana avatara
The Hindu
The first major festival that we celebrate with the birth of the New Year, according to the Hindu almanac, is Sri Rama Navami. That is the avatara day of Rama. There is a Veda vakya that says Citra Pa
The first major festival that we celebrate with the birth of the New Year, according to the Hindu almanac, is Sri Rama Navami. That is the avatara day of Rama. There is a Veda vakya that says Citra Paurnami marks the mukha (commencement ) of the samvatsara (year), said Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar in a discourse. In the same way, we can say that Sri Rama Navami marks the beginning of a year of joyous festivals, which offer us a chance to give thanks to the Supreme One.
The significance of the Rama avatara lies mainly in the fact, that as Rama, He showed us that adherence to dharma was of the utmost importance. He could have taken any kind of avatara. Did He not take the unusual man lion form in the Narasimha avatara? But He chose to come as a human being in the Rama avatara to show us that it is not impossible for humans to keep to the path of righteousness. It may not be an easy path. But one must not waver. Just as Rama never for a moment thought of moving away from the path of dharma, so too must we never think of moving from the path of dharma.
Vedanta Desika prays that Rama, who is the embodiment of dharma, must keep him from doing anything that is adharmic. While it is true that Rama kept to dharma, His message would not have reached us but for Valmiki’s Ramayana. Therefore, the Ramayana is of as much importance as the hero whose story it presents. The Ramayana too is an avatara. Rama is an avatara of Lord Narayana. Likewise, Valmiki’s Ramayana is an avatara of the Vedas. Just as Rama drew everyone through His saulabhya, so does the Ramayana draw us. The Vedas are not understood by all, but the Ramayana is easier to follow. The Vedas command; but the Ramayana advises us gently, like a good friend, or a beloved wife.