Sri Rama Navami is the festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Sri Rama, the Avatar of the Treta age. It falls in the ‘Chaitra’ month in the Shukla Paksha Navami (ninth day of the bright fortnight) of the Hindu lunar calendar. Lord Rama is revered as being the very embodiment of Dharma (righteousness) and one whose life serves as an ideal for all mankind. The Ramayana, an epic poem composed by sage Valmiki on the life of Lord Rama, is one of the sacred scriptures of the Hindu religion.
Sita Rama Kalyanam | Sri Rama Navami Celebrations| Apr 06, 2025
“The Ramayana teaches the principles of Dharma and the path of duty to every individual. Though ages and aeons have passed by, the Ramayana remains ever-fresh guiding humanity on the path of truth and righteousness. Even today we think of the characters of Ramayana with respect and reverence. You can very well understand its greatness. There is no morality higher than what is depicted in the Ramayana. The Ramayana should be the subject of our Parayana (worship). You should install the principle of Rama in your heart and experience bliss. Practise the teachings of Ramayana in your daily life. Obey the command of Lord Rama. It is to understand and assimilate the principle of Ramayana that we are celebrating the festival of Rama Navami today. It is not enough if the celebration is confined to merely partaking of sweet pudding and other delicious items.
– Divine Discourse: April 11th, 2003
The Ramayana is a guidebook on ideal relations between mother and children, between husband and wife, between brothers, between ruler and the people, between master and servants and many other human relationships. Rama showed compassion to dying eagle Jatayu, which fought with Ravana when he was carrying Sita away to Lanka and Rama gave refuge to Vibhishana, even against fears expressed by Lakshmana. These are examples of Rama’s supreme benevolence and magnanimity towards anyone who revered Him or sought His protection. Rama declared to Lakshmana: “Anyone who comes to Me in a spirit of surrender, whoever he might be, is Mine and I am his. I shall give him asylum. This is My vow.” Rama was a man pledged to one word, to one wife and to a single arrow. Devotees should install Rama in their hearts and celebrate Ramanavami for achieving Atmic bliss. Going through the epic Ramayana, they should reach the state of “Atma-Rama” (oneness with Universal Spirit). In such a state there is no Ahamkara (ego-sense)!
– Divine Discourse, April 07, 1987
“The Ramayana, the story of Lord Rama, teaches two lessons: the value of detachment and the need to become aware of the Divine in every being. Faith in God and detachment from objective pursuits are the keys for human liberation. Give up attachment to sense objects, and you gain Rama. Sita gave up the luxuries of Ayodhya so she could be with Rama during His exile. When she cast longing eyes on the golden deer and craved for it, she lost Rama’s proximity. Renunciation leads to joy; attachment brings about grief.
Be in the world, but not of it.
Rama is the in-dweller in every body. He is the Source of Bliss (Atma-Rama) in every individual. His blessing, surging from that inner spring, confers peace and bliss. He is the very embodiment of Dharma, of all the codes of morality that hold mankind together in love and unity”.
– From ‘Ramakatha Rasavahini’ authored by Bhagawan Baba
On the occasion of Ramanavami a discourse delivered by Bhagawan on 11 April 2003 at Brindavan. In this profound clip, Bhagawan explains what is the essence of Ramayana and why we must not look up to Lord Rama merely as an Avatar and worship Him. It is important to understand that each individual is Lord Rama and live life drawing inspiration from the idealism portrayed in the Ramayana.
You can read the entire Discourse here:
http://sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume36/sss36-07.pdf
