THERE, those many countless thousands of years ago, across the field loomed a massive, war-ready chariot on which stood King Ravan -- armed with weapons and sheaths and shields -- followed by a wellequipped army eager to unleash its demonic power. On other side of the field stood two young and fearless men -- Ram, and Laxman -- backed by a strange army of soldiers whose identity could shock anyone out of wits. Though he was confident of his own warfaring skills, Laxman asked his brother Ram, in effect, how he planned to put up the fight standing on the ground with only the bow-andarrows as weapons.

 

 

‘He is coming on menacingly on that astoundingly big and high chariot, and you -- and all of us -- are here down on the ground. How will you protect yourself and all of us?’ Shri Ram smiled and said, in effect, ‘My dear brother, worry not. I also have a chariot -- invisible to others -- of Dharma, driven by Dhairya and regulated by Charitra. Vivek, the ability to choose between right and wrong, is my main weapon, and a steadfast belief in my Dhyeyya is my strongest armour. Laxman, our weapons of war are only supplements.’ This conversation, well-recorded in countless texts in multiple languages, explains best the essence of the metaphor of Shri Ram -- Prabhu Shriram, Maryada Purushottam Shriramchandra. That conversation over, Shri Ram and Laxman got embroiled in a terrible war that saw the end of not just Ravan who displayed demonic qualities, but also the collapse of his so-called invincible empire of Lanka. The rest is history -- as everybody knows. As the country -- and the world -- prepares to celebrate the Pran-Pratishtha of the idols of Ram Lalla in the brand new, under-construction temple at Ayodhya, the iconic character of Shri Ram (Lord Ram, Bhagwan Ram, Ram, Kausalya-nandan, Dhashrath-tanay, Sita-pati, Bharatagraj ...) needs to be seen not just as a religious deity, but also as a national hero of all times, thanks to the attributes he is known for.

 

Though it may be inappropriate to drag the word ‘secular’ in this discourse, let us pick up courage to say that the ideals and ideas and qualities that Prabhu Ramchandra stood for are totally beyond any frame of faith, above considerations of sectarian thought. Shri Ram is beyond all those limiting factors and stands above everything else as an embodiment of human virtue that is fully practicable, fully within the realm of living even of the common people. This is, in short, the actual description of what Shri Ram stands for -- even in Kaliyug in which core human values and virtues have little relevance. He is one symbolism of a national hero which he eventually proved to be -- by leading a life of an ascetic even when he was a royal Prince, by following the ideals of sages even though he was about to be crowned the King of the great empire of Ayodhya, by presenting a practicable road-map of truly altruistic living far beyond selfishness. And as he left behind this mark of his avtar, Shri Prabhu Ramchandra became a hero of not just India, but also of many, many other countries around the globe.

 

THIS brings us to realise how futile it is to bind the personage of Shri Ram in narrow confines of what is wrongly described as religion, and petty politics whose spread is terribly limiting not just human thought but also human potential to live a life of harmony and togetherness. It is time, therefore, for us to start leaving behind narrow thinking that seeks to restrict the idea of Shri Ram as a sectarian deity. Naturally, then, it is time for us to start looking at Lord Ram’s life of eternal virtue as an embodiment our country -- and also the world -- needs at this juncture and in the future. It is certainly time for us to understand the details of how the young Prince of Ayodhya cast himself in a mould of an altogether unique nature. As a teenage Prince, he had the wisdom to ask Guru Vashishtha serious questions and urge him for enlightenment.

 

That conversation -- recorded in detail in the iconic book Yog Vashishtha -- subsequently became a guiding treatise for human good in all future times. In his youth, Shri Ram had the courage to accept with tremendous equanimity the decision of his father to send him to the forest instead of allowing his coronation to take place. History is often made by only such people who have the courage and character to do something that ordinary mortals would have no courage even to think about. Right from the moment, he was born, the little Prince of Ayodhya charted an altogether different course of life -- which he enriched with his virtues and values as well as his vision (not for himself, but for the whole of humanity). In the process, he became an all-time hero for mankind, an ideal for everybody to emulate, a rolemodel especially for young people who feel fascinated by his multi-dimensional skills and scholarship and wisdom. Very easily, even a street urchin describes him as an ideal to be followed by all -- a great son, a tremendous husband, a divine brother, an efficient and model leader, a skilled warrior, a diplomat of rare merit. There is no doubt that an unholy web of dirty politics is being woven around the divine name of Shri Ram. But this is not the time at all to dwell on all that filth.

 

Time it is for all of us -- beyond politics and beyond sectarian discourse -- to understand Shri Ram as a human ideal in which narrow confines and defines of ‘religion’ -- which is not Dharma -- just has no place and space; and that politics played on petty lines has little relevance. We must, therefore, look at Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Ramchandra as a practicable human ideal that needs emulation at all levels and in all segments of human community. For, a strong and clean and transparent human character cannot be bound in the narrow confines of religion. Likewise, an absolute sense of proportion and thoughtful restraint, complete equanimity and autonomy of thought and action as per the definition of Dharma (right conduct in all situations) cannot also be treated as factors stuffed into a small space of narrow considerations. For, when a person is endowed with such qualities of unwavering nature, then he cannot be treated within the narrow confines of faith and politics. Such a person needs to be treated with a divine devotion to the idea and concept of genuine, core goodness. Prabhu Shri Ramchandra stands for all these virtues and values -- far beyond dirty politics and filthily uninformed propaganda. When the world is going to see establishment of Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in which the sacred idol of Ram Lalla will be placed, time it is for us to look at Shri Ram as a national and global hero.

 

THERE is no need to discuss or recall the details of the 500-odd years of struggle to get back Shri Ramjanmabhoomi at Ayodhya -- since that would be an uncalled for exercise about something that the world knows. The need, in contrast, is to realise that the appeal of Shri Ram and his timeless name and boundless fame is universal and cuts across narrow barriers of faith and politics. Time it is for all of us to realise the power of the human virtues Shri Ram Prabhu embodies. Time also it is for us to tell ourselves that Shri Ram is not history. Much to the contrary, he is a symbolism of eternality of certain virtues that are completely ‘secular’ in nature -- and therefore capable of inducing immense respect in the heads and hearts of people across barriers of faith. In other words, honesty of purpose has nothing religious about it; transparency of thought and action has nothing religious about it; unwavering loyalty to one’s spouse has nothing religious about it; complete dedication to truth and its consonant thought-process has nothing religious about it; resolve to go any distance to keep one’s word has nothing religious about it; extra-ordinary, unmatched warfaring skill has nothing religious about it; a deep engagement with the process of learning and acquiring knowledge on every possible subject under the sun has nothing religious about it; tremendous ability to use fine diplomacy as a tool of constructive human action has nothing religious about it; being an obedient son and caring husband and loving brother has nothing religious about it; being a truly great ruler who cares for everybody in his kingdom has nothing religious about it ...!

 

Seen from this multi-dimensional perspective, how can we dub Shri Ram Prabhu only as a religious deity? For, well beyond all the narrowness of thought, Shri Ram Prabhu appears to us as a hero of all time. In Sanskrit, the very name ‘Ram’ denotes something that is rammya -- charming, attractive, supreme, one who gives joy, one who spreads joy, one who is loved by one and all ... ! Can such a personality be confined to narrow field of religious faith or petty politics? Certainly not. Hence the need now to understand what Shri Ram stands for -- not as a sectarian hero of the past, but as an eternal icon of human excellence in the most secular manner, in the most cultural manner, in the most civilisational manner. O F COURSE, this thought is already cutting across social segments and narrow domestic barriers. That is the reason we see countless people from all religious faiths (other than Hindu) are joining hands in celebrating the Pran Pratishtha festival in Ayodhya. This inclusiveness was achieved because the sane elements in the larger Indian society the world over have begun understanding the sanity and sanctity of ‘secular’ virtues that Shri Ram Prabhu embodies. The Indian nation -- and also the world -- needs such an ideal to follow, such an example to emulate, irrespective of religious faith, unmindful of the politically-driven divisions sought by senseless elements among us.