Ram-Laxman-Sita and Hanumanji
Ten Avatars (Births) of Vishnu
The story of Rama and the Ramayana has fascinated the young
and old with the tragic end of Sita who proved her truth and chastity by sacrificing
herself to Mother Earth and Rama, who could not bear to live without her, took Jalsamadhi
in Sarayu river.
Ravana, the demon who had a boon from Brahma could only be killed by a
human and so Vishnu was born as Rama. Only the controversy remains Sita, which made
Ramayana twist a turn as to why Rama left her listening to the Dhobi’s words doubting
Sita’s purity.
Ramnavmi
is being celebrated on 9th day of Chaitra Sud as per Hindu calendar,
the birth of Rama to King Dashratha and Kaushalya, the Bhagwad Purana religious text of
Hindus, continues the tales of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
It
is said that whenever there was imbalance between good and evil on earth, Vishnu as
Preserver, took birth to re-establish the balance. Bhagwad Purana says that there are 22
Avatars of Vishnu, out of which ten avatars are widely accepted known as Dashavataras -
Ram, being the seventh Avatar and Krishna, the eighth Avatar who are mostly considered
Bhagwans and heroic. According to the Puranas, there are four Yuga i.e. Krita, Treta,
Dwapar and Kali Yuga. These Avatars of Vishnu appeared in these Yugas, four avatars in
Krita, two in Treta, one in Dwapar and the last, Kalki avatar yet to appear. These Yugas
are said to continue for 4000, 3000, 2000 and 1000 years with 400/300/200/100 years of
dawn and twilight, each yuga having a significance. Ram appeared in the Krita Yuga, as a
symbol of human perfection with the moral concepts of duty, truth, obedience, brotherhood,
kindness and so on. Ramrajya gave the liberty and made people free from want
and war.
“On completion of
the ritual six seasons have passed by and then in the twelfth
month, on the ninth day of Chaitra month [March-April], when the
presiding deity of ruling star of the day is Aditi, where the
ruling star of day is Punarvasu (Nakshatra), the asterism is in
the ascendant, and when five of the nine planets viz., Sun,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are at their highest position,
when Jupiter with Moon is ascendant in Cancer, and when day is
advancing, then Queen Kausalya gave birth to a son with all the
divine attributes like lotus-red eyes, lengthy arms, roseate
lips, voice like drumbeat, and who took birth to delight the
Ikshwaku dynasty, who is adored by all the worlds, and who is
the greatly blessed epitome of Vishnu, namely Rama.”
- Book I :
Bala Kanda, Ramayana by Valmiki, Chapter (Sarga) 18, Verse 8, 9,
10 and 11
