Ramanavami celebrates the birth of Rama or
Ramachandra. On the ninth day of the first fortnight
of Chaitra the birth of Rama is commemorated.
The story of Rama was first written by Vaalmeeki
in about the 4th century B.C. Rama is supposed
to have lived during the 8th or 7th century B.C.
The epic known as the Ramayana.
In some parts of India, it is a nine-day festival,
coinciding with the Vasanta Navaratri (see also
Navaratri).
The public worship starts with morning ablutions,
chanting Vedic mantras dedicated to Vishnu, and
offering flowers and fruit to the god. |
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People keep a fast throughout the day, breaking it
only at midnight with fruit. In some parts of India,
especially Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, public gatherings
called satsangs are organised to commemorate the birth
of Rama. Excerpts from the Ramacharitamanas, extolling
the glory of Rama, are recited. People of all castes
and creeds participate in these gatherings to listen
to the stories and their explanations offered by the
learned.
Rama’s Birth
The country of Kosal was situated on the banks of the
river Sharayu. Ayodhya was the capital founded by the
king rishi Manu. During the reign of king Dasarath,
Ayodhya reached a period of great prosperity. But Dasarath
faced a big problem: he had no children. Therefore he
decided to perform a sacrifice known as “ashvamedh”,
or horse-sacrifice. Elaborate and difficult rituals
had to be observed. A very holy man, rishi Rishyashring,
was chosen to conduct the sacrifice with the utmost
accuracy. The performance of this sacrifice was a great
event in Ayodhya. At the end Rishyashring recited a
mantra and made an offering to the fire. Then the gods,
gandharvas, siddhas, and rishis present arid began to
pray to Brahma.
At that time Ravan, king of Lanka, was terrorizing
the people, and all were longing for liberation from
his menace. Ravan had acquired great power because he
had obtained from god Brahma the boon that he would
never die at the hands of gods, or gandharvas, or yakshas
(demigods) or demons. As he was not afraid of men he
did not care to include men in the list of his potential
slayers. So Brahmadev declared that Ravan would die
at the hands of a man. Then the gods went to Vishnu
with the request, “Dasarath is a glorious king. Please,
take birth in the wombs of his three queens in four
different degrees of your divinity.”
When Dasarath’s sacrifice came to an end a shining
figure appeared over the sacrificial kund, and offered
the king a divine beverage called “payasam” to be given
to his queens Kausalya, Kaikayi, and Sumitra. In due
time Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikayi to Bharat
and Sumitra to Laxman and Shatrugna. Rama was born at
noon of the bright ninth day of Chaitra. He was believed
to be the embodiment of half degree of Vishnu’s divinity,
(ardha ounsh). |
