Sri Ramanavami
Sri Ramanavami is the day when Lord Rama (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) was born as the elder son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya. Lord Rama is the consort of Sita and Master of Lord Hanuman. Lord Rama took birth in the earth plane at His own will to establish righteousness, destroy the wicked and protect His devotees. The word “Rama” literally means one who is divinely blissful and who gives joy to others.
Lord Rama was born on Navami Tithi during Sukla Paksha of Chaitra month. Lord Rama was born during madhyana period (middle of the day).
Significance of Sri Ramanavami
The story of the Ramayan is a classic, eternal, universal message of good versus evil, as represented in the battle between Lord Rama and Ravana. The day of Ram Navami begins with the offering of prayer to the Sun to seek the blessing of supreme power. Sun is believed to be Lord Rama’s ancestor. Devotees spend this day by singing devotional songs and listening to recitations from various types of religious books. Chanting of Vedic hymns has a key role for such occasion. All of these customary practices make people aware about the difference between right and wrong. Devotees also fast for the whole day. The practice of keeping fast helps to purify body’s system. The objective of the fast is not to ask for special favors of the deity, but to seek perfection as a human being.
Spiritual Significance of Sri Ramanavami
Lord Rama was the best example of how a person should be. He showed us how to live our lives in accordance with dharma and the divine principles. He was the embodiment of compassion, gentleness, kindness, righteousness and integrity. Although he had all the power in the world, he still was peaceful and gentle. On the other hand Ravana was arrogant, egoistic, greedy and lustful. Both were kings, both were learned in the scriptures and both were charismatic. But their qualities made Rama a God and Ravana a demon. Whenever we possess qualities like arrogance, ego, greediness etc. we are Ravana inside. To win the “war of Lanka” inside us we need to follow Lord Rama’s path. He has given us the perfect example of how to lead a life by his actions. Ramanavami is not just a day of Lord Rama’s birthday. It is a holy day to examine ourselves and let Ravana out of us and allow Lord Rama to reside in our hearts. It is a day for us to saturate ourselves with the spirit of Lord Rama. One must make an honest attempt to grow in the virtues that the Lord represents. Worship of Lord Rama is itself the surest means to develop such virtues. The noblest lesson embodied in the Ramayana is the supreme importance of righteousness in the life of every human being. Righteousness is the spiritual spark of life and foundation to the spiritual path. The destruction of the ten-headed Ravana signifies the annihilation of the mind or the ten senses. Devotion to Lord Rama is a great purifier of the heart. From devotion arises knowledge. From knowledge comes the realization of the pure Self. Only when one has realized the Self they can merge with the Supreme Self. On the day of Sri Ramanavami, Sri Ram principle is active by 1000 times compared to other days of the year. An individual who does spiritual practice gets more benefit from the deity’s principle by celebrating the holy festival.
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