As a baby, Rama was deep blue in colour – a sure sign of divinity. He had delicate and gentle features, and a kind face.  All those in the kingdom were in awe of his noble beauty. Of course to King Dasharatha he was the whole universe and more.

While as a prince and heir to the throne, Rama was dressed in finery befitting royalty. When he went into exile into the forest for fourteen years, he chose to wear only the simplest of clothes and carried a bow-and-arrow at all times.

Once, Sita commented on why Lord Rama always carried a bow-and-arrow while they were in the forest.
“O Rama, “she implored, “why do you have to carry a bow-and-arrow while you are in exile in a forest? We have to live a simple life, as hermits do. We should not be involved in violence. Carrying a weapon will only tempt you to use violent means for achieving everything!”

To this Lord Rama replied, “O Sita, I promise you that I will never use the bow-and-arrow until necessary. If evil does not relent to peace, only then shall I make use of my weapon.”

And Lord Rama ALWAYS kept his promise!

Rama's Greatness

If we were to talk about Lord Rama’s achievements, we can say that his very birth was a mission to destroy evil and restore peace on Earth.

At the young age of 16, Lord Rama obeyed his father to accompany Rishi Vishwamitra and aid him in performing his yaga in peace by destroying the rakshasas who were bent on disrupting the rituals. At Janasthana, Rama single-handedly slayed around fourteen thousand demons led by Khara, the cousin of Ravana.

Lord Rama displayed one of the most impossible feats of strength by lifting up the famed bow of Mahadeva and even breaking it in two, when no ordinary man could have even lifted it. As Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, he used his divine powers for noble deeds, always giving first priority to his dharma (duty) which was of utmost value to him.

Rama’s fight with Ravana in the battle of Lanka also displays his prowess at warfare.  Rama was the slayer of many demons and rakshasas like Prahasta, Atikaya and Kumbhakarna.

During his battle with the all-powerful, ten-headed Ravana, he cut off the enemy’s central head.  As he did so, another one even more ferocious rose in its place. This happened many times – each head stronger and more dangerously evil than the previous ones. At this point, Ravana’s youngest brother and a devotee of Rama, Vibheeshana, gave Rama the key to destroy Ravana. He told him to shoot an arrow at Ravana’s stomach where a pot of amrit (nectar of immortality) was stored. Rama’s next arrow traveled directly to this pot, killing Ravana instantly.

Apart from these achievements, Rama was also known for having great and ever-lasting friendships. The fact that he always kept his word, helped and did only good to others brought him many friends, including Hanuman, Sugriva and even the rakshasa, Vibheeshana.

He reflected great and noble qualities - as a good son, a beloved brother, devoted husband, a great protector, a valorous warrior in the destruction of evil, a fair and just king who ensured that his kingdom and the world lived in harmony, prosperity and peace during his reign called the glorious Ram Rajya.

Rama the Righteous

Lord Rama is known as Maryadapurushottam (Righteous Man) because of his virtuous and kind character. When his heart-broken father died at Rama departure into the forest, he did not return to Ayodhya on hearing the devastating news.  He strongly believed that it was his dharma (duty) to obey his father, and honour his wish.

Although Kaikeyi was the reason for his exile into the forest, he took her blessings before he left the kingdom. He was an ever-forgiving and loving person. His love for his brother Lakshmana shone throughout his exile in the forest. His good nature attracted many, such as Hanuman, Sugriva, Vibheeshana and the vanaras (monkeys).

Rama always kept his word and never cheated anyone. He always offered the option of peace to his enemies first and resorted to using his astras and weapons only when they did not yield to his peace offer.

Rama believed in being devoted to only one – his wife Sita, even though in those times, kings had the privilege of marrying several women. He was always protective of Sita and discouraged her from accompanying him into the forest since he did not wish her to bear the same hardships. It was only when she was determined to follow him wherever he went that he relented.

When Rama defeated Ravana and destroyed him, he was still very respectful of his enemy for his great knowledge and skills. When Vibheeshana refused to perform the last rites for Ravana, Rama persuaded him to do so. He even offered to attend to it himself since he considered Ravana as a brother too.

Even though Rama was a Vishnu avatar, he was very human in his emotions. For instance he was very sad and distressed at the disappearance of Sita.  It is these human traits that make us feel closer to him as a God.

Rama was also a perfect King. There was justice and freedom, peace and prosperity when he ruled the world. He followed all the duties of a King as per what was written in the scriptures.

What do we learn from Rama?

Rama’s story and character reflects many moral values.

Just like Ram, we should be ever-forgiving and loving. We must always abide by our dharma. We must not crave worldly materials, and must be satisfied with what we have and be content with it. We must live a simple and humble life. Rama symbolizes righteousness while Ravana symbolizes unrighteousness and evil. We must always try to be like Rama – kind-hearted and just.

We must have good conduct, and strive to live a good life. We not only learn from Rama, but also from Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman. They represent everlasting devotion, knowledge and trust.

We must always be humble and be like Rama, who made use of his great powers only in times of need.