Lord Shrii Raama Sets the Proper Example

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In Bhagavad-Giitaa 3.221 - 3.23, the Lord states:

 

yad yadaacharati shreShThastattadevetaro janaH |

sa yatpramaaNaa.m kurute lokastadanuvartate || giitaa 3.21 ||

 

What ever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever

standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues (bhagavad-giitaa

3.21).

 

na me paarthaasti kartavya.m triShu lokeShu ki~nchana |

naanavaaptamavaaptavya.m varta eva cha karmaNi || giitaa 3.22 ||

 

O son of Prithaa, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three

planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain

anything - and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties (bhagavad-giitaa 3.22).

 

yadi hyaha.m na varteya.m jaatu karmaNyatandritaH |

mama vartmaanuvartante manuShyaaH paartha sarvashaH || giitaa 3.23 ||

 

For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O

Paartha, certainly all men would follow My path (bhagavad-giitaa 3.23).

 

In this spirit, we can see how Lord Raamchandra, who had no need to worship

anyone (and certainly not Himself) or follow any dharma, observed the night

before His coronation ceremony. The Vaalmiiki-Raamaayana, Ayodhya-kanda,

sixth canto, states:

 

gate purohite raamaH snaato niyatamaanasaH |

saha palpaa vishaalaakShyaa naaraayaNamupaagamat || 1 ||

 

pragR^ihya shirasaa paatrii.m haviSho vidhivat tataH |

mahate daivataayaajya.m juhaava jvalitaanale || 2 ||

 

shoSha.m cha haviShastasya praashyaashaasyaatmanaH priyam |

dhyaayannaaraayaNa.m deva.m svaastiirNe kushasa.msare || 3 ||

 

vaagyataH saha vaidehyaa bhuutvaa niyatamaanasaH |

shriimatyaayatane viShNoH shishye nakharaatmajaH || 4 ||

 

Having bathed himself, when Vasishtha (the family priest) had left, Shrii

Raama with a concentrated mind worshipped Lord Naaraayana with the

co-operation of his wife (Siitaa), who had (exceptionally) large eyes. (1)

 

Taking up with his head bent low (in reverance) the vessel containing ghee

(for being poured into the sacred fire as oblation), he then consigned the

ghee to the lighted fire with due ceremony for the pleasure of Lord Vishnu

(the Supreme Deity). (2)

 

Tasting the remainder of that offering and expecting (in return) what was

dear to him, Shrii Raama (son of Dasharatha, the foremost of men) silently

lay down to sleep with his mind fully controlled on a mat of Kusha grass

spread by himself in (the hall of) the glorious temple of Lord Vishnu along

with Siitaa ( a princess of the Videha kings) contemplating on Lord

Naaraayana. (3-4)

 

As an side, the translator writes in a footnote to the last verse that, "The

learned commentators point out that the Deity referred to here is no other

than Lord Shrii Ranganaatha, who had been worshipped by a long line of the

rulers of Ayodhya as their chosen deity in a separate shrine built within

the precincts of the royal palace. We are told at length in the

Paataala-khanda, of the Padma-Puraana how Shrii Raama so kindly handed over

the image to Vibhiishana, through whom it reached Shriirangam (near

Tiruchirapally) in South India, where it exists even to this day and is held

in the highest reverence by the Vaishnavas and other devotees all over

India."

 

The Bhagavad-Giitaa translations provided above are those of A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami. The translations of the Raamaayana given above come

from the Gita Press edition. Any errors in transliteration are mine alone.

 

adiyen Krishna Susarla