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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Light on nuances of Dharma

 

CHENNAI, APRIL 4. The manifestations of the Almighty in human

form are important to mankind as His conduct and teachings during

His advent have become guidelines on human conduct in the world.

The scriptures state that the Lord incarnates in the world with

the purpose of upholding Dharma whenever there is degeneration

and the scriptural texts like the epics and the Puranas which

describe the incarnations of God serve as perennial inspiration.

 

The deeds of the Lord in His incarnations were also divine in

nature like His forms and hence His actions may seem superhuman

from our point of view. But during His advent as Rama it was His

human qualities which were manifest and, in fact, Rama prided in

referring to Himself as Dasaratha's son. Besides, Valmiki

describes Rama as the personification of Dharma and portrays Him

as the abode of all the virtuous qualities that a human being

could possess. Rama's divine nature is relegated to the

background in the epic and hence Rama's character and conduct

become a model for emulation.

 

In his discourse, Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal said that the

nuances of Dharma could be understood from Rama's conduct as

depicted in the Ramayana. While describing the code of conduct

the scriptures have laid down certain guidelines which have to be

practised by all and some which are applicable to special cases.

Often doubts will arise when there is a conflict between the two

while adopting these guidelines. Rama's conduct during the events

that led to His exile to the forest throws light on one such

subtlety of Dharma. After Dasaratha expressed his wish to crown

Rama as his heir to the throne of Ayodhya to the assembly he had

convened for the purpose, there was not only unanimous approval

of the king's proposal but also great rejoicing all-round. Rama's

humane qualities and irreproachable conduct had endeared Him to

one and all.

 

When Dasaratha asked them why when he was ruling the kingdom with

righteousness they all desired to see Him crowned as Prince

Regent, they replied unanimously, ``Many benign qualities inhere

in your son. Sri Rama is the only righteous man in the world; He

is not only truthful but also solely devoted to truth. Virtue

along with prosperity has directly proceeded from Sri Rama.''

Rama complied with His father's wish about accepting the duty of

ruling the kingdom but when later many dissuaded Him from

proceeding to the forest Rama refused because He considered

fulfilling His father's promise His primary duty.

 

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