Lord Ram manifested on earth in order to put an end to evil and preserve good. While all the great sages lived harmoniously with nature and performed austerities, the evil demons wreaked havoc in the most sacred of places. Having no one around to stop them, the rakshasas only grew more boisterous in creating trouble for the rishis. It is under such circumstances that Lord Ram came as a blessing and destroyed the demons, clearing the path for virtuous deeds. He established righteousness by destroying evil and inspiring people to follow the path of dharma. Sri Rama set his devotees on the path of righteousness by teaching them the value of charity, faith, duty and sacrifice. Through such teachings, even the most unrighteous follower can become purified to receive the lord.
For the great sages and holy men, Sri Ram provided much more than that. For them, Lord Ram was a saviour who could take them to moksha or complete liberation. As Narada rishi wrote in the Narada sutras:
‘Modante pitaro, nrityanti devatah, sanathah dheyam bhurbhavati’.
Meaning, ‘On the advent of a devotee, their forefathers rejoice, the gods dance in joy and this earth gets a saviour’. All around, the sages and ascetics rejoiced at being in the presence of Lord Ram. They identified the Supreme Lord, residing within the human form of the prince of Ayodhya, and felt blessed to have the opportunity to connect with him. He came to walk the path of righteousness and in doing so, showed mankind the way of life. The world rejoiced at the birth of such a noble person, for he was born for the welfare of all.
A devotee of Sri Ram can benefit up to twenty-one generations of one’s ancestry or descendents, leading them to salvation. A person can be led to the divine through surrendering one’s body, mind, intellect and ego at the feet of beloved Sri Ram. Thus, the coming of Sri Ram, is the greatest of blessings for humankind.
