The Delightful Son of Dasharath

Divinity radiates unobstructed through the one who has mastered himself.The one who has conquered all of his ten senses is known as ‘Dasharath’. ‘Rath’ means ‘a chariot’. Here, the chariot implies our senses, and Dasharath is the one who has been able to rein the chariot of senses. In essence, King Dasharath was an ascetic. In spite of belonging to a glorious lineage and living as the king of the most prosperous kingdom, he was detached from materialistic possessions and did not give importance to the pleasures derived from them. The focus of his life was to fulfil his duties and uphold justice, peace and harmony in his kingdom.When a ruler like Dasharath, who has mastered his senses, invoked the Lord through sacrifice and penance, he was blessed with Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, as his son. A state that is ruled by such a man who has mastered himself can only prosper in all aspects. The kingdom of Ayodhya was such a state ruled by the great king Dasharath. ‘Ayodhya’ literally means ‘no conflict’. Where there is no conflict, there is place for eternal peace and happiness. When we resolve our mind and achieve complete self–control, we achieve a state such as that of the kingdom of Ayodhya.The one who has mastered his senses remains unaffected by all the temptations and sense pleasures that we encounter on a day-to-day basis. He is not swayed by the range of emotions that arise from his interactions with the outside world. He maintains his composure under all circumstances, and his mind is never agitated. In such a calm mind, there remains no space for conflict. All decisions are made with utmost clarity achieved through intense deliberation. When we invoke the Lord with such a state of mind, the Lord resides as pure bliss within us.Where there is no conflict, there is place for eternal peace and happiness.