Rama Navami Celebrations
What is Rama Navami?
कौसल्या शुशुभे तेन पुत्रेणामिततेजसा
यथा वरेण देवानामदितिर्वज्रपाणिना।
Kausalya glowed with the undiminished lustre of her son, just as Aditi with her son Indra, the foremost among the gods and the wielder of thunder.
।। Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa: 1.18.11।।
Sri Rama Navami is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra. According to the Valmiki Ramayana (Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 8, v8-10), Sri Ramachandra appeared in the month of Chaitra (March-April) on the ninth day of the growing moon, known as Chaitra Masa, Shukla Paksha, Navami Tithi. This particular day is celebrated every year as Sri Rama Navami.
Sri Ramachandra was the son of King Dasharatha, the ruler of Ayodhya from the Ikshvaku dynasty (also referred to as Raghu vamsha). Although Dasharatha had three wives named Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, he did not had any progeny from them. On the advice of Maharishi Vashishtha, the king performed a Putra Kameshti Yajna, which led to all three wives conceiving progeny. Rama was born to Kaushalya, Bharata was born to Kaikeyi, and Sumitra gave birth to twin sons named Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
The epic Ramayana, written by the great sage Valmiki, provides a comprehensive account of the life and deeds of Sri Rama. The ninth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) contains an abridged version of the Ramayana, which was recounted by Shukadeva Goswami to Parikshit Maharaja.
The ancient philosopher and political strategist Chanakya Pandit, in his work Canakya Niti, states that:
रात्रौ चौरप्रसङ्गेन कालो गच्छन्ति धीमताम् ॥
CH 9.11 (Canakya Niti)
An intelligent person discusses about gambling in the morning, women in the afternoon & robbery in the night.
Purport: The first item refers to the gambling of King Yuddhisthira, the great devotee of Krsna. The second item refers to the glorious deeds of Mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra. And the third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing from Srimad-Bhagvatam.
In essence, everyone should read these scriptures. However, the reader should make note that each scripture has its mood and is written with certain concepts in mind.
If we fail to comprehend the underlying concept or theme of a text, it can lead to confusion.
- The Ramayana centers around the notion of duty and sacrifice
- The Mahabharata tackles the practical aspects of living in this world
- While Srimad Bhagavatam delves into the themes of beauty and love
It is regrettable that there is much misunderstanding surrounding the portrayal of Lord Ram’s activities in the Ramayana.
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Do we fast?
On the auspicious day of Ram Navami, devotees of Lord Ram fast until noon for the pleasure of Lord and then celebrate the day by breaking their fast with a delightful feast.
What Is The Significance of Rama Navami?
Every incarnation of the Supreme Lord has a purpose to fulfill. Thus, Lord Rama appeared to relieve the world from the tyrannical rule of the demon King Ravana. Despite being a Supreme being, Lord Rama ensured a life of hardships. For instance, he was exiled by his father, King Dashratha, following the request of his stepmother, Queen Kaikeyi. Rama obediently accepted his father’s wishes and went into exile without any opposition.
His devotees worship him not only for his name but also for his virtuous deeds, and they celebrate HIS appearance each year during the Rama Navami festival.
Final Reflections:
- Fast until noon
- Chant the names of Lord Rama
- Engage in activities that bring pleasure to the Lord
- Avoid all material desires and fix one’s mind on Lord Rama
- Worship Lord Rama with deep faith by offering sandalwood paste, flowers, incense, lamps, the best food, and various gifts
- Offer charity to qualified brahmanas or support the distribution of prasadam
By following these practices, one can achieve the abode of Lord Rama, just as Prahlada or Dhruva Maharaja did.
We wish you all a Happy Rama Navami
Learning : The Ramayana centers around the notion of duty and sacrifice
The Mahabharata tackles the practical aspects of living in this world
While Srimad Bhagavatam delves into the themes of beauty and love
Sri Rama Navami is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra. According to the Valmiki Ramayana (Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 8, v8-10), Sri Ramachandra appeared in the month of Chaitra (March-April) on the ninth day of the growing moon, known as Chaitra Masa, Shukla Paksha, Navami Tithi. This particular day is celebrated every year as Sri Rama Navami.
To understand the significance of Rama Navami, it is important to know about Lord Rama. Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And HIS arrival to the mortal world is commemorated as Rama Navami.
Not very easy to reflect Shriram ji as he was Maryada Purushottam. So, every qualities he reflected had a very very high standard. It is so high for kaliyuga that people believe Ramayana to be a myth..Every character in this epic undergoes a lot of sacrifices without any sense of pride.. once i had watched this series of videos and loved the way it was presented and very informative. Still to revive everything will again watch as i love Prema Bhakti of Hanuman ji dearest to Ram ji..Hari bol
Hare Krishna Prabhuji Dandvat Pranam, Thanks for such detailed insightful knowledge. It definitely uplifts falken souls like me.