Special Issue : Ram Navami

 

Lord Rama's Birth

According to the legends in the place called Kosal, which was situated on the banks of the river Sharayu. Ayodhya was the capital founded by the king rishi Manu. During the reign of king Dasarath, Ayodhya reached a period of great prosperity. But Dasarath had one problem he had no children. Therefore he decided to perform a sacrifice known as "ashvamedh", or horse-sacrifice.

Elaborate and difficult rituals had to be observed. A very holy man, rishi Rishyashring, was chosen to conduct the sacrifice with the utmost accuracy. The performance of this sacrifice was a great event in Ayodhya. At the end Rishyashring recited a mantra and made an offering to the fire.

Then the gods, gandharvas, siddhas, and rishis present arid began to pray to Brahma. During that time Ravan, king of Lanka, was terrorizing the people, and all were longing for liberation from his menace. Ravan had acquired great power because he had obtained from god Brahma the boon that he would never die at the hands of gods, or gandharvas, or yakshas (demigods) or demons. As he was not afraid of men he did not care to include men in the list of his potential slayers. So Brahmadev declared that Ravan would die at the hands of a man.

Then the gods went to Vishnu for help and requested him that Dasarath is a glorious king so please, take birth in the wombs of his three queens in four different incarnation of your divinity.

When Dasarath's sacrifice came to an end a shining figure appeared over the sacrificial kund, and offered the king a divine beverage called "payasam" to be given to his queens Kausalya, Kaikayi, and Sumitra. In due time Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikayi to Bharat and Sumitra to Laxman and Shatrugna. Rama was born at noon of the bright ninth day of Chaitra. He was believed to be the embodiment of half degree of Vishnu's divinity, (ardha ounsh).