144: Sri Rama Navami Significance

Sree Raama Raama Raamethi
Rame Raame Manorame |
Sahasra Naama Thatthulyam
Raama Naama Varaanane ||

Sri Raghavam Dasaradhatmajama Prameyam
Seehapatim Raghuvarnvayaratna Deeepam |
Aajanubhahumaravidha Dhallayataatkshayam
Ramam nisacharavinasakaram Navami ||

Aapadaamapa Harthaaram
Daatharam Sarva Sampadaam |
Lokaabhiraamam Sree Raamam
Bhuyo Bhuyo Namaamyaham ||

Sri Rama Navami, an important festival especially among the Vaishnava sect of the Hindus. Ramanavami celebrates the birth of Rama or Ramachandra. Sri Rama Navami usually falls on Chaitra sudda Navami. On the ninth day of the first fortnight of Chaitra the birth of Rama is commemorated.

Lord Sri Rama is the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu out of the ten jayanties viz., Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parusurama, Rama, Krishna, Budda and Kalki. It is to be noted that out of these ten jayanties, three of them falls during Chaitra maasam.
Sri Ramavathar explains guidelines that need to be followed by each and every person in this world. During this Avathaar, Sriman Narayanan incarnates as the son for great king, Dasarathan. But in spite of being born to a great king, throughout this Avathaar, he led his life as an ordinary person.

According to ancient texts, Sri Rama was born to King Dasarada and Kausalya on the Chaitra sudda Navami in Karkataka lagna with Punarvasu fourth pada. This day is being celebrated as Sri Rama Navami. It is the most auspicious day for everyone. According to Valmiki, Sri Rama was born well before BC 2055. As per Indian Standard Time, he was born in Vyvaswata manvantaram Panchama Tretayugam, forth part i.e. Thirty thousand years equivalent Vilambali year Chaitra sudda Navami, Wednesday.

SRI RAMA STORY: 

Sri Rama’s story, Ramayana, has been sung in all the languages and dialects of Bharat. The tradition of writing epics centering round the saga of Rama’s achievements started by Valmiki in Sanskrit and was continued by Tulasidas in Hindi, by Kamban in Tamil, by Ramanujan in Malayalam, by Krittivasa in Bengali and Madhav Kambali in Assamia and in fact, in almost every Bharatiya language. How deeply significant that every group and sect even in distant and far-flung parts of Bharatavarsha should have found a radiant reflection of its own ideals in the form of Sri Rama!

Lord Rama is called Maryaada-Purushottama – the great one who never deviated from the norms set by Dharma. In the eyes of the Hindu, the touchstone of human excellence is Dharma. Devotion to Dharma came first in Rama’s life and considerations of his personal joys and sorrows came last. It was his supreme commitment to putra-dharma that made Rama smilingly depart to the forest for fourteen years at the bidding of his father. He would not budge from the path of Dharma – righteousness – even when his own preceptor, his parents, his brothers and the whole body of his subjects tried to dissuade him. He upheld the supremacy of Dharma in every one of his human relationships and hence became an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal husband, an ideal disciple, an ideal friend, an ideal kind and even an ideal foe.

 The story of Rama is not that of a single towering personality dwarfing all others. The other characters like Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Hanuman too shine in their own greatness. All of them are so closely interwoven with Sri Rama’s life and achievements that it is High impossible to think of any one without the other. In fact, the most popular picture of Sri Rama, i.e., of Sri Rama Pattabhishekam includes Sita, Hanuman and all his brothers. And in the bringing out of the greatness of all these partners of his life-drama, Rama’s instinctive recognition of their merit and virtues played no mean part. He would always be the first to openly appreciate the unique and noble traits in others’ character. Even for Kaikeyi, who was responsible for his banishment to forest, Rama had only words of kindness. And as for Ravana, the abductor of his wife, Rama’s unstinted praise of his erudition and prowess at once lifts the story of Ramayana to heights unsurpassed in the annals of human history.

Significance:

This festival is celebrated for nine days starting from Chaitra sudda Padyami and ends with Navami day, the Jayanti of Lord Rama. During these nine days, Sri Rama Parayanam is recited and Rama Nama is recited in temples and Sri Rama mandirs. According to ancient texts, Sri Rama Navami is celebrated at noon. This festival is being celebrated in different ways across the country. In Maharastra, the celebrate begin right from the morning 9 AM and proceed till 12 noon. People keep a fast throughout the day, breaking it only at midnight with fruit.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Sri Rama, a big fair is held on this day. In South India the Sri Ramnavami Utsavam is celebrated for nine days with great fervour and devotion. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, public gatherings called satsangs are organised to commemorate the birth of Rama. Excerpts from the Ramacharitamanas, extolling the glory of Rama, are recited.
During this day, we clean our house, put the Kolam and place a photo of Sri Ramar Pattabhishekam on top of a wooden plate (Manai). Decorate the photo with various flowers. And now you can perform Archanai for Sri Ramar and after that you can chant some of the slokams from Sri Ramayanam.

Also, you can chant Sri Rama Nama and it is 100% evident that wherever the great Sri Rama Nama is expressed, Hanuman will enjoy that Nama and along with Sri Ramar, he will also bless us with his grace. By chanting the Sri Rama Nama, it is said that bhaktas will get the favour equivalent to that of the favour got by fasting. Not even on this day, even daily we should atleast say the Sri Rama Japa for 108 times (or atleast for 28 times) and we can a lot of positive changes on our life.

Mangalam Kosalandreya Mahaneeya Gunatmane
Chakravati Tanujuya Saarvabhowmaaya Mangalam

In Andhra Pradesh, Sri Rama Kalyanam is celebrated on Navami day. Devotees witness the wedding celebrations of Lord Rama with Sita. According to ancient texts, Sri Rama Vanavasam was done in this State. The Kalyanotsavam is being celebrated with utmost glory and pomp at Sri Bhadrachalam temple. Devotees from various parts of the country will throng the temple to witness the Kalyanotsavam. The Government of Andhra Pradesh will present pearls and wedding dress material to Lord Rama and Sita. In this temple, the festival is celebrated for five days ie., Navami, Dasami, Ekadasi, Dwadasi, and Trayodasi. During these days, devotees chant Sri Rama Nama.