The Last Age of Good vs. Evil

Long ago, about 10,000 years ago, there was an age when good and evil were distinctly different. Humanoids were either heroes, commoners or villains. Quite distinct in character, no identity crisis. Quite unlike today. In these times rose a hero, a prince from the Kingdom of Ayodhya, who defended the good against the evil on a regular basis. Prince Rama, and his brother, Lakshmana were chief defenders of faith against the nasties. But their greatest challenge was yet to come.

Ramayana performed as a ballet in Indonesia (cc licensed | flickr/ Bertrand Duperrin)

Shri Rama, accepting the desire of his step-mother to give up his claim to the throne and retire to forest life for more than a decade was the beginning of the epic story that becomes Ramayana. After losing his divine wife, Shri Sita to a kidnapping event, he loses his second most precious possession: his motivation. Having lost his drive to take on an established kingdom without a proper army or armor, he is in the midst of the greatest flight/flight decision anyone could face.

Thankfully, he is advised by a celestial being to invoke the goddess through the Navratri worship. Although these 9 nights of goddess worship were typically done in Fall, he performs the worship in Spring, as the situation demanded an extraordinary solution. The goddess, pleased with the worship appears and clarifies the grand picture, wherein gears are set in motion for Shri Rama's success. And he does succeed eventually. But that is another story.

Shri Rama was a man's man. Purushottama, was one of his names. He was also Maryada Purushottama, which meant, the one who would respect boundaries and not act out of line, no matter what the cost. Yet, he performed the worship when it was needed, rather than waiting months for the opportune moment. The timeless nature of divine action is at play here. He thus established the Spring version of the Navratri 9 nights of worship, which conclude with his birthday, Rama Navmi (literally, Rama's Day on the Ninth).

This year, that day is today, Saturday April 20th. A great reason to meditate upon the right-heart chakra and inculcate the wish-fulfilling and sin-destroying name, that is 'Rama'.