Rama has always been in Ayodhya.
Like he has been in every temple built in his honour in every village, town, and city. Like he has been in every prayer-room in every home. Like he has been in your heart and mine. Ramayanam (रामस्य अयनं Ramasya Ayanam — the journey of Rama or The Path taken by Rama) is your story and mine. It is the story of India, of the world, and of human civilisation. It is the story of our endeavour to aspire for perfection.
As Mohan Bhargava expresses it beautifully in Swades, ‘Man se Raavan jo nikale, Ram uske man mein hain’
Aspiring for perfection in everything we do is our Dharma. Being good, being better that we were yesterday, doing what is right, setting the right example, not because others are seeing us, but because that is who we are, is Dharma. Our individual Dharma is our religion. That is our only religion.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः
We are taught that Swadharma is our duty and everything which is not our Dharma is fraught with fear. That is what Ramayana is. That is why our civilisation holds Rama as our ideal. Name of the religion we follow may be different, but everyone has a Rama — an ideal. We just call them by different names. A perfect example to aspire towards. A role-model to emulate. An ideal to achieve. Thats the fountainhead around which every religion has been built. Dharma (duty), though, predates religion.
Sadguru Sivananda Murthy garu said “Rama did not allow his personal emotions to come in the way of his Dharma as a king. Thus, he set an example to all the rulers in the world for all the time to come.” Guruji was very confident that a proper temple would come up in Ayodhya. Not to propagate a religion, but to become a beacon for Dharma. He made a beautiful point that Rama did not establish Sanatana Dharma. He followed it even though he was an Avatara. That is why he is an ideal. If someone would come and change up the rules, he becomes difficult to emulate. There would be anarchy if everyone did that. But Rama followed the principles established by the Vedas and by his lineage — his Dharma.
Sivananda Murthy garu also added that Ayodhya should become the Dharmic capital of our country. The government, while swearing in, would travel to Ayodhya and pray that their governance be like that of Rama — the perfect ruler — and stay true to Dharma and Dharma alone. For that one reason, it is worth the struggle to build a temple at Ayodhya.
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मस्साधुस्सत्यपराक्रमः।
A temple to Dharma, more than a temple to a person. Rama is not a person, he is personified Dharma. If everyone who visits that temple, or thinks of it, is reminded that they promised to their ideal that they’ll be a little better than they were yesterday, the world would become a better place. We can do that at home too, if we are strong enough. We have a Supreme Court as a symbol of justice. We can obey the law even without going to our Supreme Court, if we are strong enough. Ayodhya is that symbol. It is to affirm that we recognise the need today for a powerful symbol to remind us of our Dharma. To get back onto track. It is beyond religion, it is beyond mythology. It is a tribute we are building to our ideal selves; and it should give us added impetus to strive for that perfection.
Like Gurudev Tagore says
‘…..Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection…..
Where the mind is led forward by thee…..
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.’
May today mark the foundation of not just a building, but of our civilisation’s ascension into that heaven of freedom; where mankind would strive harder towards an ideal and emerge as better versions of ourselves.
Jai Sri Ram 🙏🏼
