Dr Roshan Singh – Jyotishacharya Shastri Pundit

Bhagwan Rama’s primary message is: fulfill your duty without any selfish motives; put other people before yourself. When he was exiled to the forest, Bhagwan Rama did not complain,  “But that’s not fair!” He did not fight back in anger. Rather, he helped his father fulfill a  promise; he lived according to his duty as a son and as a future king.  He did not once think about himself, his own comforts, his own “rights.” Rather, he abided by his dharma and his duty.

The message of the Bhagwan Rama’s life and the Ramayana is:

Choose Dharma over Artha
Choose Moksha over Kama

According to the teachings of Sanathan Dharma, the four goals of life are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. All are important. All are necessary for a full, complete, fulfilling life. Dharma is translated loosely as “the right path” or the “path of righteousness.”  Artha is the fulfillment of one’s career or professional path. Kama is the fulfillment of one’s path of physical intimacy (in marriage) and Moksha is the attainment of God realization.

Bhagwan Rama teaches us that when, given the choice, Dharma must be chosen over Artha.  When Bhagwan Rama’s father, Dashratha, the King of Ayhodhya, is compelled to banish  Rama to the forest for 14 years instead of coronating him as King, Bhagwan Rama takes the path of Dharma by peacefully and agreeably leaving the Kingdom for the forest rather than choosing the path of Artha, his duty as future King of Ayodhya. Then, at the end of the  Ramayana, Bhagwan Rama shows us to choose Moksha over Kama.  After the war in Lanka, Bhagwan Rama must leave Sitaji in the forest, for his subjects doubt her chastity. How easy it would have been to choose his own happiness over his subjects’ faith. How easy it would have been for him to say, “You are all stupid! You are all just suspicious.” But, he does not say that. Bhagwan Rama knows that he is a king first, and a husband second. His primary duty is to his kingdom, to bring health, happiness and prosperity to his subjects. Having Sitaji remain in Ayodhya would bring only resentment and disharmony. Therefore, he acts, once  again, according to selfless duty and chooses his kingdom over his own marital happiness.

Through his noble and divine choices, he teaches the world to choose dharma over artha  (when he leaves for the forest rather than be coronated as King) and to choose moksha over  kama (when he chooses his kingdom over his marriage).