KarmaVaani
Vaishnava tradition
रामRama
Raghunatha · Maryada Purushottama
The seventh avatar of Vishnu and the ideal of righteous living.
- Abode
- Ayodhya; Saketa
- Consort
- Sita
- Vahana
- None
- Colour
- Dark blue-green
- Arms
- 2
Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana, revered as the embodiment of dharma, honour, and devotion to duty. As prince of Ayodhya he accepts exile to keep his father's word, and with Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman he overcomes the demon king Ravana. He is worshipped as the model of the ideal person, ruler, and son.
Mantra
श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम
Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama
Glory to Shri Rama: the thirteen-syllable taraka mantra, said to carry the soul across.
How Rama is shown
A prince standing tall and calm, crowned, holding a great bow, with Sita at his left, Lakshmana at his right and Hanuman kneeling before them.
- Kodanda (bow)
- Resolve and the readiness to defend dharma.
- Arrow
- A single, unswerving aim: a word that is never broken.
- Crown
- Kingship held as duty to the people, not as privilege.
Stories
The exile
On the eve of his coronation, Rama learned that his father had promised his stepmother Kaikeyi two boons: her son on the throne and Rama in the forest for fourteen years. He left that same day without complaint, so his father's word would stand.
The return to Ayodhya
After Ravana's defeat, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana flew home in the Pushpaka chariot. Ayodhya lit rows of lamps to guide them, which many remember as the first Diwali.
