Lord Rāmacandra Appearance Day

(Śrī Rāma-navami)

Fasting Times

Lord Rāmacandra appeared at noon, so devotees fast till noon on this auspicious day. Devotees break the fast with full prasādam (with grains).

Naumī tithi madhu māsa punītā sukala paccha abhijita hariprītā

Madhyadivasa ati sīta na ghāmā pāvana kāla loka biśrāmā

It was the ninth day of the bright half of the sacred month of Caitra; the moon had entered the asterism named Abhijit, which is so dear to Śrī Hari. The sun was at its meridian; the day was neither cold nor hot. It was a holy time which gave rest to the whole world. 

[Verse 190, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa, Gosvāmī Tulasīdāsa]

Lord Rāmacandra’s pastime [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 9, chapter 10 and 11]

Lord Rāmacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descended to this world in the quadruple forms of Rāmacandra, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna. Śrī Rāmacandra is the eldest of these four sons of Daśaratha, king of Ayodhyā. Bound by a vow to his wife Kaikeyi, Daśaratha, banished Lord Rāmacandra to the forest. Despite the anguish of the citizens of Ayodhyā and their loving pleas for Him to stay, Lord Rāmacandra determinedly followed His father’s decree. Seeing Lord Rāmacandra’s resolve, the citizens of Ayodhyā followed Him out of the city and as far as possible into the forest. Although Lord Rāmacandra loved His devotees more than His own self, He left the citizens behind by sneaking off during the night, so that they couldn’t follow Him any further. Traveling in the middle of the night, Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by His wife, Sītā, and His younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, crossed the nearby river with the help of a boatman, who refused to take any remunerations for the ride. Asking for a reason, the boatman mentioned that both he and Lord Rāmacandra were in the same profession. (In Vedic culture it is the custom for those in the same professions to not charge one another for their services.) when Lord Rāmacandra asked the boatman to explain how a boatman and a prince might be considered to be in the same profession, the boatman answered, “Just as I have taken You across this river, I pray that when I leave this world, You will take me across the ocean of birth and death on the boat of Your lotus feet.” Lord Rāma was pleased with the boatman and blessed him. During His exile, Lord Rāmacandra, along with His eternal consort, Sītādevī, and brother Lakṣmana, went through many tribulations and trials.

For example, during the exile, Lord Rāmacandra was separated from Sītādevī, when Rāvaṇa, king of Laṅkā, kidnapped Her. Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, then painstakingly searched for Her throughout the land. During the search, they two recruited otherworldly monkeys who helped Them to build a bridge to cross the ocean to Laṅkā where Sītādevī was being held. Lord Rāmacandra attacked Rāvaṇa’s capital, Laṅkā and personally killed Rāvaṇa. Noteworthy is the famous monkey devotee, Hanumān, who jumped across the ocean, found Sītādevī and burned Her kidnapper Rāvaṇa’s city. The Lord subsequently delivered Sītādevī from Laṅkā and carried her in a flower airplane to His capital Ayodhyā, where They were ceremoniously received by the loving citizens who had been awaiting Their return. Lord Rāmacandra’s brother Bharata, who had held the kingdom on behalf of Lord Rāmacandra, also eagerly received Lord Rāma and rightfully put the kingdom in His control. Pleased by the full surrender and submission of His brother, Bharata, Lord Rāmacandra accepted the throne amidst great celebration.

Later, Lord Rāmacandra one day dressed like commoner and wandered throughout His capital city to gauge the satisfaction of His citizens. By chance, He heard a man scolding his wife for going to another man’s house. While rebuking his wife, the man spoke disparagingly of Lord Rāma, saying that although Rāmacandra may not have minded that His wife had lived in the home of another man, he would not tolerate such a cultural transgression. Lord Rāmacandra considering His kingly dharma all important, decided to give up Sītādevī’s company to set an example and to beyond any citizen’s criticism. He thus banished Sītādevī, who was pregnant, to the shelter of Vālmīki Muni, where she gave birth to twin sons, named Lava and Kuśa. Sītādevī placed her two sons in the care of Vālmīki Muni and then entered the earth, from when She has appeared. Upon hearing of this, Lord Rāmacandra was deeply aggrieved, and thus He performed Vedic sacrifices for thirteen thousand years.

Significance of Lord Rāmacandra’s appearance

The exalted opulence of Lord Rāmacandra as being supremely renounced, is glorified by the scriptures. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.5.34, says, su-dustyaja, Lord Rāmacandra gave up Sītādevī, the Goddess of fortune, Whom even the devas are not able to renounce. Lord Rāmacandra, also gave up His rightful claim to His father’s kingdom when requested by His father. The phrase ārya-vacasā, establishes that Lord Rāmacandra was fixed in dharma. He took the words of His superior as his life and soul. 

Rāmacandra’s pastimes, intriguing and full of transcendental drama and emotion, are famous all over the world.

Important Lessons

1. Ārya-vacasā: Follow the words of the Ācārya for success in life. We cannot avoid the miseries of material life. But, by following the instructions of the liberated Ācārya’s we can cross the ocean of material existence. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.30 says: “O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one's meditation on Your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of mahājanas [great saints, sages, and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda followed the ārya-vacasā principle by making the fulfillment of the instructions of his guru as his main goal in life.

2. Be a Boatman: Those who, like Lord Rāma’s boatman, work tirelessly to expand the Saṅkīrtana Movement so that others can be delivered, are blessed by Kṛṣṇa. Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā 18.68: “For one who explains this supreme secret [of devotional service] to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.” Devotees who organize their lives around the principle of giving people transcendental knowledge, are themselves transported by the Lord across the ocean of the material world.

3. The role of association in spiritual development: The “Manthara Effect" emphasizes the significance of being mindful of the influence of others on our spiritual journey. Just as Mantra's envy affected Kaikeyi, our associations can shape our character and influence our spiritual progress. Therefore, it's crucial to surround ourselves with positive, spiritually-minded individuals who support our growth.

Devotees of Lord Rāma from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes

1. Rāmadāsa Vipra [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, verse 9.178 – 218]

2. Murāri Gupta [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, verse 15.137 – 157]

3. Anupama (brother of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī) [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, verse 4.27 – 44]