Each spring, as the festival of Ram Navami arrives, temples fill with chants, homes are adorned with flowers, and the ancient story of Lord Rama is told once more. For many, it is a day of ritual celebration—of reverence for a divine birth in Ayodhya, a time to honour the prince who would become a god. But beneath the sacred hymns and festive air, Ram Navami carries a deeper invitation. It asks us to pause, reflect, and consider not only who Rama was, but what He represents—and what He calls forth within us.
Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is more than a mythic hero. He is the embodiment of dharma—the moral and spiritual order that sustains life. But perhaps most strikingly, he is remembered and revered as Maryada Purushottam—the ideal man, the supreme upholder of Maryada, or righteous conduct. In an age where restraint is often mistaken for weakness, and public discourse is dominated by noise and aggression, Rama’s legacy offers something urgently needed: the reminder that true strength lies not in force, but in dignity.
His life was a continuous act of moral choice. Whether accepting exile without bitterness, choosing dialogue over violence, or placing the welfare of his people above personal desire, Rama’s decisions were not easy—but they were always guided by principle. He did not merely possess power; he exercised it with grace, never for dominance, always for the greater good. His strength was inward, drawn from the wellspring of self-discipline and ethical clarity. His victories were not just over enemies, but over the ego itself.
In today’s fractured world, where anger often substitutes for conviction and outrage overshadows reason, Ram Navami offers us more than a historical remembrance. It offers a template for living. It asks us: can we speak with dignity even when provoked? Can we act with fairness when it is inconvenient? Can we uphold what is right without shouting others down?
Spiritual traditions often remind us that a birthday—janma—signifies more than a physical event. It symbolizes awakening. The birth of Rama, then, is also the potential birth of higher values within ourselves. Each Ram Navami is a quiet opportunity to let something noble arise in our own hearts. In celebrating Rama, we are not just honouring a divine being from a distant past—we are nurturing the divine potential that lives within us now.
Ram Navami always coincides with the final day of Navaratri, the nine-day festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, the fierce mother who destroys inner demons and restores balance. The juxtaposition is deeply symbolic. Rama represents equanimity and restraint, while Durga embodies transformative power and courage. Together, they offer a complete spiritual vision—where inner strength is balanced by compassion, and bold action is grounded in wisdom.
To reflect on Rama and Durga side by side is to recognize the interplay of masculine and feminine energies within us all—the steadiness of the sage and the fire of the warrior, the calm and the storm. Their union is not oppositional but complementary, reminding us that spiritual wholeness comes not from favouring one over the other, but from cultivating both.
The heart of any festival lies not in the ritual alone, but in its power to renew our resolve. Ram Navami calls us gently but firmly to recommit to the values that sustain a just and compassionate world. It invites us to reclaim our inner balance in a time of excess, to practise self-restraint in a culture of indulgence, to walk with courage in moments of doubt.
And so, as we light lamps and listen to the Ramayana, let us also ask ourselves what we wish to kindle within. Perhaps it is the courage to be kind. Or the clarity to be honest when it’s hard. Perhaps it is the strength to speak gently in a harsh world. Or simply the faith to stay rooted in the goodness we often forget we carry.
For in remembering Rama, we remember not just a god or a king—but a way of being. A way marked by discipline, compassion, humility, and unwavering resolve. His life remains a luminous thread in the fabric of our collective memory, guiding us still toward what is noble and right.
On this Ram Navami, may we remember Him, and honour Him not only in prayer, but in practice.
“श्रीराम राम रघुकुल–रत्न, धर्म–प्रतिष्ठापक!
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं मर्यादायाः स्वरूपम्।
नः चेतसि सद्गुणाः जन्मन्तु,
धर्मे प्रीतिर्ममास्तु।
श्रीरामाय नमः।”
“O Shri Rama, jewel of the Raghu lineage, upholder of dharma,
You are the very embodiment of righteous conduct.
May noble virtues be born in our hearts,
May love for dharma ever dwell within us.
Salutations to Shri Rama.”
scribo ad LX 