Lord Rama: The Chivalrous Incarnation of Morality

Abstract

Today, India stands as a powerful and multi cultured society because it has absorbed many cultures and moved on. People here follow different religions, customs, and traditions. So, it is not possible to know India without exploring and understanding it’s religious beliefs. Such an Indian religion is Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion with over 1.25 billion followers, or fifteen to sixteen percent of the global population. One of the main deities in Hinduism, Lord Rama, is the epitome of enlightenment. Rama is recognized to be an illuminated man, with great moral values. He has also been given the title of Maryada Purushottama . He has been called as , “ the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all , the ideal king”, by Swami Vivekananda. Rama is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana and is especially important to Vaishnavism. Rama legends are also found in the texts of Jainism and Buddhism, though he is sometimes called Pauma or Padma in these texts. Rama is, in the words of the sage Valmiki, sab ke priya sab ke hitkari (beloved of all and loved by all ). Lord Rama can be simply described as a man who demonstrates perfect moral as well as social behavior. Our society should realize the strong value system that revolves around Lord Rama.