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Role model for man

CHENNAI: The Ramayana portrays Rama as a role model for humanity and hence His divine nature is revealed only when necessary so that human beings can emulate His virtues. Valmiki describes Him as the embodiment of all auspicious traits that a person should aspire to possess. One incident that proclaimed His divinity was the encounter with Parasurama, who was also a divine descent. After the marriage of Rama and Sita, the bridal procession was returning to Ayodhya when Parasurama, who had heard the breaking of Siva’s bow, rushed with His axe in hand to challenge the one who had broken it. His sworn enmity with kings was legendary, as He had vowed to kill 21 generations of rulers for their arrogance to avenge His mother Renuka’s self-immolation after His father Sage Jamadagni was killed.

In his discourse, Keeranur Sri Ramamurthi said in the encounter Parasurama recognised Rama as a divine manifestation and so the meeting was fruitful in that Rama’s prowess was established. Parasurama did not submit to Rama immediately but challenged Him to string the bow of Vishnu in His possession in order to test Him. Dasaratha was aghast as Rama was just married besides very young, and Parasurama’s reputation as a ruthless warrior was well known. But Dasaratha’s pleas went unheeded and Parasurama showed the bow of Vishnu in His possession. Then He asked Rama to string it and He effortlessly strung it, and since He had to discharge the arrow, Parasurama allowed the merit of the penance He had performed to be drawn by it with all the celestials looking at the two in awe.

This was transference of His divine power to Rama and acknowledgment of His divinity by no less than Parasurama: “From the fact of Your having (not only) seized (but also strung and drawn) this bow (of Lord Vishnu, which could not be strung by none else) I conclude You to be (none other than) the imperishable Lord Vishnu…” Parasurama then retired to Mahendra mountain after declaring that His loss of power now was not a matter of shame because Rama was verily the Supreme Being. Rama then entrusted Vishnu’s peerless bow to Varuna for safekeeping before the entourage continued its journey to Ayodhya.

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