The Significance of राम – The Essence of Self Revelation

While रामनवमी is indeed an occasion to celebrate the birth of श्री राम, the seventh
Avatār of श्री विष्णु, it is also a sacred invitation — to pause, reflect, and dive deeper
into the essential truths that his life reveals.
Have we truly understood the central figure of Sri Ram, and what he embodies for
each of us?
Our Itihaas is multi-layered — not just stories, but spiritual blueprints encoded with
timeless wisdom. Our Rishis were polymaths — seers, scientists, and poets — who
wove profound truths into the epics in such a way that seekers at every stage could
discover meaning. Every Shlok speaks to a different level of consciousness, and
each layer reveals itself as we grow in awareness.
Let us begin with the name itself.
The word “राम” originates from the Sanskrit root “रम्”, meaning to revel, to delight in.
Thus, Ram signifies “the one who revels.” But where does this joy unfold? Where
does Ram reside?
Within.

Ram is that blissful presence within us — the inner anand, the natural state of the
Atman. Ram is Anand-swarup — the embodiment of bliss — but he is also Dharm-
swarup — the embodiment of righteousness, of integrity in thought, word, and action.

Now, where there is Ram, there must also be Rāvan.
But not as an external demon.
Rāvan too lies within — as that which disrupts our inner revelry. The name Rāvan is
derived from Rav, meaning “to cause to cry or scream.” He represents sorrow,
delusion, and inner unrest. He is Moha-swarup — the embodiment of excessive
attachment, of unexamined desires, of unconscious action — the forces within that
pull us away from joy.
If this is so, then the Ramayan becomes more than an epic — it becomes a
guidebook for inner transformation.

It asks: How does Sri Ram triumph over Rāvan?

How can we — each of us — emerge victorious in our own internal battle between
bliss and sorrow, between righteousness and delusion?

The Ramcharitmanas, composed in the sweet cadence of Awadhi by Goswami
Tulsidas, offers us a luminous answer.
In a moment of deep teaching, Sri Ram consoles Vibhishan, Rāvan’s brother, and
offers him a powerful metaphor: the chariot of Dharm, a symbolic roadmap for
spiritual victory.
Here are his words:
ईस भजनु सारथी सुजाना। बिरति चर्म संतोष कृपाना।।
दान परसु बुधि सक्ति प्रचंडा। बर विग्यान कठिन कोदंडा।।
अमल अचल मन त्रोन समाना। सम जम नियम सिलीमुख नाना।।
कवच अभेद बिप्र गुर पूजा। एहि सम बिजय उपाय न दूजा।।
ईस भजनु सारथी सुजाना।
Īs bhajanu sārathī sujānā.
Reverence of the divine is the charioteer.
बिरति चर्म संतोष कृपाना।।
Virati charma santoṣ kṛipānā.
Dispassion (detachment) is the armor; contentment is the sword.
दान परसु बुधि सक्ति प्रचंडा।
Dān parasu buddhi śakti prachaṇḍā.
Generosity is the axe; intellect is the might (energy).
बर विग्यान कठिन कोदंडा।।
Bar vigyān kaṭhin kodanḍā.
Firm knowledge (wisdom) is the sturdy bow.
अमल अचल मन त्रोन समाना।
Amal achal man troṇa samānā.
A pure and steady mind is like a chariot base or chariot wheel.
सम जम नियम सिलीमुख नाना।।
Sam jam niyam silīmukh nānā.
The arrows are equanimity, self-restraint, and the observances (yama & niyama).
The five virtues of Yama (non-injury, truthfulness, abstinence, non-covetousness and
non-hoarding. And five daily disciplines of Niyama (purity, contentment, austerity,
self-study and contemplation of the higher).
कवच अभेद बिप्र गुर पूजा।
Kavach abhed bipra guru pūjā.

Unbreakable armour of devotion to the Gurus and the wise.

एहि सम बिजय उपाय न दूजा।।
Ehi sam vijay upāy na dūjā.
There is no other way to victory as effective as this.

Visualize this — a spiritual warrior, riding the chariot of Dharm, armed not with
weapons of war but with qualities of the soul. This is the roadmap to overcoming
inner obstacles, silencing the noise of delusion, and returning home — to our own
Ram, the inner source of bliss.
Just as Sri Krishna instructed Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita, here too, we witness the
edification of Vibhishan — thus this episode is often called the Vibhishan Gita.
In today’s world, where uncertainty and conflict often cloud our hearts, may this
timeless wisdom serve as your compass. May you and your family draw from this
deep reservoir of light — to face life’s challenges with courage, clarity, and
compassion.
May we all remember: The path to Ram lies within.