“Of what use are wealth, comforts and pleasures, home, wives, and sons if one is not able to see Shri Rama?” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 48.7)

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किं नु तेषां गृहैः कार्यं किं दारै: किं धनेन वा
पुत्रैर्वा किं सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्

kiṃ nu teṣāṃ gṛhaiḥ kāryaṃ kiṃ dārai: kiṃ dhanena vā
putrairvā kiṃ sukhairvāpi ye na paśyanti rāghavam

On the auspicious occasion of Rama Navami, we appreciate sagacious wisdom passed along one time from a source not traditionally aligned with education of the spiritual subject matter. From the strangest place, while under duress, directed towards those who were not necessarily seeking out information within that topic – the wisdom was nonetheless powerful and profound enough to still resonate thousands of years after the fact.

The way of living unintelligently referred to through the umbrella term of “Hinduism” is notorious for its caste system. This is a strict hierarchy that cannot be broken, as the statuses are determined solely by birth, or jāti. No one can move up. You can degrade yourself through improper behavior, but you will always be welcomed back should you shape up later on. Your wanderings might be written off to the behavior of the saint, who is always forgiven.

अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक्
साधुरेव स मन्तव्य: सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि स:

api cet su-durācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.30)

The people at the bottom essentially have no hope. No matter how much they try. No matter what reformatory institutions they attend. No matter what rites of passage they attempt. They are always stuck in the caste determined by their birth.

The origins of the system are, of course, different. The stipulation is within Bhagavad-gita itself, which mentions that the varnas, or occupations, are based on guna and karma. These are material qualities, such as goodness, passion, and ignorance, and fruitive activity. In other words, you should have the qualities of a certain occupation and work in the manner suited to that group in order to be an upstanding member.

चातुर्-वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं
गुण-कर्म-विभागशः
तस्य कर्तारम् अपि मां
विद्ध्य् अकर्तारम् अव्ययम्

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

The system is pristine at original inception, but it degrades over time, as is evident in the widespread deviation from religious principles [dharma] across thousands of years. We can argue the merits or the demerits, whether birth should be a deciding factor, but there is no denying that one group tends to always have the short end of the stick. That group is women. In the following analysis, we review some of the common ways in which the typical housewife might be viewed by those who are in a privileged class within a civilized society. We even include an uncommon, but valid viewpoint at the end.

1. People to cook and clean

“Someone needs to take care of it. Between you and me, this is what has gone wrong over the last fifty years or so within industrialized nations. They are so proud of how advanced they are. They deride other places as ‘third world.’ These people have their cars, their indoor plumbing, their kitchen appliances, and their advanced heating and cooling.

“The neighborhoods are beautiful. The grounds are meticulously landscaped. But what about the inside? Without the housewife, everything would fall apart. This is what we see happening. The women go out to work now and the home life is spoiled. Piles and piles of stuff that nobody uses. You can’t even open the doors to some of the bedrooms. You can’t see the floor. No one is around to tidy up.

“No, it is better if the women do what they are good at. Someone should prepare the meals. Someone should make sure the rooms are neat and clean. Are you suggesting that men should step up? They are not suited for such tasks.”

2. People to manage the home

“The problems are steady in their appearance. This morning, for instance, I had to wait outside for the repairperson to arrive. What were they repairing, you ask. The windshield on the car. The entire glass had to be replaced, due to a crack caused by a rock from the road. Tomorrow, the contractor will be here to renovate the kitchen. The next day it will be something else. Someone needs to be at home. Someone needs to oversee everything. The housewife is well-suited for the role.”

3. People to take care of the children

“This is women’s work. The children can be really annoying. They cry all the time. They always want food. What self-respecting man would lower himself to attend to such affairs? Can you ever picture me changing a diaper? No way. Women were made to handle such challenges. They know what to do.”

4. People to make their husbands happy

“If they are not dressing nicely for their husbands, then of what use are the fancy clothes? Are they trying to make others happy? That makes no sense. They should be eager to serve. They should take pleasure in wanting to please. This is nature’s way. Follow your nature.”

5. People to yell at their husbands for not worshiping properly

This viewpoint is half expected and half ironic. Consider the following questions. What is our view of God? Does He exist? Is He simply a product of mythology? Is He more of a concept or energy than a person? At the very least, we tend to look to Him in times of trouble. He is kind of an order supplier. He should help us out, because we have been good. We have made sacrifices, and given His extraordinary position, He should be eager to assist.

In the case of Shri Rama, it is like the leader of an establishment getting their hands dirty, working in the trenches alongside the regular employees who struggle on a daily basis. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is satya-sankalpa. His desires always come through. He is never compelled to do anything. He is still kind enough to appear within the manifest realm, at times of His choosing.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य
ग्लानिर् भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य
तदात्मानं सृजाम्य् अहम्

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

As the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, Rama assumes the burden of responsibility to lead. He does not take the easy road in life. There are sacrifices to be made. There are competing interests. Personal comfort is never a consideration. Rama is always wishing well to every living being. This is both in vow and in practice.

रामेति प्रथितो लोके गुणवान्सत्यवान्शुचिः
विशालाक्षो महाबाहुस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः

rāmeti prathito loke guṇavānsatyavānśuciḥ
viśālākṣo mahābāhussarvabhūtahite rataḥ

“My husband Rama is famous throughout the world. He is pure, truthful, and very gentle. He is mighty-armed, has wide eyes, and is always busy working for the welfare of all living beings [sarva-bhuta-hite-ratah].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.11)

A person may have their preconceived notions about what they consider the role of a typical housewife to be, but they likely wouldn’t consider such a person to be a guru to the rest of the world. Yet this is exactly what took place during the time of Rama in Ayodhya.

The housewives did not suddenly change roles. They were not lecturing from an elevated seat. They were not formally initiating students to become disciples. They were not authoring books on the procedures and policies to be followed by the various orders, the different varnas.

Rather, in the way that a housewife might be known to scold her husband for arriving home late, for forgetting their wedding anniversary, or for being generally lazy, the women in Ayodhya admonished their husbands for not being eager to share in the sacrifices of Rama. The eldest son of the king was leaving Ayodhya, to not return for at least fourteen years. Rama was assuming the burden of suffering for someone else’s mistakes. He was like collateral damage in a temporary feud between husband and wife.

The women rhetorically asked about the value of common items of importance. Home. Family. Children. Wealth and comforts. What use are any of these when lacking the chance to see the Supreme Lord? Why even live if you have no direct connection with God?

And so the occasion of Rama Navami affords the opportunity to connect. We can do so through remembering, through hearing, through reading, through learning, and through worshiping. We can also honor those great devotees in Ayodhya, who were not inhibited by the circumstances of birth. They were so close to Rama through a natural and spontaneous devotion, the likes of which even the greatest yogis would envy.

In Closing:

Sometimes even envy found,
In life of yoga bound.

Because others directly to voice,
That worship of Rama their choice.

Like wives their husbands admonishing,
When Kaikeyi that prince punishing.

Of what use is anything that we hold?
When vision of God not to behold.

Categories: feature, holiday

Tags: birth of rama, feature, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, rama navami