Five Ways To Show Support For Someone Who Has Been Wronged

“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

1. Boycotting

“Wow, did you see what happened? I am getting sick of this nonsense. The company decided to sever ties with that person because of something they posted on social media. Last I checked there was still something called freedom of speech in this country. I may not agree with everything a person says, but I am not going to immediately cancel them because they share their honest opinions, in a peaceful way. This company has no idea what it is in for. I will never purchase their products again. I called them to let them know I am cancelling any affiliation I have with them.”

2. Standing in line for hours

“Yes, we attended the event yesterday. We stood out in the cold and rain for hours. It was a memory to keep forever. We would stand for several days, if necessary. This person takes all the risks. They stand up to the thieves running the world. They speak the truth. They are not afraid. This is the least we can do to show our support.”

3. Surging the IPO

“I had no idea how to even invest. The extent of my knowledge was having those automatic deductions go into the retirement account at work. Nothing was going to stop me, though. This public persecution has gone on long enough. I don’t even know what this company does, but they just went live with their stock. I will purchase as many shares as necessary to keep the price high, so that the owner will have sufficient net worth to deal with these corrupt judges, who are trying to steal everything that was lawfully obtained, over the course of decades.”

4. Buying their merchandise

“Here we go again. You people shove microphones in their faces. You people demand entry into the dressing rooms, as soon as the competitions are over. What do you expect the players to say? Every now and then they are going to trip up and speak the truth. Then, rather than reward them for their honesty, you journalists write hit pieces. You put their families in danger. You are the worst of the human race, if you ask me. The least I can do is buy that player’s jersey. I hear it is the top selling item across the league. No one heard of this player before. Now, no one will ever forget them.”

5. Uprooting their entire family

If a person literally lives in what they call a “mobile home,” then the transition should not be so difficult. There are even the micro or “tiny” homes that can be ordered online. The builder works everything out in their own space. They follow the construction to precise specification, place the finished product on something that can be transported, and then the entire dwelling will be delivered to your place of choice. As easy it was to install, the same minimal effort will go into moving to a new place.

With the people of Ayodhya many thousands of years ago, the process was a little more involved. It was an abrupt change, to start. It was taking everything valuable to them. Imagine the case of an impending natural disaster, where the citizens have ample prior warning. They rush through the home to take with them what is considered the most important. Back in Ayodhya, the citizens who felt strongly for the wronged prince were in a similar situation.

Except the eagerness was from an unexpected source. The Ramayana history reveals that it was the wives in the homes who were ready to go. They felt such an attachment to the eldest son of King Dasharatha, who was named Rama, that they wondered why everyone else did not have the same eagerness to leave. You see, Rama had just suffered a horrible wrong. He was forced out of the community, like some kind of criminal, for the offense of the circumstances of His birth. Rama was the son of the queen named Kausalya. The queen named Kaikeyi wanted Rama out, to clear the path for her own son, named Bharata, to become the next king.

Can there be any greater show of allegiance? Someone is willing to uproot their entire family in order to follow me. They are doing this out of affection, only. They will get nothing in return; at least nothing of value, such as a commodity. They only want to stay with me. They cherish my association. They appreciate my disposition, my qualities, my outlook on life, and my concern for other living entities.

Sita Devi, the wife of Rama, who happened to be following her husband into the life of punishment, which was set to last for fourteen years, once described her husband as a well-wisher to all living entities. Not just the royal family in Ayodhya. Not just the community. Not just the human population of the world. Rather, to everything that is living – Rama is always wishing them well.

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)

Rama was in the royal order, which meant His day-to-day duties resembled something like a police officer or esteemed member of a law enforcement brigade. The law administers justice. They administer justice against people who break the law, i.e. criminals. Rama was so fair in His proceedings that even the so-called enemies, the ones apprehended, could not utter a negative word about Him.

न तं पश्याम्यहं लोके परोक्षमपि यो नरः
स्वमित्रोऽपि निरस्तोऽपि योऽस्य दोषमुदाहरेत्

na taṃ paśyāmyahaṃ loke parokṣamapi yo naraḥ
svamitro’pi nirasto’pi yo’sya doṣamudāharet

“I do not find in this world any man who can describe a fault in Him, even in His absence, be it an adversary or someone defeated.”  (Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 21.5)

The wives in Ayodhya scolded their husbands. The wives rightfully considered the enjoyments of home as temporary in nature. Those possessions were insignificant if there was no vision of the beloved elder brother of Lakshmana. Indeed, this is the flow of devotional service, at the higher stages. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is everything to the devotees. Without Him, life has no meaning.

In Closing:

Why complacency to choose?
When all meaning to lose.

Those possessions gathered and dear,
Purpose only through vision clear.

Of Dasharatha’s eldest son,
Suffering worst punishment done.

Wherever to go to be right behind,
Our life only with Him to find.