Vijaya Dashami

   India, i.e.,Bharat celebrates vijaya dashami today, Saturday 30th October, in commemoration of the return of Sri Ramachandra after Ravana was killed and Sita was brought back to Ayodhya. He was installedas the King of Ayodhya after his brother Lakshmana relinquished the throne.  This is the new era for the Rule of Sri Ram which later came to be well known as 'Ram Rajya'. It is said that the State was ruled by the King with righteousness, dharma, in such a way that there was prosperity, no theft, or any social ills! The State prospered under his Kingship and the people worshiped hin as a perfect humna, 'purushothama'. So, it is clear that Sri Ramachandra was the King of Ayodhya. But who is the Who is Ramachandra, whom we worship as the God? 

   The epic Ramayana depicts the story of Sri Ram, son of King Dasharatha ruling the State of Ayodhya on the banks of R. Sarayu. Since King Dasharatha had no issue, he prayed Lord Shiva and was blessed with four children Ram, Lakshman, Bharata, and Shatrughna. Ramachandra is the name given to the first-born as per custom,  the household personal God (mane devaru in Kannada) Sri Rama. There was an idol of Sri Ram whom Dasharatha was worshiping! This idol later on came to the hands of King of Kalinga, and in turn, to Sri Madhwacharya, through his close follower Sri Narahari who was taking care of the King. It is now in Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha, Mantralayam. Another idol of Sri Vijaya Rama is in the Uttaradi Matha at Bengaluru. So we all worship Sri Ramachandra as the Gods- one, Mula Ramadevaru and Vijaya Rama devaru.

   As regards the real Ramachandra, it is needles to say that Ra stands for the first self effulgent Light, Ravi, Surya (the Sun). The family Deity of King Bharata of the lineage of King Ikshvaku is Rama, the Sun. Here the syllable 'Ma' stands for Sita Mata, symbolically that stands for the Earth. Sita is said to be found in a wooden box in a field, The site is located between Varanasi and Allahabad. Thus Ra and Ma stand for the Sun and the Earth. It is Anjaneya supposed to be the one born of Vata (air) and Anani (Fire), meaning, the Vital airs, Life-force, Prana shakti, Thus, the living beings are supported by life-force, prana,and hence called prana deva!   The entire Ramayana is nothing but the journey of life; the body supported by earth (soil, water and food) and the soul supported by the Star Sun (Light, heat, and energy) connected by the Life-force prana, Anjaneya! Anjaneya is known as vayu jivottama, He is the one who is our deity of prana, prana deva. 

   Now who are Sri Ramachandra, Sita Ma, and Anjaneya or Hanuman? All these are the deities who are established in ourselves and now where else! This principle is enunciated in the Upanishad as "Thou art That" ('tattvamasi'). Sage Aruni Uddalaka asked his son to know this principle. This is also the main theme of Bhavanopanishad, where it is stated that "all that exists is just the bhava (one's desire, will, feeling and understanding of oneself). Whatever the bhava becomes that (bhavat). This is yad bhavam tat bhavati | Everything is created by the mind and destroyed by it.There is nothing outside of oneself!