Shri Ram is the icon who makes us realise that being born as a human is the best gift granted by the Almighty. As a human, when one stands superior to all creation, it is also important that this superior birth paves way for the benefit of self and mankind in the righteous way and to make the world a better place. Being superior here does not mean having miraculous powers, but belief in self. Not only believing in it, but Shri Ram displays the same behaviour when he meets his ardent devotee Rishi Sharabhang.
Rishi Sharabhang was one of faithful devotee who was awaiting the presence of Shri Ram. It was at the time when the noble Rishi had to leave the mortal world had arrived, that Shri Ram arrives at his doorstep. For the piousness of the sage, Devraj Indr himself comes to escort the sage to the heavenly world. Here, Rishi Sharabhang had two choices. One was to achieve the name and fame as the rishi who was escorted by Devraj Indr himself, or simply welcome Shri Ram, a wanderer of the forest and give him hospitality. While the first would be noted as one of the greatest miracle for the world, the second would be the noble Dharma one human has towards another. The simple Rishi chose the second.
Rishi Sharabhang politely refuses the offer of Devraj Indr and mentions that he would remain back to welcome a guest who he was awaiting since long. He refuses the heavenly world and extends his warm welcome to the trio and gives them his hospitality. His joy is out of bounds by meeting Shri Ram and he offers to give Shri Ram certain miraculous powers which would make him powerful and also make his life easy in the forest.
However, Shri Ram quoting the Rishi itself as an example refuses the kind gesture. He mentions that Rishi Sharabhang himself had set a greatest example to mankind with his belief in himself and refusing the offer of Devraj Indr. The rishi was confident of his deeds and hence he knew that he would reach the abode of the Almighty without the help of any celestial. In the same way, Shri Ram too wanted to achieve the fulfilment of a human life with will power and determination, but not with any miracles which would make his life easy. Shri Ram humbly only seeks his blessings in the path of Dharma and thus proves that belief in self is the greatest miraculous power a human has.
Rishi Sharabhang is immensely pleased by the gentle explanation of Shri Ram and blesses him to be the icon of righteousness in the annals of mankind. With all his wishes fulfilled, Rishi Sharabhang leaves his mortal body and becomes a light of knowledge which merges into the Almighty.
In the forest of stones and thorns, life would have been easy for Shri Ram had he accepted the powers of Rishi Sharabhang. But, he proves that no stone is too hard and no thorn is too prickly when man has the patience to walk on his path of karma and fulfil his goal be belief in self. The greatest miracle and power is the will power to survive in any adversity and the determination to survive it in the rightful way of preserving Dharma.