Shri Ram’s different approaches towards Dharma

In the endless passages of time, life is created and destroyed, but what stands absolute is Dharma. In the dominant fight of good and evil, Dharma is put to test, mended, but can be never broken. However the approach towards Dharma keeps changing from time to time and a wise person understands its minute variations and follows them, just as Shri Ram did in his life. He teaches a valuable lesson of how situations should and can be dealt without any harm to Dharma.

When Shri Ram accompanies Rishi Vishwamitr, he has his first encounter with the demoness Tadaka and Rishi Vishwamitr advises to kill her immediately. Although killing a female was sin, but killing a female who harassed Dharma was not. Shri Ram followed his Dharma by following the command of his father that he follows all the instructions of Rishi Vishwamitr, kills Tadaka and retains Dharma. Shri Ram’s approach was that none was above Dharma, be it a woman or a man, the one who broke it would face the dire consequences.

Shri Ram was banished to exile for no fault of his. But Shri Ram knew that fulfilling the promise of Maharaj Dasarath was the most important Dharma. He very well knew that Dharma was not divide his family for power and politics, but was to bring the family together by upholding his father’s word. His approach to Dharma was as a son who could do anything to fulfil his father’s word rather than fight for his own rights.

When Bali questions Shri Ram’s Dharma about killing him from behind a tree, Shri Ram explains to Bali the true meaning of Dharma. He says that as an elder brother Bali had to give protection to Sugriv, but banished him for no fault of his. Bali deserved to be punished as he took away Sugirv’s wife which was a sin. Thus although he was the brother of Sugriv, Shri Ram chose to kill Bali as a mark of respect towards womanhood and he takes all the blasphemy of Bali for the same.

Shri Ram was the mighty warrior who could dry the ocean up, but he gave respect to the Dharma of creation and instead of disturbing its cycle, requests Samudradev to help him. He chose to stand to the Dharma of a human respecting the elements of nature by which life has been made. But when Samudradev did not yield, then Shri Ram takes up the Dharma of being a dutiful husband and shows the ocean his power by which the Ram Setu takes shape. Shri Ram teaches that Dharma lies in respecting the boundaries of others, at the same time not let anyone take that respect as sign of weakness.

Killing Ravan was to retain Dharma, for which Shri Ram had incarnated, but killing Ravan at a time when he was weapon less was not Dharma and hence Shri Ram leaves him unharmed. Shri Ram does his Dharma as a true warrior and does not break it by taking advantage of the situation. Shri Ram goes through turbulent situations in his life, but he stood up as the complete man who knew how Dharma changed from person to person, situation to situation and retained it as needed by the situation. Shri Ram is the one who stands as a Yugpurush who understood Dharma in its complex variations and retained it too and can never be forgotten in the annals of time. ,