The Hindu and yogic tradition are full of stories and myths of gods and goddesses fulfilling great acts of love and warriorship. One story in particular focuses around ever-lasting spiritual love, and that’s the story of Rama and Sita. Their story lies at the heart of the epic poem, "Ramayana," which translates as "Rama’s Journey."
An inspirational tale of two soul mates, the "Ramayana" is some of the best yogic reading if you want to dive deeper into the path of the dharma, as well as the ancient culture surrounding the beloved yoga tradition.
Prince Rama
To begin, Rama is the masculine incarnate of divinity. He was the prince of a kingdom known as Kosala. Kosala was said to be the greatest kingdom on Earth. Sita was a princess, destined for Rama. Theirs is a supreme love, a love-at-first-sight kind of story. Rama has happened upon the town where Sita lives. The charming epitome of the "perfect man," he has all the divinely noble qualities that view Spirit as the Ultimate Reality.
In fact, ra denotes a positive vibration, while ma signifies a negative one. Therefore, Rama is also a mantra that represents true balance and harmony. This coming together of opposites in Rama also represents the perfectly balanced man that he is. He’s also regarded as the model yogi for Rama upholds truth (satya) and virtue in every right action he takes.
Now, to get back to the story, it says that as soon as Rama rests his eyes upon the lovely Sita, he spontaneously falls deeply and madly in love with her. They are soul mates in every sense of the term. Their attraction is divine, and they have somehow found each other in this material world.
Princess Sita
Sita is a princess and also the daughter of Mother Earth. As such, she carries all the earthly virtues: fertility, transformation, deep patience, extraordinary beauty and yin-like passivity. Her love is the kind that surrenders to her divine destiny — a destiny that unites her in this epic love story with Rama.
(Like Sita, Patience Really Is a Virtue: One Yogini's Daily Struggle to Practice It More.)
A Model Couple
As the poem continues, the two beloveds marry and pledge their supreme devotion to one another, vowing to love only each other until the end of time. However, after marriage, Rama is banished to wander the forest for the rest of his days. Along the journey, Rama always puts Sita first. Her well-being is infinitely more important than anything or anyone else in the world. Anyone in a romantic relationship can learn from the "Ramayana’s" "model couple." We must all put our relationship first if we intend it to endure.
Together, Rama and Sita incarnate as Vishnu and Lakshmi. Rama is the Vishnu incarnate, and Sita the Lakshmi one. Vishnu and Lakshmi are the protectors of the Universe and of the dharma (natural law). This means that the union of Rama and Sita is more than just any typical marriage. They are here to teach us what is right in terms of how the cosmos should function. They are here to model the dharma, to be an example of how we should act and be.
(More on the lovely Hindu goddess in Abundance-Boosting Mantra & Meditation of Goddess Lakshmi.)
Overcoming All Obstacles
As is the case for epic poems and stories, the Rama and Sita journey is full of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They confront all kinds of adverse beings and situations, overcoming them like true superheroes of Hindu mythology.
While in exile in the forest, one of the great obstacles that comes to pass is the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the demon king. With the aid of tricky monkey king, Hanuman, Rama rescues Sita, defeating Ravana and the evil rakshasas. In doing so, Rama rids the planet of all evil.
Each and every character Rama and Sita encounter and the situations with each meeting teach us valuable life lessons. We learn the values of the dharma and our duty to respect, love and care for our loved ones. Both Rama and Sita uphold satya at all costs. They are the perfect example of "right living," and we can learn from their words and actions whenever we immerse ourselves in the "Ramayana."
(One obstacle you may be facing — but you're not alone — is Overcoming Loneliness Throughout the Holidays.)
Lovely Inspiration
All sorts of metaphors and valuable life lessons are woven throughout this eloquently written poem. The dramas that take place in the "Ramayana" reflect the passion and devotion between these two lovers and remain an inspiration to us to this day.
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