Do you know that Lord Rama was born as a full grown man ? Yes, it's true as per our Hindu mythology. When I was pregnant and was coming close to my delivery date, my mother suggested me to read a special verse from Ram-Charit-Manas. The reason was to ease the anxiety which every would-be mother feels coming close to final days of pregnancy. Ram-Charit-Manas, composed by Goswami Tulsidas, is a masterpiece epic that takes one through the entire life of Lord Rama beautifully. The epic has been formulated as a collection of poetries describing Lord Rama’s life through seven phases (known as seven Kands). Though all these Kands are beautifully exhibited, BalKand (the first of all) is portrayed divinely beautiful. This kand takes one through the holy birth of Lord Rama and his pleasant childhood activities. The very feelings of mother kaushilya at her child’s birth have been depicted in a beautiful verse from BaalKand.
The birth of Lord Rama, was a real surprise for mother Kaushilya as the newborn didn't cry like a normal newborn. Being the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Kaushilya’s son appeared as a full grown person (actually in his Vishu form) before his mother. Sparkling large eyes, rain-cloud body complexion, having four hands and holding shankh, chakra, gada and lotus flower, adorned with a necklace of forest-flowers, the slayer of every evil was an ocean of beauty. On seeing such magnificence before her mother Kaushilya fell in love with Lord Rama at first sight. She was overwhelmed to find such marvelous appearance of her child. However, she wondered that it could not really happen. The heart of a mother immediately expressed her wonder before her son. Here is a glimpse of the conversation between mother Kaushilya and her newborn supernatural-child :
भये प्रगट कृपाला, दीनदयाला, कौशल्या हितकारी।
हर्षित महतारी, मुनि मन हारी, अद्भुत रूप विचारी॥ १ ॥
लोचन अभिरामा, तनु घनश्यामा, निज आयुध भुज चारी।
भूषण गल माला, नयन विशाल, शोभासिंधू खरारी॥ २ ॥
कह दुई कर जोरी, अस्तुति तोरी, कही बिधि करू अनंता।
माया गुण ज्ञानातीत अमाना, वेद पुरान भनंता॥ ३ ॥
करुना सुखसागर, सुब गुण आगर, जेहि गावाहिं श्रुति संता।
सो मम हित लागी, जन अनुरागी, भयौ प्रगट श्रीकंता॥ ४ ॥
ब्रमांड निकाय, निर्मित माया, रोम रोम प्रति वेद कहे।
मुम उर सो बासी, यह उपहासी, सुनत धीर मति थिर न रहे॥ ५ ॥
उपजा जब गयाना, प्रभु मुस्काना, चरित बहुत बिधि कीन्ह चहे।
कही कथा सुहाई, मातु बुझाई, जेहि प्रकार सूत प्रेम लाहे॥ ६ ॥
माता पुनि बोली, सो मति डोली, तजहु तात यह रूपा।
कीजै शिशु लीला, अति प्रियशीला, यह सुख परम अनूप॥ ७ ॥
सुनी वचन सुजाना, रोदन ठाना, होई बालक सुरभूपा।
यह चरित जे गावही, हरिपद पावही, तेहिं ना परहिं भवकूपा॥ ८ ॥
Kaushilya, joining her palms, said "O infinite Lord, in what ways do I sing Your glories? The Vedas and Puranas declare that You are delusion Yourself; beyond knowledge, the owner of entire attributes and immeasurable The repository of compassion and bliss, the ocean of all virtues; the holy books and saints chant Your glories saying that You are the beloved of all! The adorned of Laxmi! I am wondered that You have appeared Yourself for my sake. You are beyond scope of words and purview of intellect! Vedas proclaim that through your delusive potency you can create a universe from each pore of your body. Then, how could You lived in place like my womb? It is seems like a fantasy and even wise men will find this difficult to believe."
Knowing the dilemma of mother’s heart, the Lord smiled and revealed the reason of his incarnation before his mother. He told mother that he has to perform various noble acts through life in the name of her Son. The Lord attracted Kaushilya’s attention towards the number of activities he is going to do to please the people on earth as her child.
After understanding the divine purpose of Lord’s incarnation, mother Kaushilya expressed her desire to cherish each milestone of her son's childhood like; the first smile, the first walk, first spoken word, like every child’s mother. She said, "Let me have the incomparable joy of watching you grow-up as my child. The childlike acts that you perform will be quite heart-winning and pleasant.O merciful Lord! You are compassionate to the poor. I, therefore, request You to give up this form of grown-up man and come into my lap like a small baby."At such kind wish of her mother, the omniscient Lord of the entire world began crying like a child..
Happy Ram Navami..
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