पुरुष नपुंसक नारि वा जीव चराचर कोइ। सर्व भाव भज कपट तजि मोहि परम प्रिय सोइ।।
...this means Men, Women, Trans-gender (Napungshak) and any living being (Jeev) ....if you all pray to me without ill-motive or without being 'kapat (negative traits), I am there for you". --- Ramayana
The Curse Of Narad Muni is often a 'told and retold' story'
Once Narad Muni (spiritual saint) became proud of his austerity and went on to boast to Lord Shiva that even Kamadeva, the God of love and romance, couldn't distract him from maintaining austerity. Lord Shiva asked Narad Muni to not discuss this with Lord Vishnu. But Narad Muni didn't listen and went on to boast his achievement.
Irritated and displeased by the boastings of Narad Muni, Lord Vishnu thought of teaching a lesson to Narad Muni. While Narad Muni was going to somewhere, he came across a beautiful kingdom where the preparations for the princess' marriage was going on. Amazed by the divine beauty of the princess, Narad Muni wanted to marry her.
Therefore, he asked Lord Vishnu to help him by lending him some good looks. The Lord agreed smilingly and Narad Muni went to impress the princess. But as soon as the princess saw Narad Muni, she started laughing.
This is because Narad Muni's face turned out to be that of a monkey. Soon he came to know that this was a trap set by Lord Vishnu. Enraged by this, Narad Muni cursed Lord Vishnu that a time will come when he will have a longing to stay near and close to his wife.
Thus, Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Lord Rama where he had to suffer the separation from his wife Sita and also take the help of Hanumans and others.
Lessons:
Ramanya is against the concept of annexation/subjugation and Domination
Lesson – Stay away from distractions
Trouble began when Sita spotted that beautiful deer and asked Ram to go get it. This led to Sita stepping out of the Laxman Rekha and getting kidnapped by Ravan while Ram and Laxman went after that deer which was actually Ravana’s accomplice, Mareech in disguise. One distraction ended up costing Ram, Laxman and Sita a lot.
Your duty comes first and the 'Ram Rajya' essentially means the rule of a faceless subject/washerman
This laid a very strong foundation of democracy ..."people's rule".
Lord Rama was deeply committed to Sita but he was also the king of Ayodhya.
When his subjects began questioning Sita’s chastity after her extended captivity, he decided to placate the masses and asked her to perform the well known Agnipariksha.
While this example is too extreme, it does put forward the necessity of understanding what one’s prime duty is and performing that with the utmost reverence.
Ethics, value of commitment - Son keeping his father's promise.
Is Ram an image of 'inclusiveness' and mutual Love and Tolerance?
*** The examples of Sabri and Nishad Raj testify themselves. These two characters and the roles they had in Ramayana are important elements of the big picture message.
** Even the episode when Ram 'respects' the people's mandate vis-a-vis Sita is a message of Tolerance by a benevolent King. In normal circumstances, any other King would have ordered hanging of the man who questions Sita's chastity.
** Rama shows utmost respect to Ravan's body after he is killed. He requests Ravan to give him a few lessons of life and how to run an empire when Ravan is about to die. What's that?
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*** Of course, he crowns Bibhishan after Ravan's death. But Ravan's family is also shown utmost respect after Ravan's death. Lanka is left as a 'free' country under Bibhishan. There is no element of subjugation!
** Lord Ram was banished by step mom Kaikeyi. But never in his life time, she shows any complaint or grievance against her. There is an episode when Kaikeyi tells him to 'return'. This was after Dasarath's death. Ram says, "No, I have given my word to my father, not you mother". This is not only an ethical man.
He is showing Tolerance and Love. On his return to Ayodhya after the war and at the end of 14 years of exile, mother Kaikeyi is one of the first persons Ram bows down.
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