Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.23
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
Lord Rāma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His brothers, namely Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna, are His plenary expansions. All four brothers are viṣṇu-tattva and were never ordinary human beings. There are many unscrupulous and ignorant commentators on Rāmāyaṇa who present the younger brothers of Lord Rāmacandra as ordinary living entities. But here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the most authentic scripture on the science of Godhead, it is clearly stated that His brothers were His plenary expansions. Originally Lord Rāmacandra is the incarnation of Vāsudeva, Lakṣmaṇa is the incarnation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, Bharata is the incarnation of Pradyumna, and Śatrughna is the incarnation of Aniruddha, expansions of the Personality of Godhead. Lakṣmījī Sītā is the internal potency of the Lord and is neither an ordinary woman nor the external potency incarnation of Durgā. Durgā is the external potency of the Lord, and she is associated with Lord Śiva.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.7) , the Lord appears when there are discrepancies in the discharge of factual religion. Lord Rāmacandra also appeared under the same circumstances, accompanied by His brothers, who are expansions of the Lord’s internal potency, and by Lakṣmījī Sītādevī.
Lord Rāmacandra was ordered by His father, Mahārāja Daśaratha, to leave home for the forest under awkward circumstances, and the Lord, as the ideal son of His father, carried out the order, even on the occasion of His being declared the King of Ayodhyā. One of His younger brothers, Lakṣmaṇajī, desired to go with Him, and so also His eternal wife, Sītājī, desired to go with Him. The Lord agreed to both of them, and all together they entered the Daṇḍakāraṇya Forest, to live there for fourteen years. During their stay in the forest, there was some quarrel between Rāmacandra and Rāvaṇa, and the latter kidnapped the Lord’s wife, Sītā. The quarrel ended in the vanquishing of the greatly powerful Rāvaṇa, along with all his kingdom and family.
Sītā is Lakṣmījī, or the goddess of fortune, but she is never to be enjoyed by any living being. She is meant for being worshiped by the living being along with her husband, Śrī Rāmacandra. A materialistic man like Rāvaṇa does not understand this great truth, but on the contrary he wants to snatch Sītādevī from the custody of Rāma and thus incurs great miseries. The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Rāmāyaṇa that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom, Laṅkā, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Rāmacandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sītā, Rāvaṇa was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.
Lord Rāmacandra is a full incarnation with six opulences in full, and He is therefore mentioned in this verse as kaleśaḥ, or master of all opulence.
Rāma is described in three verses. Rāma was kind (sumukhaḥ), showing mercy (prasāda) to all of us, from Brahmā to the non-moving entities. This indicates Rāma’s very merciful nature. He appeared in the Ikṣvāku dynasty along with Lakṣmaṇa and his brothers (kalayā). He was the Lord of parts (kaleśaḥ) and he was perfect. Śruti says cinmaye ’smin mahā-viṣṇau jāte dāśarathe harau: the Lord, Mahā-viṣṇu, was born as Rāma, and was fully spiritual. (Rāma-tāpaṇi Upaniṣad) Smṛti says: nṛṣiṁha-rāma-kṛṣṇeṣu ṣāḍguṇyaṁ paripūritam: Nṛsiṁha, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are complete with all good qualities. (Padma Purāṇa) Rāvaṇa achieved destruction (ārtim ārcchat) by Rāma.
- RSWP SB 02-07-23-25 - Rama Navami - 2004-03-30 Philadelphia
- RSWP SB 02-07-23-25 - 2004-03-24 Philadelphia
- BhaktiPS SB 02-07-23 - 2022-10-12 Bhaktivedanta Manor
- Bhakti Vikas Sw SB 02-07-23 - The Importance of Ramayana
- BKG SB 02-07-23 - Love in vedic system - 2009-04-07 Auckland
- CMS SB 02-07-23 - 2014-04-08 Bhaktivedanta Manor
- CMS SB 02-07-23 - 2016-04-15 ISKCON Slovenia
- GRS SB 02-07-23 Rama Navami - 2010-03-26 Newbury Park California
- GRS SB 02-07-23 - Ramanavami Lecture - 2012-03-31 Los Angeles
- GRS SB 02-07-23 - Ramanavami - 2010-03-26 Newbury Park California
- GRS SB 02-07-23 - Rama Navami - 2015-03-28 Dallas
- HanumatPSw SB 02-07-23 - 2014-07-25 ISKCON Hawaii
- HanumatPSw SB 02-07-23 - 2014-07-25 ISKCON Hawaii
- HanumatPSw SB 02-07-23 - 2011-10-06 ISKCON Radhadesh
- JAS SB 02-07-23 - Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions - 2009-09-27 Dubai
- Where am I refusing the obedience that Rāma modeled?
- What precious thing in my life has been 'stolen' that I am refusing to actively reclaim?
My note
Source: vedabase.io