God-Man, Man-God

Sage Valmiki asked Sage Narada, “At the present time, is there a man who is full of virtues, possessed of heroic prowess, who knows the principles of righteousness, who is aware of the service rendered to Him and is grateful for the same, who is truthful in speech, who adheres to His resolutions without being agitated, who is established in moral conduct, who is friendly to all beings, who is full of knowledge, who is capable of undertaking any task, whose form is pleasing to all who see Him, who has subdued His senses and is conscious of  His atmic [divine] reality, who has conquered anger, who is endowed with  spiritual splendor, who is free from envy and fault finding, and who causes even the gods to dread His fury when he is provoked into battle?” The question apparently is about a man, a nara, but all the traits are found only in God! Narada responds in the same language.

He says, “I shall tell you of a man (nara) who has all these qualities.  He is born in the Ikshvaku line [dynasty] as the son of Dasaratha [Rama’s father], as the promoter of the joy of Kausalya [Rama’s mother].”  He then gives Valmiki a short resume of the story of Rama. Thus, Rama is introduced as a nara, and seldom in the Ramayana is he explicitly spoken of as God.  Rama himself declares, “Aatmaanam maanusham manye, Ramam Dasarathaathmajam”—“Know that I am a man, Rama the son of Dasaratha.”

This play-acting by God as man, of Narayana as nara, is based on the very need that brought about the advent of Rama. Brahma, who led the gods to the seat of Vishnu, prayed that He should incarnate himself as man, because Ravana, the rakshasa [demon] leader who by His ascetic achievements and spiritual loot had kept the Sun and Moon in bondage, the five elements in dread of His displeasure, and all morality at bay, could be killed only by a man!

Thena Gandharva yakshaanaam
Devathaanaam cha rakshasaam
Avadhyo/smeethi vaagukthaa
Thathethyuktham cha thanmayaa.

He prayed, “Let me prove incapable of being killed by the Gandharvas [demi gods], the Yakshas [benevolent nature spirits who are the custodians of treasures that are hidden in the earth], the devatas or the gods, and the rakshasas.” I uttered the words, “So be it.” Ravana had become so proud and overbearing that he cast off all respect for virtue and spiritual attainments.  However, there was one method and one only of destroying him. For,

Naa keerthayad avajnaanaath
Thad raksho maanushaamsthadaa
Thasmaad Sa Maanushaadvadhyo
Mrythurnaanyo/sya vidyathe

He did not mention human being in that list, because he was full of contempt for them.  Therefore, Ravana was capable of only being killed by a man.  Otherwise, there was no death for him!

Therefore, Vishnu agreed to be born as man, and Rama played the role very consistently, declaring, “Aathmaanam maanusham manye.”  In spite of this, however, the Divinity of Rama is apparent at every step to any one who watches for deeper meanings and significances. The Ahalya episode is one example:

The curse that was pronounced by Gauthama [a sage] on his [seemingly] unfaithful spouse, Ahalya, was:

Iha varsha sahasraani
Bahooni thwam nivasishyasi;
Vaathabhakshaa niraahaaraa
Thapyanthee bhasmasayinee
Adrayaa sarvabhoothanam
Aasramesmin vasisshyasi

“You will reside here for many thousands of years, without food, living on air alone, lying on ashes, full of remorse, unperceived by all created beings.” ‘Nirahara’ means, as used in the Bhagavadgita, “without any of the senses being fed with what they crave for,” and the Gita says that those who follow that discipline will be rid of even the least trace of desire only when “they see Paramatma [Super soul]—Paramdrshtwaa.” (II-59)

So, whom must Ahalya see for her nirahara discipline to bear fruit? Let Gauthama who dictated the discipline, give the answer:

Yadaa chethadwanam ghoram
Ramo dasarathaathmajam
Aagamishyathi durdharshah
Thada poothaa bhavishyasi

“When Rama, the son of Dasaratha comes into this dread forest, you will be rendered pure.” So, Rama is the param [eternal]. That is selfevident. But what did Rama do when Ahalya was freed from the curse and became visible? Since she is a holy rishipatni [wife of a sage], he “bowed to her feet in great joy,” and she in turn, remembering Gauthama’s words, offered padyam [food], argyam [water], and more according to the tradition of hospitality. Thus the playacting is continued throughout the entire Ramayana, God as man, man as God.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, April 1965