Dasaratha had at first refused to send Rama to the forest with Viswamitra. It was Vasistha who convinced him to send his son with the visiting sage. Thinking of how Vasistha had done it so easily, Viswamitra was silent for the first few miles of the journey from Ayodhya. He then addressed Rama. What a sweet name is Rama!
Viswamitra was known for his anger. But even on his tongue, the name Rama sounded pleasing. Having composed the 24,000 verses of the Ramayana, Valmiki enjoyed their beauty. How could the verses not be beautiful when they were about Rama? The name Rama is simple to say, yet how potent it is! Recitation of the Lord's name will ensure peace of mind and all auspiciousness, said Adur Asuri Madhavachari.
It is a name so simple, even a child can say it. In fact, the verses of the Ramayana are themselves easy to recite, unlike the verses of Srimad Bhagavata, which are far more difficult. To test the knowledge of a scholar, he is asked to recite the verses of Srimad Bhagavata, not the Ramayana, since the latter is easy to recite, and the former is not.
The sweetness of the name Rama was such that Viswamitra, who thought of Sage Vasistha as his arch rival, still chose to use the name that Vasistha had given the Lord. Viswamitra could not think of a sweeter name than Rama. He had thought hard for a long time of what to call the prince of Ayodhya and concluded that there could be no substitute for the name Rama. Having decided to go along with the name Vasistha had chosen for the son of Dasaratha, Viswamitra continued to use the name. Hence, his famous words to wake up the Lord, in which he used the name Rama and elevated Kausalya by referring to Rama as her son.
Rama was a strict adherent of the dharmas. He never preached what He himself did not practise. His obedience to His parents, His refusal to go back on His word, His embrace of those who surrendered to Him, His righteous anger when needed — all these show His exemplary conduct. Rama is a name we should utter and Rama is the One who should be our role model in life.
