In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord proclaims the function of His avatars thus: “Whenever dharma seems to wane under the power of adharma, I incarnate in the world to protect the good, destroy the evil and restore dharma. I discharge this function from Yuga to Yuga.” Rama avatar fulfils all the required functions of incarnation, and Valmiki is keen to emphasise that in executing this tremendous task, Rama emerges as the very dharma incarnate, pointed out Srimati Jaya Srinivasan in a discourse.
In the Ayodhya Kanda, there are many observations on dharma by different people when Rama’s Pattabhishekam is cancelled. Though Rama is strongly dissuaded by Lakshmana, Kausalya and by Dasaratha himself from accepting Kaikeyi’s orders, He stays rooted in His dharma and says: “Dharma, artha and kama, the first three of the four Purusharthas are to be followed by men, bearing the objective of dharma in mind. That karma which is aligned to dharma has to be initiated and followed.”
Kausalya is distraught at the thought of Rama spending life in the forest and of being separated from Him. But after due counselling by Rama, she reconciles herself to His departure and expresses her feelings in the form of the most praiseworthy of benedictions. She prays that no evil should befall Rama during his stay in the forest. She invokes the grace of the benign gods and deities in all the quarters to protect Him from a whole range of likely dangers. It is an exhaustive list comprising the rakshasas, pishachas, etc, as well as by insects such as scorpion, cockroach, ants and worms. Finally she says, “Go to the forest and uphold the path of our forbears. That dharma which you uphold at all times will certainly come to your protection.”
In all the fourteen years, Rama is protected by the benediction and prayer for protection by Kausalya.
