Rāma Rājya

Rāma Rājya, “the reign of Rāma”

Rāma Rājya means “the reign of Rāma”. It is the time when Bhagavān Rāma ruled at Ayodhyā, after he came back from fourteen years of vanavāsa (life in the forest) and defeated Rāvaṇa.

Rāma Rājya is both a real period of history, the reign of Rāma in the Tretā Yuga (the second of the four ages), and the model of ideal rule based on dharma, compassion and the nearness of Bhagavān Rāma himself.

Per Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa

In the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rāma Rājya is the ideal rule set up by Bhagavān Rāma during his reign over Ayodhyā and the whole earth of seven continents (the saptadvīpa). Chapter 15 of the Rājya Kāṇḍa (Book 7) of the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, a Sanskrit retelling of Rāma’s life, gives a long description of what this rule was like.

The description covers many sides of life: the richness of nature, harmony in society, freedom from disease, the long lives of the citizens, the absence of untimely death, the well-being of all varṇas (the four social groups), the state of the environment, and the spiritual atmosphere of the kingdom.

Natural Abundance

In Rāma Rājya the rains fell at the right time and in the right amount. The land suffered neither floods nor drought. The earth gave rich harvests without great effort. The rivers ran clear and full. The forests were full of fruit trees. The cows gave plenty of milk. The crops grew free of disease and blight.

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa describes this abundance as a direct result of the righteousness of Rāma’s rule. Rule by dharma changed nature itself: the king’s dharma affects the health of the land.

Harmony and Justice in Society

In Rāma Rājya there was no dispute that could not be settled by dharma. No one stole from anyone. No one cheated anyone. The courts were completely fair. Even the weakest could get justice, as the story of the dog and the sannyāsī (a renunciant) in Chapter 10 shows. The government was free of corruption, and ministers served the people rather than themselves.

Every citizen, whatever their varṇa or position, could bring a complaint before the king and be heard. Rāma was fully approachable. He kept nine kakshyās (court chambers) through which people with requests could pass to reach him, and he went round the city himself to see how his people lived.

Health, Long Life and Freedom from Untimely Death

Chapter 15 describes a remarkable fact: during Rāma Rājya no one died before their time. Citizens lived out their full span of life. No child died before its parents, and no young person died before reaching a full age. This is expressed as akālamṛtyu nāsti: “there is no death before the appointed time.”

This quality reaches its high point in Chapter 24. The dūtas (messengers) of Yama, the deva of death, come nine days too early for Rāma’s minister Sumantra. Rāma stops them himself and sends them back. He then issues a royal ādeśa (command): “As long as I reign, take only those whose full lifespan is complete.” So the perfection of Rāma Rājya reached even into the realm of death.

Spiritual Life

The spiritual life of Rāma Rājya is described in detail. The sound of the Vedas being recited filled the air at all hours. Yajñas (sacred fire offerings) were performed regularly. The temples of the devas were honoured with devotion. Brāhmaṇas were respected and all their needs were met. Sandhyā-vandana (the daily prayers at dawn, noon and dusk) was practised by all who were entitled to it. Pilgrimages were safe and open to all, and the great tīrthas (holy places) were crowded with sincere pilgrims.

Rāma himself showed a complete spiritual life in his dina-caryā (daily routine), described in Chapter 19. He:

• rose before dawn
• performed pūjā to Śiva and other devas
• bathed in the Sarayū river
• performed homa (fire offering)
• listened to the Pañcāṅga (the day’s calendar)
• gave dāna (gifts)
• held court
• visited the temple in the evening
• studied the Purāṇas with learned brāhmaṇas

The Varṇāśrama Order

In Rāma Rājya the varṇāśrama system, the order of social groups and stages of life, worked perfectly. Each varṇa carried out its svadharma (own duty) without confusion or resentment. Brāhmaṇas studied and taught. Kshatriyas protected and ruled. Vaiśyas carried on trade and farming. Śūdras served with dignity and were honoured for their service.

The āśramas (stages of life) also worked without distortion. The gṛhastha (householder) did his duties, the vānaprastha (one who retires to the forest) withdrew at the right time, and the sannyāsī renounced the world without causing disorder.

Rāma Rājya as the Kṛta Yuga Brought Back

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa again and again describes Rāma Rājya as the Kṛta Yuga (the first and most perfect age) brought back within the Tretā Yuga. The qualities of Rāma Rājya are the qualities of the Kṛta Yuga: the citizens followed dharma of their own accord, nature was generous, suffering was absent and the divine was close at hand. Rāma’s reign was therefore not just good government but a restoration of the whole world.

Per Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa

The Uttara Kāṇḍa (last book) of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, the Hindī Rāmāyaṇa of Tulasīdāsa, describes it as an age of complete harmony. Dharma walks on all four legs, no being suffers from disease, poverty or untimely death, and the whole natural world shares in the good fortune of the age.

Tulasīdāsa shows Rāma Rājya as the natural result of Rāma’s presence: when Parabrahman (the Supreme Reality) himself sits on the throne, the world simply becomes what it should be.

The Nature of the Age

The Uttara Kāṇḍa begins its description of Rāma Rājya with the state of the whole world. The three kinds of suffering, called the tāpatraya, come to an end during Rāma’s reign. These are:

• ādhyātmika: suffering from within, in the body and mind
• ādhidaivika: suffering from natural and divine forces
• ādhibhautika: suffering caused by other beings and outside things

No one is troubled by any of the three.

Dharma stands in its full form on all four legs. The four legs are tapas (austerity), śauca (purity), dayā (compassion) and satya (truth). In the Kali Yuga dharma loses three legs and stands only on satya. In Rāma’s age all four are present at the same time, in their fullness.

Conditions in the World

The Uttara Kāṇḍa describes the conditions of Rāma Rājya like this.

Among beings: No being dies before its time. No one suffers from disease. No one lacks what they need, so there is no poverty. No one suffers the grief of separation. People live good, healthy and long lives. Each person does the duties of their own dharma without being forced. No conflict arises between communities.

In the natural world: The rains fall at the right times and in the right amount. The earth gives rich harvests. The rivers flow clear. The forests are green and full of contented animals. Even wild creatures, hunter and hunted, live without hostility towards each other in this age, because the nearness of Bhagavān Rāma calms all enmity.

In the city of Ayodhyā: The city shines more brightly than even svarga (the realm of the devas). Its streets, markets, temples, gardens and homes are beautifully arranged and cared for with reverence. The people of Ayodhyā lean naturally towards dharma, bhakti (loving devotion) and kind conduct. This is not because anyone forces them. It is because being near Bhagavān Rāma himself purifies the whole atmosphere.

Rāma’s Daily Conduct as Rājā

As rājā (king), Rāma joined personal humility with complete righteousness. He dealt with all the work of government with Bharata and his other brothers at his side. He met citizens and listened to their concerns with personal care, so that each person felt seen and honoured. He kept the highest standard of personal dharma while carrying out every duty of rājadharma (the dharma of a king).

Sītā, as queen, behaved with complete dignity and devotion. She supported Rāma’s reign as the gṛha-lakshmī (the Lakshmī of the home), grounded in dharma and simple conduct.

Birth of Lava and Kuśa

During Rāma Rājya, Sītā gave birth to two sons, Lava and Kuśa. Their birth brought even more joy to the already shining Ayodhyā. The two boys grew up as heirs of the Sūrya Vaṃśa (the solar dynasty) and showed the qualities of their great father.

The Deeper Meaning

Tulasīdāsa presents Rāma Rājya as more than good government. It is an event for the whole universe: the natural state of the world when Parabrahman himself is present as ruler in a form that people can see and approach. The Uttara Kāṇḍa says openly what the whole Rāmacaritamānas suggests: the quality of any age depends first of all on how fully the divine is present and within reach. When Bhagavān Rāma himself sits on the throne, the world cannot help reflecting his qualities.

The Sanakādi Kumāras (the four eternal child ṛshis) came to visit and saw Rāma in the garden of Ayodhyā. They praised him as trikāla-svarūpa (the form of all three times, past, present and future) and as the one whose very remembrance destroys all pāpa. The great ṛshi Kākabhuśuṇḍi, who has told the story of Rāma for twenty kalpas (great cycles of creation), names the time of the Rāma avatāra in Ayodhyā as the highest moment, which he returns to see in every new cycle.

Sources

• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Kāṇḍa (Book 7), Chapters 10, 15, 19 and 24
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Description of Rāma Rājya
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Sanakādi’s Visit