The Many Loves of Rama: The Selfless Monarch

For an ordinary human being, the events dotting the life journey of Bhagwan Rama had enough to make him resentful, angry, jealous and full of ego. Yet he was none of this. Bhagwan Rama radiated love to all, including his worst enemies—and is loved by us all even today.

But still, we question some of his decisions as Maryada Purushottma: Why did he kill Vali from behind? Why did he mock Suparnakha? Why did he condemn Jatayu (initially)? Why did he look on silently when Mata Sita decided to undego Agnipareeksha? Why, despite seeing Sita clear the ‘fire-test’, did he pay heed to the washerman and exile his pregnant wife to the forest?

The Many Loves of Rama by Meera Prakash provides multi-level answers to these complex questions that confound us.

The book explores the options Bhagwan Rama had, both as an ordinary human being and as an incarnation. Can he be ‘sbolved’? The book also looks at the roles and significance of the people present around Bhagwan Rama, who helped the cause of the Visnu-incarnate in their own myriad ways. From his three brothers, mothers, Hanuman, Sugreeva, to Vibhishana, and many others—Rama always had people helping him because they loved him. And he loved them all.