Was Rama a god?

Question

Rama was born as the eldest son of Kausalya and Dasharatha and become the ruler of Ayodhya Kingdom. Can Rama be considered as Lord.

Answer 1

Yes, Sri Rama, the son of Dasharatha is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So, he himself is the Lord.

It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana, Baala Kanda that all world had become sad because of Ravana. Then all Devas along with Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu. Then Lord Vishnu pleased by them and promised to take birth as the son of Dasharatha.

ततो नारायणो देवो विषुणुः नियुक्तः सुर सत्तमैः | जानन् अपि सुरान् एवम् श्लक्ष्णम् वचनम् अब्रवीत् || १-१६-१

Later when the Omnipresent Narayana is thus nominated by best gods, and though he knows the outcome, he gently spoke these words to gods in this way. [1-16-1]

उपायः को वधे तस्य राक्ष्साधिपतेः सुराः | यम् अहम् तम् समास्थाय निहन्याम् ऋषि कण्टकम् || १-१६-२

What is the idea to eliminate that demon's chief Ravana, oh, gods, adopting which stratej~n I will have to eliminate that thorn in the side of sages?" Thus Vishnu asked the gods. [1-16-2]

एवम् उक्ताः सुराः सर्वे प्रत्यूचुः विष्णुम् अव्ययम् | मानुषम् रूपम् आस्थाय रावणम् जहि संयुगे || १-१६-३

Asked thus all the gods said to that sempiternal Vishnu, "on assuming a human form, eliminate Ravana in a war." [1-16-3]

स हि तेपे तपः तीव्रम् दीर्घ कालम् अरिंदम | येन तुष्टोऽभवत् ब्रह्मा लोक कृत् लोक पूर्वजः || १-१६-४

Oh, destroyer of enemies, he that Ravana undertook a vehement ascesis for a long period, thereby the creator of worlds and the first born one Brahma, felt gladsome of his ascesis. [1-16-4]

सन्तुष्टः प्रददौ तस्मै राक्षसाय वरम् प्रभुः | नानाविधेभ्यो भूतेभ्यो भयम् न अन्यत्र मानुषात् || १-१६-५ अवज्ञाताः पुरा तेन वरदाने हि मानवाः |

Satisfied with his ascesis Brahma gave boon to that demon that he shall have no fear for his life from many kinds of beings, excepting humans, because that demon indeed slighted humans earlier at the time of bestowing boon. [1-16-5, 6a]

एवम् पितामहात् तस्मात् वरदानेन गर्वितः || १-१६-६ उत्सादयति लोकान् त्रीईन् स्त्रियः च अपि अपकर्षति | तस्मात् तस्य वधो दृष्टो मानुषेभ्यः परन्तप || १-१६-७

Thus, on getting boon from the Forefather Brahma he has become arrogant and torturing the three worlds, and he is even abducting women. As such, oh, enemy destroyer Vishnu, his elimination is envisaged through humans alone." So said gods to Vishnu. [1-16-6b, 7]

इति एतत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा सुराणाम् विष्णुः आत्मवान् | पितरम् रोचयामास तदा दशरथम् नृपम् || १-१६-८

On hearing that speech of gods said that way, he that kind-hearted Vishnu then chose Dasharatha as his father in human world. [1-16-8]

Apart from Ramayana, Rama has been mentioned in various other scriptures as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Like SB 1.3.22

nara-devatvam āpannaḥ  sura-kārya-cikīrṣayā samudra-nigrahādīni  cakre vīryāṇy ataḥ param

In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rāma. In order to perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Rāvaṇa, who was on the other side of the sea.

Answer 2

Valmiki Ramayana Ayodhya Kanda provides answer to this question. See Here

तेषामपि महातेजा रामो रतिकरः पितुः |
स्वयम्भूरिव भूतानां बभूव गुणवत्तरः || २-१-६

RaamaH = Rama; svayambhuuriva = like the Brahma;bhuutaanaaM = among all the living beings; guNavattaraH = the most virtuous; teshhaamapi = among those brothers;mahaatejaH = the mightiest; ratikaraH babhuuva = was a source of joy; pituH = for his father.

Rama, like the Brahma among all the living beings, the most virtuous among those brothers and the mightiest was a great source of joy for his father.

स हि देवै रुदीर्णस्य रावणस्य वधार्थिभिः |
अर्थितो मानुषे लोके जज्ञे विष्णुः सनातनः || २-१-७

saH = That Rama; sanaatanaH = the eternal; vishhnuH= Vishnu; jajJNehi = was born; maanushhe loke = on the earth; arthita = as urged by; devaihi = gods; vadhaarthibhihi= to kill; udiirNasya raavaNasya = the egoistic Ravana.

That Rama - was He not the eternal Vishnu who was born on earth as prayed by celestials to kill the egoistic Ravana?

Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda (Book of war) further declare that -

प्रियते सततं राम: स हि विष्णु: सनातन:|
अदिदेवो महाबाहु हरी: नारायण: प्रभु: ।।

Meaning - Above all, shree Ramachandra who is (part of) Shree Vishnu , which is sanatan. ie. Ever present. Shree Rama is Adidev , Mahabahu , Hari and literally Shree Narayana himself.

Answer 3

Yes, Lord rama was God. In bala kanda, ayodhya kanda, yuddha kanda and Uttara kanda divinity of Lord rama is proclaimed.

You'll find the hints of divinity throughout ramayana for example Indra hiding from rama, the sages being able to look through the divinity of Lord rama. Garuda too.

Also all the chapters are written in pre panian Sanskrit. Furthermore whole ramayana follows consistent literary rules, all chapters start with one word of gayatri if someone tries to remove any chapter, some situations stop making sense without context of Lord rama's divinity. So divinity of Lord rama is very central part of ramayana.

You don't need to believe in indologists- their atheist bias questions everything, its futile their conspiracy, their beleifs and their other speculation

It's their own biased minds. They question Jesus too, whenever it comes to religion God, their atheist bias shows, sadly they can't do it with Mahabharata because it's filled with proclaimation of divinity. So they have come up with new theories.

The dates given by westerners are nonsense, both epics are prepaninian and divine.

Answer 4

सर्वे अवताराः श्री रामचंद्रेचरणेखाभ्यः समुद्भवन्ति तथा अन्य कोटि विष्णुश्चतुर्व्युहश्च समुद्भवन्ति एवमयपराजितेश्वरपरिमिताः परनारायणादयः अष्टभुजा नारायणादयश्च अनंतकोटि संख्यकाः बुद्धाजंलिपुरा सर्वकालं समुयाक्ताः।

(~#अथर्ववेद_श्रुति_विश्वंभरोपनिषद्)

सारे अवतार (#कृष्ण, #नृसिंह, #वाराह, वामन इत्यादि) भगवान श्री रामचन्द्र जु के चरणरेखा से उत्पन्न होते हैं तथा कोटि विष्णु और चतुर्व्युह (वासुदेव,संकर्षण , प्रद्युम्न और अनिरुद्ध) भी श्रीरामचन्द्र जु के चरणरेखा से उत्पन्न होते हैं। अयोध्या पुरी के महाराज, भगवानों के भी परमेश्वर श्रीरामचन्द्र के सभा में #अनंत_कोटि_परनारायण आदि, #अष्टभुजा_नारायण और अनंत अवतार रहते हैं

All the Avatars (#Krishna, #Nrisimha, #Varah, Vamana etc.) are born from the footprints of Lord Shri Ramchandra Ju and Koti Vishnu and Chaturvyuh (Vasudev, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) also originate from the footprints of Shri Ramchandra Ju. Maharaj of Ayodhya Puri, Lord of all the Gods also resides in the assembly of Shri Ramchandra, #Anant_Koti_Parnarayan etc., Ashtabhuja Narayan (bhauma purush) and infinite incarnations resides

सर्वेषां मुलभुताय रघुनाथाय वेधसे। धनुर्धराय रामाय सीतापतये नमः।।

(वाल्मीकि संहिता)

Salutations to bow-bearer Rama, lord of Sita, who is the root of all(mahavishnu, sadashiva, krishna etc), is the creator, the lord of the Raghus.

Which is again confirmed by krishna Samhita

तत्रास्ति मत्कारणमद्वितीयम् रामं परब्रह्म विशुद्ध बोधम्। विधीश नारायण शेष पूर्वकम्, अहं च तं वर्णवितुं न शक्तः॥

(Śrī Krishna Samhita 3.5, Lord Krishna to Shruti)

Once the Shruti's asked Lord Krishna, Lord! Tell me who is greater than you? Shri Krishna replied: My ultimate cause is the unique and pure Lord Sri Rama, to whom Brahma, Shankara, Narayana, Shesha and I are not able to describe.

यस्यांशेन एव ब्रह्म विष्णु महेश्वरा अपि जाता महाविष्णुर्य्यस्य दिव्यगुणाश्च । स एव कार्यकारणयोः परः परमपुरुषो रामो दाशरथिर्वभुव॥

(Atharvavedā Shäkhayam Vedsaropanishad, Uttarkhand)

From whose Portions (Ansh) Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara are manifested, Whose divine Guna is Mahavisnu, The only one who is the cause of all causes, The one who is higher than the highest, such is Śrī Rāma,

Answer 5

In Ramayana, Rama says "AtmAnAm mAnusham manyE...", meaning that to his knowledge he is a human being. He may be God in Heaven, but on Earth, his kindness makes him to tell us he is human.

Answer 6

Except in Bala Kanda, Yuddha Kanda and Uttara Kanda, Sri Rama was not described as the incarnation of Vishnu. The episodes containing the eulogisation of Sri Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu are interpolated stories.

https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/34970/3869

Sage Valmiki wrote the poem Ramayana, with the following purposes.

1. To project a role models to the world in the form of Sita and Sri Rama. Sage Valmiki described them as Humans only.

2. To project a Jnani like Sri Hanuman

3. To Project the importance of Dakshinachara, as against Vamachara

Was Tantric upasana (Vamachara) a relatively new concept (or) in existence in ancient India also?