Dasharatha’s plight is like someone who searched his necklace all over the place only to realize that it was always sitting in his neck! In his quest for a son he searched for a solution all over the universe, but the solace was finally found within his own bosom! The solution was “Ashvamedha”, which could erase all ills standing in the way of his path to realizing his burning desire!
“सर्वं पाप्मानं तरति, तरति ब्रह्महत्यां, योश्वमेधेन यजति” ~ (KrishnaYajurvedaSamhita, Kanda – 5, Prapathaka – 3)
Absence of one will not affect someone who lacks many things in life. But for someone who has everything in life except one vital thing, such absence will be felt very acutely and repeatedly, it will appear like a blot on a white cloth. Doesn’t King Dasharatha need a son like Raama, when he had a Guru like Vasishtha, ministers like Sumantra, Queen like Kausalya, kingdom like Kosala and capital like Ayodhya? In spite of having everything, Dasharatha was yearning for an elusive son for the whole of his life! The answer, which could not be found in spite of his best efforts anywhere was found within his own heart now! His mind was his master! As a precursor to the advent of Rama in the womb of Kausalya, it was advent of Ashwamedha Yajna in King’s heart!
Motivation is the mother of achievements. That is where achievements start! Nothing is impossible with motivation, and nothing is possible without it! A motivation can bring heavens to earth, it can lift earth to heaven, or convert earth into heaven! That is Ramayana!
We should not wait for good time to implement a good thought. We should not wait for good time to execute a good thought that has dawned on our bosom. Dasharatha’s heart is riding a chariot of ten horses to accomplish Ashwamedha Yajna! Next in the path is Guru. Dasharatha opened his heart before the learned men. What we think as right should be endorsed by Guru as right, and then it becomes right in true sense of the word!
Gurus could see from their divine vision that God himself had arrived in the King’s heart as divine intuition for conducting Ashvamedha Yajna. They were immensely pleased to approve the King’s proposal and bless him. Isn’t the prospect of a disciple’s ascent in future sufficient to make Guru happy at present?
When Vasishtha himself is Guru, why on earth would the intuition to conduct Ashvamedha Yajna dawn on Dasharatha’s heart? There is room for such a doubt here. Motivation is the function of Guru, either from outside or from inside! When Guru expressly motivates you from outside you should abide by his words; when the motivation is from within, you should bring it to Guru’s notice to ensure that you are not hallucinating and then take it forward. That is what Dasharatha did!
When Guru approved with appreciation, tears of joy rolled down the royal cheeks! When right persons ratify what one believed to be right, his relief knows no bounds. Ministers were asked to commence preparations for Yajna. Ashvamedha is not child’s play! Leave alone ordinary mortals, even ordinary monarchs cannot imagine holding one! When mighty projects are executed in the rightful manner they produce mega results! When there are shortcomings, they result in mighty damage too! Knowing fully well that Ashvamedha Yajna was one such project, ministers did not leave any stone unturned and gave attention to the minute details. As per Guru’s guidance, northern bank of river Sarayu was selected as the place for the sacred ritual which was to herald the golden dawn of SuryaVamsha.
Experience is unique when we share our rarest of thoughts with people who are nearest and dearest to our heart. It was like rain in desert when the King shared the thought of Ashwamedha Yajna with his dear wives, who were his true partners when he was feeling the childless pain! On the face of the princesses he witnessed an unseen shine!
This is is the prologue to the plot of Ramayana!
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