Goswami Tulsidas began composing the Ramacharitmanas four and a half centuries ago. It has profoundly impacted many, particularly the Hindi-speaking people. Over these centuries, Lord Rama has been largely conceived by them as depicted by Tulsidas. He is divine, and in his human avatar, the ultimate upholder of maryada, which is a difficult word to translate into English. For me, it connotes righteous conduct which is context specific.
The transformation of an invocation
Lord Rama waged a righteous war against Ravana and vanquished those who disrupted religious ceremonies. This militant aspect, especially Ravana ‘vadh’, continues to be celebrated in large parts of India during Dussehra. But the aggressive aspects of Lord Rama are not as emphasised by Tulsidas as are his sobriety, calmness and compassion. The current popular invocation, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, particularly its aggressive tone and manner, is vastly different from earlier invocations of Lord Rama’s name.
