Today is Rama Navami.

Lord Rama, the most pleasing incarnation of God, appeared on Rama-navami. He is known as Maryada Purusottama and is the emblem of righteousness. His life and teachings of morality in office are as relevant for us today as when He appeared nearly 20 million years ago.

Here is a small incident that happened in the life of a Rama Baktha Bhadrachalam Ramadas.

Gopanna (Bhadrachalam Ramadas) used to celebrate the Rama Navami utsav in a grand way every year. His wife herself cooked food for all the guests for she realized what an honour it was to cook for all these Sadhus. Therefore, she did not leave it in the hands of hired cooks but took it upon herself. It was late evening and Nama Kirtan was going on. Gopanna’s wife had prepared dinner for the guests. She put her little son Raghav to sleep and placing a lamp beside him moved to the place where Nama Kirtan was going on. It was her husband who sang which made it all the more interesting for her and they were all his kirtans. She was enjoying the kirtans and after a while, the mother she was, she moved to check her child.

But lo! the child was not to be found where she had put him to sleep. After she had left him, the child had woken up. The lamp had been blown out and being dark, the scared child searching out for the mother had reached the place where dinner had been prepared. The ‘kanji’ (starch) from the cooked rice had been filtered nearby on the floor and the child in the dark stepped on to it. He slipped and fell into the boiling hot ‘kanji’ and died. The mother searched for her little son and found the dead child. The wife of a great devotee of Rama she out beat her husband. She suppressed her grief and tears as the thought crossed her, “If I were to cry for my dead child Rama Navami utsav will come to a stop. This cannot be allowed to happen. The guests should be fed.” She wrapped the body of the child in a sack and placed it aside where none could see it. She then went about her work.

As soon as the Nama Kirtan was over she served food for all the guests. As they were being served one of the Sadhus asked Gopanna, “Where is your little son Raghav? I have not seen him around?” Gopanna looked questioningly at wife. She quietly took him aside and showed him the dead body of the child. Gopanna was also grief stricken; He was also astounded at his wife’s behaviour in such a situation. Meanwhile the Sadhus had gathered there and learnt about the incident. They, too, grieved over the mishap. Gopanna consoled them, "Rama blessed me with this child and He has now taken him back. The child has gone to a better place - to the Lotus Feet of Lord Rama. We should not cry over this!” However, the Sadhus said, “No, Gopanna! What will the world say? You are a Rama Bhakta. You are celebrating His utsava. The people will scoff at your Rama for bringing this upon you. This incident will bring a bad name to your Rama.” Saying so, all of them together prayed to Lord Rama pleading with him to restore the child to life. Just then a Yogi came in and enquired in a demanding tone, “What is happening here?” He was informed of the child’s death. The Yogi said, “Died? Who says the child is dead? He is not.” And tapping the child the Yogi said, “Get up!” and the child woke up! The Yogi quickly went out of the door. Gopanna who had followed the Yogi quickly saw the form of Kothandapãni Rama before he disappeared from sight. This only intensified his faith that the Lord was taking care of him in every way.