The Prime Minister also inaugurated a statue of giant bird Jatayu in Ayodhya today
In his address to the nation soon after the 'pran pratistha' rituals at Ayodhya Ram temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today referred to multiple characters of Valmiki's Ramayan to stress how every Indian's efforts can contribute to the rise of the nation. These characters were Shabri, Nishad king Guh, a squirrel and Jatayu.
Here's the significance of the Prime Minister's Ramayan references
Shabri
In Ramayan, Shabri is a tribal princess who left her home in search of spirituality. Her search for a guru ended when she reached the ashram of a sage, Matang. Years passed by and the sage grew old. When he was about to die, he told his disciple that Lord Ram would come to her doorstep and bless her. Sabri waited for years, before Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman reached her hut during their exile from Ayodhya. Shabri offered Lord Ram fruits she had plucked for him, but to make sure they are sweet, she tasted all of them before offering them. Lakshman took exception to this, but Ram saw this as an expression of Shabri's devotion and blessed her.
The Prime Minister today equated Shabri's faith with that of every Indian in the country's abilities. "When we think of our tribal mother Shabri, an immeasurable faith awakens. Mother Shabri kept saying, 'Ram will come'. This faith in every Indian will form the foundation of an able and grand India. This is the expansion of consciousness from dev (God) to desh (country) and from Ram to Rashtra (nation)," the Prime Minister said.
Nishad King Guh
The Prime Minister then referred to Nishad King Guh, who was the king of a tribal kingdom on the bank of Ganga. When Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman reached his kingdom after leaving Ayodhya, it was the Nishad king who helped them cross the river, starting a friendship that continues through the epic. When Lord Ram's brother Bharat set out in his search, the Nishad King had first suspected that he was going to attack Lord Ram and vowed to prevent him. On learning that Bharat was out to bring his elder brother back, the Nishad King welcomed him warmly.
On his way back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, Lord Ram did not forget to meet his friend, the Nishad King.
Referring to the friendship of Lord Ram and the Nishad King, the Prime Minister said, "This feeling of friendship between every Indian will form the foundation of a grand India. This is the expansion of consciousness from dev (God) to desh (country) and from Ram to Rashtra (nation)," he said.
The Squirrel
A squirrel features in Ramayan at the point when monkeys backing Lord Ram are building a bridge across the sea to reach Lanka to take on Ravan. As Hanuman and others in the monkey army lifted boulders and dropped them into the water, a squirrel worked alongside, carrying pebbles in its mouth and dropping them into the ocean.
At one point, Hanuman told the squirrel that it was getting in its way. When the squirrel replied that it was doing its bit to help build the bridge, the monkeys started laughing. It was then that Lord Ram came forward and told them to see the love in the squirrel's heart. Lord Ram said that while the monkeys are dropping huge boulders into the ocean, the pebbles brought by small animals like the squirrel were filling the gaps. The monkeys, he said, should not make fun of the weak and small and acknowledge their contribution.
The monkeys were ashamed. Lord Ram then thanked the squirrel and patted its back. The Ramayan says the stripes on a squirrel's back came from the Lord's pat.
Referring to this story, the Prime Minister said there is no space for despair in the country today. "Those thinking, 'I am very ordinary' must think of the contribution of the squirrel. It will remove such hesitations and teach us that every effort, big or small, has its own strength. It is everyone's efforts that will form the foundation for a grand India," he said.
Jatayu
In Ramayan, giant bird Jatayu fought Ravan after he abducted Sita and was taking her to his abode in Lanka. Defeated after a valiant fight, Jatayu fell to the ground and died in the arms of Lord Ram. It was he who told the Lord that Ravan had headed south. After the bird's death, Lord Ram performed his last rites.
"Lanka king Ravan was very knowledgeable, extremely powerful. But look at Jatayu's dedication. He fought Ravan. He knew he would not be able to defeat Ravan, but he challenged him. It is this zenith of a sense of duty that will form the foundation of an able and grand India. Let us pledge that we will devote every moment of our life to nation-building," he said.