The Wisdom of Lord Rama

Although the great epos Ramayana is not focusing as much on philosophy as Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam does, along the lilas or pastimes of Lord Rama, God in the form of an ideal king, we find most valuable advices here for an upkeep of ideal human society.

Like example, the scene where Bharat, Lord Rama´s brother, is approaching the exiled king Rama in the forest to induce Him to return back to His capital Ayodha. Before refusing to do so, Lord Rama asks His brother questions about the welfare of Their kingdom, simultaneously revealing the standards for perfect human society.

Ramayana, presented by Bhakti Vikasa Swami:

"Rama then inquired from Bharata in a way that was instructive to all present:
´My dear Bharata, please know that a righteous kingdom will surely prosper. Are the brahmanas, the elders and the demigods properly respected? Are the women within the kingdom honored and protected? Are disputes being impartially judged?´“

Manidhara das:

Here are described the first symptoms of an ideal human society. Without the guidance of real intellectuals who are free from narcissistic speculative pursuits and are in full knowledge about the conclusions of Vedic Scriptures, ready to apply them according the time, place and circumstances, the human society is just a headless corpse. In such a society only rogues and thieves occupy the posts of leaders as we see today.
Ruthless businessmen at best or hedonism of the lowest kind propagating fools who are any time ready to comply with the agenda of the hidden 'leaders of the world", such are those criminals who form the consciousness of a population in general and define what "culture" means. Reduced to mere entertainment, such "cultural" pursuits only advocate a lower type of social conduct, producing beings lower than animals.
The issue of protection and respect for women is here addressed as well, far from the "freedom" feminists of today advocate. Srila Prabhupada revealed the plot behind the today´s feminism, which He defined as a cunning scheme conceived by the demoniac men to lure women out of the protection of their husbands and relatives by giving them the impression they are "free", so they can be used for sexual and economical purposes.
Indeed, in their heighten social awareness, women in general respond to this deceiving call and embark on political and economical careers even at the cost to become prostitutes. Loosing dignity the chastity and motherhood provides, they become increasingly desperate and agitated beings, which make their bodies either uninhabitable for a good progeny, or are killing the children right away in their wombs. Their children are often hellish offsprings called varnasankara, meant only to speed up the degradation of "human" society.
In such a society the pursuit of a spiritual life becomes very difficult as it is dominated by anger and finally by lunacy unfulfilled material desires produce. Women play an essential social role in the human society as most men have to live in an association of women and a chaste women invigorates and also regulates the potentially passionate or ignorant man.
In Ramayana we never find Lord Rama taking sannyas, the last stage of renunciation, but finally leaving in His lila this world along His followers, the citizens of Ayodha.
Indeed, female affiliated "sannyasis" are in this age of Kali plenty and so for those who finally outlived their grhasta asrama, coming naturally to the end of their sensual expectations in regards to their wives, ksetra sannyas is recommended, a stage of life where husband and wife mutually assisting each other prepare themselves for the moment of death, the return back home back to Godhead.

Finally, Lord Ramacandra is inquiring here about impartial justice, something entirely missing in the society of today. Any criminal can escape his punishment being represented by a cunning lawyer (or a liar?). As proved in the recent "pandemonia" staged, the executing political class of leaders neutralized their higher judicial authorities, the Supreme Court, in open public view, and went on in entirely autocratic ways to issue their "emergency laws", for an emergency which didn´t exist. In such corrupted society, no impartial justice can be expected, as any crook can buy himself justice by dint of his illegally acquired money. Such are the statements of Srimad Bhagavatam describing the symptoms of this age of Kali.

Lord Rama continues to question His brother Bharat:

„I hope you are avoiding the fourteen weaknesses of a king: atheism, hypocrisy, anger, procrastination, laziness, slavery to the senses, contempt for a good advise, lack of vigilance, fondness of bad counsel, impractical planing, inability to keep a secret, attachment for foolish friends, negligence of religious observances, and failure to counteract enemies.“

Manidhara das:

These inquiries of Lord Rama hardly need any explanation, they speak for themselves. How deranged they are and how far they operate from the values mentioned, the "leaders" of today!

Lord Rama is instructing Bharat:

„My dear brother, are You aware of the three kinds of prowess: energy, authority and intelligence? Do you avoid the following four types of company: the gossipy, the foul-mouthed, the usurper of property and the unjust? Do you avoid making alliances with these sixteen kings: the child monarch, the senile, the frail and ill, those who have been overthrown, the overly aggressive, the cowardly, the greedy, the sensualist, the frivolous, those who are defeated in battle, those who frequently travel abroad, those with many enemies, those who are  poverty stricken, those opposed to religious principles, those who are despised by their ministers, and mentally disturbed?"
"I hope You prefer to keep the company of one learned man then thousands of ignorant fools. One talented minister can give one immense benefit, whereas in times of necessity, thousands of fools can do nothing."
"O Bharata, if a king does not get rid of a physician who is simply adept at aggravating a disease, a servant who is intent upon bringing disgrace to his master or a warrior who wants to become ruler himself, then they will surely kill him.“

Manidhara das:

In order to protect one´s dignity and one´s spiritual life, Srila Prabhupada stressed vigorously the power of a good association and avoidance of a bad association. It was for this reason only He started His International Society for Krsna Consciousness. It is based on materially unmotivated consciousness of his members and serves no other purpose than to gradually purify the hearts of its members, who define their membership by absolute loyalty to the instructions of the Founder Acharya, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Unfortunately, there are always those who try to change this original purpose and seek rather degraded company than the good one. It is one of the symptoms of this age, that the more intelligent and dignified ones retreat in exile or are exiled, by the dominant class of rascals and fools who are enchanted by the demoniac policies established by the leaders of the society of today.

Lord Ramacandra is further inquiring from Bharat:

"Are the women protected and honored by You? Are they pacified with regard to their material needs? I hope that you don´t place too much faith in women or confide your secrets to them.“

Manidhara das:

There is hardly any respect for elders or women to be found today, as elders have often no wisdom and women act like prostitutes. Respect is derived from understanding the deeper values of life and respect for women is based on the level of their chastity.
It is interesting that Lord Rama´s concern for women in Ramayana is expressed in regards to their material needs than spiritual ones. Even women and simple men have according to Bhagavad Gita same chance for spiritual upliftment, it is finally the loyalty and chastity to higher leadership which will define their success, and not the level of academic pseudo-education, which doesn´t address the contamination of their hearts by material desires at all.
Such pseudo intellectuals, both male and female, can be found in abundance in this age of hypocrisy and consequent quarrel. As we can find in the third chapter of Bhagavad Gita, the Lord has absolutely no sympathy for such pseudo transcendentalists and prefers the service of a simple hard working man or women. Specialy women are not expected to play the roles of pseudo renunciates, their level of spirituality is judged by the level of their chastity. That by no means should encourage men to assume the exploitative role of macho-tyrants, but to act as protectors. Srila Prabhupadas comment in this regard was once clear and firm: "Don´t use your wife as a sex machine." Being protected is today defined by demons as a slavery, as in reality it is they who enslave others, women as their first target, for their own selfish economic and sexual needs.

Finally, it is interesting that despite all the protection and affection women are due to receive, Lord Ramacandra is warning Bharat not to be overly confidential with them.
I had to remember that in Vedic Society, a society yet to be revived, women talk mostly to women and men talk mostly to men.
Reading Srila Prabhupada´s correspondence it struck me that it was predominantly addressed to His male disciples. Srila Prabhupada also never had a personal direct female servant, neither He established women in leading positions in His fast expanding movement. His praise for the service being done by His female disciples was most enthusiastic. After all, without this amazing service of these female bodied devotees ISKCON would have never been established the way it was (here I am speaking from personal experience). Still Srila Prabhupada never intimately "confined with them" as He did with His male servants.

One may argue that Lord Ramacandra´s instructions here are for the "mundane upkeep of the society". It would be a huge mistake to consider ourselves, the devotees of the Lord, to be "prematurely transcendental" and ignore these advices given here by the Supreme Lord.
Such "premature transcendentalists" caused only havoc in Srila Prabhupada´s movement, only to be finally dragged by dint of material energy to the level they belong to.
As much we are not this body, ignoring its nature leads only to embarrassment and downfall, as much we don´t change the quality of the car by putting a new layer of color on it.
This "external coloring" caused and is causing much embarrassment to Srila Prabhupada´s movement, as even a materially conditioned person can detect the hypocrisy behind the actions of a pseudo transcendentalist.

Much more could be said about these most valuable instructions given here by Lord Ramacandra.

I would be inspired to discuss details and consequences of these inquiries given by the Lord further with any sincere student of Ramayana, specially of this authorized presentation by Bhakti Vikasa Swami.