Glories to Lord Shriman Lakshmi Narayana - Part 7

Why did Lord Rama offer his eyes to Durga?

So here is my answer about Lord Rama's beautiful bhakti towards Maa Durga. The example of Bhakti Sri Ramachandra bhagwaan gave is very beautiful. Hope you will like it and enjoy it.

The story comes from Ramayana that when Sri Rama and Ravana fought, Rama’s vaanar sena was defeated very badly by the forces of Ravana. Ravana himself had almost defeated Sri Rama. However sun sets and war was paused.

Then Vibhisana after the war asks Sri Rama that oh ! Lord, why you were not able to fight with Ravana. You are Narayana, how you were defeated today ?

Sri Rama then tells Vibhisana that Oh ! My dear bhakta Vibhisana, today I saw a divya tej in Ravana. No doubt he was fighting with his full power and courage. But something more was helping Ravana. A Devic shakti was protecting Ravana. I was feeling that defeating him is impossible. I was feeling like I am not fighting with Ravana, instead I was fighting with Maa Durga. I was able to see Maa Bhavani protecting him.

Then Vibhisana told :- Oh ! Lord then Ravana must have done the sadhana of Shakti. Ravana is a well known tantric. He might have convinced Maa Parvati for helping him. Oh ! Lord you must also do Shakti sadhana to turn Maa Parvati on your side. She is your sister and your aaradhya devi. So before fighting with Ravana again, you must also do Shakti Sadhna .

Lord Rama agreed on it. But to worship Durga Maa he needed 108 blue lotuses. Lord Rama managed to get only 107 lotuses.

Then he remembered that his Mother Mata Kaushalya told him Kamalanayana (eyes like lotus). For the last one he got ready to cut his lotus shaped eye for the puja. As he was just going to cut his eyes, Maa Durga came running from kailasha and stopped the hands of Sri Rama to do that. Maa Durga was very pleased with his devotion and granted him her blessings.

The battle ensued, Ravana was killed in Sandhikhan, which is a crossover period between ashtami and navami, and was cremated on Vijaya Dashami.

This is what the story of Sharad Navaratri which comes in the month of Ashvina in September-October period. That's why when you go to Northern side of India especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, you will see both Durga Puja and 10 Days of Ramaleela. It starts from the first day of Navratri and ends on the Vijayadashmi, with visarjing (drowning) the murti of Maa Durga in the any of the holy river or lake nearby and burning the huge giant idols of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghanada.

Jay Sita Rama !!!!