Thread by @shrikanth_krish

There is a tendency to think of Śrī Rāmachandra as someone who is above human emotions of pride, love, anger, among other things

But a close examination of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇam reveals his human side (at least when he is playing the role of a prince in Dasharatha's household)

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Ayodhya Kanda, the fascinating section which deals with the circumstances of Rāma's exile

A section of the epic where Rama reveals how he is not immune to the passions and emotions that animate us all

Let us start with this verse -

देवि देवश्च देवी च समागम्य मदन्तरे।
मन्त्रयेते धृवं किञ्चिदभिषेचनसंहितम्।।2.16.15।।

"O Sita, I am sure the king and queen are discussing something relating to my consecration"

Note the sense of anticipation here

He follows this up with

"लक्षयित्वा ह्यभिप्रायं प्रियकामा सुदक्षिणा।
सञ्चोदयति राजानं मदर्थमसितेक्षणा।।2.16.16।।

"No doubt the queen Keikeyi is urging the king on my behalf"

Must be noted that Rama is very close to Keikeyi growing up,so this impression of his is understandable

But he learns after meeting Dasharatha that the plan is to exile him!

Here we note this verse

प्रतिषिध्य शुभं छत्रं व्यजने च स्वलङ्कृते।
विसर्जयित्वा स्वजनं रथं पौरांस्तथा जनान्।।2.19.34

धारयन् मनसा दुःखमिन्द्रियाणि निगृह्य च।
प्रविवेशात्मवान्वेश्म मातुरप्रियशंसिवान्।2.19.35

Translation -

"Self-possessed Rama held back his sorrow within his mind, abandoned the auspicious umbrella, welldecorated fans and chariot, sent away kinsmen, citydwellers and others and entered his mother's residence to break the unpleasant news"

What's notable here is that Rama is very much impacted by the news, and sorrow is not alien to him.

Something that you don't see in later idealized renderings of the episode in popular culture

But what makes him great is his ability to hold back his sorrow and not throw up

Here's a verse when he meets Sita soon after -

"अथ सीता समुत्पत्य वेपमाना च तं पतिम्।
अपश्यच्छोकसन्तप्तं चिन्ताव्याकुलितेन्द्रियम्।।2.26.6।।

Sita got up suddenly, (her limbs) trembling to see her husband distressed with grief and agitated with anxiety

तां दृष्ट्वा स हि धर्मात्मा न शशाक मनोगतम्।
तं शोकं राघवः सोढुं ततो विवृततां गतः।।2.26.7।।

On seeing her, Rama could not contain the sorrow in his mind which manifested now externally

A few verses later when Lakshmana is very keen to join Rama to the forest, Rama argues that Lakshmana needs to be in Ayodhya to safeguard Kausalya / Sumitra

In that context here are a few verses

"अभिवर्षति कामैर्यः पर्जन्यः पृथिवीमिव।
स कामपाशपर्यस्तो महातेजा महीपतिः।।2.31.12।।
सा हि राज्यमिदं प्राप्य नृपस्याश्वपते स्सुता।
दुःखितानां सपत्नीनां न करिष्यति शोभनम्।।2.31.13।।

"Dasaratha, the once mighty king, is now bound by the noose of passion.
Once the daughter of king Aswapati (Kaikeyi) gains control over the kingdom, she will do nothing to help her rivals (Kausalya/Sumitra)"

Note the overt criticism of Dasharatha and Keikeyi

Several passages later, when Rama has embarked on the exile, he addresses Lakshmana

ध्रुवमद्य महाराजो दुःखं स्वपिति लक्ष्मण।
कृतकामा तु कैकेयी तुष्टा भवितुमर्हति।।2.53.6।।
सा हि देवी महाराजं कैकेयी राज्यकारणात्।
अपि न च्यावयेत्प्राणान् दृष्ट्वा भरतमागतम्।।2.53.7।।

Meaning -

"O Lakshmana, the maharaja must be having a painful sleep tonight. But Kaikeyi with her desires fulfilled, ought to feel satisfied"

"After the arrival of Bharata, I hope queen Kaikeyi does not deprive the king of his life for the sake of the kingdom?"

Notice the pessimism and the expectation that Keikeyi might kill Dasharatha to make Bharata the king sooner than later

In the depictions of Rama in popular culture, you dont get to see this worldliness and street-smartness overtly shown

Several more intriguing verses follow -

को ह्यविद्वानपि पुमान् प्रमदायाः कृते त्यजेत्।
छन्दानुवर्तिनं पुत्रं तातो मामिव लक्ष्मण।।2.53.10।।
सुखी बत सभार्यश्च भरतः केकयीसुतः।
मुदितान् कोसलानेको यो भोक्ष्यत्यधिराजवत्।।2.53.11।।

Translation -

"O Lakshmana, will even an illiterate man for the sake of a woman ever abandon his son like me who is faithful and obedient, as did my father?

"Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, with his wife will alone enjoy like an emperor this kingdom of Kosala full of happy people"

अर्थधर्मौ परित्यज्य य काममनुवर्तते।
एवमापद्यते क्षिप्रं राजा दशरथो यथा।।2.53.13।।
मन्ये दशरथान्ताय मम प्रव्राजनाय च।
कैकेयी सौम्य सम्प्राप्ता राज्याय भरतस्य च।।2.53.14।।

"Any king who abandons dharma and artha and adopts a life of pleasure will very soon reach this state as Dasaratha has attained.

"O handsome Lakshmana I think Kaikeyi has come to our house for the destruction of Dasaratha, for my banishment and enthronement of Bharata"

एको ह्यहमयोध्यां च पृथिवीं चापि लक्ष्मण।
तरेयमिषुभिः क्रुद्धो ननु वीर्यमकारणम्।।2.53.25।।

अधर्मभयभीतश्च परलोकस्य चानघ।
तेन लक्ष्मण नाद्याह मात्मानमभिषेचये।।2.53.26।।

"Once enraged, O Lakshmana I can overpower Ayodhya, even the whole world all by myself with my arrows. But exhibition of prowess without any reason is not desirable"

"O sinless one, I did not get myself coronated owing to fear of unrighteous conduct and fear of the other world"

Notice that Rama is not naive. The idea of attacking Ayodhya and retrieving the kingdom for himself from Dashsaratha / Keikeyi does cross his mind

What stops him is fear of sin. Fear of the consequences of adharmic, unrighteous conduct

These verses reveal to us why Rama is indeed Purushottama and not merely an idealized deity who is oblibivious to human emotions and failings

Rama raises himself to do the right thing, despite being aware of the baser emotions of anger, ego and envy

Later renditions of Rama in Indian literature have idealized him to the extent that we tend to think Rama is beyond these emotions that are so natural in any of us faced with a similar circumstance

None of this comes out in the TV serial for instance.

But Valmiki Ramayana confronts us with Rama's humanity

Sure. he is a divine incarnation. But he is playing the role of a human being in a royal house

He is aware of what ordinary humans go through.

What makes him remarkable is his ability to elevate himself when faced with difficult choices and to consistently choose Shreyas over Preyas (the virtuous choice over the pleasing / convenient alternative)

Post-script :

Translations may be imperfect. They're sourced from the IITK site

The pointers to some of these verses comes from VS Srinivasa Shastri's highly insightful "Lectures on Ramayana" but for which these verses might never have captured my attention