'Sama Darshi' Sri Rama

Each episode in the epic Ramayana emphasises that Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is the most compassionate, that he showed his grace on all, irrespective of their status, position in life, caste, creed, or religion. That is why he is called ‘Sama Darshi ’ - one who saw everybody as equal.

Guha, a nishada by birth (one born in a low caste), was embraced by Rama, as a token of friendship and blessing after Guha helped Rama, Lakshmana and Sita to cross the river in his boat. While remembering Guha, Rama says to Lakshmana “Do you remember him-  my dear friend Guha, the King of Sarayu?” Rama never ever mentions the caste of Guha who was a mere hunter, but refers to him as a ‘friend’. 

Shabari, a tribal, was another recipient of Lord Rama’s grace. Shabari, who ran away as a,young bride opposing a marriage she despised after seeing,thousands of goats and sheep brought by her father to be sacrificed for the marriage feast, takes refuge in the ashram of Sage Matanga, who, before attaining Samadhi, tells her that she will reach the abode of peace and bliss after Lord Rama’s darshan. She continues to pray for Rama and waits for many many years in anticipation of Rama’s visit to her ashram. This is used a common metaphor for ‘an endless wait for God’. Finally, when Lord Rama visited her, she will be so overwhelmed and out of bodily consciousness that she doesn’t find it wrong to taste the berry fruits before offering only the sweet ones to her Lord. Rama never found it as wrong, but relished the fruit with compassionate love for her. “You came to this unworthy devotee’s humble hut, you partook my humble offering of berry fruits- this shows that you see only bhakti, you are not concerned about caste, position, wealth or knowledge. Sri Rama, you are a Sama darshi.” Thus saying, she attained ‘parama pada- the highest abode of bliss consciousness’, as a fruit of her meritorious service to her guru and for her untainted  prema-bhakti for Lord Rama.     

Lowly creatures too found place in his heart. When Sri Rama finds the dying Jatayu bird, who, while trying to rescue Sita from Ravana, was fatally wounded, he decides to bless him with Moksha. He calls upon all the seven scared river- waters to come to the spot and after making Jatayu partake that ‘teertha’, he bestows liberation on to the valiant bird. Lord Rama continued his search for Sita, only after performing the obsequies last rites to Jatayu.

Where are the distinctions and differences between human beings, if one goes by messages in the great epic Ramayana and one emulates Sri Rama.