Nārāyanī

"You are the knower of others feelings, knower of many skills, and the knower of what is right and honest, oh, Lakshmana, such as you are, being with you I deem that my virtue-souled father is not gone and forgotten. [3-15-29]

Thanks, Mahabharata. Thanks.

This is from Anusasana Parva, Chapter CXLVII, KMG version.

Dasaratha was bestowing his equal love to all his four sons who were best among men, as though they were his four hands emerging out of his own body.

I have read and seen so many interpretations which say Maharaja Dasaratha loved Rama the most. Yet, Maharishi Valmiki, the contemporary of Sri Rama seems to differ in this aspect, and says that the King loved his four sons equally.

The eldest son is the one who is the crown Prince, the heir, the first one nurtured, especially if the eldest is the first child in the family. In that way, of course Rama was very special and different. But it is clear here that Maharaja Dasaratha did not really see a difference between his sons.

Rama was beautiful in form, a hero of valor and without envy. By virtues, he was like Dasaratha. In this way, he was an incomparable son on earth.

That Rama - was He not the eternal Vishnu who was born on earth as prayed by celestials to kill the egoistic Ravana?

This is me, @harinishivaa, with a new blog just for Sanatana Dharmā scriptures, headcanons and possible snippets of writing as well.