Shloka 50
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
अग्रहीदासनं भ्रात्रा प्रणिपत्य प्रसादित: । प्रजा: स्वधर्मनिरता वर्णाश्रमगुणान्विता: । जुगोप पितृवद् रामो मेनिरे पितरं च तम् ॥ ५० ॥
agrahīd āsanaṁ bhrātrā praṇipatya prasāditaḥ prajāḥ sva-dharma-niratā varṇāśrama-guṇānvitāḥ jugopa pitṛvad rāmo menire pitaraṁ ca tam
Pleased by Bharata’s full surrender and obeisance, Lord Rāmacandra accepted the royal throne. He protected the citizens like a father, and the people—steadfast in the duties of varṇa and āśrama—regarded Him as their father.
People are very fond of the pattern of Rāma-rājya, and even today politicians sometimes form a party called Rāma-rājya, but unfortunately they have no obedience to Lord Rāma. It is sometimes said that people want the kingdom of God without God. Such an aspiration, however, is never to be fulfilled. Good government can exist when the relationship between the citizens and the government is like that exemplified by Lord Rāmacandra and His citizens. Lord Rāmacandra ruled His kingdom exactly as a father takes care of his children, and the citizens, being obliged to the good government of Lord Rāmacandra, accepted the Lord as their father. Thus the relationship between the citizens and the government should be exactly like that between father and son. When the sons in a family are well trained, they are obedient to the father and mother, and when the father is well qualified, he takes good care of the children. As indicated here by the words sva-dharma-niratā varṇāśrama-guṇān-vitāḥ, the people were good citizens because they accepted the institution of varṇa and āśrama, which arranges society in the varṇa divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra and the āśrama divisions of brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is actual human civilization. People must be trained according to the different varṇāśrama occupational duties. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) , cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four varṇas must be established according to varying qualities and work. The first principle for good government is that it must institute this varṇāśrama system. The purpose of varṇāśrama is to enable people to become God conscious. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate . The entire varṇāśrama scheme is intended to enable people to become Vaiṣṇavas. Viṣṇur asya devatā. When people worship Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Lord, they become Vaiṣṇavas. Thus people should be trained to become Vaiṣṇavas through the system of varṇa and āśrama, as they were during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra, when everyone was fully trained to follow the varṇāśrama principles.
FAQs
This verse says Lord Rāma protected the citizens like a father, and the people—firm in their prescribed duties and varṇāśrama qualities—naturally accepted him as their fatherly ruler.
The verse highlights how respectful submission and brotherly devotion helped restore harmony, after which Rāma accepted the throne and ruled for the welfare of all.
Leaders and caretakers should protect and nurture dependents selflessly, while individuals should responsibly follow their duties—creating social stability through mutual responsibility and dharma.