ch in fact is unknown to Ravana and due to his ignorance, he has mistaken Rama for a human being. The contradiction that Valmiki brings out is that while he puts these words in the mouth of Mandodari, he puts a different type of statement in the mouth of Rama himself. When the whole theme is over, the drama has been played, Brahma comes and speaks to Rama, "Thou art Lord Narayana, Thy play in this world is over, and we seek Thy entry back into Vaikuntha." And Rama says in reply: "What are you speaking? I do not know anything. Am I Narayana! I think I am only a man--Atmanam Manusham Manye. Whatever you may think or speak about me, I think I am a man, I am a human being." These are the words of Rama himself. While Rama himself is thinking that he is only a man, Brahma speaks of Him as Narayana and wants Him to go back to His Abode, as His drama in this world is over. These interesting dramatic contradictions are brought into play by the genius of Valmiki, deliberately to fulfill the purpose of the Epic. Otherwise, there would be no meaning in the play itself.It was not at all given to Rama to proclaim himself as Narayana. That was not the purpose of the Avatara at all. Sometimes, we are told that the ten Avataras, incarnations of Visnu beginning from the incarnation as Fish, the Matsya Avatara; the incarnation as Tortoise, the Kurma Avatara; the incarnation as Boar, the Varaha Avatara and so on, represent the process of the evolution of the human consciousness to the perfection of its realization. From this point of view of understanding of human nature and its evolution, the stage, which was enacted by Rama, God in human form, was the ultimate step, which consciousness takes in its attempt at self-realization. He showed what human perfection is and how it becomes a stepping-stone to divine perfection. So what was the power of Rama? Why was he so powerful and forceful? We say that he was an incarnation of God, but why is God so powerful...
