Was it just an Indian dream?

      प्रहृष्टमुदितो लोकस्तुष्टः पुष्टः सुधार्मिकः।  निरामयो ह्यरोगाश्च दुर्भिक्षभयवारितः॥९०
न पुत्रमरणं केचित् द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुरुषाः क्वचित्।  नार्यश्चाविधवाः नित्यं भविष्यन्ति पतिव्रताः॥९१॥

न चाग्निभयं किंचिन्नाप्सु मज्जन्ति जन्तवः।  न वातजं भयं किंचिन्नापि ज्वरकृतं तथा॥९२॥

न चापि क्षुद्भयं तत्र न तस्करभयम् तथा। नगराणि च राष्ट्राणि धनधान्ययुतानि च॥९३॥

नित्यं प्रमुदिताः सर्वे यथा कृतयुगे तथा।  अश्वमेधशतैरिष्ठ्वा तथा बहुसुर्वणकैः॥९४

गवां कोट्ययुतं दत्वा विद्वद्भ्यो विधिपूर्वकं। असंख्येयम् धनं दत्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो महायशाः॥९५॥

राजवंशाञ्छतगुणान्  स्थापयिष्यति राघवः।  चातुर्वर्ण्यं च लोकेऽस्मिन् स्वे स्वे धर्मे नियोक्ष्यति॥९६॥

दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च।  रामो राज्यमुपासित्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति॥९७॥

इदम् पवित्रं पापघ्नं पुण्यं वेदैश्च सम्मितं।  यः पठेत् रामचरितं सर्वपापैर् प्रमुच्यते॥९८॥

एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन् रामायणम् नरः।  सपुत्रपौत्रः सगणः प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते॥

पठन् द्विजो वागृषभत्वमेयात् स्यात् क्षत्रियो भूमिपतित्वमीयात्।  वणिग्जनः पण्यफलत्वमीयाज्जनश्च शूद्रोपि महत्वमीयात्॥१००॥

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बाल्काण्डे प्रथमः सर्गः॥१॥

prahR^iSTamudito lokastuSTaH puSTaH sudhaarmikaH.  niraamayo hyarogaashcha durbhikSabhayavaaritaH..90..
na putramaraNaM kechit drakSyanti puruSaaH kwachit.  naaryashchaavidhavaaH nityaM bhaviSyanti pativrataaH..91..
na chaagnibhayaM kiMchinnaapsu majjanti jantavaH.  na vaatajaM bhayaM kiMchinnaapi jvarakR^itaM tathaa..92..
na chaapi kSudbhayaM tatra na taskarabhayam tathaa. nagaraaNi cha raaSTraaNi dhanadhaanyayutaani cha..93..
nityaM pramuditaaH sarve yathaa kR^itayuge tathaa.  ashwamedhashatairiSThwaa tathaa bahusurvaNakaiH..94
gavaaM koTyayutaM datwaa vidwadbhyo vidhipuurvakaM. asaMkhyeyam dhanaM datwaa braahmaNebhyo mahaayashaaH..95..
raajavaMshaa~nchhataguNaan  sthaapayiSyati raaghavaH.  chaaturvarNyaM cha loke.asmin swe swe dharme niyokSyati..96..
dashavarSasahasraaNi dashavarSashataani cha.  raamo raajyamupaasitwaa brahmalokaM prayaasyati..97..
idam pavitraM paapaghnaM puNyaM vedaishcha sammitaM.  yaH paThet raamacharitaM sarvapaapair pramuchyate..98..
etadaakhyaanamaayuSyaM paThan raamaayaNam naraH.  saputrapautraH sagaNaH pretya swarge mahiiyate..
paThan dwijo vaagR^iSabhatwameeyaat syaat kSatriyo bhuumipatitwamiiyaat .  vaNigjanaH paNyaphalatwamiiyaajjanashcha shuudropi mahatwamiiyaat..100..
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe vaalmiikiiye aadikaavye baalkaaNDe prathamaH sargaH..1..

Narada concludes his narrative on Rama by recounting the state of welfare that is enjoyed by the subjects of Rama.. Ramaraajya the Indian Utopia.. The people are virtuous and extremely happy. They do not suffer either from physical or mental ailments.  No one ever hears about the death of his own son, no lady ever becomes widow and every lady  adheres to paativrityam.  There is no calamity ever caused by fire.  No accident by drowning is ever heard.  There is no calamity caused by cyclones.  No epidemics ever visit the nation. The granaries are full and there is no anxiety about starvation. There is no threat of robbery.  The villages, hamlets and the metropolis are all endowed with bountiful supply of grains and they are also wealthy.  The wellbeing which was the hallmark of Kritayuga or Satyayuga is manifest in the thretaayuga becauses of the presence of Rama.  Rama is going to conduct hundred ashwamedhaas, and also other sacrifices involving spending of huge quanta of gold.  He will give a lot of presents to learned men.  He is going to establish a race of noble kings.  The functions of the scholars, rulers, traders and servants would be well established.   Thus he is going to reign for a period of one thousand and one hundred decades.  After that He will proceed to Brahmaloka.  This story of Rama which is sacred, will bring virtue to the readers. It is praised evan by the Vedas.  The study of Ramaayanam endows all with longevity.  The reader of Ramaayananam will be surrounded by sons, grandsons and great grandsons when he is leaving for his heavenly abode.  The scholars will gain dexterity in musse, the warriors will attain victory in battles, the traders will prosper in commercial activities and the working class will enjoy welfare and prosperity if they read Ramaayanam daily. 

Was it just an Indian dream or was there really an administration here under which people were prosperous, safe from natural calamities and epidemics and could lead a wholesome life?   No one can say for sure.  But we need not search anywhere else to know what a welfare state means. 

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।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

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