Passage 4

The value of gratitude

The people in the Kingdom of Rama were always full of gratitude and thankfulness. Any good turn done to them never went unacknowledged. Even Rama, on the day of coronation, expressed His deep gratitude to all those who rendered help to Him. First and foremost, Rama expressed his gratitude to the great Vanara hero, Hanuman, who traced the whereabouts of Sita and rendered invaluable help. Secondly, Rama expressed His deep debt of gratitude to the bird Jatayu, who gave up his life while trying to rescue Sita. Thirdly, Rama thanked the vanara king, Sugriva, who had placed his army and himself at the service of Rama during the search for Sita and in the battle against Ravana. Next, Rama thanked Vibhishana, who had helped Rama in wading through the webs of illusions created by the demons and who had done great service to Rama. The vanaras belonged to another kingdom. They had nothing in common with either Rama or Sita. Yet, they willingly sacrificed their lives in the battle. To these vanaras, Rama did not fail in expressing His gratitude. In this way, Rama extended His heartfelt acknowledgement to each and every one who had helped Him in the battle.