What is the significance of Ramayan?

Question - Gurudev, what is the significance of Ramayan?

Gurudev Sri Sri - The Ramayan is not just a story which happened long ago, it has a philosophical, spiritual significance and a deep truth in it. The words ‘rays’ and ‘radiance’ come from the Sanskrit root word ‘ra’. ‘Ra’ means light, ‘Ma’ means within me, in my heart. So, Ram means the light within me. That which is radiant in every particle of the being is Ram. Ram was born to Dasharath and Kousalya. Dasharath means ‘Ten Chariots’. The ten chariots symbolise the five sense organs and five organs of action. Kousalya means ‘skill’. The skillful rider of the ten chariots can give birth to Ram. When the ten are used skillfully, radiance is born within. Ram was born in Ayodhya. Ayodhya means ‘a place where no war can happen’. When there is no conflict in our mind, then the radiance can dawn. The Ramayan is not just a story which happened long ago, it has a philosophical, spiritual significance and a deep truth in it. It is said that the Ramayan is happening in your own body. Your soul is Ram, your mind is Sita, your breath or life force (prana) is Hanuman, your awareness is Laxmana and your ego is Ravan. When the mind was stolen by Ravan (the ego) then the soul got restless. Now the soul cannot reach the mind on its own, it has to take the help of the breath - the prana. With the help of the prana, the mind got reunited with the soul, and the ego vanished.