“The Indian New Year is considered to begin from the Shukla Pratipada of the month of Chaitra.

It is believed that the creation of the universe began on this day.
This time, or Chaitra Shukla Navratri, is also important for another reason.
On the Navami of these auspicious Navratri, Lord Shri Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was born.
King Dasharatha had four sons.

Rama was born on the Navami of the Shukla Paksha in the Punarvasu Nakshatra, in the Karkata Lagna (Cancer ascendant).
Bharata was born in Pushya Nakshatra, in the Meena Lagna (Pisces ascendant), and Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born in Sarpa Nakshatra, that is Ashlesha Nakshatra.
At the time of Shri Rama’s birth, all five major planets were in their respective exalted positions, and Jupiter was present in the ascendant along with the Moon.

Queen Kausalya, the chief queen of Dasharatha and a noble ascetic woman, after the completion of the full term of pregnancy, in the eleventh month, gave birth to a son who removed tamoguna.
This belief is described in many texts that although Lord Vishnu is one form, yet for the welfare of the world and according to the promises made to the Devas and Brahma, Vishnu divided into four forms and entered the wombs of Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, after which Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna were born respectively.
This is mentioned in the eighteenth canto of the Balakanda of the Valmiki Ramayana.

For the naming of Rama, Kalidasa has said in Raghuvansham:

राम इत्याभिरामेण वपुषा तस्य चोदित:। नामधेय गुरुश्चक्रे जगत्प्रथममङ्गलम्॥

Rāma ityabhirāmeṇa vapuṣā tasya coditaḥ।
Nāmadheya guruścakre jagatprathamamaṅgalam॥

Seeing his charming and delightful form, and being inspired by such a form, the Guru gave him the first auspicious name of the world, that is, a name engaged in the welfare of the world — “Rama.”
That in which there is the cause of delight or which indicates the characteristic of charm.
While explaining the name of Rama, it is said — ‘Ramante Yoginah Asmin’ — the one in whom yogis rejoice, he is Rama.

Not only from the perspective of Indian culture and mythological history, but even while studying the Sanskrit language it is said — ‘Ramat Naasti Shreshthah’ — there is nothing superior to Rama!
Whether you ask devotees of Rama or historians, almost all accept this belief.
King Dasharatha and Kausalya did not receive such an श्रेष्ठ (best of all) offspring without reason.
The yajna performed for obtaining that divine soul, and the prasada from it, etc., are described in the Ramayana.

[On this occasion, one interesting fact worth sharing is that in 1954, at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MS University), Baroda, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Professor Govindlal Bhatt, whose objective was to collect and compile the written manuscripts of the original Ramayana.
Out of many copies, 46 copies were selected as the most ancient and original manuscripts of the Ramayana.
The oldest manuscript (handwritten copy) of the written Ramayana was obtained from the Bir Library of Nepal, whose writing period was determined to be around 1020 AD.]

King Dasharatha obtained an excellent son like Rama through the Putreshti Yajna.
The Putreshti Yajna performed for obtaining progeny is a part of one of India’s most ancient sciences — ‘Garbha Vigyan’ (science of fertility, conception, obstetrics, embryo development and fetology).
Under Garbha Vigyan, there is a detailed description of the resolve for progeny, cell division, gender determination, the ideal condition, state, time, proper timing, diet, lifestyle, medicines, etc. for the development of the fetus and child.
This description is mentioned in the Vedas, Upanishads, Ayurvedic Samhitas (Kaumarabhrityam branch, Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya), and Puranic texts.

The second shloka of the twelfth canto of Balakanda states —

तत: प्रसाद्य शिरसा तं विप्रं देववर्णिणम्। यज्ञ वर्यामास संतानार्थं कुलस्य च।।

Tataḥ prasādya śirasā taṁ vipraṁ devavarṇiṇam।
Yajñaṁ varayāmāsa santānārthaṁ kulasya ca॥

King Dasharatha went to Rishi Rishyashringa, bowed to him, and chose the god-like sage to conduct the Putreshti Yajna for the purpose of progeny and the growth of the lineage.
In the Valmiki Ramayana, in the fifteenth canto of Balakanda, the Putreshti Yajna of King Dasharatha performed by Rishyashringa is mentioned.
In the sixteenth canto, the bowl of kheer received as the result of that yajna is described.
Dasharatha fed that kheer to his three queens — half to Kausalya, half of that half to Sumitra, half of that half to Kaikeyi, and the remaining again to Sumitra.

The fundamental science of all sciences — on which the development of the entire human race is based — is Garbha Vigyan.
One unique discovery of India can be said to be — the idea of existence before arrival!
Garbha Vigyan says that parents do not choose the child, rather the child chooses the parents.
The best example of the descent of a divine soul through Garbha Vigyan is the birth of Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama.
Before preparing the child, the parents have to prepare themselves.
Again, when we understand Balakanda from this perspective, we come to know that King Dasharatha and his queens prepared themselves for about two years for conception or obtaining progeny.
The description given in the sixth chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is extremely essential for Garbha Vigyan.

There is a specific Arsha or Rishi-oriented style for writing the Ramayana as a complete text.
If we extract the essence from that language style, we come to know that the method of Putreshti Yajna has been described for conception and for removing infertility.
The result of the Putreshti Yajna in the Ramayana has been presented in the form of a bowl of kheer in the hands of a golden man.
That prasada is actually a specially and necessarily prepared ghee for the Putreshti Yajna, which is called ‘Mantha’.
Mantha is prepared in a specific nakshatra.
Without the consumption of Mantha, the Putreshti Yajna is unsuccessful.
The method of Putreshti Yajna is described in the Yajurveda.

Just as King Dasharatha obtained a divine soul like Rama as an excellent progeny through the Putreshti Yajna under Garbha Vigyan, in the same way Raghu dynasty emperor Chakravarti Samrat Raghu (ancestor of Rama) was also obtained as progeny by his father King Dilipa and mother Sulakshana through the knowledge of Garbha Vigyan.
The empire of Raghu was much larger than the Ashvamedha empire of Rama’s time.

There are five main principles of Garbha Vigyan:
(1) worthy parents, (2) intense desire for progeny, (3) invocation of a divine soul for good progeny, (4) development of the five koshas, and (5) five-layered tri-health of the parents.
The invocation of a divine soul for progeny is described in detail in the Charaka Samhita and the mantra for invoking a divine soul is also described.
It should be remembered that before coming into contact with the body, the divine soul first comes into contact with the mind of the future parents.
For the descent of a divine soul, the Putreshti Yajna is a specific method-based ritual that removes unseen obstacles, makes the progeny excellent, and inspires divine and noble progeny; its knowledge, science, and practice are becoming rare, but they are still not unavailable.

Ram Rajya is considered the greatest period of governance in Indian culture.
For the return of that Ram Rajya, progeny like Rama is necessary à The method to obtain such noble progeny is contained in Garbha Vigyan.

May all parents have the wish for progeny like Rama, and with such Shubhechchhā, may we all receive the inspiration to understand Garbha Vigyan!

भजु दीनबंधु दिनेश दानव दैत्य वंश निकन्दनम्। रघुनंद आनंद कंद कौशलचंद दशरथ नन्दनम्।

Bhaju dīnabandhu dineśa dānava daitya vaṁśa nikandanam।
Raghunanda ānanda kanda kauśalacanda daśaratha nandanam॥

 

Referenced texts:
Arsha Ramayana — Shri Valmiki
Raghuvansham — Mahakavi Kalidasa
Garbha Vigyan research work — Pujya Guruvarya Pandit Vishwanath Datar Shastri ji, Varanasi
Chandogya Upanishad
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Upanishad Rahasya — Mahatma Narayan Swamiji Maharaj, Pandit Bhimsen Sharma
Putreshti Yajna — Pandit Surendra Sharma Gaud