Was Shri Rama Dharmic?

Maryada in not Dharma. There is difference between Maryada and Dharma. Maryada is external and Dharma is internal. Obeying Maryada means obeying the norms, draconian tradition, codes and customs. Shri Ram never disregarded norms and traditions of the society even if it required him to banish his innocent wife. It was asked to Rama, if there would be other lady at place of Sita, would he be fought with Ravana and brought back that lady in the same fashion. He replied... It does not matter in change of lady, I would have followed the same path what I did for Sita. No matter what, I am not going to break my Maryada, the code and tradition. That is why, he is known as Maryada Purushotam.  Bali Vadh was the only occasion in which He overlooked his code of conduct for the sake of Dharma. Rama incarnation took place in Treta Yuga, at that time, norms and code and conduct were more pious than Dwapra Yuga, the time of Krishna incarnation.

Dharma is moral conduct. Dharma meant absolute righteousness whether it goes in line with the norms and traditions or not. In Ramayana, Rama followed all the code and conduct and norms; he was right because his goal was to establish the norms. Ravana broke all the code and conduct and norms and was killed by Rama. In Mahabharata, Duryodhan followed all the code and conduct and norms, but he did not follow the Dharma, the moral conduct. Lord Krishna broke many codes and conducts and norms, but followed the Dharma, and helped Pandavas to defeat Kauravas. Lord Krishna`s goal was to establish Dharma. At certain point of time and place the purposes change. Mahatma Gandhi broke countless laws of the British to get the justice of the fellow Indians. He focused on moral conduct than Maryada.

Krishna himself broke countless norms, traditions and beliefs - which Shri Rama never did. Unlike Rama, Krishna was ready to sacrifice any law, any code, and any tradition for the sake of justice. He would never allow an innocent to suffer banishment or ask a sinless lady to undergo Agnipariksha, the fire ordeal. While Shri Ram abandoned his own wife, because people doubted her character for spending a long time in Ravan's captivity, Shri Krishna accepted 16,100 prisoners of Narakasura as his wives without caring for what others would say, once again violating the prevalent customs, just for the sake of their honor. Krishna would, if required, go against the society, argue with the Brahmins, shun the kings and establish righteousness. He can see Rama with solemn countenance, but Krishna with always smiling face. By following merely Maryada can make you very stringent and solemn, you may forget to enjoy your eternal happiness. Lord Krishna followed the Dharma, the moral conduct, and he always enjoyed the ecstasy. That is why Krishna is known as the complete incarnation of Vishnu. His focus was only on the moral conduct, the inward purification.

So as per Krishna's interpretation of Dharma, Bali Vadh was perfectly justified. As Bali had special boon which made him impossible to be defeated. But if we consider Maryada Purushottam Ram's code of conduct, then he did break his Maryada on that one occasion. Here he did not break the Dharma, but he broke the Maryada. That is why he bound himself in the Karma-Chakra, the loop of Karma, and repaid his debt of that Maryada-Ulanghan in Krishna incarnation. Thus we see Dharma and Maryada need not go hand in hand. There comes times when we have to choose between the two. A person cannot be called a Dharmic by merely following the rituals, until and unless ones moral conduct is indomitable.