1 (Part 3) THE COMPENDIOUS OF RAMAYANA aapadaam apahartaaram daataaram sarvasampadaam, lokaabhiraamam shriiraamam bhuuyo bhuuyo namaamyaham. I bow again and again to Sreerama who removes (all) obstacles and grants all wealth and pleases all. About the Kavya: The Ramayana is not history or biography. It is a part of Hindu mythology. One cannot understand Hindu dharma unless one knows Rama and Seetha, Bharata, Lakshmana, Ravana, Vibheeshana and Anjaneya. It contains 24,000 verses which have been grouped into 600 Chapters and that again into seven Kandas or sections, viz., Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha and the Uttara Kandas. It contains genuine classical Sanskrit poetry. Rama's young sons, Kusa and Lava, were the first reciters to the world, who sang to music this reputed work. They came in the garb of ascetics from the hermitage of their teacher Valmiki, and sang the wonderful poem in the presence of their father Rama and other heroes of the story. kaavyam raamaayanam KR^itsnam siitaayaascaritam mahat, paulastya vadhamityeva, cakaara caritavrataha. That sage with observed sacred vows has rendered the entire epic in the name of 'Ramayana', 'Sublime Legend of Seetha' and 'elimination of Ravana'. Though it appears outside as above, if it is speculated profoundly Brahma s Story will appear. Ramasya aayanam = RamaayaNam = Means Ramayana of Rama. Ramaha + ayyate anena = iti ramaayanam = Means those who read will learn dharma and attain Brahmaloka. More details:
Mythology cannot be dispensed with. Philosophy alone or rituals alone or mythology alone cannot be sufficient. These are the three strands of all ancient religions. The attitude towards things spiritual which belongs to a particular people cannot be grasped or preserved or conveyed unless we have all these three. To millions of men, women and children in India, the Ramayana is not a mere tale. It has more truth and meaning than the events in one s own life. Just as plants grow under the influence of sunlight, the people of India grow in mental strength and culture by absorbing the glowing inspiration of the Ramayana. Vedas and Puranas dominated the ancient religious scenario of Hinduism. Vedas are great storehouses of knowledge and deal in a very sacred holy form as to how to lead a normal life, giving stress to the ideal method of living. Side by side the history of the religion and the spiritual quest to methods to attain God, also form a part of Vedas. But Puranas (ancient stories) are epic stories rivaling in greatness to any ancient literature produced any where in the world. As the only fore runner of the eighteen great Puranas compiled by Veda Vyasa (literally an essay writer), there is one great Purana (ancient Hindu mythology) which has not been compiled by him and this is Ramayana, which deals with the story of Rama. Ramayana is written by Valmiki - the sage who lived inside an anthill. Unlike Vyasa, who is a great reporter, Valmiki was a very great poet. He had written the story of Ramayana with utmost poetic frenzy and eloquence. There is not a single stanza in Ramayana, where he has not used a figure of speech. His descriptions touch the chord deep in the mind. Hindus believed that it was the first epic ever written and they called it the Adi Kavya (The first epic) and called Valmiki the Adi Kavi (The first poet). Unlike the other great Puranas, Ramayana deals with the story of Rama, who is possibly the most ideal human being who ever lived in India. In spite of several thousand years old, his story provides a guide to every individual human being as to how to live an ideal life. The entire story of Ramayana is about him and him only. aadikavii caturaasyau kamalajavalmiikajau vande, loka slokavidhaatroh yayorbhidaa lesamaatrena. The Vedas are from the face of Brahma (Kamalodbhava), while Srimadramayana flew from the Ghanta (metal pen) of Maharshi Valmiki. Brahma is the creator of Lokas and Valmiki is the creator of slokas. The difference in between both is so identical. That is 2
3 the reason that Ramayana the essence of Veda came from Maharshi Valmiki. Valmiki once asked Narada, "O Venerable Rishi! Please tell me whether there is a perfect man in this world who is at once virtuous, brave, dutiful, truthful, noble, and steadfast in duty and kind to all beings". Narada replied, "There is such a one, a prince of Ikshvaku's line named Rama. He is virtuous, brave, gentle, and wise. He is a great hero. He loves his subjects immensely. He is a protector of Dharma. He is firm and steadfast. He is just and liberal. He is wellversed in the Vedas and in the science of arms. He is unique in the possession of virtues and matchless in beauty. He is an obedient son, a kind brother, loving husband, a faithful friend, an ideal king, a merciful enemy, and a lover of all living beings. All people adore him". Valmiki, reflecting over this flowing description, was walking along the banks of the river Tamasa. He happened to see a pair of Kraunchas (birds) sporting with each other in love. Suddenly the male bird was shot dead by a cruel fowler and the female, seeing her mate rolling on the ground in the agony of pain, screamed out most pitifully her lamentations. The sage felt great pity at the sight of the fallen bird and his grieving spouse and burst forth in the exclamation: maanishaada prtishtaam twamagamaha SaaSvatiissamaaha, yat krouncamithunaadeka mavadhiih kaamamohitam. "Oh! Ill-fated Hunter, by which reason you have killed one male bird of the couple, when it is in its lustful passion, thereby you will get an ever-lasting reputation for ages to come..." This is a celebrated stanza of Sanskrit literature, and controversial too, in deciphering its meaning. The separation of compound tvamagama = tu, ama, gamaha. This is said to be the first verse of human origin with metrical rules and grammar. Earlier to this, only Vedic stanzas were available with their complicated compositional rules. This is the verse where this epic, Ramayana is said to have triggered off. (The above given meaning is just a dictionary meaning. This verse has many more comports which could not be discussed here for want of space and time.)
4 Maharshi could not come out of the pathetic scene even after reaching his ashram. On understanding his mental disturbance, Lord Brahma himself, the Creator of the world, appeared before the poet and said: yaavat sthaasyanti girayaha saritasca mahiitale taavat raamaayanaakathaa lokeshu pracarishyati. "Sing Rama's charming story in the same melodious cadence. As long as this world endures, as long as the stars shine in heaven, so long shall thy song spread among men". So saying Brahma vanished The instigation and blessings of Lord Brahma made Maharshi Valmiki to come out of the anguished mind and stimulated him to deliver the great epic. He had also inspired the poet with the knowledge of Sri Rama's whole story; whereupon Valmiki sat down in meditation and saw every event in Sri Rama's story in detail in his Yogic vision. Then he began to write the Ramayana. The melody of Ramayana was born from a heart of love and pity for the wounded bird. When applied to Ramayana, the verse of Valmiki sung out of pity for the Krauncha, can be interpreted thus: Sri Rama and Seetha represent the two Kraunchas. Ravana represents the cruel hunter. Seetha was cruelly separated from Rama by the cruel hunter Ravana. There is a slight similarity in these cases. The hunter's cruel act was a forerunner to Valmiki's inspiration to narrate the Ramayana. Ramayana is the great glorious purana (legend) to the entire humanity. It shows the path to Dharma. Through this Purana, an ordinary person can understand the essence of Vedas and Upanishads. This teaches the dharma to the readers and makes them to live in the full-fledged way in the world. Dharma is in the form of Rama, who is the personification of this Hindu concept of duty and harmony. an ideal son, an ideal king and ideal husband through Rama. an ideal wife through Seetha. an ideal brother through Lakshmana and Bharata (another halfbrother of Rama). an ideal unassuming and loving devotee through Anjaneya. an ideal lesson as to how the dangers of lust and ego seen in
Ravana will result. 5 Thus Ramayana has established a code of conduct which is widely considered by Hindus to be the benchmark for posterity. Further Ramayana is the concept of Purushartha. The esoteric meaning of Ramayana is this: Ravana represents Ahankara or egoism. His ten heads represent the ten senses. The city of Lanka is the nine-gated city of the physical body. Vibhishana corresponds to the intellect. Seetha is peace. Rama is Jnana (wisdom). To kill the ten-headed Ravana is to kill the egoism and curb the senses. To recover Seetha is to attain the peace which the Jiva (individual) has lost on account of desires. To attain Jnana is to have Darsana of Rama or the Supreme Self. He who crosses this ocean of Moha (Delusion) and destroys the Rakshasas, Raga and Dvesha (likes and dislikes), is a Yogi (mystical person) who is united with Santhi or Peace, ever rests in Atma, and enjoys the eternal bliss. Sri Rama stands for the Sattva (Good). Ravana for the 'Evil'. Sri Rama and Ravana fought with each other. Eventually Sri Rama became victorious. The positive always overcomes the negative. Good always overcomes evil. raamam dasaratham vidhi, maam vidhi Janakaatmajam, ayodhyaa mataviim vidhi, gaccha taata yathaa sukham. Consider Rama as your father Dasaratha, Janaki (Seetha) as your mother and the forest as Ayodhya; May the journey be a blessed one. RAAMA RAAMA JAYA RAAJAARAAM, RAAMA RAAMA JAYA SIITAARAAM.