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Namastey–I bow to the divine in you!

Through our series of Ramayana Stories, we are giving information about the Ramayana in every interesting way possible. We talked about those stories in previous three blogposts.

This is the fourth such blogpost and we will let you know the King Janaka Story here.

As we have earlier mentioned, Ramayana—the word is made up of Rama+Ayana, which collectively means the journey of Rama—is an ancient Indian Hindu epic whose protagonist is Shri Ramachandra (henceforth Rama) and antagonist being Ravana.

Originally chronicled by Valmiki, it compromises almost 24,000 slokas which are divided into seven kandas—Balkanda, Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishkindhakanda, Sundarkanda, Lankakanda, and Uttarakanda. The last one, according to the popular belief, was added later into original Ramayana.

In the Ramayana, the wife of Rama is Janaki, popularly known as Sita, the princess of Videha kingdom, ruled by King Janaka.

King Janaka Story, Raja Janak 4 Daughters Name in Hindi

King Janaka, who is often described as Rajarshi—a sage who is also the king, is the father of Sita, the (only) wife of Rama, the hero of the epic. Janaka was the king of Videha Kingdom, which can be traced to region around modern-day Nepal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

He, Hindu texts say, was a seeker of knowledge and that can be learnt in King Janka and Ashtavakra episode. Ashtavakra was the very intelligent sage but his eight body parts were bent; hence his name.

Janaka became the obedient disciple of him and learnt the deep philospophy which can be explored in the Ashtavakra Gita.

Let’s know about the family of Janaka in the details. Although the Ramayana doesn’t mention the name of Janaka’s wife but her name, as other texts mention, was Sunayana. Janaka with Sunayana had one girl child named Urmila of their own and one adopted that is Sita.

Kushadhwaja, the younger brother of Janaka, was married to Chandrabhaga (Kushadhwaja Wife Name).

Their names (from the eldest to the youngest) are: Sita, Urmila, Mandavi, and Shrutakirti. The first two were of Janaka and Sunayana whereas the latter were of Kushadhwaja and Chandrabhaga.

They can be written in Hindi as: सीता, उर्मिला, मांडवी and श्रुतकीर्ति.

As Sita grew older, King Janaka organised the swayamwar for her and put the condition that if any prince would broke the bow pinaka then Sita will marry him. Rama, we know, broke that bow and the marriage of Sita happened with Rama.

Along with that marriage, Lakshmana was married to Urmila, the daughter of Janaka and Sunayana. Not only Lakshmana but Bharata and Shatrughna were also married on the same day to Mandavi and Shrutakirti respectively.

Thus, completes the brief introduction of King Janaka of Videha. But we would like to draw your attention to the fact that Janaka is mentioned in many texts, therefore, his elaborative descriptions may vary a little.

Now, let’s move to another question on why Janaka is refered as Rajarshi.

Why is Janaka called a Rajarshi?

In Hinduism, Rishi word is extensively used and it can be loosely translated as ‘sage’, the person who is a devotee of the supreme, does tapasya to please the almighty, and have spiritual enlightenment.

If one explores the Hindu texts then she may come across the terms like Maharishi, Brahmrishi, Rajarshi, Devarshi etc.

With respect to Janaka it has been observed by anyone that Rajarshi is used as the prefix. So, what is the reason for using it? Why is he a Rajarshi? And what is the meaning of that?

Let’s know why it is so.

The original Sanskrit word ‘Rajarshi’, as we have said earlier in this blogpost, is made up of raj which loosely means the ruler and rishi which loosely means the sage. Janaka is refered as a Rajarshi because he was both the sage and the king altogether.

It is often said that Rajarshi is the king who have the spiritual enlightenment and later turned to the royal sage. Rajarshi, typically, doesn’t leave their worldy commitments like ruling the kingdom with dharma but they still stay unattached.

So, how Sita became a daughter of the Rajarshi. Let’s know it in another question.

How was Sita born? Who was the true father of Sita in Ramayana?

Sita, as you already know, was a daughter of King Janaka and the wife of Rama. Later on, in the Ramayana, she gets abducted by Ravana and the great war happens in which Ravana ultimately gets killed.

Do you know what the word ‘Sita’ means in Sanskrit?

Swami Vivekananda has the answer.

“The word ‘Sita’ in ancient Sanskrit,” Swami Vivekananda says, “means the furrow made by a plough.” Additionally, he says, “Sita was found in a field; she was a daughter of the Earth, and was born without parents.”

Therefore, we hope, it is clear that Sita’s ‘true’ father is not mentioned in the Ramayana and so is the answer of how exactly Sita was born.

We just know that Sita was found in a field to King Janaka.

So, you might be wondering about the brother of Sita in Ramayana. Let us allow to tell you the answer.

Who was the brother of Sita in Ramayana?

We have just learnt about the father and mother of Sita Mata apart from her sisters with whom she grew up.

But, the people ask who the brother of Sita according to Ramayana was.

The answer is no one. It is mentioned in the Ramayana that Sita had no brothers.

In Ayodhya Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the sloka comes:

वृद्धः चैव अल्प पुत्रः च वैदेहीम् अनिचिन्तयन् |

सो अपि शोक समाविष्टः ननु त्यक्ष्यति जीवितम् || २-६६-११

It can be translated as, “Janaka too who is aged, and who is not having sons, will be thinking of Sita, over whelmed with grief and will surely abandon his life.”

So, according to the Ramayana, she didn’t have any brothers.

Although there are some other texts which mention that her brother, the child of Janaka and Sunayana, was Bhamandala who was kidnapped at the very young age.

What is the best scene in the story of Ramayana? Why?

After Rama left for the exile due to his father’s obligations, Bharata became aware of her mother’s sinister plot. He goes on to explain his mother about her grid but nothing happens.

Thereafter, he, along with his army and raj-darbar, goes to Chitrakoot, a place where Rama was staying with his wife and brother, Lakshamana.

The conversation between two brothers happen at that moment. And that was the best scene in the story of the Ramayana. This is the famous short story in the Ramayana too.

It was full of respect, devotion, and sacrifice among other quantities. After that conversation, Rama remained unconvinced to go to his palace and become King, as was the intention of Bharata.

But, Rama gave his charan paduka- a pair of sandals, to Bharata which the latter took along with him and ruled the kingdom of Kosaladesha under its guidance.

Isn’t this amazing when both the brothers weren’t fighting for the property unlike modern day scenarios?

 

 

We hope that we have satisfactorily answered your numerous questions in our series of these blogposts.

The Ramayana School is an initiative to take age-old wisdoms of the Ramayana through innovative methods. We are active on various social media platforms; follow us on Twitter; like us on FB; connect with us on Instagram.

Jai Shri Rama—Hail Shri Rama!

Ramayana Summary

Namastey—I bow to the divine in you!

In this blogpost, as usual, we are going to discuss several questions and answers about the Ramayana, especially Valmiki Ramayana.

The first topic we shall discuss is Ramayana Story. The second one is the dating of Ramayana; third one about the great character; the fourth about the great scene in the Ramayana.

Let’s start therefore by summarising Ramayana Story.

Ramayana Story Summary

If one needs to read the actual Ramayana Story then s/he actually needs to Ramayana in English, but, for the sake of simplicity, we are going to give a summary of Ramayana here.

Ramayana—the word is made up of Rama+Ayana, which collectively means the journey of Rama—is an ancient Indian Hindu epic whose protagonist is Shri Ramachandra (henceforth Rama) and antagonist being Ravana.

Originally chronicled by Valmiki, it compromises almost 24,000 slokas which are divided into seven kandas—Balkanda, Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishkindhakanda, Sundarkanda, Lankakanda, and Uttarakanda. The last one, according to the popular belief, was added later into original Ramayana.

Dashratha, the glorious king of Ayodhya, the capital of Kosaladesha, had three wives, but, sadly, no child. He organised a yajna under the consultancy of sage Rishya Shringa and he was blessed with four children—Rama (from Kaushalya), Lakshmana and Shatrughna (from Sumitra), and Bharata (from Kaikeyi)

Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, won the hand of the gorgeous princess Sita in Swayamwara, but was exiled with his wife and his brother (actually, step-brother) Lakshmana for 14 years through the plotting of his stepmother, Kaikeyi.

During the exile, Sita was abducted by Ravana, the powerful king of Lanka who wanted to take revenge of what he understood the insult of his sister Surpankha by Rama, using illusion of golden deer. Jatayu fought against Ravana while the latter was abducting Sita.

Rama and Lakshmana, in search of Sita, found wounded Jatayu followed by his last rites. Thereafter, both met Hanumana and Sugriva. Rama helped them Sugriva in defeating Vali and making the king of Kishkindha.

Rama gathered an army of vanaras and bears to search for her. Hanumana went to Lanka with his gigantic jump, found Sita there and burnt Lanka barring Ashok Vatika, where Sita was held captive.

The allies built the bridge across the Indian Ocean. They attacked Lanka, killed the mighty Ravana, and rescued Sita from there.

After the couple’s triumphant return to Ayodhya, Rama’s righteous rule (Ram-rajya) inaugurated a golden age for entire humankind.

Now, a question comes: What can be done if one wants to read actual Ramayana Story? Who Wrote Ramayana?

The answer is already given that Valmiki wrote the original Ramayana in Sanskrit. But, as of now, the version is already translated into multiple Indian and foreign languages including English.

If you want to read the Ramayana in English then please visit this website: https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/

 

For Ramayana Story PDF, click on this website: https://holybooks-lichtenbergpress.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Ramayana.pdf

Now, let’s move to another set of questions.

Did Lord Rama Exist? When Did Ramayana Happen?

After reading the Ramayana, or after listening its tales, or after watching movies and shows based on it, many people simply ask: Did Lord Rama exist? When did Ramayana happen exactly?

They ask whether Rama was a fact or a fiction. They are curious to know when was Lord Rama born and when was he died.

Let’s tell you the answer: yes, he did indeed exist.

Ramayana literally means the journey of Shri Rama as we have told you previously. It mentions various precise locations where he lived or went during his exile. How can these details be accurate when he didn’t exist!

If that’s not enough then some question its veracity and ask for the exact chronology.

Nilesh Nilkantha Oak, an amazing researcher has done his brilliant research on the chronology of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. His work on the chronology of the Ramayana is explained in details in his book The Historic Rama.

According to Oak, Shri Rama was bron on 29^th November 12240 BCE which is Chaitra Shukla Navami as per the Indic calendar. On 4^th December 12224 BCE, Rishi Vishwamitra arrived in Dashratha’s court.

Later on, the marriage of Mata Sita with Rama, as per The Historic Rama, happened on 4^th or 5^th day of January of year 12223 BCE. In the same year, the book states, on 21^st December, Rama left for Vanavasa with his beloved wife and brother. In the forest, according to this book, during Rama’s exile, Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, met on 10^th April 12222 BCE.

Let’s take a leap of 12 years in dating: On 22^nd September 12210 BCE, Rama killed the Vali in the fight with his brother, as Oak found out in his book. At this time, Sita was already kidnapped by Ravana.

After this point of time, Sugriva, the brother of Vali, became the king of Kishkindha; Rama reminded him of his promise to find Sita; they gathered an army of vanaras and sent them in all the directions; Hanumana went to Lanka and found Sita there; he burnt Lanka and came back.

Hanuma’s arrival from Lanka was on 30^th August 12209 BCE, states Oak in his book.

Thereafter, according to the Ramayana, Rama built the bridge on the Indian Ocean and reached to Lanka where war happened. According to Oak, the first day of the great war between Rama and Ravana was 25^th December 12209 BCE. He also states that Rama killed Ravana on 7^th January 12208 BCE and Rama’s coronation took place on 13^th January 12208 BCE at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosaldesa.

A quick info-graphic on it is given below:

If one looks at this rigorous research, then s/he can’t deny the existence of Shri Rama. And then we have answered the question about when did Ramayana happen.

Let’s move to another set of questions which are many popular:

Who is great in Ramayana? Is it Lord Rama or Ravana? Was Lord Rama (Ramayana) a great person? Was lord Rama an ideal person? Justify.?

Many are confused over a question: Who is great in Ramayana? Is it Lord Rama or Ravana?

The obvious answer, from our perspective, is Rama. Yes, great and ideal was he.

Some argue, either ignorantly or deliberately, Ravana was great because he never touched Sita without her consent; he took the revenge of his sister’s humiliation; he was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva; and composed poems for praising him but does that make him a great as human?

No, because, he never stopped his sister from doing indecent behaviour but instead stood by her. He didn’t follow his dharma.

He didn’t touch Sita inappropriately but that was out of his obligation because he was cursed, as the Ramayana tells that to us, that he would be burnt if he would ever touch any woman without taking her permission. That curse was also from a woman he raped.

Ravana was arrogant for his knowledge and he was a tyrant ruler too.

These are, obviously, not the characteristics of any great man. Are they?

On the other hand, Rama went to the forest just to keep his father’s promise unbroken; he built an entire army out of the scratch and showed the characteristics of a true leader; he not only stood for dharma but also lived for it; he built a bridge to cross the giant ocean; he tried to convince Ravana using all the tactics available; he won Lanka but made Vibhishana because he was the legitimate heir of the kingdom.

Thus, Rama’s character and his life makes him not only great but an ideal person too

In the Ramayana, Rama comes as an ideal man who should be followed. So, of course, Rama was great and would remain so.

What is the best scene in the story of Ramayana? Why? Or What are some famous short stories inside Ramayana?

After Rama left for the exile due to his father’s obligations, Bharata became aware of her mother’s sinister plot. He goes on to explain his mother about her grid but nothing happens.

Thereafter, he, along with his army and raj-darbar, goes to Chitrakoot, a place where Rama was staying with his wife and brother, Lakshamana.

The conversation between two brothers happen at that moment. And that was the best scene in the story of the Ramayana. This is the famous short story in the Ramayana too.

It was full of respect, devotion, and sacrifice among other quantities. After that conversation, Rama remained unconvinced to go to his palace and become King, as was the intention of Bharata.

But, Rama gave his charan paduka- a pair of sandals, to Bharata which the latter took along with him and ruled the kingdom of Kosaladesha under its guidance.

Isn’t this amazing when both the brothers weren’t fighting for the property unlike modern day scenarios?

We hope that we have answered many questions of yours in our subsequent blogposts. The Ramayana School is an initiative to take age-old wisdoms of the Ramayana through new-age methods. We are active on various social media platforms; follow us on Twitter; like us on FB; connect with us on Instagram.

Jai Shri Rama—Hail Shri Rama!

Namastey—I bow to the divine in you!

Ramayana—literally, the journey of Rama—is an ancient Indian Hindu epic whose protagonist is Shri Ramachandra (henceforth Rama) and antagonist being Ravana.

Written by Valmiki, it narrates the story of a prince who was born into royal Ikshwaku dynasty, grown up and married the girl, left the palace along with his brother and wife to keep his father’s promise to his step-mother unbroken, killed the danava named Ravana who abducted his wife during the exile.

It is divided into seven kandas—Balkanda, Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishkindhakanda, Sundarkanda, Lankakanda, and Uttarakanda. Uttarakanda, it is popularly believed, was added later. These seven kandas or chapters have an approximate 24 thousand shlokas in total which makes it a detailed narration.

In this blogpost, we are going to talk about the Ramayana and its hero in great details. We will try to give answers of some questions in this.

How Lord Ram reached China?

In an astounding way. However, that’s not literally.

During recent Indo-China conflict, Shri Rama reached to the Republic of China. He has acquired the special place in this conflict.

We are going to tell you how. Read on.

On 14^th June of 2020, People’s Liberation Army, the official army of the People’s Republic of China (henceforth China), tried to encroach Indian territories at the Galwan Valley which was resulted into clash followed by the death of 20 Indian soldiers and several Chinese soldiers.

Though China didn’t confirm the number of died soldiers on its side but, according to the US intelligence agencies, at least 35 Chinese soldiers were killed. China was trying to encroach the Indian territories prior to two months when the whole world was fighting against the pandemic caused by Coronavirus, a virus that originated in China.

The matter between two nations accelerated since the events of 14^th June. Thereafter Indian government took stringent actions against Chinese companies and investment along with banning Chinese apps.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is a small country resisting Chinese invasion. Thus, it shared a common bond (with India) of resisting against China. Its major news publication, Taiwan News, published a cartoon with caption ‘We Conquer, We Kill’ on 17^th June 2020 which went viral in India. The cartoon depicted Rama killing Dragon with bow and arrow. That showed the triumph of India over China in the conflict.

We Conquer We Kill Image is here:

As someone commented on Twitter, ‘Indian Rama Takes On Chinese Dragon’ and another ‘India’S Rama Takes On Chinese Dragon’. Some commentators showed hope for ‘Milk-Tea alliance’ wherein Milk represented Taiwan and Tea India.  Soon, there were talks about ditching One China policy. All the comments are suitable on this India Rama China Dragon condition.

We Conquer We Kill means in Hindi: Hum jitate hain, hum maarte hain.

Ultimately, in a very interesting way, Lord Rama reached the Republic of China (means Taiwan). Isn’t that amazing?

 

Now, let’s come to another topic:

Did Lord Rama Exist?

After reading the Ramayana, or after listening its tales, or after watching movies based on it, many people simply ask: Did Lord Rama exist?

They ask whether Rama was a fact or a fiction. They are curious to know when was Lord Rama born and when was he died.

Let’s tell you the answer: yes, he did indeed exist.

Ramayana literally means the journey of Shri Rama as we have told you previously. It mentions various precise locations where he lived or went during his exile. How can these details be accurate when he didn’t exist!

If that’s not enough then some question its veracity and ask for the exact chronology

Nilesh Nilkantha Oak, an amazing researcher has done his brilliant research on the chronology of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. His work on the chronology of the Ramayana is explained in details in his book The Historic Rama.

According to Oak, Shri Rama was bron on 29^th November 12240 BCE which is Chaitra Shukla Navami as per the Indic calendar. On 4^th December 12224 BCE, Rishi Vishwamitra arrived in Dashratha’s court.

Later on, the marriage of Mata Sita with Rama, as per The Historic Rama, happened on 4^th or 5^th day of January of year 12223 BCE. In the same year, the book states, on 21^st December, Rama left for Vanavasa with his beloved wife and brother. In the forest, according to this book, during Rama’s exile, Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, met on 10^th April 12222 BCE.

Let’s take a leap of 12 years in dating: On 22^nd September 12210 BCE, Rama killed the Vali in the fight with his brother, as Oak found out in his book. At this time, Sita was already kidnapped by Ravana. After this time, Sugriva became the king of Kishkindha; Rama reminded him of his promise to find Sita; he gathered army and sent his vanaras in all the directions; Hanumana went to Lanka and found Sita there; he burnt Lanka and came back.

Hanuma’s arrival from Lanka was on 30^th August 12209 BCE, states Oak.

Thereafter, according to the Ramayana, Rama built the bridge on the Indian Ocean and reached to Lanka where war happened. According to Oak, the first day of the great war between Rama and Ravana was 25^th December 12209 BCE. He also states that Rama killed Ravana on 7^th January 12208 BCE and Rama’s coronation took place on 13^th January 12208 BCE at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosaldesa.

A quick info-graphic on it is given below:

If one looks at this rigorous research, then s/he can’t deny the existence of Shri Rama.

What is the name of LORD RAMA BOW?

When one hears the holy name of Rama, bow and arrows come in front of his eyes immediately.

In our entire life we all have seen Shri Rama holding bow and arrow in paintings, images, idols, statues and movies. It is the prominent feature of his character. The bow is to Rama what the flute is to Shri Krishna. Even Ravana, the antagonist of the Ramayana, was killed by Rama using bow and arrow.

So, naturally, the curiosity about the bow comes natural in our mind. One prominent one is: What is the name of Rama’s bow?

Hold on, we are going to tell an interesting story behind that in this piece.

The bow hold by Shri Rama is not an ordinary bow.

Designed by Vishwakarma, the cosmic architect according to Hinduism, it was originally carried by Lord Vishnu who later passed it to Parshurama, a son of Rishi Jamdagni and Renuka. The Hindu scriptures tell us that the bow had magical powers which can be beneficial during any war.

Parshurama used the bow and the arrows along with his Parshu, the axe. When he met Shri Rama, according to Ramayana, Parshurama gifted his bow to Rama while departing.

First sloka of Sarga 77 of Balkanda depicts that event,

“On the departure of Rama of Jamadagni, that most glorious Rama of Dasharatha is quietened at heart, and he gave away that longbow of Vishnu into the hand of inimitable Rain-god [Varuna].”

Thus, the bow of Rama was important and a central object of the Ramayana. Back to the original question: what was the name of that bow?

The name of that bow is Sharanga.

The bow Rama broke during the swayamwar of Sita Mata was Pinaka and the bow Arjuna used while the great war of Mahabharata was Gaandiv.

We hope that we have answered many questions of yours in our subsequent blogposts. The Ramayana School is an initiative to take age-old wisdoms of the Ramayana through new-age methods. We are active on various social media platforms; follow us on Twitter; like us on FB; connect with us on Instagram.

Jai Shri Rama—Hail Shri Rama!

Ramayana—literally, the journey of Rama—is an ancient Indian Hindu epic whose protagonist is Shri Ramachandra (henceforth Rama) and antagonist being Ravana.

Written by Valmiki, it narrates the story of a prince who was born into royal Ikshwaku dynasty, grown up and married the girl, left the palace along with his brother and wife to keep his father’s promise to his step-mother unbroken, killed the danava named Ravana who abducted his wife during the exile.

It is divided into seven kandas—Balkanda, Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishkindhakanda, Sundarkanda, Lankakanda, and Uttarakanda. Uttarakanda, it is popularly believed, was added later. These seven kandas or chapters have an approximate 24 thousand shlokas in total which makes it a detailed narration.

However, due to human curiosity, there are several questions which some people have in their mind. Most of them remain generally unanswered due to the scarcity of time in studying the Ramayana. We have picked half a dozen of them and tried to answer them in our best capacity.

Along with the changes in the audio-visual mediums, Ramayana has started becoming available in several other forms including animation and TV serial. In the later part of this blogpost, we are giving you the links of one popular animation series so that you can watch it during this time-period of the pandemic.

In the Ramayana, does Sri Rama knows he is God?

Valmiki Ramayana is an amazing epic of which Rama is the hero. Courageous were his acts, dharma or righteousness was his motivation, astounding were his principles, amazing were his colleagues and army, and overall inspirational was his life!

After reading the Ramayana any person is left with multiple questions which are generally unanswered. A prominent among those questions is: in the Ramayana, does Sri Rama know he is God?

The answer is ‘No’.

According to the Hindu puranas, Bhagwan Vishnu takes ten avatars among which seventh is of Rama. His avatar as Rama was of a human being.

He does heroic acts to defeat danavas but that too after taking the training under his gurus. He goes to forest, as the Ramayana tells it to us, so that his father’s promise to Rama’s step-mother Kaikeyi remains unbroken. Though he is a royal prince, he lives his life as a commoner with his brother and wife. He goes to the Lanka to rescue his wife and defeats the King of danavas, Ravana, with the courageous army of vanaras.

In whole Ramayana, he never uses his divine powers, as the Gods use, to change his destiny and outcome. Had he been aware of his powers, he could have used them for manipulation.

He lives his life as an ordinary human who is a follower of maryada-loosely translated as limit. Thus, his name maryadapurushottama—the man who follows his limits and the best among the rest—is relevant.

Who is great in Ramayana? Is it Lord Rama or Ravana? Was Lord Rama (Ramayana) a great person?

Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic, contains various characters like Rama, Sita, Lakshamana, Bharata, Ravana. All of them, if one reads the Ramayana, are totally developed and their characteristics are meticulously described in the Ramayana.

But, many are confused over a question: Who is great in Ramayana? Is it Lord Rama or Ravana?

The obvious answer, from our perspective, is Rama. Yes, great was he.

Some argue, either ignorantly or deliberately, Ravana was great because he never touched Sita without her consent; he took the revenge of his sister’s humiliation; he was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva; and composed poems for praising him but does that make him a great as human?

No, because, he never stopped his sister from doing indecent behaviour but instead stood by her. He didn’t follow his dharma.

He didn’t touch Sita inappropriately but that was out of his obligation because he was cursed, as the Ramayana tells that to us, that he would be burnt if he would ever touch any woman without taking her permission. That curse was also from a woman he raped.

Ravana was arrogant for his knowledge and he was a tyrant ruler too.

These are, obviously, not the characteristics of any great man. Are they?

On the other hand, Rama went to the forest just to keep his father’s promise unbroken; he built an entire army out of the scratch and showed the characteristics of a true leader; he not only stood for dharma but also lived for it; he built a bridge to cross the giant ocean; he tried to convince Ravana using all the tactics available; he won Lanka but made Vibhishana because he was the legitimate heir of the kingdom.

Thus, Rama’s character and his life makes him great.

In the Ramayana, Rama comes as an ideal man who should be followed. So, of course, Rama was great and would remain so.

In Ramayana at what age did God Ram went to forest?

In the second kanda of the Ramayana, Kaikeyi tells Dashratha to order Rama to go to the exile and to make her son Bharata a king, thanks to the provocation of Kaikeyi’s personal servant Manthara.

Rama, to keep his father’s promise unbroken, decides to go to the forest. His wife—Sita—and his brother—Lakshmana—join him.

Curiously, many ask what would be the approximate age of Rama when he went to forest. The answer, as per the rigorous research of Nilesh Nilkanth Oak, is 17 years. Yes, only 17 years when he left the palace for his exile of 14 years.

In the book titled Historical Rama, Oak states with the evidence that Rama was born on 29^th November in the year 12240 BCE and he left for Vanavasa on 21^st December, 12223 BCE.

Therefore, by doing calculations, we can say Rama went to forest when he was 17.

 

Who was the Guru of Lord Rama?

The word ‘Guru’ means the dispeller of darkness in Sanskrit. Guru is not just teacher but much more beyond that. In Indic traditions, guru does not only educate the disciples but also give the understanding of dharma. After what we can call the graduation, as the chronicles state, guru would advise satyam vada, dharmam char (meaning: speak truth, follow dharma).

After seeing the life and character of Rama, one may wonder who was the great teacher or guru who instilled such values in him.

One of Rama’s gurus was Vashishta, who was mainly kulguru, the priest and preceptor of Ikshavku dynasty, where Rama was born.

Another guru was Vishwamitra. According to the Ramayana, he gave the knowledge of the devastras or celestial weaponry to Rama and his brothers, he trained them in dharma and guided them to kill powerful demons like Tadaka, Maricha and Subahu. Vishwamitra also led Rama and Lakshmana to the Swayamvara ceremony for princess Sita, where Rama broke the bow presented resulted into his marriage with her.

So, Rama had two gurus: one was Vashishta and another was Vishwamitra.

Did Valmiki meet Lord Rama while writing Ramayana?

Did Valmiki, the author of Valmiki Ramayana, some ponder and ask, really meet Rama? If yes, then what did they do and what is the evidence of this?

The answer of the first question is affirmative: yes, Rama really met Valmiki, the chronicler of Valmiki Ramayana.

In the Ramayana, Shloka 56 of Sarg 16 of Ayodhyakanda mentions,

“इति सीता च रामश्च लक्ष्मणश्च कृताञ्जलिः।

अभिगम्याऽश्रमं सर्वे वाल्मीकि मभिवादयन्।।2.56.16।।”

This can be translated as, “Thus Rama, Sita and Lakshmana approached the hermitage of sage Valmiki and paid obeisance to him with folded hands.”

The following Shloka mentions the response of Maharishi Valmiki.

“तान्महर्षि प्रमुदितः पूजयामास धर्मवित्।

अस्यतामिति चोवाच स्वागन्तु निवेद्य च।।2.56.17।।”

“The great sage Valmiki conversant with righteousness was delighted,” it can be translated. “He honoured them by extending welcome and said ‘Be seated’.”

Thus, with these slokas, we can arrive on the conclusion that the chronicle of the Ramayana met the hero—Rama. So, yes, Valmiki really meet Rama but it is uncertain whether he really met him while writing the Ramayana.

Ramayana: The legend of Prince Rama watch online

In the past, dramas and dances related to the Ramayana were performed regularly, but, with the rise of technology the medium got changed. Films, televisions, and even animations on the Ramayana were being made.

One among such animated films is ‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama’ which was directed and produced by Yugo Sako, a Japanese citizen, in 1992. The film was successful and so people often ask where to watch online.

Here are some links for that purpose:

Ramayana: the legend of prince rama Hindi (Ramayana: the legend of prince rama hd)

Ramayana: the legend of prince rama English (Ramayana: the legend of prince rama 1080 p)

Some have the curiosity to know about the cast who performed this. It can be found here—Ramayana: the legend of prince rama cast

We hope that we have successfully answered your queries and you spent a good time reading this.

Do you want us to answer anything? Let us know in the comments.

We are active on the social media platforms too. We would love to get connected with you.

The Ramayana School is going to organise the Global Ramayana Olympiad on the evening of 15th November on the occasion of Diwali. With our partner Hindi-USA, we have arranged great prizes for the winners of this Olympiad, starting from USD 500 for the top global winner. Here is the ‘AEIOU’ that explains why your child should take a part in this event:

1. Amazing exposure: We will have a number of participants from across the globe. Families from the US, the UK, India, France, Germany, the UAE, and many other countries will join us in the event. This will give exposure to your child and family.
2. Extraordinary prizes: If your child & family is performing extraordinarily then we do have extraordinary prizes to encourage them. For top-10 participants, we have prizes ranging from Rs 7,101 to Rs 35,101 i.e. $100 to $500. This step will create a healthy competition spirit in them. This will be Laxmi Ji’s blessings for the participants.
3. Innovative way to spend your time: We all are busy during the year but Diwali is an exception. How about utilising only an hour to spend with your child and family in a worthy way? Global Ramayana Olympiad is precisely for that purpose.
4. Online event: During the crucial time of pandemic, one may wonder how is this going to be conducted. The answer is: ONLINE We have adopted latest technologies which will give you the experience of real-time event even if you’re participating while seating in your drawing room.
5. Understanding an epic: Ramayana is an ancient epic loaded with infinite wisdom. With this Olympiad, we are going to open the doors of curiosity which will help your child to understand this mesmerising epic.

Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and join us.

👉 Click here if you’re living in India

👉 Click here, otherwise

Sita was kidnapped by Ravana; Rama and Lakshmana didn’t know about either her location or her condition. Rama and his brother eventually met Sugriva and Hanuman. Sugriva sent an army of Vanaras to know whereabouts of Sita. All Vanaras went in the different directions in groups; one such group would go towards South towards ocean where they met Sampati, an old eagle who had far eyesight. Sampati told the army of Vanaras that Sita was captivated in Lanka and he could see that.

Now, the biggest challenge came on the Vanaras to cross the vast and great ocean. One vanara said that he could jump but he became old now. Another added that he, too, could jump but need one location rest between the ocean. It was followed by a plenty of reasons from the Vanaras for their inabilities to cross the ocean.

Then, Jambavanta, who is described as a strategic warrior in Valmiki Ramayana, motivated Hanumana to cross the ocean with his gigantic jump. The latter was teasing the Rishis in his childhood with his extraordinary powers which was resulted into the curse that he would forgot all his powers until someone reminds him of them. After hearing Jambavanta, Hanuman got ready for the jump. In Ramcharitmanas, the most popular section–Sundar Kanda–starts with the lines,“जामवंत के बचन सुहाए। सुनि हनुमंत हृदय अति भाए॥“ The literally translation is: The sayings of Jambavanta were liked by the heart of Hanuman.

In our life, we get ‘N’ number of difficulties. Many times we get disappointed. Sometimes we don’t get any strength to stand up. This is why you need a friend like Jambavanta who knows you, your difficulties, and how to motivate you. “You are,” said America’s successful entrepreneur Jim Rohn, “the average of the five people you spend most time with.”

That’s it! So, start finding a friend like Jambavanta…

Vakra-Tunndda Maha-Kaaya Suurya-Kotti Samaprabha |
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryessu Sarvadaa ||

“Vakratunda Mahakaya” is a Prayer to Lord Ganesha, to remove obstacles and bless with success. Lord Ganesha is prayed to at the beginning of all works as he is the deity who removes obstacles, bring fortunes and luck.

The large elephant head of Lord Ganesha symbolizes the wisdom, understanding and intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life. Elephants are the path creators when they passes through thick woods, a way is created for other animals to follow. Lord Ganesha is also prayed before starting anything new. Lord Ganesha clear the obstacles and paves the way for us to move forward in life to achieve success and prosperity.

Benefits of Chanting “Vakratunda Mahakaya” shloka:

1. Chanting “Vakratunda Mahakaya” itself create the positivity in the environment which realises the robust energy.
2. Neuroscientists, equipped with advanced brain-imaging tools, are beginning to quantify and confirm some of the health benefits of this ancient practice of shloka, such as its ability to help free your mind of background chatter and calm your nervous system.
3. Regular chanting of shlokas is believed to wipe out fear, anger and depression, and help relieve disorders of the respiratory, digestive, reproductive, circulatory, speech, intellectual and cognitive systems.
4. Chanting helps to develop one’s mental powers and strength, ease stress, and take one to a higher level of consciousness.
5. Chanting also improves one’s memory and power of concentration, so crucial if one wants to be an achiever.

Regular chanting of Shlokas will de-stress you and make you efficient in your work.

Shloka are the Verses from great Ancient Indian texts like Vedas, Mahabharata and Ramayana. These verses introduce humans to a deeper understanding of life. Reciting Shlokas have diverse benefits which help us to integrate our understanding, feelings and emotional development together to live a purposeful and prosperous life.

Here is the list of 10 most powerful Shlokas. Reciting these Shlokas regularly gives peace, calmness and focus. It allows channelizing the energy inside us and improves concentration, sharpens the memory and inculcates discipline to make us a better human being.

1. “Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha”- Vartakunda is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the god of Charm and Luck. It is the prayer to him to remove the obstacles and bless with success. Lord Ganesha is prayed to at all the beginning of the work.
2. “OM Saha Navavatu”- Om Saha is a Shanti Mantra to invoke Inner Peace. It helps to optimize and improve body functioning, bestows a heightened spiritual experience touching.
3. “Sarasvati Namastubhyam”- This Shloka is dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati. Offering Salutations to Goddess, Who is the giver of Boons and fulfiller of Wishes. Receding this shloka illuminates the mind and gaining knowledge and Wisdom.
4. “Gururbrahma Gururvishnu”- This is a salutation to the divine Guru. Prayer to the dispeller of darkness remover, who is the highest lord which enlighten us.
5. “Namastestu Mahamaya”- This is dedicated to Goddess Laxmi who brings good luck in life. Recitation this Shloka is very powerful to gain prosperity as the Goddess Laxmi is grants boons to alleviate misfortunes, suffering, and poverty.
6. “Sarva Mangala Mangalye”- This Shloka is a prayer to Goddess Parvati, One who is Pure, who is the fulfiller of the desires, protector of all. Every power in the world is the symbol of Goddess Parvati.
7. “Ramaya Ramabhadraya”- This Shloka is a salutation to bestow Rama, a charismatic god who is a symbol of courtesy and virtues, a man of values and morals. This mantra removes all fears and promotes harmony.
8. “Mukum Karoti”- This Shloka is a Prayer to Lord Krishna. Krishna who guides us to empower ourselves with inner strength, unleash our power towards achieving the best, and follow the path of Karma and Dharma.
9. “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah”- Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah Mantra helps to establish peace in the Universe and in our Hearts. The great sages of India chanting Shanti mantra and its echoes have reverberated through centuries which brings joy, happiness, and peace.
10. “Asato Maa Sadgamaya”- Asato Maa is a Shanti Mantra. This mantra helps to keep us away from ignorance and darkness and will lead us to truth and light.

Learning these mantras and reciting them regularly Improves concentration, reduces violence and anger within and creates values among humans to live peacefully and harmonious quality life.

The Ramayana – just a part of Hindu “mythology”? It is strikingly important to understand the true significance of The Ramayana. The structure of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is arranged into six Kaandas or Books, comprising 24,000 Shlokas or Verses. The Ramayana is read worldwide, having originally been written in Sanskrit and now has been translated to several languages. Broadly speaking, it has enlightened us with the concepts of an ideal teacher, an ideal king, an ideal wife and an ideal brother. The most important of all is the victory of good over evil. If one is able to transcend the limiting way of viewing The Ramayana as “Hindu mythology” and can keenly read the epic with an open mind, he or she will discover the wisdom of the ancient sages and intellectuals. Yet, it poses a challenge to the reader to imbibe the most he or she can, from it.

The term ‘Hindutva’ is often misunderstood by people and used inappropriately by the Left Liberal Academia to serve their narrative. Such is the claim of those who feel that the re-airing of The Ramayana in the 21st century is an attempt to promote Hindutva thereby sending a wrong message to the religious minorities. Yes, The Ramayana is a part of Hindu literature, but it has lessons for all of humankind. The massive solidarity and its spiritual values are not restricted to any religion or class of people but are available for all. A true seeker of knowledge will have something or the other to learn from The Ramayana, Bible, and Guru Granth Sahib all alike.

Coming to The Ramayana in the contemporary era, how can we forget the longest case in Indian judicial history: Ram Mandir – Babri Masjid dispute? The dispute was amongst Hindu Maha Sabha, Sunni Wakf Board and Nirmohi Akhara. All three groups filed independent suits for the possession of the disputed site of Ayodhya. Vishva Hindu Parishad launched the Ram Janma Bhoomi movement on 22nd December, 1949 to mobilise public support for Lord Rama’s birthplace Ayodhya.

On 30th September, 2010, Allahabad High Court gave its verdict. The 2.77 acres of land was to be divided into 3 parts: one part to Ram Lalla who represented the Hindu Maha Sabha, one to Sunni Wakf Board and one to Nirmohi Akhara. The Sunni Wakf Board and the Nirmohi Akhara challenged the High court’s verdict in the Supreme Court leading to great resentment amongst people.

The final verdict was given on 9th November, 2019, the 5 judge Supreme Court bench gave out a unanimous judgement in favor of the Ram Janmabhoomi and the construction of Ram Mandir at the disputed site while the Sunni Wakf Board was given an alternate plot of 5 acres.

This case was indeed, a significant step towards the revival of interest in Holy Scriptures of The Ramayana. A part of this interest can be traced back to Ramanand Sagar’s television programme ‘Ramayana’. The viewership was tremendously overwhelming. Over the centuries, the Indic connect of The Ramayana was dormant, but these incidents have been successful in rejuvenating it.

But what about now, has the ancient scripture of The Ramayana caught people’s attention similarly?

It is not very astonishing to see that the number of people watching it now has only increased. Despite being aired again after 33 years, 77 million people have watched Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, breaking all records on 16th April 2020. This only proves that the interest in the holy books has never been lost completely, but rather has been buried amidst the fast flow of our daily lives and the leftist barrage of ignominy against our cultural ethos.

How is Ramayana relevant in today’s time? Being in the Kali yuga, according to the Hindu texts, or the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period, human minds need to retrieve the concepts of the Vedas, Bhagvat Geeta, Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. Ramayana is an ever intriguing epic that took place towards the end of the Treta Yuga. Every reading of the Ramayana gives out a new piece of knowledge. This process of learning and assimilating is never ending. There are several realisations that can help man contemplate the most righteous way of behaviour that is expected from him. Rishi Valmiki said, “Lord Rama is the closest anyone can get to human virtue.” Lord Rama is a ‘manav-avatar’. He possessed no Godly or supernatural powers. Yet through his actions, principles and devotion he rose to the status of God. All his accomplishments were achieved in a human form. Lord Vishnu took his 7th Avatar as a human to teach us that man is limited only to his own thoughts and self-perspective. If a man is devoted enough and willing to work hard he can also become “maryada-purushottam-Ram” (the most righteous and finest of men) and can defeat the mighty Asura or demon king Ravana.

In this era of “Netflix and chill”, how has Ramayana instilled a sudden interest in people? For our parents and grandparents it is a resurface of old memories, how the entire family would be glued just to one TV set, contrary to what’s happening in today’s world, where each member of the house has his or her own separate device. For youngsters, it is an opportunity to satiate the curiosity of knowing what their parents and grandparents watched in their yesteryears. It is a legend that brings everyone together to revive interest in the timeless principles.

It’s an exceptional amalgamation of nostalgia and curiosity that has invoked everyone to revive their interests in Lord Rama.

Ramayana has something special reserved for everyone. The interest in it will constantly be renewed all through the ages. It is an epic that has captivated minds and propagated virtue and will continue to do so even in the future, for all of mankind.

As Ayodhya was gearing up for Ram’s coronation the next day there was joy and celebration everywhere but one person–Manthara–was not happy. When she found out about the coronation she stormed into Kaikeyi’s chambers and exclaimed, “Get up you Fool! How can you lie on the bed like that when danger is all around you?”

Manthara had a special relationship with the queen, she was a maid, but also an elder companion from Kaikeyi’s father’s home, who had looked after her for many years. Hence, she had the liberties with language. She went on by saying, “Dashrath is going to appoint Rama as Yuvraj, Bharata and you will be left with nothing, your end is near.”

This was the first time Kaikeyi was hearing anything about this matter. The decision regarding the coronation had only been made a few hours earlier. She was delighted, her face lit up, and she said to Manthara, “I do not differentiate between Rama and Bharat, I am very happy that Rama will be made Yuvraj.” She gave Manthara a beautiful piece of jewelry as a gift for delivering such wonderful news. Such was Rama and Kaikeyi’s relationship till then. Kaikeyi herself said that Rama had all the qualities of a great ruler and was also the eldest among the brothers. Therefore he deserved to be the Yuvraj, for her, if Bharata was worthy Rama was even more so. “Sometimes Rama is even partial towards me and not Kausalya”, she added. Kaikeyi continued saying that, “Bharata has nothing to fear because if Rama gets the Kingdom it is as if Bharata himself has got it, because Rama regards his brothers as his own self.”

From that starting point, Manthara started her devious job of turning Kaikeyi’s mind against Ram. First, she created a difference where previously there was none. She spoke with the intent of creating a division with respect to Ram. She spoke of Kaikeyi’s paksha, or side; Rama was the other, that Bharata was Ram’s natural enemy. Next she warned Kaikeyi that the enemy would surely destroy her son once he ascended the throne. She said that Lakshman and Shatrughana were both young and therefore only Bharata could be a challenge for Ram. Thus, if Rama becomes the king he would preempt any potential challenge and will either banish or kill Bharata.

About Dasharatha, Manthara said that he was like a snake, he speaks very sweetly and righteously, but he is actually your enemy. She said, “See how deviously he is doing all this while Bharata is at his uncle’s place.” She further warned Kaikeyi that not only would her son perish but she herself would be left in a pitiful condition. “You have taken advantage of being the King’s favorite, you have not treated Kausalya kindly and now she will make you pay for that once her son becomes the King”, Manthara said to threaten her.

Again and again, Kaikeyi was struck by Manthara’s words, that were like arrows. Eventually, Kaikeyi’s mind was poisoned. She was trapped by her words,or as Kaikeyi perceived it, she saw the light. “ Oh Manthara, had it not been for you, I would have never seen through Dashrath’s nefarious plan, only you have my interest at heart. Now either Bharata will become the King or I will breathe my last here”, she announced. And then she asked, “ How to go about it Manthara?”.

Manthara reminded Kaikeyi that she had the old King wrapped around her little finger. He was infatuated with her, his young and beautiful queen. “He will never do anything to upset you,nor can he bear to see you cross, will even gladly give up his life in order to do your bidding”, said Manthara. She then advised Kaikeyi to recognize her power and told her to bind Dashrath once again to the two boons that he had granted her many years before for saving his life in a battle. She further advised her to then put forth her demands, which would be impossible to deny. The demands were to be: Bharata be made Yuvraj and not Rama and Rama be sent off into exile for fourteen years. “The second part was critical for Bharata to establish himself among the people”, Manthara added to further corrupt Kaikeyi’s mind.

To execute the plan, Kaikeyi entered the Krodhabahavan, of her palace. The Krodhabahavan was a room meant for venting anger. An interesting interior designing concept, perhaps it made the rest of the palace safe from tantrums. Inside the Krodhabahavan, Kaikeyi took off her pearl necklaces and other jewellery and threw them all on the floor. She lay waiting for Dashrath.

Lesson:-

How could Kaikeyi fall for this? It is so obvious what Manthara was trying to do. Indeed, it is obvious for a third person but, alas, never so for the person getting influenced.

There are Manthara’s everywhere in our lives too. At the workplace, within friend circle, and even in the family. They are creating divisions, poisoning minds and there are enough Kaikeyis who fall for that and turn away from loved ones.

Think about it, are we also not behaving like Kaikeyi, when we sometimes, judge Rama without giving him a chance to tell his story. When we dismiss the Ramayana without reading it.