RAMAYANA

The Rāmāyana (/rɑːˈmɑːjənə/; Sanskrit: रामायणम्, IAST: Rāmāyaṇam) is

a Sanskrit epic from ancient India. Ramayana is one of the
two Itihasas of Hinduism, the other being the Mahābhārata.
The epic, traditionally ascribed to the Maharishi Valmiki, narrates the life
of Rama, a legendary prince of Ayodhya city in the kingdom of Kosala and
was written at Amritsar in Punjab. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to
the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's
stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his
wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana – the king
of Lanka, that resulted in war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya to be
crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.
The Ramayana is one of the largest ancient epics in world literature. It consists
of nearly 24,000 verses (mostly set in the Shloka/Anustubh meter), divided into
seven kāṇḍas, the first and the seventh being later additions. It belongs to the
genre of Itihasa, narratives of past events (purāvṛtta), interspersed with teachings
on the goals of human life. Scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text
range from the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, with later stages extending up to the
3rd century CE. There are many versions of Ramayana in Indian languages,
besides Buddhist, Sikh and Jain adaptations. There are
also Cambodian (Reamker), Indonesian, Filipino, Thai (Ramakien), Lao, Burmese
and Malay versions of the tale. Retellings
include Kamban's Ramavataram in Tamil (c. 11th–12th
century), Champu Ramayanam of Bhoja (c. 11th century), Gona Budda
Reddy's Ranganatha Ramayanam in Telugu (c. 13th century), Madhava
Kandali's Saptakanda Ramayana in Assamese (c. 14th century), Krittibas
Ojha's Krittivasi Ramayan (also known as Shri Ram Panchali) in Bengali (c.
15th century), Sarala Das' Vilanka Ramayana (c. 15th century) and Balarama
Dasa's Jagamohana Ramayana (also known as the Dandi Ramayana) (c. 16th
century) both in Odia, sant Eknath's Bhavarth Ramayan (c. 16th century)
in Marathi, Tulsidas' Ramcharitamanas (c. 16th century) in Awadhi (which is

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an eastern form of Hindi) and Thunchaththu
Ezhuthachan's Adhyathmaramayanam in Malayalam (c. 17th century).
The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life
and culture. The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman,
and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of the South
Asian nations of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the South-East
Asian countries of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Its most
important moral influence was the importance of virtue, in the life of a citizen and
in the ideals of the formation of a state or of a functioning society
The name Rāmāyaṇa is composed of two words, Rāma and ayaṇa. Rāma, the name
of the central figure of the epic, has two contextual meanings. In the Atharvaveda,
it means 'dark, dark-coloured, black' and is related to the word rātri which means
'darkness or stillness of night'. The other meaning, which can be found in
the Mahabharata, is 'pleasing, pleasant, charming, lovely, beautiful'. The
word ayana means travel or journey. Thus, Rāmāyaṇa means "Rama's progress",
with ayana altered to ayaṇa due to the Sanskrit grammar rule of internal sandhi.
In its extant form, Valmiki's Ramayana is an epic poem of some 24,000 verses,
divided into seven kāṇḍas (Bālakāṇḍa, Ayodhyakāṇḍa, Araṇyakāṇḍa,
Kiṣkindakāṇḍa, Sundarākāṇḍa, Yuddhakāṇḍa, Uttarakāṇḍa), and about 500
sargas (chapters).
According to Robert P. Goldman, the oldest parts of the Ramayana date to between
the mid-7th century BCE and the mid-6th century BCE. This is due to the narrative
not mentioning Buddhism nor the prominence of Magadha. The text also
mentions Ayodhya as the capital of Kosala, rather than its later name of Saketa or
the successor capital of Shravasti. In terms of narrative time, the action of
the Ramayana predates the Mahabharata. Scholarly estimates for the earliest stage
of the available text range from the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, with later stages
extending up to the 3rd century CE. Books two to six are the oldest portion of the
epic, while the first and last books (Bala Kanda and Uttara Kanda, respectively)
seem to be later additions. Style differences and narrative contradictions between
these two volumes and the rest of the epic have led scholars since Hermann Jacobi
to the present toward this consensus.[19]

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Bala Kanda
This Sarga (section) details the stories of Rama's childhood and events related to
the time frame. Dasharatha was the King of Ayodhya. He had three wives:
Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. He did not have a son and in the desire to have a
legal heir performs a fire sacrifice known as Putra-kameshti Yajna. As a
consequence, Rama was first born to Kaushalya, Bharata was born to Kaikeyi,
Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born to Sumitra.
These sons are endowed, to various degrees, with the essence of the Supreme
Trinity Entity Vishnu; Vishnu had opted to be born into mortality to combat
the demon Ravana, who was oppressing the gods, and who could only be
destroyed by a mortal. The boys were reared as the princes of the realm,
receiving instructions from the scriptures and in warfare from Vashistha. When
Rama was 16 years old, sage Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasharatha in
search of help against demons who were disturbing sacrificial rites. He chooses
Rama, who is followed by Lakshmana, his constant companion throughout the
story. Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions and supernatural weapons from
Vishwamitra and proceed to destroy Tataka and many other demons.
Janaka was the King of Mithila. One day, a female child was found in the field
by the King in the deep furrow dug by his plough. Overwhelmed with joy, the
King regarded the child as a "miraculous gift of God". The child was named
Sita, the Sanskrit word for furrow. Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty
and charm. The King had decided that whoever could lift and wield a heavy bow,
presented to his ancestors by Shiva, could marry Sita.
Sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila to show the bow. Then
Rama desires to lift it and goes on to wield the bow and when he draws the string,
it broke. Marriages were arranged between the sons of Dasharatha and daughters of
Janaka. Rama marries
Sita, Lakshmana to Urmila, Bharata to Mandavi and Shatrughna to Shrutakirti. The
weddings were celebrated with great festivity in Mithila and the marriage party
returns to Ayodhya.

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Ayodhya Kanda
After Rama and Sita have been married, an elderly Dasharatha expresses his desire
to crown Rama, to which the Kosala assembly and his subjects express their
support. On the eve of the great event, Kaikeyi was happy about this, but was later
on provoked by Manthara, a wicked maidservant, to claim two boons that
Dasharatha had long ago granted her. Kaikeyi demands Rama to be exiled into the
wilderness for fourteen years, while the succession passes to her son Bharata.
The heartbroken king, constrained by his rigid devotion to his given word, accedes
to Kaikeyi's demands. Rama accepts his father's reluctant decree with absolute
submission and calm self-control which characterizes him throughout the story. He
is joined by Sita and Lakshmana. When he asks Sita not to follow him, she says,
"the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me, and Ayodhya without you is a
veritable hell for me."
After Rama's departure, King Dasharatha, unable to bear the grief, passes away.
Meanwhile, Bharata, who was on a visit to his maternal uncle, learns about the
events in Ayodhya. Bharata refuses to profit from his mother's wicked scheming
and visits Rama in the forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama,
determined to carry out his father's orders to the letter, refuses to return before the
period of exile.

Aranya Kanda
After thirteen years of exile, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana journey southward along
the banks of the river Godavari, where they build cottages and live off the land. At
the Panchavati forest they are visited by a rakshasi named Shurpanakha, sister of
Ravana. She tries to seduce the brothers and, after failing, attempts to kill Sita.
Lakshmana stops her by cutting off her nose and ears. Hearing of this, her
brothers Khara and Dushan organize an attack against the princes. Rama defeats
Khara and his rakshasas.
When the news of these events reaches Ravana, he resolves to destroy Rama by
capturing Sita with the aid of the rakshasa Maricha. Maricha, assuming the form of
a golden deer, captivates Sita's attention. Entranced by the beauty of the deer, Sita
pleads with Rama to capture it. Rama, aware that this is the ploy of the demons,

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cannot dissuade Sita from her desire and chases the deer into the forest, leaving
Sita under Lakshmana's guard.
After some time, Sita hears Rama calling out to her; afraid for his life, she insists
that Lakshmana rush to his aid. Lakshmana tries to assure her that Rama cannot be
hurt that easily and that it is best if he continues to follow Rama's orders to protect
her. On the verge of hysterics, Sita insists that it is not she but Rama who needs
Lakshman's help. He obeys her wish but stipulates that she is not to leave the
cottage or entertain any stranger. With the coast finally clear, Ravana appears in
the guise of an ascetic requesting Sita's hospitality. Unaware of her guest's plan,
Sita is tricked and is then forcibly carried away by Ravana.
Jatayu, a vulture, tries to rescue Sita but is mortally wounded. In Lanka, Sita is
kept under the guard of rakshasis. Ravana asks Sita to marry him, but she refuses,
being totally devoted to Rama. Meanwhile, Rama and Lakshmana learn about
Sita's abduction from Jatayu and immediately set out to save her. During their
search, they meet Kabandha and the ascetic Shabari, who direct them towards
Sugriva and Hanuman.

Kishkindha Kanda
Kishkindha Kanda is set in the ape (Vanara) citadel Kishkindha. Rama and
Lakshmana meet Hanuman, the biggest devotee of Rama, greatest of ape heroes,
and an adherent of Sugriva, the banished pretender to the throne of Kishkindha.
Rama befriends Sugriva and helps him by killing his elder brother Vali thus
regaining the kingdom of Kishkindha, in exchange for helping Rama to recover
Sita.
However, Sugriva soon forgets his promise and spends his time enjoying his newly
gained power. The clever former ape queen Tara (wife of Vali) calmly intervenes
to prevent an enraged Lakshmana from destroying the ape citadel. She then
eloquently convinces Sugriva to honor his pledge. Sugriva then sends search
parties to the four corners of the earth, only to return without success from north,
east, and west. The southern search party under the leadership of Angada and
Hanuman learns from a vulture named Sampati (elder brother of Jatayu), that Sita
was taken to Lanka.

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Sundara Kanda
Ravana is meeting Sita at Ashokavana. Hanuman is seen on the tree.
Sundara Kanda forms the heart of Valmiki's Ramayana and consists of a detailed,
vivid account of Hanuman's heroics. After learning about Sita, Hanuman assumes a
gargantuan form and makes a colossal leap across the sea to Lanka. On the way, he
meets with many challenges like facing a Gandharva Kanya who comes in the
form of a demon to test his abilities. He encounters a mountain named Mainakudu
who offers Hanuman assistance and offers him rest. Hanuman refuses because
there is little time remaining to complete the search for Sita.
After entering Lanka, he finds a demon, Lankini, who protects all of Lanka.
Hanuman fights with her and subjugates her in order to get into Lanka. In the
process, Lankini, who had an earlier vision/warning from the gods, therefore,
knows that the end of Lanka nears if someone defeats Lankini. Here, Hanuman
explores the demons' kingdom and spies on Ravana. He locates Sita in Ashoka
grove, where she is being wooed and threatened by Ravana and his rakshasis to
marry Ravana.
Hanuman reassures Sita, giving Rama's signet ring as a sign that Rama is still
alive. He offers to carry Sita back to Rama; however, she refuses and says that it is
not the dharma, stating that Ramayana will not have significance if Hanuman
carries her to Rama – "When Rama is not there Ravana carried Sita forcibly and
when Ravana was not there, Hanuman carried Sita back to Rama". She says that
Rama himself must come and avenge the insult of her abduction. She gives
Hanuman her comb as a token to prove that she is still alive.
Hanuman asks Sita for food to eat as he was hungry. Sita tells him that she is only
allowed to eat the fruits that are fallen from the trees and he may also find some on
the ground to eat. Angry Hanumam then wreaks havoc in Lanka by destroying
trees in the Naulakha Bagh and buildings and killing Ravana's warriors. He allows
himself to be captured and delivered to Ravana. He gives a bold lecture to Ravana
to release Sita. He is condemned and his tail is set on fire, but he escapes his bonds
and leaps from roof to roof, sets fire to Ravana's citadel, and makes the giant leap
back from the island. The joyous search party returns to Kishkindha with the news.

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Yuddha Kanda
Also known as Lanka Kanda, this book describes the war between the army of
Rama and the army of Ravana. Having received Hanuman's report on Sita, Rama
and Lakshmana proceed with their allies towards the shore of the southern sea.
There they are joined by Ravana's renegade brother Vibhishana. The apes
named Nala and Nila construct a floating bridge (known as Rama Setu) across the
sea, using stones that floated on water because they had Rama's name written on
them and one story also tells that they had been cursed by a sage that whatever
they will throw in a water body will not sink rather it will float.
The princes and their army cross over to Lanka. A lengthy war ensues. During a
battle, Ravana's son Indrajit hurls a powerful weapon at Lakshmana, who is badly
wounded. So Hanuman assumes a gigantic form and flies from Lanka to the
Himalayas. Upon reaching Mount Sumeru, Hanuman was unable to identify the
herb that could cure Lakshmana and so decided to bring the entire mountain back
to Lanka. Eventually, the war ends when Rama kills Ravana. Rama then installs
Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka.
On meeting Sita, Ram said, "the dishonour meted out to him and the wrong done to
her by Ravana have been wiped off, by his victory over the enemy with the
assistance of Hanuman, Sugreeva and Vibhishana". However, upon criticism from
people in kingdom, Rama disowns her and asks her to seek shelter elsewhere. Sita
requests Lakshmana to prepare a pile of fire for her to enter. When Lakshmana
prepares a pyre, Sita prays god Agni and enters into it, in order to prove her
conjugal fidelity. God Agni appears in person from the burning pyre, carrying Sita
in his arms and restores her to Rama, testifying to her purity. Rama later joyfully
accepts her. The episode of Agni Pariksha varies in the versions of Ramayana by
Valmiki and Tulsidas. In Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanas, Sita was under the
protection of Agni (see Maya Sita) so it was necessary to bring her out before
reuniting with Rama.

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Uttara Kanda
At the expiration of his term of exile, Rama returns to Ayodhya with Sita,
Lakshmana, and Hanuman, where the coronation is performed. On being asked to
prove his devotion to Rama, Hanuman tears his chest open and to everyone's
surprise, there is an image of Rama and Sita inside his chest. Rama rules Ayodhya
and the reign is called Ram-Rajya (a place where the common folk is happy,
fulfilled, and satisfied).
This book (kanda) is not considered to be a part of the original epic but instead a
later addition to the earliest layers of the Valmiki Ramayana and is considered to
be highly interpolated. In this kanda, Rama is crowned ruler. The legend goes that
one day Rama overhears the conversation of a fisherman and his wife. The wife
allegedly spent a night in his absence and the fisherman is furious at his wife. He
calls Rama shameless as he rescued Sita, who had spent a long time at Lanka in the
presence of another man.
Rama was furious as Sita had proved to everyone she was pure, through
Agnipravesh. Sita, who was pregnant was sent to exile into the forest. She finds
refuge in Sage Valmiki's ashram, where she gives birth to twin boys, Lava and
Kusha. Meanwhile, Rama conducts an Ashwamedha yajna (A holy declaration of
the authority of the king) and in absence of Sita places a golden statue of Sita.
Lava and Kusha capture the horse (sign of the yajna) and defeat the whole army of
Ayodhya which come to protect the horse. Later on, both the brothers
defeat Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughan and other warriors and take Hanuman as
prisoner. Finally Rama himself arrives and defeats the two mighty brothers.
Valmiki updates Sita about this development and advises both the brothers to go to
Ayodhya and tell the story of Sita's sacrifice to the common folk. Both brothers
arrive at Ayodhya but face many difficulties while convincing the people.
Hanuman helps both the brothers in this task.
At one point, Valmiki brings Sita forward. Seeing Sita, Rama is teary eyed and
realises that Lava and Kusha are his own sons. Again complicit Nagarsen (one of
the primaries who instigated the hatred towards Sita) challenges Sita's character
and asks her to prove her purity. Sita is overflown with emotions and decides to go

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back to Mother Earth from where she emerged. She says that, "If I am pure, this
earth will open and swallow me whole."
At that very moment, the earth opens up and swallows Sita. Rama rules Ayodhya
for many years and finally takes Samadhi into Sarayu river along with his three
brothers and leaves the world. He goes back to Vaikuntha in his Vishnu form
(Lakshmana as Shesh Naga, Bharata as his conch and Shatrughana as the
Sudarshan Chakra) and meets Sita there who by then assumed the form
of Lakshmi.
In the holiest Sikh scripture the Guru Granth Sahib, there is a description of
two types of Ramayana. One is a spiritual Ramayana which is the actual subject
of Guru Granth Sahib, in which Ravana is ego, Sita is budhi (intellect), Rama is
inner Self and Laxman is mann (attention, mind). Guru Granth Sahib also
believes in the existence of Dashavatara who were kings of their times which tried
their best to restore order to the world. King Rama (Ramchandra) was one of those
who is not covered in Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Granth Sahib states:
ਹੁਕਮਿ ਉਪਾਏ ਦਸ ਅਉਤਾਰਾ॥
हुकमि उपाए दस अउतारा॥
By hukam (supreme command), he created his ten incarnations
Rather there is no Ramayana written by any Guru. Guru Gobind Singh however
is known to have written Ram Avatar in a text which is highly debated on its
authenticity. Guru Gobind Singh clearly states that though all the 24 avatars
incarnated for the betterment of the world, but fell prey to ego and therefore were
destroyed by the supreme creator.
He also said that the almighty, invisible, all prevailing God created great numbers
of Indras, Moons and Suns, Deities, Demons and sages, and also numerous saints
and Brahmanas (enlightened people). But they too were caught in the noose of
death (Kaal) (transmigration of the soul).