Guest guest Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 A friend of mine is doing some research for an article he wants to write. He¹s trying to find a story and thinks it is either in the Ramayana or Yoga Vasishtha. Can anyone remember where it is? Here¹s the story: There¹s a story where Rama, at the age of 16, looks at an assembly of kings (probably gathered on the occasion of his marriage to Sita), and sees that they are nothing, that all their titles and decorations are nothing compared to him. Something like that. I could not locate in the Ramayana although I remember reading it. It¹s probably in the Yoga Vasishtha, in one of the first chapters (I don¹t have a copy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2002 Report Share Posted July 28, 2002 According to an English translation of the Kambhan (Tamil) Ramayana that I broght home from Kerala last year, there are even more Ramayanas than I ever knew, nearly one in every major Indian language. You might try sending the question to creators of websites on the different version of the story. I know there are sites on the Valmiki and Tulsidas versions. I'll send the question to my Bengali friend who has recently enjoyed the Krittivasa (Bengali writer) version. It could come just before Rama lifted Shiva's bow and won Sita. In the versions I've read, Rama is presented as someone who isn't aware of his status as an avatar but it would fit in the story just before he lifts the bow without negating the idea that he didn't know he was an avatar. Aikya Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote: > A friend of mine is doing some research for an article he wants to write. > He¹s trying to find a story and thinks it is either in the Ramayana or Yoga > Vasishtha. Can anyone remember where it is? Here¹s the story: > > There¹s a story where Rama, at the age of 16, looks at an assembly of kings > (probably gathered on the occasion of his marriage to Sita), and sees that > they are nothing, that all their titles and decorations are nothing compared > to him. Something like that. > > I could not locate in the Ramayana although I remember reading it. It¹s > probably in the Yoga Vasishtha, in one of the first chapters (I don¹t have a > copy). > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2002 Report Share Posted July 29, 2002 I checked the Kambhan Ramayana (English translation) yesterday -- the story of the visit of Rama, Lakshmana and their archery guru to King Janaka during the period when the king was seeking someone who could lift Lord Shiva's bow and win Sita as wife. With the exception of telling how Rama and Sita fell in love with each other immediately, Kambhan doesn't tell what Rama was thinking. He has the guru extolling the greatness of Rama's solar lineage. Great description of Rama wielding the bow and the reaction of all the women who immediately had a crush on him. I think one of the versions of Ramayana will have the section you describe. Alas I do not have either TulsiDas or Valmiki in original. Valmiki is an encyclopedia sized collection of books. Good luck. Aikya Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote: > A friend of mine is doing some research for an article he wants to write. > He¹s trying to find a story and thinks it is either in the Ramayana or Yoga > Vasishtha. Can anyone remember where it is? Here¹s the story: > > There¹s a story where Rama, at the age of 16, looks at an assembly of kings > (probably gathered on the occasion of his marriage to Sita), and sees that > they are nothing, that all their titles and decorations are nothing compared > to him. Something like that. > > I could not locate in the Ramayana although I remember reading it. It¹s > probably in the Yoga Vasishtha, in one of the first chapters (I don¹t have a > copy). > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2002 Report Share Posted July 29, 2002 On Mon, 29 Jul 2002, aikya wrote: > could lift Lord Shiva's bow and win Sita as wife. With the exception > of telling how Rama and Sita fell in love with each other That's interesting ! I never knew that there was a description of this since in India most marriages are "arranged". > Valmiki is an encyclopedia sized collection of books. Not really - it comes in 2 volumes and I ordered it from www.vedanta.com for ~ $40. It has the original Sanskrit text and an English translation. Namashivaya - Girish > Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote: > > A friend of mine is doing some research for an article he wants to > write. > > He¹s trying to find a story and thinks it is either in the Ramayana > or Yoga > > Vasishtha. Can anyone remember where it is? Here¹s the story: > > > > There¹s a story where Rama, at the age of 16, looks at an assembly > of kings > > (probably gathered on the occasion of his marriage to Sita), and > sees that > > they are nothing, that all their titles and decorations are nothing > compared > > to him. Something like that. > > > > I could not locate in the Ramayana although I remember reading it. > It¹s > > probably in the Yoga Vasishtha, in one of the first chapters (I > don¹t have a > > copy). > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 The original Sanskrit is at least 10-12 volumes. Swami Dayananda got it as a gift before my course in 1979. As a result he would read some each day at the start of our course and come tell us about the selection that he read at evening satsangh. A huge amount of material is included regarding Dasharatha's kingdom, city planning, how the government worked, elaborate descriptions of Ravana's flying machine, and of the weaponry and mantra science, etc. etc. It could be that such sections are removed in some editions and only the "story" left. That is the part most people are interested in anyway. To some student's extreme distress, Swamiji told us a lot of the other, the parts that are not "the story." After a month or so of city layout and legislative and judicial details accompanied by grumbling, he said he chose to share those parts because they showed the greatness of ancient India. Such verses would be wonderful training in kingship for Rama's twin sons, Lava and Kusha, who are said to have memorized it all. In spite of arranged marriage, Kambhan can tell about Rama and Sita "falling in love." Poetic license, eh? Kambhan describes Rama as perturbed by his sudden fascination with Sita. Everything he sees reminds him of her. Sita for her part takes to cooling remedies, so overcome is she with longing for Rama, cool and dark as a rain cloud. There is no insight into Rama's inner dialogues when he lifts Shiva's bow. Kambhan said it took 60 thousand soldiers to carry the bow to Rama. The people around feel sorry for Rama because he is only a boy and all the mighty kings have failed. They feel sorry for Sita because she will never get married at this rate. When Rama steps forward to seize the bow, all the women become delighted with Him and begin discussing who He is, whether Dasharatha's son or Lord Vishnu Himself, dark as a rain cloud. Thus we are set up to be amazed that Rama easily lifts the bow. His movements to string it are done so quickly that no one sees them but only hears the crack of the bow as it breaks. Then everyone is joyful and the opinion shifts more toward seeing Rama as Lord Vishnu because only He could wield Shiva's bow. Like all the versions, Kambhan's is delicious. So many people have gown up knowing and loving it. Aikya Ammachi, Girish <girishv@e...> wrote: > On Mon, 29 Jul 2002, aikya wrote: > > > could lift Lord Shiva's bow and win Sita as wife. With the exception > > of telling how Rama and Sita fell in love with each other > > That's interesting ! > I never knew that there was a description of this since in India most marriages > are "arranged". > > > Valmiki is an encyclopedia sized collection of books. > > Not really - it comes in 2 volumes and I ordered it from www.vedanta.com for ~ $40. > It has the original Sanskrit text and an English translation. > > Namashivaya > - Girish > > > > Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote: > > > A friend of mine is doing some research for an article he wants to > > write. > > > He¹s trying to find a story and thinks it is either in the Ramayana > > or Yoga > > > Vasishtha. Can anyone remember where it is? Here¹s the story: > > > > > > There¹s a story where Rama, at the age of 16, looks at an assembly > > of kings > > > (probably gathered on the occasion of his marriage to Sita), and > > sees that > > > they are nothing, that all their titles and decorations are nothing > > compared > > > to him. Something like that. > > > > > > I could not locate in the Ramayana although I remember reading it. > > It¹s > > > probably in the Yoga Vasishtha, in one of the first chapters (I > > don¹t have a > > > copy). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > Ammachi- > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 > There is no insight into Rama's inner > dialogues when he lifts > Shiva's bow. I have a version of the Ramayana by R.K. Narayan. According to the title page it is "Suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban". Here's how Narayan describes Rama's falling in love with Sita: At the guest house, Rama retired for the night. In the seclusion of his bedroom, he began to brood over the girl he had noticed on the palace balcony. For him too, the moon seemed to emphasize his sense of loneliness. Although he had exhibited no sign of it, deeply within he felt a disturbance. His innate sense of discipline and propriety had made him conceal his feelings before other people. Now he kept thinking of the girl on the balcony and longed for another sight of her. Who could she be? Nothing to indicate that she was a princess - could be any one among the hundreds of girls in a palace. She could not be married: Rama realized that if she were married he would instinctively have recoiled from her. Now he caught himself contemplating her in every detail. He fancied that she was standing before him and longed to enclose those breasts in his embrace. He said to himself, "Even if I cannot take her in my arms, shall I ever get another glimpse, however briefly, of that radiant face and those lips? Eyes, lips, those curly locks falling on the forehead - every item of those features seemingly poised to attack and quell me - me on whose bow depended on the destruction of demons, now at the mercy of one* who wields only a bow of sugarcane and uses flowers for arrows..." Hs smiled at the irony of it. * Manmatha, the god of love. > > Kambhan said it took 60 thousand soldiers to carry > the bow to Rama. In Narayan's text: "The bow was placed in a carriage and arrived drawn by a vast number of men. During its passage from its shed through the streets, a crowd followed it. It as so huge that no one could comprehend it at one glance". > > Like all the versions, Kambhan's is delicious. So > many people have > gown up knowing and loving it. > > Aikya > I would recommend R.K. Narayan's Ramayana. It's only 171 pages (in the Penguin paperback edition) so it won't take more than one lifetime to read Keval Health - Feel better, live better http://health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Aikya, When I said 2 volumes, I probably neglected to mention that each volume is about 1500 pages and weighs about 5 pounds. Spiritual and physical benefits have been found from lifting and reading this ;-)) Namashivaya - Girish On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, aikya wrote: > The original Sanskrit is at least 10-12 volumes. Swami Dayananda got Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 http://www.hindubooks.org/books_by_rajaji/ These books are an excellent introduction to India's epics. Most people who did their schooling in India have read this in one form or the other. (As a matter of fact one of the chapters from the Mahabharata was in our English text book ! No talk about separation of church and state ;-)) ) -Girish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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