Know Our Rama !

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Rama, the perfect avatar of the Supreme Protector Vishnu, is an all-time

favorite among Hindu deities. The most popular symbol of chivalry and virtue,

Rama - in the words of Swami Vivekananda - is " the embodiment of truth, of

morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the ideal king. "

A Real Historical Figure

The seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Rama is said to have taken birth on

earth to annihilate the evil forces of the age. He is widely believed to be an

actual historical figure - a " tribal hero of ancient India " - whose exploits

form the great Hindu epic of Ramayana or The Romance of Rama, written by the

ancient Sanskrit poet Valmiki. Hindus believe that Rama lived in the Treta-Age.

But according to historians, Rama was not particularly deified until the 11th

century AD. Tulsidas' outstanding retelling of the Sanskrit epic into the

vernaculars as the Ramcharitmanas, greatly enhanced the popularity of Rama as a

Hindu god, and gave rise to various devotional groups.

How to Identify Rama

To many, Rama is hardly different in looks from Lord Vishnu or Krishna. He is

most often represented as a standing figure, with an arrow in his right hand, a

bow in his left and a quiver on his back. A Rama statue is also usually

accompanied by those of his wife Sita, brother Lakshmana, and the legendary

monkey attendant Hanuman. He is depicted in princely adornments with a " tilak "

or mark on the forehead, and as having a dark, almost bluish complexion, which

shows his affinity with Vishnu and Krishna.

Comparison with Krishna

Although Rama and Krishna, both incarnations of Vishnu, are almost equally

popular among Hindu devotees, Rama is seen as an archetype of righteousness and

the most sought-after virtues in life, in contrast to Krishna's dalliances and

shenanigans. The prefix " Shri " to Rama indicates that Rama is always associated

with " Shri " - the essence of four Vedas. Uttering his name ( " Ram! Ram! " ) while

greeting a friend, and invoking Rama at the time of death by chanting " Ram Naam

Satya Hai! " , show his popularity and admiration over Krishna. However, the

shrines of Krishna in India slightly outnumber the temples of Rama and his

monkey devotee Hanuman.

Ramayana is undoubtedly the most popular and timeless Indian epic read and loved

by all. The term " Ramayana " , literally means " the march (ayana) of Rama " in

search of human values. As a literary work, it combines " the inner bliss of

Vedic literature with the outer richness of delightfully profound story

telling. "

This story of Shri Rama by the great sage Valmiki is referred to as the " Adi

Kavya " (First/Original Epic). About the Valmiki Ramayana, Swami Vivekananda has

said: " No language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful, and at the

same time simpler, than the language in which the great poet has depicted the

life of Rama. "

About the Poet

Universally acclaimed and accepted as the first among Sanskrit poets, Valmiki

was the first to discover a metrical expression of epic dimension and vision to

match the emotional ecstasy of the story of Rama. According to a legend, Valmiki

was a robber who one day met a hermit who transformed him to a virtuous being.

Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom was believed to have assured the sage to stand

by his side and guide him to visualize the events of Ramayana, and eulogize them

with epic dignity and secular simplicity.

The Seven " Kandas " or Sections

The epic poem is composed of rhyming couplets called " slokas " , in high Sanskrit,

employing a complex meter called " anustup " . These verses are grouped into

individual chapters or cantos called " sargas " , wherein a specific event or

intent is told. The " sargas " are again grouped into books called " kandas " .

The seven " kandas " of Ramayana are: " Bal Kanda " , the boyhood section; " Ayodhya

Kanda " , Rama's life in Ayodhya, until his banishment; " Aranya Kanda " , Rama's

life in the forest and Sita's abduction by Ravana; " Kishkindha Kanda " , Rama's

stay at Kishkindha, the capital of his monkey ally, Sugriva; " Sundara Kanda " ,

Rama's passage to Sri Lanka; " Yuddha Kanda " or " Lanka Kanda " , Rama's battle with

Ravana, the recovery of Sita, and return to Ayodhya; and " Uttara Kanda " , the

section narrating Rama's life in Ayodhya as king, the birth of his two sons,

Sita's test of innocence and return to her mother, and Rama's demise or " jala

samadhi " .

Time of Composition

There was a long period of oral tradition before the Ramayana was actually

written, and the original strand of the story drew upon various pre-existing

folk tales about Rama. Like many other classical poems written in ancient times,

the exact date and time of the genesis of Ramayana is yet to be determined

accurately. The reference to the Greeks, Parthians, and Sakas show that the time

of composition of Ramayana cannot be earlier than the second century BC. But the

consensus is that Ramayana was written between the 4th and the 2nd centuries BC

with augmentations up to about 300 CE(Christian Era). Linguistically and

philosophically, a period just after the Vedic age, would most suit the content

of the epic.

Versions and Translations

The heroic deeds of Rama and his exciting adventures have inspired generations

of people, and for centuries, the epic existed only orally in Sanskrit. Other

famous versions of Ramayana include Shri Ramcharitmanas in Avadhi or old Hindi

by Goswami Tulsidas, Kamban's Kambaraamayanam in Tamil, the Ezhuthachhan's

Adhyatma Ramayanam in Malayalam, and the Bengali Ramayana by Krittivas Ojha.

This monumental work had a deep influence on almost all Indian poets and writers

of all ages and languages: Ranganatha (15th century), Balarama Das and Narahari

(16th century), Premanand (17th century), Sridhara (18th century), et al.

Valmiki's Ramayana was first introduced to the West in 1843 in Italian by

Gaspare Gorresio with support of Charles Albert, the King of Sardinia.

Universally regarded as one of the world's most important literary works,

Ramayana has had a profound impact on the art, culture, family relations,

gender, politics, nationalism and militancy in the Indian sub continent. The

everlasting value of this epic tale has been extolled through the centuries, and

it has helped in moulding the Hindu character largely.However, it would be wrong

to say that Ramayana belongs only to the Hindus.

Long ago the Ramayana became popular in Southeast Asia and manifested itself in

text, temple architecture and performance, particularly in Java, Sumatra,

Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. Today, it belongs to the

whole humanity because it is capable of serving as a code of ethics for all

human beings, irrespective of caste, creed, color and religion.

The Popularity of Ramayana

The characters and incidents in Ramayana provide the ideals and wisdom of common

life, and help to bind the people of India, regardless of caste and language. No

wonder, two of India's greatest festive events - Dusshera and Deepawali are

directly motivated by the Ramayana. The first commemorates the siege of Lanka

and Rama's victory over Ravana; the second, the festival of lights, celebrates

Rama and Sita's homecoming to their kingdom in Ayodhya with the mass of

ape-group, the eternal servants of the Lord.

International Ramayana Conference

Every year scholars from different countries get together for the International

Ramayana Conference (IRC). This year the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at

Northern Illinois University, in cooperation with the International Ramayana

Institute of North America, is organizing the conference on September 21 and 22,

2001, at Northern Illinois University, USA. The conference will include

presentations on various themes and workshops based on Ramayana. This year's

theme is " Artistic, Cultural, and Literary Variations of Ramayana Worldwide " .

The IRC was held in India three times, two times in Thailand and one time each

in Canada, Nepal, Mauritius, Surinam, Belgium, Indonesia, the Netherlands,

China, Trinidad & Tobago and the US. The year 2000 meeting discussed, among

other things, the supremacy of the Ramayana philosophy and its significance to

the whole humankind in the 21st century.

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Exactness of this information can't be gauranteed.

Interested devotees can switch to the following link -

http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa033101a.htm

My intention is to put a sincere effort to highlight the infinite dimensions of

" Srimad Ramayanam " & its ever-prevading glory.

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Thanks to all devotees for their earnest cooperation.....................

At the lotus feet of Sri

Guruvayoorappan.........................................

Hare! Krishna Hare! Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare! Hare!

Hare! Rama Hare! Rama Rama Rama Hare! Hare!