Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
This is the month of *Ramayana-recitation* . Those who recite Ramayanam during this month will receive blessings of Bhagavan Sri Rama, Stia-devi and Sri Hanuaman .
Devarishi ( Rishi of Devas) Sri Narada arrived at the Ashram of Rishi Valmiki in order to enlighten him and keep him informed of his duty to author the epic poem Ramayana. In the dialogue between these two Rishis, Valmiki elicits from Narada about most virtuous person on earth, namely Sri Rama. In this opening chapter, while eulogizing Rama , Narada gives an outline of Ramayana, truly highlighting those aspects that are the keynotes in this epic, like virtuosity, generosity, morality, chastity and the like.
Valmiki Ramayana has been composed basing on each of the twenty-four letters of Gayatri Hymn, and a thousand verses are arranged into one book under the caption of each letter. Though that classification, or dividing verses into thousand chapters . In tune with the scheme of Gayatri, Ramayana starts the first verse with letter ta an auspicious letter.
Ramayana contains (24000) verses which are arranged in 500 chapters. In Srimad Narayaneeyam ( which is a dialogue between Brahmashree Melpathur and Bhagavan Sri Krishna) , Ramayanam is summarized into just (20) verses, as given below :
· "The Devas prayed to You ( Maha-Vishnu) for the destruction of Rakshasa-king Raavana. In the kingdom of Kosala, Maharishi Rishyashringa performed the *Putrakaameshti Yanjya*, on the request of the King Dashratha. From the Yanajya emerged the divine *paayasa* which king Dashratha distributed among his three wives. By eating it , they conceived simultaneously. You were born as Raama. Also born as Your brothers, Lakshmana , Bharata, and Shatrughna.
· As ordered by Your father, You carrying the bow Kodanda and accompanied by Lakshmana, proceeded to protect the great sacrifice of Maharishi Vishwaamitra. To remove the fatigue of the way, the Maharishi imparted two Mantraas -Bala and Atibala. By the order of the Maahrishi, You destroyed with arrows the demoness Taadakaa. After receiving from the Maharishi instructions in the use of several *Divyastras*(divine arrows), You went to the forest with the Maharishi and then to the hermitage named Siddhaashrama.
· At the beginning of the sacrificial rites, You chased Maareecha and with arrows killed the other Raakshasas. On the way, You purified Ahilyaa of her sins by the dust of Your feet. On reaching Janaka's palace and breaking the bow of Lord Shiva, You won Seetaa, the daughter of the Earth, as Your consort, who was Maha-Lakshmi Herself. Along with the three great brothers and their wives You set out for Your kingdom.
· O Radiant Lord ! Sri Parashuraama, the foremost of the Bhrigu clan, confronted You with great anger but then realized Your divinity . He then transmitted all His powers to You and went back for *Tapas* ( penance) . You went to Ayodhyaa and lived happily you're your consort Seetaa. Then one day, when Bharata along with Shatrughna had gone to his uncle's kingdom, Your father fixed Your coronation as crown Prince , which was obstructed by Bharatha's mother Kekayee.
· To keep Your father's promise to Kekayee, You being armed with a bow, proceeded to go to the forest, accompanied by Your consort Seetaa, and brother Lakshmana,. The crowd of citizens stricken with grief, followed You. Then You sent them back and on the way went to the residence of Guha. In an ascetic garb of bark cloth and matted hair You crossed the river Gangaa in a boat and paid obeisance to Maharishi Bharadwaaja who lived near by. On the Maharishi's instruction, You camped on the great mountain Chitrakoota and lived there very happily.
· Hearing from Bharata about Your father's demise on account of the pangs of separation from the son (You), You were tormented and performed Tarpana for him. Then You bestowed Your sandals and the kingdom to Bharata and paid homage to Maharishi Atri. Going into the dense vast forest Dandaka, You killed the ferocious bodied demon Viraadha, and You graciously gave salvation to sage Shaarabhangee.
· After paying obeisance to Maharishi Agastya, You the well wisher of Rishis, promised to destroy the multitude of demons to the core. Then the Maharishi gave You the divine Vaishnava bow and also the Brahmaastra. You also met Your father's friend Jataayu and lived happily with Your consort Seetaa in Panchawati, on the banks of the river Godaavari .
· Shoorpanakhaa approached You, with lust. Annoyed by her lustful advances, You sent her away to Lakshmana who in great rage cut off her nose. Khar Dooshana and Trishira seeing her state came to attack You in great anger. Then You killed them and other more than ten thousand Raakshasas all at once then and there itself.
· Raavana's sister Shurpanakhaa gave an account of Seetaa by which Ravana was infatuated and ordered Maareech to become the illusive deer. The lotus eyed Seetaa, made a desire for the deer and You went after it and killed it with an arrow. As Maareech died, he gave an illusive cry imitating Raama. Hearing the cry , Seetaa sent away Your younger brother Lakshmana to search for You. Finding Her alone, Raavana abducted Seetaa. Though Your were grieved at this, You also were happy in mind as this gave a good reason to kill Raavana.
· While searching for Seetaa, You met with the dying Jataayu. He informed You that Raavana had abducted Seetaa and also had inflicted fatal wounds on him, when he opposed Ravana . You performed the funeral rites of Your friend Jataayu. On the way the monster Kabandha obstructed You and he was killed. You then gave salvation to the ascetic woman Shabari and also got to meet Hanumaan on the banks of the river Pampaa, to Your great delight.
· Having taken alliance with Vanara leader Sugreeva , which was brought about by Hanumaan, You flung far away the corpse of the Asura Dundubhi with Your toe and also cut through seven Saala trees by a single arrow simultaniously, to demonstrate Your strength to Sugreeva. Baali who was incomparable in strength and was eager to kill Sugreeva was killed by You by using a strategy. You then spent the rainy season tormented by the pangs of separation from Seetaa, near the hermitage of Rishi Matanga.
· When Your younger brother Lakshmana admonished Sugreeva, he in fear approached You marshalling an army of Vanaras, to search for Your wife Seeta in all directions. You were delighted to see this and gave to Hanumaan who was standing before You, a message and a signet ring for Seetaa. The Vanaras very diligently started on the mission to search for Your consort Seeta.
· On hearing Your account Sampaati had grown fresh wings and flew away. As Sampaati had told him the whereabouts of Seetaa, Hanumaan jumped across the ocean and reached the city of Lankaa. There he saw Seetaa and gave Her the ring. Then He destroyed the garden, killed Aksha kumaar in the famous battle, and put up with the Brahmaastra bondage. Then he met the ten faced Raavana and burned down Lankaa. Hanumaan then quickly went to You and gave You the crest jewel sent by Seetaa.
· You set out with a huge army of Vanarks led by great warriors Sugreeva, Angad and others and reached the shore of the ocean. Raavana's younger brother Vibheeshana, crossed over to Your side. Taking refuge in You, Vibheeshana disclosed the secrets of the enemy which You heard in secret. When Your requests made to the ocean-Deity were in vain, You angrily aimed the *Agneyasthra* (fire-arrow) to annihilate the waters of the ocean. Frightened by the power of the missile, as ordered by the Ocean-Diety, You got a safe-way through the ocean.
· Vanaras from all the quarters brought mountains and rocks by which You got a bridge built across Lanka. Crossing over, Your Vanara-army attacked the Raakshasas using teeth claws, mountains, rocks and palm trees as weapons. With Yourself and brother Lakshmana displaying terrific power in the battle field, Raavana's son Indrajit soon tied down Your troops with Naagaastra. Garuda, Your divine vehicle soon released them all from that state by fanning them with his wings.
· The missile 'Shakti' sent by Raavana, struck Lakshmana who was slipping off life. He was revived by smelling the Mritasanjivani-herb which grew on the mountain which was then brought by Hanumaan. After that Lakshmana killed the master of the magical arts Indrajit. You were disturbed by the magical powers of Raavana and were relieved from its stunning effects by Vibheeshana's words. Kumbhkarna who came to join the battle, made the earth tremble and was devouring the Vanara-army of monkeys. Then You killed him .
· Accepting the chariot and the armour sent by Indra, You fought with Raavana and cut off his row of heads by the Brahmaastra. Then You accepted Seetaa after She proved Her purity by testing in fire. The Devas of high order healed and revived the host of Vanaras who were wounded and killed in the battle. Then along with the new king of Lanka, Vibheeshana, and Your consort Seetaa, You returned to Your own city of Ayodhyaa in the airplane Pushpaka.
· You were pleased to be cornated with the holy waters and ruled happily for more than ten thousand years. Reacting to a baseless gossip about Seetaa, You abandoned Her in spite of her being pregnant. O what a pity!!!. The Asura Lavanaasura was killed by Shatrughna and You killed the sinful Shudra ascetic. Thereafter, Seetaa who was living in Vaalmiki's aashrama gave birth to Your two sons.
· In the premises of the Ashwamedha-Yanjya, as ordered by Maharshi Vaalmeeki , Your sons sang the beautiful Ramayana-composition which was composed by him. Hearing it, Raama was desirous of taking back Seetaa, but She disappeared into her mother Earth. At the request of the Deity of death Sri Yama to return to Your abode Vaikuntha, You first created reason to abandon Lakshmana . Then You submerged in the river Sarayu along with all Your attendents . Then going to Swarga You reached Your eternal abode Sri Vaikuntha.
· As a lesson to the mankind this human embodiment of You ( as Sri Rama) happened. Pangs of separation are caused by extreme attachment. Also strict commitment to Dharma may lead to the abandoning of the innocent. Otherwise for You who are fully established in self-consciousness how can such a weakness of mind be explained. O Bhagavan! the very embodiment of the Satva guna! O The Lord of Guruvayur ! "
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