Ramayana (Sanskrit: रामायण , Rāmāyaṇa, IPA: [rɑːˈmɑːjəɳə]) is history of ancient events which narrates the story of Lord Rama. The name Ramayana is derived from the compound of Rama and Ayana which means the journey of Lord Rama. It is greatly revered scripture of Hindus, in fact for whole man-kind. If any work can claim to be Bible of Hindus, it is the great epic Ramayana of Valmiki. The Ramayana is the first epic of world written in Sanskrit by Sage Valmiki.

Ramayana was composed by Valmiki when the Hero of his epic was yet upon earth, when his deeds and fame were fresh in the hearts of people. The same melodious Ramayana was sung before Rama by his own sons.

The Epic Ramayana contains the following verse foretelling its everlasting fame: -

What an amazing prophecy!!! No product of Sanskrit Literature has enjoyed such a greater popularity down to present day than Ramayana in whole world crossing the barriers of countries, cultures, and races etc. One can imagine its worldwide popularity from this fact that Ramayana story has been the subject of many Sanskrit poems, English poems and poems in other languages too, as well as plays, Drama-s based on its story also known as Rama-leela in India. Ramayana in Thailand is known as Ramakien which is the national epic of Thailand. Ramayana is very much popular in other countries like Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Combodia, etc apart from India with small variations in story. But here story of Rama will be summarized from the most authentic version of Ramayana written by sage Valmiki, the contemporary of Lord Rama. As only his Ramayana can be credited to be as it is happened in history.

Sections in Ramayana:

1) Bala Kanda (बाल-काण्ड)

2) Ayodhya kanda (अयोध्या-काण्ड)

3) Aranya kanda (अरण्य-काण्ड)

4) Kishkindha Kanda (किष्किन्धा-काण्ड)

5) Sundar Kanda (सुन्दर-काण्ड)

6) Yuddha Kanda (युद्ध-काण्ड)

One day sage Valmiki was thinking about a perfect man in present world who is endowed with all qualities which are good and great. But he was not aware of any such man present in world. During his contemplation of such man, Narada came to meet him and sage Valmiki inquisitively enquired from divine sage Narada about any such man present in world who is a composite for all merited endowments in his form and calibre.

Lord Rama is the supremely ultimate god in Sanatan Vedic Dharma, today most popularly known as Hinduism in world. He is the absolute truth. That same almighty appeared on earth in the 24th Treta-Yuga (name of a specific time period) around 1-2 million years before as the son of king of Ayodhya. He manifests himself as a man for establishing the Dharma (righteousness). Bala-Kanda is story of the Youth Rama, the prince charming of Ayodhya. So story proceeds like this… In age of Treta, in the dynasty of Surya-vansha (lineage of sun deity) a mighty & virtuous King Dasaratha was ruling over Ayodhya, in the state of Koshala of ancient India. He had three wives namely Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, but had no son from any of them, thus he was a childless king for a long time. King Dasaratha was very anxious to give an heir for his kingdom. The childless king Dasaratha was advised by his royal priest Vasistha to perform a Vedic ritual sacrifice named ‘Putrakameshti Yajna’ to seek the blessings of God for getting children. In the end of sacrificial ceremony of Putrakameshti Yajna, a deity called Prajapati Purusha appears from the flames of sacrificial fire and presented a golden vessel of divine dessert to king Dasaratha for distribution among his three queens to beget progeny.

The dessert was divine, prepared by gods. King distributed this divine dessert to his queens Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. After sometime Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata and Sumitra gave birth to Lakshmana & Shatrughna. The most superior Rama manifested himself on the ninth day in first half (Shukla-Paksha) of Chaitra-Month of Hindu calendar.

All attractive Rama appeared in palace of Ayodhya to steal the hearts of people. It is to be noted that when almighty appeared as son of Kaushalaya, Valmiki tells in his Ramayana that Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, even before Namakaran-Sanskar (ceremony in which name is decided for a new born baby)!!! This shows that Rama was well known even before his appearance as prince charming of Kaushalya.

Thus, almighty Rama became son of Kaushalya and Dasaratha. Rama became darling of all queens and king Dasaratha.

Continued.....

Share this Page