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RAMA
THE PATH TO TRUTH
 MEDITATION TIMES
Published by Taoshobuddha Meditations
Trinidad, West indies

EDITORIAL

T
he response to our August 2010 issue was
overwhelming and we have decided to
continue in our present September issue to
highlight aspects of the Hindu Epic Ramayana. It
seems that the readers have found an
undiscovered analysis of the text. Our way is both
unique and universal. We present old wine in new
bottles because the mystic wine is the same and
causes the same effect when drunk. We are
merely preparing a menu that suits the appetite of
the seeker.
We intend to do a trilogy on Ramayana and a third
issue would be forthcoming. This issue will focus
on women in the Ramayana a will be our
Deepavali issue. The October issue will focus on
Sufism as a tribute to the Islamic month of
Ramadan. This issue on Sufism will relate to the
growth of Naqshbandi Path in India and another
issue the Hindu Influence in Naqshbandi path.
In our present issue that deals with the Ramayana,
we highlight some of the main characters of the
Epic. And give special emphasis on the Gayatri
Mantra. In a subsequent issue we will deal
exclusively with this most potent Mantra.
The relation of Gayatri to Rama is that Rama is a
descendent of the Sun Dynasty, and Gayatri
(Savitri) is the daughter of the Sun God. Hence a
direct bond is established. Also the guru of Rama is
Vishvamitra who got his siddhis from the Sun God
through recitation of the Gayatri Mantra.
The demon king Ravana is a much misunderstand
and misrepresented character of the Ramayana.
His role cannot easily be unravelled without the
‘intuitive eyes of knowledge’ – chakshyumati
vidya.
“If I cannot be Rama, then I would be Ravana, for
he is the dark side of Vishnu.” – Sri Aurobindo.
The text lends itself to allegory but the allegory is
not of personal whim or fancy. It has a mystical
synergy. With our mental caprice we can concoct a
meaning and interpretation. This fabrication would
be a travesty of truth. The truth is hidden from the
unscrupulous and revealed only to the sincere
seekers who have risen above the moral dualities
and who have adopted the path of the sannyasin –
divine outlaw, one who has gone beyond the laws
of mortal men.
Our singular approach is to give hints of the
mystical and point towards the moon (in this case
the Sun). Truth is such that is cannot be said
directly, that is the very nature of truth. We can
only give hints and indicate towards some
dimension beyond the known.
One encounters truth along the sojourn to life
eternal. Then one comes to understand why the
truth cannot be said. A truth that can be said is not
truth. Truth is silence. When all the noise and
chatter of the mind, when the waves of thought
have receded into the vast eternity of love’s mute
gestures, truth shines like a thousand sun – Gayatri
illumines the intellect and the eyes of knowledge
open to see the Reality as it with no mind, no
thought , no feeling – this is the truth . Ramayana
is the path to truth. Rama is the incarnate truth.
Aham Rama Asmi – I am Rama.
 Solar Power and the Gayatri Mantra

(Solar Energy Within and Without)

R
ecitation of the Gayatri Mantra is
preceded by om (ॐ) and the formula
bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ (भूर ् भुवः स्वः), known as the
mahāvyāhṛti (‘great utterance’). This prefixing of
the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya
Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that scriptural
recitation was always to begin with the chanting
of the syllable OM, followed by the three
Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse.
the verse as preserved in the Rigveda Samhita
is one syllable short, the first pāda counting
seven instead of eight. Metrical restoration
would emend the attested vareṇyaṃ with a
tetra-syllabic vareṇiyaṃ.
Translation
A literal translation of the Gayatri verse proper
can be given as:

Following the mahāvyāhṛti is then the mantra ‘May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the
proper, the verse Rigveda 3.62.10: god:
So may he stimulate our prayers.’
tát savitúr váreṇyaṃ The Hymns of the Rigveda
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
Whereas in principle the gāyatrī metre specifies BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
three pādas of eight syllables each, the text of DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.
 Summary of the Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra (the mother of the Vedas), the
foremost mantra in Hinduism and Hindu beliefs,
inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that ‘May the
Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us
along the righteous path’.
The mantra is also a prayer to the ‘giver of light
and life’ - the sun (savitur).
Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
Gayatri Mantra in Sanskrit
The Vedas worship the Sun, Surya, as the source
of light for the entire world. But for the Vedic
people, light is not a material force but a power
of life, love and intelligence. Nor is the Sun a
distant entity unrelated to us. It has a presence
on Earth through the power of its rays, which
not only pervade our environment but also
touch our very hearts. By the Sun the Vedas do
not simply refer to the outer luminary, the
central star of our solar system. They mean the
principle of light and consciousness on a
universal level, of which the Sun is our local
representative.
One of the main problems in the world today is
the energy crisis, which is endangering the very
roots of life on the planet. Where can we get the
power to run all our new technology, industry,
transportation and media? Our energy needs are
increasing daily with the growth in population
and the increasing affluence of the third world
that is now demanding the same conveniences
that the western world has enjoyed for decades.
Where do we get this additional energy? And
how can we create it without destroying the
planet by pollution that is the byproduct of most
of our energy sources?
Solar power is the ultimate answer for the
energy crisis because it is a clean source of
energy that is unlimited, though the technology
for it may take a few decades more to develop
fully. We must make solar power the priority in
energy research. We must return to the Sun to
save the Earth.
The Vedas are said to reside in the rays of the
Sun, which hold the Vedic mantras. The Vedas
are the manifestation of solar intelligence, or
the light of consciousness on Earth. The
sacred syllable OM itself is the sound of the
Sun and the essence of the Vedas. The Vedic
mantras carry light and power both for the
body and the mind. India, therefore, should
be at the forefront of solar research in order
to keep up with its ancient Vedic heritage.
Our society is also complaining about low energy
on a personal level. Particularly, in the
developed world low energy diseases like
chronic fatigue, depression and weak immune
conditions are almost epidemic. Many people
find that they lack the vitality to do what they
want to do. Even if we try to meditate in order to
contact a higher power, we often end up falling
to sleep in the process and nowhere owe to a
lack of mental energy.
According to the Vedas, the inner Sun is Prana
or vital energy or orgone, which manifests
through the breath. To increase our personal
energy, both for physical health and for mental
acuity, the best practice is Pranayama or breath
control. Breath carries the subtle essence of
speech, which is mantra. The incoming breath
carries the sound ‘so’ and the outgoing breath
carries the sound ‘ha’. The natural mantra
“So’ham” in Sanskrit means, “He am I,” referring
to the Purusha or consciousness in the Sun, as
the Isha Upanishad so eloquently proclaims.
Our very breath is based upon unity with the
solar creator and source of life and can be used
to connect with its power.
We all want to increase our intelligence,
concentration, memory and capacity for
information. This is the key to strength and
success in the information age. The best way to
do this is to harness the power of the inner Sun,
which is to connect with cosmic intelligence
through mantra and meditation. Each one of us
possesses a portion of the light of consciousness,
a ray of the solar creator that endows us with
understanding. This faculty is called ‘dhi’ in
Vedic thought refers to the meditative aspect of
the mind (dhyana manas) and ‘buddhi’ in later
Indian thought, referring to awakened
intelligence.
The best mantra for awakening the higher mind
is the Gayatri mantra, which is a mantra to the
solar light of consciousness to awaken our
meditative mind (dhi). It brings us the Divine
solar power of consciousness, love and prana—
the supreme light of truth.
Vishvamitra and the Gayatri
The Gyatri mantra was the gift to the world of
the great Rishi Vishvamitra, seer of the third
book of the Rigveda. Vishvamitra was one of
the greatest yet mosy controversial Vedic Rishis.
He began as a great king and warrior who
wanted to add spiritual power to his worldly
conquests. This brought him in contact and in
conflict with Vashishta, the greatest and purest
of the Rishis.
Vishvamitra persisted through all difficulties,
including those created by his own ambition,
until after a long period of struggle through his
will power and tapas he ultimately achieved Self-
realization. Vishvamitra’s path, therefore, was
more of human effort than Divine grace. His was
the path of the warrior, of discipline and
struggle, defeat and victory. He shows the
development of an indomitable will that can
overcome all obstacles and even challenge the
Gods.
Vishvamitra by his tapas eventually created
such an internal fire that it began to threaten the
Gods in heaven by its heat. For this the Gods sent
the celestial nymph (apsara) Menaka to seduce
him and take him off his path. The strategy
succeeded, but not for long, and to fulfill another
purpose that perhaps the Gods had not planned.
From his union with Menaka, Vishvamitra
begat a daughter, Shakuntala, who eventually
became the wife of King Dushyanta. From the
union of Dushyanta and Shakuntala was born
King Bharata, from whom the name of India as
Bharat arose. The whole country of India,
through its determinative dynasty carries the
blood and spirit of Vishvamitra, which is
closely, connected to that of the warrior Goddess
Durga.
Vishvamitra’s Gyatri mantra is the most
important mantra of the Hindus, probably still
recited by more than half of the people in India
today. It is the most sacred Vedic mantra,
reciting at sunrise, noon and sunset. We can
literally translate it as:
We meditate upon the supreme effulgence of the
Divine Solar Creator that he may inspire our
intelligence!
The Gayatri mantra encourages creative
thinking, not as mere human invention but as
our portion of cosmic intelligence. It exhorts us
to attune ourselves to the cosmic mind and its
laws of dharma. This chant is as valuable and
appropriate in the modern world as it was in
ancient times. We can use it whenever we wish
to gain new insight and inspiration or to
increase memory and concentration, even for
mundane tasks.
Vishvamitra in the Rigveda states that his
prayer or Brahma protects the people:
(visvamitrasya raksati brahmedam bharatam
janam, Rig Veda III.53.12).
His prayer of course is the Gayatri mantra. As
long as that mantra is recited, ancient spiritual
heritage will be preserved. Man should not
forget the Gayatri mantra, Vishvamitra or its
connection to the Sun. That is the key to its
destiny as a nation. Humanity also must
remember the Divine Self in the Sun, the Prana
that is the universal energy, and our role in the
cosmos to bring the Divine light of knowledge
into the darkness of physical matter. This is not
an issue of mere science and technology. It
requires an inner science of Yoga and the
enlightenment of the mind.
The Syllables
Gayatri is the meter to compose mantra. The
Gayatri Mantra consists of twenty-four
syllables - three lines of eight syllables each.
The first line (Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah) is
considered an invocation, and is not technically
a part of the original Gayatri Mantra as it
appears in the Upanishads. Gayatri is also
referred to as a Vedic poetic meter of 24
syllables or any hymn composed in this meter.
Hence, there exists a whole family of Gayatri
Mantras, which serve as meditative aids to pray
for the blessings of a particular personal God.
Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
A basic translation can be given as...
Oh God, the Protector, the basis of all life, Who is
self-existent, Who is free from all pains and
Whose contact frees the soul from all troubles,
Who pervades the Universe and sustains all, the
Creator and Energizer of the whole Universe, the
Giver of happiness, Who is worthy of acceptance,
the most excellent, Who is Pure and the Purifier
of all, let us embrace that very God, so that He
may direct our mental faculties in the right
direction.
The Four Parts of the
Gayatri Mantra
Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah
AUM (ॐ), the Supreme name of God. BHUR
BHUVAH SWAH. These three words collectively
are known as the ‘Mahavyahriti’. These
syllables express the nature and the inherent
qualities of the God.
BHUR
The word Bhur implies existence. God is self-
existent and independent of all. He is the cause
of his own existence. He is ‘syambhu’ – the
causeless born out of his own maya and free
will. He is eternal and unchanging. Without
beginning and without end! God exists as a
continuous, permanent, constant entity.
Secondly, the word Bhur can also mean the
Earth, on which we are born and sustained. God
is the provider of all, and it is through His divine
will that we our blessed with all that we require
to maintain us through our lives.
Finally, Bhur signifies Prana, or life force
(literally, breath). God is That which gives life to
all. He is independent of all. However all are
dependent on Him. It is God who has given us
life, God who maintains us throughout our lives,
and God alone who has the ability to take away
our life, when He so chooses. The only
permanent entity, all others are subject to His
will.
BHUVAH
Bhuvah describes the absolute Consciousness of
God. God is self-Conscious or awareness as well
as being Conscious or aware of all else, and thus
is able to control and govern the Universe. Also,
the word Bhuvah relates to God’s relationship
with the celestial world. It denotes God’s
magnanimity - greater than the sky and space.
He is boundless and unlimited. Finally, Bhuvah
is also indicative of God’s role as the remover of
all pain and sufferings (Apaana).
We see pain and sorrow all around us. However,
through supplication to God, we can be freed
from that pain and hardship. God Himself is
devoid of any pain. Though He is Conscious of
all, and is thus aware of pain, it does not affect
Him.
It is our own ignorance that makes us
susceptible to the effects of Maya, or illusion,
which causes us to feel pain. Through true
devotion to God, we can be freed from the
clutches of Maya, and thus be rid of pain and
sorrow.
SWAH
Swah indicates the all-pervading nature of God.
He is omnipresent and pervades the entire
multi-formed Universe. Without Form Himself,
He is able to manifest Himself through the
medium of the physical world, and is thus
present in each and every physical entity. It is
God that blossoms as flower. It is God that
becomes the smile of a child. In this way, God is
able to interact with the Universe created by
Him, and thus sustain and control it, ensuring its
smooth and proper running and function.
Not only that, Swah also symbolizes God’s bliss.
All but God experience pain, suffering and
sorrow. Devoid of all such things, God alone is
able to experience supreme bliss. Happiness as
experienced by humans is temporary; a
transient state of mental satisfaction, which soon
dissolves back into the mire of worldly troubles.
Perfect, and without any form of deficiency, God
alone experiences true bliss, permanent and
unaffected by worldly pains and woes. One who
realizes God is able to join in this bliss, and thus
God is able to impart true happiness to those
who establish oneness with that Supreme
Divinity.
Thus Mahavyahriti can be summed up by
comparison to the word AUM itself. It is through
this comparison to the tripartite structure, it can
be compared to the essential nature of God,
which differentiates Him from the other two
entities recognized in that structure (namely,
matter and soul), in the same way as the
comparison between the three parts of the word
Satchidananda, another name also used to
describe God...
BHUR- Prana, Earth, Sat, Existence
BHUVAH – Apana, Sky, Chit, Consciousness
SWAH – Vyana, Heaven, Ananda, Bliss
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
TAT
Literally, this word means ‘that’, being used in
Sanskrit to denote the third person. It is also
mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna
Himself, where He implies the selfless nature of
the word.
Being used in the third person, the word has
implicit in it an idea of selflessness. Sri Krishna
uses it to imply the selfless nature of charity
(charity, or a gift, being used as an analogy for
worship, in the form of action, implying that
action should be performed without regard to its
fruits, instead simply out of devotion and sense
of duty, or Dharma).
Tat then is used here in the Gayatri Mantra to
indicate that the worshipper is referring to
[that] God, and that the praise being offered to
God in the prayer is purely directed towards
Him, without thought of gaining any personal
benefit from that praise.
SA-VI-TUR
The word Savitur is derived, from the Sanskrit
word Savita. It is another name of God. This is
the reason that the Gayatri Mantra is often
known as the Savitri Mantra.
The word Savita explains the status of God’s as
the fountain, the source of all things. It is
through His Divine Grace that the Universe
exists, and so this word sums up the
Mahavyahriti, by describing God’s ability to
create the Universe and sustain it, as well as, at
the right time, bring about its dissolution.
Savita is also indicative of God’s gift to mankind.
Humans also have, in limited amount, the power,
or shakti, of Savita. This shakti acts as an
impetus in humans, to do something. They
cannot sit idle, and are constantly searching for
something to do. This is what is commonly
known as the ‘creative urge’. It is through this
shakti that mankind has created art, and it is
through this shakti also that scientific advances
are made. The gift of Savita also gives creatures
the ability of procreation. Hence, Savita can be
thought of as meaning Father (or Mother) also.
Finally, it is the power of Savita that enables
mankind to distinguish right from wrong, and
vice from virtue. Through this ability, we are
able to in some part direct our own selves, and
thus, Savita imparts to us a certain self-guiding
ability. Thus, by using this word in the mantra,
we demonstrate that we are making efforts
ourselves also, since God will not help us unless
we are willing to help ourselves.
VA-RE-NY-AM
Varenyam signifies our acceptance of God, and
can be translated as meaning ‘Who is worthy’.
Ever ready to obtain all the material riches of the
world, more often than not, they are a
disappointment once they have been achieved.
God however is the one who, once realized and
achieved, has the ability to truly satisfy. We
therefore accept Him as the Highest reality, and
it is to Him that we dedicate our efforts.
Varenyam can also be interpreted as signifying
one who is eligible. We have chosen Him to be
our Leader and our Guide. We place our all into
His hands, and accept Him regardless of
anything else. We place no conditions on this
acceptance, as it is all out of sheer devotion.
BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI
This triplet is a further description of the
attributes and qualities of God - His functional
and instrumental qualities, rather than intrinsic
qualities - and through those qualities, His
relationship to us.
BHAR-GO
Bhargo is taken to signify the Glorious Light that
represents God’s love and power. It indicates His
complete purity - being absolutely pure Himself,
God also has the ability to purify those that come
into contact with Him. Thus, Bhargo is
indicative of God’s power to purify, and to
destroy all sins and afflictions. In the same way
as a metal ore placed into a fire will yield the
pure metal, by merging with God, by realizing
His Divine Form and establishing unity and
oneness with Him, we can cleanse ourselves and
be made pure by His Grace.
Though the soul, being itself Divine in nature,
possesses that Light, it lacks luster, having been
made impure by the sins and vices, which are a
result of the darkness of Maya. By removing the
veil of Maya, and cleansing our soul, God can
enable the soul to realize it’s true, Divine self,
and thus purify it.
DE-VAS-YA
The word Devasya is derived from the root
Deva. However this word has been translated by
different people in many different ways. It is
generally thought of as meaning simply ‘God’.
However, its meaning is more complex than that.
Deva, which forms the root of the words
‘Devata’ and ‘Devi’, means ‘quality’ or
‘attribute’, and can be thought of as another
word for ‘Guna’. Thus, the various forms of God
are given this name, as each of those forms is
related to a specific quality and function (for
example, Brahma has the quality of Creation;
Kamadeva has the quality of love, etc.). Also,
Deva is thus used to describe anyone who is
considered to possess a special quality.
Since Deva is symbolic of the individual qualities
of God, the word demonstrates the inherent
oneness of those different Forms, and thus the
use of this word can be taken as describing the
fundamental unity of God. Thus we see that here,
we reaffirm that central belief in the Hindu
Dharma that ‘Ekam sat viprah bahudah
vadanti’ (Truth, or God, is one, but wise men call
Him/It by different names).
Thus, Deva is indicative of the various
multifaceted entities that is the absolute
Personality of God. It describes in one word all
the functions, roles and different attributes of
God, and symbolizes therefore his absolutely
essential nature - without God, nothing can exist.
DHI-MA-HI
Meaning to meditate and focus our mind on God.
Meditation on God implies that we remove all
other thoughts from our mind, since thoughts of
the world render our mind impure, and thus we
are unable to conceptualize the absolute purity
of God. We must be able to concentrate, and
direct our mental energies towards the task in
hand - which is communion with God.
DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT
Prayer is carried out for four main reasons:
i. to praise and glorify God;
ii. to thank God;
iii. to ask forgiveness from God;
iv. or to make a request from God.
Having carried out the other three parts (praise
of His greatness, thanks for His generosity in
Creation and maintaining us through our lives,
and forgiveness by demonstrating our
awareness of our own impurity, which we have
realized is present and must be cleansed
through contact with God), this part is now our
request from God.
Since our soul is the Light of Life within us, and
that acts on our body via the medium of the
brain, we ask God to make this contact pure and
righteous. The soul is of course inherently pure,
being itself Divine in nature. The body is under
the complete control of the mind. The link is the
mind, which is affected not only by the soul, but
also the outside world. We ask in these four
words that God help us to improve our intellect,
and guide it towards what is right.
DHI-YO
Dhiyo in Sanskrit refers to ‘intellect’. And this is
the essence of this part of the Gyatri Mantra.
Having firmly set God in our hearts, we now
must try to emphasize His presence and
influence on our mind and intellect.
Material prosperity holds no true meaning for
the person who is truly devoted to God. Pain and
suffering are of no consequence to him as,
touched by God, he is imbued with God's own
Divine Bliss, and all worldly sorrows pale to
nothingness in comparison. However, still the
individual must live in the world. Thus, it is
important that the person’s intellect remains
focused on serving God, and that it is able,
through the medium of the body, to serve God to
the best of its ability.
Physical objects can be obtained very easily, if
one is intelligent enough to know how to go
about it. Intellect however cannot be obtained,
but must be there from the very first. It is by use
of this intellect, in fact, that one is able to
cultivate all other qualities (building of wealth,
"success" in life (in material terms), physical
fitness, etc.) Thus, intellect is the key to all else
in life, and as such, it is the most important
possession. We ask God in the Gyatri Mantra to
gift us with the highest intellect, and to help us
by showing us the way to use that intellect.
YO
The word Yo means ‘Who’ or ‘That’. Yo signifies
yet again that it is not to anyone else that we
direct these prayers, but to God alone. Only God
is worthy of the highest adoration, only God is
perfect and free from all defects. It is That God to
whom we offer these prayers.
NAH
Nah means ‘Ours’, and signifies the selflessness
of the request we make of God in this part of the
Gayatri Mantra. We offer this prayer, and make
the request of God, not simply for ourselves, but
for the whole of humanity. We seek to uplift the
entire society. Hindu philosophy from the
beginning recognized the concept of
‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘The whole world
is one big family’. Thus, we pray not only for
ourselves, but for each and every member of that
great family, that we may all benefit from the
greatness and generosity of the All-loving God.
PRA-CHO-DA-YAT
Prachodayat, the final word of the Gayatri
Mantra that rounds off the whole mantra, and
completes the request we make of God in this
final part.
This word indicates a request from God, in
which we ask Him for Guidance, and Inspiration.
We ask that, by showing us His Divine and
Glorious Light (BHARGO), He remove the
darkness of Maya from our paths, that we are
able to see the way, and in this manner, we ask
Him to direct our energies in the right way,
guiding us through the chaos of this world, to
find sanctuary in the tranquility and peace of
OM BHUR, OM BHUVAHA, OM SWAHA, OM MAHAHA, OM JANAHA, OM TAPAHA, OM SATYAM,
OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGHO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT
God Himself, the root of all Happiness, and the
source of true Bliss.
The Gayatri Mantra is revered by both
Buddhists and Hindus worldwide. It is
considered to be a supreme vehicle for gaining
spiritual enlightenment. The longer form of the
mantra activates all seven major Chakras and
connects them to the seven great spiritual
realms of existence. The Gayatri Mantra has
been revered for thousands of years by both
Hindus and Buddhists alike.
It is considered a supreme vehicle for
enlightenment. It is called ‘The Mantra of
Spiritual Light’ because it infuses the Spiritual
Light of Creation into all the seven Chakras. It
heals the body, feeds the Spirit and illumines the
Intellect.
Valmiki symbolizes purity, penance, benevolence and meditation personified. The sole object of his dedication
and contemplation was Man - a man leaves his selfish existence and lives for others identifying himself with the
composite culture of the cosmic creation. The only work available of the great sage-poet, The Ramayana, has
established the poet’s timeless fame.
Vālmīki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in
Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic
Ramayana. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which
means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka
i.e. first verse, which set the base and defined the
form to Sanskrit poetry.
The Yoga Vasistha is attributed to him. A religious
movement called Valmikism is based on Valmiki’s
teachings as presented in the Ramayana and the
Yoga Vasistha. By the 1st century AD, Valmiki’s
reputation as the father of Sanskrit classical poetry
seems to have been legendary. Ashvagosha writes
in the Buddhacarita,
‘The voice of Valmiki uttered poetry which the
great seer Chyavana could not compose.’
This particular verse has been speculated to
indicate a familial relationship between Valmiki
and Chyavana, as implied by the previous and
subsequent verses.
Introduction - Out of the Ant-hill
Valmiki also lived in the age of Sri Rama - called the
‘Treta Yuga’ (the Age of Treta).
Valmiki was born in the Naga clan. However the
details of Valmiki’s life are not very clear as there
no written records. He was the author of
Ramayana, one of the greatest epics of India. The
Ramayana tells the story of Prince Rama of
Ayodhya who always stuck to his morals and
emerged triumphant in the battle fought with
demon king Ravana. The biography of Valmiki is an
intriguing one and the exact dates of existence are
not known.
The Uttara Khanda chapter of the Ramayana tells
the story of Valmiki’s early life. He was a Brahman
by birth belonging to the lineage of Bhrigu. Fate
consigned him to a family of robbers which brought
him up. Accidental contact with the Saptarsis - the
Seven Sages and with the sage Narada changed his
life.
In those days, there was a thick forest all along the
banks of the river Ganga. Many sages built their
hermitage in that forest for their ‘tapas’; that means
they meditated on God. Among them was a sage by
the name of Prachetasa. He had, a son called
Ratnakara. When he was very young boy, one day
he went into the forest. While playing he lost his
way and began to cry. Just then a hunter came there
looking for a prey. He saw the chubby boy and
fondled and pacified him. The hunter had no
children. He took the boy to his hut in the midst of
the jungle.
Ratnakara’s father searched for his son all around
the hermitage, but could not find him. Finally he and
his wife thought that the boy had become the prey
of some wild beast. Both wept very much.
The hunter and his wife brought up the lad with
great love. Ratnakara forgot his parents. He took
the hunter for his father and the hunter’s wife for
his mother. He was taught how to hunt by the
father. Ratnakara was a clever boy and learnt it
quickly. He became a hunter with a sure aim.
To the birds and beasts of the forest, he became
verily Yama, the God of Death. When he came of age,
his foster father searched for a bride and celebrated
his marriage with a beautiful girl from a hunter’s
family. In a few years she gave birth to children.
Thus Ratnakara’s family grew in size. It became
very difficult for him to provide food and clothing to
his large family. So he took to robbery. He began to
attack people going from one village to another,
frighten them and to away all that they had. If they
opposed him, he killed them.
One day Ratnakara was sitting by the side of a road
waiting for a victim. It happened that the sage
Narada was passing that way. Narada had his
favorite musical instrument, a Veena, in his hands.
As he played on the Veena, he was singing a song in
praise of God. When he was thus lost in joy,
suddenly Ratnakara rushed at him. As an unnamed
highway robber he tried to rob the sage Narada for
the benefit of his family. He lifted the stout staff in
his hands and shouted, ‘Look here! Hand over all
you have or else I’ll break your head.’
But Narada was not an ordinary man. He was a
divine sage, and one who wandered all over the
Earth, the Heaven and the Underworld. He was not
frightened by the loud shouts of Ratnakara. He
smilingly, ‘My dear man, all that I have only this old
Veena and the rags I wear; If you want them, you
can certainly take them. Why should you break my
head for these?’
Ratnakara was astonished at these words. He
looked up at Narada’s face. There was neither fear
nor anger except peace of a greater depth and
awareness. And how bright was that face! He was
surprised to see a face tender and innocent like that
of a child. He had never seen such a lovely face. As
he gazed, his cruel mind melted into tenderness.
Narada sat beneath a tree and as played on the
Veena, sang a song in praise of God. It was sweet
like the song of cuckoo. Ratnakara was deeply
moved. Noticing the change, the sage Narada
paused in his song and said, ‘Brother, stealing is a
sin. Killing animals is also sinful. Why do you do
such evil?’
‘Sire, what can I do Ratnakara replied, I have a
large family. There are my old parents and my wife
and children. They partake of my happiness and my
troubles. I have to provide them with food and
clothing. Hunting and stealing are all I know. What
else can I do?’
Narada asked him if his family would share the sin
he was incurring due to the robbery. The robber
replied positively, but Narada told him to confirm
this with his family. ‘My friend, will any member of
your family partake of your sin also? Go and ask
them, and bring back their reply.’
Ratnakara thought that Narada was trying a trick
to make his escape. Narada understood it and again
said, ‘Well, child, if you do not trust me, you can tie
me to this tree and then go.’
Ratnakara thought that was all right. He tied
Narada to a tree and went home.
On reaching home, he first went to his father and
said, ‘Father, I rob people to get food and clothing
for you all. It seems that is a sin. Do you not share in
that sin?’
His father was angry and said, ‘You sinner, you
should not do such bad things. Am I to share your
sins? No, never. You have to suffer for what you do.’
Ratnakara went to his mother and said, ‘Surely
mother, you will share my sin, won’t you?’ But she
also scolded him and sent him away.
He then went to his wife and said, ‘Do you know
how I earn to provide you and your children with
food and clothing? It is by robbery. But I steal for
your sake. Therefore you are also partners in my
sin. Isn’t that so?’
The wife was displeased and said, ‘What are you
saying? What have we to do with your sin? You are
my husband, and my children are your children. It is
your duty to look after us and give us food and
clothing.’
The robber asked his family, but none agreed to
bear the burden of sin. Ratnakara’s eyes were
opened. He realized that he alone was responsible
for all his sins no one else would share his sin.
Dejected, the robber finally understood the truth of
life and asked for Narada’s forgiveness.
As soon as it was clear to him, he ran to Narada. He
untied the sage and amidst weeping, narrated to
him all that had happened in his home. Falling at
Narada’s feet he asked the sage, ‘Oh, sire now what
of me? How can I atone for all the sins I have
committed? You are my only savior.’
Narada rejoiced at his transformation. He lifted the
robber to his feet and told him, ‘Fear not, my son.
There is one name, the Taraka, which redeems
even the greatest of sinners. Repeat the name with
all your mind and soul in it. All your sins will be
washed away soon.’ He then whispered in his ears
the sacred name, ‘Rama’ and asked the robber to
repeat it.
The whole of his life was spent in doing and saying
only harsh things. So the robber could not utter the
word ‘Rama’ try as he might. But Narada was too
kind to leave him thus. So he tried another method.
He slowly uttered the word ‘Ma ra’ inverting the
sacred name. This time the robber could pronounce
the letters, ‘Ma ra’, Ma ra....’ And he started
repeating the letters in quick succession... ‘Ma ra, Ma
ra, Ma... Ra.... Ma Ra...Ra...Ma...Rama....Rama....Rama...’
Thus after a time without his realizing it, the robber
was repeating the Taraka nama. He was captivated
by the charm of the sacred name and he went on
repeating the name forgetting his surroundings. He
sat on like that continuously without moving and
without opening his eyes and years passed away.
This undisturbed tapas washed off all his sins and at
last he gained a vision of Lord. Overflowing with
great joy and bliss, he rose from his seat shedding
off the ant hills around him. As he rose from the ant
hills, ‘Valmika’ as they are called in Sanskrit, he
came to be called Valmiki.
Narada taught the robber to worship God. The
robber meditated for many years, so much so that
ant-hills grew around his body. Thus repeating the
Ramanama or the name of Ram, Ratnakara
continued his ‘tapas’. His eyes were closed. His
whole mind was concentrate on the chanting of the
name of the Lord He forgot his existence. He had
neither food nor sleep for days and days. And in this
way quite a few years passed. An ant hill grew all
around and above him. He could not even be seen
by anybody.
At last one day the sage Narada again came that
way. Of course, he knew that Ratnakara was inside
the anthill. Very carefully he cleared that anthill still
Ratnakara was totally absorbed in his ‘tapas’ and
did not wake up to the world around him. Narada
chanted the name of Rama in his ears. Then he
opened his eyes and saw the sage standing before
him. He saluted him from where he was sitting.
Narada helped him to get up. He also gently
touched him all over. Ratnakara felt new life
flowing through him. He touched the sage’s feet.
Narada lifted him up and embraced him. Valmiki
attained the supreme state of a ‘maharishi’ or great
sage. Since a ‘valmika’ or an anthill had grown over
his body during his long period of austerities and
poised state of penance, Narada said to him,
‘Ratnakara, you are blessed. God is pleased with
your tapas. You are now a sage of the highest order,
a Brahmarishi. As you are now reborn from a
Valmika (the ant-hill), you will hereafter be famous
as Valmiki.’ Thus he came to be known as Valmiki.
Finally, a divine voice declared his penance
successful, bestowing him with the name ‘Valmiki’:
‘one born out of ant-hills’.
Tears of joy welled up in Valmiki’s eyes at these
words. He prostrated before Narada again and said,
‘Sire, all this is your kindness. The company of good
men uplifts man. I am myself a proof of this.’
Narada blessed him and went his way.
The sage, Valmiki, now formed his ashrama or
hermitage near the river Ganga. His fame spread
every – where Many other sages went with their
families and settled down in his ashrama.
One day Sri Rama with his wife Sita and brother
Lakshmana came to Valmiki’s ashrama. Valmiki’s
joy knew no limit. With the help of his disciples he
waited on them with great enthusiasm. His disciples
brought them water to wash their hands and feet,
and spread mattresses for them to sit upon. They
offered the guests fresh milk and tasty fruits.
After resting a while, Sri Rama narrated his story.
He had come to the forest so that his father’s
promise might be fulfilled. Valmiki was very
pleased to hear it. He said, ‘Rama, there is none so
truthful as you are. You have given up your kingdom
so that your father’s promise may be kept. Giving up
a king’s throne, you have come to the forest. You are
not an ordinary man but the Almighty Himself. The
power of your name is such that I have changed
from a sinful hunter to a sage, a Brahmarishi. Your
grace is great.’
Sri Rama smiled. Then he said to Valmiki, ‘O great
sage, we have come here to live near your
hermitage. Please show us a suitable spot.’ There
was a hill very near Valmiki’s hermitage. It was
called Chitrakuta. It was a beautiful place with
many kinds of plants full of flowers and trees
bearing fruits. Valmiki guided Rama to that hill. Sri
Rama lived for a while on the hill with his wife and
brother.
Composer of the Epic Ramayana
The Ramayana in Slokas
Valmiki symbolizes purity, penance, benevolence
and meditation personified. The sole object of his
dedication and contemplation was Man - a man
leaves his selfish existence and lives for others
identifying himself with the composite culture of the
cosmic creation. The only work available of the
great sage-poet, The Ramayana, has established the
poet’s timeless fame.
Valmiki Maharishi lived on the banks of the Ganges
in an ashram of his own. He was touched by an act
of love between two birds and that transformed him
drastically. One day while he was returning from the
river after the morning bath he saw a Krouncha
birds couple, flying joyously in the sky and having
their love play. He was charmed by the innocent joy
of the birds and continued to look at them in blissful
rapture. Just then an arrow struck the male bird in
the heart who fell down bleeding and piteously
crying. Seeing her mate gone, the female bird arose
in great grief and flying round and round the body
of her mate, moaning and shining. The bird’s
wordless grief was so pitiable, that the kindly sage’s
heart was touched. Tears came out of his eyes and
he felt all the misery of the small bird in his own
heart. He looked around and saw a hunter
crouching nearby. In infinite mercy and sorrow
Valmiki cried out,
‘A future, O hunter, none you will have For killing
the Krouncha in the midst of love’
He realized the power of speech he had in him and
the ability to create rhythmic verses. He then had a
divine vision of Brahma, who urged Valmiki to use
this potential to the maximum and write the story of
Ramayana. Thus began the preparation of one of
the most sacred and revered epics of India. The
poetry and language used in Ramayana is
commendable and unmatched.
Then he suddenly stopped surprised at his own
words. For it was not his usual way of speaking....
these words contained a rhythm and a melody. He
realized that it was a poem that came out of his
heart’s anguish, the first poem that he ever
composed. In fact it was the first sloka in the history
of the world for no one wrote any poetry till then.
He later on wrote Ramayana, the story of the
incarnation of Vishnu as Rama in a melodious,
beautiful verse. It is sung reverentially by all Hindus
daily, even though thousands of years passed away
since it was composed. Valmiki is acclaimed as the
Adi Kavi, the first poet and is gratefully
remembered by all poets when they begin to
compose a new poem. It is said that Valmiki taught
the Ramayana to the sons of Rama, Luv and Kush.
He is also said to have given shelter to Sita after she
was banished from the kingdom. The Ramayana is
sung rather than just recited. Those who have read
the Ramayana have bowed to Valmiki with great
respect. It is said that when Luv and Kush were
singing the Ramayana in their sweet voices in front
Rama, he himself was unaware of the fact that they
were his own sons! Though the epic is still there,
there are no written records of Valmiki and his
period of existence.
Like the story of Valmiki’s becoming a sage, the
story of his composing the Ramayana is also very
interesting. One day the sage Narada came to
Valmiki’s ashrama. Valmiki was very happy. He
showed him great courtesy, offered milk and fruits.
Valmiki and his disciples sat with folded hands
before Narada. Then Valmiki said to the divine
sage, ‘Sire, you visit all the three worlds, and
therefore know what happens anywhere. You can
certainly answer my questions. Please tell me, who
is the most virtuous person among all the human
beings on the earth? One who always speaks the
truth, and is always calm? Who is he, who desires
the well being of everyone, and is loved by all? Who
the man, whose words and actions are praised by
the gods? Who is famous as the greatest hero and
the noblest of men in the world?’
In response to Valmiki’s question, Narada
mentioned the name of Sri Rama. Narada narrated
how Sri Rama was born as the eldest son of King
Dasaratha, married Sita, and went to the forest for
fourteen years to honor his father’s promise. He told
them in detail how in the forest Ravana stole Sita,
how Sri Rama killed that very evil person, returned
to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana, and was
finally crowned as King. Hearing all this, Valmiki
was very happy. He praised Narada and bowed to
him. The divine sage blessed him and left.
Sometime after Narada left, Valmiki went to the
river Ganga to bathe. Bharadwaja accompanied
him carrying his clothes. On the way they came
across the Tamasa Stream. The water in it was very
clear. Valmiki said to his disciple, ‘Look, how clear
is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will
bathe here today.’
The Ramayana originally written by Valmiki
consists of 24,000 verses in six cantos - some say
seven i.e. including the Uttara Ramayana. These
cantos are known as - kāṇḍas. The Ramayana
tells the story of a prince, Rama of Ayodhya, whose
wife Sita is abducted by the Rākshasa king of
Lanka, Rāvana. The Valmiki Ramayana is dated
variously from 500 BC to 100 BC, or about the same
origin as with early versions of the Mahabhārata.
As with many traditional epics, it has gone through
a long process of interpolations and redaction’s,
making it impossible to date accurately.
The first Śloka
Valmiki was going to the river Ganga for his daily
ablutions. Bharadwaja one of the disciples was
carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across
the Tamasa Stream. Looking at the stream, Valmiki
said to his disciple, ‘Look, how clear is this water,
like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today.’
When he was looking for a suitable place to step
into the stream, he heard the sweet chirping of
birds. Looking up, he saw two birds flying together.
Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy bird
couple. Suddenly, one of the birds fell down, hit by
an arrow; it was the male bird. Seeing the wounded
one, its mate screamed in agony. The female could
not bear the agony inflicted by separation from the
male bird. Valmiki’s heart melted at this pitiful
sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the
bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows,
nearby. Valmiki became very angry. His lips opened
and he uttered the following words:
mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ
tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam
avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting
Emerging spontaneously from his rage and grief,
this was the first śloka in Sanskrit literature. This
Sloka is soaked Later Valmiki composed the entire
Ramayana with the blessings of Lord Brahma in the
same meter that issued forth from him as the śloka.
Thus this śloka is revered as the ‘first śloka’ in
Hindu literature. Valmiki is revered as the first
poet, or Adi Kavi, and the Ramayana, the first
kavya.
His first disciples to whom he taught the Ramayana
were Kusha and Lava, the sons of Rama.
Insight into the character of the
Epic by Narada
When the mythical sage Narada came to his
hermitage, Valmiki who received him with due
honor, posed a question - who was an ideal man?
The reply came from Narada in the form of
Samkshepa Ramayana which formed the
foundation on which the magnificent 24,000 verse
edifice was built by Valmiki. Then, immersed deep
into this story, Valmiki left for the river Tamasa
with his disciple Bharadwaj. The pleasant and
placid river reminded the seer of the mature and
modest quality of his hero. He visualized a pure and
pious man's mind reflected in the deep waters. In
the next instant he witnessed a heartless hunter
mercilessly killing a male bird that was in love with
its mate. The piteous wailing of the distressed
female moved the heart of the sage so much that he
spontaneously uttered a curse on the hunter.
However, this curse came out of his mouth in the
form of a ‘sloka’, a perfectly metrical composition,
which surprised the sage himself: ‘No - You shall not
command any respect in society for a long time as
you have shot dead an innocent bird engrossed in
love’. The sage had turned into a poet.
Brahma’s Command
His powerful emotions found equally powerful
medium for their manifestation. It was a
spontaneous outburst of his inner voice motivated
by divine will. When he returned to his hermitage,
Brahma (the four faced God, the creator), appeared
to him and commanded him to compose an epic
poem on the story of Ram as he had heard it from
the great sage Narada, in his newly discovered
meter. He also gave him the boon of the visions of
all the incidents and the revelation of all the secrets
connected with the story. Accordingly, Valmiki
composed the epic, named it The Ramayana - the
way or the conduct or the life story of Ram - the
story of Ram’s march in search of truth and
righteousness.
A contemporary of the heroes of the Ramayana,
Mahairshi Valmiki gives very little information
about himself since he was a sage who had
completely dedicated his life to contemplation on
God and service to humanity. History has no
account of his life except that he figures briefly and
modestly on two occasions in the course of the epic
he wrote:
Valmiki’s Character in Ramayana
He is one of the first sages whose hermitage Ram
visits along with his wife and brother on his way to
Chitrakoot after leaving Ayuodhya. Valmiki
welcomes them with love, affection and reverence
and utters just one word ‘asyatam’ (be seated). He
feels honored when Ram accepts his request and
sits a while.
The other occasion is when Ram banishes Sita, it is
Valmiki that shelters her and rears up her twin sons
Luv and Kush. When they recite the epic poem in
his royal court, Ram invites Valmiki and requests
him to bring Sita along so she can prove her chastity
before the elders and sages. Valmiki is offended yet
keeps his composure and says Sita would comply
with Ram’s wishes for he is her husband. While
presenting Sita in the Mandapa (prayer hall)
Valmiki utters words that highlight the penance
and perseverance which Valmiki practiced his
entire life.
In His Own Words
‘I am the tenth son of the sage Prachetas. You
belong to the great dynasty of Raghu. I do not
remember to have uttered any lie so far in my life. I
say that these two boys are your sons. I performed
penance for thousands of years. I shall not accept
the fruit of all my penance if there is any blemish in
Maithili (Sita). I never entertained any ignoble
thought, I never wronged any person, and I never
spoke any vulgar word - I shall derive the benefit
thereof only if Maithili is void of sin.’
Maharshi Valmiki
The journey of Rama through life is the
‘Ramayana’ – Ramasya ayana sa Ramayana asti!
– Rama’s journey!
It is remarkable that Sri Rama himself listened to
the story of the Ramayana and was pleased. Lava
and Kusha sang the story before Rama very
sweetly; Rama did not know that they were own
sons! The poet Valmiki composed ‘Ramayana’ and
taught the song and story to Lava and Kusha.
Valmiki’s Ramayana is in the Sanskrit language. It
is a very beautiful poem. Long poem narrating the
story of a very great hero is called an epic. Valmiki's
'Ramayana' is the very first such poem in Sanskrit.
Therefore, it is also called the ‘Adi-Kavya’ or - the
First Poem; Valmiki is also known as the ‘Adi-Kavi’,
which means the First Poet.
Valmiki’s ‘Ramayana’ can be sung. It is delightful to
the ear like the sound of the cuckoo. Valmiki has
been described as a cuckoo on the tree of poetry,
singing sweetly. Those who read the 'Ramayana'
bow to the great Valmiki first and then turn to the
epic.
A Queen Comes to a Hermitage
After Sri Rama killed Ravana in a great war to
regain Sita, he returned to the city of Ayodhya with
Sita and Lakshmana. He was then crowned King of
the Kosala country. Sita was now the Queen. They
were happy. All his subjects were also very happy
and joyful. After some years Sita became pregnant.
Sri Rama was very pleased that his line would
continue. He said to her, ‘Sita, you are now with
child and you may have some desire or the other.
Tell me whatever it is, and I shall fulfill it.’
Sita smiled and said, ‘My lord, what other wish can I
have? I only desire your happiness and your love.
Still there is a small thing I would like to mention.
When we were in the forest years ago, we used to go
to the hermitages of the Rishis. But I could not give
anything to the wives of the sages at that time. Can I
go there now, and offer them gifts to my heart’s
content? I would like to spend some time with
them.’ Sri Rama gladly agreed to fulfill her desire.
After a few days, one morning Sri Rama was sitting
in his chamber attending to his kingly duties. Then a
spy came to him. His work was to disguise himself
at night and to listen to what different persons said.
In the morning he met the king and reported
everything. The previous night he had heard some
persons criticizing Sri Rama. It was his duty to tell
the king whatever he had heard. He said to Rama,
‘Sire, the people of Ayodhya are full of praise for
you. But there are some who do not approve of one
of your actions. ‘Queen Sita was a prisoner in
Ravana’s palace. Ravana was the King of
Rakshasas, and a wicked fellow. Therefore what of
Sita! Who was his prisoner? Sri Rama was wrong in
bringing her back.' I have heard some persons speak
like this.’
Sri Rama was greatly pained to hear this. He knew
that Sita always thought only of him, and was very
pure. But a king should always so conduct himself as
to please and satisfy his subjects. That is the quality
of a good king. Therefore Sri Rama decided to
abandon Sita. He sent for his brother Lakshmana
and told him all that he had heard from the spy. He
asked Lakshmana to take away Sita at once and
leave her near Valmiki’s hermitage. Lakshmana
was shocked at the order he received from his elder
brother. He tried to change the mind of Sri Rama
but in pain. Lakshmana had no choice so he had to
take away his sister-in-law.
He brought a chariot to the gate of Sita’s palace. Sita
thought that Sri Rama was fulfilling her desire to
visit the ashramas of sages. She was all enthusiasm.
She got up a big package of haldi, kumkum, bangles
and gold ornaments to be given to the wives of the
Rishis. She told everyone in the palace that she was
going on a visit to hermitages, and took leave. Sri
Rama was not in the palace. So she requested
Kausalya, her mother-in-law, to inform Sri Rama.
She then entered the chariot. Lakshmana himself
drove the chariot.
They sped along and soon reached the banks of the
river Ganga. Nearby was the hermitage of Valmiki
Rishi. But Lakshmana did not go to the ashrama.
He got down in the forest near the ashrama. He
helped Sita to alight from the chariot. Then tearfully
he said to her, ‘Mother, Sri Rama has asked me to
leave you in the forest. Some people in Ayodhya
have spoken ill of you with doubts in their minds.
They blame Sri Rama for having brought you back
from Ravana’s prison. A king has to win the respect
of his subjects. Therefore, Rama has given you up.
This has given him great pain, but he is bearing it
because he thinks of his duty. I have obeyed his
instructions. I am a very great sinner, to be leaving
you in the forest. Kindly forgive me.’ He touched her
feet. Then he left the weeping Sita in the forest and
returned to Ayodhya.
Lakshmana’s words came like a thunderbolt to
Sita. She stood for a long time staring at
Lakshmana who was going away. Deep sighs
escaped from her lips. Unable to stand, she
collapsed on the ground. She recalled the entire
story of her life. Should this be the fate of a woman
who always thought of her husband as her God? She
wept and wept. But yet she did not blame her
husband. She thought it was her bad fate. She was
soon to become a mother and was wearied by the
journey; she had eaten no food and her mind was
full of agony, so she crumpled up. She was
overtaken by sleep and lay down under a tree.
Sita awoke from her sleep by the evening. She did
not know what to do and began to cry loudly. Just
then Valmiki’s disciples had come to the forest to
gather flowers and leaves for the master’s worship.
They heard the loud wails of Sita and followed in
the wake of the sound.
They approached her and said to her, ‘Mother, who
are you? Why are you crying alone in the forest? We
are disciples of the sage Valmiki. Have no doubts.
Guruji’s hermitage is quite near. Please come with
us, Mother.’
The very mention of Valmiki Rishi brought Sita
some comfort. She took courage and went with the
disciples to the ashrama.
As soon as she saw Valmiki Sita prostrated before
the sage with great devotion. Weeping, she narrated
her whole story to the sage. Valmiki was deeply
moved. He consoled her in various ways. He then
assured her that he would keep her in his
hermitage. He asked the women of the ashrama to
look after her. He told them that she was a very
virtuous lady and they should look after her with all
possible care and affection.
After a few days Sita gave birth to two sons. They
were born on a good day under very auspicious
stars. The two babies were beautiful like dolls made
of moonlight. Valmiki rejoiced when he saw them.
On the tenth day after their birth, he named them
Lava and Kusha. Everyone in the ashrama was
very fond of these babies. Someone or the other
among the inmates of the ashrama was always
carrying the babies and fondling them. Their
affection for her children filled Sita with joy. Seeing
those pretty children, she was able to forget her
sorrows. And this brought Valmiki great relief.
Lava and Kusha grew up day by day like the
waxing moon. Valmiki himself taught those boys
the first letters. He taught them to read and to write.
The boys also learnt to recite several songs of
prayer. They had very sweet voices. When they sang
all around listened spellbound. Valmiki would often
make the children sing before Sita; their song
delighted her like divine nectar.
Lava and Kusha were now eight years old. Valmiki
performed their ‘sacred thread ceremony’ - the
Upanayana. Then he began to teach them the
sacred Vedas. He had by now completed the
Ramayana, which also he taught them. The two
boys learnt it by heart. They sang the ‘Ramayana’so
movingly that Valmiki was filled with joy. He made
them sing his long poem before Sita. Her heart
melted at the story of the ‘Ramayana’, the singing
and the sweetness of the voices. Their recitation
gave the story of ‘Ramayana’ a new beauty and
appeal. Sita’s eyes were filled with tears of joy.
Valmiki felt proud of the boys and their singing. He
would ask Lava and Kusha to sing the ‘Ramayana’
before everyone who came to his ashrama.
Sri Rama Hears His Own Story
The boys grew up day by day and advanced in their
education in Valmiki’s ashrama. Sri Rama’s reign
continued. He thought of performing the great
sacrifice of Ashwamedha. In those days an
Ashwamedha Yaga was no small matter. It was the
greatest aim and ambition of many a king. Only the
most heroic of kings in the world would be able to
perform that sacrifice successfully. A king desirous
of undertaking it would worship a horse of a fine
breed. As the horse was free to roam, if any other
king tied up the horse he had to be conquered in a
war. Thus the king who wanted to perform
Ashwamedha had to conquer all kings on the earth
and become an emperor. After the horse roamed
over all countries and returned home, the owner
could perform the Ashwamedha sacrifice. Sri Rama
undertook such a venture. All other kings on earth
offered their tributes and gifts, and accepted him as
Emperor. Then he performed the great Sacrifice. All
the sages in the land were invited to the sacrifice. So
was Valmiki Rishi, who went there with his
disciples.
Sri Rama’s Ashwamedha Yaga went on for several
days in grandeur. Poor people were given food and
good clothing to their heart’s content. Brahmins
and rishis were pleased with the generous gifts and
money. On the final day when all the rishis were
gathered together in the evening, Valmiki asked
Lava and Kusha to recite his Ramayana. Another
disciple of his played on the flute pleasingly. It was a
night of the full moon. The two boys sang the
‘Ramayana’ to the accompaniment of the flute. The
recitation went on all night. The rishis and the
Brahmins who had assembled there were
overjoyed. The sages and Brahmins, being so
pleased, gave gifts to the boys. Valmiki was over
whelmed with joy at this appreciation of his poem
and of the recitation by his disciples.
During the night when Lava and Kusha were
singing, Sri Rama was lying down on the open
terrace of his palace. He heard the song of the boys.
It was like nectar to him. He sent for the boys the
next morning. When they came there, he requested
them to sing the ‘Ramayana’ again. As they sang
and as he listened to the story of his own life, he was
very pleased. He shed tears whenever there was
mention of Sita. Alas, how much had she suffered!
She had married him; what happiness had the
marriage brought her? Her whole life was full of
trouble and sorrow. Sri Rama wiped his tears;
hardly able to speak, he asked the boys, ‘Who are
you?’
‘We are Sita’s sons and disciples of Valmiki,’ they
said.
Sri Rama was stunned at the mention of Sita. ‘Did
Sita, whom I sent away to the forest, give birth to
these children? Are they then my own sons he
thought? He sent for sage Valmiki at once. When the
Rishi arrived, Sri Rama heard from him the story of
those two boys in detail. He was very eager to get
back Sita and begged Valmiki to fetch her. He gave
the assurance that she would again be his queen.
Valmiki sent his disciples to fetch Sita from the
ashrama. When Sita arrived, Sri Rama said to her,
‘Sita, swear before all the sages assembled here,
that you loved me alone and are in truth a virtuous
woman. Let the minds of all those who doubt you be
cleared. Then I shall take you back.’ Sage Valmiki
protested. He said to Sri Rama, ‘Sri Rama, Sita is
the most virtuous of women. Please do not test her
again and again. Why should she again swear before
this gathering? Her mind is already greatly hurt. Do
not pain her again. You are verily Lord Mahavishnu,
the great Protector of the Universe, and she is your
divine consort, Mahalakshmi. Let there be no
further test.’
But Sri Rama did not agree. He said the test was
needed in order to remove the suspicion of people.
Sita felt ashamed. She stood with her head bowed.
Tears flowed like a stream from her eyes. All the
gods came down from heaven to witness the test of
this most virtuous woman. Before all those gods and
the rishis, Sita prayed to the Earth Goddess,
‘O Mother Earth, if it is true that I have never
thought of anybody but Sri Rama, receive me in
your arms. O Mother Earth, if it is true that I have
always worshipped only Sri Rama, then, please
receive me. If my words are true at all, O Mother
Earth, receive me in your arms.’
As Sita uttered these words, the Earth burst open,
and a throne rose. Bhoodevi, the Goddess of the
Earth, was seated on the throne, which was held up
by four serpents. Bhoodevi drew Sita into her arms
and embraced her. In a moment, both disappeared
into the earth with the throne. The earth, which had
opened, closed again. Seeing Sita vanish
underground, Sri Rama was in great misery. He
wept loudly. Sita was the daughter of Bhoodevi. She
had again entered the mother’s womb. Sri Rama
prayed to Bhoodevi, his mother-in-law, to give his
wife back to him; he blamed himself, craved for Sita,
and raved angrily. But it was all in vein. Then
Brahma, the Lord of the Creation, appeared to him
and soothed him. ‘Sri Rama,’ he said, ‘You – are no
human being, but Lord Narayana. You were born a
human being to kill the demon - king Ravana. That
mission is over; you must now get back to your own
world of Vaikunta. Your wife Sita awaits you there
as Lakshmi.’ Sri Rama realized that these words
were true. His sorrow subsided. The assembled
gods and sages were filled with wonder.
After a few days Sri Rama left the earth and
returned to Vaikunta. The story of Valmiki is
meaningful. Valmiki is a great example of how
people are uplifted by the company of good men. By
coming into contact with Narada, he became a great
sage, a Brahmarshi; and he also gave the
‘Ramayana’ which the world can never forget. It is
one of the great epics of the world. People of other
countries read it in their own languages. The study
of the ‘Ramayana’ can reform our lives. We can
never forget Valmiki who gave this great epic to us.
Let us offer our salutations to that great sage and
bard.
Valmiki - composer of the Ramayana
Vashishta was the mānasaputra or mind son of
Brahma. According to Hindu mythology
Vashishtha is one of the Saptarishis or Seven
Great Sages Rishi in the seventh, i.e. the present
Manvantara. He is the Rajpurohit or Rajguru of
the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty. He had in his
possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and
Nandini her child, who could grant anything to
their owners. This cow was the conflict between
Vashishta and Vishvamitra.
Vashishta was married to Arundhati. The star
Mizar of the stellar constellation Ursa Major is
thought of as Vashishta and the small one beside
it, Alcor, as Arundhati.
Vashishta is credited as the chief author of
Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vashishta and his
family are glorified in RigVeda 7.33, extolling
their role in the Battle of the Ten Kings, making
him the only mortal besides Bhavayavya to have
a Rigvedic hymn dedicated to him. Another
treatise attributed by him is ‘Vashishtha
Samhita’ - a book on Vedic system of evectional
astrology (a periodic irregularity in the motion of
the Moon caused by the variation in the
gravitational attraction of the Sun as the Moon
orbits Earth.
Tales featuring Vashishta
Vashishta is featured in many tales and folklore,
a few of which are briefly described below.
Sage Vashishta was Ram’s guru and the
Rajpurohit of ‘Ikshawaku’ dynasty. He was a
peace-loving, selfless, intelligent Rishi. He had
established Gurukula or residential college on
the banks of river ‘Saraswati’, where he and his
wife ‘Arundhati’ were taking care of thousands of
students who stayed and studied there while the
Rishi was the chief principal.
Vashishta was the Sadguru of his time,
possessing 20 ‘kala’s’ (divine arts) and had
complete knowledge of the whole cosmos and the
god. Many of his Shlokas are found in Vedas as
well.
This tale tells of how Vashishta possessed a cow
named Kamadhenu who could produce enough
food for a whole army of troops instantly. The
king Kaushika who later came to be known as
Vishvamitra, once visited Vashishta’s hermitage,
was very impressed with the cow and tried to
take it away from Vashishta by force, but
Kamadhenu and Nandini’s spiritual power was
too great for him. After being unable to conquer
Kamadhenu and Nandini, Vishvamitra decided
to acquire power himself through penance like
Vashishta. He gained much power and many
divine weapons from Shiva. And once again he
attempted to conquer Kamadhenu and Nandini.
But even the divine weapons he acquired could
not defeat the power of Kamadhenu and
Nandini. Vishvamitra finally decided to become a
Brahmarishi himself, and he renounced all his
possessions and luxury and led the life of a simple
forest ascetic.
The tale of King Dileepa
King Dileepa or Dilip was a king of the
Raghuvamsha dynasty. He had a wife named
Sudakshina, but they had no children. For this
reason, Dileepa visited the sage Vashishta in his
ashram, and asked him for his advice. Vashishta
replied that they should serve the cow Nandini,
child of Kamadhenu, and perhaps if Nandini was
happy with their service, she would grant them
with a child. So, according to Vashishta, Dileepa
served Nandini every day, and attended to her
every need for twenty-one days. On the twenty-
first day, a lion attacks Nandini. Dileepa
immediately draws his bow and tries to shoot the
lion. But he finds that his arm is paralyzed and
cannot move. He reasons that the lion must have
some sort of divine power. As if to confirm this,
the lion started to speak to him. It said that
Dileepa had no chance of saving the cow because
the cow was the lion’s chosen meal. The lion tells
Dileepa to return to Vashishta’s ashram. Dileepa
replies by asking if the lion would let Nandini go
if he offered himself in Nandini's place. The lion
agreed and Dileepa sacrificed his life for the cow.
But then the lion mysteriously disappeared.
Nandini explained that the lion was just an
illusion to test Dileepa. Because Dileepa was
truly selfless, Nandini granted him with a son.
Yoga Vashishta
Yoga Vashishta is a religious text that was
narrated by sage Vashishta, one of the teachers of
Rama, and written by Valmiki.
Context
Prince Rama returns from touring the country
and becomes utterly disillusioned after
experiencing the apparent reality of the world.
This worries his father, King Dasaratha. The King
expresses his concern to Sage Vashishta, upon
his arrival. Sage Vashishta consoles the king by
telling him that Rama’s dispassion or vairagya is
a sign that the prince is now ready for spiritual
enlightenment. He says that Rama has begun
understanding profound spiritual truths, which is
the cause of his confusion and he just needs
confirmation. Sage Vashishta asks king
Dasaratha to summon Rama. Then, in the court
of king Dasaratha, the sage begins the discourse
to Rama which lasts for several days. The answer
to Rama’s questions forms the entire scripture
that is Yoga Vashishta.
Vashishta Ashram
Brahmrishi Vashishta had an Ashram in
Ayodhya that was spread over 40 acres of land.
Today all that remains of it is a small ashram in
about one fourth of an acre of land. The ashram
has within it a well that is believed to be the
source of the river Saryu. Brahmrishi Vashishta
was the Guru of the Solar Dynasty. The King
Ishvaku was the king of Ayodhya then. He was a
noble king and thought of the well being of his
subjects.
The king approached Sage Vashishta telling him
that the land had no water and requested him to
do something to let the Kingdom have adequate
water. Sage Vashishta performed a special prayer
and the river Saryu is said to have started flowing
from this well. Saryu is also known as Ishvaki
and Vashishti. It is said that the well is connected
underground with the river. Many spiritual
people who visit this ashram find an enormous
spiritual energy around this well. Some believe
that this is one of the better spiritual tirth’s in
India.
There is also another ashram past Rishikesh on
the way to Kaudiyal on the Devprayag route that
is known as Vashishta Guha Ashram. The
ashram itself is located on the banks of the River
Ganges and it is a very beautiful place. It has a
cave with a Shiv Ling in it. The head of the
ashram there is a monk of south Indian origin by
the name of Swami Chetananda. There is also
another small cave to the side facing the river.
Vashishta head
A copper item representing a human head styled
in the manner described for the Rigvedic
Vashishta has been dated to around 3700 B.C. in
three western universities using among other
tests carbon 14 tests, spectrographic analysis, X-
ray dispersal analysis and metallographic (Hicks
and Anderson. Analysis of an Indo-European Vedic Aryan
Head - 4500-2500 B.C., in Journal of IE studies 18:425-446.
Fall 1990.).
This indicates that some Rigvedic customs were
already known at a very early time. The head was
not found in an archaeological context, as it was
Vashishta - Vishvamitra Katha
The Chaitraratha section of the Sambhava in
the Adi parva is, in a way, a regression to the
Adivamsavatarana, being largely ‘historical’ in
content. Here the Pandavas learned about their
ancestress Tapati, daughter of the Sun god. In
typically Vyasan manner, this story, in which
Vashishta plays a major role, becomes the
occasion for relating one of the most important
episodes in Puranik lore: the Vashishta-
Vishvamitra feud which is also recounted in the
Ramayana by Satananda, Janaka’s priest, on the
occasion of Rama’s wedding.
From the very beginning of this section, Vyasa’s
emphasis undergoes a significant shift. So far,
Bhima has constantly occupied centre-stage. It is
against him that Duryodhana’s plots have been
directed; it is he who set fire to the house of lac
and bore his exhausted brothers and mother to
safety; it is he who rescued them from fearsome
cannibals and stood forth as the savior of an
entire town. Arjuna has been noticed only briefly
when he needles Bhima’s self-esteem to goad him
into dispatching Hidimb swiftly. But even this
redoubtable archer has been carried in his
brother’s arms during the initial flight. Now, for
the first time, we find that as they reach the river
Ganga,
“From here Dhananjaya walked ahead with a
torch, to light the way for them and to protect
them.” (172.4)
The last line is extremely significant. Vyasa is
giving Arjuna a new role as protagonist, having
abruptly left him in the lurch after building him
up during the training under Drona and the
vanquishing of Drupada. He does this to prepare
us for his winning of Draupadi. Otherwise,
normally we would have expected Bhima to win
the princess. It is, indeed, quite surprising that
when the Gandharva king Chitraratha insolently
and aggressively announces:
“I am Angaraparna, the Gandharva who knows
no power save his own. I am strong! Proud! I am
Kubera’s close friend… And when I am here, none
comes here—no god, no human, no corpse-eating
beast, Who do you think you are?” (172.13, 15)
It is Arjuna who retorts and is the sole speaker
throughout, while we would have expected the
impetuous and passionate Bhima to have
exploded in indignation at such insolence. The
only other speaker is Yudhishthira, who has a
couple of lines to his credit by way of pardoning
the defeated Gandharva. The rhetorical
exchanges between Angaraparna and Arjuna
are rather interesting. Arjuna launches into an
elaborate description of the Ganga, its tributaries
and its holiness, extending his reply precisely to
one sloka more than the Gandharva’s
challenge—a bit of one-upmanship, epic style!
“This is the holy Ganga falling from the golden
peaks of Himavant into the ocean where seven
streams enter…” (172.19)
The descent of the Ganges is one of those
archetypal memories of Hinduism, captured for
all time in living rock in the massive
Mamallapuram sculpture, and related in the
Ramayana, with Shiva singing her praises in the
Brahmavaivarta Purana. The next sloka refers
to the seven streams famed in ancient India:
Sarasvati, plakshajatam “born of the plaksha-
tree”.
Tapati is also set apart from the conventional full-
hipped, heavy breasted and plantain tree-thighed,
elephant-gaited Indian beauty by the repeated
emphasis on her large black eyes.
Samvarana, crazed with love for Surya’s radiant
daughter, seeks the help of his priest Vashishta
who obtains Surya’s concurrence to the union,
and brings Tapati with him.
“The lady of ravishing eyes descended from the
sky like lightning irradiating the ten points of the
heavens.”
Samvarana’s infatuation with Tapati leads to his
neglecting the kingdom, resulting in a twelve year
long famine from lack of rain, till Vashishta
makes him return to his capital. It will be recalled,
that in 94.35-47 (pp.461) Vaishampayana had
stated that, during Samvarana’s reign, his
kingdom was afflicted with famine and the
Panchalas drove him out of his kingdom into the
forest. Here the reason cited is the king’s
infatuation. The kingdom is won back through
Vashishta’s help (94.45-46, p.462). Hence, the
importance of having a priest of prowess was felt.
It is, again, poetic justice that the descendants of
Samvarana, who was deprived of his kingdom by
the Panchalas, should have them as allies against
their Dhartarashtra cousins.
Section 176 administers something of a cultural
shock: here is Arjuna, a royal prince allegedly
well versed in the Vedas and Vedantas, ignorant
of so famous a sage as Vashishta:
“O chief of the gandharvas, who was this
bhagavan risi whom you have described as the
purohita of my ancestors?” (176.4)
From the silence of the other brothers and Kunti,
it is apparent that they are no better off. Shall we
infer that their schooling was limited to weapons-
training and a superficial acquaintance with vedic
rituals, with the Puranas completely left out?
Even their Vedic knowledge must have been
limited to the Brahmanas and Sutras because
Vashishta is the rishi of the seventh mandala of
the Rig Veda just as Vishvamitra is of the third.
Anyone studying these mandalas would have
come to know Vishvamitra’s hatred of Vashishta
(sukta 53). Arjuna’s query reveals that the Rig
Veda was already well in the background with the
emphasis on the Yajur Veda and the Sutras, i.e.
the ritualistic aspects. The Rig Veda had already
become incomprehensible for the Mahabharata
generations who did not have a single rishi
among them besides Vyasa. We find references
only to priests adept at rituals, not to seers
composing suktas embodying their perceptions
of Rita, the Eternal Truth behind evanescent
creation.
Vashishta – Vishvamitra
feud
The ensuing account of the Vashishta-
Vishvamitra feud, related from the latter’s view-
point in the Ramayana, deals with one of the
most gripping and tragic episodes in Puranik
lore, which has been brilliantly used by K.M.
Munshi in his Bhagavan Parashuram and by Sri
Aurobindo in his Bengali short-story Kshamar
Adarsha (“The Ideal of Forgiveness”).
Munshi depicts Vishvamitra as the visionary
Kshatriya-turned-sage whose goal is to unite the
Dravidian and Aryan cultures and mould them
into a single civilization. Vashishta opposes this
fanatically, resulting in the ruinous War of the
Ten Kings described in the Rig Veda.
Vishvamitra is also the great seer who created
the immortal Gayatri Mantra, recited by
Brahmanas to this day, and the rescuer of
Shunahshepa from being sacrificed in one of the
rare instances of human-sacrifice in the Puranas.
In this incident many have seen the hidden hand
of Vashishta, for Shunahshepa was
Vishvamitra’s nephew and Vashishta, as
Harishachandra’s priest, advised this human
sacrifice to placate Varuna who had afflicted the
king with dropsy for having broken his vow.
The conflict, as narrated by Chitraratha, revolves
round Vashishta’s wish-fulfilling cow.
Vishvamitra, king of Kanyakubja, chances upon
Vashishta’s hermitage, exhausted after a hunt.
The sage entertains the king and his retinue with
all types of food and gifts with the help of this
miraculous cow. Naturally, Vishvamitra decides
he must have Nandini, and uses force when the
sage refuses to part with her. Nor will Vashishta
oppose the king with violence for, as he tells
Nandini,
“But what can I do? I am a Brahmin. I must
overlook Vishvamitra though he beats you and
drags you away”… But the maha-muni would not
give up patience, nor would he break his vow,
though touched by Nandini’s suffering. Vashishta
said, “A Ksatriya’s strength lies in his body, a
Brahmin’s lies in the spirit of fortitude. I will not
give up fortitude.” (177.24.27-28)
This sublime non-violence, however, does not
mean that he acquiesces in the rape. He clarifies
to Nandini that she is free to stay on if she can.
The moment she hears this, the cow produces
myriads of Dravidas, Keralas, Kanchis,
Simhalas, Pahlavas, Shakas, Yavanas, Kiratas,
Paundras, Hunas, Chinas, Barbaras, Chibukas,
Pulindas, and other mlechchha armies who rout
the king’s forces. This list of barbarians is itself a
revealing social commentary on which peoples
were considered outside the Aryan pale—mostly
those in the deep-south and the north-west and
north-east. Vashishta himself foils all
Vishvamitra’s arrows and missiles with his
spiritual powers. This impresses the king so
deeply that he renounces his kingdom and takes
up ascetic to win the same powers, aspiring to be
styled “brahmarshi”. He does not attain this level
as long as the spirit of envy and rivalry activates
him. For, though he says that “Real strength lies in
tapasya” (177.53) he has no hesitation in having a
cannibal-spirit possess king Kalmashapada and
in instigating him to slay all the progeny of
Vashishta. Yet this embodiment of Brahminhood
does not hit back:
“When Vashishta learnt that Vishvamitra had
schemed and got his sons killed, he bore his grief
as maha-Meru bears the earth…decided to
sacrifice his life rather than harm Kaushika-
Vishvamitra.” (178.43-44)
His attempts at suicide are frustrated because
two rivers refuse to cooperate (hence named
Vipasha and Shatadru). He gives up the idea
when he finds that his daughter-in-law is carrying
his grandson, Parashara. So here we link up with
Vyasa’s father!
When Kalmashapada tries to devour her,
Vashishta frees him from Rakshasa-hood. The
amazing extent of his nobility is seen now. This
king, who has destroyed all Vashishta’s children,
begs the sage to give him a son. Vashishta agrees
and it is in sloka 44 that Vyasa gives us the bare
truth about how childless kings managed to have
children by having rishis “bless” their queens:
“During her fertile period, the maha-rsi
Vashishta had intercourse with her, as enjoined
by divine precept.” No wonder Vashishta was so
named, for his name means “sense-subdue.” Such
perfect self-control is unparalleled in the Puranik
lore.
This episode is part of what we have seen as a
common affliction of royal dynasties: the inability
to have children. In both the Solar and the Lunar
lineages this remains a knotty problem for which
special rituals have to be performed and
austerities undergone. Kalmashapada becomes a
precursor of Pandu just as Parashara parallels
Janamejaya. Like Pandu, while roaming in the
forest, the cursed king eats up a Brahmin while
he is engaged in coitus with his wife. She curses
him that should he have intercourse with his wife,
he will die. That is why the king has to approach
Vashishta to impregnate his wife.
The next two slokas describe the first caesarean
operation as the queen uses a stone (“ashma”) to
deliver her child when it is not born after twelve
years. The operation should more appropriately
be known, at least in India, as “Ashmakan”
instead of “caesarean.” The parallel with
Gandhari’s delayed delivery is obvious.
Curiously, instead of succeeding Kalmashapada
in Ayodhya, Ashmaka founds a town named
“Paudanya”.
While Chitraratha stops his narrative of the
Vishvamitra-Vashishta conflict at this point, Sri
Aurobindo went beyond this in his short story to
describe the moment when Vishvamitra, at last
genuinely penitent and free of envy, approaches
Vashishta to beg forgiveness. Now the
magnanimous sage hails Vishvamitra as
“brahmarshi,” that recognition which he has
been fruitlessly striving to win from the world
and for which he has committed so many crimes.
It is in achieving true humility that Vishvamitra
achieves the highest level of seerdom.
An interesting hint concerning further causes of
the rift between the two sages is given in 178.15,
where it is mentioned that they had a quarrel
concerning who would be Kalmashapada
Mitrasaha’s priest. If we take the Rigvedic, epic
and Puranik accounts in their totality, this feud
assumes an extremely significant place in the
political history of those times.
Vashishta was originally the priest of the
Ikshvaku dynasty of Anaranya in the time of king
Traiyyaruna whose son was the notorious
Trishanku, so named for having raped a
Brahmin’s newly wedded bride, eaten a cow of
Vashishta’s and disobeyed his father. He had
been banished and lived with Chandalas. Hence,
on Traiyyaruna’s death, it was Vashishta who
ruled the kingdom as regent, keeping Trishanku
out of the throne. At this time a famine also took
place, and Vishvabandhu the Kanauj king,
attacked Vashishta’s realm. However, with the
help of tribal and non-Aryan armies, Vashishta
succeeded in wresting Vishvabandhu, who fled to
the forest. Here Trishanku looked after his family
during the terrible famine, earning his gratitude.
Vishvabandhu helped Trishanku to regain his
throne after this famine, alienating Vashishta
totally. When Trishanku wanted to carry out a
sacrifice, Vashishta flatly refused to officiate. At
this, Trishanku called in Vishvabandhu who had
started calling himself “Vishvamitra” and had
composed suktas for the Rig Veda. Vashishta,
however, organized a very successful boycott of
this ceremony, which prompted Vishvamitra to
create new deities.
In sukta 9 of the third mandala of the Rig Veda,
Vishvamitra refers to 3339 gods in place of the
33 mentioned in the Vedas. These are the new
gods. Consequently, Vashishta gave up his post
here, proceeded to Sudasa, king of North
Panchala, and became his advisor. In the Battle
of Ten Kings, Sudasa won chiefly because of
Vashishta’s advice. Vishvamitra who was with
his opponents lost. Yet, we find that later in
Sudasa’s yajna it was Vishvamitra who
officiated. Possibly because of this Vashishta left
him and went to the Paurava king Samvarana,
who had been routed from his kingdom by
Sudasa. With Vashishta’s help, Samvarana
defeated and killed Sudasa and won Tapati as his
wife. Hereafter we find Vashishta in the kingdom
of Kalmashapada, king of south Koshala,
another Ikshvaku prince, who is used by
Vishvamitra to destroy Vashishtha’s entire
family. It is quite possible that this occurred
before Vashishta went to Samvarana, as that
would explain his abandonment of the ungrateful
solar dynasty of Ikshvaku in favor of the lunar
dynasty of Puru.
After this we find Vashishta once more back at
his original post in the Anaranya dynasty as
Harishachandra’s priest, counseling him to carry
out a human sacrifice for appeasing Varuna.
Cleverly, he refuses to officiate at this horrendous
ceremony. As the victim, Shunahshepa,
Vishvamitra’s nephew, is chosen and it is
through Vishvamitra’s intervention that he
escapes. The frustrated Vashishta now shifted to
Northern Koshala, ruled by Dasaratha. But even
here Vishvamitra appeared on the scene and
stole all the glory by arranging the marriage of
Rama with Sita. Vashishta has hardly any role in
the Ramayana, while Vishvamitra becomes
responsible for the momentous destruction of the
Rakshasas infesting the forests by bringing about
Rama’s coming.
Another interesting point is that Vishvamitra’s
sister married the Bhargava sage Richika and
the Bhargavas were preceptors of the Asuras.
When Vishvamitra revolted against the
established gods and “created” new deities, new
hymns and a new sacrificial mode in Trishanku’s
sacrifice, this relationship must have been one of
the considerations prompting the gods ultimately
to take part in the ceremony despite Vashishta’s
ban.
reiterate a problem dealt with in
Sections 180-188
the Astika parva. Here both Aurva and
Parashara are determined to exterminate an
entire race, the Kshatriyas and the Rakshasas
respectively, just as Janamejaya set about
destroying the Nagas, decades later. This theme
of the attempted annihilation of an entire
community becomes a leit motif of the Adi Parva,
along with the theme of lust, which will recur in
Saudasa Kalmashapada.
Parashara, like Ashtavakra, calls his
grandfather “father” and determines to take
revenge on his father’s murderer on being
apprised of the truth. The difference is that where
Ashtavakra was content with defeating Vandin,
Parashara determines to annihilate all creation.
In order to dissuade him, Vashishta narrates the
story of Aurva. The Haiheyas slaughter the
Bhrigus, including unborn children, seeking to
seize their wealth till they are struck blind by the
effulgence of Aurva, who springs forth from his
mother’s thigh like Chyavana with Puloman.
Aurva determines to destroy all creation,
incensed at the quiescence of the gods in the face
of this horrendous massacre. Thereupon, his
ancestors’ manes reel out a bit of astonishing
special pleading claiming that they had
deliberately invited the calamity, being bored
with life and not wanting to commit suicide. The
sophistry is quite mind-boggling because suicide
is made out by them to be only the taking of one’s
own life by oneself, and not deliberately
motivating another to kill oneself. Aurva’s replies
are possibly some of the most memorable
passages. The anguish that throbs in every sloka
finds an echo in every reader’s heart:

“I am not one whose anger is empty, whose curse
fruitless. My anger unfulfilled will destruct me as
fire does dry wood. The man who suppresses
righteous anger for whatever reason, will find
himself frustrated in the three-fold path of
Dharma, Artha, and Karma.” (182.2-3)
He points out that no one stirred a finger to save
the victims. He passes on to voice a sentiment
echoed by all victims of injustice:
“Oh, if there was only someone to punish the
wicked, would there be any wickedness left in the
world to punish?” (182.9)
Sloka 11is a famous one, immortalized in Tagore’s
adaptation: “The man with power to punish who
does not punish who he knows deserves
punishment, himself becomes guilty.”
The climax of this angry young man’s indignation
is reached in sloka 12:
“Many rajas and nobles could have saved my
ancestors yet they did not—they chose riskless
luxury instead. But I - I have righteous anger on
my side! I have the power to punish! I don’t have
to obey you!
If I, who have power to punish, do not now
punish, what is to prevent other men from
repeating the crime?” (182.12-14)
How refreshingly alive the trans creation is
compared to the labored and stilted renderings of
previous translators! Aurva casts his wrath into
the ocean, as advised by his manes, and this
becomes the vadavagni, the mare-headed, water-
consuming fire that erupts to cause universal
dissolution at the time of pralaya.
Hearing this story, Parashara diverts his
creation-annihilating anger and pinpoints it on
the Rakshasas, organizing a great sacrifice.
Vashishta wisely does not try to dissuade his
grandson from this second vow: he knows the
hot-blood of youth and does not presume on his
authority too far. The sacrifice is powerfully
reminiscent of Janamejaya’s which Astika
managed to stop. The only difference is that in the
case of Aurva and Parashara the yajamana is
himself a Brahmin while in the latter it is a king.
Parashara discards the fire on the northern side
of the Himalayan forest where it is still aflame. It
is a team of five famous seers who succeed in
putting an end to the holocaust: Atri, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu and Mahakratu. The first four are
the mind-born sons of Brahma while Pulastya is
the ancestor of the Rakshasas and Ravana’s
grandfather. The word “Mahakratu” also
connotes “great sacrifice”, and may not be the
name of a seer, as we do not find any sage of this
name in the Puranas. The logic trotted out by
them is analogous to the peculiar sophistry of
Aurva’s manes:
“No raksasa, O muni, could have devoured him if
he had not done what he did. Vishvamitra was
merely an agent in the affair, like raja
Kalmashapada. Sakti is now happy in heaven.”
(183.16-17)
This looks like shrewd thinking to forestall
another vow by Parashara, this time to destroy
Vishvamitra and Kalmashapada. In case this is
not enough, Pulastya adds that Shaktri and all
the other sons of Vashishta are enjoying
themselves like gods in heaven, and that
Vashishta knows this. It is rather peculiar that
Parashara does not retort that the same logic can
apply in his case, and that he is merely an agent in
this destruction of the Rakshasas, just as
Vishvamitra was just a blameless instrument in
the death of his father. Anyway, the plea succeeds,
and the sacrifice is stopped.
It is only at this stage that Vashishta also chips in,
presumably corroborating Pulastya’s assertion
that he is in the know of his progeny’s celestial
bliss, which only emphasizes the speciousness of
the argument. If Vashishta had known this all
along, why did he not say so to prevent
Parashara from starting this Rakshasa-
holocaust? Actually, it is Pulastya himself who
almost acts as the devil’s advocate by saying:
“grandson of Vashishta, you are being used In
this sacrifice as a tool for the extermination of
these rakshasas.” (183.19-20)
It is not clear whose tool Parashara is supposed
to have been—presumably Fate’s. One suspects
that young Parashara stops the sacrifice more
out of respect for these renowned sages who are
pleading with him than because he is convinced
by what they say. Aurva’s case is also similar.
After the indignant refusal to give up his
revengeful resolve, he ultimately takes the advice
of his ancestors.
The theme of this narrative appears to be the
virtue of forgiveness. Besides the supreme
example of Vashishta, this is brought home
through Shaktri’s case as well. Shaktri, like
Shringi much after him, has not learnt to master
his anger. His rage, bursting forth against
Kalmashapada, recoils upon himself just as
Vishvamitra’s jealousy of Vashishta consistently
boomerangs until he conquers his own pettiness.
The true Brahmana is known by this power of
total self-control, by possessing immense spiritual
prowess but never using it selfishly.
Section 184 provides an interesting parallel to the
Pandu story. Arjuna leads Angaraparna back to
section 179 and wants to know if it was proper
for Kalmashapada to bid his wife have a child by
Vashishta and whether the sage was not violating
his code in agreeing to have intercourse with
another’s wife. Besides the fact that this reveals
the extremely shallow education received by the
princes (Bhishma had narrated instances
precisely of such niyoga custom to Satyavati and
these puranik stories were supposed to be the
staple of the brahmachari’s schooling), it also
suggests that Arjuna has a sneaking misgiving
about his and his brothers’ parentage. Knowing
that he and his brothers were fathered on Kunti
and Madri by persons other than Pandu, Arjuna
is seeking some sort of an assurance that this
niyoga custom, long outmoded by his time, is
sanctioned by dharma. He, of course, has not had
the benefit of listening in to Bhishma’s
recounting of this ancient practice. One would
dearly like to know what was going on in Kunti’s
mind when Arjuna posed this query.
Angaraparna, whom Arjuna admiringly
addresses as “all-knowing”, gives a reply that
seems to have been molded deliberately to satisfy
the Pandavas. Like Pandu, Kalmashapada is
cursed by a Brahmin’s wife for having killed her
husband in the act of intercourse. The curse is
also identical: to die in the act of intercourse. The
only difference is that she graciously indicates the
solution as well: he will have a son through
Vashishta’s intervention. Kalmashapada, again
like Pandu, forgets this curse in his lust.
Madayanti, unlike Madri, repulses him,
reminding him of the curse. Thereupon the king
seeks out Vashishta, and prays that he father a
son on Madayanti, just as Pandu had made Kunti
solicit three ‘gods’. It is significant that at this
point Arjuna should say, “Gandharva, you seem
to know everything” (185.1).
180.10 refers to Vashishta as “son of
Mitravaruna”, which ought to have been glossed,
as it is one of the most important of Puranik
myths. Vashishta, unlike Vishvamitra, is doubly
celestial in origin as both Mitra and Varuna had
intercourse with Urvashi, as a result of which
Vashishta and Agastya were born.
In section 185 we find the Pandavas picking
Dhaumya, brother of Devala, to be their priest, as
advised by the Gandharva. The choice of
Dhaumya itself reveals the decline in spiritual
stature of Brahmans. This Brahman is
renowned, presumably, as one of the finest
specimens of the current culture, but how far
below he is of Vashishta, Vishvamitra, Gautama,
Bhrigu, Chyavana and the rest! Dhaumya is no
better than a Brahman well versed in the
scriptures. He is no seer, nor imbued with
Chanakya’s statecraft. The same can be said of
Drupada’s purohita. In this epic we find the
picture of a transitional stage when these
Brahman-priests have yet no role to play in
policy-making, with the Kshatriyas fully in
control of the society, unlike the rishi-dominated
Vedic period. The time of all-powerful Brahman
counselors is yet to come, which is to culminate in
Kautilya. However having Dhaumya with them,
acts undoubtedly as a tremendous morale
booster, because they feel that they have as good
as won Draupadi and obtained their kingdom
and lost glory (185.9). The admiration appears to
be mutual (185.11).
It is interesting to compare this account of the
strife between the two great rishis with the one
given in the Ayodhya kanda of the Ramayana.
Where the Mahabharata version centers around
Vashishta and is more favorable to him, the
Ramayana version highlights Vishvamitra’s
unique achievement for the benefit of Rama and
Lakshmana who seem as ignorant of his prowess
as Arjuna is about Vashishta’s.
Vishvamitra’s path, therefore, was more of human effort than Divine grace. His was the path of the warrior, of
discipline and struggle, defeat and victory. He shows the development of an indomitable will that can overcome
all obstacles and even challenge the Gods.
V
ishvamitra is considered to be one of the
most revered sages of the ancient India. As
per the holy Puranas, there have been only
24 Rishis in India who have the Gayatri Mantra. It
is believed that Vishvamitra is the first of the 24
saints, and Sage Yajnavalkya the last. He also
claims the distinction of being the author of the
majority portion of the Mandala 3 of the Rig-Veda.
Kaushika
The story of Vishvamitra is narrated in the
Balakanda of Valmiki Ramayana. The
Mahabharata adds that Vishvamitra’s relationship
with Menaka resulted in a daughter, Shakuntala
whose story is narrated in the Adi Parva of the
Mahabharata.
Vishvamitra was a king in ancient India, named
Kaushika - ‘the descendant of Kusha’. He was a
valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great
king named Kusha. The Valmiki Ramayana, Sarga
51 of Bala Kanda, starts the legend of Vishvamitra
thus,
There was a king named Kusha, a brainchild of
Prajapati, and Kusha’s son was the powerful and
verily righteous Kushanaabha. One who is highly
renowned by the name Gaadhi was the son of
Kushanaabha, and Gaadhi’s son is Vishvamitra.
Vishvamitra ruled the earth for many thousands of
years.
His story also appears in various Puranas, however
they show variations from the Ramayana. The
Vishnu Purana and Harivamsha chapter 27
(dynasty of Amaavasu) of Mahabharata narrates
the birth of Vishvamitra.
According to Vishnu Purana, Kushika married a
girl belonging to Puru-kutsa (later called as
Shatamarshana lineage - descendents of Ikshvaku
king Trasadasyu) dynasty and had a son by name
Gadhi who had a daughter named Satyavati (not to
be confused with Satyavati of Mahabharata).
Satyavati was married to an old Brahman Richika
who was foremost among the race of Bhrigu.
Richika desired a son having the qualities of a
Brahman, and so he gave Satyavati a sacrificial
offering (charu) which he had prepared to achieve
this objective. He also gave Satyavati’s mother
another charu to make her conceive a son with the
character of a Kshatriya at her request. But
Satyavati’s mother privately asked Satyavati to
exchange her charu with her. This resulted in
Satyavati’s mother giving birth to Vishvamitra, the
son of a Kshatriya Gadhi with the qualities of a
Brahman; and Satyavati gave birth to Jamadagni,
the father of Parasurama, a Brahman with
qualities of a Kshatriya.
Feud with Vashishta
Once it happened that he and his soldiers took rest
in the ashram of Vashishta. There, his whole army
was well fed and taken care of. This caused a doubt
in the king’s mind as to how it was possible for this
simple ashram to take care of all the arrangements
to feed an entire army. He expressed his surprise to
the sage. Vashishta replied,
‘O king, this feast that you have partaken with your
kinsmen, has been provided by my calf Nandini
(sometimes referred as Sabala), who was gifted to
me by Indra. You must know that she is the
daughter of Indra’s cow Kamadhenu. She provides
me with everything I need.’
Kaushika was filled with wonder when he heard
this. He began to think that possessing this cow
would mean a lot to him; after all, the sage did not
have to provide food and sustenance for a large
army every day. He expressed a desire to the sage
for obtaining Nandini from him. Vashishta was
polite, but steadfast in his refusal. He would not be
tempted by the offer of untold wealth that was
made by, for after all who can set a price on a cow,
which can readily yield all the riches in the world.
The king grew exceedingly angry. He insulted the
Brahmarishi with harsh words, and ordered his
soldiers to seize the cow, and drive it to his
kingdom. By his yogic powers, the great sage
Vashishta, called forth an entire army of fierce
warriors. They fought the army of Kaushika and
defeated it thoroughly. Kaushika was captured and
presented before Vashishta. The sage pardoned the
king and sent him away with words of advice.
In an alternate version, Vashishta destroyed
Kaushika’s entire army by the simple use of his
great mystic and spiritual powers, breathing the
Aum syllable. Vashishta also thus kills one hundred
of Kaushika’s sons, while restoring his hermitage’s
beauty and life.
Kaushika then undertakes a tapasya for several
years to please Lord Shiva, who bestows upon him
the knowledge of celestial weaponry. He proudly
goes to Vashishta’s ashram again, and uses all kinds
of powerful weapons to destroy Vashishta and his
hermitage. He succeeds in the latter but not in the
former.
An enraged Vashishta brings out his brahmadanda,
a wooden stick imbued with the power of Lord
Creator Brahma. It consumes Kaushika’s most
powerful weapons, including the brahmastra.
Vashishta then attempts to attack Kaushika, but his
anger is allayed by the Devas. Kaushika is left
humiliated while Vashishta restores his hermitage.
Tapasya
The above mentioned incident deeply affected
Kaushika and made him realize that power of
penance was greater than that of physical strength.
He relinquished his throne and began his journey to
become a sage, greater than even Vashishta. After
undergoing intense meditation and severe
asceticism, he was bestowed with the title of
Brahmarishi by Lord Brahma himself. He was
given the name of ‘Vishvamitra’.
Legends surrounding
Vishvamitra
It is said that Sage Vishvamitra created a parallel
heaven, known as Trishanku Swarga, for King
Trishanku. It is also believed that in the great epic
Ramayana, Vishvamitra was born as Lakshmana,
the brother of Rama. He gave his brothers the
knowledge of the Devastras (celestial weaponry),
trained them in advanced religion and taught them
how to kill powerful demons.
According to Hinduism a Brahmarshi - a
tatpurusha comes from two words Brahma and
ṛiṣi. A Brahmarshi is a sage who has understood
the meaning of the word Brahma and has attained
the highest divine knowledge Brhmajnana. A
Brahmarishi is a member of the highest classes of
Rishis (‘seers’ or ‘sages’), especially those credited
with the composition of the hymns collected in the
Rigveda.
The superlative title of Brahmarishi is not attested
in the Vedas themselves and first appears in the
Sanskrit epics. According to this a Brahmarishi is
the ultimate expert of religion and spiritual
knowledge known as ‘Brahmajnana’. Below him
are the Maharishis
The Saptarshis created out of Brahma’s thoughts
are perfect Brahmarishi. They are often cited to be
at par with the Devas in power and piety in the
Puranas.
Bhrigu, Angiras, Atri, Vishvamitra, Kashyapa,
Vashishta, and Shandilya are the seven
brahmarshis. However, there is another set of
Saptarshis also who are also Gotra-pravartakas, or
the founders of Brahamanical clans, and this
second list appeared somewhat later, but still
belongs to ancient period.
All the hymns of third mandala of the Rig Veda are
ascribed to Vishvamitra including the Gayatri
mantra. According to Puranic stories, Vishvamitra
was the only Brahmarishi who rose to the position
out of pure tapas. Originally belonging to the
kshatriya caste of kings and warriors, he rose by
pure merit to a Brahmarshi. Vishvamitra is also
referred to as Kaushika, because he attained
Brahmajnana on the banks of the river Koshi.
Menka and Vishvamitra Painting by Raja Ravi Varma
This incident made a deep impression on the King.
He realized that the power obtained by penances
was far greater than mere physical might. He
renounced his kingdom and began his quest to
become a greater rishi than Vashishta. He took on
the name Vishvamitra. It is very interesting to see
all the challenges that Vishvamitra faced in his life
to become a Brahmarishi, before eventually giving
up the greed to possess the cow. After many trials
and undergoing many austerities, Vishvamitra at
last obtained the title of Brahmarishi from
Vashishta himself.
During this time he had a daughter named
Shakuntala (who appears in the Mahabharata)
with Menaka, an apsara in the court of Indra. Son
of Shakuntala became a great emperor. He came to
be known as Emperor Bharata and it is in his name
that the land of India got its name Bharat.
There us yet an alternate version of the same
anecdote. Kaushika seeks to attain the same
spiritual power as Vashishta, to become his equal, a
Brahmarishi. He undertakes a fierce penance for
one thousand years, after which Brahma names
him a Rajarishi, or royal sage.
After another long penance of ten thousand years,
Brahma names him a rishi, thus leaving his royal
lineage permanently.
At this point, Indra attempts to test the
Vishvamitra by sending Menaka, an apsara to
seduce him. Kaushik then lives with Menaka for 10
years. They have a baby girl Shakuntala. Kaushik
becomes angry as Menaka had destroyed his years
of meditation and thus he cursed her that she won’t
possess her beauty, of which she was proud, in next
birth. And hence in the next birth she became a
monkey and mother of Hanuman, Anjani.
Kaushika now goes to the banks of the river
Kaushiki, which is the spirit of his own sister. After
many thousands of years of penance, Brahma
names him maharishi, but also tells him that he has
not become a jitendriya yet, lacking control over his
passions. This is brought to light to Kaushika when
he angrily curses Rambha, an apsara sent by Indra
to seduce Kaushika again, to become a stone for a
thousand years.
Rise to Brahmarishi
After cursing Rambha, Kaushika goes to the
highest mountain of the Himalayas to perform an
even more severe tapasya for over a thousand
years. He ceases to eat, and reduces his breathing to
a bare minimum.
He is tested again by Indra, who comes as a poor
Brahmin begging for food just as Kaushika is ready
to break a fast of many years by eating some rice.
Kaushika instantly gives his food away to Indra
and resumes his meditation. Kaushika also finally
masters his passions, refusing to be provoked by
any of Indra’s testing and seductive interferences.
At the penultimate culmination of a multi-thousand
year journey, Kaushika’s yogic power is at a peak.
At this point, Lord Brahma, at the head of the Devas
led by Indra, names Kaushika a Brahmarishi, and
names him Vishvamitra, or Friend of All for his
unlimited compassion. He is also embraced by
Vashishta, and their enmity is instantly ended.
 Vishvamitra’s
Characteristics
As a former king, and one over as vast a realm as he
had been, Vishvamitra was known to retain a regal
and often haughty bearing. He was known for his
high temper and often cursed people out of his
anger, thereby depleting his yogic powers obtained
by much penance. People feared his temper and
prayed that their actions might not get
misconstrued by the touchy sage.
However, as a former king, Vishvamitra also
possessed great compassion for all beings. Having
taken pity on Trishanku, he willingly exhausted all
the punya he gained from his tapas, to enable him
to ascend to the heavens. Following his attainment
of the status of Brahmarishi, he was known to use
the power of his tapas to help anyone who was in
need, whatever the cost to himself. Kaushika’s love
of Menaka is considered to have been intense and
passionate beyond estimation.
Gayatri Mantra
Vishvamitra was the author of the revered great
Mantra - The Gyatri Mantra. It is a mantra that is
found in all the three Vedas; Rig, Yajur and Sama
Veda. Vedas clearly state that anyone can chant this
Mantra, and gain its benefits. Gyatri Mantra:
Om Bhur Bhuva Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
We meditate on the glory of the Creator;
Who is worthy of Worship,
Who is the source of knowledge,
Who is the bright light,
May he illuminate our intellect.
Gayatri Mantra is so called because it liberates one
who chants it.
Vishvamitra is famous in many legendary stories
and in different works of Sanatana dharma.
Another story Vishvamitra is known for is his
creation of his own version of Swarga or heaven,
called Trisanku Swarga. When a proud King
Trisanku asked his guru, Vashishta, to send him to
heaven in his own body, the guru responded that
the body cannot ascend to heaven.
Trisanku asked Vashishta’s hundred sons, to send
him to heaven. The sons, outraged that Trisanku
should not come to them when their father had
refused, cursed him to be a Chandala, or
untouchable. Trisanku was transformed into a
person with body smeared of ash, clothed in black
and wearing Iron jewellery. Since none of his
subjects could recognize him, he was driven out of
the kingdom.
He came across the sage Vishvamitra, who agreed
to help him. Vishvamitra organized a great sacrifice
and ritual propitiating the Devas, pleading that they
accept Trisanku in heaven. Not one Deva
responded. Angered, Vishvamitra used his yogic
powers and ordered Trisanku to rise to heaven.
Miraculously, Trisanku rose into the sky until he
reached heaven, where he was pushed back down
by Indra.
Enraged even more by this, the powerful
Vishvamitra then commenced the creation of
another heaven for Trisanku. He had only
completed the heaven when Brihaspati ordered
him to stop. Trisanku, however, did not enjoy
Trisanku Swarga, he remained fixed in the sky and
was transformed into a constellation.
In the process of forming a new universe,
Vishvamitra used up all the tapas he had gained
from his austerities. Therefore after the Trisanku
episode, Vishvamitra had to start his prayers again
to attain the status of a Brahma Rishi, to equal
Vashishta.
Harishchandra’s Sacrifice
While undertaking a penance, Kaushika helps a boy
named Shunashepa who has been sold by his
parents to be sacrificed at Harishchandra’s yagna
to please Varuna, the God of the Oceans. The king’s
son Rohit does not want to be the one sacrificed, as
was originally promised to Varuna, so young
Sunashep is being taken. A devastated and terrified
Sunashepa falls at the feet of Kaushika, who is
deep in meditation, and begs for his help.
Kaushika teaches secret mantras to Sunashepa.
The boy sings these mantras at the ceremony, and is
blessed by Indra and Varuna, and
Harishchandra’s ceremony is also completed.
Vishvamitra looks as Rama breaks the bow, winning the hand
of Sita in marriage.
Painting by Raja Ravi Varma
In the Indian epic Ramayana, Vishvamitra is the
preceptor of Rama, prince of Ayodhya and the
seventh Avatara of Vishnu, and his brother
Lakshmana.
Vishvamitra gives them the knowledge of the
Devastras or celestial weaponry trains them in
advanced religion and guides them to kill powerful
demons like Tataka, Maricha and Subahu. He also
leads them to the swayamvara ceremony for
princess Sita, who becomes the wife of Rama.
Vishvamitra Gotra
People belonging to the Vishvamitra Gotra
consider Brahmarishi Vishvamitra as their
ancestor. There is an off-shoot of ‘Vishvamitra
Gotra’ called ‘Chakita Vishvamitra Gotra’. Two
explanations have been suggested for this off-shoot.
The group is supposed to have sprung from a
surprised reaction of Vishvamitra. The other, more
likely, explanation, is that a group of descendants
decided to split from the main group and started
their own branch of this line.
Kaushika Gotra
People belonging to Kaushika Gotra take Rajarishi
Kausika as their root. Kausika was one of the
names of Vishvamitra who was supposed to have
lived in Mithila (presently in Tepal Terai and
India's Bihar) where his sister river Koshi still flows
turbulantly as she is said to be unmarried. Many
Maithil Brahmins are of Kaushik gotra with moola
Nikutwar barhi, Nikutwar nikuti and garh.
11 Royal clans out of the 96 clan of Marathas
belong to Kaushik gotra including the illustrious
house of Shivaji and Rashtrakutas. Two more
clans belong to the Vishvamitra gotra. Kaushika
gotra also belongs to Baish clan of rajput which
includes in the suryavanshi rajput. Many Kashmiri
pandits belong to Kaushika gotra. Many
Kanyakubji Bramhins found in different states also
belong to this gotra, as their forefathers have
migrated from Kashmir valley before settling
around Kanyakubja (present day Kanauj in U.P.
India). Many Deshastha and Kokanastha
Brahmins from Indian State of Maharashtra
belong to Kaushik Gotra. Many of the Niyogi
Brahmins from the state of Andhra Pradesh also
belong to the Kaushika Gotra.
Solar Power and the
Gayatri Mantra
(Solar Energy Within and Without)
The Vedas worship the Sun, Surya, as the source of
light for the entire world. But for the Vedic people,
light is not a material force but a power of life, love
and intelligence. Nor is the Sun a distant entity
unrelated to us. It has a presence on Earth through
the power of its rays, which not only pervade our
environment but also touch our very hearts. By the
Sun the Vedas do not simply refer to the outer
luminary, the central star of our solar system. They
mean the principle of light and consciousness on a
universal level, of which the Sun is our local
representative.
One of the main problems in the world today is the
energy crisis, which is endangering the very roots of
life on the planet. Where can we get the power to
run all our new technology, industry, transportation
and media? Our energy needs are increasing daily
with the growth in population and the increasing
affluence of the third world that is now demanding
the same conveniences that the western world has
enjoyed for decades. Where do we get this
additional energy? And how can we create it
without destroying the planet by pollution that is
the byproduct of most of our energy sources?
Solar power is the ultimate answer for the energy
crisis because it is a clean source of energy that is
unlimited, though the technology for it may take a
few decades more to develop fully. We must make
solar power the priority in energy research. We
must return to the Sun to save the Earth.
The Vedas are said to reside in the rays of the Sun,
which hold the Vedic mantras. The Vedas are the
manifestation of solar intelligence, or the light of
consciousness on Earth. The sacred syllable OM
itself is the sound of the Sun and the essence of
the Vedas. The Vedic mantras carry light and
power both for the body and the mind. India,
therefore, should be at the forefront of solar
research in order to keep up with its ancient
Vedic heritage.
Our society is also complaining about low energy on
a personal level. Particularly, in the developed
world low energy diseases like chronic fatigue,
depression and weak immune conditions are almost
epidemic. Many people find that they lack the
vitality to do what they want to do. Even if we try to
meditate in order to contact a higher power, we
often end up falling to sleep in the process and
nowhere owe to a lack of mental energy.
According to the Vedas, the inner Sun is Prana or
vital energy or orgone, which manifests through the
breath. To increase our personal energy, both for
physical health and for mental acuity, the best
practice is Pranayama or breath control. Breath
carries the subtle essence of speech, which is
mantra. The incoming breath carries the sound ‘so’
and the outgoing breath carries the sound ‘ha’. The
natural mantra “So’ham” in Sanskrit means, “He am
I,” referring to the Purusha or consciousness in the
Sun, as the Isha Upanishad so eloquently
proclaims. Our very breath is based upon unity with
the solar creator and source of life and can be used
to connect with its power.
We all want to increase our intelligence,
concentration, memory and capacity for
information. This is the key to strength and success
in the information age. The best way to do this is to
harness the power of the inner Sun, which is to
connect with cosmic intelligence through mantra
and meditation. Each one of us possesses a portion
of the light of consciousness, a ray of the solar
creator that endows us with understanding. This
faculty is called ‘dhi’ in Vedic thought refers to the
meditative aspect of the mind (dhyana manas) and
‘buddhi’ in later Indian thought, referring to
awakened intelligence.
The best mantra for awakening the higher mind is
the Gayatri mantra, which is a mantra to the solar
light of consciousness to awaken our meditative
mind (dhi). It brings us the Divine solar power of
consciousness, love and prana—the supreme light
of truth.
Vishvamitra and the
Gayatri Mantra
The Gyatri mantra was the gift to the world of the
great Rishi Vishvamitra, seer of the third book of
the Rigveda. Vishvamitra was one of the greatest
yet most controversial Vedic Rishis. He began as a
great king and warrior who wanted to add spiritual
power to his worldly conquests. This brought him in
contact and in conflict with Vashishta, the greatest
and purest of the Rishis. Vishvamitra persisted
through all difficulties, including those created by
his own ambition, until after a long period of
struggle through his will power and tapas he
ultimately achieved Self-realization. Vishvamitra’s
path, therefore, was more of human effort than
Divine grace. His was the path of the warrior, of
discipline and struggle, defeat and victory. He shows
the development of an indomitable will that can
overcome all obstacles and even challenge the Gods.
Vishvamitra by his tapas eventually created such
an internal fire that it began to threaten the Gods in
heaven by its heat. For this the Gods sent the
celestial nymph (apsara) Menaka to seduce him
and take him off his path. The strategy succeeded,
but not for long, and to fulfill another purpose that
perhaps the Gods had not planned. From his union
with Menaka, Vishvamitra begat a daughter,
Shakuntala, who eventually became the wife of
King Dushyanta. From the union of Dushyanta and
Shakuntala was born King Bharata, from whom
the name of India as Bharat arose. The whole
country of India, through its determinative dynasty
carries the blood and spirit of Vishvamitra, which is
closely, connected to that of the warrior Goddess
Durga.
Vishvamitra’s Gyatri mantra is the most important
mantra of the Hindus, probably still recited by more
than half of the people in India today. It is the most
sacred Vedic mantra, reciting at sunrise, noon and
sunset. We can literally translate it as:
We meditate upon the supreme effulgence of the
Divine Solar Creator that he may inspire our
intelligence!
The Gyatri mantra encourages creative thinking,
not as mere human invention but as our portion of
cosmic intelligence. It exhorts us to attune ourselves
to the cosmic mind and its laws of dharma. This
chant is as valuable and appropriate in the modern
world as it was in ancient times. We can use it
whenever we wish to gain new insight and
inspiration or to increase memory and
concentration, even for mundane tasks.
Vishvamitra in the Rigveda states that his prayer
or Brahma protects the people:
(visvamitrasya raksati brahmedam bharatam
janam, Rig Veda III.53.12).
His prayer of course is the Gayatri mantra. As long
as that mantra is recited in India, its ancient
spiritual heritage will be preserved. India should
not forget the Gayatri mantra, Vishvamitra or its
connection to the Sun. That is the key to its destiny
as a nation. Humanity also must remember the
Divine Self in the Sun, the Prana that is the
universal energy, and our role in the cosmos to
bring the Divine light of knowledge into the
darkness of physical matter. This is not an issue of
mere science and technology. It requires an inner
science of Yoga and the enlightenment of the mind.
Valmiki Ramayana
Bala Kanda Sarga 62
Sage Vishvamitra curses his sons as they defy his
orders and accords two esoteric hymns to
Shunashepa, for chanting them in the Vedic-ritual
of Ambariisha. Shunashepa gets longevity on
chanting those hymns. Thus Vishvamitra not only
creates another universe as in Trishanku’s episode,
he even accords longevity, or even deathlessness to
mortals by his ascetic power. Such as he is, he is the
mentor of Rama, and hence Sage Shatananda
informs Rama about the capabilities of his own
mentor, Vishvamitra, in these many episodes.
‘Oh, Rama, the best one among men and the
legatee of Raghu, on taking Shunashepa that highly
renowned king Ambariisha took rest at noontime
on the lakeside of Holy Lake.’ Thus Sage
Shataananda continued the legend of Shunashepa,
as a part of Vishvamitra's legend.
‘While the king Ambariisha is taking rest that
highly brilliant Shunashepa came to the lakeside of
main Holy Lake with high anxiety, and there he
indeed saw his maternal uncle Sage Vishvamitra
who is performing access along with other sages.
Shunashepa became pitiable and sulky faced by
strain and thirst, oh, Rama, and he immediately fell
in the lap of saint Vishvamitra saying this sentence.
‘I have no mother or a father to save me. Then
wherefore cousins or relatives will be there to
protect me. Oh, peaceable saint the eminent, it will
be apt of you to protect me according to saintliness.
Oh, illustrious sage, you alone is the savior to each
and every one, isn’t it! You alone are the guardian
angel, isn’t it! Hence, let the purpose of the king
Ambariisha be achieved, and let longevity come to
me, and I on becoming imperishable and indeed on
performing an unexcelled access, I wish to enjoy in
heavenly worlds.
‘You shall be my providence with a providential
sentiment as I stand unprotected, and oh, virtue
soul one, it will be apt of you to protect me from
misfortune, like a father protecting his own son.’
Thus Shunashepa appealed to Vishvamitra.
‘On hearing that sentence of Shunashepa and on
pacifying him in many ways, Vishvamitra of higher
access indeed said this to his sons. For what reason
parents engender sons, desiring positivity and for
the purpose of welfare in the other worlds, this is
the time that has come for fulfilling that reason.
Vividly: ‘A father’s ambition in begetting sons is to
do something good and positive to the society in the
present world and when departed a right place is
acquired in heavens through these sons, by their
yearly death-day rituals etc., and hence you do some
good in saving this boy from premature death and
earn an apt place for me in heavens...’
‘This youngest is the son of sage and he aspires
shelter from me. Hence, oh, sons, give him
satisfaction just by giving life to him. You all have
done very good pious deeds and you all abide by
probity. Hence, you bestow appeasement to Fire-
god on your becoming the ritual-animals of king
Ambariisha in lieu of this boy Shunashepa. As a
result, Shunashepa will have protectors, Vedic-
ritual will be unimpeded, gods will be oblated, and
my word too will be actualized.’ Thus Vishvamitra
said to his sons.
‘But on hearing the saying of the sage, oh, Rama, the
best of men, Madhushyanda and the other sons of
Vishvamitra said this, haughtily and disparagingly.
‘On sacrificing your own sons how can you save
another’s son, oh, lordly father, we deem this as a
wrongdoing and as good as dog’s meat in a dinner.’
Thus the sons of Vishvamitra replied their father.
Vishvamitra will be nagged by almost all, including
his sons, on this ‘dog-meat-eating.’ There is a
parable in Mahabharata that Vishvamitra once
tried to eat dog’s meat when he did not get any food,
but caught red-handedly. Later this has become the
curse-theme to Vishvamitra when he cursed
Vashishta’s sons. At the present juncture also he
curses his own sons with the same theme.
‘On listening that saying of his sons sage
Vishvamitra started to curse them while fury
reddened his eyes. You all have not only
transgressed my word, but pertly replied me in an
impudent manner which is abhorrent and hair-
raising, and recriminatory according to probity. You
all will be whirling around the earth totally for a
thousand years taking birth in the race that subsists
on dog’s meat, like the sons of Vashishta.’ Thus
Vishvamitra cursed his sons.
‘On making his sons bounden by curse, then that
best saint spoke to the pitiable Shunashepa, on
making unharmed invulnerability to him with
sanctifying hymns.
‘When you are fastened with sacred fastener to the
sacrificial post of Vishnu, smeared with red paste
and garlanded with red garlands, you praise fully
address the Fire-god with the words I going to
impart to you in Vedic hymns. These two divine
hymns, oh, son of saint, shall be chanted in the
Vedic-ritual of Ambariisha, and then you will
obtain your aspiration.’ Thus Vishvamitra taught
two Vedic hymns to the boy. Shunashepa having
taken those two hymns from Vishvamitra very
attentively has instantly gone to that lion-king
Ambariisha and indeed spoke to him.
‘Oh, king the lion, let us go promptly to your ritual
place, oh, best king, you may apply yourself to your
pledge in completing the ritual, with me as its
sacrificial animal,’ thus the boy said. On listening
that sentence of the son of sage, the king
Ambariisha is gladdened and proceded to the ritual
hall immediately and spiritedly. The king with the
permission of officiators of ritual got the boy
prepared as a ritual animal with sanctified bodily
features and clad him in red clothes and got him
securely fastened to the sacrificial post.
‘When Shunashepa is tied to ritual post he
immensely pleased two gods, namely Indra and
Upendra as well, with those two hymns he got from
Vishvamitra. Then the Thousand-eyed Indra who
is satisfied with esoteric laudation is gladdened, and
oh, Raghava, then he bestowed longevity to
Shunashepa.
‘Oh, Rama, the best one among men, he that king
Ambariisha also obtained the fruits of that Vedic-
ritual in manifold, resulted from the grace of
Thousand-eyed Indra.
‘Oh, Rama, the best among men, even the great
ascetic Vishvamitra again performed access at the
same Holy lakeside for another thousand years.’
Thus Sage Shataananda continued the narration of
Vishvamitra’s legend.
 When Rama was about to leave Ayodhya at the end of his presence on earth,
Rama in his original form of Vishnu ordered Vibhishana to stay on earth
and serve the people and guide them to the path of truth and Dharma.
Hence, Vibhishana is considered one of the seven immortals, or Chiranjeevins.
Furthermore, Vishnu ordered Vibhishana to pray to the family deity
of Rama’s natal Sun Dynasty, Lord Ranganatha.

Symbolically, Vibhishana represents devotion
to Sri Rama, and as a demon devotee, he shows
that the Lord does not distinguish between his
followers based on birth or circumstances in
life. The same taught exists in the story of
Prahlada and Narasimha.
When Vibhishana became the King of Lanka,
he turned his subjects from the path of evil to
the path of good and Dharma or righteousness.
His wife, Queen Sarma also helped him in this
effort.
Vibhīshaṇa or Bibhishan is a character in the
epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of
the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon
himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character
and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and
abducted Sita, to return her to her husband
Rama promptly. When his brother did not
listen to his advice, Vibhishana joined Rama’s
army. Later, when Rama defeated Ravana,
Rama crowned Vibhishana as the king of
Lanka.
In the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition,
Vibhishana was one of the Gods of the Four
Warrants (satara varam deviyo) until the
Kotte period. According to the Ravana Katha
of Wickramasinghe Adigar, after the defeat of
Ravana, Vibhishana transferred the Yaksha
capital from Alakamandawa to Kelaniya. In
the 15th Century poem of Totagamuwe Sri
Rahula, the sælalihini sandesaya, the Myna is
ordered to carry the missive to Vibhishana at
his temple in Kelaniya. After the 16th Century
he was replaced as a God of the four warrants
by the goddess Pattini. He continues to be
worshipped by a diminishing number of
adherents, mainly in the Kelaniya area.
In the Ramayana
Vibhishana had a sattvic (pure) mind and a
sattvic heart. From his early childhood, he
spent all his time meditating on the name of the
Lord. Eventually, Brahma appeared and
offered him any boon he wanted. Vibhishana
said that the only thing he wanted was to have
his mind fixed at the feet of the Lord as pure as
lotus leaves (charan kamal). He prayed that he
should be given the strength by which he would
always be at the feet of the Lord, and that he
would receive the darshan (holy site) of
Vishnu. This prayer was fulfilled, and he was
able to give up all his wealth and family, and
join Rama.
Vibhishana was the youngest son of Sage
Vishrava, and the grandson of Sage Pulatsya,
one of the mental sons of Brahma. Vibhishana
was the younger brother of the king of Lanka,
Ravana and King of Sleep, Kumbakarna. Even
though he was born in the demon race, he was
alert and pious and considered himself a
Brahmin, since his father was intuitively such.
Due to Vibhishana’s differences with Ravana
and because he was against the act of
kidnapping Sita, Ravana exiled him from
Lanka. His mother, Kaikesi, advised him to go
and serve Sri Rama, who was at that time
assembling an army to conquer Ravana and to
recover Sita. Sri Rama accepted Vibhishana’s
service and anointed him the King of Lanka
after Ravana’s death.
In the Lanka War, Vibhishana’s knowledge
about the secrets of Lanka proved invaluable to
Sri Rama. Vibhishana freely divulged many
secrets that became significant to the success of
Rama’s attack, including revealing the secret
path to the temple of Mata Nikumbala, the
family deity of the Pulatsya Clan. Because of
this, however, Vibhishana is also known as a
traitor.
While modern readers tend to view the Indian
epics with eyes used to seeing clearly defined
good and bad characters, the Ramayana’s
characterization is trying to represent the
practical implications of the concept of
Dharma. The epic stresses that neither
Vibhishana nor Kumbhakarna strayed from
the path of Dharma and that there is no single
way out of a moral dilemma.
The Ramayana teaches that Kunbhakarna
adhered to the Dharma of loyalty to his kin
when his advice fails, while Vibhishana chose
to oppose his kin when his advice failed. This
speaks of essential nature of the two
characters. Kumbharana represents one who
has envisioned truth. But in spite of this he
attached his total support for Ravana and his
cause of unrighteousness guided by the tamsic
tendencies in the scheme of the divine to create
this epic and thus the way for humanity to
choose the path of righteousness. Vibhishana
on the other hand represent the forces of
righteousness and sattwic tendencies. A man of
sattwic tendencies always chooses the forces of
light and the man of tamsic tendencies chooses
the path of darkness.
Symbolically, Vibhishana represents devotion
to Sri Rama, and as a demon devotee, he shows
that0 the Lord does not distinguish between his
followers based on birth or circumstances in
life. The same aught can be read in the story of
Prahlada and Narasimha.
When Vibhishana became the King of Lanka,
he turned his subjects from the path of evil to
the path of good and Dharma or righteousness.
His wife, Queen Sarma also helped him in this
effort.
When Rama was about to leave Ayodhya at the
end of his presence on earth, Rama in his
original form of Vishnu ordered Vibhishana to
stay on earth and serve the people and guide
them to the path of truth and Dharma. Hence,
Vibhishana is considered one of the seven
immortals, or Chiranjeevins. Vishnu also
ordered Vibhishana to pray the family deity of
Rama’s natal Sun Dynasty, Lord Ranganatha.
Alternate Interpretation
There are yet alternative interpretations to the
character and qualities of Vibhishana rooted
within the alternate interpretation of Ravana
himself. In certain contexts he is seen as a
usurper or traitor. Vibhishana is portrayed as a
naive and ignorant person who betrayed his
land and brother.
In more general day-to-day context within Sri
Lanka, sometimes Vibhishana is mentioned as
one of the biggest traitors in the history of the
nation and the incident as the greatest betrayal
of the country. As with the mainstream
interpretation of Ramayana, the alternative
versions have not yet been proven as actual
events, rather than fictions woven by narrators
with different biases.
The Hindi saying ‘Ghar kā bhedi Lanka dhāe’
means ‘Traitor in the family destroyed Lanka’
meaning ‘An enemy in the family itself can
destroy it’, just as Vibhishana’s revealing of
secrets resulted in the destruction of Lanka.’
The Hindu festival Dashahra epitomizes the
triumph of good over evil. This is the auspicious
day when the great Rama killed Ravana and
emancipated Lanka from the dominance of
Asuras. The day when we burn the effigy of
Ravana along with his subordinates
Meghanad and Kumbhkarana. Rama fought a
battle of ten days with Ravana, who had
abducted his wife Sita. With his Monkey Army
called Vanar Sena, Sri Rama defeated the
Ravana Sena and handed over the rule to
Vibhishana. Exact twenty days after the end of
the war, Rama along with Sita and
Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya. It is the
same day on which the festival of Diwali is
celebrated. The significance of Dashahra in
context of Diwali is thus relevant.
Since then the effigies of ten faced Ravana,
Meghnad and Kumbhkarana are burnt.
Usually, ten days before Dashahra, the whole
Ramayana is enacted in various parts of India
as well as in many countries where people of
Hindu community are living. This is popularly
known as Ram Lila. On the tenth day, that is,
Dashahra the entire Rama-Ravana war is
enacted and at last the actor playing the role of
Rama burns the effigy with the stroke of his
arrow.
KUMBHAKARNA
in the assembly
‘Great King! Ignoring the principles of
statecraft, you have run into a great danger. If
you had any grievance against Rama and
Lakshmana, you should have met them face to
face and defeated and slain them before
carrying off Sita. If you had acted thus, even
Sita would have admired you and there would
then have been a possibility of her accepting
you. As waters flow down a mountain, she
would have followed a victorious warrior. You
did not consult us before committing the
offence and incurred the enmity of Rama, but
now, when it is too late, you seek our counsel.
This is not the right way of doing things that a
king should follow.’
Having spoken thus harshly, Kumbhakarna
looked at the king and saw he was pained.
Affectionate as he was brave, he could not
endure the sadness in his brother’s face.
‘Let by-gones be by-gones,’ he thought, ‘one
cannot forsake one’s honor.’
Kumbhakarna was under no delusion as to the
consequences, but his generous spirit accepted
them for the sake of the brother he idolized. He
knew that Rama was a peerless warrior.
He knew the power of his bow and also the
limitations of the boons that Ravana had
received from the gods. But it was no good
taking the heart out of others in the face of
unavoidable peril and so be also began to speak
vaunting words like the rest:
‘What You did may be wrong, and so too the
way you chose to do it. You have done first
what you should have done last. And yet, it does
not matter. I shall slay Rama. Do not be afraid.
One or two of his arrows may touch me. In spite
of it, I shall kill him and drink his blood and
victory will be yours. My brother, lay aside your
care, and think of other things.’
Some people suggest that Kumbhakarna was
dull and so he thus contradicted himself. But it
was not stupidity it was due to generous
affection that he accepted the inevitable
fearlessly. He was a proud warrior who loved
his brother and his people and he decided on
honorable death with them.
Prahasta was Ravana’s chief counselor. He
spoke of the King’s invincible strength and
cheered him up. Ravana now grew enthusiastic
and said: ‘Didn’t I vanquish Kubera? Didn’t I
drive him out and make Lanka my own? Who
dare come here and oppose me? Let us see!’
The assembly applauded these words.
‘Ravana’, meaning ‘(He) of the terrifying roar’, was given to him by Shiva - the earth is said to have quaked at
Ravana’s cry of pain when the mountain was pinned on him. Ravana in turn became a lifelong devotee of Lord
Shiva and is said to have composed the hymn known as Shiva Tandava Stotra.

Ravana’s life is a typical example of brilliance gone wrong. He was given the very best instruction and was
truly great in his abilities and achievements but never learnt the lesson of humbleness. His egoism and pride
were boundless. Instead of following the path of Dharma, he consistently chose to break it. Instead of gaining
fame for his countless good qualities, he was known for his improper behavior. His atrocities kept growing in
number and eventually became so terrible, that it took an incarnation of Vishnu to subdue him.

Ravana is the primary antagonist character of the
Hindu legend, the Ramayana. He is the demon
king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly
depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita,
to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother
Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister
Surpanakha.
Kaikesi on the other hand is the mother of Ravana
and the daughter of Sumali (or Sumalaya), king of
the Daityas. Somali wished Kaikesi to marry the
most powerful being in the mortal world, so as to
produce an exceptional heir. Therefore, he rejected
the kings of the world, as they were less powerful
than him. Kaikesi searched among the sages and
finally chose Vishrava, - the son of sage Pulastya,
the father of Kubera. Ravana was thus partly
Brahmin and partly Daitya.
This depiction is, however, open to other
interpretations. Ravana is described as a devout
follower of Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler
and a maestro of the Veena. He has his apologists
and staunch devotees within the Hindu traditions,
some of whom believe that his description as a ten-
headed person is a reference to him possessing a
very thorough knowledge over the 4 Vedas and 6
Upanishads, which made him as powerful as 10
scholars. An alternative interpretation is that he is
guided by and does not have control over the five
senses and five bodily instruments of action. His
counterpart, Rama, on the contrary, is always in
full control of these ten. However, there is mention
in Atharvaveda of Demonic Brahman called
Dasagva (ten-headed) and Navagva (nine-
headed). These early beings may be the actual
forerunners of the later character in the
Ramayana.
Ravana also authored Ravana Sanhita, a powerful
book on the Hindu astrology. Ravana possessed a
thorough knowledge of Ayurveda and political
science. He is said to have possessed the nectar of
immortality, which was stored under his navel,
thanks to a celestial boon by Brahma. According to
some theories, he was a historical emperor who
reigned over Sri Lanka from 2554 BC to 2517 BC.
Etymology
The name ‘Ravana’ obtains from the root ‘ru’
‘raavayati iti raavaNaH’ 'one who makes enemies
cry by his violent actions. The name Ravana
obtains from the root, ‘Ra’ signifies the sun and
‘vana’ signifies generation. Ravana had many other
popular names such as Dasis Ravana, Ravan,
Raavan, Ravula, Lankeshwar, Ravanaeshwaran
all signifying the qualities.
Variations of the name include the following:
1. Burmese: [jàwəna̯]
2. Indonesian: Rahwana
3. Javanese: Rahwana or Dasamuka (from
Daśamukha or 'ten faced')
4. Khmer: Rabana or Rab, Krong Reap
5. Lao: Raphanasuan
6. Malay: Rawana or Wana
 7. Maranao: Lawana
8. Tamil: Iravanan
9. Thai: ทศกัณฐ์ , Thosakan (from Dashakanta or
'ten necked')
10. Yuan: Rahbanasun
Birth
Ravana was born to a great sage Vishrava (or
Vesamuni), and his wife, the daitya princess
Kaikesi. He was born in the Devagana gotra, as
his grandfather, the sage Pulastya, was one of the
ten Prajapatis or mind-born sons of Brahma and
one of the Saptarishi (Seven Great Sages Rishi) in
the first Manvantara.
Kaikesi was the daughter of, Sumali (or
Sumalaya), king of the Daityas. He wished Kaikesi
to marry the most powerful being in the mortal
world, so as to produce an exceptional heir. He
rejected the kings of the world, as they were less
powerful than him. Kaikesi searched among the
sages and finally chose Vishrava, the father of
Kubera. Ravana was thus partly Brahmin and
partly Daitya.
Even though he was partly Brahmin and partly
Rakshas, Rama praised Ravana as
Mahabrahmin. Rama had to do Ashwamedha
yagna as penance for killing a Brahmin
(Brahmahatyadosha).
His brothers were Vibhishana, Kumbhakarna and
Ahiravana. Through his mother, he was related to
the daityas Maricha and Subahu. Kaikesi also
produced a daughter, Meenakshi (‘girl with fish
like eyes’), although later she was dubbed the
infamous Shoorpanakha - ‘winnow-like nails’.
His father Vishrava noted that while Ravana was
aggressive and arrogant, he was also an exemplary
scholar. Under Vishrava’s tutelage, Ravana
mastered the Vedas, the holy books, and also the
arts and ways of Kshatriyas (warriors). Ravana
was also an excellent veena player and the sign of
his flag had a picture of veena on it. Sumali, his
mother’s father, worked hard in secret to ensure
that Ravana retained the ethics of the Daityas.
Kartavirya Arjuna
humbles Ravana
The Ramayana tells that Ravana had close
connections with region of the Yadus, which
included Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra and
Rajasthan up to Mathura south of Delhi. Ravana
is related to Lavanasura, also regarded as a
Rakshasa, of Madhupura (Mathura) in the region
of the Surasenas, who was conquered and killed
by Shatrughna, youngest brother of Rama.
After worshipping a Shiva Linga on the banks of
the Narmada, in the more central Yadu region,
Ravana was captured and held under the control
of King Kartavirya Arjuna, one of the greatest
Yadu kings. It is very clear from the references in
the Ramayana that Ravana was no commoner
among the Humans or Asuras, a great chanter of
the Sama Veda.
Tapas to Brahma
Following his initial training, Ravana performed
an intense penance to Brahma – the Creator
lasting several years. During his penance, Ravana
cut off his head 10 times as a sacrifice to appease
Brahma. Each time he sliced his head off a new
head arose, thus enabling him to continue his
penance. At last, Brahma, pleased with his
austerity, appeared after his 10th decapitation and
offered him a boon. Ravana asked for immortality,
which Brahma refused to give, but gave him the
celestial nectar of immortality. The nectar of
immortality, stored under his navel, dictated that
he could not be vanquished for as long as it lasted.
Ravana also asked for absolute invulnerability
from and supremacy over gods, heavenly spirits,
other Rakshas, serpents, and wild beasts.
Contemptuous of mortal men, he did not ask for
protection from these. Brahma granted him these
boons in addition to his 10 severed heads and great
strength by way of knowledge of divine weapons
and magic. Thus Ravana known as ‘Dasamukha’
(Dasa = ten, mukha = mouth/face).
 King of Lanka
After winning these boons, Ravana sought out his
grandfather, Sumali, and assumed leadership over
his army. He then set his sights on capturing the
island city of Lanka (present day Sri Lanka).
Lanka was an idyllic city, created by the celestial
architect Vishwakarma for Kubera, the treasurer
of the gods. Kubera had generously shared all that
he owned with Ravana and the latter's siblings,
who were Kubera's half-brothers and half-sister
through his stepmother Kaikesi. However, Ravana
demanded Lanka wholly from him, threatening to
take it by force. Vishrava, advised Kubera to give it
up to him, as Ravana was now undefeatable.
Although Ravana usurped Lanka, he was
nevertheless regarded as a benevolent and
effective ruler. Lanka flourished under his rule, to
the extent that it is said the poorest of houses had
vessels of gold to eat and drink off, and hunger was
unknown in the kingdom.
Devotee of Lord Shiva
Following his conquest of Lanka, Ravana
encountered Shiva at his abode in Kailash. Here
Ravana attempted to uproot and move the
mountain on a whim. Shiva, annoyed by Ravana’s
arrogance, pressed his small Toe on Kailash,
pinning him firmly and painfully under it. His
ganas – attendants informed Ravana of whom he
had crossed, upon which Ravana became penitent.
He composed and sang songs praising Shiva, and is
said to have done so for years until Shiva released
him from his bondage.
Pleased with his resilience and devotion, Shiva
gave to him the divine sword Chandrahas (‘Moon-
blade’). It was during this incident that he acquired
the name ‘Ravana’, meaning ‘(He) Of the terrifying
roar’, given to him by Shiva - the earth is said to
have quaked at Ravana’s cry of pain when the
mountain was pinned on him. Ravana in turn
became a lifelong devotee of Lord Shiva and is said
to have composed the hymn known as Shiva
Tandava Stotra.
Lord Shiva had given his sword Chandrahasa with
a caveat that if it was used for unjust causes, it
would return to the three eyed one and Ravana’s
days would be numbered. Ravana uses the sword
to kill Jatayu when kidnapping Sita and it
disappears when he uses it to kill Jatayu.
After Ravana had been given the Celestial juice of
Immortality by Brahma, he went on to please
Shiva. He cut his head and put it as sacrifice for
pleasing Shiva, but Shiva replaced his head with a
new one. This was repeated Nine times, on which
Shiva was happy and pleased with Ravana’s
resilience and devotion. Thus he also got name
Dasa-sheesha.
Emperor of the Three Worlds
His abilities now truly awe-inspiring, Ravana
proceeded on a series of campaigns, conquering
humans, celestials and other demons. Conquering
the netherworld completely, he left his brother
Ahiravana as king. He became supreme overlord
of all asuras in the three worlds, making an
alliance with the Nivatakavachas and Kalakeyas,
two clans he was unable to subdue. Conquering
several kingdoms of the human world, he
performed the suitable sacrifices and was crowned
Emperor.
Kubera at one point chastised Ravana for his
cruelty and greed, greatly angering him.
Proceeding to the heavens, Ravana fought and
defeated devas, singling out his brother for
particular humiliation. By force he gained
command over the gods, celestials, and the serpent
races. At the time of the Ramayana, set several
hundred years later, Ravana is shown as
dominating all human and divine races - so much
so that he can command the Sun’s rising and
setting.
Women
Ravana was known for his virility and his
aggressive conquests of women. Ravana had
several wives, foremost of who was Mandodari -
daughter of Mayasura and an apsara named
Hema.
Mandodari was renowned for her wisdom and
grace as well as beauty and chastity. She is often
compared to Sita, the most beautiful woman
described in Indian spiritualism.
In addition to his wives, Ravana maintained a
harem of incredible size populated with women
whom he captured in his many conquests, many of
them accepted and lived happily in his harem for
his great manhood, power, and knowledge of
different subjects. Ravana was known to force
himself upon any woman who rejected his
advances. Two significant encounters occurred that
would shape the course of the Ramayana.
The first was the encounter with the sage-woman
Vedavati. Vedavati had been performing penance
with the intention of winning Vishnu as her
husband. Ravana met her at her hermitage, her
beauty enhanced by the austerities she had
performed. He proposes to her and is rejected.
Ravana mocks her austerities and her devotion to
Vishnu; finding himself firmly rejected at every
turn, he tries to molest Vedavati, pulling her hair.
This greatly incensed her, and she forthwith cut off
her hair, and said she would enter into the fire
before his eyes, adding,
‘Since I have been insulted in the forest by thee
who art wicked-hearted, I shall be born again
for thy destruction.’
So she entered the blazing fire, and celestial
flowers fell all around. It was she who was born
again as Sita, and was the moving cause of
Ravana’s death, though Rama was the agent.
Vedavati is said to have been reborn as Sita,
causing Ravana’s death and winning Vishnu (as
Rama) as her husband.
The second was his encounter with the apsara
Rambha, upon whom he forced himself. Rambha
was betrothed to Kubera’s son, but her plea that
she was like a daughter to him did not deter
Ravana. Angered at this, Kubera’s son cursed
Ravana, stating that his ten heads would fall off if
he forced himself upon any woman thereafter. This
curse is said to have protected Sita’s chastity while
she was Ravana’s captive for nearly a year.
Depiction in other Scriptures
as Vishnu’s cursed doorkeeper
In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his
brother, Kumbhakarna were said to be
reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at
Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu and were cursed
to be born in Earth for their insolence.
These gatekeepers refused entry to the Sanatha
Kumara monks, who, because of their powers and
austerity appeared as young children. For their
insolence, the monks cursed them to be expelled
from Vaikuntha and to be born on Earth as
demons.
Vishnu agreed that they should be punished. They
were given two choices that they could be born
about 10 times as normal mortal people and
followers of Vishnu, or three times as powerful and
strong as enemies of Vishnu, for which they chose
the latter one. Ravana was one of their second
births as enemies of Vishnu.
Ravana’s family
The family members of Ravana are hardly
mentioned outside the Ramayana, not much can
be said about them. They are presented here as
they are in the Ramayana, which is viewed by
some as being only the point of view of Rama
devotees, but is the most complete account of the
story that is known.
Ravana was married to Mandodari, the daughter 2. Vibhishana - A great follower of Rama and
of the celestial architect Maya, Dhanyamalini, and one of the most important characters in the
a third wife. He had seven sons from his three Ramayana. As a minister and brother of
wives: Ravana, he spoke the Truth without fear
and advised Ravana to return Kidnapped
1. Indrajit Sita and uphold Dharma. Ravana not only
2. Prahasta rejected this sane advice, but also banished
3. Atikaya him from his kingdom. Vibhishana sought
4. Akshayakumara protection from Rama, which was granted
5. Devantaka without hesitation. He is known as a great
6. Narantaka devotee of Rama.
7. Trishira
3. Kumbhakarna – He is one of the most jovial
Ravana’s paternal grandfather was Pulastya, son demons in Hindu history. When offered a
of Brahma. Ravana’s maternal grandfather was boon by Brahma, he was tricked into asking
Malyavan, who was against the war with Rama, for unending sleep! A horrified Ravana, out
and his maternal grandmother was Tataki. of brotherly love, persuaded Brahma to
Ravana also had a maternal uncle, Maricha – the amend the boon. Brahma mitigated the
brother of Kaikesi. power of the boon by making
Kumbhakarna sleep for six months and
Ravana had six brothers and two sisters: being awake for rest six months of a year (in
some versions, he is awake for one day out
1. Kubera - the King of North direction and the of the year). During the war with Rama,
Guardian of Heavenly Wealth. He was an Kumbhakarna was awakened from his
older half-brother of Ravana. They were sleep. He tried to persuade Ravana to
born to the same father by different follow Dharmic path and return Sita. And
mothers. thus seek the mercy of Rama. But he too
failed to mend the ways of Ravana.
 However, he fought on the side of Ravana
and was killed in the battlefield. Before
dying he met Vibhishana and blessed him
for following path of righteousness.
4. Khara – He is the king of Janasthan. He
protected the northern kingdom of Lanka in
the mainland and his kingdom bordered
with the Kosala Kingdom, the kingdom of
Rama. He was well-known for his superior
skills in warfare.
5. Dushana - He remained deputy to Khara
and served as the Viceroy of Janasthan.
6. Ahiravan – He was the King of the
Underworld ruled by the rakshasas as
guided by Ravana and Demon King Maya.
7. Kumbhini – She is the sister of Ravana and
the wife of the demon Madhu, King of
Mathura. She was the mother of
Lavanasura who became the powerful king
of Mathura who used to eat the sages. He
was ultimately killed by Shatrughana – the
younger brother of Rama. Kumbhini was
renowned for her beauty and later retired to
the sea for penance.
8. Surpanakha – She was the other evil sister
of Ravana. She had fish like eyes and named
Meenakshi. She later on developed winnow
like ears and came to be known as
Surpanakha. She was the ultimate root of
the kidnapping of Sita. She was the one who
instigated her brothers to wage a war
against Rama.
There are several temples where Ravana is
worshipped. Ravana is considered most revered
devotee of Lord Shiva. The images of Ravana are
seen associated with Shiva at some places.
There is a huge Shivalinga in Kakinada, Andhra
Pradesh, supposedly installed by Ravana himself,
with a statue of Ravana nearby. Shivalinga and
Ravana are both worshiped by the fishermen
community there.
Thousands of Kanyakubja Brahmins of the village
Ravangram of Netaran, in the Vidisha District of
Madhya Pradesh, perform daily puja (worship) in
the Ravana temple and offer naivedyam (a ritual
of sacrifice to the Gods. Centuries ago King Shiv
Shankar built a Ravana temple at Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh. The Ravana temple is opened once in a
year, on Dashehra Day, to perform puja for the
welfare of Ravana.
A Jain temple in Alvar, Rajasthan is called the
Ravana Parsvanath Temple. The legend says that
Ravana used to worship Parsvanath daily. While
Ravana was on tour to Alvar he realized that he
forgot to bring the image of Parsvanath.
Mandodari, Ravana’s wife, is said to have made an
image of Parsvanath immediately. Hence there
exists a Ravana Parsvanath temple at Alvar.
Ravana is said to have married Princess
Mandodari at a place about 32 kilometers away
from Jodhpur, which is now called Mandor. There
is a mandap (altar or pavilion) where Ravana is
said to have married Mandodari, and which the
local people call Ravan Ki Chanwari.
At the altar can also be found the images of
Saptamatri (Seven Mothers) flanked by Ganesha
and Veerabhadra. The Saptamatri images are
said to precede the time of the Pratihara Dynasty
(founded in the 6th Century AD) and are in fact
reminiscent of the images of seven female deities of
Harappa - the oldest civilization in India. In the
nearby stepwell, a stone bears a script that
resembles the Harappan script.
The Dave Brahmins of Mudgal Gotra,
Jodhpur/Mandor who were originally from
Gujarat, claim to be the descendants of Ravana. It
is said that since time immemorial they are
performing the shraddh (death anniversary) of
Ravana on Dashehra Day every year. They offer
pind daan and take a bath after that ritual. They
recently erected a Ravana temple in Jodhpur,
where daily puja is performed.
Arguments in Favor of
Ravana
While often thought of mainly as the infamous 10-
headed demon, Ravana was also a notable scholar
of the Vedas.
A not widely known metaphorical interpretation of
Ravana’s having ten heads is that the heads are a
symbolic way to show the world about his
knowledge. He was fully aware of the contents of
the six Shastras. His knowledge of the six Shastras
as well as his knowledge of the four Vedas, ten
Holy Scriptures in all, is by this interpretation
considered the inner meaning of the belief that
Ravana had ten heads. He even knew that Ram
was Narayana (Lord Vishnu) himself, who had
come in human form to redeme him of the curse
upon him by Sanat Kumaras.
However, since there was no other way for him to
reach to Narayana, he had to cultivate wanton
wickedness, violence and hatred, and invite Rama
to kill him. Of course, this might be called a type of
devotion that is stupid and infamous. But his inner
aim was to cross the ocean of birth and death,
through that act of self abnegation and surrender
to Narayana.
Ravana and warfare
Ravana was the first to discover missiles and
bombs. This is proved in the Mahabharata. They
were filled with venom and were called
Nagashara, Agnishara and poisoned arrows.
These missiles were shot with a machine like a
bow. Ravana’s flag was the sun and moon flag with
a drawing of Ravana in the centre. This flag is
drawn in the Ravana Katha Ola leaf book. This flag
was carried to the war front by the people of
Hewaheta which belonged to then Mayarata. It
was in possession of Wilvala Raja Maha Viharaya
but now in the Kandy museum.
Ravana was a mighty Emperor who ruled over
seven continents from Lanka. They were the
modern South America, and Southern Europe;
Himalaya including the Hindukush mountain
range and continents up to Madagascar (Dr. Suriya
Gunasekara - Rivira 2007).
Ravana’s deadly flaw was his arrogance. When
Brahma conferred on him a boon and Ravana
asked that the Devas should not be able to inflict
harm on him. He did not think it worthwhile to ask
for protection from men or animals as he was so
physically powerful.
As a result, Vishnu had to incarnate himself as
Rama, a human being and it is an army of
monkeys, led by Hanuman, which assists Rama in
liberating Sita from Ravana’s clutches and
vanquishing him. Ravana did not take Rama
seriously, as he thought that no human being could
pose a threat to him. Legend says that being a
Brahmin, Ravana performed the necessary Vedic
rituals (pujas) for Rama before the war between
himself and Rama. This is just one of the perfect
qualities he possessed.
When Rama and Ravana meets in battle, it is
characteristic of Ravana to exhibit his skill, and to
speak arrogantly of crushing Rama to bits.
Meanwhile, Rama simply goes about his task and
sends his final weapon, the ‘Brahmasthra’ aiming
at his heart. It was Vibishana’s advice that made
Rama to kill Ravana. However, Rama, in
recognition of the fact that he met his match and
that Ravana was a Brahmin by birth, well-versed
in the Vedas and boundless in his knowledge of
Sanskrit, ordered that the funeral arrangements
for Ravana be that appropriate for his greatness.
Ravana’s life is a typical example of brilliance gone
wrong. He was given the very best instruction and
was truly great in his abilities and achievements
but never learnt the lesson of humbleness. His
egoism and pride were boundless. Instead of
following the path of Dharma, he consistently
chose to break it. Instead of gaining fame for his
countless good qualities, he was known for his
improper behavior. His atrocities kept growing in
number and eventually became so terrible, that it
took an incarnation of Vishnu to subdue him.
Most who have read Ramayana wonder why
Ravana, who lusted after Sita and kept her in
captivity for years, but did not violate her. He
repeatedly requested her to become his wife, but
she refused his advances. Pious readers are
prejudiced and prone to the understanding that
Sita’s purity made her inviolable. However,
Ravana had the benefit of power, and she was his
captive. It is said that Ravana’s mother Queen
Kaikesi and Queen Mandodari dissuaded him
from violating Sita. It is even possible to argue that,
having kidnapped her, Ravana wished to have Sita
for himself only if she gave her consent; to do
otherwise was to abandon the badge of honor the
mightiest carried. What an extraordinary high
discipline Ravana maintained. Right beside him,
subject to his great power, was a woman for whom
he had a burning desire, and yet he restrained
himself.
However, some interpreters, such as the 19th
century Bengali writer, Madhusudan Dutt (1824-
1873), were of the view that ‘Ravana displayed the
qualities of masculinity, honor, faithfulness,
dependability, and justice to a great extent. Though
the character of Ravana may seem like a closed
book, there is sufficient plurality in Indian
traditions that even Ravana is capable of some
recuperation.’
The Tamil Nadu countryside is exposed to folk
forms that celebrate Ravana as a hero and Rama
as the villain who treated women unfairly. Many
Tamils know the Ramayana through its Tamil
version, the Kamban Ramayanam. In it, Ravana is
highly venerated as a Vedic scholar, an expert of
music, a warrior—as an embodiment of everything
moral. In short, Ravana is a tragic hero, not a
villain.
Details pertaining to Ravana could be found from
‘Ravana Katha’ the Ola Book written by
Mahakappinna Wickramasinghe Adigar of Nilgala
Walauwa. This book contains auspicious times and
mantra’s (occult science) of King Ravana.
‘Ravana was a globally reputed and valued great
intellectual. He was the author of many books.
However, parts of few books are found. They are
the Samaveda, Nadi Prakasha, Kumara Tantra,
Uddisha Tantra, Prakrurtha Kamadhenu, and
Sivathandawa Sthothra and the Ayurvedic book
‘Arka Prakasha’. His superior acquaintance in
Sanskrit can be evaluated from Sivathandawa
Sthothra and further he was a proficient Ayurvedic
Physician. The art of distilling of Arka and the
preparation of Asawa was his invention states
Ayurvedic history. He invented the ‘Varuni’
machine to brew Arka. Ravana was the founder of
SINDHURAM medicine. These medicine cured
wounds instantly. He was known as Vaidya
Shiromani as he rendered valuable service to
Ayurveda. He was a divine pharmacologist and a
Ravana Dhayana yogi”. Ravana is the historical
King of Heladiva
During Ravana’s time, the kingdom “Lanka” was
divided between three rulers by the queen
Mandratha. Namely Tharaka; who ruled from a
location near the current day Kelaniya,
Surapadma; who ruled from the southern parts
near Tissamaharama. The third, Sinha-Mukha
did not have a city to rule from. Thus he called
upon the greatest architect and engineer of all time,
Maya-Asura (Known to some as “Vishwakarma”)
to build him the city “Lankapura”. (Legend says
this is Atlantis itself)
But soon, the king Surapadma had a dispute with a
foreign king and takes him into custody and brings
him to Lanka. This triggers an event that shapes
the history of the country. A prince named Kathira
(Later renamed “Mahasena” because of bringing a
great army), comes to Lanka (The place he set his
armies is currently known as “Katharagama” –
Kathira-Gama broken down–) and rescues the
abducted prince by killing Surapadma.
Unfortunately, during this time, Tharaka and
Sinha-Mukha leave their strongholds and escape
from the country. The country goes to the hands of
a king named Kubera.
It is then Ravana overthrows the attacker Kubera
and secures the country and most importantly, the
“Pushpaka”, the flying machine. Kubera might not
have known to use it, but Ravana who had much
knowledge given to him by his father and his
studies of the Vedas might have had an idea how to
fly the thing. From the stories that are told about
queen Devayani showing off the battle capabilities
of the Pushpaka, Ravana might have figured out
that it would be a great advantage to have such a
craft.
He took the country into a period of utmost
prosperity. It is rumored that the poorest of the
houses in the country had golden pots to feed from.
The people knew not the meaning of hunger. It is
this prosperous culture, did Rama decided to bring
down, and it all happened because of a single
female.
Ravana’s last references are in the war that he
made with Rama. He was quite an adversary to
Rama. Given the fact of his knowledge of science
and warrior tactics Rama was no match for him.
But the inside help Rama got from Vibhishana
seems to have worked for him. If not for that, the
story would have been told in a different manner.
 Dasis Ravana
Maha Ravana – Ayurveda
It is said there were 11 Ravanas found in Sinhalese
history such as Nala Ravana, Manu ravana, Punu
ravana and Dasis Ravana. The most famous
Ravana is the king who fought with Indian Hindu
Rama. He is called Dasis Ravana which means the
king with 10 great talents. The Dasis Ravana lived
lived nearly 5000 years ago in Sri Lanka. He was a
descendant of Surya Wansha and Hela Raskshasa
tribe. He was one of the best fighters in
Angampora, the traditional martial arts of ancient
Sinhale.
King Dasis Ravana was a great Scholar in
Ayurvedic medicine. He was the person who
invented Arka Shastra. The book Arka Prakshaya
reveals this truth to the present world. As his
willingness to research in Ayurvedic medicine he
wrote several books revealing the cures for many
diseases.
In one book he wrote ‘Eating beef cause to infect
ninety eight new diseases to human beings’. The
book ‘Kumara Tantraya’ reveals the treatments
for infant diseases was written by him at the
request of his pregnant queen Mandodari.
He has children and the eldest one was Indrajith
also known as Meghanada who followed his
father’s steps. There are some hints in Sri Lankan
rock inscriptions about the daughter of King Dasis
Ravana.
King Ravana’s kingdom was Lankapura. The
kingdom is almost disappeared today. But If you
keen on Sri Lankan folklore and ola manuscripts
there you can find some remaining sites of
Lankapura today known as Sigiriya and
Trincomalee.
He was the first king flew over the world with his
aeroplane, known Dandumonaraya or Vimanaya,
Kashtawahana. Some evidence of
Dandumonaraya the aeroplane is found in Rock
inscriptions, Jataka Stories and Ola manuscripts.
The Sinhalese folk stories are enriched with
Ravana Stories.
Dasis Ravana and
Vedic Yajnyas
Basically, Ravana was a worshiper of nature and
used to hate the Aryans Rishis and deities killing
their totems in yajnyas. Manu enjoins killing of
animals in Yajnyas as Madhupark [p.66, ‘Ravana
aur uski lanka’]. It therefore follows that Ramayana
is a story of conflict between Adivasi cultures
versus Aryans culture. ‘Marathi Vishva Kosh’ vol.
14, p. 781 mentioned Ram and Lakshmana
driving away Maricha, and Subahu from the
Yajnya of Vishwamitra. Ramaswami Periyar
observed that Ravana hated Vedic deities and
Rishis because they were indulging in cruelly
killing of animals and there was no other reason.
Ravana had started a struggle against the Vedic
Yajnyas to protect the culture of Adivasis and his
Rakshasa Gana. ‘Raksha’ means to protect.
Acharya Chatursen named his book ‘Wayam
Raksham’, meaning ‘we protect’ [p.131, ‘Wayam
Raksham’ by Acharya Chatursen] Aryans always
hated the Adivasis as seen by depicting them as
enemies of Gods and men.
Was Ravana a Buddhist?
Ravana was contemporary of Buddha (Kashyapa)
and has attended His discourses and believed in
Buddha’s karuna and non violence. Acharya
Narendra Deva in his ‘Buddha Darshna’ describes
Ravana asking one hundred questions to the
Buddha about Buddhist doctrine like Nirvana. [p.
53-54, Ravana aur Uski Lanka] Ravana has
accepted the concept of Nibbana and Shunyata of
the Buddhists.
As Ravana was unbeatable, Rama had to acquire a
special weapon to kill Ravana. Lakshmana got
severely injured in the battle but he was saved by
the magical herbs from the Himalayas. Finally
Rama defeated Ravana and that was the end of the
empire of Ravana. Ravana lost his life and his
virtues because of his Karmas. His ego was solely
responsible for his devastation. In fact Ravana used
the tendencies of arrogance, lust, ego etc., amidst
numerous virtues to attain to salvation in the
hands of Rama and thus redeem the curse inflicted
upon him.
 Valmiki in his Ramayana introduces Guha as a friend of Rama.

‘The king of that territory, Guha by name, was a friend of Sri Rama, dear to him as his own life. He was a
Nishada by birth, possessed of bodily as well as military strength [owning as he did a large army consisting
of all the four limbs, viz., elephants, chariots, horsemen and foot soldiers] and well-known as a ruler of
Nishadas.’ - Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto L, Sloka 33

‘But the epic of Valmiki is silent about details such as how and when Rama and Guha became friends’. It
just mentions they were close friends.

Guha was no ordinary mortal. He was the Chieftain
of the tribe of the Nishadas - a man of great
prestige and power. By no means he was an
ordinary hunter. When Guha heard that Sri Rama
was in his Kingdom, he leapt with joy and rushed
towards Sri Rama to greet him. But when Sri
Rama and Lakshmana rose to greet him, he
became calm and peaceful and hesitated even to
speak to his guests.
Sri Rama, perceiving Guha’s hesitation, hugged
him to his bosom and holding him at arm’s length
introduced him to Lakshmana. ‘Do you remember
him, Lakshmana? He is my dearest friend Guha,
the King of Sarayu’. Never did Sri Rama mention
that Guha was a hunter, much below their status,
even to get acquainted.
Guha, the Lord of the Nishadas, for whom Rama
had waited for a long time with Sita and
Lakshmana, on the banks of the river Ganga. A
hunter by profession, he lorded over the jungle at
Sarayu. Valmiki, in his Ramayana, says that
Lakshmana was amazed and puzzled by the
compassion that Rama showed to Guha and the
reciprocating love that Guha had for Sri Rama.
Guha had unbounded love for the Royal family of
the Ikshavahus, of which Sri Rama was a
representative, a superior human being, with all
the Kalyana Gunas of the Lord Almighty.
But such was the compassion of Sri Rama, that he
considered all human beings as his friend
irrespective of their status, position in life, caste,
creed, or religion. Each one of us carries the same
potentiality of transformation.
Once it happened that in the forests of
Naimisharanya, the assembled sages accosted
Romaharshana to tell them about the Mahima of
Shiva, and he replied that he would gladly do so.
But nothing that he is going to speak is from his
own imagination - these are, as told by the Sage
Narada, who had heard it from his Father Brahma.
Thus the 24,000 slokas of Shiva Purana had been
recited by Brahma to Narada, who had taught
them to Romaharshna, the able disciple of Veda
Vyasa. This story known as Shivaratri Vrata from
the Shiva Purana has been retold many times, but
not in the context that I am going to describe.
Among the Hindu Trinity, Brahma and Vishnu
often worship Shiva. It so happens that it is the
lunar day, which to us is the Shivaratri. And since
they worship the Lord, with absolute dedication
and devotion, fasting and keeping awake during
the night, it is known as a the Shivaratri Vrata.
Rurudruha, was a hunter, very cruel and evil to
the core with no belief in God or religion. He
hunted animals in the forests, but his specialist was
to kill deer for his food and rob the wayfarers who
frequented the forest that he was operating in. He
was a thief par excellence renowned for
committing burglary in those houses where the
owners had left and kept it under lock and key.
On a Shivaratri day, his family consisting of his
wife, children and elderly parents felt very hungry,
as he could not find any animal to kill. He waited
the whole day in the forest, but his luck did not
turn. It was evening time and very soon darkness
had crept in. As a last resort Rurudruha found a
water-hole and decided to keep a night long vigil,
hoping that sooner or later some animal would
show up. Very craftily he climbed up a tree next to
the water-hole with a pot of water in case he felt
thirsty. He did not know the tree which he climbed
was a Bilva tree and that there was a Shiva Linga
beneath the branch on which he was perched.
His wait did not go in vain. Very soon a doe was
sighted and the hunter picked up his bow and
arrow, to kill the animal. But this activity of
Rurudruha, had shook the tree branch and some
bilva leaves fell on the Shiva Linga, right below
him. The shaking of the tree branch also shook the
pot of water, which spilled on the head of the
Linga.
All this activity alerted the doe, which beseeched
the Hunter. ‘Don’t kill me now. I have a family,
with a husband and children. Let me go now and I
shall bid farewell to them and return here to be
your food.’
But the hunter was not to be so easily deceived. He
forced the doe to take a vow and then let it go.
After a short while, another doe appeared on the
scene and the entire drama was repeated, right
from the shaking of the tree till the taking of the
vow by the second doe, which was also married to
the husband of the first doe. The hunter
Rurudruha was reluctant to let go of the second
doe, but he felt some compassion, for the poor
animal, for the first time in his life!
Time further elapsed. This time a full grown deer
came to the water-hole to drink the water. As
usual, the third time the hunter fitted his arrow to
the bow and the branch of the tree on which he
was sitting shook, some bilva leaves fell on the
head of the Shiva Linga and some water spilled
from the pot on the Linga and the deer, fully
alerted by these activities promised the hunter,
that if he let him go then, he would return with his
entire family, to become his food.
A promise is a promise. After some time, the two
does, with their children and the deer presented
themselves before the hunter Rurudruha and each
said: ‘Kill me but spare the others. They need to
stay alive to look after the children.’
At this the baby deer said: ‘No, No, do not kill our
parents. We do not want to stay alive after our
parents are gone’. This startled the hunter. He was
surprised that the deer family could be so
accommodating. He shook in disbelief. And that
shook the Bilva tree once again, some leaves fell on
the Linga and the pot emptied its water on the
head of the Shiva Linga.
Among the Trinity, it is said, that the one Lord who
is very easy to be propitiated is Shiva. Shiva now
removed all evil thoughts from the mind of the
hunter Rurudruha, who spared the deer from
being killed.
The all compassionate Shiva was so pleased by the
action of the hunter, he himself appeared before
Rurudruha and said: ‘From now on your name will
be GUHA. You will be so blessed that Sri Rama, will
become your guest and the best of friends.’
‘Priya GUHA nivedhitha pada Rama’
‘My Rama, Who was worshipped by his friend Guha,
My Rama’
Valmiki Ramayana
Sarga 50
Rama bids farewell to his birth-place Ayodhya and
reaches the bank of the holy Ganga. There,
Nishadas offers welcome reception to Rama and
others.
Having traveled the extensive and beautiful Kosala
territory and standing with his face turned towards
Ayodhya, the wise Rama with joined palms spoke
the following words: ‘I bid farewell to you, Oh best
of the cities, carefully protected by Dasaratha
born in Kakutstha dynasty, as well as of the deities
who protect you and dwell in you. After getting
relieved from exile in the forest and thus freed
from the debt to the emperor, I shall see you again,
duly getting united with my mother and father.’
Lifting his right arm and wearing a woeful look, his
face covered with tears, Rama possessing lovely
reddish eyes, spoke them to the people hailing
from the countryside (as follows) : ‘Mercy and
compassion according to my worth (in your view)
have been shown to me by you. Keeping agony for
a long time is undesirable. Let each return to
accomplish your desired object (attending to your
house-hold work)!’
Respectfully saluting the high soled prince and
going round him clockwise (as a mark of
reverence), those men stood rooted here and there,
wailing frightfully. While they were lamenting thus
unceasingly, Rama passed beyond their sight, as
the sun sinks out of view at nightfall. Then Rama, a
tiger among men, in his chariot, crossed Kosala
territory, which was rich in grain and treasure,
inhabited by men given to charity, benevolent and
free from every danger, pleasing, full of temples
and sacrificial stakes, adorned with gardens and
mango-orchards, intersected by ponds full of
water, populated by contented and well nourished
people, abounded in herds of cows which deserved
to be seen by all kings and which re-echoed to the
chanting of religious texts.
Rama, the best among the resolute, moved into the
middle of a happy and prosperous kingdom,
abounding in lovely gardens and fit to be enjoyed
by kings. There, Rama beheld the celestial and
lovely river of Ganga with its tree tributaries,
carrying clear waters without green moss and
frequented by sages.
The River Ganga was adorned with splendid
hermitages within easy distance from one another,
with pools overflowing with water, visited at
suitable hours by celestial nymphs thrilling with
rapture. The blessed river was graced by gods and
demons, Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and
kinnaras and was constantly visited by consorts of
Nagas and Gandharvas. The well known river was
hemmed in by hills serving as the play- ground of
hundreds of celestials and embellished with
hundreds of celestial gardens; it coursed through
the heavens for the benefit of gods and which in
heaven was named “The stream of Golden Lotuses”.
The holy river, the sound of whose clashing waves
and its striking with rocks resembled a deep
laughter, having a bright smile as white as a foam,
its waters reduced at some places to the shape of a
maiden’s plaited locks, was rendered beautiful at
some places by whirl pools. At some places, its
waters were still and deep. At some places, they
were disturbed with violent agitation. At some
places, they made a deep roaring sound. At some
places, they were having a terrific noise. Hosts of
gods took a dip into its water. It was adorned by
white lotuses. It was hemmed in, with expanse of
small islands and at some places, lined with white
sands. The river was rendered resonant by swans
and cranes, was graced with cackling of
Chakrawaka birds and other birds which are in rut
all through the year kept hovering on its water. At
some places the river was adorned with trees
growing on its banks encircling like garlands, at
some places crowded with thick cluster of lotuses.
At some places, it was graced with beds of water
lilies in the form of buds and at some places, it was
reddened with the pollen of numerous flowers, as
though excited with passion. Having every
aggregation of dirt removed, the river presented a
spotlessly clear appearance like a crystal. The
interior of the forest was reddened noisy again and
again by the elephants guarding the quarters, by
the ruttiest wild elephants and the elephants of
excellent breed used for riding by gods.
Surrounded by fruits and flowers and tender
leaves, shrubs and birds, it looked like a young
woman artistically decked with the best of jewels.
The river was infested with dolphins, crocodiles
and snakes.
Rama, the mighty armed, reached the river Ganga,
which is devoid of sins and which dispels all sins,
which had fallen from the mass of matted hair of
Lord Shankara through the spiritual power of
Emperor Bhagiratha, which is rendered noisy by
cranes and herons, which is a consort of the ocean
and which is in the vicinity of Sringaverapura (the
modern Singraur).
Beholding the river Ganga with its waves covering
whirlpools, Rama the great warrior said to
Sumantra the charioteer as follows: “We shall halt
here itself today. Oh, charioteer! Not far from the
river stands this very large sacred fig tree with its
many flowers and shoots. We shall stay here itself. I
shall see (from here) the excellent river Ganga,
which is auspicious and whose waters deserve to
be respected by gods, men, Gandharvas, beasts,
reptiles and birds.
Saying ‘so be it’ and nothing more to Rama,
Lakshmana and Sumantra too then directed the
horses to that sacred fig tree. Rama, the delight of
Ikshvaku dynasty, reached that beautiful tree and
got down from the chariot along with Sita and
Lakshmana. Sumantra too dismounted from the
chariot, unyoked the superb horses after which
with joined palms, he seated himself near Rama at
the foot of the tree. There, a king named Guha was
Rama’s friend dear to him as his own life. He was
Nishada by birth, a strong man and well known as
a ruler of Nishadas.
Hearing of Rama the tiger among men having
come to his territory, he approached the prince,
escorted by elderly ministers and relatives. Seeing
from a distance the king of Nishada coming, Rama
along with Lakshmana thereupon went forth to
meet Guha. Closely embracing Rama, Guha who
felt disturbed, spoke to him, “This city too is as
much as Ayodhya to you. What can I do for you? Oh
mighty armed! Who indeed will get such a lovely
guest?”
Having brought pristine cooked rice of excellent
quality and other dishes of various kinds, he then
quickly offered him water to wash his hands and
spoke as follows: “Welcome to you, Oh, mighty
armed! All this land is yours. We are your servants.
You are the Lord. Rule over our kingdom in an
efficient way. Here have arrived various kinds of
dishes, drinks and syrups as also excellent beds
(for you to sleep on) and food for your horses.
To Guha who was speaking as aforesaid, Rama
replied thus: “We stand honored by you, by your
very visit to us on foot, as well as your show of
affection and are pleased with you". Pressing
gently with his muscular arms, Rama spoke these
words: “Oh, Guha! Thank heaven that I am seeing
you in good health with your relatives. Is all well
with the kingdom, the allies and the treasure? I
know your affection by which all this is extensively
well arranged by you. But I am not in a position
indeed to accept it. Know me as under a vow to be
an ascetic, wearing the robes of bark and deerskin
and by piety, I am determined to live in the forest
by eating roots and fruits only. I desire nothing but
a little forage for the horses. By being provided
with this much at the present moment, I shall be
duly satisfied by you. These horses were cherished
by the king Dasaratha, my father. I shall feel
honored by these horses being duly fed.”
Then Guha on that spot commanded his men as
follows: “Let water for drinking and forage be
supplied promptly to horses”
Having worshipped the evening twilight appearing
in the west, with an upper garment made of bark
(on his person); Rama then took for food only
water brought by Lakshmana himself. Having
washed the feet of Rama who was lying on the
ground along with his consort, Lakshmana then
came and stood near a tree. Guha too along with
the charioteer conversed with Lakshmana and
thereafter wielding a bow; alertly kept a vigil over
Rama. The illustrious, lofty minded and the high-
soled son of Dasaratha, who had never seen
suffering and who deserved all comforts, remained
lying on the ground thereafter, while that long
night passed away.
Valmiki Ramayana
Ayodhya Kanda
Sarga 52
As per instructions of Rama, Guha gets a boat
ready. Sumantra requests Rama to take him as a
personal attendant to the forest, but Rama declines
his offer and after reasoning with him, sends him
back to Ayodhya. Rama and Lakshmana mat their
hair with the latex of a banyan tree procured by
Guha. On reaching the middle of the stream Sita
offers prayers to Mother Ganga (the deity
presiding over the stream) and after crossing the
river, all the three halt for the night at the foot of a
tree.
That night having given way to dawn, the
illustrious Rama with a broad chest spoke (as
follows) to Lakshmana, the son of Sumitra and
who was endowed with auspicious signs: “Oh, dear
brother! This is the hour of sunrise. The auspicious
night has departed. That bird of dark plumage, the
cuckoo, is singing. Hear the cries of peacocks
resounding in the forest. Let us cross the swift-
flowing Ganga River that gushes to the sea.”
The river Ganga, when brought down from heaven
by the austerities of Emperor Bhagiratha,
followed the latter to the subterranean regions in
order to consecrate the remains of his great grand
uncles. In its course, it inundated the sacrificial
ground of king Jahnu, who in his anger, drank up
its waters. But the gods and sages and particularly
Bhagiratha appeased his anger and he consented
to release the waters through his ears. The river is
thereafter regarded as his daughter.
Lakshmana, the delight of his friends, having
understood the words of Rama, called Guha as
well as Sumantra and stood in front of his brother.
Hearing the command of Rama, Guha quickly
received it, invited his ministers and spoke to them
as follows: “Let a beautiful boat that is solidly
constructed, sails well and a helmsman in it, be
brought to the bank to carry this hero across!”
Hearing that command, the chief minister of King
Guha brought a charming boat to the bank and
reported the matter to Guha. Then, Guha with
folded hands spoke to Rama as follows: “Oh, Lord!
Here, the boat has arrived. What more can I do for
you? Oh, Rama resembling a son of divinity! Here
is the boat for you to cross the river, which flows
into the sea. Pray get into it.”
Then, Rama with great splendor, spoke to Guha as
follows: “My desire has been accomplished by you.
Let us embark with all speed.”
Having equipped themselves with a quiver each
with arrows, fastening their swords and armed
with their bows, Rama and Lakshmana, with Sita,
proceeded towards the river of Ganga. Sumantra
joining his palms in humility, approached Rama
who knew what is right and said, “What shall I do?”
Touching Sumantra with his auspicious right hand,
Rama then said: “Oh, Sumantra! Return quickly to
the king’s presence and be attentive in serving him.
Go now, that your service to me has been
completed. Abandoning the chariot, I shall go on
foot to the mighty forest,” Rama said.
Finding himself dismissed, Sumantra the charioteer
was distressed and spoke to Rama, the tiger among
men, as follows: “None in the world has had to
suffer such a fate as yourself; that you should have
to dwell in the forest with your brother and your
consort as if you were an ordinary man! I think that
there is no reward in leading a life of religious
student or in studying religious scriptures or even
in cultivating tenderness and straight forwardness,
when adversity has come to you. Living in the
forest along with Sita and your brother, you will
obtain the same position as one who has
conquered the three worlds. We are actually
ruined, in that, disappointed in our hopes by you
too; we shall fall under the sway of Kaikeyi the
sinful woman and reap the suffering.”
Sumantra the charioteer thus speaking, wept for a
long time, stricken with grief, seeing Rama, equal to
his soul, departing to a distance.
Then, Rama again and again spoke these sweet
words as follows to that charioteer, whose tears
got dried up and who had sipped some water and
got himself purified: “I do not see any one who is
as great a friend of the Ikshvakus as you are.
(Pray) act in such a way that king Dasaratha may
not lament about me. The king, his mind afflicted
with grief, is aged as well. He is pressed down by a
burden of passion. Hence, I tell you this. What so
ever act that high-soled emperor may enjoin you to
do, with intent to oblige the desire of Kaikeyi, it is
to be done unhesitatingly. The kings indeed rule
the states with this end in view that their will may
not be frustrated in any undertaking.
Oh, Sumantra! Carry out everything in such a way
that the said emperor neither finds it unpleasing
nor gets tormented by grief. Only after performing
respectful salutation to the old and venerable king,
who has never known suffering and who has
subdued his senses, you tell these words to him on
my behalf. Indeed neither I nor Lakshmana nor Sita
grieve for having moved from Ayodhya nor that we
are going to dwell in a forest. After completing
fourteen years, you will once more see Lakshmana,
myself and Sita too returned apace from the forest.
Oh, Sumantra! This is what you should say to the
king, my mother, all other queens and Kaikeyi. Tell
Kausalya again and again that I am keeping good
health. Thereafter, convey salutations at her feet on
behalf of Sita as well as myself and Lakshmana the
faithful man. Tell our salutations to the emperor
too. Bring Bharata quickly. After his arrival,
Bharata may be installed in the position, as desired
by the king. When you embrace Bharata and install
him in the office of the Prince Regent, the agony
caused by the repentance felt by you on our
account will not overpower you. Bharata too is to
be told thus: “Treat without distinction all your
mothers with the same regard as you behave
towards the king. As is your affection for Kaikeyi,
so let it be for Sumitra and also the divine Kausalya,
my mother. If you accept the princely kingdom
with intent to please our father, it will be possible
for you to enhance happiness in both the worlds (in
this world and the next).”
Sumantra, who was being sent back by Rama, was
agonized with grief after hearing the whole of that
discourse and affectionately spoke to Rama as
follows: “If I spoke to you fearlessly in a friendly
tone without following courteousness, you ought to
forgive my mode of expression, considering me as
your devotee. How indeed can I return without you
to that city, which through separation from you,
has been reduced to the state of a mother stricken
with grief due to separation from her son. By
seeing my chariot on that day even with Rama in it,
the people were lamenting so much. Now, if they
see the chariot without Rama the city of Ayodhya
will even be broken asunder. The city will be
plunged in misery, like an army in which its
commander is lost in a combat with the charioteer
alone surviving, on seeing this chariot without you.
Thinking of you, who though residing far away are
established foremost in their minds, the people of
Ayodhya must have been deprived of their food
today. The great perplexity that ensued, on the
occasion of your exile, among the people (of
Ayodhya), whose minds were depressed through
grief on your account, was witnessed by you
indeed, Oh, Rama! The cry of distress raised by the
citizens (of Ayodhya) will be increased a hundred-
fold, when they see me with an empty chariot.
Further, shall I say to the queen Kausalya as
follows: - ‘Your son, Rama has been taken by me to
the house of his maternal uncle, do not grieve’? I
cannot tell such words too which are untrue. How
can I tell, ‘I abandoned your son in the forest’,
which words are true but unkind? How will the
excellent horses obedient to me, which carried
yourself, Seetha and Lakshmana, draw the chariot
bereft of you?
For this reason, I cannot go back to Ayodhya.
(Pray) permit me to accompany you to the forest. If
you leave me even though I solicit you to take me
with you, I shall enter a fire with chariot and all,
here itself the moment I am forsaken by you. “Oh,
Rama! With the help of the chariot, I shall ward off
those animals in the forest, which create obstacles
to your austerities. The pleasure of driving your
chariot has been obtained by me because of you
and it is through you that I seek the happiness that
comes in dwelling in a forest. Be graceful. I desire
to become your close associate in the forest. I wish
to hear your loving assent with the words ‘Be my
close associate! “Oh, hero! If these horses too can
render service to you, they can attain a supreme
abode. By all means, I am leaving for good,
Ayodhya or even heaven.
Dwelling in the forest, with my head bent low, I
shall render service to you. As a doer of wicked
deeds cannot enter Amaravati, the capital of
Devendra, so also I cannot enter Ayodhya without
you. This is indeed my desire that after reaching
the end of your exile, I may take you back to the
city of Ayodhya in this very chariot. So long as I am
with you together in the forest, fourteen years will
slip away momentarily. Otherwise than this, they
will multiply a hundred- fold. “Oh, prince, who are
so fond of your dependents! You ought not
abandon me, your devoted servant, established in
the path followed by the son of his master and
always keeping within bounds.”
Rama, who was compassionate towards his
dependents, spoke as follows to Sumantra, who
was miserably entreating him again and again in
many modes. “Oh, charioteer so fond of your
master! I know your excellent devotion to me. Hear
wherefore I send you from here to the city of
Ayodhya. Seeing you, returning to Ayodhya,
Kaikeyi, my younger mother will get the proof that
Rama has gone to the forest. Having completely
satisfied, about me having gone to forest, Kaikeyi
will leave her strong suspicion that the virtuous
king may be a person who speaks untruth. This is
my first priority that my younger mother should
get the extensive kingdom, protected by Bharata
and thus ruled by her own son. For my pleasure
and pleasure of the king, you go along with the
chariot to Ayodhya and inform all the matters that
you have been asked to tell each in the way you
have been asked to do.”
Having spoken thus to the charioteer, the
courageous Rama consoled him again and again.
Then, he spoke the following reasoned words to
Guha: “Oh, Guha! This stay in the inhabited woods
is not proper for me. My stay should definitely be in
a hermitage. Let an action diverted towards that
aim be taken. I as such, wishing well of my father,
Seetha as well as Lakshmana and having taken up a
discipline to be followed by ascetics, want to
proceed further, wearing matted hair. Please bring
the latex of a banyan tree.”
Guha immediately brought that latex to the prince.
With that, Rama made matted hair to himself and
to Lakshmana. Rama, tiger among men who
possessed long arms wore the distinguished mark
of an ascetic in the shape of matted hair. Then,
Rama and Lakshmana the brothers clad in the bark
of trees and wearing a round mass of matted locks
(on their head) looked bright like two ascetic sages.
Having adopted the way of a hermit temporarily
along with Lakshmana, Rama then accepted the
vow of an ascetic life and spoke to Guha, his friend
as follows: “Oh, Guha! Remain vigilant in defense,
finance, internal security and public relations, for a
kingdom is the most difficult one to be protected!”
Then Rama, who was a delight to Ikshvaku dynasty,
bade farewell to Guha and departed quickly,
remaining undistracted, along with his consort and
together with Lakshmana. Seeing the boat on the
bank of the river and keen to cross the swift-
flowing Ganga, Rama spoke to Lakshmana as
follows:
“Oh, Lakshmana the tiger among men! You get into
the boat stationed here unhurriedly afterwards,
having helped Seetha the virtuous wife step into it.”
Hearing the command completely of his elder
brother, the prudent Lakshmana, by not
counteracting it, made Seetha to ascend the boat
first and stepped into it afterwards. Then, the
glorious Rama got into the boat himself. Thereafter,
Guha the ruler of Nishadas commanded his kinsfolk
to row them across the river. After ascending the
boat, Rama too of mighty splendor then recited a
sacred text (daiviim naavam etc) fit for brahmanas
and Kshatriyas alike and conducive to his own
good. Having sipped water as per scriptures and
with extreme delight, Rama with Seetha made
obeisance to that river. Lakshmana, of infinite
splendor, followed suit. Bidding farewell to Guha
with his army of men and Sumantra, Rama sat on
the boat and directed the boatmen to move on.
Propelled by those splendid and vigorous oarsmen,
that boat furnished with a pilot, rapidly moved
across the water. Coming to the middle of
Bhagirathi river, the irreproachable Seetha with
joined palms, spoke as follows to the said river: -
“Oh, Ganga! Let Rama, the son of the emperor
Dasaratha honor his father’s command under your
protection! Having dwelled in the forest in full
fourteen years, may he return once more to your
bank with his brother, Lakshmana and myself! Oh,
blessed goddess Ganga! Returning safely, with all
my desires fulfilled, I shall worship you with great
joy.”
“You, Oh goddess flowing through three regions
(namely heaven, earth and subterranean regions),
include in your basin the realm of Brahma (the
outermost of the six spheres enveloping the earth)
and are vividly seen on this terrestrial plane as a
consort of the ocean king. Oh, charming goddess! I,
Seetha, greet you and extol you too. When Rama
the tiger among men safely returns and regains his
kingdom, I shall give away a lakh of cows, soft
clothing and food to brahmanas with intent to
please you. After reaching back the city of Ayodhya,
I shall worship you with thousand pots of
spirituous liquor and jellied meat with cooked rice
well prepared for the solemn rite. I shall worship
all deities dwelling on your banks as also sacred
spots and sanctuaries. May the sinless Rama with
mighty arms re-enter Ayodhya again from the
forest, along with Lakshmana and me.”
Thus praying to Ganga, the efficient and
irreproachable Seetha rapidly reached the right
bank of the river. Reaching the bank and leaving
the boat, Rama the best among men and the
chastiser of foes proceeded further along with
Lakshmana and Seetha.
Then, Rama the mighty armed spoke to Lakshmana
(who heightened the joy of Sumitra) as follows:
“Security is an inevitable need in a forest, which
has unforeseen dangers and is uninhabited, Oh,
Lakshmana! Go in front. Let Seetha follow you. I
shall proceed in the rear, protecting you and
Seetha. We must accord protection here to one
another. An act which has gone out of hand,
whatsoever, cannot indeed be remedied again.
Seetha will experience the hardship of staying in a
forest only from now. Today she will enter the
forest, where density of people is not seen, which is
utterly devoid of fields and gardens, has a rugged
surface and is full of stumbles.”
Listening to Rama’s words, Lakshmana walked in
front. Immediately after Sita, Rama, the delight of
Raghu dynasty, advanced. Constantly gazing at
Rama, who reached soon the other bank of Ganga
River, the distressed Sumantra, his vision having
failed due to the long distance and perturbed as he
was, shed tears (of grief over separation from
Rama). Having crossed the great river, Rama the
high-soled, the bestowal of boons, equal in glory
with the guardians of spheres, then reached
progressively the prosperous and the happy land of
Vatsa; which contained rows of beautiful crops.
Having hunted there four deer, namely Varaaha,
Rishya, Prisata; and Mahaaruru (the four principal
species of deer) and taking quickly the portions
that were pure, being hungry as they were, Rama
and Lakshmana reached a tree to take rest in the
evening.
Rajaram Ramachandran, India
Poem Ramayana (16) Meet Guha, the Chieftain
Towards the forest they traveled,
Streams one after another crossed,
Kosala’s southern boundary reached,
At that stage the chariot stopped.
Rama bent his head in prayer,
“Oh, Ayodhya, my father,
And my mother live under
Your most benevolent shelter.”
“A jewel among cities you’re,
To them you give all the care.
After my penance is over,
Let me be under your banner.”
They reached Ganga, the river,
And saw no words to admire,
The beauty of the flowing water,
And for the night, they stayed there.
The chief of the region, Guha,
Came running to greet Rama.
With all his love embraced him,
Extending a hearty welcome.
“Treat this land as your own.
It’s really my good fortune,
At this moment opportune
To serve you, guests of mine.”
“All the time, you stay here,
You need not go elsewhere,
Promise, I shall take care,
For me it’s a pleasure.”
So said Guha, with his prayer,
Rama took him as his fifth brother,
And politely rejected his offer,
Of a fourteen-year-long shelter.
The night passed as the day broke,
Sumantra, the charioteer took
Leave, with his grief-stricken look,
For his return to Ayodhya back.
Rama then told Guha not to press,
For their stay there endless,
As he was bound by promises,
To live only in forest premises.
As his help Rama sought,
Guha took them in a boat,
To the river’s other side,
They all safely reached.
Guha left them behind,
With half heart and mind,
For three of them to find
A place of rest some kind.
Bharadwaj’s Ashram they reached
The sage’s feet they touched
His hospitality they accepted
And his advice they followed.
To the remote hill, Chitrakoot,
Their onward journey on foot,
Took them near Kalindi River
To their surprise and wonder.
For us, any day, to cross,
The ocean of our life across,
To overcome untold miseries,
We seek for Rama’s kindness.
T
his story is from the epic Ramayana.
Kumbhakarana was the younger
brother of Ravana, who had kidnapped
Sita, the wife of Lord Rama by deceiving her to
be the recluse. When Rama came to know
Ravana has seized his wife, he attacked Lanka,
the kingdom of Ravana with the army of
monkeys. Ravana’s youngest brother,
Vibhishana was the man of ethics and justice
and he tried to convince Ravana to send Sita
back to Rama and take his refuge, but highly
egoistic Ravana was never going to listen to
him and in fact he threw him away from his
palace. Vibhishana finally takes refuge of Lord
Rama and decides to support him in the war.
The bridge was completed and one by one all of
them reached near the shore of Lanka.
Ravana’s spies informed him about the
approaching army of Rama, but the arrogant
Ravana did not attach any significance and
importance to this.
Vibhishana, on the other hand, was quick to
grab the opportunity and joined Rama in his
noble mission. Rama Tries to settle the issue
with peace as a result Angad was selected to
represent Rama to give diplomacy a chance.
Hence as ambassador of Rama Angad reached
the court of Ravana. He explained that Rama
had sent him to seek release of Sita. Ravana
should heed this last appeal of Rama so that
the war could be averted. But no. Ravana did
not accept the peace proposal. When he had
such a great army, when he was immortal by
the boon of the God, when he had all the super
powers and instruments of war Ravana
maintained that it was futile and immature of
Rama to think of victory. Thus he took pity on
Angad and his friends that they had come to
Lanka to get killed.
Scornfully he also told Angad go back
peacefully and forget about Sita. He would not
attack the retreating army of Rama. Thus the
talks failed and the war was sure to follow.
Angad returned to the camp and briefed Rama
and others about the adamant attitude of
Ravana not to free Sita. Rama, Lakshmana,
Hanuman, Sugreeva, and Vibhishana held a
closed door meeting to chalk out their final
strategy. Accordingly, Angad led one team of
his brave soldiers and attacked the Lankan
guards. After a brief fight, the guards were
defeated and Angad and company entered the
border of Lanka. Rama and others followed.
The news was received with mild concern by
Ravana who sent more number of troops to
attack the advancing men of Rama. Hanuman
and his men defeated them too. Vibhishana
was quick to guide Rama through the secret
inroads. This disturbed Ravana and he decided
to take the things more seriously. He therefore
sent for Kumbhakarna, his brother with
immense powers, to come to the court for
urgent meeting with him. Ravana was sure that
Kumbhakarna alone was powerful enough to
defeat Rama and his army of ‘monkeys’.
Story of Kumbhakarna
In the war Ravana loses many soldiers,
important commanders and also his sons, but
still wants to continue with the war with Rama,
just for the lust of one woman, Sita. He was, in
fact heading for the fulfillment of the destined
curse inflicted upon him. Deep within he knew
this to be the only way for salvation. When he
lost most of the important persons, he decides
to involve his younger brother Kumbhakarana
in the war.
This Kumbhakarna used to remain awake for
six months and sleep for next six months! As he
was preparing to go to his long spell of sleep,
the message of Ravana was delivered to him.
Kumbhakarna was in no mood to fight. He also
thought that Ravana was in wrong in inviting
this unnecessary war due to his useless
insistence to marry Sita.
When Kumbhakaran woke up, he asks his
elder brother why he has remembered him.
When Ravana tells the story of seizing Rama’s
wife and going to war with him,
Kumbhakarana gets shocked. As such all the
three brothers, Ravana, Kumbhakaran and
Vibhishana were very learned persons and
knew everything about the whole universe, but
somehow Ravana was overwhelmed by his ego
and lust. His arrogance and lust became the
instrument for the fulfillment of the curse
inflicted upon him by Vishnu and the Sanat
Kumars.
Kumbhakaran reminds Ravana that Rama is
a Lord or the ruler of the universe, and Ravana
can never defeat him. Kumbhakaran also tells
him that it is wrong to take away somebody’s
wife by deceiving her. He finally suggest to
Ravana to give Sita back to Rama and seek his
forgiveness. But Ravana gets very angry with
his suggestions and tells him that he can go
back to sleep if doesn’t wants to go to the
battlefield and that he had woke him up for
help and not for the advice.
At this Kumbhakaran decides to support
Ravana in spite of knowing well that Ravana is
wrong and in spite of knowing that he can
never defeat Lord Rama and that he would
eventually be killed. Kumbhakaran tells
Ravana that his life is committed to him and he
can happily sacrifice his life for him without
even trace of grievance.
However, he was a loyal and patriotic
Rakshasa. He was proud of his ancestors and
glory of the demon rule and prosperity of
Lanka. Hence when Ravana appealed in the
name of glory of their forefathers, in the name
and honour of their clan and dynasty,
Kumbhakarna agreed to terminate Rama for
ever. Thus full of enthusiasm and well prepared
for the ensuing battle, he led his army to the
battle ground.
Seeing the gigantic Kumbhakaran arrive, the
monkeys started fleeing in all directions.
Kumbhakaran then grabbed a handful of
monkeys and ate them. Meanwhile, the arrows
that Rama and his army fired at Kumbhakaran
broke on hitting his strong body.
A fierce fight raged between the two armies.
Many monkeys were killed so also many
Rakshasas. Even Angad and Sugreeva were
on the defensive. Hanuman was helpless.
Therefore, Rama took charge of the front
himself. Kumbhakarna was adept in taking
various illusory forms to confuse his enemy. It
was difficult to attack his true body! As many
Kumbhakarnas used to appear in front. All the
missiles and arrows eluded him.
Moreover Kumbhakaraan could create ‘rain of
fire’ engulfing the enemy. This caused
confusion and chaos amongst Rama’s army. To
this, Rama replied by pouring rain of water to
put off the fire. Kumbhakarna poured ‘rain of
stones’, and Rama countered by appropiate
protective cover. The battle went on for quite
some time. Finding the arrows ineffective,
Rama decided to cut off his head. So he flung
his chakra and cut the demon’s head. The
monkeys came back once again and rejoiced on
seeing the dead body of the demon.
At last Rama attacked the demon with his most
powerful arrow fortified with deadly divine
missile. This hit the mighty Kumbhakarna at
his vital centre that led to his downfall.
On the death-bed Kumbhakarna took the
name of Rama and thus he was liberated from
his base instincts and tendencies.
 Kumbhakaran meets
Vibhishana
At one time Kumbhakaran comes across his
younger brother Vibhishana in the battlefield.
Vibhishana greets his elder brother and seeks
his blessings. Vibhishana tells the story of how
he tried to convince Ravana to give Sita back
to Rama and how he was thrown out of the
palace. He also requests Kumbhakaran to not
support Ravana and take refuge of Rama else
he would lose his life.
Here Kumbhakarana says that Ravana may be
wrong, but he has committed his life to him and
it was his duty to support Ravana in the war no
matter if he loses his life. Kumbhakarana tells
his younger brother to perform his duty of
supporting Rama and also reminds him that his
duty is to support Ravana. After a long
touching conversation both brothers take leave
of each other with the wet eyes knowing that it
was their last meeting. Indeed that was their
last meeting for after a few days Lord Rama
kills mighty Kumbhakarana. Everybody in the
battled salutes Kumbhakarana for his valor
and fulfilling his duty towards his elder
brother, though he was wrong.
Ravana, Kumbhakaran, and Vibhishana, the
three, when they were young, they went off to
do tapasya. And Brahma came and said, ‘I am
satisfied with your tapasya, what do you want?’
And Ravana said, ‘I want power, I want to be
the king of the earth.’ And Brahma said,
‘Tathastu – that be so. I give you the boon.’
And Kumbhakarna had planned that he would
want to have dominion over heaven. And he
wanted ‘Indrasan’ – the throne of Indra. Indra
knew Kumbhakaran’s intention and he said to
Saraswati, ‘Saraswati, you have to help us,
please make him make a mistake.’
And Brahma asked, ‘Kumbhakarna, what do
you want?’ And instead of saying I want Indra’s
asan, he said, ‘I want Nidra’s asan-throne of
sleep.’And Brahma said, ‘Evamastu – be it so.
You go to sleep, I give you the asan, you get the
posture of sleep.’
And Vibhishana said, ‘Brahma, I want pure
devotion to God’s feet.’ And Brahma said,
‘Tathastu. One day Rama will come and he will
give you the blessing of his perception, he will
give you Darshan.
And now discrimination, Vibhishana, is on his
way to get the Darshan that he was promised
by Brahma, it was the fruit of his tapasya. All
his life he was living in the kingdom of the ego
like a tongue between the teeth. And now he
has been kicked out of the kingdom of the ego
and he is going to see Rama.’
When Rama spared Ravana for being
unarmed, Ravana returned from the battlefield
humiliated. Instead of going back himself, he
decided to send his brother Kumbhakarna to
fight Rama and Lakshmana.
Vibhishana’s flight
to Sri Rama
In Ravana’s court when everyone was joining
the king in making the mockery of Rama
Vibhishana alone did not join in the applause.
He did not mind the wrath of his royal brother.
He felt it was his duty to warn him of the
danger and the error of his ways.
He felt bound to make his utmost effort to save
him and the Rakshasa race from doom. He
stood up and spoke:
‘You have brought Sita and with her, death for
yourself and your race. Your first duty to
yourself and your people is to restore her to
Rama. If you fail in this, we shall all assuredly
perish. This is certain.’
He went on describing Rama’s strength and
skill and his mastery of weapons. He spoke
frankly and without fear.
‘If we oppose Rama,’ he said, ‘defeat is
inevitable. Our fortune is sinking. Let us restore
Sita, seek Rama’s pardon and thus save our
kingdom, our lives and possessions and honor.’
At this importunity of Vibhishana, Indrajit,
Ravana’s son, lost patience and burst out:
‘My uncle’s words fill me with shame. What
race are we? What is our strength? I marvel
that a descendant of Pulastya should talk in
this strain and that the assembly should meekly
sit and listen. My uncle has only betrayed his
evil intentions. We can never agree to his
proposal. Are we to be afraid of two petty
humans? Did I not beat Indra down in battle
and his hordes of gods? Does not the whole
world tremble even now in terror before us?
Vibhishana’s counsel is an insult to our race!’
Vibhishana answered gently: ‘Boy, you lack
experience. That is why you talk thus. You are
the king’s son and should be his best friend. But
I am afraid you are proving yourself his worst
enemy. And you, ministers who ought to give
good advice, you are leading the king to ruin.
My Lord of Lanka! Do not reject what I say.
Return Sita honorably to Rama and seek his
forgiveness. This is the only way. There is no
other. Failing to pursue the only available
course, we shall all perish."
Ravana’s rage was now uncontrollable. ‘I put
up with your talk thus far,’ he shouted in anger,
‘because you are my brother. Else you would by
now be dead. A brother, I see, is one’s worst
enemy. The entire world knows that the envy of
brothers brings dishonor and discomfiture to
the brave. They hide their real desire and wait
for their time and, when it comes, do not
hesitate to practice their treachery. How true is
the complaint of the wild elephants in the
story! We are not afraid of the burning fire. ‘We
do not mind the hunters and their long spears.
The noosed ropes and the chains can do little
harm to us. But the elephants which join the
hunters and give us trouble, these brothers and
cousins who turn against us, they are our
terror!’ Yes. So long as one is safe and
prosperous, the brother smiles and talks
pleasantly. But when danger comes, he is ready
to leave. The bee does not stay with the flower
after the honey has been sucked. It goes in
search of another flower. Brothers and cousins
are no better than these bees. One cannot trust
them in adversity. If anyone else should have
spoken as you have done, Vibhishana, I would
have slain him here and now. Base fellow! You
are a disgrace to our race!’
Unable to bear the insult, Vibhishana rose and
said: ‘My brother, you may speak as you please.
Though you have wandered from the way of
dharma, you are still my brother and I warn
you that, drawn by the noose of Yama, you are
going along the path of destruction. My advice,
salutary but unpleasant, you reject. It is easy to
speak sweet words. Your ministers are doing it.
I spoke for your good. But truth is bitter and
you hate it. The terrible vision of Rama’s darts
destroying you is before my mind’s eye and
makes me speak as I do. You call me your
enemy. Defend your city and your life as well as
you can. God bless you! I am going. May you be
happy! I thought I could serve you in your need,
but you will not let me. You imagine that I envy
you and your possessions. Good counsel is
rejected by one whose end is near.’
Having spoken thus, and realizing that there
was no place for him in Lanka thereafter,
Vibhishana renounced all his possessions and,
rising into the sky, proceeded straight to the
spot where Rama and Lakshmana were
encamped. He was followed by four good
Rakshasa friends who went along with him.
Urmila is the younger sister of Sita who was
married to Lakshmana. Among various characters
of the epic Ramayana Urmila is less known and
often neglected. Valmiki, Tulsidas, and all other
writers have overlooked the agony and pain of
Urmila caused by her 14 years separation with
Lakshmana.
In Puranic scripture Lakshmana is described as
the incarnation of Ananta Shesha, the thousand-
headed Naga upon whom rests Vishnu in the
primordial ocean of milk (Kshirasagara). The
Lord of Serpents, Sheshanaga was incarnated as
Lakshmana and during the Dvapara Yuga, as
Balarama. He is said to be an eternal companion of
Vishnu in all incarnations.
Lakshmana is part of the Mariyada
Purshottamm, or The Perfect Man personified by
Rama, by his unswerving loyalty, love and
commitment to his elder brother through times of
joy and adversity alike. He is an invincible warrior
committed to virtue and the service of his brother.
He never covets the throne of Ayodhya, nor
hesitates from joining his brother in exile, even
though he does not have to.
During the exile
Early in their exile, when Bharata enters the forest
with the royal entourage to persuade Rama to
return to rule Ayodhya, Lakshmana initially
mistakes his intentions. He jumps to the conclusion
that the former was approaching with malicious
intent. Rama, however, knows of Bharata’s love
for him and explains to Lakshmana that Bharata
would never try to harm them.
Lakshmana serves Rama and Sita reverently
during the exile, building them a home in the forest
and devotedly standing guard during the night, and
accompanying them on tiring journeys and long
passages of lonely forest life without complaint or
care for himself. For twelve year of the exile when
Lakshmana had to guard he did not sleep. Such
was the extent of his love for Rama.
During the exile an incident occurs. ‘Surpanakha’,
the sister of Ravana gets attracted to Rama’s
charm and beauty. Therefore she takes an
appearance of an equally beautiful girl and goes
towards Rama’s hut. There she tries to get Rama
married to her but he declines saying that he is
vowed to have only one wife. Then she tries
Lakshmana to get married to her as he is handsome
too. He too declines saying that he cannot take care
of her as he is a servant to Rama and has duties to
fulfill towards his brother. She feels dishonored at
the rejection by both the brothers and insults Sita.
She then tries to harm Sita and so Lakshmana cuts
her nose and ears out of anger at the command of
his brother.
Feeling humiliated she goes to Ravana’s brothers
for help who attacked Rama but were killed in the
hands of Rama and Lakshmana. Then she goes to
Ravana and influences him to abduct Sita. She
ravishes about Sita’s beauty and how she would be
worthy for Ravana. He takes it as a challenge and
abducts Sita to revenge his sister’s humiliation and
brothers’ deaths.
The Lakshmana 'Rekha'
When Sita asks Rama to fetch the magical, golden
deer for her, Rama asks Lakshmana to guard Sita
and their home, and to take special care since he
felt bad omens and sensed danger and evil. The
golden deer is in fact the demon Maricha, who must
distract Rama and Lakshmana away from the hut
so as to allow Ravana to kidnap Sita.
When Rama kills the deer, even as he is dying,
Maricha cries out in Rama’s voice, lamenting for
Sita and Lakshmana to help him. Although
Lakshmana knows that Rama is invincible and
beyond any danger, Sita panics and frantically
orders Lakshmana to go to Rama’s aid
immediately. Unable to disobey the frightened and
panicky Sita, and genuinely beginning to fear for
Rama’s safety, Lakshmana goes out to search for
him. He however uses his mystical power to draw
the Lakshmana Rekha or Lakshmana’s Limit, an
invisible perimeter line across the hut that Sita
must not cross, and no other being except
Lakshmana or Rama may enter uninvited. If any
intruder enters, it will be instantly burnt into
ashes.
Sita however, out of compulsion of religious duty
and compassion for a poor brahmin, who is
actually the disguised Ravana, crosses the line to
give him alms. Thus Ravana is safely able to seize
Sita.
The Lakshmana Rekha has become a metaphor in
situations where a certain limit must not be
transgressed by human beings in any circumstance
whatsoever.
Ramacharitamanas, the wildly popular North
Indian rendering of story of Rama, does not feature
the Lakshmana Rekha story in the Aranya Kanda.
Neither does the original, the Valmiki Ramayana.
However in Lanka Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas,
(35.1) Mandodari rebukes Ravana on his
boisterous claims of valor by hinting that his claim
of strength and valor is shallow for he could not
even cross a small line drawn by Shri Rama’s
younger brother Lakshmana.
Prowess in war
Lakshmana is considered a powerful warrior
nearly equal to Rama. Like Rama, he was a
Maharathi able to battle 60,000 warriors at once. In
the war against Ravana and his Lankan army of
rakshasas, Lakshmana slays thousands of powerful
demons such as Atikaya and Prahasta, Ravana’s
chief commanders, and his son Indrajit.
Injury and revival
Killing of Indrajit
Later in the battle, Lakshmana fights and kills
Indrajit, with the help of Hanuman on his
shoulders. It is said that in order to help him in
battle against Indrajit, he was given many divine
astras and shastras by Gandharv Raj Kuber. His
killing of Indrajit was considered to be an
important turning point of the war, as the latter
was almost invincible, having overpowered Indra,
the King of Heaven himself. Indrajit’s sheer
physical prowess was further illustrated through
Lakshamana’s use of unorthodox means to kill him.
Legacy
Lakshmana is revered for his absolute devotion to
Rama. His performance of his duties as a younger
brother is considered to be a sacrifice and
superiority of character as such duties are
especially hard to do in adverse conditions.
Lakshmana’s life symbolizes the duties of a man to
his elders and superiors, and how greatly valued is
selflessness in a man’s character.
While he is generally considered to be rather short-
tempered when compared to Rama, Lakshmana is
also considered an important element of Mariyada
Purushottama, displaying great courage and
presence of mind when Rama becomes distraught,
angry and desperate over the loss of Sita — in an
uncharacteristic display of desperation, a furious
and almost hopeless Rama, not knowing of Sita’s
fate or whereabouts, is suddenly about to fire a
weapon capable of bringing vast devastation of life;
Lakshmana stops Rama, calms him down,
explains to him that the world is not responsible
for their separation from Sita, and consoles and
encourages his righteous brother, while giving him
support and strength to keep looking for her.
When Sita’s jewels were given back by Sugriva to
Rama, Rama lamented Sita’s absence,
remembering the jewels she used to wear.
Lakshmana then gave Sita’s toe-ring to Rama in
order to aid his grief. What was implied is that he
has never looked beyond the toe of Sita. As a great
respect to the discipline followed by Lakshmana,
the great Tamil poet Kamban made the statement
on his character that ‘a great person never looks
desiringly upon another's wife.’
The city of Lucknow was the ancient capital of
Lakshmana. It was known as Lakshmanapura.
After the Islamic invasion, the city along with many
others were plundered and devastated. The name
as pronounced by the Arabs and the Central Asians
changed from Lakshmanapura to Lucknow.
The agony of separation of Rama and Sita is well
known. The separation is the central theme of
Valmiki and Tulsidas. No one has looked into the
sacrifice, agony and pain due to separation of
Lakshmana from Urmila. Both suffered deep within
joyfully for the sake of Master-Brother Rama.
Saket is an epic, by Mathili Sharan Gupta a modern
poet, that tells the story of Rama, the prince of
Ayodhya, who lived thousands of years ago and is
considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu by
Hindus. Saket actually means Ayodhya. Different
forms of verses in pure Hindi (Khadi Boli) have
been used in this epic by Rashtra Kavi Maithili
Sharan Gupt, the author of the work. The beauty
conveyed by the words used to describe the scenes
imagined by the poet is simply superb. Here is a
short piece to illustrate the point. Here, Rama and
Sita are living in a simple hut in the forest. Sita is
watering plants and softly humming some song.
Rama is totally engrossed in watching her divine
beauty. Some Hindi words are difficult so I have
provided the meanings.
Sometimes a person commits such a blunder that
he / she is forced to repent for the rest of the life.
Kaikeyi, the darling youngest wife of Dasaratha did
one such blunder when she forced the king to give
the kingdom to her son Bharat and banish the elder
stepson Ram to live in forests for 14 years.
Dasaratha died from this shock, and Bharat who
loved the elder brother Ram too much, was
outraged and indignant on this act of his mother
Kaikeyi. We can imagine the mental state of
Kaikeyi. In the previous excerpt from Saket, Bharat
and Kaikeyi along with many others from Ayodhya
visit Ram in the forest. After completing the last
rites of Dasaratha, as the night fell, everyone
gathered in an assembly where Bharat expressed
his deep anguish at the turn of events and his
boundless love for the elder brother.
Repentant Kaikeyi quiet till now, speaks out at this
juncture and the following excerpt from Saket
Mahakavya by Rashtra Kavi Maithili Sharan Gupta
tells what she feels and wants. No writer has really
sympathized with Kaikeyi.
We are all divine instrument in the process of the
evolution of consciousness. Our thoughts and
actions determine the course of events to take
place. Therefore no one but the Absolute
consciousness is responsible. Sometimes it uses the
ignorance, or weakness of the Individualized
Consciousness or Ego to allow the events to take
place. The enlightened or those who have attained
to salvation allow the things to happen knowingly
or unknowingly. The freedom of choice is theirs.
Such beings are not tainted by their actions, while
those who are on the lower rungs of consciousness
undergo pain and pleasure. Such are the way of the
existence.
The situation of Kaikeyi and Ravana is different.
Both are aware of their role in the scheme of
existence and play their part beautifully. My own
understanding is that both Ravana and Kaikeyi
are fully aware and perform their roles without any
remorse. It is in this light we need to look at these
two characters. These are the last lines of the poet:
àa[ n pagl hae tum yae< p&WvI pr vh àem kha<
maehmyI Dlna _ar hE _aqkae n Ahae Ab AaEr yha<
^pr kae inroae Ab tae bs imlta hE icrmel vha<
SvgR vhI<, ApvgR vhI<, suosgR vhI<, injvgR
jha<.
Hey Life!! Don’t get crazy for this mortal world.
You can’t find true love here.
This is a beautiful trap so stop wandering here.
Look upward (towards heaven) dear.
That’s the only place where you can find long
lasting relations.
There’s the heaven, there’ the source of ultimate
pleasure where you have your own people!
How we love to make a friend and then maintain the
friendliness that is what humanity is all about - connecting
to other people. If social net working is any indication, our
worth is sometimes measured by how many friends we have
in our circle. Sri Rama – Sugreeva friendship is a classic
example of “types of friendships” where it is mutually
beneficial and each comes to it for some help from the other,
may be because they are in similar situation. It was true for
Sri Rama and Sugreeva
Sri Rama and Sugreeva
Valmiki Ramayana
Kishkindha Kanda in Prose Sarga 5
Hanuman takes Rama and Lakshmana to Sugreeva, and
advises him to befriend Rama. Accordingly Rama and
Sugreeva take the oath of friendship before an altar of fire
and Rama assures to eliminate Vaali the vice, from the face
of earth.
„A friend is the resultant factor of helpfulness... that I
know... oh, great monkey I intend eliminate that Vaali, the
abductor of your wife... unfailing are these arrows of mine,
scorchers like sun, sharp ones tied with eagle feathers,
similar to Indra‟s Thunderbolts, sharp are their point and
straight is their egress, similar to enraged snakes, and these
arrows of mine will be speeded up to fall on that vicious
Vaali... Says Sri Rama
The friendship between Sri Rama and Sugreeva is like the
hands of a person whose garment has loosened
automatically proceeds to tighten it up even before the
person realizes it, a true friend is one who rushes to help his
friend when needed even without being asked for.
Sugreeva regarded Sri Rama as such a true friend and sought
his friendship with fire as witness saying „I am scared to
death by Vaali. Please grant me protection‟
Sri Rama and Hanuman
Sri Rama exemplifies the highest virtue of friendship with
Hanuman. His first meeting with Hanuman at the
Rishyamuka Mountains was with profound respect and
regard. Having discovered Rama after his life long search,
Hanuman supplicated and bowed to Rama‟s feet seeking
forgiveness for not recognizing the Lord, upon which Sri
Rama embraced him. It was the birth of a most trusted
friendship. It would be none other than Hanuman who
would communicate between Rama and Sita bringing solace
to both of them in their hour of separation.
Sri Rama and Vibhishana
The Vashishta Ramayana relates that Sri Rama appeared to
Sage Viswambara on the banks of as the Vaigai river. The
sage was performing penance to get a vision of Sri Rama. In
his vision, Rama and Lakshmana are seen with their bows
and in a standing posture and talking to Sugriva, Angada
and Hanuman. The vision depicts the act of Rama granting
protection to Vibhishana, brother of Ravana. Rama tells his
monkey-king friend Sugriva that he was granting protection
to Vibhishana as well as extending his friendship to the
Lanka prince. In the vision, Sugriva is seen with folded
hands praying to Rama to reconsider his decision, reminding
that Rama was accepting „the deadly enemy‟s brother‟ as a
friend. Hanuman is seen with his right hand covering his
mouth, in a stance of paying respect to Sri Rama. The
monkey-prince Angada is seen pointing his finger towards
the southern sky indicating the arrival of Vibhishana
Ravana and Vaali
„I am Ravana, the ruler of ogres, O king of monkeys, a
compeer of the mighty Indra, come here seeking an
encounter with you and I was (consequently) captured by
you today. Astounding is the strength, marvelous is the
prowess and wonderful is the profundity too in you, by
whom, after seizing me I was taken like an animal round the
four seas! …. Having witnessed your might, O jewel among
monkeys, I seek to enter into an enduring and exceedingly
loving friendship with you in the presence of fire.‟ (Ibid,
Sloka 39 [part] and 40)
And the narration then goes on to state that Ravana stayed in
Kishkindha for a month, Ravana being treated like the very
younger brother of Vali.
The question is about „can you show any example for
friendship in Ramayana like '' Duryodhana - karna in
„mahabharata ?‟
There is no need to elaborate the friendship of Karna and
Duryodana and justify it here.
 By: Pt. Mahendra Nath Maharaj
Shiva Temple, 3000, NW 29TH STREHT, OKLAND PARK Florida, 33046 USA

(Reproduced: Hanuman Chalisa – Mystical Dimension by Swami Anand Neelambar)

mhabIr ibnv^ hnumana ram jasu js Aap BaOaaNaa/

Thy existence narrates thy being, thy presence!

Hanuman is an important character in the When the Absolute consciousness chooses to

episode of Ramayana. Therefore it is relevant to
speak on Hanuman.
Birth and the family of
Hanuman:
Many stories and anecdotes are there to relate to the
birth and the family of Hanuman. Shiva Purana,
Bhavishya Purana, Vayu Purana, Padm Purana,
Valmiki Ramayana, Anand Ramayana, Mahabharat
all give separate anecdotes about the birth. Siva-Sat
explains that Anjana was the daughter of Sage
Gautam. Skand Purana confirms this as well. Being
the son of the king of monkeys Kesri Hanuman is
also known as ‘Kesri nandan’ – the young one of
Kesri. Another source says Hanuman came as partial
incarnation of Shiva. It is said that at the prayers of
all gods and the inhibitants of the earth, Vishnu took
the decision to incarnate as the son of the King of
Ayodhya Dasrath. When Shiva heard of this he
decided that he will also assume the human form as
the eleventh rudra to serve lord Vishnu in his cause.
You may wonder how Shiva could take this partial
incarnation. This happens if you are aware of the
cosmic phenomena. Also the medical science has
used the DNA test to know of the parentage of the
child. When an individual is enlightened he can
choose all such things. All options are open to him.
assume the human form then the entire sequence of
events take place in accordance with role that such a
consciousness has to play in the evolution of human
consciousness. It is something like a play. It is the
story writer that chooses the role for each character.
And when the roles are decided upon then the
director chooses the actors for various roles and
thus conducts the entire play according to the script.
It is said when Vishnu choose to assume human form
as the son of Dasrath then the entire cosmic play
came into existence. At the command of Prajapati
Brahma all gods and gandharvas were asked to
assume form as monkeys and bears. It is in this
sequence of events that Shiva also chooses to
assume human form as Hanuman. Shiva took the
decision. It is to be now decided as who will be his
physical parents. Now you can see the entire
sequence of events.
Shiva has to come into existence as monkey. Who
will be the parents? Because he has to appear as
monkey! Naturally the parents have to be of the
same clan. But Hanuman has to have the element of
Wind God as well. For his role Hanuman needed the
swiftness of wind. The mother has to be special one.
In an ordinary womb such seed cannot be implanted.
Gautam’s daughter assumed the role of Hanuman’s
mother as Anjana. Anjana is female monkey. Kesari
the king of monkey clan became the father. But in
reality it is the decision of Shiva to manifest as the
eleventh Rudra. And the seed blew because of the
wind. And reached the womb of Anjana! Thus
Hanuman is known as Shanker Suvan, Kesrinanadan,
Anjani Putra, Pawan suta, and Maruti nandan. The
wind god gave him the capacity to fly even faster
than the wind. This became a tool in his role for
Rama. An ordinary human consciousness cannot
understand such cosmic planning. However once
you attain to inner oneness then it becomes very
easy to understand the entire cosmic play. You come
to realize that world is the cosmic play. And each one
of us is here to perform a specific role in the cosmic
scheme of evolution.
How Shankar assumed the form as Hanuman,
Tulsidas in Dohavali sings. Thus abandoning the
Rudra form Shankar manifested as Hanuman:
jeih srIr rit ram sae sae# Aadrih sujan
éÔ deh tij bs s<kr _ae hnuman
The body shall remain meaningless if it can be of no
use for its beloved! Therefore Shiva out of his own
Maya assumed the form as Hanuman to be the part
of Divine plan for the establishment of righteousness
and the protection of the sage!!!
How Hanuman came to be
known as Bajranga
It happened once Indra hurled his weapon Bajra on
Hanuman when he was still a boy. This damaged his
left hanu (chin). But hanuman was so full of valour
and courage that the invincible weapon could not
destroy Hanuman. Thus he came to be known as
Hanuman. In Sunderkand of Valmiki Ramayana
Hanuman in the episode of the search of Sita,
mentions has name as Hanuman during a
conversation with Ravana: (Valmiki Ramayana Su:
51/15):
Ah< tu hnumaNnam marutSyaers> sut>
sItayaStu kte ztyaejn matym.
Being a celibate Hanuman had no children. Yet still it
is said Hanuman had a son. There is a story. It
narrates that after burning Lanka when Hanuman
took a dive in the ocean to extinguish the burning
tail that set Lanka to fire, a drop of his sweat fell in
the ocean. And this drop was consumed by a fish.
The fish assumed pregnancy as a result. And out of
this pregnancy a male child was born. This is
Makaradhwajh or Matsyaraj. Matsyaraj is called the
son of fish. Makaradhwajh is Hanuman’s son.
Early childhood:
As a child Hanuman was quite mischievous.
However, all such mischief was full of courage and
valour. Once he was very hungry. He swallowed the
rising sun thinking it to be red fruit. While flying,
Hanuman hit another planetary god Rahu. This made
Rahu very angry and he complained to Indra. This
caused Indra to hurl his famous invincible weapon
Bajra.
Due to his nature, hanuman started creating trouble
for the sages. He caused too much pain to Bhrigu,
and Angiras. This made these sages put a curse on
Hanuman, “You will forget your valour and courage
from now onwards.”
Then at the request, the sages blessed Hanuman thus
reducing the intensity of the curse, “If someone will
remind you of your courage and valor, you will
remember once again. So too, many gods, Shiva,
Rama, and Sita blessed Hanuman in many ways. Sun
God Aditi accepted him as his disciple at the request
of Prajapati Brahma and blessed Hanuman in many
ways. Shiva blessed him with long life, knowledge of
weapons, and bestowed with his strength to cross
the ocean. So too the divine architect Vishyakarma
blessed him with the understanding of weapons and
weaponry.
During his journey to Lanka in search of Sita, she
blessed Hanuman as son after she was convinced of
his identity. Tulsi Das sings this in Sundar kand
17/2:
Aaisz dIiNh ramiày jana
hae# tat bl sIl inxana,
Ajr Amr guniniXa sut haehU
krhU bhut rxunayk DaehU.
izvZcte XvaStu hir àvIr .
(Valmiki Ramayana Sundar kand40/24)
After Hanuman returned with the message of Sita,
Rama told Hanuman:
AtSTv< mm ÉKtaeAis hirpu<gv,
(Adhyatma Ramayana Sundarkand 5/63)
Implying O Hanuman you are most dear to me. Also
you are my beloved devotee.
An ecstatic Tulsi das sings the glory of Hanuman
through Rama:
deohu kr ivcar mn mahI taese tat %ir[ mE< nahI
When Hanuman was on his way to Sri Lanka in
search of Sita, Sursa created obstruction in his way
to test the courage, sincerity, aspiration and
intelligence. Sursa did this at the request of Gods. It
is always so. When an individual begins his inward
journey obstacles and problems impede the way. It
is only the sincere aspirations that help the aspirant
to overcome such impediments. These come as tests
of one’s sincerity. And when problems surround
generally we tend to move away from the path. It
always happens first such problems impede the way.
And then the same problem becomes the way for
transcendence. Sursa, Singhika, and Lankini that
came in the way of Hanuman represent the
personification of negativities. Certain negativities
arise because of individual actions and thinking in
day to day life. Others are collective and cosmic in
nature. These negativities can be accumulated as a
result of the past while others accumulate due to our
present functioning. However these certainly
impede your way.
Whenever negativity decomposes tremendous
energy is released. It is like atomic explosion. And
when the aspirant absorbs such energy it acts as fuel
to propel the journey forward. For this the aspirant
has to be AWARE and AWAKE otherwise the
negativities will engulf you. All along the way to
cross the ocean, that stores within its womb a vast
treasure of ineffable bliss, Hanuman breaks such
energy blocks. And once these blocks are broken
Hanuman gains momentum for the continuation of
his journey! Thus Hanuman remains a perennial
inspiration for all aspirants.
Sursa therefore impedes hanuman’s way to test his
courage and sincerity. And seeing his indomitable
courage and sincerity she comes out of her present
form and blesses Hanuman as:
gCD saXy ramSy kayR< budixmta< vr,
Ô:va sIta< pungRTva ram Ô]yis gCD Éae>.
(Adhyatma Ramayana Sundar kand 1/23-24)
After Shinghika was slain the birds floating in the
sky expressed similar sentiments (Valmiki
Ramayana Sunderkand: 1/200). And when Hanuman
entered Lanka the demon Lankini spoke of similar
prediction about her and the fate of Lanka. She also
blessed Hanauman with her energy field through
these words:
hnumn gCD –drm te ijta l<ka Tvyanx
(Adhyatama Ramayana Sundar kand 1/47, 54)
Valmiki Ramayana has similar mention:
ydCDya Tv< jnkaTmja< stI<
ivmagR svRTra gtae ywa suom.
(Sundar kand 3/51)
Joyfully Lankini blesses Hanuman to move freely in
search for Sita. With all such blessings Hanuman
manifest tremendous qualities. This always happens
once an aspirant breaks the cordon of negativities
tremendous energy is released. And as the energy
thus released is absorbed with awareness
transformation happens. Remember energy cannot
be destroyed. It can only be transformed. This is
reflected through the life of Hanuman. Thus the life
of such an aspirant like Hanuman remains a source
of tremendous inspiration for anyone on the path.
Hanuman and perennial youth:
Rama blessed Hanuman to inspire devotees on path
as long as the portrayal of Sri Rama remains. About
the Ram Katha it is said:
Yaavt waSy<it igiry> sirtSc mihtle
Taavt ramay[ kwa laeke;u àcir:yit
As long as mountains and rivers shall remain, the
story and thus the portrayal of Sri Rama shall
continue to inspire the aspirants along the path of
devotion. And Rama had asked Hanuman to remain
on earth until last to inspire and guide the aspirants.
This has given Hanuman the blessing of perennial
youth. Sita also blessed Hanuman for such a quality.
Ajr Amr guninix sut haehU,
(Adhyatma Ramayana Sundar kand 17/2)
Thus Hanuman is godly. And along with Rama
Hanuman is also worshipped.
Hanuman and Eight Siddhis:
In the life of Sri Rama Hanuman is an important
character. Hanuman played an important role in
Rama-Sugreeve friendship; search for Sita; and the
battle with Ravana. Hanuman has a very significant
place in service, devotion, and duty. Along with this
Hanuman is bestowed with eight siddhis. Patanjali
explains these siddhis to be of five types;
jNmaEix m<t& tp> smaixja> isdXy>
Patanjali narrates five reasons for the attainment of
these siddhis energy fields: janmaja or by birth;
aushadhija or due to medicines; mantraja or mantra
and samadhija or samadhi. Because of any of these
reasons one can attain tremendous energy fields.
Patanjali explains the methodology to attain to such
energies. Amar Kosh explains these siddhis or
qualities or energy fields as:
Ai[ma maihma cEv girma lixma twa àaiPt>
àakaMymIizTv< vizTv< ca:q isdXy>
(Amaar Kosh 1/1/35)
Also at times after garima kamavasayita is used:
Ai[ma lixma àaiPt> àkaMy< mihma twa
#RizTv< vizTv< c twa kamvsaiyta.
(sandharba kosh)
This explains that there is no specific order of these
siddhis or qualities that provid energy fields. Let me
explain these siddhis:
Ai[ma> It comes from the word atom the smallest
form. Hanuman has the qualities to reduce his form
to the smallest. Often it makes the yogi invisible as
well.
When Hanuman was on his way in search of Sita and
Sursa obstructed the way Hanuman used this quality
to reduce his form to almost an invisible state. As
Sursa increased the size of her open mouth
Hanuman increased his size in the same proportion.
And when eventually Sursa zoomed her open mouth
50 times Hanuman immediately reduced his size to
infinitesimal and thus entered her mouth and came
out unhurt. Thus he exhibited tremendous
intelligence and wakefulness in the most difficult
situations.
Valmiki Ramayana narrates the moment Sursa
zoomed her open mouth 100 times immediately
Hanuman became infinitesimal. The same quality
Hanuman used when he faced the demoness
Singhika. She had the quality of swallowing the
creatures while flying in the sky. And seeking
Hanuman size she had to open her mouth big. And
when something is zoomed many times it takes time
to return to normal. Thus Hanuman shows his
intelligence and indomitable courage in adverse
circumstances.
On reaching the security at the entrance of the city of
Lanka Hanuman thought to remain in disguise as
narrated by Tulsi Das in Sundar Kand Doha 2, 3, 5:
pur rovare deio bhu kip mn kINh ivcar,
Ait lxu êp xraE inis ngr kraE< p#sar.
géf sumeé renu sm tahI ram k&pa kir ictva jahI
Ait lxu êp xre% hnumana pEQa ngr suimir
Égvana.
Adhyatma Ramayana in Sundar Kand 2/1 explains
this incident differently as:
ttae jgam hnuman l<ka prmzaeÉnam,
raTrae sU]m tnuRÉUTva bÉ&am pirt> purIm.
Valmiki narrates in Sundar Kand 2/49 that after
sunset Hanuman made himself small so that he
could enter the city:
sUyeR caSt< gte raTrae deh< s<i]Py maéit>
v&;dz<kmaTrae=w vÉUvadÉut dzRn>
mihma isdxI> Magnified form: To reduce the form to
the smallest or the atomic is referred to as the
dissolution of ego. The river now merges with the
ocean. The drop has now become the ocean. And the
moment drop dissolves its being into the ocean it
can no longer remain a drop. That very moment it
becomes ocean like. That very moment the qualities
of the ocean become the quality of the drop. And it
happens in a moment that cannot be caught by any
finiteness. It is the moment of eternity. Eternity is
the moment beyond time and space.
The quality that can make Hanuman zoom his form
is called MAHIMA Siddhi. When Hanuman
encountered Sursa on his way to Lanka in search of
Sita as Sursa increased her form Hanuman magnified
his form manyfold. And when Sursa could no more
magnify her form immediately hanuman reduced his
form to the smallest! Tulsi das narrates this in
Sundar kand 2/5:
jsu jsu sursa bdnu bFaba,
tasu dUn kip êp deoaba
st jaejn teih< Aann kINha,
Ait lxu êp pvnsut lINha.
Adhyatma Ramayana however uses a different
criterion of zooming into various sizes. In Valmiki
Ramayana this happens as a competition between
Sursa and Hanuman. This explains the Mahima
siddhi that Hanuman used in the fulfilment of the
assignments of his beloved.
Giarma isdxI> Garima siddhi: Accordingly the
aspirant makes his physical body very heavy and
therefore unmanageable. Hanuman exhibited this
when after crossing the ocean he reached the shore.
There was a mountain and still Hanuman has to take
a giant leap to reach his destination. This is quite
natural for the aspirant along the inward journey.
After crossing the ocean Hanuman increased his
from and from the mountain top he took a giant leap
to reach the city of Lanka. The weight was so
unmanageable that the mountain sunk under the
earth.
jeih igir crn de# hnum<ta cle% sae ga patal turt
< a.
(Ramcharit Manas Sundar kand 1/4)
Valmiki however narrates this slightly different.
Accordingly it was after returning from Lanka, the
mountain sunk into the earth with a loud noise.
lixma isdxI> Laghima siddhi: This is just the opposite
of the garima siddhi. Accordingly the aspirant
reduces the weight and thus he can float in the sky
like a bird. Also the aspirant is not worried of water,
mud or thorn etc. All these four siddhis are
connected with the body or the physical, plane. And
the rest are connected with the mind or the psyche
of the aspirant. And thus these remaining siddhis are
also connected with the other sense organs.
During the battle with Meghnaad Lakshman was
injured by the life threatening Shakti and he became
unconscious. This made Rama very concerned.
Hanuman brought the personal physician of Ravana
for the treatment. The physician asked for a
particular life saving herb from mount Mahodaya.
For this Hanuman used the Arial passage to reach
the destination and return in time before sunrise.
Tulsi Das explains this through the following
couplet:
deoa sEl n AaE;x cINha,
shsa kip %pair igir lINha.
igih igir inis nÉ xavt Éy%,
AvxpurI ^pr kip gy^.
Adhyatma Ramayana explains the even for the
search for Sita Hanuman went by the arial route.
Tulsi das explains that Hanuman used the arial route
for this purpose. Not only had that Hanuman used
the concept beyond time and space. As we know
time it is a linear phenomenon. Remaining on the
surface it moves as a straight line. This is the finite
concept and one particular moment comes only once
in twenty four hours span. This is the physical aspect
of time. When an aspirant attains fruition through
meditation time no longer remains a linear function.
When you look deeply one moment remains in a
cycle for a longer time or more precisely for eternity.
Let me explain this, look at the time now. This time
is according to your country or the place where you
live. The same will not be the time in another
location or the country. This depends on the location
according to planetary locations. In the east time
happens first and then the same time happens in
other parts of the world. This is only our world that
we know. And there are many such worlds. Without
meditation you cannot understand this eternal
phenomenon through the mind.
Hanuman used the same concept of eternity to
explain the entire episodes in Rama’s life during
exile, Sita’s abduction, Rama Sugreeve friendship,
battle with Ravana etc. All this was possible only
through meditation. An enlightened master can take
you to this dimension of eternity through his energy
field. Only then he transfers the mind seal on to the
disciple. This is communication beyond words and
the known. The unknown cannot be communicated
any other way. Only this much can be said at this
stage.
The remaining four siddhis: Prapti, Prakamya,
Eshitva, and Vashitva are all connected with the
psyche and the sense organs. However the
explanation of these siddhis that are psychic in
nature I have purposely abstained for now.
Hanuman had tremendous trust and devotion for his
beloved Sri Rama. And it is because of this
indomitable trust that Hanuman succeeded
everywhere and at each stage of his inward journey.
And the feeling of service that Hanuman has for Sri
Rama is worth following. Not only Hanuman is
capable of doing this himself instead his life is even
capable to inspire any sincere aspirant along the
path of transformation. Remember spirituality is not
for worldly or selfish gains, as we understand it to
be.
Furthermore, Hanuman is the embodiment of
courage, capability of dialogue, strength, wisdom,
etc. Hanuman remained the trusted minister of the
monkey king Sugreeve, and a devotee and attendant
of Sri Rama. Valmiki explains Hanuman in the
following Sutra:
zaEyR< da]y< bl< xEyR< àa}ta nysaxnm! ,
iv³mZc àÉavZc hnumit ³talya> .
Valmiki Ramayana Uttar Kand 35/3)
Valmiki expressed the praises of Sri Rama for
Hanuman through the following Sutras:
n kalSy n z ³Sy c iv:[aeivRTtpSy c,
kmRai[ tain z&yUyNte yain yuÏe hnumt> .
Valmiki Ramayana Uttar Kand 35/8)
After Hanuman had crossed the ocean and reached
Ashoka Vatika to meet Sita she praised hanuman in
the following sutras of Valmiki Ramayana:
ik< pZyse smaxanm! Tv< ih kayRivda< vr>.
(Sundar Kand 39/27)
kamSy TvmevEk> kayRSy pirsaxne.
(Sundar Kand 39/28)
Hanuman knew languages like Sanskrit, and Avadhi
the language spoken around Ayodhya.
Remember this is just an insight into Hanuman.
Much more remains unsaid. I conclude here with a
sutra from Radheyshyam Ramayana Balkand Doha
17:
ànv%< pvnkumar ol bn pavk Gyan xn,
jasu h&dy Aagar bsih< ram sr cap xr.
I salute and vow down to Hanuman in whose inner
sanctum dwells the jugal murti of Sri Ram and Sita
the Resplendent Self!!!
jy jy jy zr[m hnumt zr[m.
Seek! Hanuman!
Seek Hanuman ever!
Hail! Seek! And Chant!