The news that Rama was to be crowned thrilled the whole of Ayodhya. Everyone was happy—all except an old hunchbacked woman named Manthara. Manthara, who was an attendant on Kaikeyi, was not pleased. She wanted that Bharata, Dasaratha’s son through Kaikeyi, should become Emperor. She poisoned the mind of Kaikeyi and made her press Dasaratha to redeem some old promises made to …
After a short while, Rama and his brothers, with their brides, started on their way back to Ayodhya. Hardly had they begun their journey when they were confronted by the terrible Parasurama who was none other than Vishnu in one of his many forms. Parasurama addressed Rama thus, “Oh! Rama, I have heard that at the court of Janaka you broke the mighty bow …
At Mithila, King Janaka showed the princes the mighty bow of Shiva, the Destroyer. So far no one had been able to lift the bow or bend it even slightly. Janaka had declared that he who bent or wielded the bow would win the hand of his daughter, Janaki, or Sita as she was better known, in marriage. At Viswamitra’s bidding, Rama lifted the …
On the way to the sacrificial spot Viswamitra taught the princes many valuable lessons in the course of which he told them how they could endure hardships and use powerful Astras (weapons). As they moved forward, a Rakshasi called Tataka, who was held in dread by the Rishis as well as by the denizens of the forest, accosted them. Viswamitra advised Rama that though …
Sriman Narayana, which is another name for Vishnu, asked the Devas to take courage and shed their fears. He assured them he would appear on earth as a mortal and deal with Ravana and his followers. He announced that He would take the form of the four sons of Dasaratha, Emperor of Ayodhya. He asked the Devas to assume the shape of vanaras and help the …
१९. य –यस्य विक्रममासाद्य राक्षसा निधनं गताः |तं मन्ये राघवं वीरं नारायणमनामयम् || ६-७२-११ “On the strength of whose valour many rakshasas lost their lives that valiant Rama, I think, is the eternal Narayana Himself.” [Note: These are the musings of Ravana when many of his commanders and his brother Kumbhakarna were put to death by Rama and Lakshmana] २०. न …
१३. स –स निर्जित्य पुरीं श्रेष्ठां लङ्का तां कामरूपिणीम् |विक्रमेण महातेजा हनूमान् कपिसत्तमः || ५-४-१ Having conquered by his valour the guarding deity of Lankapuri, who was capable of taking any form she desired, Hanuman, son of Vayu and very powerful (scaled the ramparts of Lanka) १४. ध –धन्या देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः |मम पश्यन्ति ये नाथं …
सं ग॑च्छध्वं॒ सं व॑दध्वं॒ सं वो॒ मनां॑सि जानताम् । दे॒वा भा॒गं यथा॒ पूर्वे॑ संजाना॒ना उ॒पास॑ते ॥सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे संजानाना उपासते ॥ saṃ gacchadhvaṃ saṃ vadadhvaṃ saṃ vo manāṃsi jānatām | devā bhāgaṃ yathā pūrve saṃjānānā upāsate || “We pray for a spirit of unity; may …
७. नि –निरीक्ष्य स मुहूर्तं तु ददर्श भरतो गुरुम् |उटजे राममासीनं जटामण्डलधारिणम् || २-९९-२५ – अयोध्याकाण्डम् Bharata (after sighting the hermitage of Rama), spent a few minutes looking at it and then saw Rama , his Guru, sitting inside with his matted locks. [Note: The context is Bharata visiting Rama at Chitrakuta with a view to persuading him …
तत्सवितुर्वरॆण्यंभर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियॊ यॊ नः प्रचोदयात् We are all familiar with the Gayatri Mahamantra above. The Valmiki Ramayana contains 24,000 slokas divided into 7 Kandas, namely, Balakanda, Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkindha kanda, Sundara kanda, Yuddha kanda and Uttara Kanda. The first letter of the first sloka in each group of 1,000 slokas …
