Post No. 11,733
Date uploaded in London – – 31 JANUARY 2023
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan
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Pronunciation Guide
Balakanda = baala kaanda; Valmiki = vaalmeeki; Ramayana= raamaayana
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Rama’s House made up of leaves
He was a king who lived in a palace. Because his step mother Kaikeyi sent him to forest for 14 years, he had to live in a hut like a saint. He lived there for many years happily till Ravana abducted his wife Sita (seethaa)
ते वनेन वनं गत्वा नदीस्तीर्त्वा बहूदका: ।।1.1.30।।
चित्रकूटमनुप्राप्य भरद्वाजस्य शासनात् ।
रम्यमावसथं कृत्वा रममाणा वने त्रय: ।।1.1.31।।
देवगन्धर्वसङ्काशास्तत्र ते न्यवसन् सुखम् ।
ते they, वनेन from one forest, वनम् to another forest, गत्वा having gone, बहूदका: नदी: deep and broad rivers with plenty of waters, तीर्त्वा having crossed, भरद्वाजस्य sage Bharadwaja’s, शासनात् order, चित्रकूटम् Chitrakuta mountain, अनुप्राप्य having reached, रम्यम् delightful, आवसथम् abode (a hut made of leaves), कृत्वा having constructed, ते they (having enjoyed such comforts), त्रय: three, तत्र वने in the forest located in Chitrakuta mountain, रममाणा: enjoying, देवगन्धर्वसङ्काशा: resembling devas and gandharvas, सुखम् happily, न्यवसन् dwelt.
Moving from one forest to another and crossing deep and wide rivers with plenty of waters, reached the Chitrakuta mountain by the command of sage Bharadwaja. They raised a hut made of leaves in the forest located in Chitrakuta mountain. and dwelt there happily resembling devas and gandharvas.
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Next Stop Dandaka Forest
Rama was enjoying forest life. Why didn’t he live near Ayodhya? Because he wanted to see all the forests and the dwellers of forests, the Rishis.
Here we have to stop and ponder over a little. Those forests were deep inside India, the modern Madhya Pradesh. We have found Bhimbetka caves where forty thousand year old paintings are discovered. This is one of the world wonders deep inside India. This explodes the theories of Max Muller gang. The Rishis were living deep inside the forest meditating. This is because they wanted peace, far from the madding world.
Then why did the Rakshasas attack them? They were uncivilised and cannibals. Among the animals, some tigers are called Man Eaters; that is once they taste the blood of human beings they leave the deer and wildebeest alone and attack only men.
The rakshasas were man eaters. Is it possible? Yes. Even today we find man eaters in Andaman Nicobar Islands. They are called Jharava tribes. In spite of several attempts to civilise them, nothing fructified.
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What happened in Dandaka Forest?
प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं रामो राजीवलोचनः ।
विराधं राक्षसं हत्वा शरभङ्गं ददर्श ह ।।1.1.41।।
सुतीक्ष्णं चाप्यगस्त्यं च अगस्त्यभ्रातरं तथा ।
राजीवलोचनः lotuseyed, रामः Rama, महारण्यम् dreary forest (Dandakaranya) प्रविश्य तु having entered, विराधम् Viradha, राक्षसम् Rakshasa, हत्वा after slaying, शरभङ्गम् sage Sarabhanga, सुतीक्ष्णं च also sage Sutikshna, अगस्त्यं च sage Agastya, तथा and, अगस्त्यभ्रातरं च brother of sage Agastya, ददर्श ह saw.
Having entered the dense forest Dandaka, Rama slew the demon Viradha and saw the sages Sarabhanga, Sutikshna and Agastya with his brother.
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Agastya gave Divine Weapons
अगस्त्यवचनाच्चैव जग्राहैन्द्रं शरासनम् ।।1.1.42।।
खड्गं च परमप्रीतस्तूणी चाक्षयसायकौ ।
अगस्त्यवचनात् च एव as directed by sage Agastya, ऐन्द्रम् given by Indra, शरासनम् bow, खड्गं च a sword, अक्षयसायकौ inexhaustible arrows, तूणी च and quivers, परमप्रीतः extremely delighted, जग्राह received.
As directed by sage Agastya, Rama received with extreme delight a bow, a sword and quivers with inexhaustible arrows, given by Indra to Agastya (to be passed on to Rama.)
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How many did Rama Kill and Why?
After this at the request of sages, Rama killed Kara, Dushana, Kabandha and 14,000 demons. Surpankha came from Janasthaana and tried to entice them. Lakshmana cut her nose. She reported it to Ravana and he came and abducted Sita. Jataayu, the eagle king tried to stop him but got fatal wounds. Rama met him and got the eye witness account of Sita’s abduction . Later he cremated him.
ततस्तेनैव शोकेन गृध्रं दग्ध्वा जटायुषम् ।।1.1.54।।
मार्गमाणो वने सीतां राक्षसं सन्ददर्श ह ।
कबन्धन्नाम रूपेण विकृतं घोरदर्शनम् ।।1.1.55।।
तेनैव शोकेन pervaded by that sorrow, तत: then, गृध्रं जटायुषम् vulture Jatayu, दग्ध्वा having consigned to flames, वने in the forest, सीताम् Sita, मार्गमाण: wandering in search of, रूपेण in form, विकृतम् deformed, घोरदर्शनम् dreadful appearance, कबन्धन्नाम named Kabandha, राक्षसम् rakshasa, सन्ददर्श ह beheld.
Then he performed in the midst of tears the funeral rites of the vulture Jatayu. Wandering in search of Sita, he beheld a rakshasa named Kabandha who was dreadful, in deformed in appearance.
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Let us stop and ponder
Deep inside the forest there was an Eagle King. Actually it was a man with Eagle totem (symbol). Since they followed Hindu customs, Rama cremated him. But Max Muller gang and Marxist gangs interpreted all these forest visits as colonising the area by Aryans.
If it is true there wont be so many friends inside the forest. There wont be one Eagle King ruling, who claimed that he was friend of Dasaratha.
We can compare it to the modern castes of Hindus. Each one follows their own customs from birth to death, but they have common Hindu beliefs about life and its aims. Even a deformed person like Kabnadha advised Rama to meet a tribal woman saint Sabari.
तं निहत्य महाबाहुर्ददाह स्वर्गतश्च स: ।
स चास्य कथयामास शबरीं धर्मचारिणीम् ।।1.1.56।।
श्रमणीं धर्मनिपुणामभिगच्छेति राघव । 1151
महाबाहु: mightyarmed Rama, तम् that Kabandha, निहत्य having killed, ददाह consigned him to flames, स: he (his soul), स्वर्गतश्च ascended heaven, स च Kabandha (while leaving for heavens), राघव O Raghava, धर्मचारिणीम् performing religious duties, धर्मनिपुणाम् proficient in practising austerities duties, श्रमणीम् female ascetic, शबरीम् belonging to Sabara community, अभिगच्छ visit her, अस्य to Rama, इति कथयामास informed.
Mighty armed Rama, having killed Kabandha, consigned his body to flames. While leaving for heavens he informed him saying, ‘O Raghava, there is a female ascetic in Sabara community, performing religious duties and proficient in practising austerities. You may visit her’.
Sabara community is a tribal community. There was no Aryan or Dravidian until Max Muller and Caldwell Gangs manufactured them in their factory of lies.
Even Kabandha was cremated not buried.
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Did Rama rule for 11,100 years?
दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च ।
रामो राज्यमुपासित्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति ।। 1.1.97।।
राम: Rama, दशवर्षसहस्राणि for ten thousand years, दशवर्षशतानि च ten hundred years, राज्यम्
kingdom, उपासित्वा reigning, ब्रह्मलोकम् Brahmaloka, प्रयास्यति will attain.
Rama, reigning the kingdom for eleven thousand years, will attain Brahmaloka.
The first chapter/ Sarga of Bala Kanda finished the story of Rama by saying he rued for 11,000 years. What is the significance?
In those days they used to add Sahsram/1000 with everything to mean a lot. Even today if you go to Brahmins’ weddings, the priest will say so and so presenting Rs100 equal to 100 000 gold nuggets (Lakshaam Katti Varaahan). Rama Ruled only for 11 years after the coronation.
But Patanjali who lived 2200 years ago, approached it from a different angle. He divided the number by 365 and arrived at 30 years.
Whatever it is , 11 or 30 years of rule is reasonable. Moreover all poets including Kalidasa clearly say that Rama himself made Kusa the next king and went to Jala Samadhi (watery grave). When people came to know that Rama is going to enter Sarayu river ritually, lakhs of people, and birds and animals followed him and attained heaven. We see such ritual deaths even in Sangam Tamil literature. When the great Choza King Koperum Chozan announced fast unto death facing Holy Direction North, a lot of poets joined him . Pandavas also walked towards North and died.
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Why should we listen to Rama’s Story?
The last three slokas/ couplets give the benefit of reading Ramayana .
इदं पवित्रं पापघ्नं पुण्यं वेदैश्च सम्मितम् ।
य: पठेद्रामचरितं सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते ।।1.1.98।।
इदं रामचरितम् this story of Rama, पवित्रम् sacred, पापघ्नम् destroyer of sins, पुण्यम् auspicious, वेदै: by vedas, सम्मितं च equal to, य: who, पठेत् reads, सर्वपापै: from all sins, प्रमुच्यते will be released.
This story of Rama is sacred and holy. It destroys sins and is equal to the Vedas. Whosoever reads it will be freed from all sins.
एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन्रामायणं नर: ।
सपुत्रपौत्रस्सगण: प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते ।। 1.1.99।।
एतद् रामायणम् this Ramayana, आख्यानम् true meaning, आयुष्यम् longevity, पठन् reading, नर: men, सपुत्रपौत्र: with sons and grandsons, सगण: with servants and relations, प्रेत्य after death, स्वर्गे in heavens, महीयते worshipped.
This story of Ramayana enhances longevity of those who read it and recite it. They will be worshipped in heavens after their death along with their sons and grandsons, servants and relations.
पठन्द्विजो वागृषभत्वमीयात्
स्यात्क्षत्रियो भूमिपतित्वमीयात् ।
वणिग्जन: पण्यफलत्वमीयात्
जनश्च शूद्रोऽपि महत्वमीयात् ।।1.1.100।।
पठन् जन: People by reading this, द्विज: स्यात् if he is a brahmin, वागृषभत्वम् proficient in the eighteen branches of learning, ईयात् attains, क्षत्रिय: kshatriya, भूमिपतित्वम् lordship over landed possessions, ईयात् gets, वणिग्जनः vaisya, पण्यफलत्वम् fruits of his merit, ईयात् gets, जनश्च men, शूद्रोऽपि sudra also, महत्वम् greatness, ईयात् attains.
A brahmin becomes proficient in the eighteen branches of learning a kshatriya gets lordship over landed possessions a vaisya gets the fruits of his business and sudra also attains greatness by reading Ramayana”.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे (श्रीमद्रामायणकथासङ्क्षेपो नाम) प्रथम: सर्ग:।।
Thus ends the first sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana in synopsis of the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
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About Shudras
Kamban, the great Tamil poet, who composed Ramayana in Tamil, also sings about the benefits of reading or listening to Ramayana in the same way. But how the four castes (division of labour) would benefit is not found there. Why?
Ramayana was written several thousand years before, Kamban So the Varna Asrama (division of labour) slowly changed to ‘caste by birth’ and got divided into many thousand castes.
But no poet opposed it. We see it even in 18th century Arappaleeswara sataka by Ambalavana Kavirayar who was not a Brahmin. Only iconoclastic Tamil Siddhars opposed the caste system openly because by their time it became worse and abusive and meaningless. The Siddars came very late in the picture. They opposed all rituals.
2600 years ago Buddha mentioned only Brahmins in his Dhamma pada, Holy Book Of Buddhists. He praised them sky high, but defined who a brahmin is. Like Manu he defines Brahmins with very strict rules
Why do I pray for Shudras everyday?
Each caste values something more than some other things. For Brahmins Knowledge, for Kshatrias Victory, for Vaisyas Wealth and for Shudras full welfare is more important.
This I say it in my daily Vishnu Sahasranama (part of Mahabharata)
When Chinese Virus Corona killed millions on earth, people said I don’t want Money, Victory, Knowledge, but only health. We read it in newspapers. Thousands threw money on roads in Italy and thousands deposited their money in Balaji temple at Tirupati. So, in my opinion, Shudras get the most valuable thing in the world. Whenever I read that couplet in Vishnu Sahasranama Pala stuti , I used to wonder how great our people are in allocating the welfare, health and happiness to them.
–subham—
Tags- Bala kanda, gems, Forest, Rakshas, Cannibals, Rishis, Shudras
Tamil and Vedas 
