by Vanamali
Sri Ganeshaya Namaha!
Vakthrathundam mahakaya!
kodisuryasamaprabham!
avignam kuru me deva!
Sarvakaryeshu sarvada!
O God, of huge body and curled trunk,
With the brilliance of a thousand suns,
Let me never have any obstacles,
At any time, in anything I do.
Sri Ramaya Namaha!
Dedicated to my revered father Rama, who was a living embodiment of Sri Rama
Sri Hanumanthaya Namaha!
I bow to Lord Hanuman,
the sole witness to the story of Rama
The Ramayana
May he bless us with ears to listen
and hearts to understand.
Vedavedye pare punsi jate Dasaratatmaja,
Prachetasadasit sakshadramayanatmana.
The Ramayana is indeed a Veda, which was revealed to us by the sage Valmiki, since the Supreme Being, who is known only through the Vedas, manifested himself as Rama, the son of Dasaratha.
Contents
Cover Image
Title Page
Dedication
Foreword by His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj
Foreword by His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
Introduction
Book One: Bala Kanda, Book of Boyhood Canto I. Valmiki
Canto II. The Avatara
Book Two: Ayodhya Kanda, Book of Ayodhya Canto I. Impending Coronation
Canto II. Kaikeyi Contrives
Canto III. The Banishment
Canto IV. Bharata’s Vow
Book Three: Aranya Kanda, Book of The Forest Canto I. The Forest Dwellers
Canto II. Panchavati
Canto III. The Night Rangers
Canto IV. The Demon King
Canto V. The Golden Deer
Canto VI. The Abduction of Sita
Canto VII. Rama Bereft
Canto VIII. The Painful Trek
Book Four: Kishkinda Kanda, Book of Kishkinda Canto I. The Famous Encounter
Canto II. Pact with Sugriva
Canto III. The Search for Sita
Canto IV. The Eagle’s Counsel
Book Five: Sundara Kanda, Book of Beauty Canto I. Leap to Lanka
Canto II. The Ashoka Grove
Canto III. Hanuman’s Wrath
Book Six: Yuddha Kanda, Book of Battle Canto I. March of the Monkeys
Canto II. Causeway to Lanka
Canto III. The Siege of Lanka
Canto IV. The Mighty Battle
Canto V. Hanuman to the Rescue
Canto VI. Indrajit
Canto VII. The End of Ravana
Canto VIII. Trial by Fire
Canto IX. Return to Ayodhya
Book Seven: Uttara Kanda, The Aftermath: The Best Book Canto I. Sita Abandoned
Canto II. Dharma Triumphs
Epilogue: Phala-Shruti—List of Benefits
Alphabetical List of Mantras
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
Glossary of Names and Places
Footnote
About the Author
About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
Books of Related Interest
Copyright & Permissions
Index
Foreword
By His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj
After first reading Mata Devi Vanamali’s earlier book, The Complete Life of Krishna, I read it again and again, as it was so charming and inspiring that every reading brought added pleasure. So when the author telephoned to say that she would be publishing The Complete Life of Rama and asked that I write a foreword for the same, I was filled with joy that I would be able to go through the manuscript in the near future.
I am supremely happy that Devi Vanamali was inspired to write The Complete Life of Rama. It is different from The Complete Life of Krishna in that anyone who reads this wonderful book cannot but be moved to tears. Though the book deals with the life of an avatara, who played the part of a perfect person upholding dharma at any cost, the trials and tribulations Rama had to pass through during his sojourn on this Earth—except for a few years of his childhood and wedded life—were severe and heartbreaking.
As the author mentions, the Ramayana is a love story. Sri Rama loved Sita Devi dearly. He also had great love for his father, mothers, brothers, and subjects, but his love for dharma surpassed everything. He sacrificed everything, including his wife, father, and brother, to uphold dharma. Such incidents, which are many in the Ramayana, depict the characters concerned in striking color, leaving a deep impression on our minds and stirring our emotions so intensely that it’s as if the entire scene is being enacted before us. We feel we are moving with Sri Rama right from Ayodhya to all the places in which the original scenes were enacted.
Many readers of the Ramayana are perplexed when they encounter some of the controversial issues, such as why Sri Rama abandoned his wife, Sita Devi, whom he loved most. Before leaving Ayodhya for the forest, he folded his agitated wife in his arms, kissing her tears away, saying, “Not knowing the strength of your purpose, O Janaki, I tried to deter you, not because I wanted to leave you but only because it was my duty to point out to you the dangers of forest life. You know that I cannot bear to cause distress to you, my lovely princess. O beloved Sita, even heaven has no charms for me without your bewitching presence. I, too, would love to sport with you in the woods and glades of the forest and on the mountain tops, so make haste to give away all your jewels and costly clothes and prepare yourself for a sojourn in the forest with me.”
The same Rama in later years asked his brother, Lakshmana, to take Sita Devi, then pregnant, to the forest and leave her there alone. What a sacrifice! And for what purpose? Only to uphold dharma. Then the killing of Vali, and so on, are all controversial points for those who give the epic only academic value, whereas any devotees who love Sri Rama as the avatara purusha will try to accept whatever the Lord has done as perfectly correct, and no question bothers their minds. They know that our puny intellect cannot understand the ways of the Lord and, therefore, the best thing is to accept them, as he knows best. The author, however, has taken pains to beautifully explain such controversial subjects. Whatever Sri Rama did was to uphold dharma and, therefore, for the good of humanity.
The beauty of this book is that it is written by one who has great love and devotion for Sri Rama. The subtle chords it touches in the reader’s heart will engender ecstasy. The more we read it, the more devotion we develop.
Those who have read Sri Krishna Lila will surely be eager to possess this book. Thus may it reach every house so that by reading it and listening to it, and chanting Sri Rama’s glorious name, pure love and devotion may overflow from the hearts of all to charge the atmosphere in the house with the fragrance of Sri Rama’s eternal presence, and cause all to live a life of righteousness.
Aum Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram!
SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDAJI MAHARAJ (1919–2008), born Anantasivan, was a devoted student of Swami Ramdas (Beloved Papa). He began living at Swami Ramdas’s ashram, Anandashram, in 1949 where he received the title Satchidananda from the Beloved Papa. He lived his life in devotion to his gurus, Swami Ramdas and Pujya Mataji (Beloved Papa’s nearest devotee and mother to the ashram community). Swami Satchidanandaji recorded the day-to-day life of his masters in The Gospel of Ramdas. In 1989 he inherited the running of the Anandashram from Mataji, which he carried out with love, compassion, and devotion.
Foreword
His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
The Ramayana of the sage Valmiki is a literary masterpiece in the Sanskrit language; it excels in beauty, style, and diction. Both the Ramayana and the
“Gayatri Mantra” begin with the word tat, and it is believed that the twenty-four “seed letters” of the “Gayatri Mantra” are hidden within the Ramayana—the first word of every thousand verses starts, in consecutive sequence, with a word of the Gayatri. The holy Ramayana is believed to be the Veda itself: “Vedah prachethiasath aseed sakshath Ramayanatmana.” Spiritual seekers read it as protection against all the problems of life, believing it acts as a shield. Some make a regular practice of reading the fifth book of the Ramayana, “Sundara Kanda,” in order to absorb the strength and prowess of Hanuman. No one can fully plumb the depths of meaning in Valmiki’s Ramayana.
Usually the reading of the Mahabharata is done in the morning, the Ramayana in the afternoon, and the Sreemad Bhagavatam in the evening. The Sanskrit verse that describes this is as follows: “Good people engage in playing dice in the morning (meaning they read the Mahabharata), talking about women at noon (referring to Sita, wife of Rama, in the Ramayana), and at night, in thievery (meaning the Sreemad Bhagavatam).”
There are many controversies in the Ramayana, such as the absence of Bharata during the coronation of Sri Rama, and Rama’s attacking Vali from behind a tree, and finding fault with Vali on trumped-up charges. Valmiki has produced in Rama an aspect of human nature that is impossible to understand—a single person who embodies both the might of God and the frailty of man. This presentation of the ideal man is either totally ignored by devotees or subjected to critical examination. Either way, the Ramayana is a great exercise in disciplining the mind in its attempt to bring God and man together in a single individual. Valmiki often refers to Rama as Narayana—the Supreme God. It is said that in his last moments, Ravana saw Rama as the mighty Vishnu, or god of the universe.
The Ramayana should be studied diligently by everyone, for the dignity of the language in which it is written as well as the depth of the message it conveys. It presents the inscrutable manner in which God works and the fickle nature of all human decisions, thus bringing God to Earth and raising the Earth to heaven. Since this type of blending is inconceivable to human perception, the Ramayana is endlessly interpreted by pundits, storytellers, and scholars.
It is certain that intensive study of the Ramayana will fill the reader’s mind with inordinate strength and incalculable blessedness. Valmiki says that the glory of the Ramayana will remain as long as the sun and the moon last. The astounding descriptions of the rule of Rama and his administrative skill may truly reflect the conditions of a life in heaven. Great is the Ramayana. Glory to the courageous and dedicated path of Rama in every branch of life.
Mata Devi Vanamali has done a unique service to the religious community in exploring the complex meanings of the Ramayana text and making it attractive to the modern mind with beautiful English phrasing.
Sri Ramachandra Bhagavan ki Jai!
SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDAJI MAHARAJ (1922–2001) was general secretary of the Divine Life Society for forty years, president of the Sivananda Literature Dissemination Committee, and editor of The Divine Life, the Divine Life Society’s monthly publication. He was intiated into the holy order of Sannyasa by Swami Sivananda in 1946 and remained at Swami Sivananda’s ashram near Rishikesh, India, until his death in 2001. He was a serious student of Sanskrit scriptures and Advaita philosophy and was particularly devoted to the works of his guru Swami Sivananda. He was the author of forty-one books, including The Realisation of the Absolute, The Study and Practice of Yoga, The Philosophy of Life, and Lessons on the Upanishads.
Ramabhadraya Namaha!
Introduction
Sri Rama Rama Ramethi Reme Rame Manoreme,
Sahasranama Tat tuliam Rama nama varanane.
Repetition of the name of Rama is equivalent to the chanting of the thousand and one names of Vishnu.
This is the story of the Lord’s descent to Earth as Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, scion of the race of Raghu, pinnacle of human perfection. It is a story that has enthralled the minds of all who have read it, not only in India, the land of its origin, but throughout the world. The story of Rama has spread everywhere, including such places as Tibet, Turkey, Myanmar, and South- and Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Bali and Thailand, as in India, Sri Rama is worshipped as God incarnate.
This flow of the Ramayana outside India has been in four directions. One stream went north, as proven by Tibetan and Turkish manuscripts. Its presence in China can be seen from the Chinese translation of two Buddhist works, Anamakam Jatakam and Dasarath Kathanakam. The second direction was to Indonesia. Stone carvings in two of the ancient fourteenth-century Shiva temples in Jogjakarta and one in East Java at Pantaran depict scenes from the epic. Later, both in Indonesia and Malaysia, extensive literature on the Ramayana theme was composed. The third flow of the epic was to Indochina, Thailand, and Myanmar. Inscriptions dated from the seventh century show that the Valmiki Ramayana was very popular in those regions. The story of Rama that is widely read in Thailand is known as Rama Kiyn. The Burmese version, one of the most important poetic compositions of the country, is based on this and is known as Rama Yagan. The fourth stream of the Rama story is found in the writings of western travelers and missionaries who visited India from the fifteenth century onward. These writings are found in many European languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Dutch.
One may well marvel that this story, based on local episodes, has had worldwide appeal and continues to cast its spell through the ages. This is because the story is based on certain eternal verities that appeal to the best in human nature. Indeed, these values have such a universal appeal that the character of Sri Rama has risen above the limits of sect, religion, race, and country. Obviously it is a tale that is capable of touching the human mind and heart.
The Ramayana may be an ancient chronicle, but it has deep meaning even in modern times. We live in an age that is at a loss to know the meaning of human existence and doubts the existence of God. We are perplexed as to how we can act with righteousness when the whole world seems to have gone mad, when the meaning of truth and love cannot be found, and when hate and self-interest seem to be the only rules of conduct, from the highest to the lowest. Answers to these perplexing questions can be found in the Ramayana, for human nature, as such, has hardly changed through the years. Situations may change, avataras come and go, but human nature remains the same. However, the individual can and must change if society is to progress, and the characters found in this book are worthy of emulation. Our lives may well take a turn for the better when we read of the heroic way in which Rama and Sita faced the trials and tribulations of their lives. Herein lies the greatness of Rama. When we read the life of Krishna, we find that it is the story of a god—a divine person who was always master of every situation and never the victim. That is why he is known as the poornavatara. In the case of Rama, however, there is a difference. In Rama, God took on a human form with all its frailties in order to show us how our aspirations for a dharmic life can be fulfilled. In him we see how we can surmount our frailties and become divine, if we are prepared to completely subjugate the ego, live only for the good of the world, and act in consonance with the duties and obligations of our particular positions in society. Valmiki’s Rama is the portrait of a man who shakes off the limitations of mortality and becomes divine by strict adherence to truth and honor. If Rama, like Krishna, had been above all human emotions, he would not have made such an impact on the Indian mind. However Valmiki’s Rama has all the qualities of the average man—attachments, desire, anger and love, compassion and serenity. The greatness of his character lies in the fact that he surmounted obstacles in his character, perfected himself, and became superhuman, putting his duty above all personal considerations. This type of perfection is available to all of us, however weak we may be. Hence the popularity of the Ramayana. Rama is an example to all men, as Sita is to all women, and each one of us in reading their story can identify with them and try to perfect our own character as they perfected th
eirs.
Another endearing feature of the Ramayana, which for centuries has enthralled all who have read it, is that it is, above all, a love story, and love as a theme never fails to touch a chord in even the hardest of hearts. But the Ramayana is a love story with a difference, because it deals with all facets of human love, both dharmic and adharmic: the love of a father for his son, of a son for his parents or a sibling, the love of a husband, wife, or friend, and finally even the love that is condemned by dharma—the passion for another man’s wife. All these are depicted in the Ramayana in the highest and most exalted manner.
The author of the Ramayana is the sage Valmiki, who is considered to be the first of all poets, the adi-kavi; and the Ramayana itself is known as the adi-kavya, the first poem ever to be composed. It is also the first of the Indian epics, the second being the Mahabharata of the sage Vyasa.
An epic is generally a narration of inspiring events in the lives of great kings and warriors who lived long ago. Their heroic themes offer rules of conduct intended to affect readers and listeners in a positive manner. Miraculous deeds are everyday events in an epic, and gods take on human forms and interact with humans in order to ensure that righteousness will triumph and truth prevail. The Greek epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are representative of these characteristics, but unlike the Greek epics, which were recounted long after the events took place, the authors of the Indian epics were contemporaries of the main characters, with important roles in the dramas they chose to narrate.
When Valmiki composed his Ramayana, India was at a peak of cultural and moral refinement, and people were acutely aware of the importance of living according to the dictates of dharma, or the highest moral values. Thus, they were able to appreciate all the qualities of a noble character such as Rama, who was prepared to sacrifice everything at the altar of dharma.