by Vanamali
Rambha one of the divine nymphs
Rameswaram name of the temple to Shiva that Rama founded
Ravana demon king of Lanka
Rishyamukha the hill on which Sugriva took refuge
Rishyasringa famous sage who conducted the yajna for Dasaratha
Ruma wife of Sugriva
Sachi wife of Indra
Sagara name of the ocean; one of the kings of the Solar race; ancestor of Rama
Sampati eagle; brother of Jatayu
Samudra lord of the ocean
Sarama wife of Vibhishana
Sarasa mother of the serpents
Saraswathi name of a mythical river; wife of Brahma the Creator
Sarayu river that goes around Ayodhya
Satya Yuga golden age
Shabari very old female ascetic
Shambuka a shudra who was practicing austerities
Sharabhanga a great sage
Shatrugna brother of Rama; Lakshmana’s twin
Shiva one of the trinity; also known as Maheswara
Shurpanekha demoness; sister of Ravana
Sita wife of Rama; princess of Videha
Srutakirti wife of Shatrugna
Subahu demon; brother of Maricha
Sudheekshna sage
Sugriva monkey king who helped Rama to rescue Sita
Sumantra charioteer and minister of Dasaratha
Sumitra second wife of Dasaratha; mother of Lakshmana and Shatrugna
Surya the sun god
Suyajna son of Vasishta
Swayamprabha a beautiful woman guarding the cave that the monkeys entered
Tamasa river near Valmiki’s ashrama
Tara wife of Vali
Tataka demoness
Thrishiras one of the demons guarding Ravana’s garrison at Janasthana
Treta Yuga period that followed the golden age
Trijata demoness who helped Sita
Tulsidas famous poet who composed the Hindi version of the Ramayana
Urmila wife of Lakshmana; Sita’s sister
Vaidehi another name for Sita; princess of Videha
Vaishravas father of Ravana
Vaivaswatha Manu progenitor of humankind
Vajradamstra demon warrior
Vali king of Kishkinda; brother of Sugriva
Valmiki sage; author of the Ramayana; the first poet
Vanamali name of Lord Vishnu; Krishna; one who wears the garland of wildflowers
Varuna god of the waters
Vasishta great sage; preceptor of the family of Ikshvaku
Vatapi demon; brother of llwala
Vayu the wind god
Vibhishana half brother of Ravana; a noble demon
Vidyudjihva magician in the court of Ravana
Vinata Sugriva’s general; mother of Garuda
Viradha demon
Virupaksha Ravana’s general
Vishnu the Preserver in the trinity of Brahma; Vishnu; Shiva
Vishwakarma architect of the gods
Vishwamitra great sage who was born a Kshatriya
Vyasa great sage who wrote the Mahabharata
Yadu progenitor of the Yadava race
Yama god of death
Yamuna river that is closely associated with Krishna
Yogavasishta the advice of Vasishta to Rama
Yudhistira eldest of the Pandavas; noted for his adherence to dharma
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Footnote
*1. All verses in which Vasishta is speaking—“Vasishta says,” “Vasishta replies”—are taken from the “Yoga Vasishta” by Sage Vasishta.
About the Author
Mataji Devi Vanamali has written seven books on the gods of the Hindu pantheon, including Hanuman, The Play of God, The Song of Rama, and Shakti, as well as translating the Bhagavad Gita. She is the founder and president of Vanamali Gita Yogashram, dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and charitable service to children. She lives at the Vanamali ashram at Rishikesh in northern India.
About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
Founded in 1975, Inner Traditions is a leading publisher of books on indigenous cultures, perennial philosophy, visionary art, spiritual traditions of the East and West, sexuality, holistic health and healing, self-development, as well as recordings of ethnic music and accompaniments for meditation.
In July 2000, Bear & Company joined with Inner Traditions and moved from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was founded in 1980, to Rochester, Vermont. Together Inner Traditions • Bear & Company have eleven imprints: Inner Traditions, Bear & Company, Healing Arts Press, Destiny Books, Park Street Press, Bindu Books, Bear Cub Books, Destiny Recordings, Destiny Audio Editions, Inner Traditions en Español, and Inner Traditions India.
For more information or to browse through our more than one thousand titles in print and ebook formats, visit www.InnerTraditions.com.
Become a part of the Inner Traditions community to receive special offers and members-only discounts.
BOOKS OF RELATED INTEREST
Shiva
Stories and Teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana
by Vanamali
The Complete Life of Krishna
Based on the Earliest Oral Traditions and the Sacred Scriptures
by Vanamali
Hanuman
The Devotion and Power of the Monkey God
by Vanamali
Shakti
Realm of the Divine Mother
by Vanamali
The Science of the Rishis
The Spiritual and Material Discoveries of the Ancient Sages of India
by Vanamali
The Myths and Gods of India
The Classic Work on Hindu Polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen Series
by Alain Daniélou
Kali
The Feminine Force
by Ajit Mookerjee
The Path to the Guru
The Science of Self-Realization according to the Bhagavad Gita
by Scott Teitsworth
INNER TRADITIONS • BEAR & COMPANY
P.O. Box 388
Rochester, VT 05767
1-800-246-8648
www.InnerTraditions.com
Or contact your local bookseller
Inner Traditions
One Park Street
Rochester, Vermont 05767
www.InnerTraditions.com
Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2014 by Vanamali Gita Yogashram
Originally published in India in 2000 by Aryan Books International under the title Sri Rama Lila
First U.S. edition published in 2001 by Blue Dove Press under the title The Song of Rama
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vanamali, 1935–
[Sri Rama Lila]
The complete life of Rama : based on Valmiki’s Ramayana and the earliest oral traditions / Vanamali.
pages cm
Originally published in India in 2000 by Aryan Books International under the title Sri Rama Lila; first U.S. edition published in 2001 by Blue Dove Press under the title The Song of Rama.
Includes index.
print ISBN 978-1-62055-319-0
ebook ISBN 978-1-62055-320-6
1. Rama (Hindu deity) I. Valmiki. Ramayana. II. Title.
BL1139.25.V36 2014
294.5’92204521—dc23
2013040295
To send correspondence to the author of this book, mail a first-class letter to the author c/o Inner Traditions • Bear & Company, One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767, and we will forward the communication, or contact the author directly at www.vanamaliashram.org.
Index
All page number refer to the print edition of this title.
a
dharma, 148, 207
adi-kavi, 3–4
Agastya, 81–82, 241, 249
Agni, 232, 235, 261–62
Akampana, 93–94, 223
Aksha Kumara, 188–89
Anamakam Jatakam, 1
Anasuya, 70, 80
Angada, 145, 149, 149–50, 152,
156, 159–60, 162–63, 199,
217–18, 230
anger, 123–24
anthill story, 21
Aranya Kanda, 74–133
abduction of Sita, 108–17
demon king, 93–100
forest dwellers, 74–78
golden deer, 101–7
night rangers, 87–92
painful trek, 127–33
Panchavati, 79–86
Rama bereft, 118–26
ashoka grove, 173, 174–86,
257–258, 275
ashramas, 74
ashvamedha yajna, 13, 24, 26–27,
288–89
astra, 189
astronomy, 6–7
Atri, 70
austerity, 130
avataras, 2
Ayodhya, 27, 34, 59–60, 65,
264–71
Ayodhya Kanda, 9, 38–71
the banishment, 55–61
Bharata’s vow, 62–71
impending coronation, 28–41
Kaikeyi contrives, 42–54
Ayomukhi, 128
Bala Kanda, 18–35
Avatara, 26–35
Valmiki, 18–25
banishment, 46–54, 55–61
bark strips, 57
bears, 158, 239–40
Best Book, The Aftermath,
274–300
abandonment of Sita, 274–83
dharma triumphs, 284–300
Bhadra, 276–77
Bhagavad Gita, 147
bhakti (devotion), 5
Bharadvaja, 23, 266
Bharadwaja, 63, 66
Bharata, 7, 9–10, 33–34, 40, 45,
53, 57, 65, 298
intsallation as kin, 60–61
reaction to banishment, 65–69
return of Rama and, 267–68
vow of, 62–71
Bharathavarsha, 15, 28
Book of Ayodhya, 38–71
the banishment, 55–61
Bharata’s vow, 62–71
impending coronation,
28–41
Kaikeyi contrives, 42–54
Book of Battle, 198–271
battle of Lanka, 219–26
causeway to Lanka, 206–12
death of Ravana, 245–56
Hanuman to the rescue,
227–37
Indrajit, 238–44
return to Ayodhya, 264–71
siege of Lanka, 213–18
trial by fire, 257–63
Book of Beauty, 168–96
ashoka grove, 174–86
Hanuman’s wrath, 187–96
leap to Lanka, 168–73
Book of Boyhood, 18–35
Avatara, 26–35
Valmiki, 18–25
Book of the Forest, 74–133
abduction of Sita, 108–17
demon king, 93–100
forest dwellers, 74–78
golden deer, 101–7
night rangers, 87–92
painful trek, 127–33
Panchavati, 79–86
Rama bereft, 118–26
Book of Kishkinda, 136–65
eagle’s counsel, 153–65
famous encounter, 136–42
pact with Sugriva, 143–52
search for Sita, 153–60
bow story, 33
Brahma, 23, 26–27, 151, 164, 230,
261–62
brahmastra, 235
causeway, 206–12
champaka trees, 84, 275
chariots, 76–77
Chitrakoota hill, 63–64, 66, 185,
266, 276
compassion, 5, 19–20, 123
cows, 59
cranes, 22–23
Dandaka forest, 48, 70, 74–78.
See also banishment
darbha grass, 33, 40
Dasaratha, 6, 26, 28, 39–40, 180
boon to Kaikeyi, 43–44
Dasarath Kathanakam, 1
Dhanu, 129–30
dharma, 7–9, 77–78, 123–24,
148, 157
dharmatman, 241
Dhushana, 6, 91
duality, 47
Dundubi, 140, 142
Durvasa, 295–96
eagle’s counsel, 161–65
evil, 123–24
families, 20
fasting, 40
fire, ordeal of, 12
forest dwellers, 74–78
fruit, 130–31
Gandharva, 76
Ganesha, 137
Ganga River, 63
Garuda, 222–23
Gautama, 32
God, 8
Godavari River, 83–84
golden deer, 101–7
Guha, 63, 66
Hanuman, 115, 136–39,
149–50, 154–55,
156–57, 298
attack on Lanka, 199
battle of Lanka and, 224
causeway to Lanka and,
206–12
comes to the rescue,
227–37
gift from Sita, 269–70
leap to Lanka, 168–73
search for Sita, 174–86
strength of, 164–65
on Vibhishana, 207–8
wrath of, 187–96
happiness, 5
horse sacrifice, 288–89
human nature, 2
Ikshwaku dynasty, 6, 22, 158
Iliad, 4
Ilwala, 82
Indra, 76–77, 96, 153
Indrajit, 189, 201, 203, 219–20,
230–31, 234–36, 238–44
Itihasas, 5–6
Jambavan, 158, 163, 194, 232,
239–40, 298
Jambumali, 188
Janaka, King, 31–32, 195
Janasthana, 93–94, 115–16
Jatayu, 83, 84, 113–14, 124–26, 162
Kabandha, 129–30
kadamba trees, 84, 275
Kaikeyi, 9–10, 27, 40, 42–54,
65–66, 123, 269
kama, 157
karma, 20–21, 23
Kartika, 151
Kausalya, 27, 40, 47–49, 56, 66, 269
Kesari, 163
Khara, 6, 69, 90
Kishkinda, 11
Kishkinda Kanda, 136–65
eagle’s counsel, 153–65
famous encounter, 136–42
pact with Sugriva, 143–52
search for Sita, 153–60
Kodanda, 246
Kosala princes, 227, 232–33, 242
Krishna, 6
Kubera, 171, 265
Kumbha, 233–34
Kumbhakarna, 202, 204–5,
227–31
Kusha, 24, 289–91, 299
Lakshmana, 9–10, 12–13, 15, 28,
46, 63–64
abandonment of Sita, 278–82,
284–85
abduction of Sita and, 118–26
banishment of, 296–98
battle of Lanka and, 220,
224–25
building skills of, 84
causeway to Lanka and, 209–12
forest dwellers and, 76
golden deer and, 102–6
Indrajit and, 238–41
Kumbhakarna and, 230–31
meeting with Sugriva, 137–42
Ravana and, 246–49
reaction to banishment, 47–50
search for Sita, 127–33, 153–60
Lama, 24
Lanka, 115, 116, 162, 168–73,
199, 200–201
battle of, 219–26
causeway to, 206–12
siege of, 213–18
Lankini, 170–71
Lava, 289–91, 299
love,
19–20, 154
Madhuvana, 194
magic herbs, 232–33, 248
Mahabharata, 4, 147
Mahaparashva, 246
Maheswara, 243
Mahodara, 246
Mainaka, 169
Malaya mountains, 159
Mandavi, 33
Mandodari, 243, 254–55
mango trees, 275
Manthara, 42–44, 50
mantras, 21, 65, 109, 303–5
Maricha, 28, 30–31, 95, 98–99,101–7
marriage, 33–35
Mars, 6–7
Matali, 250, 251
Matanga, 140
maya, 8
Mayan, 159, 240
Mayavi, 140
meditation, 21
Meghanatha, 96, 189, 219–20
Mithila, 31–32, 276
monkeys, 115, 142, 157–60,
161–65, 194–95,
228–29
battle of Lanka, 219–26
march of, 198–205
mritasanjivi, 232–33
Myanmar, 2
nagapasa, 189, 222
nagas, 239
Naimisha forest, 288–89
Nala, 210–11
Nalakubera, 202
Nandana, 130
Nandigrama, 266–67
Narada (sage), 19–22, 287
Narayana, 27, 82
Neela, 155, 199, 224
night rangers, 87–92
Nikumbha, 233–34
nobility, 43
Odyssey, 4
ordeal of fire, 12
palmyra trees, 141
Pampa lake, 130
Panchavati, 79–86, 266
Parashurama, 34
parijata trees, 84
Parvathi, 110
Pisces, 6
pomegranate trees, 275
poornavatara, 3
Prahastha, 223
Prashravana hill, 152
Punjikasthala, 163
Pushpaka, 171, 220–21, 264–65,
287–88
Pushya, 39–40
putrakameshti yajna, 26–27
Rahu, 164
rajas, 204
raksbasis, 175
rakshasas, 69, 77, 79, 83, 87–92,
93–100, 128–29, 170–71,
228, 233, 241
rakshasi, 10
Rama
abduction of Sita and, 114–17,
118–26
banishment of, 46–54,
55–61
battle of Lanka and,
219–26
causeway to Lanka,
206–12
children of, 289–91,
294
forest dwellers and, 74–78
impending coronation of,
38–41
Kumbhakarna and, 230
lineage of, 6
marriage to Sita, 33–35
Panchavati and, 83–86
pilgrimage of, 28–30
qualities of, 22, 39, 137
Ravana and, 246–55