GirA GrAmya Siya RAma Jas Ver2.0

GirA GrAmya SiyA-RAma Jas
(The divine glory of SitA and RAma couched in vernacular-

tongue)
By:
Deepak Tiwari
Sri RAma NavamI, 2009
e-mail: deepak.dt@gmail.com
Blog: http://goswamitulsidas.sulekha.com/
2
Acknowledgements:
1. My humble obeisance in the lotus-feet of his holiness anantshri-

vibhuushit brahmaliina SwAmi HariharAnanda Saraswati
(Dharma-samrATa SwAmi KarpAtri ji MahArAja), whose
book namely “RAmAyaNa-MimAnsA” has been a guide and
preceptor to me during the course of writing of this e-book.
2. My humble obeisance in the lotus-feet of his holiness anantshri-

samalankrit SriLakshmaNa-QuilAdhIshwara SAketvAsi
SriVaishNavAcharya SwAmi Sri SitARAmasharaNa ji
MahArAja, whose marvelous literature on Srimad VAlmiki
RAmAyaNa is like divine nectar for the devotees of the Lord.
3. Gita-Press, Gorakhpura, for the translations of the shlokas of

Srimad Valmiki RAmAyaNa and Sri RAmacharitamAnas quoted in
this e-book.
4. Sri RAmAnuja mailing-list archives which provided me some very

useful information relating to the content of this e-book.
5. My friends and colleagues Mr. Nilanjan Samajhdar, Mr. Love

Singhal, Mr. Naveen Arora and Mr. Tushar Sharma for proof-
reading of this e-book.
6. My friend and colleague Mr. Love Singhal for providing the

resources for transcoding of Sanskrit/Hindi texts.
7. Last but not the least, my friends and colleagues Mr. Nilanjan
Samajhdar, Mr. Anuj Mohan, Mr. Tushar Sharma and Mr. Nimish
Agarwal for their provoking me into an argument on RAmAyaNa
and thus providing an inspiration for me to write this e-book ☺
3
CONTENTS
Introduction 10
The Myth of Aryan Invasion 17
Unsurpassable authority of
Apaurusheya Vedas & consequently of
VedAvatAra Srimad VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 24
RAma is parabrahm
–evidence from different shastras 34
A glimpse of RAma-Charitra 42
Historicity of RAma 74
MaryAdA Purushhottama
–the real meaning of it 81
JAnaki-pati madhura-muurati 95
Yeh priya sabanhin jahAn lagi prANi

-RAma, the beloved of all beings 101
Tehi kArana KaruNAnidhi kahe kachhuka

durbAda-The Fire-ordeal episode 131
Exile of Bhagwati SitA

-Pranavaun pura nara-nAri bahori 141
Tulasi-Dal
-few talks on GoswAmi TulsidAsa 175
Conclusion 192
4
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The position of the Sun and the Moon, the zodiacal sign into which
the sun had entered, the position of the seven other planets, the
day of the week as well as the day of the lunar month, all these
turned out to be propitious. And full of delight was all creation,
animate and inanimate; for the birth of Sri RAma is the very source
of joy!! [RCM bAla-kAnda DohA-190]
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All (the people of AyodhyA) were satisfied in their heart and

invoked blessings here and there, saying, “May all the sons of
Dashratha live long, those Lord of TulasidAsa!” [RCM bAla-kAnda
DohA-190]
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“I adore the RAma, who delights the delight itself, who is delightful to the
eyes, who delights and enchants with His speech, whose divine body is so
very delightful and enchanting, who is forever and always delightful, whose
everything is delightful and who is all in all delight personified; I adore, that
very RAma, the beloved son of King Dasharatha”
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“I adore Bhagwati SitA, the divine fragrance of whose lotus-feet encaptures

the minds of even great Yogis; whom, a great many divine sages forever
continually serve, to eliminate their three-way sorrows of the worldly ocean
and who is like a golden yellowish nectar for the hearts of noble persons; I
adore that very SitA, the daughter of King Videha, who is forever youthful;
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“That same ‘Brahma’, the very import of Vedas, who is without a parallel, has
personified itself in two divine forms—SitA, who is all and all beauty
personified and RAma, who is personification of MAdhurya (virtue of divine
sweetness); these two, although stated to be different, are in essence one
and same. The real identity and the essence of SitA and RAma are replete
with mysteries and are to be known through Vedas and other Vedic
scriptures; I adore the Lotus-feet of this divine couple, which is forever being
serviced by noble saints with devoted minds”
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The effulgence of His body resembles a bluish-black lotus; and His eyes rob
the lotus of its beauty. With His body besmirched all over with dust, He is the
most handsome to look at, putting even the great charm of cupid far behind.
His little teeth are shining as though a lightening streak; every now and then
He makes childish-cries and is thus engrossed in such childish plays! The four
darling sons of King Dashratha forever play in the heart-temple of this
TulsidAs.
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He (child RAma) would now persistently seek for the moon and now be
frightened to behold His own reflection! He would now dance clapping both
His palms, which fills the heart of His mothers with joy, and now be obstinate
with resentment and takes that only for which He persists! These four darling
sons of King Dashratha forever play in the heart-temple of this TulsidAs.
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Oh! On these pair of rows of small pearly teeth glowing as a freshly

blossomed Jasmine flowerbed! Oh! What to say of the way of opening of
these two delicate petals of the coral-red lips of Yours, resembling a bimba
fruit!! On the beauty of these priceless muktA-maNi-bedecked resplendent
necklaces, adorning Your dark-blue complexioned breast, resembling the
charm of a lustrous lightening bolt in the midst of a dark rainy-cloud!! On
these jet-black tresses of curly hair surrounding Your face! On the charm of
Your glossy cheeks resembling a polished mirror, adorned by the
resplendence of Your golden ear lobes;
Oh! Rama lalA! this TulsidAsa sacrifices his very life-breath itself over this
sweet lisping prattle of Yours!! [KavitAwali]
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9
INTRODUCTION
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Every virtue have been engulfed by the sins of Kaliyug; all good books have
disappeared; imposters have promulgated a number of creeds which they
have invented out of their own wit. [RCM Uttar-Kand 97]
“Childhood memories” a phrase which triggers in us a mix of feelings and

emotions—of unbounded fun, of bliss, of life free of all worries and above all,
of a pure sense of nostalgia!!
My childhood memories also are replete with similar experiences. But above
all are those extraordinary experiences, over the span of nine days, of
RAmalilA, the annual reenactment of the RAmAyaNa story culminating in the
bright half of the month of Ashvin (around October/ November), with
Vijaydashami (Dusshera). I still remember how sometimes I used to get so
much absorbed while watching RAmalilA; for those moments the sharp
contours of the mundane seemed to dissolve into transparency, as if I was
transported to some different plane of realm altogether. RAmalilA is an
activity with both external and internal dimensions.
Linda Hess, a research fellow, who as a part of a research team attended the
famous RAmalilA of Ramnagar, Banares regularly for two years, has
described this experience in following words—
“To be vigorously and devotedly involved in the Ram Lila for one month1 is to
take an excursion out of ordinary space and time… The participant not only
sees the drama, but finds himself acting in it. A vast world is created before
and around him. Performance after performance this world is built physically
and psychologically. The devotee's days are curved around the necessity of
being there. . . . The tawdry samsara (world) of ordinary life pales while the
Ram LilA world becomes ever more vivid, brilliant and gripping.”
1
Reference here is to RAmanagar RAmalilA which is enacted for the duration of one month
10
Quite similar are my own experiences of childhood, with regards to those
nine days (navrAtras) of RAmalilA every year, spent in relishing the
enactment of RAmalilA; At times though it was only a casual involvement
with my friend-circle taking priority over watching the play; yet even to this
day reminiscence of those moments overwhelms me with nostalgia.
Until few years back, I used to think of those childhood days as my first
introduction with RAma, the Lord of AyodhyA; but now I realize I was wrong,
for now it seems not the association of this birth, but that of eternity; as
mentioned by GoswAmiji—

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TulsidAsa, this association of yours with RAma is not a recent one!!
I consider myself as really fortunate one that I can boost of cherishing those
childhood memories in my heart which are mingled thoroughly with RAma,
which constitute the supreme treasure for me. This should not be taken in a
sense to imply that I am a true devotee of RAma in any manner. Leave alone
the talk of being a true devotee; I don’t consider myself as yet even a true
human being. If a poor person somehow gets a lottery of 1 billion bucks then
it is not his greatness in his being a billionaire; but it’s purely his good luck
alone. Similarly I consider it my supreme fortune only that I have something,
even if these be memories, which I can associate with RAmachandra, the
Lord of the Raghus!
But not everyone is fortunate like me and neither has everyone realized his
eternal association with RAma. People, including me, are blindly running after
the false mirage of petty worldly goals without realizing that their life is
simply slipping through their hands day by day, hour by hour and even
second by second!
For the last few years, in our locality, during RAmalila days, the famous
television serial "RAmayaNa" of Sri RAmanand Sagar is shown on a big
screen, instead of that traditional staging of RAmalilA. There
is huge audience every year despite of the fact that people have already
watched it so many times. Last year one local MLA was invited as chief guest,
and although he didn't have even one percent of the understanding of RAma
or RAmayan but still he came just for the sake of maintaining public
relations, and disturbed the people who were engrossed in watching the epic;
and then as if performing a ritual, gave a short speech on RAma and his
ideals: "RAmAyan teaches us this and that...RAmAyan symbolizes the victory
of good over evil......RAma was an ideal son.....an ideal brother.....RAma was
MaryAdA-Purushottam" and so on. It seemed as if some student
is participating in some essay competition! All nice things which are perfectly
correct but one most important thing was missing and that was—devotion
and sincerity! As I was wondering thus, somehow tears welled up in my eyes
seeing such ignorance of a fellow BhAratvAsi; that very BhAratbhoomi, I
wondered, which was once blessed by the divine touch of the Lotus-feet of
11
Sri RAghavendra and Sri Maithilly. How can one be so ignorant of
RAmayana especially if one is a BhAratvAsi?
And this is not just the tale of that MLA alone, in general the people
today just have only a very-very basic idea of the story of Ramayana; they
may be knowing that yes there was that prince, a scion of a royal family who
spent 14 hard years of exile in forest, just to obey His fathers words given to
His step-mother, but they neither have heart nor time to appreciate what it
means. What does it really feel like when one day you are told that you are
going to be a king and the very next day you are told that now you have to
live in a dreaded forest for 14 long years and still cheerfully accept it without
even asking why? The only reason for this indifference is that people have no
attachment with RAma and SitA, although they may be having a deep
attachment towards their spouse, their kids, their home and what not, even
towards their pets!!
Most of the good hearted and pious people go to temples and worship the
Lord and seek various worldly things from him, which is also correct to some
extent, but there are very few fortunate souls who instead of seeking "FROM"
Him, seek the merciful Lord Himself.... many customers are there for the
worldly wealth and pleasures bestowed BY RAma, but very few, of the RAma
Himself!
This is the state of those who are believers. Worse still, there are many
people today, who, although are Hindu just for the namesake, criticize our
Epics and our deities. There also, RAmayan being the most popular Epic of
the Hindu’s, the misguided people, don’t loose even the slightest of
opportunity to criticize RAma and RAmayan.
Also a major portion of the female section of our society does not possess a
very good image of Lord RAma as a loving Husband. Most of them, although
they do not speak it out, harbour bad feelings for RAma, the Husband.
Whereas some of them are very vocal in their criticism of RAma, on the issue
of agni-pareeksha and the abandonment of Bhagwati SitA. And the most
unfortunate thing is that they do so without even having done a thorough
reading of Srimad RAmayan themselves.
Most of our young generation, especially the modern educated, IT-savvy

professionals of today’s progressive (really?) India are completely oblivious
towards our rich scriptural heritage. They are going farther and farther away
from Hindu philosophy and scriptures which is not a good sign for our
country and our culture.
People have become so ignorant towards our SanAtan Dharma that they very
casually crack jokes on our glorious deities without thinking the least. Boys
and Girls in colleges as well as in professional arena also make fun of divine
characters of Srimad RAmayan and Sri MahabhArat, totally ignorant of what
they are doing. And everyone swallows it without questioning or checking it.
12
In certain TV comedy shows, such bad comedy is presented to the viewers,
which either maligns religious characters or is so much uncensored that one
cannot watch these shows sitting with their family members.
One TV reality show depicted a dancer in the attire of Bhagvati SitA dancing
with another dancer in the attire of RAvan!! See, to what great levels we
have elevated ourselves!! News channels are also doing their best effort in
murdering the soul of India, its cultural values, and its philosophy.
So called intellectuals (read fools), these boys, moustached babies, debating

their brains out to tarnish our epics! Least ashamed, they very
enthusiastically indulge in such blasphemy! These irreverent boys,
intellectuals and actors, simply because they can blabber few sentences and
get some foolish TV channel to telecast it for them, think that they are the
educators of the world!
How true to import are the following words of GoswAmiji’s in this regard—
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They alone who are babblers in thought, word and deed are regarded as
orators in Kaliyuga (the age of Kali)!! [RCM Uttar-Kand 18]
Debates on such topics as “live-in relationships”, “Gay-marriages”, “Ravan,

the Hero” or “Ravan, was he really a villain?” are very common these days
on news channels!!
This BhArat-bhoomi where once the Vedic-hymns were chanted, where

scholars (in real sense) of pure intellect, keeping distance from the worldly
pleasures, used to debate over philosophical matters, the nature of Brahm,
jeeva and prakriti. Where the saintly people and also public in general used
to fondly listen to the oldest yet ever-fresh tale of RAma and SitA or the tale
of RadhA and Krishna, in that very BhArat-bhoomi people now drunk in the
passion of their youth, mesmerized and blinded by the false illusory charisma
of western culture of discos, late-night club parties, pubs and bars feel shy in
uttering the holy names such as RAma, SitA, Krishna, RadhA, Shiv from their
mouths; discussing something about religious matters seems to be taboo in
their views; Religion is just a bundle of superstitions for them!!
Poisonous seeds are being planted in tender unsuspecting minds of our

young generation by using a heap of bad literature written with an intent to
malign our Hindu deities and culture. There are hundreds of sites on the
Internet spreading this poison in the minds of modern boys and girls. These
sites either provide totally false information with regards to our epics or
present the incomplete facts in such a manner as to paint an ugly and
degraded image of our most magnanimous SanAtan Dharma in the minds of
unsuspecting public.
13
These are days, when Hinduism or SanAtan Dharma, the most ancient
religion in the world and a religion vitally connected with the life of the
people all over the world, is fast disintegrating and threatening us with its
total disappearance. It behooves one and all of us that belong to the great
religion, to be completely united and find ways and means to save it from the
impending peril.
I am not a writer at all, but still reading some of these sort of articles related
to RAmayan on Internet, written in bad taste, and after having some
arguments with some of my close friends over certain incidents of RAmayan,
I was really perturbed that how much hatred now-a-days is being spread
specially among the younger generation, who haven’t themselves read
Srimad RAmayan and thus can very easily make their opinion based on this
false propaganda and who might then themselves start denigrating our
deities and culture. With this thing in mind, I have dared to do my bit
however small it might be.
Following is the overall layout of this book—
Chapter-1, briefly touches upon the famous, rather infamous Aryan-invasion

theory, postulated by Western philosophers/scholars. The reason for starting
this e-book with this topic is to provide the reader a right perspective to view
and interpret our scriptures and epics in a better way, as also to caution him
not to blindly accept as final, the views of western intellectuals in regards to
their judgement of our scriptures and epics.
Chapter-2, explains the concept of Apaurusheyatva (authored by none) in

SanAtan Dharma; thereby explaining for the ultimate unsurpassable
authority of Apaurusheya Vedas and consequently of VedAvatAra Srimad
VAlmiki RAmAyan. This chapter seeks to establish the base (i.e authority and
authenticity of Srimad Valmiki RAmayan) in which the later portion of this e-
book is rooted.
Chapter-3, talks of RAma as paripoorNatam parAtpar brahm, renowned and

celebrated in Vedas as Veda-Purusha, Purushottam.
Chapter-4, provides just a glimpse of that uncomparable personality which is

renowned in the whole world as RAma.
Chapter-5, takes up the topic of ‘Historicity of Lord RAmachandra’, for those

people who think of Him as just a mythological figure with no real existence.
Chapter-6 and 7 implores the reason as to why is Lord RAmachandra known

as MaryAdA-Purushottam. In what real sense is He adorned with the title of
MaryAdA-Purushottam? First chapter describes His loka-mangala swaroop
(personality beneficent and auspicious for the general public) which is as a
protector of Dharma-setu (bridge of righteousness), while the next chapter
tries to depict the unfathomable love and affection that exists between the
divine couple, i.e. RAma and SitA. These chapters seek to appreciate the
14
sweet harmony and balance between two seemingly opposite pairs, which is
found throughout the whole life of Lord RAmachandra and Devi SitA.
Chapter-8, discusses the all-loving nature of RAma’s personality; RAma, who

is the most celebrated and adored personality till date in the whole history of
mankind, the prince charming of AyodhyA, the darling of all beings animate
or inanimate, animals, beasts and even demons!
Chapter-9, takes up the much-debated fire-ordeal episode of RAmAyaNa.
Chapter-10, discusses the reasons and circumstances due to which Lord

RAmachandra had to part with His beloved queen SitA.
Finally Chapter-11 serves as Tulsi-dal (Basil leaves) in this book; As any

offering to the Lord is considered as incomplete, unless and until Tulsi-leaves
are included in it; similarly this offering of mine in the form of words and
sentences would remain incomplete without a brief talk on GoswAmi
TulsidAs, one of the greatest devotees of Lord RAmachandra.
The only aim with which I have written this e-book is to cast away some of
the very basic doubts, any tint of blemishes, which the reader might be
harbouring in his mind regarding Srimad RAmAyan. Although I am in no way
a scholar of RAmayan but still to do my bit I think it is my duty to present for
the benefit of innocent readers (who might be prospective devotees!!)
whatever little information I have, with whatever little intellect, I possess.
For this reason the drafting of this article may be little poor and further,
sometimes for correctly putting my thoughts in words, some redundancies
and repetitions might have been introduced. I have just poured all the
thoughts, which came to my mind in a very vague manner. The demerits in
this article are due to my limited capacity of expression, please excuse me
for that and ignoring the outwardly language specific aspects, kindly take the
essence of it.
I also urge the reader to please read this article leaving out any pre-
assumptions and false pride. Please read it with a calm and clear mind. It is
not always good to get driven by our sharp brains blindly so that we may
never accept any good things. Many times our unclear mind already has its
premonitions due to which it always tries to indulge in bad arguing.
Therefore I request the sensible reader to first read it once, just give it a
thought and then judge on his own.
I have written this e-book engrossed in a state of deep emotions and from
the very depth of my heart. Therefore I urge to the compassionate self of the
reader to read it in the similar manner!
15
Finally I request the knowledgeable readers and other devotees of the Lord
to kindly ignore my mistakes. To put it in words of GoswAmi TulsidAsji—

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“The virtuous will forgive my presumption and listen to my childish babbling

with interest. When a child prattles in lisping accents, the parents hear it with
a mind full of delight” [RCM Balkand dohA-7]
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“The milk of even a dark cow is white and possesses a great medicinal value
and is drunk by all. So do the wise chant and hear the glory of SitA and
Rama even though couched in the vulgar tongue.” [RCM Balkand doha-
10(b)]
16
THE MYTH OF ARYAN INVASION
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Those who are delirious or mad, those who are possessed and those who are
inebriated do not talk sense. None should give ear to the ravings of those who
have drunk the wine of infatuation [RCM 1-114]
[Courtesy: The later part of this section is quoted form the book titled
“Western Indologists: A Study in Motives” By Purohit Bhagavan Dutt (with
minor additions by authors of "Review of Beef in Ancient India")]
The British ruled India, as they did other lands, by a divide-and-conquer

strategy. They promoted religious, ethnic and cultural divisions among their
colonies to keep them under control. Unfortunately some of these policies
also entered into the intellectual realm. The same simplistic and divisive
ideas that were used for interpreting the culture and history of India.
Regrettably many Hindus have come to believe these ideas, even though a
deeper examination reveals they have no real objective or scientific basis.
One of these ideas is that India is a land of two races - the lighter- skinned
Aryans and the darker-skinned Dravidians - and that the Dravidians were the
original inhabitants of India whom the invading Aryans conquered and
dominated. From this came the additional idea that much of what we call
Hindu culture was in fact Dravidian, and later borrowed by Aryans who,
however, never gave the Dravidians proper credit for it. This idea has been
used to turn the people of south India against the people of north India, as if
the southerners were a different race. Also some western scholars dismissed
RAmAyan as a mere war of North Indian Aryan race with the South Indian
Dravidian race. This idea also helped to spread hatred among some sections
of South Indians for RAmAyan and its Hero, RAma and SitA. Perhaps the
saddest thing is that modern Indian politicians have also used this division to
promote their own ambitions resulting in Dravidian parties being setup in
southern states, though it is harmful to the unity of the country. And now
today, long after the advent of these parties, when it has been discovered
that this whole propaganda of Aryan invasion theory (and consequently the
idea of RAmayan being just a tale of Aryan-Dravidian war) is baseless, even
17
westerners who earlier postulated this theory are now rejecting it, still these
parties are continuing their hatred game, its latest example being KarunA-a–
nidhi, with his unsolicited remarks on Lord RAma.
The Aryan invasion theory has been a basis and justification of Western
interpretation upon the civilisation and history of India. Although many
Indologists within India have been influenced by such thought, the theory
has not met majority acceptance within India and is even coming under
attack in the West. Even Western scholars are now beginning to reject the
Aryan invasion or any outside origin for Hindu civilization. David Frawley, one
Sanskrit scholar recognized both inside as well as outside of India has
assessed the current situation of the Aryan invasion theory thus:
"One of the main ideas used to interpret - and generally devalue – the
ancient history of India is the theory of the Aryan invasion. According to this
account, India was invaded and conquered by nomadic light-skinned Indo-
European tribes from Central Asia around 1500-100 BC, who overthrew an
earlier and more advanced dark-skinned Dravidian civilization from which
they took most of what later became Hindu culture ... This idea- totally
foreign to the history of India, whether North or South, has become an
almost unquestioned truth in the interpretation of ancient history today.
Today, after nearly all the reasons for its supposed validity have been
refuted, even major Western scholars are at last beginning to call it into
question." (David Frawley, "The Myth of the Aryan Invasion”)
One main reason that the theory has been called into question is that there is
no primary evidence. No monuments to any Heros of such invasions have
been excavated, no related cemeteries unearthed, no battlefields identified in
relation to the theory, no forts, in short- nothing in the way of physical
evidence. There is a host of other incongruencies, but this is the general
idea.
What Western scholars have relied upon to substantiate the theory is

etymology. They trace linguistic patterns, encompassing the East and West,
and then by implication pinpoint a central geographic area, which then serves
as a common point of origin of the Indo-European language and race. This
point, being basically the Caucasians and mountainous regions of Persia, is of
course, outside of India, such that the existence of the Aryan race in
Northern India is attributed to an invasion, and such is the flimsy explanation
they offer for the Caucasian presence in India.
It has often been pointed out that few other principal theories have ever
been accepted based on such indirect, flimsy evidence. When something
ends up being so rigidly imposed with such little basis, a reasonable mind will
look for other motives. Again we may rely on the broad understanding of
David Frawley:
"It is important to examine the social and political implications of the Aryan
invasion idea:
18
(a) First, it served to divide India into a northern Aryan and southern
Dravidian culture, which were made hostile to each other. This kept
the Hindus divided and is still a source of social tension.
(b) Second, it gave the British an excuse in their conquest of India.

They could claim to be doing only what the Aryan ancestors of the
Hindus had previously done millennia ago.
(c) Third, it served to make Vedic culture later than and possibly
derived from Middle Eastern cultures. With the proximity and
relationship of the latter with the Bible and Christianity, this kept
the Hindu religion as a sidelight to the development of religion and
civilization to the West.
(d) Fourth, it allowed the sciences of India to be given a Greek basis,

as any Vedic basis was largely disqualified by the primitive nature
of the Vedic culture. This discredited not only the 'Vedas' but the
genealogies of the 'Puranas' and their long list of the kings before
the Buddha or Krishna were left without any historical basis. The
'Mahabharata', instead of a civil war in which all the main kings of
India participated as it is described, became a local skirmish among
petty princes that was later exaggerated by poets. In short, it
discredited the most of the Hindu tradition and almost all its
ancient literature. It turned its scriptures and sages into fantasies
and exaggerations. This served a social, political and economical
purpose of domination, proving the superiority of Western culture
and religion. It made the Hindus feel that their culture was not the
great thing that their sages and ancestors had said it was. It made
Hindus feel ashamed of their culture - that its basis was neither
historical nor scientific. It made them feel that the main line of
civilization was developed first in the Middle East and then in
Europe and that the culture of India was peripheral and secondary
to the real development of world culture.
Such a view is not good scholarship or archeology but merely cultural

imperialism. The Western Vedic scholars did in the intellectual sphere what
the British army did in the political realm - discredit, divide and conquer the
Hindus. In short, the compelling reasons for the Aryan invasion theory were
neither literary nor archeological but political and religious - that is to say,
not scholarship but prejudice. Such prejudice may not have been intentional
but deep-seated political and religious views easily cloud and blur our
thinking.
It is unfortunate that this approach has not been questioned, more,

particularly by Hindus. Even though Indian Vedic scholars like Dayananda
saraswati, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Arobindo rejected it, most Hindus today
passively accept it. They allow Western, generally Christian, scholars to
interpret their history for them and quite naturally Hinduism is kept in a
reduced role. Many Hindus still accept, read or even honor the translations of
the 'Vedas' done by such Christian missionary scholars as Max Muller,
19
Griffith, MonierWilliams and H. H. Wilson. Would modern Christians accept an
interpretation of the Bible or Biblical history done by Hindus aimed at
converting them to Hinduism? Universities in India also use the Western
history books and Western Vedic translations that propound such views that
denigrate their own culture and country.
The modern Western academic world is sensitive to criticisms of cultural and

social biases. For scholars to take a stand against this biased interpretation
of the 'Vedas' would indeed cause a reexamination of many of these
historical ideas that can not stand objective scrutiny. But if Hindu scholars
are silent or passively accept the misinterpretation of their own culture, it will
undoubtedly continue, but they will have no one to blame but themselves. It
is not an issue to be taken lightly, because how a culture is defined
historically creates the perspective from which it is viewed in the modern
social and intellectual context. Tolerance is not in allowing a false view of
one's own culture and religion to be propagated without question. That is
merely self-betrayal."
The readers might want to conclude, as more and more academians are, that
whole of this Aryan Invasion theory is nothing but a bundle of falsehood and
just a trick of British to divide and eliminate the Hindu Vedic culture.
Interest of Europeans in Bharatavarsha and its ancient literature
Macaulay, a historian and a politician, and a staunch protagonist of English

education in India had made clear his approach to spread English language
as well as culture in India, in his historical speech in the British Parliament
(February 1835), commonly referred to as ‘The Minutes’; his words were to
this effect:
“I feel with them that it is impossible for us, with our limited means, to
attempt to educate the body of the people. We must at present do our best
to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom
we govern, -a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in
tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.”
"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen
one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this
country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think
we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of
this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I
propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture,
for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater
than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and
they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."
Even Max Müller, himself famous for his admiration for India has written in
his autobiography:
20
"Large number of Vedic hymns are childish in the extreme; tedious, low,
commonplace” 'Chips from a German Workshop', second edition, 1866, p.
27.
"Nay, they (the Vedas) contain, by the side of simple, natural, childish
thoughts, many ideas which to us sound modern, or secondary and tertiary."
'India, What can it teach us’, Lecture IV, p. 118, 1882
Personal letters give a true picture of the writer's inner mind. Such letters are
very helpful in estimating his real nature and character. Fortunately, a
collection called the 'Life and Letters of Frederick Max Müller' has been
published in two volumes. A few extracts from those letters would suffice to
expose the mind of the man who is held in great esteem in the West for his
Sanskrit leaning and impartial judgment.
(a) In a letter of 1866 A.D. (1923 V.) he writes to his wife: 'This edition
of mine and the translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to a great
extent on the fate of India, ...it is the root of their religion and to
show them what the root is, I feel sure, is the only way of
uprooting all that has spring from it during the last three thousand
years.' (Vol. 1, Ch. XV, page 346).
(b) Max Muller grew so insolent and audacious that he started to

challenge Indians in a direct foolhardy manner. It is clear from a
letter written by him to N.K. Majumdar: 'Tell me some of your chief
difficulties that prevent you and your countrymen from openly
following Christ, and when I write to you I shall do my best to
explain how I and many who agree with me have met them and
solved them... From my point of view, India, at least the best part
of it, is already converted to Christianity. You want no persuasion
to become a follower of Christ. Then make up your mind to work on
yourself. Unite your flock - to hold them together and prevent them
from straying. The bridge has been built for you by those who came
before you. STEP BOLDLY FORWARD, it will break under you, and
you will find many friends to welcome you on the other shore and
among them none more delighted that your old friend and fellow
labourer F. Max Muller.' (Vol. II, Ch. XXXIV, pages 415-416.)
Herein Max Muller claims to know 'the true historical value' of Vedic religion,
but our history is going to expose the hollowness of the learning and
scholarship which he and his colleagues boast of possessing.
Such blasphemous reviling of the most ancient and highly scientific scripture
of the world can come only from word of the mouth of a bigoted (not an
honest) Christian, a low pagan or an impious atheist.
This also reveals the evil designs of western thinkers and intellectuals. Under
the garb of translation of Indian Vedic scriptures and their lengthy
commentaries on these scriptures, this is their only crooked hidden motive.
21
If Bharatiya culture could extract occasional praise from the pen of a bigoted
man like Max Muller, it was only due to its unrivaled greatness and
superiority.
Therefore we are justified in drawing the conclusion that all these so called
scholarly books which are claimed by their respective authors to be written
for the quest of knowledge, were written with the sole object of promoting
Christianity and ousting Hinduism.
Inspite of this some of our Indian Sanskrit scholars call these Europeans
scholars, unbiased students of Sanskrit literature, whose sole aim has been
to acquire knowledge for its own sake. Whereas the truth is that they were
just a coterie of mischievous propagandists masquerading under the garb of
'scientific' scholars
McCaulay did not know even one Indian language but he commented on all
Eastern wisdom, James Mill never visited India but he wrote on Indian
history. None of the foreign Indologists like Max Muller, Winternitz and
Griffith had any knowledge of Vedic grammar, astronomy, metre (chhand)
etc but they all translated Vedas and assumed the status of authorities.
Prof. McKenzie, of Bombay finds the ethics of India defective, illogical and
anti-social, lacking any philosophical foundation, nullified by abhorrent ideas
of asceticism and ritual and altogether inferior to the 'higher spirituality' of
Europe.
Remarks like those of McKenzie on the ethics of a country from whose

Brahmanas the whole world learnt its morality and rules of conduct
(Manusmriti) are nothing short of blasphemy and national insult. The irony of
the situation is that, instead of being condemned such persons receive
recognition and honour from our educationists and political leaders.
It is a matter of serious mistake on the part of a Government which is

anxious to win the friendship and sympathy of Bharat to allow such heinous
type of literature as Ripley's to be published. And again, it is a matter of
regret that such books, whether published in India or abroad, are not taken
notice of by our politicians and have not been banned by our National
Government. Not only is our Government indifferent to the interdiction of
such slanderous literature, but even our Universities not only prescribe but
recommend for higher study books on Bharatiya history and culture written
by foreign scholars who lose no opportunity of maligning our civilisation
openly or in a very subtle way
We have sufficiently exposed the mentality of this type of Western scholars.

They received enormous financial aid from their Governments and also from
the British Government in India, which they freely used in writing articles,
pamphlets and books propagating their reactionary views in a very subtle
and disguised manner. It was their careful endeavour not to give themselves
away and to mislead the world and the people of Bharatavarsha under the
cloak of scholarship and impartiality.
22
Conclusion
In short, the foregoing pages make it clear that it was this Christian and
Judaic prejudice which:
(a) ...did not allow the real dates of ancient Bharatiya history to be accepted
by the occidental scholars, who were always reluctant to give the Vedas a
higher antiquity than the earliest portion of the Old Testament and place
them beyond 2500 B.C.55
(b) ...gave rise to the two interrelated diseases of Western Indologists; firstly
the disease of myth, mythical and mythology, according to which Brahma,
Indra, Vishnu, Parvat, Narada, Kashyapa, Pururavas, Vasishta and a host of
other ancient sages have been declared as mythical. Nobody ever tried to
understand their true historical character apprehending that the dates of
Bharatiya history would go to very ancient periods; and secondly, as a
corollary to the above, the disease of 'attribution' and 'ascription', under
which the works of these and other sages have been declared to be written
by some very late anonymous persons who are said to have ascribed or
attributed them to those 'mythical' sages.
(c) ...brought to the fore-front, the most fanciful and groundless theory of
the migration of the Aryans into India, according to which the very existence
of Manu, the first Crowned King of Bharat, Egypt etc., Ikshvaku, Manu's
glorious son; Bharata Chakravarti, the glorious son of Shakuntala;
Bhagiratha, who changed the course of the Ganga; Sri RAmachanrda, the
son of Dasharatha and a number of other kings is being totally denied.
(d) ...was responsible for the altogether wrong translations of Vaidika (Vedic)
works, and misrepresentation of the Vaidika culture.
(e) ...did not allow the acceptance of Sanskrit, as being the mother language
of at least the Indo-European group; as at first very ably propounded by
Franz Bopp, and often mentioned by ancient Indian authors.
We are not sorry for all this, for, nothing better could be expected from such
biased foreign pioneers of Sanskrit studies.
With these brief remarks we earnestly pray that the light of truth may dawn
on every thinking and learned man of Bharatavarsha, so that in these days of
political and individual freedom he may shake off the yoke of intellectual
slavery of the West." (Pt. Bhagavan Dutt. A Review Of "Beef In Ancient
India", pages 17-38.)
23
UNSURPASABLE AUTHORITY OF APAURUSHEYA VEDAS AND
VEDAVATAR SRIMAD VALMIKI RAMAYAN
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I reverence, all the four Vedas, barks as it were on the ocean of mundane
existence, which never dream of weariness in singing the untarnished glory of
Sri Raghuvar, the best among the Raghus! [RCM 1-14]
[Courtesy: In this passage I have taken certain excerpts from the article
“VedAapaurusheyatva” written by Prof. D. Prahladachar, and some other
from Sri RAmAnuja Bhakti-mailing list archives.]
)
Vedas are eternal and Apaurusheya (48
The wise ancients of this country considered knowledge as the most precious
thing in the life of a human being, for if there is anything that can free a
human from the cycle of births and deaths, and the endless suffering this
entails, it is knowledge. It is precisely for the reason that knowledge has
been given the most venerable place among the most valued goals of human
life, that the Vedas have, through the ages, been held in high esteem as the
most sacred literature of this land. Vedas are the eternal 'Books of
Knowledge'. As a matter of fact, the very word ‘Veda’ is derived from the
linguistic root vid meaning “to know,” indicating that the name ‘Veda’ given
to the text is very appropriate as it is “a [unique] means of knowledge.”
Knowledge by itself is always eternal. Creation presupposes existence of prior
knowledge. So knowledge was always there, and then came the creation.
But then the question arises: what guarantee is there that the cognition
derived from the Veda constitutes knowledge rather than delusion? As a
matter of fact, this is the allegation made by the avaidika darshanas—that
the cognition obtained from the Vedas is liable to be in error, and hence
cannot be accepted as true knowledge.
24
However, the Vedic tradition has an answer, the likes of which are unseen in
any religious discourse elsewhere in the world, to this question. The
traditional argument is thus: Since the Vedas are apauruseya—Purusha
means man, Paurusheya means composed by man and Apaurusheya means
not composed by man that is without authorship (human or divine or of God
himself)—the tradition claims that there is no possibility of defects either in
the words or the sentences of the Vedic texts, or in the thought content
intended to be conveyed by the Vedas. Vedas are 'Apaurusheya'. This
designation implies that the words, their order, their accents, the
relationships between the words and their meanings and their mutual
relationships are eternal and uncreated.
Vedas are also called as Shruti. Shruti is that which is heard, again implying
that they are something, which were 'revealed'. No one ever arrogates
personal doership for these divine scriptures. There are Rishis for various
mantras, who were instrumental with their austerities & dedication in seeing
these mantras. The word Rishis itself means 'Mantra-drashta', see-er of a
mantra. Earlier when paper or even palm leaves were not discovered or were
in vogue, this knowledge was passed on to the next generation by word of
mouth. The teachers revealed and the students heard them. So name 'Shruti'
was justified this way too. There is a great tradition where the chanting &
learning of these mantras is perfected to unbelievable limits. There is no
possibility of error of even half an alphabet etc. There are pundits who are
taught to chant these mantras even backwards. A whole science of phonetics
has been developed for this work.
Since they are called "Apaurusheya" it follows that even the seers could not
have created them. If the seers composed them, they (the latter) would be
called "Mantra-kartA (-
)" which means "those who 'created' the
Mantras". But as a matter of fact, the rshis are called "Mantra-drastA (-

)", those who "saw" them. The Rshis were literally See-ers of the mantras
(mantra-drashta is the dictionary definition of rshi) not the authors.
When we say that Columbus discovered America, we do not mean that he

created the continent: we mean that he merely made the continent known to
the world. In the same way the laws attributed to Newton, Einstein and so on
were not created by them. If an object thrown up falls to earth it is not
because Newton said so. Scientists like Newton perceived the laws of Nature
and revealed them to the world. Similarly, the seers discovered the Mantras
and made a gift of them to the world. These Mantras had existed before the
time of their fathers, grand fathers, great grand fathers; but they had
remained unknown to the world. The seers now made them known to the
mankind. Therefore if the names of certain Rishis are attached to certain
mantras, it only means that Rishi was the first to see it. You can infer
nothing about a mantra from the personality, history etc. of its seer.
This reasoning by the adherents of the Vedic tradition has not been left
unchallenged, as is well known. Apart from the Buddhists and the Jains who
25
proclaimed skepticism about the validity of the Vedas, even those, such as
the NyAya-Vaishesika school, who regarded the Vedas as valid testimony,
nonetheless saw fit to question the logicality of the concept of
apauruseyatva. However, the apauruseyatva-vadins convincingly argued that
if an apauruseya text were not to be envisaged, it would be impossible for
there to be conclusive decisions in the matters of dharma and adharma. For
dharma and adharma are supra-sensory entities, and consequently our sense
organs are of no use in knowing their characteristics. Inference based solely
on sense-perception is likewise of no use, for such independent inferences
can be freely applied in any manner one pleases, and might even be used by
some clever person to call as adharma all that is established in society as
dharma and vice versa.
Therefore, we ultimately have to depend upon a scriptural text to know the

true dharma and adharma. However, unless we are certain of the
trustworthiness of the author of such a text, our faith in them will not be
strong enough to persuade us to accept them without question. Then the
question obtains: how is one to know that the author of some scripture,
believed to have lived thousands of years ago, was an Apta (S{)? An Apta is
described as a person who has perfect knowledge (including of facts
concerning supra-sensory entities such as dharma and adharma); is not a
deceiver; is not given to passions or hatred; and finally, who is endowed with
the great virtue of kindness towards people who suffer due to ignorance.
Therefore, it argues that there is parsimony of assumption in envisaging that

the Vedas are apauruseya, and holds that this view is also supported by
internal evidences, for we find several Vedic statements that describe the
Vedas as eternal, such as “yAvad brahma visthitam tAvatI vAk”. It is
therefore also held that the Vedas are the foundational authorities in respect
of supra-sensory entities such as dharma. The very term sanAtana dharma
used for the Vedic religion connotes a beginningless existence and
indestructibility till eternity. Such a religion can never be based on a prophet-
inspired theology.
Unauthored by even God:
This concept of apaurusheyatva is singularly absent in any other religion but

Vedic one. Now for the time being let us assume “apaurusheyatva” as being
“authored by God” as someone might take it that way. However, if we accept
them authored by God, we run into a cyclical argument. Existence of God
cannot be established by any logical means but the revelation. However,
validity of the revelation rests upon being revealed by God. Therefore,
instead of one, we have to make two assumptions that is 1) There exists a
God. 2) God authored the revelation. Clearly it is much weaker foundation
than a single concept of apaurusheyatva.
It is said that Apaurusheya Vedas give us an independent affirmation of our

Lord’s supremacy. But why do we need independent affirmation? Can we
not believe our Lord?
26
Answer to this is that how do we know who the Lord is? And whether He has
spoken at all, what form He takes, and what His nature is? How do you know
that *I* am not God and what *I* say is not scripture?
This is where the Vedas, a preterpersonal, unoriginated authority, come in.

It is from the Vedas that we know the first principle – that there is an
Absolute, that there is God. From the Vedas, we know who God is, what its
nature is, and what its characteristics are?
Faith in someone's teachings can only go so far. How do we know that

someone is God? Therefore, the necessity of the Vedas as an absolute and
preterpersonal authority is established.
Realize that even Srimad Bhagavad Gita (the words of Lord Himself) are only
valid because they correspond to the teachings of the Vedas. If the Gita
disagreed with the Vedas in any fundamental, irreconcilable way, we as
Vaidikas would be forced to toss out the Gita itself.
The consequences otherwise? If we consider VedAs as being authored by

God? We would have to follow the teachings of anyone who is said to be an
avatAra of God -- Sai Baba etc
If God authored the Vedas, there would be a logical seesaw. We rely on the
Vedas as our authority for God, but we rely on God as our authority for the
Vedas. This is untenable.
For this reason alone GoswAmiji has said:

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“After a deep pondering, this TulasidAs has come to conclusion that the
greatness of Vedas is uncomparable. (So much so) that even the Buddha
incarnation of the Lord was denounced (by SanAtana Vedic
DharmAvalambiis) due to His criticism of the Vedas” [DohAwali]
Therefore, the apaurusheyatva (preterpersonal) nature of the Vedas is an

absolute must for us, and is established throughout the Vedic tradition
including the writings of different schools of philosophy such as VedAnt and
mImAnsa.
However, just because the Vedas are unauthored does not mean that they
are independent of God. They exist as the very language of reality, rooted in
God's essence. This is why the Upanishads speak of the Vedas as the very
"breath" of the Supreme Bramh (Reality).
The Vedas are a unique asset of our ancient civilization, whose votaries make
a bold claim of infallibility based on apauruseyatva. It is noteworthy that
27
there is no other instance of its kind elsewhere in the world, even among
ancient civilizations. The Vedas have an unbroken oral tradition of continuity
for thousands of years, as has been noted by all serious students of
philosophy. While those who did not have the advantage of serious study
under qualified teachers tended to downgrade them as being just the poetry
of an ancient pastoral/agricultural society extolling some local events, serious
study has revealed nuggets of profound philosophical thought, which are
timeless, awe-inspiring, and contain remedies for life’s problems.
Vedas are the basis of Hindu Dharma. Even according to modern historians
and scholars Rig Veda is the oldest book. They are the most ancient existing
scripture of the world. Just as science is based on certain rules of physics and
facts about the objects of the world, so also the eternal rules of life and
existence are revealed in the Vedas. Unlike other religions Hindu Dharma is
not given out by any single person. The Vedas as we have today are a
compilation of various mantras as seen by different Rishis. So the analogy of
science appears to be very appropriate. Even avatara-purushas like Sri Rama
& Krishna liberally refer to Vedas in their teachings. There is a great sanctity
about them.
VedAvatAra Srimad VAlmiki RAmayan:
Having briefly given reasons for accepting the authenticity of the sruthis as a
valid pramANa, let us talk briefly about paurusheya sastras, those that are
original personal compositions. Do we accept these as valid means of
knowledge? Sure, but only those that do not contradict the sruthis (VedA).
All the smritis, epics (RAmAyan and MahabhArata), purAnas, Agama-shastra

are accepted as authentic Vedic literature as all of these augment and
confirm what is said in the shrutis. These Granths explain the true import of
the Veda.
And there also what to say of Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan, which is divine Veda
itself. Since the Shruti is nothing but a paean of praise to the Parama
Purusha, once the Supreme Being decided upon an avatara, Vedas too
resolved to be born, to record, chronicle and adulate the Parabrahmam and
its activities during His sojourn on this earth. This is what the paraayana
slokas of Srimad Ramayanam tell us as—
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“When the Supreme Being, known through the Vedas, was born as the son of
Dashratha (RAma), (that time itself) the Vedas (manifested itself) through
(mouth of) sage Valmiki, the son of Prachetus (Lord Varun), directly as the
RAmAyaNa. Therefore, O devi, RAmAyaNa is Veda itself, without a doubt.”
28
As Sri Valmiki himself says, Ramayanam incorporates all that is of essence in
the Shruti, Punyam Vedaischa samhitam. The following verses from Srimad
VAlmIki-RAmAyaNa again clearly show that sage VAlmIki composed
RAmAyaNa to expound the meaning of the Vedas.

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[VAlmIki-RAmAyaNa bAlakANDa 1.4.5-7]
The princes, the brothers, Kusha and Lava, were knowledgeable about
Dharma and were glorious. Their voices were melodious and they lived in the
hermitage of (VAlmIki). He (VAlmIki), established in good deeds, observed
those two extremely intelligent (princes), skilled in the Vedas, and for the
sake of expounding the Vedas, he composed and made them study the
poem RamAyaNa; (containing) the sublime story of SItA and the slaying of
rAvaNa.
Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is the primary authentic source of information for

everything connected with Sri Rama’s life and times. This is not only because
Sri Valmiki is the Aadi kavi (the first among all poets, chronologically and
otherwise) but also because he is contemporary of Lord RAmachandra. This
has been explicitly stated in the text itself. This story was not penned a few
hundred years after disappearance of Lord RAma from earth. Moreover He
was blessed by Sage Narada and Lord BramhA with yogic powers to witness
Sri Ramayana as it really happened (“tat sarvam dharma veeryENa yathavat
samprapashyati”).
[Please refer to chapter-10 of this e-book for more details regarding this.]
Thus Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is, so to say, an eyewitness account of the

actions of Sri Rama and others, in public and private.
This is the reason for the high pedestal (at par with Veda), which the work
occupies in SanAtana Hindu Vedic literature. It is well established that
"Srimad Ramayana" and “Sri Mahabharatha" are considered more authentic
than all the other 18 PurAnas/upa-purAns, and between these two also,
Srimad Ramayana is considered even more authentic—
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No other scripture exists beyond RAmAyaNa!
Even sage Veda-vyasa, who is partial incarnation of the Lord himself, has at
many places (in various puranas) paid His tributes to Maharshi Valmiki and
Srimad RAmayan. After having read and idealized Srimad RAmayan, He
composed various puranas and epic Mahabharat, as:
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However, this doesn’t imply that other RamAyanAs, written by other devotee
poets, who have recorded for posterity their own anubhavams (experiences),
are any less authentic than Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan. These are also equally
authentic and divine as Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan.
30
Please mind that I am only talking about the authentic RamAyans, which are
in-line with the Vedic philosophy, written by the great devotees of the Lord.
Only these RamAyans written by these apta-purushas, endowed with the
divine vision and pure wisdom, are to be considered as authentic, not the
kind of those blasphemous works which contradict the Vedic philosophy and
culture, written by the authors (the kinds of periyAr --a staunch criticizer of
Hindu religion, Kamil Bulke --a Christian priest) with malicious intent to
besmirch the purest glory of the ever noble characters of Srimad RAmayan.
But it is really unfortunate that nowadays only these bogus RamAyans are
being taught to graduate and higher grade students in some universities and
colleges across the nation.
Then the next question arises with reagards to many differences found
among various Apta (authentic) RamAyans. Some of the differences can be
sorted out just by proper logical reasonings, if we just consider the fact that
Lord RAmachandra resided on earth for nearly 13000 years and for this
reason, only an outline of major-events of His avatar-LeelAs could have been
captured in 24000 shlokas of Srimad Valmiki RAmayan, which is nothing but
an extract out of the Shatakoti Ramayanam (10 billion) written by sage
Valmiki.

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Sri Rama's history has been depicted in hundred crores of slokas. Every
letter of Ramayanam is considered holy. It has the power to dissolve all the
sins and bestow happiness in this and other worlds.
Valmiki Ramayanam (24,000 slokas), Ananda Ramayanam (12,252 slokas),

Adyatma Ramayanam, MahARAmAyan etc are all part of the ShatakoTi
(3 X) Ramayanam written by Sri Valmiki himself.
As it is not feasible for a human being to be able to read all of those 100
crores of RamAyans, this number being much much greater than even the
number of days a normal mortal being can live!! Therefore for the benefit of
mankind, just a brief extract of that Shatkoti RamAyanam has been
presented in what is known today as Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan.
Therefore it is quite understandable if description of some event is not found

in one authentic Vedic RAmAyan while some other authentic Vedic RAmAyan
narrates that incident. These kinds of differences are easily explainable.
Now second category of differences is that, which corresponds to one single

event being described differently in different authentic RamAyans. How is
one to take that? This is explained based on the Kalpa-theory. Kalpa is one of
the largest units of time (denotes a time cycle of crores of years), deployed
in ancient Vedic tradition.
31
1 Kalpa = 4.32 billion years, a "day of Brahma" or one thousand mahayugas,
measuring the duration of the world (scientists estimate the age of the
universe at 13.7 billion years).
Each kalpa is divided into 14 manvantara (each lasting 306,720,000 years).

Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma. A "month of Brahma" is
supposed to contain thirty such days (including nights), or 259.2 billion
years. According to the Mahabharata, 12 months of Brahma (=360 days)
constitute his year, and 100 such years the life cycle of the universe.
As Lord Ramchandra appears in every Kalpa-cycle of universe, therefore in

different Kalpas there are also minor differences in His avatar-leelAs. In this
context the following shloka of Sri Ananda-RAmAyan is very important:
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“Due to descend of Lord RAmachandra again and again in different Kalpas,

there are crores of His incarnations. Among these many different
incarnations there are also slight differences at some places in His avatar-
leelA” [AnandaRAmAyan Poorva-kAnd 7/29]
Therefore in different Kalpas various sages have sung the story of RAma
differently. In present Kaliyuga also, devotees such as GoswAmi TulsidAs, Sri
TyAgarAja, Maharshi Kamba and many others, endowed with the divine
vision have narrated the pastimes of Lord RAmachandra exactly as it
happened in various different Kalpas. As per GoswAmiji also:
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Lord RAmachandra descends on this earth in every Kalpa and enacts

charming sports in diverse ways. [SriRAma-charita-mAnas]
SriRAma has descended on this earth in diverse ways in different Kalpas and
the RAmAyan, though consisting of a thousand million verses, is yet infinite.
[SriRAma-charita-mAnas bAlkAnd-32/3]
Great sages have diversely sung the chanrming stories of SriHari, relating as
they do to different Kalpas or cycles. Bearing this in mind the reader should
not entertain any dount and should hear this narrative reverently and with
devotion. [SriRAma-charita-mAnas bAlkAnd-32/4]
32
Therefore all of these RamAyans conforming to SanAtana Vedic dharma are
to be considered as equally authentic as Srimad Valmiki RAmayan. Having
said that, still I have based my article mainly on Srimad Valmiki RAmayan.
The reason being that even though sincere devotees appreciate the glory of
Sri RAmacharitmAnas, but this might not be the case with casual readers
(who are beginners and have little or no faith), so its better to communicate
with them on a practical plane. And if even such casual readers read Srimad
Valmiki RAmayan just once, rest assured that then they can never again be
fooled into believing RAmAyan as just a myth, an imaginary poem of some
poet (like Harry potter). They would be totally assured that Lord
Ramchandra, Bhagwati SitA Devi, Lakshman, Bharata, Sharughna and
HanumAn are not mere imaginary characters of some fairy tale, but indeed
they all had once walked in person on this very BhArat-bhoomi!!
33
RAma is Parabrahman –evidence from different ShAstra-s
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“He who is universally renowned as the “Purushha” (saguNa manifested

bramha), the fount of light (from where effulgence or bramha-jyoti emanates),
manifest in all forms and is the Lord of life as well as of matter, that jewel of
Raghu’s is my Master”, so saying Shiva bowed his head to Sri Rama. [RCM
bAla-kand dohA-116]
[Translation of first shloka from the famous commentary on Srimad Valmiki

RAmayan, namely “RAmAyan-ShiromaNi” by Acharya Shiv SahAya]
On the evidence of the Shrutis, the Purusha is described as the highest. The
Shrutis say:
"The sense-objects are higher than the senses and the mind is higher than
the objects but the intellect is higher than the mind, and the great soul is
higher than the intellect. The Unmanifested is higher than Mahat and, the
Purusa is higher than the manifested. There is nothing higher than Purusa.
He is the culmination. He is the highest goal" (KathaU. 1. 3. 10).
Maharshi Valmiki's expression:
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‘If Rama, the son of Dasaratha, is righteous, true to his promise and
uncomparable in Paurush then (says Lakshmana), O my arrow! Kill the
son of Ravana’ [VAlmIki-rAmAyaNa-YudhakANDa]
reveals that the term “Purusha” culminates only in RaghunAtha.
The word avyakta in the Shruti refers to Visnu and others and implies
Raghunatha as the principal Brahman endowed with form and void of
formlessness (Saakara and Niraakara). The Visvakosa records the word
ayvakta in the sense of Sankara, Visnu, Mahat and the Supreme Self and
also is expressive of indistinct substantive matter. Thus, the words
“Sabdabrahman and Parabrahman, i.e. the Brahman expressed by words and
unnamed by words, are both my forms" uttered by Sri RAma who has put up
34
in SankarshaNa. The words of Lakshmana, which is His vow in battlefield,
favors the context.
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The reference in Srimad BhAgavat, "These are the parts of the Purusha
(Parabrahma) and the Lord himself is Krishna" reveals that these are the
constituents of Purusha. The Purushottam Raghunatha himself is Visnu who
only soars always in VrndAavana. Thus, this meaning relates to the context.
In brief, the son of Nanda, i.e Lord Krishna is most proximate to Rama in
respect of all the other incarnations. Here, the particle tu speaks eva.
(SriKrsna oriented Vaishnav sects (such as Gaudiya, Vallabha and NimbArka)

claim that this verse, i.e '@ ¦ $
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as the original personality of Godhead, i.e Avataari swaroop. But such
interpretation is not only fooling the unknowledeable readers by presenting
this Shloka out of context, but also contradictory to several other shAstra-
pramANas as we shall see later. [see chapter-8 for more details]
Even if one goes with just a plain translation as seen in the light of the
"context" in which Sage sUta uttered this verse, one would understand that
here Krishna incarnation is being compared with Rshis, demigods, Manus and
prajApatis etc which are also said to be minuscle incarnations of the Lord
which are infinite in numbers.
Just above this Shloka in question, Sage Suta mentions that the number of
incarnations of Lord Hari are innumerable like thousands of rivulets flowing
from a river and goes on to say that RishIs, devAs (demigods), Manus and
prajApatis are all amass (planery portions) of Lord Hari (1.3.26-27).
Here focus is on the innumerable avatArAs, which are like rivulets from a
river and enlisted rishis, manus etc, who all are basically amsAvatArAs. So,
obviously, SUta wants to reiterate that they are only amsAvatArAs (ie. They
are not same as Purusha) and are different from His svayam avatAras
described previously. So in this context he continues:
“Although these minuscule incarnations are only amsha (portion) of Purusha,

but Lord Sri Krishna is ‘svayam bhagwAn’, i.e not like these great
personalities such as sages, Manus, prajApatis etc.”
This is just the outward meaning of it, but if we dwell into it deeper, then it
would be clear that the actual import of this Shloka is as given by the
respected Archrya, i.e All other minuscule incarnations are nothing but the
planery portions of Purusha, which is RAma only;
35
But Lord Krishna is not a mere portion, He is RAma himself; He is most
proximate to Rama in respect of all the other incarnations. Also the word
BhagwAn itself implies RAma only, as it is clear from Srimad Valmiki
RAmayan.
One more interesting point relating to it is that Sri Shukadeva ji (the famous
Narrator of Srimad Bhagavat MahaPurAna), is also in the Acharya-lineage of
Sri RAmanand Sampraday, as given below—
1. ParAtpartam Sarveshvareshvar Srimad RAmachandra

2. Bhagwati SitA
3. Lord HanumAn
4. Lord BrahmA
5. Bramharshi Vasishthha
6. Sage PArAshara
7. Sage Veda VyAsa
8. Shukadevji
Thus he is a RamOpAsaka (devotee of RAma). One strongest and irrefutable

evidence of it is that in the whole narration of Srimad BhAgavad, Sri
Shukadev performed SharanAgati to the Lotus-feet of Raghupati only, as:
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[Srimad BhAgavata 9-11-21]
Lord Ramachandra's spotless name and fame, which vanquish all sinful
reactions, are celebrated in all directions, like the ornamental cloth of the
victorious elephant that conquers all directions. Great Maharshis like
MArkaNdeya Rshi still sing and glorify His characteristics in the assemblies of
great emperors like MahArAja Yudhishthhira to this date. Similarly, all the
saintly kings and all the demigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma,
worship the Lord's lotus-feet by bowing down with their helmets. I perform
sharaNAgati (take refuge) unto those Lotus-feet of Raghupati (Lord of the
Raghu dynasty).
See here Sri Shukadeva is himself in the first-person, saying that I

(Shukadeva) perform sharaNAgati to the Lotus-feet of Raghupati. Nowhere
else in Srimad Bhagavata Sri Shukadeva has perfomed sharaNAgati to any
other form of the Lord; which is the last stage of Bhakti, i.e total surrender,
in first person; yes many times He narrates that the serpant king KaliyANAga
and GopikAs performed sharaNAgati to the lotus-feet of Sri Krsna, but it is
the only place where He has himself become a sharaNAgat of RaghunAtha,
the Lord of the Raghus!! As per Vaishnav doctrines SharaNAgati is the last
stage of Bhakti and the most significant one.)
Various Veda-mantras such as –
36

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"Ayodhya is the city of gods, therein resides the golden sheath i.e. RAma",
state the supremacy of His dwelling-place (AyodhyA) also.”

The GitA says, 'Z:: 4 n
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other who is called the Supreme Self i.e. Paramatman".
Here, Vasudeva Krsna employs the word ‘anya’ instead of ‘aham’ (indicative
of RAma as the other person). Thus, His statement correlates the context.

In another context: ' 2 $! ू : 4::', "I am popularly known
as Purushottama in the Veda and the world alike". RAma's identification with
the son of Nanda (KrsNa) is imposed.
Or, the word Purushottama, expressive of Rama, may be taken in the sense
of "the controller of the gods" in first citation, whereas in the other, in that of
"the controller of individual souls". Thus, the controversy (with regard to
Gita's context) ceases. Besides, the meaning of the word Purushottama that
occurs elsewhere without reference to Rama may be understood as,
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"Other refernce to word Pusushhottam apart from Rama is only used to mean
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Valmiki composed the excellent theme of the story of RAma. The theme
comprising one thousand million verses was prepared and explained by
Brahman to Narada, who later on narrated it to Valmiki".
Another reference says "Shiva, Lakshmana and Vayu, who are agreeable to
be incarnated as ShankarAchArya, RAmAnujAchArya and MadhvAchArya,
respectively have taken the refuge of RaghunAtha alone, since the Acharya-s
are the elements of RaghunAtha. The Shruti states: "The Supreme Soul
endowed with non-duality is the brilliance of His form".
The following Agastya-samhita reference is also in favor of the content:
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"Raghuttama RAma, the best among the Raghus is the source of all divine
incarnations. The Moonlight of the nails of His feet is praised as Parabrahman
by the scriptures". (Agastya-SamhitA)
The commentator quotes, from various texts, the references revealing the
same content.
1. Brhatsamhita:

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"RAghava shines with SitA on the divine throne in world of SAketa

(AyodhyA) where BrahmA, Shiva and Vishnu constantly worship him.
He is surrounded by many divine fish incarnations, monkeys and also
by plentitude of the Narasimhas or Narasimha incarnations, tortoise
incarnations, and sons of Sri Nanda, i.e Sri Krishna, Haya, Gala, and
Hari. They all are eager to receive the orders of RAma. Keshava,
Vamana the foremost persons, Narayana, Yudhisthira, Sri Krisna,
Haladhrik BalaRAma and VAsudeva, the enemy of the demon Madhu
as well as various kinds of Mahendras and millions of Goddess
Durgas, eager for advice, remain always in front of Sri RAma near
His feet". Here, the epithet Nanda-nandana signifies that form of
Lord Krishna, who delights Nanda and dwells in MathurA, while Sri
Krisna refers to the one who resides in DwArika.
2. Sundaritantra-vacana: "The appearance of the god endowed with

various forms like Narayana is His best embodied or conceptual glory,
while the eternal Supreme Self is His incorporeal glory that shines
permanently".
3. Varahasamhita: "Even Narayana with conch, wheel, discus and club is

the plenary portion of RAma".
4. Pancharatra: "The bliss is said of two kinds, viz. conceptual and

transcendental. The conceptual or manifested Paramatman in the
human form is the location or reservoir of the transcendental bliss".
38
5. Sundaritantra: "The great Shiva went to the world of RAma, which is
beyond the reach of sensual organs. Reaching there the great Siva
found RAghava, the supreme soul possessed of eternal body. He was
the lord of all kinds of power and was seated along with me. This
entire universe activated by the prowess of eternal Raghava, with two
arms".
6. Ananda-samhita: "It is said that the figure of the god with eight arms
is visible, that with four arms is subtle. And that one with two arms is
the supreme. Therefore, one should worship the god endowed with the
assemblage of three forms.
7. ShANdilya-samhita: "Rama has four arms. He wields the bow and is

constituted of the eternal bliss ever. He resides in the Goloka, 'the
world of cows'. He has pervaded the universe".
8. Ramopanishhad: "The ascetics rejoice in the Conscious Soul, the

blissful forever. It is known as the supreme Soul identified with the
word RAma".
9. Hanumad Upanisad: "RAma alone is the Supreme Self. Rama alone is

the great austerity (tapas). Rama alone is the highest principle. Sri
Rama is the Brahman that guards".
10.Sandilyasakha: "The world enjoys itself because of Him, i.e. RAma. He

is full of bliss and is unending or everlasting.
11.Hanumat-samhita: "I worship all times the God RAma, who is eternal
and constitutes or embodies Sat 'Existence', Cit 'Consciousness' and
Ananda 'Bliss'. He is an expert in the rAsa leela, the dance practiced by
cowherds, Krisna and gopis. His parts are Brahman, Visnu and Mahesa
who are the sustainers of the world.
12.Shruti:

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Some other Shruti (Veda mantra-bhAga) expounds the supremacy of

His shrine even as: "AyodhyA the city of gods has eight circles and
nine gates. Therein resides the golden sheath. It is the world of
heaven. The bright light (or the constellation) has covered it. It is full
of nectar. Brahman grants him the life, fame and offspring, to
whoever knows the city of Brahman.”
13.Aranya in the Taittiriyasakha: "The brahmacharya is that (which) one

calls aranyayana 'leading to the forest' because ara and nya are two
39
seas in the world of Brahman, in the third world from here. There is a
lake, the waters of which contribute food and enthusiasm.
There is the fig tree that drips soma. There is stronghold of Brahman
that is unvanquishable and golden palace of the sovereign. Therefore,
for those who find both these seas ara and nya, there is the world
attainable through brahmacharya. Such world of Brahman is meant
only for them. They enjoy freedom in all worlds". This proves that He,
that is, RAma is the Lord of the lords.
The purport of the Shruti yad aranyayanam, etc. is as follows. The Vedas
expound that what leads to the forest (a life of solitude in the forest) is the
brahmacharya. Only those people who attain through the brahmacharya, the
two seas ara and nya by name in the world of Brahman by meditation,
approach the Brahmaloka renowned in the Shruti texts. They only soar at
their will in all worlds. For laying aside the world Hiranyagarbha, the Shruti
itself proclaims that the Brahmaloka exists in the heaven, the third from the
Bhuloka 'the terrestrial world', which is outside of the prakrtimandala 'the
circle of the nature'.
In the world enlightened by Brahman, there are two well-known seas called
ara and nya. There is a lake full of manda 'essence' or 'drinkable fluid'
consisting of food distinct from formal food (aira). There is the fig tree with
trembling leaves, from which the nectar (soma) flows. There is the city,
Aparajita that is, ‘unvanquishable’; of which Ayodhya is another name, of
RAma, the everlasting illuminator of the truth and the knowledge. In that city
is the golden shrine fully renowned by its Lords SitA and RAmachandra. The
word prabhubhyam is an ekasesadvandva, i.e. compound denotative of male
and female. The expression in Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan—

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4 ।। [VAlmIki-rAmAyaNa-2-44-15, 16]
“Oh, Kausalya! Rama is the illuminator of even the sun, cause of Agni, the
Lord of the Lord, the Shrii (Lakshmi) of Shrii (Lakshmi), the foremost glory of
even the glory, the forbearance of forbearance, the controller of even those
who overpower all, i.e Gods and the foremost being of all the beings. Indeed,
what handicaps are there for him in the forest or in AyodhyA?”
"suryasy api…" in the canto 44 of the Ayodhyakanda means 'Rama is the

illuminator of the Sun illuminating all'.
On the evidence of the Shruti, the foremost among all "All that is bright is
but the shadow of his brightness"; it is well known that the Supreme Soul is
the illuminator of the Sun. Then what is the Brahman? The Brahman is the
40
Supreme Soul that is the fire of the fire, i.e. the illuminator of Agni who is the
foremost of all and is known Brahman.
Accordingly (RAma) is the controller of even three lords Brahman and others
who overpower all. On the strength of scriptural reference "agnir namasau"
'Agni is called the brahman', since he is the foremost of all. Thus,
MadhvAchArya has explained it.
Sri GovindAchArya, too, has accepted this dogma or doctrine and hence has
explained that the Lord (RAma) is the governor of those who govern all. In
brief, Visnu and others only are the controllers of all. (Rama, however, is the
controller of Visnu and others.) Again, the reference “suryasy api bhavet
suryah” means that 'he is the cause of the Sun who is the cause of the light'.
(The question that arrises) It well known that Agni is the cause of the Sun.
How is it so? It is so because 'He is the fire of the fire i.e. the cause of Agni'.
The question is, it is popularly known that the Supreme Soul is the cause of
all. How is it so? It is so, 'Rama is the controller of even those who
overpower all' (prabhoh prabhuh). Thus, other references "He is the splendor
of the splendor", etc propagate Him as the only supreme cause of all.
The author of commentary (of Srimad RAmAyan) titled “BhushaNa”,

interprets the references in question, as "RAma is the Sun of the Sun that
illuminates whole universe and is the fire of the fire that burns all". This
interpretation is not proper because it is known to all that attributes of
illumination and conflagration are common to both the Sun and the fire.
Preference to any of the two properties leads to the futility of the statement.
Nor is the statement 'RAma is the illuminator and burner of even the Sun and
the fire each' logical, as it carries the demerit of patat-prakarsha. (The
blemish patat-prakarsha takes place where preference of superiority sinks,
either prosaically or illogically.)
In the light of the discussion, the expression “Visnuna sadrsah” is explained

as 'Visnu is similar to Rama, the all-pervading one'. And the reference
“Vishnor ardham” is rendered as 'the promoter of Visnu'. (This is the idea,
which is conveyed by the commentator in Nyaya terminology).
41
A GLIMPSE OF RAMA-CHARITRA
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“Nowhere have I heard of, much less seen, such a disposition (as of RAma); to
whom shall I compare the Lord of the Raghus, O Garuda! Chief of the birds!
[RCM Uttar-kand 123-2]
As it is evident from our wordly knowledge also that for inculcating love and
feeling of belongingness towards something one must know the qualities of
it. It is only when one appreciates the nature of some person; ins and outs of
his overall personality, that one can develop true faith and love for that
person. Without knowledge about a person, there is no faith in him; and
without unshakable faith in him, there is no question of love and attachment
with him. As GoswAmiji has said—

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“Without Sri Rama’s grace it is not possible to know the Lord’s greatness;
without knowing His greatness faith is out of the question; and without faith
there can be no love either. [RCM Uttar-kand 88-4]
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“Without faith there can be no Devotion and RAma never melts except
through Devotion; and without Rama’s grace the human soul can never
attain peace even in dreams” [RCM Uttar-Kand DohA-90]
Therefore in order to realize our eternal relationship with RAma, to have

divine love and devotion towards the Lotus feet of Ananta-kalyANa-guNa-
gaNa-nilaya Rajendra-nandana maharaja-kumAra saundarya-sushmAgAra
Srimad JanakiramaNa prabhu, we must first of all know about His infinte
divine virtues and qualities, His compassionate sheel-svabhav. And what else
could be a better source of knowledge about RAma than the VedAvatAr
Srimad VAlmiki RamayaNa itself?
42
As Bhagwati SitA says to HanumAn, when he for the very first time got the
divine vision of Sri JanakAtmajA:

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Recount the virtues of my beloved Rama, O gentle monkey! Even as the

current of a river wears away its bank, in the same way you would be luring
my mind by recounting the auspicious GuNas of my RAma. (You would be
delighting my mind and heart by narrating the virtues of my RAma)
Therefore for doing the pleasing act for that Videha-tanayA, daughter of
Janaka, princess JAnaki, here is a very brief account of Lord RAmchandra’s
kalyANa-guNas as described at several places in Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan—
All the four princes, RAma, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughna, who were
veritable jewels among men, were equally dear to MahArAja Dasharatha like
four arms sprung from one’s own person (5).
Of them, however, the highly glorious RAma was a great source of joy for His
father and was more richly endowed with excellences (than others) as
BrahmA is among created beings (6).
For, that RAma, the eternal Visnu (MahaVishnu, here RAma has been
addressed as sanAtan VishNu implying Rama is the eternal VishNu, i.e Vishnu
of even Vishnu) Himself was born on mortal plane as entreated by the gods,
seeking destruction of the haughty RAvana (7).
Queen KaushalyA shone with that son, possessed of infinite glory, as Aditi did
with (her son) Indra, best among the celestials (8).
Ram was possessed of divine charm and beautiful in form, a hero of

valor and without envy. He was incomparable on earth as a son and
was a replica of Dashratha in point of virtues (9).
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Rama was ever tranquil of mind and spoke softly without being
accosted. He did not react to the harsh words spoken by others. (10)
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43
RAma felt gratified even with a single good thing done to him by
whatever way, and did not take to heart even a hundred bad things
done to him, thinking that whatever the other person did is someway
or the other my fault alone; there would be some shortcoming in my
own behaviour that the other person has to resort to such offense.
Here the translation of ‘S$:

’ is usually done as — RAma doesn’t
remember any number of bad things done to Him because of “His mastery
over His self”; but that is not the actual import according to me, actual
import meant by this epithet is— “because RAma is AtmA or indweller of the
soul of everybeing”; so if someone does something bad to Him, RAma thinks
that he did that because He did not give good intellect to that person -
AtmavattayA; "dadAmi bhuddhi-yogam" (gItA 10.10) and that if He had
given him good mental disposition, he would have acted in the right manner.
He never thinks about any one's fault. He just thinks, “I gave him that kind
of an intellect; I did not give him a good mental attitude. That is why he
committed this blunder. May be, I have not directed him right in my role as
his AtmA/soul, that is why he is behaving thus”. (11)
Rama ever used to converse with pious men senior to him in point of moral
worth, enlightenment or age or with good-natured people, even at times of
respite from his practicing archery (12).
Rama was a wise man. He used to speak sweetly. He was the first man
to initiate a talk with others. His speech was compassionate. He was
valorous. But He was not arrogant of His mighty valour. (13)
RAma did not speak untruth. He was learned and all knowing. He used to be
receptive and worshipful to the elders. People used to love Him and He
used to love the people (14).
RAma was full of compassion. He had conquered anger and was a

votary of the Brahmanas. He had mercy towards the meek and
miserable. He knew what is right, always exercised self-control and
practiced purity (both internal and external) (15)
With His mind intent on what was worthy of His race He made much of His
duty as a Kshatriya and with great fondness regarded heaven as the eminent
reward following from it (16)
RAma never took delight in an act, which was not conducive to blessedness,
had no relish for profane talks. Like sage Brhaspati (lit., a master of
eloquence), He advanced arguments and counter-arguments in support of
His contention (17).
Rama was a young man without any disease. He was a good speaker. He
possessed a robust body. He knew the right place and time (for action) He
could grasp the essence and worth of every individual. He was the
only gentleman born on earth (18).
44
Endowed with superb qualities, the aforesaid virtuous prince Rama actually
grew to be the favourite of the people by virtue of his manifold excellences.
RAma was like their very life moving outside (19).
RAma had mastered all sciences and concluded all sacred vows, had duly
studied all the four Vedas including the brances of knowledge auxiliary to
them and proved superior even to his father (Emperor Dashrath, a unique
bowman himself) in archery as well as in the use of missiles propelled by the
force of mystic spells (20).
Rama, having born in a good clan, was gentle minded. He was not feeble. He
spoke truth. He was straightforward. A source of all blessings, beneficent,
ever undepresed, truthful of speech and guileless, He had been instructed all
round by the elderly Brahmanas possessing insight into the moral principles
and secular interests (21).
He knew the truth about the principles of righteousness, material enjoyment

and prosperity, was possessed of a keen memory and perspicacious. He had
acquired proficiency in the discharge of his secular duties and was well-
versed in Vedic rites too. He had a spontaneous wisdom. He had skills in
arranging customs useful to society prevalent at that time. (22).
RAma was modest and humble; He did not let His feelings appear outwardly.
He kept His thoughts to Himself. He helped others and attracted good many
followers; His wrath and pleasure both were unfailing and were not wasteful.
He knew when to give and when not to give. (23)
Rama had a firm devotion and steadfast mind, did not gather unworthy men
about Him nor did He utter foul words. He was free from sloth and ever alert;
He recognized the faults of His own people as well as those of others (24)
He was well versed in sacred lore and recognized the services of others; He
could read men’s mind and was clever in meting out punishment and
bestowing favours according to the principles of equity (25).
He understood the differences among men. He could judiciously discriminate

whom to protect and whom to punish. He identified good men and protected
them. He knew the people worthy of reprimand. He was conversant with the
methods of tapping the sources of income (without oppressing the people)
and also knew the art of expending money as laid down in the Shastras
(work on political ecoonmy) (26).
He had acquired proficiency in the ShAstras (the various departments of

knowledge) as well as in works (such as dramas) written in a mixed tongue
(viz., Sanskrita mixed with a PrAkrta dialect) and enjoyed the pleasures of
sense keeping inviolate the principles of righteousness and maintaining the
soundness of His finances; nay, He never remained inactive (27)
RAma was a connoisseur of arts (such as vocal and instrumental music,

drawing etc.) intended to entertain oneself and knew how to allocate funds to
45
various items of expenditure. He was an expert in riding on and taming
elephants and horses (28)
RAma was the foremost of those knowing the science of archery and was
esteemed in the world even by Atirathas (those who fight a number of
Maharathas alone). He not only knew how to make an inroad (into an
enemy’s stronghold) but also how to take the offensive and was skilled in
disposing the army in a particular battle-array (29).
Even enraged gods and demons could not overpower Rama in a battle; He
had no jealousy. He conquered anger. He had no arrogance, was never
elated and gave way to jealousy (30).
He had not humiliated any living being as also He could not be disregarded
with impunity by created beings; He was not subject to the control of time.
Endowed with the foregoing noblest virtues, Sri Rama, son of Emperor, was
esteemed not only by the people of Ayodhya but in all the three worlds (viz.,
heaven, earth and the intermediate region). He was a compeer of Mother
Earth in forbearance and other virtues and vied with sage Brhaspati in
wisdom and with Indra in valor (31-32).
(Nay) like the sun-god resplendent with his rays, RAma shone brightly by the
virtue of His excellences; He was loved by all the people and was a spring of
joy and delight to His father (33).
Godess Earth herself wished Rama, the aforesaid prince to be her Lord, who
was endowed with such a lofty character, was possessed of valor that could
not be subdued and who vied with the guardians of the sphere in might and
splendour (34)
Rama had many other virtues beyond hitherto stated virtues not to be seen
in others. His virtues cannot be counted and they are the best in the world
Seeing his son adorned with these manifold incomparable virtues, Emperor
Dashrath, the chastiser of his enemies, for his part reflected thus: (35)
The thought forthwith entered the mind of the aged and long-lived emperor:
“How should Rama be crowned king during my very lifetime? How can this
delightful event take place? (36)
When shall I actually behold my beloved son installed in the office of Prince
Regent? This alone is the supreme desire revolving in my heart (37)
Commiserating all created beings, He truly seeks the advancement of all the
people. Like a rainy cloud He is dearer to the world than myself (38)
He is compeer of Yama and Indra in valor, vies with Brhaspati in intellect,

resembles a mountain in firmness and excels me in qualities (39).
46
Seeing at this ripe age my son holding sway over this entire globe, let me
ascend to heaven in due course” (40)
Reflecting thus and perceiving RAma endowed with the aforesaid manifold
excellences, difficult to find in other kings, as well as with all other
innumerable excellences uncommon in the world; deliberating with his
ministers, emperor Dashrath decided to install Him as Prince Regent (41-42).
The emperor summoned to his capital the prominent citizens of various cities
as also the rulers of different parts of the country on the globe (46).
Thus addressing the whole assembly, Emperor Dashrath announced his

desire to install Rama as the Prince Regent of Ayodhya and sought their
viewpoint in regards with this proposal in these words:
I shall endow this earth with this good fortune immediately and, placing the
burden of administration on my son, shall indeed become care-free (14)
If this step of mine has a worthy end in view and is perfectly well-advised,
give your consent to me or tell me how I should proceed otherwise? (15)
Although such is my pleasure, let any other salutary course be contemplated
(if this does not find favor with you). The view-point of the dispassionate is,
however, different and is of much greater value, being an outcome of
contention (of two conflicting views).” (16)
Full of delight the kings applauded the emperor while he was speaking as
aforesaid, even as peacocks cheer a big rainy cloud, crying for joy (17)
Thereupon burst forth a fond acclamation, prompted with joy and raised by
the concourse of men, resounding and shaking the earth as it were (18).
Fully perceiving the intention of Dashrath, who knew the principles of

righteousness as well as the secular interests of his people, nay, sitting
together in conclave with the citizens and the people of other territories for
deliberation, and arriving at a decision with their mind, all the Brahmanas as
well as the army generals spoke to the aged King Dashrath when their mind
had reached an agreement: - (19-20)
“You have ruled for many thousands of years and have grown old, O ruler of
the earth! Such that you are, pray install as Prince Regent Sri RAma, who is
fit to rule the earth (21).
Indeed we long to see the mighty armed Sri RAma, a hero among the
Raghus, who is possessed of great strength, riding on a huge elephant with
His head canopied with the royal umbrella” (22)
Hearing the aforesaid statement of the councilors, the emperor made the
following reply with the intention of ascertaining what would please their
mind as though not knowing it: - (23)
47
“Since on hearing this proposal of mine you desire RAma to be your ruler, O
kings, here is my doubt; therefore, please answer my following question
correctly (24)
How is it, I ask you, that even while I am ruling this earth with righteousness
you wish to see RAma as Prince Regent?” (25)
Those high-minded men in agreement with the citizens of Ayodhya as well as

with the people of other territories replied to the emperor: - “Many benignant
qualities inhere in your son, O protector of men! (26)
We shall just recount, O lord, all the beloved and pleasing virtues (known to
us) of the talented and godlike Rama, who is a storehouse of excellences;
pray hear about them (27)
RAma of unfailing prowess is a compeer of Indra in superhuman virtues has

unquestionably surpassed all the scions of IkshwAku, O ruler of men! (28)
RAma is the only righteous man in the world; He is not only truthful but also
solely devoted to truth. Only RAma can make both righteousness and wealth
combine without separation (29)
RAma is a compeer of the moon in affording delight to all created beings,

vies with the earth in His forbearance and other virtues, is a replica of the
sage Brhaspati (the preceptor of gods) in wisdom and is a direct image of
Indra in valor (30)
He knows what is right, is true to His vow; He is full of amiability and

free from censoriousness; He consoles those who are in troubles. He
speaks good words. He has gratitude. He is tranquil, comforting,
polite of speech, grateful and has fully mastered His senses (31)
Nay, RAma is gentle and stable of mind, He is soft-natured ever

gracious and uncarping; He speaks loving words kindly to all living
beings and is veracious too (32).
He is votary of the learned, his elders and the Brahmanas. By virtue of such
service rendered to the learned and others, His incomparable renown,
celebrity and glory stand enhanced in this world (33).
He is skilled in the use of all missiles used by the gods, demons and human
beings and has duly concluded His vow of studying the various sciences and
has duly learnt all the Vedas along with the six branches of knowledge
auxiliary to a study of the Vedas (viz., 1. ShikshA or phonetics, 2. VyAkarana
or Grammar, 3. Chandas or Prosody, 4. Nirukta or Etymology, 5. Jyautishha
or astronomy and 6. Kalpa or the branch of knowledge prescribing the ritual
and giving rules for ceremonial or sacrificial acts) (34).
48
RAma is the foremost on earth in the art of music. (The reader should
notice that RAma is the best one in the art of music also; generally MaryAda-
Purushhottama RAma is perceived by people as just a dry personality)
RAma is of blessed descent, saintly, magnanimous and highly intelligent (35)
Nay, He has been instructed all round by the noblest Brahmanas skilled in
the exposition of Dharma and the discussion of fiscal matters. Whenever,
accompanied by Lakshman, He sets out on an expedition in the interests of a
village or a city He never returns without scoring victory once He is out.
After returning from battle, Rama goes to citizens on an elephant or a chariot

and always lovingly inquires about their well being as though they were His
own kinsmen, like a father does to his sons. He asks about their welfare
concerning childrens, sacrificial fires, wives, servants and groups of pupils,
always completely as per the due order
Nay, RAma, a tiger among men, every now and then says to us, “Are your
pupils serving you?” and to Kashtriyas, “Do your bodyguards, protected with
armour, wait upon you?”

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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-2-40.41]
“RAma feels very sad towards afflictions of men; and rejoices like a
father in all their jubilations on the occasions of child birth and the
like. He always utters the truth, wields a mighty bow, serves His
elders and has His mind under control (36-41).
He prefaces His speech with a smile and has embraced righteousness with all
His being. He duly accomplishes beneficent deeds and never relishes
arguments carried on in a controversial spirit. Nay, He is a debater of
Brhaspati’s rank in the field of argument and counter-argument (carried on in
a friendly spirit for arriving at the truth).
RAma, who enchants the world, has beautiful eyebrows. He has red and
broad eyes. He appears like Lord Visnu himself in Human semblance (42-43).
The aforesaid Sri Rama delights the world by His intrepidity, valor and might.
Although He remains assiduously engaged in protecting the people, His mind
is never blinded by passion (44).
He is capable of ruling even the three worlds, to say nothing of this earth.
RAma's anger or mercy is not arbitrary at any time. (45).
He kills those deserving death according to the scriptural ordinance and is

never angry with those who do not deserve to be killed. Nay, greatly
rejoiced, He gladly bestows wealth to those with whom He is satisfied. (46).
49
As the sun shines by its rays, RAma shines brightly by the virtue of His
excellences that are peaceful, which are enchanting and delightful to all
created beings (47).
Earth seeks to have its master the aforesaid RAma of unfailing might, and
vying with the guardians of the spheres, endowed as He is with the above-
noted virtues (48).
Fortunately for us your aforesaid son has grown capable of doing good (to
the world at large) and, like Kashyapa, son of Marichi (one of the nine mind-
born sons of BrahmA, the creator), RAma (a scion of Raghu) is luckily
enough endowed with all filial virtues (49).
Everyone among gods, demons and men, including Gandharvas (celestial

musicians), NAgas (a class of semi-divine beings, having the face of a human
being and the tail of a serpent) as also in the state of Kosala as well as in
capital town of AyodhyA, nay, everyone belonging to the gynaeceum and
forming part of the urban and rural population outside the state, prays for
the strength, health and longevity of RAma of well-known amiability (50-51).
"Both young and aged women devoutly bow to the gods both morning and
evening as well as at midday, in the interest of the lofty-minded RAma. Let
that entreaty of theirs be fulfilled by your grace, O lord! (52)
Oh best of kings, Dasaratha! We shall see Rama adorned with princely

kingdom. Your son RAma has the complexion of a Bluish-black lotus flower,
the destroyer of all enemies. (53)
Let the wish of the people be fulfilled by your grace. Oh fulfiller of people's
desires, Dasaratha! For our benefit, you gladly and immediately inaugurate
your son RAma, a compeer of Lord Vishnu, interested in the welfare of the
entire world, possessing the best of virtues and who is resorted to by the
great (54).
It is impossible to find such infinite number of divine virtues in any single

person, except only in RAma. In fact in this world if a person somehow
accumulates even a fraction of just a single virtue out of innumerous of those
listed above, even then he gets a very exalted status in our society. For ex.
following people who are famous for only single/limited number of qualities—
1) King Harishchandra and Yudhhishthhira for their truthfulness

2) KarNa, King Raghu and King Rantideva for their magnanimity in
givings/bestowing desired assets to the seeker.
3) ParashuRAma, Arjun, Bheema and many others for their valor
4) Bhishma for valor and devotion to his father’s will
5) Great Sages for their knowledge of Vedas and other scriptures
6) KAmadeva (Cupid) and Ashwini Kumars for their beauty
7) ShravaNakumAra for devotion to his parents
8) King Shivi for the protection of his SharaNAgatas (refugee)
50
No one in this world is more established in Dharma than RAma:

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“In this whole world, no one else other than RAma is more firm and
established in right path.”
In whom so ever we see any amount of greatness what so ever, that is

nothing but bestowed by our RAma only. Rama is the source and rest all
derive their virtue, strength, greatness, glory etc from Him alone.
That is why GoswAmiji has righty proclaimed:
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Whosoever is counted among Great peoples, all of those derive their

greatness from the glory of Lord RAmachandra only!! [RCM 2-198-4]
Popularity as RAma commanded is nowhere to be seen. There was no such

person who was not spellbound by His affectionate and sweet behaviour.
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When Lord RAmachandra ascended the throne of AyodhyA, the talks among
the people centered round RAma, RAma and RAma alone! The whole world
itself was transformed into RAma!!
So much popularity that the whole world was overwhelmed and filled with
RAma only! Only RAma’s story, only His thoughts captured the imagination of
the whole population of this world!! Is there anyone in the whole history of
mankind, including other Gods and Incarnations, who may have gained such
a poplularity ever?
Even for Kaikeyi, who blinded by her passion asked for the exile of RAma,
see what she used to think about RAma—

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Pricisely as Bharata is worthy of esteem to me, Rama is even more so. Nay,
the latter does greater service to me than to KaushalyA.command equal
respect, rather rAma commands more respect, rather Rama commands more
51
respect. If Rama gets the throne, take it as if Bharat is enthroned because
Rama treats his brother like his own self.
How much love, affection and sense of confidence did even Kaikeyi have in
RAma? Just by the giving attention to illursory words of Manthara she ruined
her whole life!
On the occasion of His departure for the forest, the other mothers of RAma,
(other queens of King Dashrath) also wept and spoke out their own heart-felt
observation with regards to the behaviour of RAma towards them. They
exclaimed—

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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-41-2,3,4]
Oh! Where goes that Lord, who was the refuge and protector of us helpless,
weak and forlorn people? Oh! Where goes the prince to whom joy and sorrow
made no difference, nay who did not lose temper even when slandered,
avoided provoking words and pacified all who were angry? Where goes the
high-souled RAma, who is endowed with exceptional glory and who behaved
with us in that same way as He did with His own mother, KaushalyA?
What else will be a better proof of devotion to His mothers?
In the same way RAma’s devotion to His father is not unknown to the
readers. He tells mother Kaikeyi in conversation –
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At the bidding of my father I am even prepared to leap into a fire.

Commanded by the emperor, who is my teacher, father and friend, I can as
well swallow deadly poison and throw myself into the ocean.
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Spendour may depart from the moon, nay, the Himalaya Mountain may shed
its snow and the ocean may also transgress its limits but I can not ever
violate the plighted word of my father
52
RAma’s love for His brothers was also incomparable. All the four brothers
were like four bodies but one soul. Having heard from Dashrath about His
coronation RAma went to the palace of mother KaushalyA. Sumitra and
Lakshaman were also there. That time affectionate RAma tells Lakshmana—
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O Lakshmana you share with me the rule of this earth. This royal fortune has
come to you; you are second soul of mine. Enjoy you O Lakshmana, the
pleasures coveted by you as well as the rewards of sovereignty (religious
merit and fame etc). I desire the kingdom and my life also, just for you!
But just after that the whole scene changed. His coronation changed into
exilement to the forest. When Lakshmana requested RAma to take him along
to forest, Rama started arguing to him for staying there behind at home and
said—
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Lakshmana! You are my beloved, devoted to virtues, resolute, constantly

firm on the right path. You are dear to me like my very life-breath, amenable
to my control, obedient and my friend
This is Rama’s inbuilt nature! All the pleasures and comforts in my life, if any,
are just for the enjoyment of my brothers; but none of the sorrows of my life
should even touch them!!
When Lakshman learnt about the arrival of Bharat with his army to
Chitrakoot, then suspecting the intention of Bharat he uttered some
unbecoming words for him due to his excessive love for RAma. Then Lord
RAmachandra said while praising Bharat—
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O Lakshaman I very truly swear by my weapons that I seek virtue, fortune,

Kama (gratification of senses) and even sovereignty of the earth only for the
sake of you all (my brothers). Even this kingdom I seek, only for the
gratification and comforts of my brothers. The rulership of this entire globe,
hemmed in by the sea, O gentle brother, is not difficult for me to acquire;
53
But I do not covet upon even the position of Indra through unrighteousness.
And if any joy comes to me without Bharata, you and Shatrughna, O my
modest brother, let fire reduce it to ashes. I believe that hearing about my
exilement, Bharata must have found his heart overwhelmed with affection
and his mind distracted through grief. This is why he has come all the way to
see me. There is no other motive for his arrival.
During the course of fierce battle in Lanka, one day when Lakshmana
swooned struck by the missile of RAvana, Lord RAmachandra wept bitterly
proving His supreme affection for his adorable little brother Lakshman. The
Lord said while lamenting thus—

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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 6-101-11,12,13,15]
Seeing His beloved (younger half-) brother, who was His very life-breath
moving outside as it were, RAma, the scion of Raghu, who was seized with
great agony, gave Himself up to anxiety and grief.
Beholding LakshmaNa lying wounded in the dust of the battlefield, He fell a

prey to extreme despondency and lamented (as follows), distracted in mind
as He was:
Even victory, O hero, will not conduce to my pleasure. What delight will the
moon afford if it appears before a blind man? What purpose of mine will now
be served by fighting or even by my life?
I have no use for the war as a result of which Lakshman lies killed in the
forefront of battle here. Just as the greatly spendrous Lakshman followed me
while coming to forests, I too shall likewise follow him to the abode of Death.
Wives may be found everywhere and kinsmen too can be had

everywhere, I, however, see no place where a uterine (real) brother
could be had.
This proves that Lakshman was most dear to RAma, even more than His
beloved SitA as well as His very own life. Even Janakkishori Bhagwati SitA
was aware of this fact, which she also told to HanumAn:
54
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“Lakshman, the beloved brother of Rama is ever dearer to that prince

(RAma) than I (SitA)”
It was only proper and befitting to weep for the brother who was prepared to
aboandon everything and even to die and undergo all sorts of suffering but
by showing the limit of grief on this occasion the compassionate Lord showed
to us mortals, how the brotherly affection should be like! There are many
such incidents showing the depth of His brotherly love. I have provided just a
glimpse of it here.
Lord RAmachandra is also incomparable as a true friend. Due to His sweet

Shaushilya guNa (mingling of great people with even the lowliest of the
people so naturally that even the slightest of hesitation of the other person is
eliminated and he doesn’t even in dreams remember of the huge status
difference between his friend and himself) befriended even NishAda,
monkeys, beers and treated a mere vulture (JatAyu) as His own father!!
RAma regarded as nothing what He did for His friends but highlighted even
the slightest act of the friends and praised again and again. Here a small
example is cited.
After His enthronement in AyodhyA, while seeing off the monkeys He called
the chieftains near Him and casting an affectionate glance at them He
accosted them in sweet and fine tone—
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Placing HanumAn and Angada too in His lap, RAma, the powerful king of the
IkshwAkus, whose eyes resembled the petals of a lotus, spoke as follows to
Sugriva in a soft tone, as though He would drink them up with His eyes—
“My forest living monkeys! You are my friends, brothers and another body of
mine!! You have saved me from many crises. Therefore blessed is the king
Sugriva to have good friends like you.”
Apart from this cited example, Lord RAmachandra showed affectionate

sentiments towards His friends at so many occasions in Srimad RAmAyan.
His friends like Sugriva etc., also praised His friendly affection more than
once. They were so much overwhelmed that they never remembered their
55
wealth, kith and kin and enjoyment. They were always prepared to sacrifice
even their life for their RAma.
RAma considered it a great sin to forego anyone who has come seeking
refuge. RAma is foremost among those who are regarded as SharanAgat-
vatsala. The whole of Srimad Valmiki RAmayan is replete with examples of
His affectionate protection of those who even once came to His refuge. So
much so that in our SanAtan-Dharma, Srimad Valmiki RAmayan is regarded
as “SharaNAgati-Veda or SharaNAgati-Shastra”. In fact our Vaishavite
Acharyas cite the episode of Vibheeshan coming into refuge of Lord
RAmachandra after being insulted by RAvana, as the most inspiring and
blissful one and claim it as the primary reason for the incarnation of Lord
RAmachandra; killing of RAvana and other ogres as secondary and
insignificant ones. At that occasion our compassionate Lord has declared in
no mincing words—
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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 6-18-3, 27, 28]
I cannot refuse to accept under any circumstances him who has come to me
in a friendly spirit. Even if there is any wickedness in him, his acceptance is
not reprehensible in the eyes of good people
In the name of humanity one should not strike even an enemy arrived at
one’s door and piteously soliciting protection with joined palms, O Sugriva!
An enemy come for protection, be he distressed or even proud, should be
protected even at the cost of one’s life by one who has subdued one’s mind
Saying thus the Lord finally declared His foremost vow of protection of
SharaNagatas—
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I vouchsafe security against all beings to him who come to me only once and
just says ‘I am yours’: such is my vow!
RAma was ever tranquil of mind and always spoke softly. Even if someone
spoke to Him harshly, still Rama didn’t retort to it.
If someone did any good thing for Him even by mistake, then also Rama felt
so much gratified for it, but did not take to heart even a hundred bad things
done to Him.
56
Rama was the first man to initiate a talk with others so as to eliminate
whatever little hesitation that person may have. His speech used to be
compassionate always.
Four things RAma never does twice!! What are they?

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a) RAma doesn’t give twice to any seeker! Which means that in the first
seeking itself RAma bestows so much that after taking from RAma he
doesn’t need to look anywhere else thereafter!!
b) The Lord doesn’t installs or establishes His Ashhritas (those wholly
dependant upon Him) twice! Which means once anyone surrenders to
Him seeking His support then his job is done. Now it is the
responsibility of RAma to take care of him; to restore him; to firmly
establish him. And once RAma restores anyone, no one, i.e. no other
demigods, even Indra, Shani, BrahmA, GaNesha, Skand, Lord Shiva
etc can move him from his place!
c) Sri RAmabhadra never aimed two arrows! If He really so decided then
He doesn’t need to aim a second arrow to destroy His target.
d) The satya-sandh Lord never speaks anything twice! What is said is
said. No one can change that.
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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-12-29, 30]
“The valiant Rama, a scion of Raghu, conquers people by His virtues, the
BrAhmaNas through charity, the elders through service and His enemies on
the battlefield with His bow.
Truthfulness, charity, asceticism, self-denial, friendship or goodwill, purity

(both of body and mind), straightforwardness, learning and service to His
elders—these are forever constantly present in RAma, the Lord of Raghus”.
Even though RAma could, if He so desired, kill with His finger-tip, all the
goblins, DAnavas, Yakshas and ogres on earth as mentioned by the Lord
Himself in Yudhhakanda to Sugriva—
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57
“I can, if I so desire, eliminate all the goblins, DAnavas, Yakshas and ogres
on this earth just with my finger-tip, O King of monkeys!”
So was there any need for Him, of the help of monkeys and beers?

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Killing of demons (RAvaNa etc) with Bow and arrows or having built a bridge
over the ocean does not constitute the factual glory of Lord RAmachandra
(the same Lord who eliminates the whole universe by just a slight movement
of His eye-brows or by His mere wish, He being satya-sankalpa, such a Lord
had to incarnate on earth to kill a demon is in fact belittling His glory); who,
on being requested by the demigods, manifested himself in person for
playing His divine pastimes; who has no one even equal to Him what to
talk of anyone being superior to Him; [to such a supreme Lord] of what
help could [mere] monkeys be with regards to killing of the enemy (it is
really bemusing if someone says that the Lord needed the help of monkeys
such as Sugriva, Angad, Hanumaan and other VAnar Sena in defeating the
enemy)
Still His sense of gratitude and His generosity is worth beholding. When
HanumAn met Him after tracing SitA, Lord praised his act again and again
and went on to the extent of saying—
“You have saved me, the Raghu dynasty and Lakshman, O HanumAna from
destruction today. It undoubtedly wrings my soul further, wretched that I
am, to think that I cannot do any favour worthy of you, who has
communicated to me this delightful news.
This embrace, which is all that I can call my own at this moment, is all which
I offer to you O HanumAn!”
So saying Sri RAma, horripilated with joy, embraced HanumAn.
After His coronation, when monkeys were about to depart, HanumAna

submitted as follows to His gracious Lord—
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58
“O My Lord Raghuveer! May my supreme affection remain in You alone
forever! O King! May my devotion be constant to You, O valiant prince! Let
not my love be diverted to anyone else!!
May life continue in my body without any doubt so long as Your story
remains current on this earth, O Heroic Sri RAma!
Let the celestial nymphs, O Rama, recount to me, O jewel among the human
beings, Your divine life exploits, Your story, O delight of the Raghus!
Imbibing with my ears the nectar in the form of Your life story, My heroic
Lord, I shall thereby be able to allay my longing for Your sight, even as the
wind disperses a line of clouds!!”
Hearing these most affectionate seeking of His best devotee, Rama, rising
from His excellent throne, hugged HanumAn with affection and spoke to him
thus—
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“So shall it be, O prince of monkeys; there is not doubt about it. Your fame
will endure and life too will continue in your body so long as this story of
mine remains current in the world.
My stories will surely abide so long as the worlds will last!!
Even if I give up my life for every single act of benevolence rendered by you
yet we shall still remain indebted to you for the rest, O monkey!
Let My obligation to you dissolve in my heart and body itself forever and I
may not find any occasion to repay them; as it is only in the crises that a
person requires any return of his services!!”
This is the pedestal of RAma’s sense of gratification!!!
What to say of RAma’s prowess and His valor? In reality the potency of
creation, preserving and destroying of infinite universes is in itself the
greatest potency; still on a behavioral plane there is no compeer of the fierce
battle between Sri RAma and RAvana.
59
In Sundarkand, HanumAn said to RAvan—

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Annihilating all the worlds including the elements, their created

beings, as well as the entire mobile and immobile creation, the highly
illustrious Sri RAma is capable of creating them over again in exactly
the same way. (39)
Among gods, demons and the rulers of men as well as among the Yakshas,
ogres and serpents as also among the VidhyAdharas (celestial artists),
NAgas, Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and beasts, Siddhas and the rulers
of Kinnaras, nay, even among the birds, in all places, in short, among all
created being at all places and times there is no one who can fight against
RAma, the equal of Vishnu in prowess.
Since you have given such offense to RAma, a lion among Kings and the
ruler of the worlds, it is difficult for you to preserve your life here. (40-42)
Gods and demons, nay, Gandharvas, VidyAdharas, NAgas and Yakshas are
all unable to stand in front of RAma, the Hero in all the three worlds (heaven,
earth and the intermediate region) in combat, O ruler of ogres! (43)
Even the self-born and four-headed BrahmA (the creator), the three-
eyed Lord Shiva (the god of destruction) and the mighty sovereign
Indra, are unable to stand before RAma, a scion of Raghu, on the
field of battle. (44)
In initial battles, RAvana was successful in injuring Lakshman, and also

managed to cause a great damage to other main army chiefs. RAma with His
sharp arrows, rendered RAvan to a piteous state, weaponless with his bow
and helmet destroyed. Reducing RAvan to such a state surviving on account
of enemy’s pity, RAma let go RAvana out of mercy, saying:
60
“you have shown a great valor today, you have killed many of our great
warriors; still as you are tired therefore I am not killing you at this moment;
O RAvan! You may leave for your palace now; take full rest in Lanka and
come again tomorrow to show your valor!!”
RAma says—“O SitA! I may forgo my own life, Lakshman as well as You also,
but not my plighted word given especially to the BrAhmaNas.”
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RaghuvIr RAma only gives and never expects anything in return. RAma only
speaks truth and never utters a falsehood even for the cause of His own life
(i.e. Let us suppose a scenario where RAma is in such a calamity that His
own life is under threat and by speaking some falsehood His life may be
saved, even then also RAma would not utter any falsehood) –
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In AyodhyA-KAnd, MahARAja Dashratha wondering how could Kaikeyi ask for

the exile of such a noble son as RAma, says to Kaikeyi—“My Rama doesn’t
know how to speak harsh words to anyone!” --
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I daresay that RAma did not utter any hurtful or unkind word to you; for He
does not know how to speak harsh words!!
Even if someone speaks thousands of harsh words to Him in anger, still

RAma doesn’t lose temper and resolves every misunderstanding; leave the
talk of being angry, on the contrary RAma pacifies and propitiates the
angered person with soft words and by sharing his sufferings!! –

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Although RAma doesn’t get angry with any number of bad deeds done
towards Him by anyone, or by any number of harsh words spoken to Him;
still if someone does anything bad to His servants, devotees, friends or
relatives then He gets enraged as if the fire at the time of universal
dissolution!
61
After the killing of RAvaNa, when Bhagwati JAnaki was being brought to the
presence of RAma, in a brilliant palanquin. At that time ogres guarding the
palanquin of SitA, started dispersing the crowd of monkeys, who had
gathered out of their wish to have a look at Bhagwati SitA. Seeing those
friends of Him being dispersed by ogres this way, RAma was highly enraged
as if He would consume those ogres with His glances—
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Seeing them being dispersed on all sides, RAma, stopped those who were
dispersing them, out of kindness (for those monkeys who were being
dispersed) and resentment (at the behaviour of the ogres, who were
dispersing them). Consuming the ogres with His glances as it were, RAma
addressed in indignation the following reproachful words to the highly
intelligent VibhIshaNa—
“Why, disregarding me, are these people being molested by your guards?
Pray stop this annoyance. They are my own people!”
For this reason alone GoswAmji has rightly said—

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Listen, O Lord of gods! It is RAma’s nature not to be angry at any offence

against Himself. But he who sins against His devotees is surely consumed in
the fire of His wrath.
But RAma's anger and His pleasing/mercy are never purposeless. He kills
those deserving death as per the scriptural ordinance or rules; But He is
never angry with the innocent—

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RAma’s devotion in dharma and sweetness in His accents were praiseworthy.

His eagerness in bestowing and guileless nobility in behavior towards His
friends were also out of this world. His politeness and amiability towards His
guru(s), profundity of His heart, purity in His behavior, deep-interest in
virtues, knowledge in scriptures, beauty and charmness in His looks
62
and devotion in God (befitting His human incarnation), all these were the
most immaculate—
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That’s the reason, in the views of sages, no one else other than RAma can be
worthy of the glory of eulogies, praises and poems!!
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Harmlessness, compassion, learning (knowledge of scriptures such as Vedas

etc acquired from the ongoing traditional schools, i.e. Guru Ashram),
amiability of disposition, subjugation of the senses and tranquility of mind—
these six excellences always adorn, RAghav (the Lord of Raghus), the
foremost of men.
Shobha, Kanti (spendour), chhavi, varNa (complexion), lakshaNa (auspicious

body marks), laavaNya, aabhjaatya, saubhaagya (good fortune or luck), raag
and various other categories of overall looks, get their shine and splendour
only through their association with RAma!! (These qualities do not adorn
RAma; instead RAma only adorns these qualities by accepting them. If RAma
doesn’t accept them then who would consider them as qualities?)

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The clarity of body parts is roop; complexion such as light golden etc is
VarNa; unctuous radiance and spendour of body is prabhaa; having a
handsome face with a charming countenance, which can tie down the eyes of
the beholder is known as Raaga; a touch as soft as flower petals is
aabhijatya; charming glances are vilaasa and free-flowing uniformity all
along the body is laavaNya.
63
As a pregnant woman does all her deeds keeping in mind the benefit of her
Womb, similarly all the actions of a King are with a view of doing benefit of
his subjects, even if on a casual look it may seem improper. RAma was very
hesitant to kill TAtakA (TAdakA) in relation with killing a woman. That is
when Sage VishwAmitra said to Him—

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“No disgust should be felt by You for the act of killing a cruel woman such as
this one, O jewel among men! For in the interest of the four grades of society
even a seemingly cruel deed has in any case to be perpetrated by a
Kshatriya prince.
For the protection of the people, a King, whose duty it is to protect, should
always invariably do any suitable act, be it cruel or uncruel; sinful or wrong!
Such is the eternal duty of those charged with the onus of administration.
Make short work of the impious woman, O scion of Kakutstha; for there
exists no righteousness in Her”
As an elephant’s footprint can assimilate any other footprint in it, similarly all
other dharmas assimilate in RAjadharma. The primary dharma of a king is to
protect his subjects and the varNAshram dharma, which is beneficent to the
subjects. All other dharmas are part and parcel of this primary dharma only.
Other dharmas have their importance as long as they are not contrary to this
primary dharma.
RAmachandra was most respectful for the BrAhmaNas. He is addressed as

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(devotee of brAhmaNas)”, still when the question arose, of
doing justice for a dog who was struck by a BrAhmaNa, RAma took the side
of justice only because in His views justice was most important.
Similarly when the arrogance of Sage ParashuRAma, a BrAhmaNa, the

eliminator of Kshatriya race from this earth 21 times, was beginning to
overshadow and engulf the KshAtra-teja (splendor) of RAma, then He very
intelligently protected His own KshAtra-dharma, simultaneously protecting
His brahmaNyatA (respect for brAhmaNa race) as well!
But whenever the question of transgression of dharma arose, RAma on one

hand brought back to life the little-baby of a BrAhmaNa by killing a shudra
called Shambuka, for being opposed to Dharma; and on the other hand
RAma brought back to life the whole humanity, by killing RAvaNa, a
brAhmaNa opposed to Dharma.
64
RAma, who renounced the kingdom of entire earth for obeying a mere
command of His parents, when heard the heretic and atheistic utterances of
Sage JAbAli (though these were just for his affection for RAma), opposed to
Vedas and other scriptures, questioning the very institution of sacred Vedic
karmas such as shrAdhha, tarpaNa, yagya, homa etc and the very existence
of paraloka, urging RAma to return to AyodhyA and enjoy the kingly comforts
by such arguments as –
“No man is obliged towards his parents for alone is a creature born and alone
does it perish; father is only an efficient cause of a creature; who has seen
heaven or hell, everything is here only; enjoy the worldly pleasures today,
don’t worry about dhama-adharma.”
Same arguments put forward by atheists nowadays. Hearing these

utterances of Sage JAbali, RAma sternly denounced his talks in strong words
and Himself put forward a wonderful discourse on the Vedic dharma. He then
went on to say that –
“I denounce the action of my father, who picked up as his counselor-priest

you, a staunch unbeliever, who has not only strayed away from the path of
righteousness but whose mind is set on a wrong path opposed to Vedic path;
who is moving about in the world with such an ideology conforming to the
doctrine of atheist chArvAka (who believes only in the world of senses).”

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Following are the words of that Lord who is satya-swaroop, the very
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Truth alone is the God in this world, piety ever hinges on truth. All have their
root in truth; there is no goal higher than truth. Charity, sacrificial
performances, as well as offering oblations into the sacred fire, nay,
austerities practiced and the Vedas have their foundation on truth!
Once when His own beloved brother Lakshman himself rightfully criticized
Kaikeyi, then RAma stopped him saying – Dear brother! Kaikeyi should never
be condemned by you. Speak exclusively about that Bharata, the king of
IkshvAkus –
65

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RAma was foremost among those with the knowledge of Dhanurveda, best
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Him. Even enraged gods and demons could not do any harm to Him in battle.
Still there was neither jealousy nor arrogance in Him. Rama was untouched
by egoism and intolerance of other’s growth; But His enemies always
remained frightened by His expertise in war-front and firm assaults; that’s
why MAreecha became so much influenced by Rama that he used to get
frightened by hearing the mere words beginning with letter “R”, such as
Raja, ratha or ratna etc. anticipating them to be RAma—
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In every tree here and there I actually perceive RAma clad in valkala vastra,
wielding a bow and resembling Death with a noose in hand. Being terrified, O
RAvan, I even behold thousands of RAma.
To me the whole of this forest appears as having turned into RAma.

Beholding RAma in a dream I get bewildered like one returned to waking life.
Names beginning with the letter ‘R’ such as the words ‘ Ratnas’ and ‘Ratha’
as well cause terror to me, afraid as I am of RAma.
Even spies of RAvana themselves experienced that no one can contain Rama
once enraged. He can annihilate the whole universe and re-create it afresh.
Shuka and SAraNa were the spies of RAvana and also powerful members of
his cabinet. They came to get secrets of RAma’s army; its strengths and
weaknesses in hidden attires but were caught by the monkeys. According to
modern diplomacy it was proper to kill them. When they were brought before
RAma, then laughing heartily Rama said softly to them—
If the entire army has been seen by you, if we too have been carefully
observed and if your mission has been accomplished as directed by your
master, you may return according to your sweet will. If, however, anything
has remained uninvestigated, you ought to see it over again. Vibheeshana
will once more show it to you fully!!
66
Has there ever been anyone who lets the spies of his enemy to take away all
secrets of his side?
RAma waged a war against RAvana for the purpose of rescuing His beloved
wife; for maintaining the sanctity of His KshAtra-teja and also killed RAvana
with all his kinsmen, but in spite of all that RAma always remained his true
well-wisher.
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RAma never did any opposite to even His enemies!!
RAma possessed best of shastrAstra (divine weapons) from Maharshi

Vasishthha, VishvAmitra and Agastya. If He wished He could destroy
everyone with little effort by using those shastras, but RAma never used
those shastrAstras. MeghanAd, the son of RAvana, many times tormented
VAnaras and even RAma and Lakshman by using these kind of divine
missiles. One day Laskmana sought permission of RAma for using the
BrahmAstra (divine missile of brahmA), but RAma said to him that—
”To get square with one individual you ought not to exterminate all the ogres
on the earth. You ought not to kill one who is not actually fighting, lies
hidden, has come for protection with joined palms, is fleeing for life or is
intoxicated. I shall make an endeavour for the destruction of this ogre
Indrajit” –

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If in similar way according to this eternal Vedic ideal, nuclear bombs are
made then there is no objection to it. What is needed is proper control on
their use. Although misuse of power is denounced still its use for the
betterment of humankind is applaudable.
RAma considered compassion as the highest dharma, as mentioned by RAma

Himself to SitA. Who narrated this later to HanumAna in SunderkAnd—

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From You alone have I heard that compassion is the highest dharma (virtue)
Still He carries bow and arrows in His lotus-hands, why? RAma gives the
reasons why He carries arms: "The Kshatriya carries arms in order that the
word ‘distressed’ may not exist in the world". RAma never misused His valour
and power.
67
Not only this, but RAma gave RAvaNa himself (the abductor of His spouse) a
chance and spared his life, seeing him tired, agonized, lonely, weaponless
chariotless in the battlefield on the very first day of the war in Lanka. That is
why even His sworn enemies had only compliments to offer and no words of
reproach. So much so that even sinful RAkshasa such as MAreecha observed
RAma as totally guileless vigrahvAna dharma itself—
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MArIchA, RAvana's trusted friend, who was tormented by the RAma’s arrow
and ultimately met his end at the Hero's hands. Even such an adversary had
only the highest praise to offer and no words of reproach.
After the fall of RAvana, initially Vibheeshan recounted the glory of RAvana
and his splendor but later when the time came for performing RAvan’s last
rights, denied performing his last rights remembering his atrocities and sinful
deeds such as abduction of SitA; then at that time RAma said to
Vibheeshan—

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O Vibheeshan! Granted that this RAvana was full of unrighteousness and

falsity, still he was all the same energetic, mighty and always heroic in
battles; he was always undefeated even by the demigods such as Indra;
though he made people cry yet RAvana was high-minded and richly endowed
with might.
None has ever been exclusively victorious even in the past. A hero is either
killed by his enemies or makes short of the work of them in combat. Such
indeed is the destiny proclaimed by the ancients as highly esteemed for a
warrior. A warrior killed in action does not deserve to be mourned: such is
the conclusion of the ShAstras.
68
Hostilities endure till death only. Our purpose too stands
accomplished now. Let his last-rights be performed by you. As he is
your brother so is mine also!! He deserves to be cremated by you with
due ceremony in accordance with the prescribed course of conduct.
Rama's unstinted praise of RAvan’s erudition and prowess at once lifts the
story of RAmAyaNa to heights unsurpassed in the annals of human history.
Having won in fierce battle a splendorous nation such as Lanka, endowed

with golden palace and unlimited riches, RAma never even in dreams set His
eyes on its spendour and riches; and bestowed its kingdom to the younger
brother of RAvana, Vibheeshan only.
Seeing such magnanimous and noble nature of His Lord, GoswAmiji

TulsidAsji has proclaimed—
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When Lord RAmachandra himself adored valkal-vastra (clothes made of tree-

barks), ate roots and fruits, slept on the bed of grass-leaves and loved trees
(only trees were His companions of bad times); even in those times full of
adversities, RAma bestowed the kingdom of a state as splendorous as golden
LankA to Vibheeshana! This alone is the (unique) reeti (tradition, nature) of
Raghuvar, the best among the Raghus!!
The Lord, Himself renounces all comforts and bestows the ultimate riches on
His devotees!!
We are used to hearing about Kings who had a large harem. In fact, it was
considered to be beneath a King's dignity to have less than a dozen wives.
We read of Sri Krishna's jumbo harem consisting of 16000 or more wives. In
comparison, RAma stands out as a monarch who would never even look at a
woman other than His lawfully wedded wife, for whose sake He underwent
untold trials and tribulations. Impeccable marital fidelity and absolute
devotion to the better half are lessons that the world should learn from Sri
SitApati.
RAma requested the future to-be kings of this earth for protection of
Dharma-setu (bridge of Vedic-Dharma)—

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O future kings, administrators of this earth! I, RAmachandra, again and again

bow down to you and again and again seek from you just one thing;
69
this Vedic dharma-setu, this bridge of dharmic conduct established for the
common man is ought to be protected by your better-self from time to time.
[Skand puraaNa BrAmha-khanda dharmAraNya 34-4]
Lord Sri RAmachandra’s own kingdom and His whole life are devoted to
BrahmaNas, Sages and His subjects.
Close relatives of RAma and His Guru-jans (teahers and elderly respectable
people of the Lord) say that—
“We do not seen anyone in this whole world, be him even a staunch enemy
of RAma; who even after being thoroughly insulted by RAma (its not actually
possible but still lets assume so), tells any negative thing about RAma, even
at His back!!”
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At the time of RAma’s exile, Lakshman says to His mother KaushalyA: “I

have not seen in this world any person, whether an enemy or an expellee,
speaking ill of RAma even indirectly behind His back”
Rama abducts and captures the eyes and mind of even His enemies—

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Even enemies praise Sri RAma, who steals their heart by His polite speech,
agreeable manners and modesty of behaviour!! [RCM 2-199-4]
I bow down again and again in the lotus feet of Lord RAmachandra; I bow
down to His sheel-svabhaava;
Few utterances of GoswAmi TulsidAsa reflecting upon the KaruNamaya

svabhAva of His RAma—
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“Ordinary Lords get angry just by listening to some fault on the part of their
servants (they do not even bother to verify it); But RAma never even in
70
dreams, took to heart even those faults (of His devotees), which He himself
had been witness to” [DohAvali]

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“Seeing His face in a mirror, RAma cursed His eyebrows for being arched,
which is actually said to be a good attribute for physical beauty; fearing that
His arched eyebrows might give a false impression of anger on His face, to
His wretched devotees like me TulasidAsa!!” [DohAvali]
Enraptured by sheela (amiability) of his sheel-sindhu RAghava, HanumAn

pours forth his inner-most feelings and declares his own final judgment with
regards to the question—“Who should be worshipped by everyone regardless
of their status, cast and creed? Who is that one who is adorable always by all
in all times?”
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Neither one's birth, nor one's fortune, one's eloquence, one's wit, or one's
physique are the cause of Lord RAmachandra’s pleasing; This is to be seen
from the example of us monkeys; despite of the fact that we're alas but
inhabitants of the forest who miss all of these qualities, yet RAma, the elder
brother of Lakshmana, accepted us as His close friends!!
Therefore, celestial or demon, beast or human being, anyone who lives to the
soul should worship RAma, who alone is known as Hari, and whose divine
form is of a human being; the foremost one who so very easily gets
overwhelmed with gratitude for even a tiny service done to Him, and who
thus took the inhabitants of Kosala [AyodhyA], northern India, back to His
own divine abode [Saket].'
Dear readers! We should again and again ponder over these passages
enlisting the noblest disposition of our Lord RAmachandra and treasure His
divya-kalyANa-guNaas in our hearts, which are innumerous; there has been
no poet, seer, saint, Rshi, Maharshi, celestials etc who has been able to fully
describe His glory; still to purify their tongues devotees sing His praises as
much as they can according to their limited intellect.
Whatever I have provided above is nothing but a simple translation of the

original Shlokas of Srimad Valmiki RamAyana as also from other scriptures of
71
authority. No detailed interpretations/explanations for the sake of brevity;
otherwise a whole book can be written on every single virtue of Lord
RAmabhadra as described in Srimad Valmiki RAmAyaNa. Famous
commentators on RAmAyaNa such as GovindarAja (BhushaNa), Shiva
SahAya (RAmAyaNa-ShiromaNi), Nagoji Bhatta or Ramavarma (Tilaka) have
intensely enjoyed these nectarian shlokas in great detail and have provided a
vast interpretation of each of these divine virtues of the Lord.
As we see even in this worldly arena also that without fully knowing about a
person (and sometimes even if he is our close relative), we end-up
misunderstanding certain action or certain behaviour on his part. If such is
the case with worldly people so close to us, so what is the surprise if we, the
people living in Kaliyuga, with a gap of lakhs (thousands according to modern
science) of years, from the RamAyaNic era of tretAyuga, misunderstand
certain actions of the characters from that time?
For this reason alone if we want to know anything related to Lord

RAmachandra then only way out is Srimad Valmiki RAmayan.
If we do not believe in it then the very existence of the historic RAma cannot
be determined anymore; leave alone His deeds and life story. In that case no
point criticizing Him. For example if someone criticizes Sri RAma for killing of
Vali, then we may ask—“Who is this RAma and on what basis are you
criticizing Him?” If he says no basis just the story of RamAyaNa heard
through tradition; then we may ask him: “what is the root of this tradition?”
The only answer would be Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan, the first scripture
narrating about the life history of Lord RAma. Rest of other literature dealing
with Lord RAma’s story is nothing but adaptation of Valmiki RAmayan only.
Now if we ask him that from the original Valmiki RAmAyaNa, it is not proved
that Lord RAmachandra did any A-dhArmic deed by killing Vali. In fact from
there we come to know that even Vali having blamed Sri RAma initially and
thereafter hearing the counter-arguments of Sri RAma, accepted his own
misbehavior and deemed his killing as a righteous act perfectly according to
scriptural injunctions.
If he says that he do not accept Sri Valmiki RAmayan as authority then we

may ask him: “then in that case, how do you know that Lord RAma existed
or Vali existed and that RAma even killed Vali?”2
Neither have we duly studied the Vedic scriptures nor do we have deep
knowledge of Srimad RamAyaNa; entangled in worldly chores, if we still go
on blaming Lord RAmachandra for this thing or that thing or cracking jokes
on our epics, whose fault is it? Certainly ours only!
Who are we, mere dusts in this huge creation of the Lord, to even think
about the divine lilA of lilAdhar, leave alone judging Him based on our tiny
intellects?
2
[Note: this argument is just for tackling non-devotees. It doesn’t even in remotest sense imply
that other Ramayanas written by great devotees are not authentic.]
72
Vedas declare thus, while eulogizing King of Kings RajAdhirAja RAmchandra—
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“Intoxicated with the pride of wisdom, they who respect not devotion to You,
which takes away the fear of transmigration, may climb up to a rank which
even gods find it difficult to attain; yet, O Hari! We see them fall from it. On
the other hand, they who have abandoned all other hopes and with
unqualified faith choose to remain Your servants only, easily cross the ocean
of transmigration by merely repeating Your name.” [RCM-uttar-kand 2-3]
In all the times and in all the worlds, who is there to equal Him? We all, born
in SanAtan Vedic Hindu Dharma, must be proud of having Lord RAmachandra
as our Lord. Instead of feeling shy of our religion, we should proclaim
emphatically with our heart and sublime love that Lord RAmachandra is our
GOD!!!
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“RAma is my mother, RAmachandra is my father, RAma is my Lord,

RAmachandra is my friend! The most compassionate Lord RAmachandra is
my everything; I DON’T KNOW, DON’T KNOW anyone else except Him!
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This feeling of self-proudiness should never take leave of me that Lord

RAmachandra is my Lord and I am His servant. [RCM]
73
HISTORICITY OF RAMA
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Before whose renown and glory the moon looks dim and the sun appears cool,
about them, my Lord, your ask how they came to be recognized! Does one
take a lamp in one’s hand to see the sun? [RCM bAla-kAnda 291-1,2]
Every dust particle of the ancient land bhArata sings the name of Lord RAma.
It is so much integrated to the daily life of bhArata that even people greet
each other as “jaya rAmjee ki”. Even the remote tribal in the land of bharata
name their kids as Mitti-RAma and Patthar-RAma.
In Hindu families, on the occasions of birth and marriages, songs relating to

RAma-janma and RAma’s marriage are sung. Even the final departure of this
human body proceeds with the sounds of “Rama naama satya hai”, At
funerals, throughout the funeral procession to the cremation grounds, Hindus
chant RAma RAma - Shri RAma – RAma nAma satya hai (which means that
the Name of RAma is the ultimate truth, death is not.) Death is a change of
body, so knows a Hindu through the utterance of Lord RAma’s name.
In every nook and corner of this BhAratbhoomi, there are temples of RAma
and His devotee HanumAna. Lakhs of people recite the divine RAmAyana
everyday and go on pilgrimage to holy places relating to RAma’s story such
as Ayodhya, MithilA, Chitrkoota, RAmeshwara, Panchavati etc.
Names of not only crores of Hindus but even the inhabitants of ShyAma,
Thailand etc. are also in relation with RAmAyana.
The sheer divine beauty of RAma’s personality inspired even poet Iqbal, to
declare Him the ‘Imam-E-Hind’ in his poem who paid Him this glowing
tribute—
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India is rightfully proud of the existence of RAma

The discerning see Him as the crest-jewel of India
The miracle of that Guiding Star is to be seen in the fact—
Brighter are India's evenings than the mornings elsewhere!!
This author has also humbly ventured to offer a eulogy:

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That Great Spiritual Guide, the Leader of India

Who is there who hasn't heard of RAma's name?
The crown of spirituality on His head He wore
Garland of humanism in His neck He adorned
On millions of lips is His name until this day
For people, His name remains a greeting way!!
In short, RAma is the spiritual head of India, even according to Iqbal, who
was otherwise a hardline Muslim.
Mahakavi KAlidAsa wrote Raghuvansham. This book throws light on lineage

of Raghu and also states various kings who ruled after Lord RAma. So, now
the point of argument is that if RAma was just a mythological character then
how could Sage Valmiki and later KalidAsa provide history of the forefathers
of RAma?
If a census were to be taken in India of villages and towns bearing Sri

RAma’s name, we would come up with several lakhs, nay crores. All this only
goes to show how Sri RAma has left His footprints on a vast stretch of land,
that have remained unerased by the ravages of time. He left imprints not
only on the land, but also in the minds of its populace, with His name and
exploits remaining evergreen in their thoughts, handed down as valuable
heirloom from generation to generation.
75
The Prince of Ayodhya’s hallowed Name is the most popular denote of
Godhead, most renowned and sweetest of all the other Names of the Lord, a
household Name in India today and has been so for countless millennia,
touching people’s lives like a fragrant breeze with a healing touch, a touch,
which rid them of the crippling disease of Samsara and afforded them the
infinite bliss of liberation.
Still to cast doubts on RAma’s historicity is nothing but intoxication of mind

only! This is the result of false propaganda of modern day western thinkers
at an intellectual level using a heap of confusing literatures.
In absence of a thorough study and a regular practice of Vedic shastras,

Darshan-shastras and tarka-shastras, today’s modern Indian populace is
completely influenced by other cultures. It is no surprise if a nation, bereft of
the knowledge of its own spiritual heritage, gets influenced by pomp and
show of other nations.
In fact an account of someone’s history as received through an ongoing

tradition, authentic literature pertaining to his/her life-account, discussions
relating to him/her in books of that time or later times, books written by
him/her or temples, bridges etc built by him/her and
shilAlekha/tAmralekha/coins found in relation to him/her are the only means
to prove the historicity of someone.
If seen through this view-point, then also RAma’s historicity is well-proven.

Srimad Valmiki RAmAyana, consisting of 24 thousand shlokas is available to
us as received through ongoing tradition of guru-shishya ashrams. The major
events of Sri RAma’s life and His times are most popular among the tradition
of common people. In India His Name is present on every tongue.
In the whole history of humans no one has been able to gain such popularity
as is of Lord Sri RAmachandra. Not only in India but even in several other far
off nations, innumerous dramas and RAmaleelas are organized based on
RAma’s charitra.
If we go on counting just the various Vedic RAmAyaNas written in Sanskrit,

leave alone other infinite literature based on RAma, of which there is no end,
then also we won’t find any end to it; For this reason alone Sri ShukAcharya,
before taking up a brief narration of Sri RAma charitra in ninth canto of
Srimad BhAgvat MahApurANa, said to MahArAja Parikshita—

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“O King Parîkshit, the transcendental activities of Lord RAmachandra have

been described by great many sages who have seen the truth. Because you
have heard again and again through the nice descriptions about Lord
76
RAmachandra, the husband of SitA, I shall describe these activities only in
brief.”
While commenting on this shloka, the famous Advaita commentator on

Srimad BhAgavatam, Sridhar has written—
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“The wondrous exploits of Lord RAmachandra are spread across millions of

scriptures; Sage ShukAcharya is going to describe that same infinite glory of
Lord RAmachandra in just 2 chapters and summarizes the same in this single
shloka! What a wonder!!”
Eternal Vedas (see mantra-RAmAyaNa), Upanishads, MahAbhArata and

infinite number of RAmAyaNas celebrate the divine exploits of Lord
RAmachandra.
Following is just a minor glimpse of various RAmAyanas in Sanskrit written

by various divine Sages—please keep in mind that the epic MahAbhArat
consists of approx 2 lakhs of shlokas—
1. Srimad Valmiki RAmAyaNa (24,000 shlokas)
2. RAmopAkhyAna of MahAbhArat (24,000 shlokas)
3. BhushuNdi RAmAyaNa
4. MahA-RAmAyana (3,50,000 shlokas), a dialogue between Lord Shiva

and Parvati
5. SatyopAkhyAna
6. Anand RAmAyaNa by Maharshi Valmiki
7. AdhyAtma-RAmAyana by Maharshi Veda-VyAsa. It forms a part of Sri

BramhAnda-purANa
8. Hanumat-samhita
9. Brihat-kosala-khanda
10.Samvrit-RAmAyan (24,000 shlokas) by NArada. It describes the

austerities of SvAmbhuva Manu and his consort devi ShatroopA and
consequently their re-birth as Dashratha and KaushalyA.
77
11.Lomasha-RAmAyana (32,000 shlokas) by Maharshi Lomasha. It
describes the birth of King Kumud and Veervatii as Dashratha and
Kaushalya.
12.Agastya-RAmAyana (16,000 shlokas) by Maharshi Agastya. It

narrates the tale of king PratApbhAnu and Arimardana and also birth of
king Kuntal and Sindhumatii as Dashrath and KaushalyA.
13.Manjula-RAmAyana (1,20,000 shlokas) by Maharshi SuteekshNa. It

narrates the tale of king PratApbhAnu and Arimardana and also discourse
on navadhA-bhakti (nine-fold devotion) by RAma towards Shabari.
14.Saupadya RAmAyan (62,000 shlokas) by Maharshi Atri. This narrates

the first meeting of RAma and SitA in the flower-garden (pushpa-vAtika)
of MithilA’s royal palace
15.RAmAyaNa-mahAmAlA (56,000 shlokas) is in the form of a dialogue

between Lord Shiva and Parvati. This describes the elimination of Garuda-
moha (illusion) by KAga-BhushuNdi
16.SauhArda-RAmAyana (40,000 shlokas) by Maharshi Sharabhanga. It

mentions about the capabilities of Lord RAma and Lakshmana to speak
and understand the language of monkeys.
17.RAmAyana-maNi-ratna (36,000 shlokas) as a dialogue of Maharshi

Vasishthha and his consort Devi Arundhatii. This describes the celebration
of Vasantotsava (festival of spring or Holi) by Lord RAma in AyodhyA and
MithilA
18.Saorya-RAmAyana a dialogue between Sun and HanumAna. This

narrates the story of Shuka (parrot) and re-birth of this Shuk as a Dhobi
(washerman) who was the root cause in Bhagawati SitA’s banishment
later.
19.ChAndra-RAmAyana (75,000 shlokas), its specialty being the tale of

Kevat’s (boatman) previous birth.
20.Mainda-RAMAyana (52,000 shlokas), a dialogue between Mainda and

Kauravas. It describes the event of flower-garden in detail.
21.Swambhuva-RAmAyana (18,000 shlokas), a dialogue of BrahmA and

NArada.
22.Subramha-RAmAyana (32,000 shlokas)
23.Suvarcha-RAmAyana (15,000 shlokas), a dialogue between Sugriva

and Tara. It contains the tale of SulochanA, dialogue between Dhobi
(washerman) and his wife, curse of SitA on ShantA and elimination of
MahARAvana
78
24.Deva-RAmAyan (1,00,000 shlokas) contains a dialogue of Indra and
his son Jayanta
25.Shravan-RAmAyana (1,25,000 shlokas), a dialogue between Indra

and King Janaka. This narrates the birth of MantharA and the arrival of
Janaka during Bharata’s Chitrakoot yatrA.
26.Duranta-RAmAyana (61,000 shlokas) is a dialogue between Sage

Vasishthha and King Janaka. This describes the glory of Sri Bharata.
27.RAmAyana-champu (15,000 shlokas) as a dialogue of Lord Shiva and

Devarshi NArada. This narrates the tale of swamvar of the daughter of
King Sheelanidhi
All these various RAmAyanas are equally authentic and are accepted as valid
proofs, as per the doctrine of Kalpa-bheda.
Apart from these in Agni-purANa (from chapter 2 to 12 and from 240 to 260)
there is a discourse upon RAjaneeti by Lord RAmachandra.
Adi-purANa, Kalki-purANa and KAlikA-purANa (chapter 63) describe

RAmakathA in detail.
Koorma-purANa, Garuda-purANa and Narsimha-purANa describe RAma’s

story
In padma-purANa there is detailed description of RAma’s story at several

places. Here alone there is a description of the Ashvamedha sacrifice by Lord
RAmachandra in 70 chapters.
BrihannAradiya-purANa, Brihaddharma-purANa, Bramha-purANa,

BramhANda-purANa, Bhavishya-purANa, SrimadBhAgavata, Devi-purANa and
MahAbhAgavata also contain Sri Rama-katha
MArkaNdeya-purANa, Linga-purANa, VAmana-purANa, Vayu-purANa,

VArAha-purANa, SriVishNu-purANa, Shiva-purANa, Skanda-purANa and
Harivamsha-purANa also describe the exploits of Lord RAmachandra
Hanumat-samhitA, Shiva-samhitA, Lomasha-samhitA, Brihadbramha-

samhitA, MahAShambhu-samhitA, Agastya-samhitA, Valmiki-samhitA,
Shuka-samhitA, Vasishthha-samhitA, SadAShiva-samhitA, HiraNyagarbha-
samhitA, MahASadAshiva-samhitA, Bramha-samhitA, PurANa-samhitA,
BrihadSadAshiva-samhitA, SanatkumAra-samhitA and several other
important scriptures uphold the unmatched glory of the Lord of Raghus and
describe RAmopAsanA in great-detail.
To say such a renowned personality as RAma, unhistorical, is nothing but

showing own lack of intellect and knowledge!
79
For those who are questioning existence of Rama, let them first justify
whether their forefathers ever existed, by using the same yardstick, which
they are using for existence of RAma.
Those who are illogically biased may still refute the existence of RAma while
those who are logical and believe that a mythological character can never
gain such worldwide respect/reverence will start looking upon Lord
RAmachandra from wider historical evidences.
If you squeeze out RAma out of India, you would only be left with a mere
shell of India without its soul! As also attested by following words of the
people of AyodhyA—

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"The state in which RAma is not the King, is no longer deemed fit to be called
a nation; while that forest which RAma is going to inhabit is sure to develop
into a flourishing state"
80
MARYADA-PURUSHOTTAM – THE REAL MEANING OF IT
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It is no wonder, Rama, that You should respect the established codes of

righteousness. You are the upholder of the bridge of (sanAtana Vedic) dharma,
my son, and also bring joy to Your servants, bound as You are, by Your love
for them!! [RCM bAla-kAnda 217]
Generally people, when they say that Lord RAma is MaryAdA Purushottam,
perceive RAma as a very strict adherent of rules, of strict codes of regimen
as if RAma is just a dry personality!! I may be wrong but usually the
righteous Rama is portrayed in a serious mien. He may sport a smile but it is
usually minimal.
But if we see the whole of RamAyan, then we would realize that RAma is
maryAdA purushottam, not in the sense that He just blindly adheres to the
established rules and regulations of the society and of the ShAstrAs, but He
is maryAda Purushottam, because He so elegantly harmonizes the two
seemingly opposite ends, of age-old traditions & scriptural injunctions as one
side and of enjoyment, humor, romance and bliss as the other side, just like
a bridge.
One major point, which should be kept in mind if we truly want to appreciate
the nature of RAma, which differentiates Him from other deities, is that
RAma-charitra is in true sense, similar to a setu or bridge. This metaphor
very aptly and sweetly summarizes whole of RAmAyaNa. If anyone asks me
the most suitable word to describe RAma, I would be least hesitating in
replying “RAma is just like a Setu, a bridge”.
As a bridge closes the gap between two seemingly opposite ends of a river,
similarly RAma also, by His unmatchable noble nature and endless auspicious
qualities, combines and harmonizes seemingly opposite ends.
81
On one hand, if RAma is a disciple of Sage Vasishthha, then at the same time
He is also a disciple of Sage VishwAmitra. And who doesn’t know the famous
rivalry between these two greatest sages. Sage Vishwamitra once thought
that “Kshtriya teja” is futile in comparison to “Bramh teja”. He did such a
long penance just to get himself recognized as a Brahma-rishi and in that
endeavor he even killed the 100 sons of Sage Vasishthha. But ultimately Lord
Himself incarnated as a Kshtriya, as a King, in Ayodhya. The same race
which Vishwamitra had once abandoned thinking of it as inferior.
As if the Lord said to Vishwamitra, that to protect your sacrifices you would
have to come seeking to a King, and moreover to that King whose chief
priest is Sage Vasishthha himself. What an irony!! But now Sage Vishwamitra
didn’t feel any shyness in going to Ayodhya to seek the two princes RAma
and Lakshman as he knows that the ultimate goal for all is to get Sri RAma
somehow. And the best part is that when the King Dashratha expressed his
inability to give his two sons, at that time it is Vasishthha himself who
supports Sage Vishwamitra and persuades the King to agree. Finally sage
Vishwamitra plays an important role in uniting RAma and SitA. This way the
Lord bridged a long gap, which existed internally between these two greatest
sages of that time by His amiable disposition. That is why both these sages
have bestowed upon Lord RAghvendra the title of “Dharma-setu”.
Similarly during the 14 years of His exile in Dandak forest, not only does He
visits various renowned Sages and Tapasvis of that time, but also those
persons who were thought of as the lowliest of all in the society at that time.
On one hand He bows down to Bramharshi Vasishthha, the son of Lord

BrahmA himself, the renowned Vedic sage who has himself witnessed the
divine Veda-mantras. And on the other hand with same ease and grace, He
embraces NishadrAja Guha, the jungle-aborigine and befallen AhalyA;
assumes a mere decrepit vulture, the lowliest of all the birds who feeds on
corpses, JatAyu as His father, tribal woman Shabari as His mother; monkeys,
bears and ultimately the Rakshasa (Demon) Vibheeshan as His friends!
When returning from Lanka after slaying RAvana and installing Vibishana as
the king, in the pushpaka vimana, RAma stays for a while in Bharadwaja
ashrama before reaching Ayodhya. He realizes that the time of fourteen
years have passed and Bharata and others would be waiting for Him and that
it is necessary for someone to take the message of His return, before He
reaches Ayodhya, as they were getting delayed in Bharadwaja Ashrama.
He therefore summons Hanuman to take the message of His arrival to

Bharata. Let us see how Sri Valmiki has described RAma’s speech?
RAma says to HanumAn thus:
“Moving with all speed to Ayodhya, O jewel among monkeys, quickly find out
if people in the royal palace are happy. Reaching Srngaverapura (earlier)
communicate in my name my welfare to Guha, the suzerain lord of NishAdas,
who dwells in the woods. Guha will feel actually delighted to hear of me as
82
being safe and sound and free from anxiety. He is my friend, as good as my
own self? [VAlmiki RAmAyana 6-125-3,4,5]”
This is RAma!! See what He says, go to Ayodhya and announce my arrival.

But before that go to Srngaverapura, inform Guha that I am safe and am
returning? That is simply astounding!! It is this simpleton that RAma is
thinking of!!! - even after the passage of fourteen long, long years - and
attaching so much importance to him that He wants the message to be taken
to Guha first, even before Bharata. It was Bharata who is spending anxious
days at NandigrAma and it is only natural that he gets the priority in
receiving the message. But Rama the merciful, RAma the boundless who is
bound by a fragile thread of love and devotion, feels that Guha should
receive the message first!!! He is my friend, as good as my own self!
Let alone emperors, how many of us would remember a simple boatman who
did nothing in our lives, except showing devotion at a point of time, when our
lives move in turbulence, turmoil and travail for a long time - fourteen years
in the case of RAma, the last year and a little more being the most
excruciating of them. Just try to recollect the number of smiling cabdrivers,
friendly bus conductors and such other persons who came into our lives for a
while, did nothing more than expressing a deep devotion; interaction with
whom is limited to less than a week. How many of us would give him the
place of importance that RAma gave to Guha?
Guha is a very minor character. He does not contribute anything to the

development of events excepting that he is a boatman who ferried RAma and
Bharata across the Ganges. But RAma does not forget him and the special
relationship He developed with Guha. He wants to ensure that His devotee is
rid of all worries first, superseding the natural right that His devout and
devoted brother. That is something very extraordinary!
That is why kavikula ratna-chudAmaNi GoswAmi TulsidAs says to his Lord—
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“O Best among the Raghus, this alone is Your greatness!
Neglecting the rich (or GuNAbhimAnIs, those proud of their

virtues/money/position/learning), You respect the poor (selfless) and shower
Your grace on them primarily and abundantly. (Vinay-PatrikA)”
RAma’s greatness is that He makes others great! He has such an infinite

wealth of greatness that He is always eager to distribute it to others with free
hands….
If we think deeply then we would realize that the real great person is not the
one who is above other persons in status or virtues or in any other way, and
83
in whose company others seem lowly; but the one by whose company even
the lowest of the lowly persons becomes great!
RAma is the King of all the worlds; this alone is not His greatness; His
greatness is that by His merciful glances, even those persons who were
thought of as the lowliest persons of society at that time, were transformed
to holiest persons whom the people even today worship with much
reverence.
Ahalya who was a fallen one, completely isolated from the world, lonely and
abandoned even by her husband, deserted by the whole world, who else
could have accepted such an Ahalya, but by mere touch of RAma’s feet, not
only was she re-united with her husband but now is also counted as one of
the PanchaKanyA’s (five holy girls), and by whose remembrance in the early
morning, one is freed from great sins! The woman who was once herself a
grievous sinner is now regarded as the eliminator of sins!!
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It is no wonder; it has been so for ages. Who has not been bestowed with
greatness by Raghuviira, the Hero of Raghu’s race!!
Others such as Kevat, the boatman, NishadrAja Guha and all his kith and kin,
the village folks….the tribal woman Shabari, the Vulture who is considered as
the lowliest of the birds, the monkeys and bears, and even the Rakshasa
Vibheeshan, are now considered as great prata: smaraNeeya BhAgatvatas!
This is the real bridge, which RAma built during 14 years of His exile.
Otherwise was it really necessary that He should leave Chitrakoot, the abode
of all comforts and bliss and enter a deadliest forest such as Dandak? The
forest where the man-eater demons flourished, but still He entered the
Dandak forest to purify it with His lotus-feet, protect the sages, and most
importantly to construct the bridge which would serve as a path, for all the
humans, for all the times. That is why it has been said—

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(Hanuman is praying the archa-vigraha of Lord RAmachandra in the

Kimpurusha-varsh thus): “O! My Lord, (the primary purpose of) this
incarnation of Yours, the supreme personality, as a human being is for
instructing the mortals of this material world; and not just to kill the demon
RAvana”
RAma has both facets. There is an interesting episode in Srimad Valmiki

RAmayan. In Chitrkoot forest, at a place inhabited by sages at a hillock,
bountiful with roots fruits and water, RAma and SitA were strolling in water
in parts of groves with various kinds of flowers of perfume in that hillock.
RAma decorated the lovely face of SitA with the colors of flowers using a
84
blade of grass. After some time RAma slept there resting His head in SitA’s
arms. At that time, the son of Indra (the king of demigods) came there in the
form of a crow and began to peck at the feet of SitA as if yearning for meat.
The tender face of SitA filled with tears and She slowly started wiping Her
tears. In the meantime RAma, who was in a pleasant slumber until then, got
wet by the discharged drops of blood from the body of SitA and was woken
up thus. Seeing a crow with its sharp claws moistened with blood and
tormenting SitA, RAma immediately took the same blade of grass and
invoked the powers of brahmAstra (Brahma's missile) and threw that blazing
blade of grass towards that crow, that blade of grass went chasing that crow
in the sky. In the end after traveling through all the worlds, when no one
gave shelter to him, finally he surrendered himself in the feet of RAma and
saved his life.
With this incident, as if the Lord wants to convey that, “I have only one
thing, which appears differently to different people. The same blade of grass
with which I can decorate my beloved and devotees, that same blade can
also become a ferocious and destructive missile for the evils”
Therefore for a bad person He is a strict adherent of rules and the very
personification of justice. He would punish the mighty Vali for his bad deeds
and Adharmic behaviour, but for poor people who are seeking shelter such as
Sugreeva and VibheeshaNa, he is ocean of mercy and grace.
For protecting His devotee He is ready to accept any sort of sarcastic taunts
from Vali, although, mind it that as per the strict rules of Dharma shastrAs
and justice killing of Vali by RAma is fully justified; as this in itself is a major
point of debate therefore I would not go any deeper into it. Anyone
interested can go through the following online book—
“The Vali-Episode” by B. Ramakrishna Row

“http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/scripts/FullindexDefault.htm?path1=/rawdataup
load/upload/0101/825&first=1&last=111&barcode=5990010101823”
But the point, which I want to make here, is something else. My point is that
RAma had to listen to the taunts from Vali and also to this day some people
make all sorts of blames on Him for killing Vali while hiding behind a tree
These self appointed advocates of Vali, feel more hurt than even Vali himself,
who had afterwards accepted his own misbehavior and was convinced that
his killing was totally justified as per the scriptures and the Dharma
ShastrAs, as quoted below from Valmiki RamAyan—

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Deeply pained when spoken to thus by Sri RAma, VAli for his part no longer
found fault with RAma, the scion of Raghus, certainty with regard to
righteousness having now been attained by him.
“With adjoined palms, VAli thereupon replied as follows to RAma—"O jewel

among men, what all You have said is precisely true and proper: there is no
doubt about it.
"Indeed an ignoble cannot disprove a nobleman; O RAghava! and with

regards to the undesirable and improper words I have unwittingly spoken
earlier through mistake, in that matter too it will be truly unapt of You to
make me blameworthy, as I spoke them in anguish and ignorance.
Indeed You have directly perceived the truth; You alone are the (best)
knower of recourses and their real nature, namely dharma, artha, kaama,
moksha (probity, prosperity, pleasure seeking, and emancipation); and You
are devoted to the welfare and good of the people;
Your faultless intellect is clear and unbaffled in determining Your duty and
weighing the circumstances, by judging the causes and effects, on which You
base Your decision.
"O knower of what is right, RAma! I am in the forefront of those who have
digressed from the path of virtue and righteousness; forerunner among such
transgressors, such as I am, give absolution even to me with words of
consolation conformable with righteousness." Vali is thus saying to Rama.
Thus it is VAli’s own submission with regards to his deeds and the
subsequent punishment meted out to him by RAma. No one other than the
sinner himself is more knowledgeable with regards to his own internal
conscience and sins as also of the fact that whether the punishment meted
out to him is proper and just.
Thus RAma’s killing of VAli was perfectly justified; infact improper it would
had been if He had not punished VAli. A judge and a King need not punish a
sinner by fighting a dual with him. He just needs to approve of his sin and
straightway met out a punishment to him.
One may argue—granted that a King can punish a sinner but doesn’t he need
to give just one chance to him to prove his innocence? Answer is yes, that is
right but in those scenarios when the crime is being directly executed in front
of the King himself (or police in today’s time) then he would not seek for
other proofs and would directly kill the offender on the spot.
86
In this case also everything was happening before RAma Himself. SugrIva,
tormented and exiled by his brother was residing in a mountain cave
surrounded by few of his friends and well-wishers. He was steeped in sorrows
of separation from his beloved wife RUmA, who had been kept by VAli as his
own wife. SugrIva told all his plights before RAma. That RAma for whom it
has been clearly stated—

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RAma knew the right place and time (for action) He could grasp the
essence and worth of every individual. He was the only gentleman
born on earth.

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RAma had a firm devotion and steadfast mind, did not gather unworthy men
about Him nor did He utter foul words. He was free from sloth and ever alert;
He recognized the faults of His own people as well as those of others
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He was well versed in sacred lore and recognized the services of others; He
could read men’s mind and understood the differences among men.
He could judiciously discriminate whom to protect and whom to
punish. He identified good men and protected them. He knew the
people worthy of reprimand.
Thus RAma could see the truth at once clearly. Still He gave two and not just
one chance to VAli to mend his ways.
For the first time, when He sent SugrIva to challenge VAli for a dual, He
indicated to VAli about His arrival through his wife Tara. Vali’s wife Tara
clearly points out to Vali, when the later was going to fight with Sugreeva,
about how RAma has befriended Sugreev, the prince of Ayodhya; and
therefore he should end his enmity with his younger brother. See here what
does she has to say as regards to RAma—
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87
"RAma is the habitable tree for the noble ones, the ultimate course for the
woebegone, a hospice for the agonized, and for grace Rama is the only
abode.”
This was the first chance given by RAma to VAli by letting him know of His
arrival as also of His bestowing of protection to SugrIva. But still in the
passion of his pride and ego he neglected this advice of his wife and even
though knowing that SugrIva is in RAma’s shelter considered him as trivial as
just a blade of grass.
Seeing such arrogance on VAli’s part, Sage VAlmiki exclaims—
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Indeed at that time Tara tendered to the said VAli the aforesaid advice,
which was friendly in every way and wholesome too. That advice, however,
did not find favour with him at that moment, which spelt destruction for him,
seized as was by his Death!
In GoswAmiji’s words—

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So saying he (VAli) sallied forth in his great pride, thinking no more of

SugrIva than of a blade of grass. [RCM 4-7-1]
At that time he very generously recounts the virtues of RAma and claims that
the virtuous RAma could never kill him by perpetrating sin?
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Nor should any anxiety be entertained by you from the side of RAma on my
account. How can Sri RAma—who knows what is right and cognizes His
duty—perpetrate sin (in the form of killing me)?
Same way as people today go on doing a number of bad deeds and somehow
still manage to think that God would not punish them!! They would get
spared by the merciful Lord!! They think they are smarter than even God
himself and try to fool Him. Doing grievous sins whole day, in the evening
they go to temple and make some offerings to the Lord or do some donations
in some orphan-age etc and think now they are free from sins. They become
totally oblivious to their deeds. Same way on one hand VAli is praising the
Lord, but at the same time He forgets about his grievous sins as also in his
88
pride he is thinking of killing SugrIva whom he knows to be under RAma’s
shelter.
Later on while recounting the reasons for his killing, the Lord mentions this
ignorance (due to pride) of VAli also as one of the reasons—
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Fool! in your extravagant pride you paid no heed to your wife’s warning. You
knew that your brother had taken refuge under the might of my arm; and
yet in your vile arrogance you sought to kill him! [RCM 4-8-5]
Second indication to VAli was given when SugrIva came to challenge VAli for
the second time, after being defeated and shoo-ed away by VAli in earlier
combat.
This time round RAma put a garland of Gajapushpi flowers around the neck
of SugrIva. This was a second warning for VAli to still mend his ways and
come to RAma’s refuge. But VAli ignored this warning also.
Thus RAma who knows when to punish and whom to punish, meted out the
well-deserved punishment to VAli.

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RAma's anger or mercy is not arbitrary at any time. He kills those

deserving death according to the scriptural ordinance and is never
angry with those who do not deserve to be killed.
RAma had to bear the tauntful words of VAli for this act. But still to protect
His devotee and to punish an incorrigible sinner, such as Vali, the Lord is
ready to accept all the blames and taunts by ignorant people.
Also one minute point to notice here is that RAma didn’t choose Vali as His
friend and instead asked Sugreev for help in searching the whereabouts of
Sri JAnaki. Vali also made this taunt to RAma in Srimad Valmiki RAmAyan, as
given below—
"For which purpose I am killed, intending to do good to Sugreeva is

incidental to it, you should have assigned me for that purpose in the
first instance itself, and I would have brought that evil-minded
demon Ravana, the abductor of your wife in one day, that too without
killing him in any fight, but by fastening him by neck, and I would have
presented Maithili to you. [VAlmiki RAmAyana 3-17-49, 50]
89
"I would have brought Maithili at your order even if she is lodged in oceanic
waters or in nether worlds, as with the White Horse of Vedic lore.
[VAlmiki RAmAyana 4-17-51]
As if Vali said to RAma, “O! Prince of AyodhyA! It seems You do not know
even the basic ABCD of RAjneeti (politics). Otherwise You would have indeed
realized that the same Sugreev, who can not even protect his own wife and
had to fled away for life, how on earth can that same coward Sugreev help
You in finding your spouse? If You really were apt in rAjneeti then You would
have sought my friendship”.
But poor Vali could not understand the supreme neeti of RAma. For RAma it
doesn’t matter a bit, that who was the stronger one between Sugreev and
Vali. This thinking or petty politics is of other kings. Everyone in search of
some help would always try and find as strong an ally as possible. In contrast
RAma, builds a new bridge, establishes a new ideal for the noble men, with
each of His actions.
He only sees who is the aggressor and who is the innocent one. Which of
these two is totally selfless, has no false pride, and who is scared. Let him be
a coward, but He would always be on the side of the afflicted. As also
mentioned in Srimad Valmiki Ramayan:
“Rama knew the theory and practice of sciences. He understood the

differences among men. He could judiciously discriminate whom to protect
and whom to punish.” [VAlmiki RAmAyana 2-1-25]
“He identified good men and protected them. He knew the people worthy of
reprimand.” [VAlmiki RAmAyana 2-1-26]
As also what we have seen earlier also—
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"RAma is the habitable tree for the noble ones, the ultimate course for the
woebegone, a hospice for the agonized, and for grace Rama is the only
abode.”
Rama is the habitable tree for the noble, humble and afflicted fellows!!
RAma said to Vali, “Vali! I am not just fighting for the cause of my spouse
SitA alone; rather my fight is against the evil. I am fighting to establish a
pathway of Dharma and the ideals, and thus how can I seek your help who
himself is the transgressor of Dharma. You yourself are guilty of keeping
your younger brother’s wife as your own, while Sugreev is still alive. To get
my wife back, how can I take help from an abductor of someone else’s wife?
90
And this was precisely the reason why Angad, the son of Vali, had no feelings
of contempt what so ever for Lord RAmachandra. Otherwise if someone has
killed the father of some person then the very first thing that person would
do is to take revenge, if he is capable enough. Even if he were incapable he
would foster indescribable hatred towards that person. Anyway there is at
least no possibility of that person becoming an admirer and lover of that
killer. But this is the greatness of RAma that even Angad is an admirer and
lover of RAma. Why is it so? Because Angad knows that Vali was killed by
RAma, not due to any personal hatred, but in order to protect the
righteousness, by the act of punishing an aggressor.
In sharp contrast if we see the character of RAvan, then we find that RAvan
due to his egoistic nature manages to create differences even within his own
family! His own real brother, Vibheeshan left him.
Here it turns out that RAma was, in essence, victorious at that very moment,
when the real brother of his enemy RAvan, admiring the virtues of RAma,
came to His fold. Vibheeshan tried to persuade RAvan to give SitA back to
RAma and seek His refuge; RAvan kicked his younger brother in front of the
whole royal assembly. Even Indrajeet who was just a boy, nephew of
Vibheeshan and so much younger in age to him, also rebuked and insulted
him openly and RAvana also didn’t stop his son from such arrogance.
As per the scriptures, insulting any respectable person (and that too of the
stature of Param BhAgavat Vibheeshan, who is repeatedly addressed by Sage
Valmiki as Dharmatma and equal to Brihsapti, the preceptor of gods), in front
of such a large assembly, is taken to be as good as killing him literally. Thus
at that very moment itself Vibheeshan was killed by RAvan in all respects.
With this sort of open insult and abuse, the ruptured tender heart of
Vibheeshan cried out humbly. After getting the kick of the cruel and harsh
feet of Ravan, his mind immediately rushed out to the red Lotus-petal like
soft and charming feet of the prince of Ayodhya, which are ever so delicate,
as has been mentioned by Sri ShukAcharya in Srimad BhAgavat:
“To keep the promise of His father intact, Lord RAmacandra abandoned the
royal position and, accompanied by His loved ones [SitA and Lakshmana]
who relieved Him of His fatigue on the path, wandered from forest to forest
on His bare lotus feet, which are so delicate and tender that they are unable
to bear even the touch of His beloved SitA’s palms!!!”
[Srimad BhAgavat 9-10-4]
When he reached to the other shore of the ocean and sought the refuge of
the Lord, at that time all the counsels such as Sugreev, Angad, Jambvaan
and others except Sri Hanumaanji, sternly opposed the idea of accepting
Vibheeshan as it is totally against the politics (RAjneeti) to put faith in the
enemy’s brother and that too at a time when a fierce battle is about to be
raged.
91
But here also the prince charming of Ayodhya, surprised everyone by
articulating His own unique Neeti (precepts) which is always accompanied by
Preeti (love and grace), as has been expressed beautifully by Pujyapaad
Goswaamiji in following words—
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Proprietary of behavior and love, the highest object of life and worldly
interests, no one knows these aright as RAma does! [RCM 2-253-3]
RAma’s neeti is bridged with preeti; therefore He declared in front of all His
counsels thus—
“By any means, I do not desert anyone who arrives with a friendly
appearance, even if he has a defect. His acceptance is irreproachable in the
eyes of good men” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 6-18-3]
O, king the terminator of enemies! Even an enemy, who formed a cup with
his hollowed hands, a miserable person, a person who is begging and who is
seeking a refuge should not be killed with the aim of not being cruel.”
An enemy who comes for protection against others, even if the aforesaid
enemy is oppressed or arrogant, is to be protected by one who has a
disciplined mind, even by abandoning one’s life.” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 6-18-
28]
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“He who seeks refuge in me just once, saying—‘I am Yours’, I shall

give him assurance of safety against all beings. This is my solemn
pledge”
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“O, Sugreeva, the chief of monkeys! Let him either be Vibhishana or even
Ravana himself; I have given an assurance of safety to him. Bring him here.”
Ready to give protection to even Ravan, the abductor of his wife!! This is the
bridge of RAma between the two ends of “capability, prowess” and “self-
control, forgiveness, mercy, grace and love”.
92
Even before that RAma was victorious when His oldest enemy Mareech
praised Him with all his heart. When Ravan came to him to seek his help in
abducting SitA; at that time Mareech praises RAma like possibly no devotee
could have done!
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"RAma is the embodiment of righteousness, He is Sadhu (noble, equable

person) with truthfulness as His valour, and as with Indra to all gods He is
the King of the entire world.”
This clearly brings out the contrast between our Lord and RAvana. While
RAvan couldn’t keep his own people with himself and created differences
within his own family with his egoistic nature, Lord RAmachandra by His
simple, pure and charming disposition made even enemies as His friends and
admirers.
He didn’t seek Ayodhya’s army to fight RAvana but created such a sweet
bond of love with monkeys, vultures, bears, and demons that they were even
ready to lay their lives for His cause. Thus taking this army RAma conquered
not only Lanka but also the hearts of all the worlds. That is why it has been
said—
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“Even animals such as monkeys, vulture and deers etc turn into an ally for a
person on the path of truth and justice. Whereas for a person following the
path of untruth and injustice, even his real brothers also abandon him”
GoswAmiji has also said—
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“RAma, who preserves the path of neeti or righteousness, befriended birds

(Vulture JatAyu), monkeys and bears as His pure companions, even in
dreaded forests! (Whereas) Vaali and RavaNa, perverted minded as they
were, converted their own brothers (Sugreeva and Vibheeshan) who were
their well-wishers, into their deaths, that too in their own homes!!”
93
And that is precisely the reason why Lord Ramachandra has been upheld as
the best one among those who are endowed with neeti (propriety of
behaviour) —

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“On this earth, neither there has been, nor would be, a King as neetimaan
(possessing proprietary of behavior) as RAma; by whose behavior, even
monkeys (which are most uncivilized), gladly accepted Him as their Lord”
This is the most beautiful setu (bridge) built by RAma, which will show way
for numerous ignorant souls such as ourselves as long as the Sun shines in
this world.
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“The mutual love with which SitA and RAma behold each other can not be
perceived by anyone. It is beyond the reach of the best mind, intellect and
speech; how then, could the poet express it? [RCM bAla-kand dohA-322-
chhand 2]
On one hand, if no one can match RAma as a savior of Dharma-setu, the

protector as well as follower of the established path of Dharma, then at the
same time none is equal to Him in the depth of Love and emotions of His
heart, RAma is love personified Himself. He harmonizes the two seemingly
opposite concepts, i.e. Love and Dharma-pAlan (adherence to Dharma).
Infact it is in RAma alone that both these virtues simultaneously touch their
highest limits to their fullest levels!!
There is a common saying which goes like
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Where there is love there are no restrictions
But RAma’s love is not like that; it never breaks its boundaries like an ocean
which even though is unfathomable and source of immeasurable water,
doesn’t cross its boundaries. His heart is so much full of love and emotions
that it is even more unfathomable than the ocean, but still this love and
emotions never make transgress His boundaries. Although there ought not to
be any boundary for Him the almighty, but still out of His infinite
graciousness for the lowliest and most afflicted people, He assumes self-
imposed boundaries; in order not to mislead the common people, to show
them the right path not just by lecturing but by Himself treading the same
path by His own foot.
95
The Lord did lecture about the right path in His next incarnation as Sri
Krishna, but only after He had already tried and traversed that path Himself
in treatA-yug as RAma. As Lord Krishna has told Arjuna in Srimad Bhagavad
GitA, that although He is not obliged to perform any duties as He is above
the concept of duties, but still to show the right path for the common man He
chooses to protect the bridge of righteousness by His own behavior.
Srimad RAmayan by Maharshi Valmiki is the crest-jewel of all the world

literature; it is the most beautiful of all treasures, which the world of
literature has produced up till now, as well as, which it would produce in
future. There is no other poem, which can even come close to it in terms of
its emotions, its story, its ideals, its teachings, the portrayal of its divine
characters, and what not, in short everything. The influence, which the
RAmAyana has on the later generations of literature, poetry, art culture and
religion, is in itself the clear indication of its infinite importance and
magnanimity.
And the only reason for its popularity is that it has Lord RAmachandra and
Bhagavati Sita themselves as its Hero and Heroine respectively; and how is
that RAma—

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“RAma Your story, Your deeds, Your noble disposition is in itself the poetry
personified. So there is no surprise if someone begets the fame of being a
poet by simply telling Your story, this is but the very natural possibility!!!”
That RAma, tired of finding the charitra-nayak of whose comparison, great

poets declared in the end that no one in this world could be compared with
RAma, RAma is similar to RAma only!! See how beautifully the poets have
enjoyed themselves immersing in the spotless nectarine glory of the Lord:
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“In pleasant moon, in RAmachandra, whose bluish-black complexion is

similar to a blossomed blue Lotus, and in the glances of the eyes of the
Ladies, whose mind doesn’t beget delight!!”

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On being asked by ‘Nat’ (an actor of the play) as to “how come all the poets
sing the praises of only Lord RAmachandra alone?” the Sutradhaar (the
presenter of the play) replied thus—
“This is not the fault on the part of the poets, because—

“What fault is of the poets, if they chose exclusively RAmachandra alone as
being capable of adorning their praiseful utterances? Rather fault is indeed of
those innumerous auspicious virtues and qualities of Him!!”
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“Fearing the fact that innumerous poets in the past have already praised Lord
RAmachandra in their sweet poems, if we (present day poets), don’t choose
RAma-charita (RAma’s deeds) as the base and theme of our poems, then in
that case, where else would we find a second Hero, with such auspicious
virtues and guileless fame, to equal Lord RAmachandra!!”
Srimad Ramayan is the first-ever Love-story, told in the history of humans.

The Love-story of RAmachandra and SitA, the story of their affection, love, of
their enjoyment when the divine couple is united, the story of their sorrows,
pains and separation, that too twice, once when Ravana abducted Sri
Maithilly and second time round when the Lord had to create a physical
distance from Her, to please the people of His state.
There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever to the unfathomable and

indescribable divine love which exists between RAma and SitA. Whole of
RAmAyana is filled with the description of the divine love of RAma and SitA
only. Anyone can read Srimad VAlmiki RAmayan and the only essence of it
would be love, love and just pure love. As Maharshi Valmiki himself has
declared RAmAyan as nothing but—
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“That Sage with observed sacred vows has rendered the entire epic in the
name of 'RAmAyana', which is nothing but 'the Sublime Legend of SitA'
and wherein is described the elimination of Ravana.”
97
Thus RAmAyana is nothing but the “sublime legend of SitA”! Many great
scholars of Srimad RAmAyana have clearly pointed this out that this first ever
poem of the human race primarily depicts SriNgAra ras (emotions of love),
while some others depict it as a Karuna-ras pradhAn Kavya (poem of
compassion and piteous emotions). Both of these opinions are correct in their
own ways.
In Sundara Kand, see how HanumAn rejoices when he, for the very first
time, got the divine vision of Sri Maithilly—
She (SitA) is no other than the beloved and virtuous spouse of Sri RAma with
golden limbs, who though out of His sight, has not disappeared from His
mind. [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-15-48]
Here is the one for whom Sri RAma is suffering torment through the following
four, viz., pity, tenderness, grief and love—through pity for a (helpless)
woman (deserving protection) having disappeared; through tenderness for
one who was dependent on Him, through grief at the thought of His (own)
spouse having been lost and through love for one who was beloved of Him.
The comeliness of Sri RAma and the elegance of each of His major and minor
limbs are analogous to those of this godlike lady and comeliness of this lady
is similar to that of Sri RAma; hence this dark-eyed woman must be His
(consort) [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-15-51]
Not only that he also goes on to the extent of making a sort of pun on RAma,
that, how is it possible that even after separating from such a spouse as this
blessed lady SitA, RAma is able to keep His life breath!!!
The mind of this godlike like lady is set on Him, while His mind is set on Her.
For this reason (alone) She, as also that noble RAma, are able to survive
even for a moment!!” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-15-52]
Lord Sri RAma has done what was hard to accomplish (for Him) in that He
has been able to preserve His life even though disunited from Her and does
not perish through grief. [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-15-53]
Delighted in this way to behold SitA as mentioned above, HanumAn sought

(the presence of) Sri RAma with his mind and admired the aforesaid Lord.
In fact Maharshi Valmiki now reveals that everything that has been described
in Srimad RAmayan is nothing but for the sake of SitA only, as HanumAn
continues—
“RAma is suited to SitA with Her well matched character, age and conduct;
with well matched pedigree and characteristics this black-eyed SitA is also
suited to Him.”
98
Seeing that SitA with the radiance of shining gold, like the goddess Laksmi,
delightful to the world, Hanuman went by heart to RAma and spoke these
words—
“For the sake of this SitA, the wide eyed one, Vali of great strength has been
killed, Kabandha (a demon) also equaling RAvana in strength has been
felled. For Her sake, in the forest during war, VirAdha (a demon) of horrible
prowess has been killed by RAma by valour, like Sambara by Mahendra. For
Her sake, at Janastaana fourteen thousands of rakshasas (ogres) of terrible
deed have been killed by arrows equaling tongues of fires. By RAma with a
famed mind, Khara has been killed, as also Trisira and Duushana with great
glory also has been killed in war, only for Her sake. For Her sake Sugreeva
obtained wealth of vanaras ruled by Vali difficult to be obtained and
worshiped by the world. For the sake of Her, with wide eyes, the ocean, lord
of rivers and streams, has been crossed by me; this city also has been
explored.
If Sri RAma for Her sake turns upside down the earth with the ocean
at the end, and the entire universe; still it is fair, this is my opinion.
If it is a choice between kingdom of the all the three worlds or SitA,

the daughter of Janaka, all the kingdom of three worlds will not
approach even a sixteenth fraction of SitA!!
RAma longs to see this lady who is endowed with excellent character though
tormented by RAvana, like a thirsty one for a place where water is available
freely.
My mind too is seized with anguish on finding this lady, with dark long
hanging hair and lotus-like eyes, afflicted, though deserving of happiness and
comforts!
She, who is forbearing as the earth and whose eyes resemble a pair of
lotuses and who was once protected by RAma and LakshmaNa, is now being
strongly guarded at the foot of a tree by ogresses with deformed eyes!
[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-16-5 to 14, 22, 28, 29]
When others feel so much sorrowful at a mere thought of separation between

RAma and SitA, then how, our Lord of such a tender heart, would have
Himself suffered is totally unimaginable for us. A glimpse of that sorrow has
been provided by Mahrshi Valmiki in RAmayana. Here I am just quoting few
sholaks of Sundara Kand, as narrated by Hanumaan to Sri Maithily about the
state of RAma in Her separation—
"With His mind wholly devoted to You, RAma is not even driving away forest-
flies from His body, nor mosquitoes nor insects nor reptiles from His body.
RAma always cogitates on something or the other. He is forever engaged in
sorrow. He for His part does not think of anything else, enamoured and fallen
as He is under of the sway of love" [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-36-42,43]
99
"RAma remains ever awake. Even if that best of men sleeps for a while, He
starts up uttering ‘SitA!’ in sweet accents. When He happens to see a fruit or
a flower or any other beautiful object, He recollects of You and says 'Ah
Darling!' many times and breathes a sigh." [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-36-44,45]
"O SitA the princess! RAma the magnanimous prince is always lamenting,
speaking just about you, recollecting "SitA! SitA!". Being firm in His vow, He
is solely engaged in efforts to recover You only.
That SitA, the daughter of Janaka, who has the same amount of grief as that
of RAma, became worn out of Her grief upon hearing the adoration of RAma,
like a night with the moon obscured by the remnant clouds at the
commencement of autumn." [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-36-46,47]
As per the play written by HanumAna himself, namely ‘Hanuman-nAtak’, see

what the state of RAma in SitA’s absence is. RAma is so much overpowered
by the immense sorrows of separation from SitA that He even forgets His
very own self—
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RAma asks Lakshman: ‘Who are you’? please tell me

Lakshman: O Lord! What happened to You? I am Your servant Lakshman…
RAma: O dear! Who am I?
Lakshman: O Lord! You are that same RAma, the Lord of AyodhyA!
RAma: Who is that?
Lakshman: That same RAma, the best among the Raghus!!
RAma: What are we doing, wandering here and there in this dreaded forest?
Lakshman: Searching for the Princess…
Ram: Which Princess?
Lakshman: O Lord! That dear daughter of King Janak…
RAma: Oh! Oh! Dear JAnaki, where are you?
and saying thus RAma faints again
Such ultimate limits of love and emotions can only be reached in the realm of
divine love of the divine couple SriSitARAma!!
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“RAma is dearer than life, the very soul of soul itself for every sentient non-
sentient being and the disinterested friend of all. Whosoever are worthy of
adoration and most dear to us should be accounted as such, only in so far as
they are related to RAma [RCM AyodhyA-kand 73-3, 4]
There is unfathomable and unsurpassable limit of love and emotions in the

heart of RAma. But He never lets his feelings to deviate him from the path of
Loka-Ranjan or Loka-Aradhan (pleasing the common public). This is the
sweet balance that can only be found in RAma’s nature. Why is so? Because
RAma though He is almighty himself but still He always thinks of Himself as a
Human only; as is clear from what the Lord Himself says to Lord BrahmA,
when the later, accompanied by Lord Shiva and all other gods eulogized the
Lord in the battlefield of Lanka, after the Ravana had been slained—
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“I think of myself as a human being, RAma (by name) the son of Dasharath”
This is the underlining statement, which is very central if we want to truly

appreciate RAma and RAmAyana. It is this statement that clearly
distinguishes RAma from His other Avatars/incarnations.
101
Take for example, the Lord in His KrishnAvatar, where He openly displays His
divinity to its fullest. There we see that Lord Krishna is clearly portrayed as
God. From His very childhood Krishna started displaying His divinity in
VrindAvana. While reading Sri Krsna lilAs, one must constantly be aware that
He is God, otherwise there is full possibility to get mislead! That is why it is
said that Sri krishna’s lilAs are not to be emulated by mortals, they are just
for devotees for internally immersing own attention and intellect.
In SrimadBhagavt, when Sri ShukAcharya narrated the divine Rasa-LilA of

Lord Krsna with the Gopis, at that time even sage like king, the rajarshi
Parikshita, who is also a great devotee of the Lord, got deluded and
immediately asked SukAcharya—
“Sri Parikshit said: 'To establish the dharma and to subdue the ones defiant,
descended indeed He, the Supreme Lord, the Controller of the Universe with
His plenary portion. How could He, the original speaker, executor and
protector of the codes of moral conduct, behave so to the contrary O
brahmin, in touching the wives of others? What did He, so self-satisfied, have
in mind with this assuredly contemptible performance, O best of the vowed,
please dispel our doubt about this.' [Srimad BhAgavat 10-33-27,28,29]
To this Sri Shuka replied, stressing upon and re-iterating to King, the divinity
of Lord Krsna—
Sri Suka said—'The transgression of dharma and thoughtlessness, as can be

observed with Ishwara (spiritual authorities), does not mean they are at
fault. They are much like an all-consuming fire (which is not affected by what
it consumes). Someone not in control with himself most certainly mustn't
even think of ever doing a thing like this; such a one, acting out of
foolishness, would find his destruction as good as anybody else but Rudra
would with drinking the poison from the ocean.
True are the words of the ones in control (with the Lord, with themselves)
and what they do should by people of intelligence (only) in some cases be
taken as an example to follow, namely in those cases in which that what they
do is in accord with that what they said. As good as, my best, there for those
whose acts are egoless is no advantage to be found with what they in their
piety do, will they neither suffer any disadvantage when they act contrary to
the expectations. How then can we in connection with the Controller of those
who are controlled - all the created beings, animals, human beings and
denizens of heaven - speak of right or wrong? [BhAgavat 10-33-30 to 34]
To same import are the following words of GoswAmiji—
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Even like the sun, fire and the GangA, the capable ones incur no blame!
If in their pride of wisdom foolish men emulate the great Ishwaras, they are
cast into hell for a whole kalpa or life-time of the universe. Can an embodied
soul vie with the God? [RCM 1-68-4 1-69]
Those people who wish to emulate the divine Rasa-leela of Lord KrsNa on the
mortal-plane of flesh and body, should first test their own body by drinking
the fire or try lifting a mountain on a finger-tip! If they can emulate these
acts of Lord KrshNa then only they should proceed for Rasa-leelA!
That’s why, the chapter of Srimad BhAgavat describing the Rasa-lilA of Lord
Krsna starts with the very word “BhagaAna”, as “bhagavAnapi sa rAtri….”!
This is only to direct the attention of reader towards the divinity of Krsna so
that they may not get misled while reading this chapter.
Hearing of Sri Krsna-Lilas, if even such a devotee of the stature of Maharaj

Parikshit can get deluded, then we can well image what effects it can have on
a normal man, who is already immersed in the worldly chores. Thus Krsna-
charitra is said to be param-gopniya (most secret), exclusively for the
elevated devotees.
But there are no such classifications in the ever-spotless charitra of Sri

RAmabhadra. His mangalmay charitra is for all class of people to cherish and
treasure in their hearts. On one hand they serve as a preceptor and guide for
the fallen people and common person immersed in this worldly ocean while
at the same time they are an infinite source of joy and delight for the exalted
devotees.
The main reason for this is that the lila or play of Lord Ramchandra displays
more of the human touch and feelings. Although RAma has also displayed His
divinity, but not excessively. It is nicely balanced with His human aspect.
This fact distinguishes RAmAvatAra from His other avatAras, which are
innumerous; and of which ten are upheld as major incarnations, i.e.
1. MatsyAvatAra (as fish)

2. KoormAvatAra (as tortoise)
3. VArAhAvatAra (the great boar)
4. NrisimhAvatAra (the half-man half lion form)
5. VAmanAvatAra (as a dwarf brahmin)
6. ParashurAmAvatar (as warrior Sage ParashurAma)
7. Srimad RAmachandra
8. Sri KrishNAvatAra
9. BaudhhAvata
10.Kalki AvatAra
Out of these ten major incarnations of RAma, only two major human
incarnations are of Sri RAma and Sri KrsNa. Lord Krsna also appeared with
Human form, but He is human only in His looks but in reality He is God with
103
unrestrained display of divinity. There are several occasions where Lord
Krishna openly assumes His divine four-armed form.
Whereas RAma, in His period of stay on this earth during His LilA, seldom
displayed His divine 4-armed form. According to Padma-purANa, other
PurANas and Sri RAmcharitmAnas, at the time of His birth RAma appeared in
front of mother Kaushalya in divine four-armed form. And according to
Srimad Valmiki RAmayan, finally at the time of His disappearance from the
eyes of mortals, He again took to His divine Godly form. But otherwise during
whole span of His appearance on this earth He has both the aspects in a
nicely balanced way, i.e. of divinity and of humanity! Here again a bridge!!
One more glorious fact about this most illustrious and most complete

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proclaim their divinity (s«) from their own mouths; they had to declare
their divinity time and again; but Lord RAmachandra never had to claim
Himself as the GOD or GOD incarnate!
Instead the extraordinary fact here is that, others including Lord BrahmA,
Lord Shiva and even those in the enemy camp of RAma proclaimed His
ultimate glory!!
We have already seen in foregoing passages the self-utterances of MAreecha,

Tara (wife of VAli) and the spies of RAvaNa.
Now let’s see what Mandodari, the wife of RAvaNa himself, says about RAma,
after RAvaNa had been slained in battlefield by RAma—
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This RAma is no other than manifestation of the very eternal Supreme spirit,
a great master of Yoga, the gracious Ruler of all the three worlds as well as
their sustainer, who has no beginning, middle or end is supremely greater
that the great and stands eternally beyond darkness (ignorance) who carries
a conch, a discus and a mace on His person and is distinguished by the mark
of SriVatsa on His breast, who is forever constantly endowed with fortune, is
invincible, everlasting and perpetual!!
Not only this, she even goes on to the extent of cursing the RAvaNa who is
now dead, for his atrocities such as in the abduction of Bhagawati SitA—
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To the destruction of your sovereignty, life and your own people you
unaccountable conceived a passion for SitA, O bull among the ogres!
O foolish one! Surely an unworthy act was perpetrated by you, while treating
with indignity, the celebrated SitA, who is superior, even to Arundhati
(the renowned pativratA wife of sage Vasishhthha) and RohiNi (the
principle spouse of moon-god), who deserved to be respected.
SitA, who is extremely fond of Her husband or whose husband is extremely

fond of Her, is the model of forbearance even to Goddess Earth; SitA is Shri
(ौ#) of even the Shri (ौ#) itself (Goddess Lakshmi) (ौ+ ौo)
You have surely been consumed by the asceticism of that lady devoted to
Her husband, my Lord!
After that when Lord BrahmA, alongwith Lord Shiva and other gods, himself
appeared in person on the battlefield of Lanka and eulogized the Lord
revealing the most sublime glory of Lord RAmachandra; that eulogy in itself
reveals the ultimate unmatched divinely glory of the Lord, also mentioning
that it is RAma alone who protects this world time to time by taking various
incarnations such as NArAyaNa, VArAha, VAmana and KrishNa—
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You alone are Lord NArAyaNa, the glorious God who wields discus
(Sudarshan chakra). Your are the divine boar ($

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the conqueror of Your bygone as well as future enemies. (13)
Your alone are the imperishable Parabrahma (4ॄB) the Absolute, the truth
abiding at the beginning, in the middle, as well as at the end of the universe,
O Lord of the Raghus! You are the supreme Law, operating in all the worlds;
Your forces (in the shape of Your controlling agents) are spread all around;
You alone are the four-armed Lord (Sri Hari). (14)
You are the Wielder of the ShAranga bow, the Subduer of the senses, the
Inner Controller and the Supreme Person; You alone are the invincible
VishNu, the wielder of a sword called Nandaka and You alone are Lord
KrishNa (@ ¦
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You alone are Lord KArtikeya as well as the village headman. You are the
faculty of understanding, strength, forbearance and sense-control. You are
the origin as well as the end of all. You alone are the Divine Dwarf ($

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as also Madhusoodana (?!
106
You are the creator of Indra, the Supreme ruler, You alone are Lord VishNu
(4÷
), who puts an end to all in combat. Eminent divine sages pronounce
You to be fit to afford protection to all as well as the refuge of all. (17)
You alone are the very soul of divine Vedas! You alone are the great bull with
a thousand horns (in the shape of as many redactions) and a hundred heads
(in the shape of as many precepts); You are the first Creator of all the three
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worlds and the self-constituted Lord of all (/ू+
You are the refuge as well as the forbear of the Siddhas (a class of
demigods) as well as of the SAdhyas (a class of celestial beings); You are the
sacrificial performance (); You are the sacred syllable ‘Vashat’ ($X ,
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You alone are the mystic syllable ‘OM’ (), an appellation of GOD; You are
higher than the highest! (19)
People neither know Your origin nor Your end nor who You are in reality; You
alone are manifest in all created beings, in the cows as well as in the
BrAhmaNas. (20)
You exist in all the quarters, in the firmament, in mountains as well as in

rivers;
You are the glorious Being endowed with thousands of feet, hundreds of
heads and thousands of eyes. (21)
You sustain all created beings, the earth as also all the mountains. On the
disappearance of the earth, at the end of the Cosmic day, You alone are seen

lying on a huge serpent (3
), on the waters (k#
). (22)
You alone are the cosmic person Lord NArAyaNa supporting all the three
worlds as also the gods, the Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and the devils.
O RAma! I (BrahmA) constitute Your heart, while Goddess SaraswatI, O

RAma, Your tongue. (23)
The gods created by BrahmA are the hairs on Your limbs, O Lord! Night has
been recognized as the closing of Your eyelids and the day as the opening of
Your eyelids. (24)
And the latencies of Your mind appeared as the Vedas. The visible universe
does not exist but for You. The entire Cosmos is Your body and the earth
constitute Your firmness. (25)
Fire is Your wrath and the moon constitutes Your placidity; You who is
endowed with the mark of Srivatsa (ौ#$t)—(a curl of goldish hair on His
107
breast); all the three worlds were covered by You in Your three strides in the
past during Your VAmanAvatAra. After binding the exceptionally formidable
MaharAja Bali (different from Vali the monkey) the mighty Indra was
crowned king by You. (26)
SitA alone is Goddess Lakshmi, while You alone are Lord VishNu; You alone
are Lord KrishNa and You alone are the Lord of created beings. (27)
For the destruction of RAvaNa You have assumed a human semblance on this
earth. This aforesaid purpose of ours has been accomplished by You, O
prince among the virtuous! (28)
RAvaNa has been killed by You, O Rama! (therefore) highly rejoiced, return
to Your divine Abode (soon).
Unfailing, O Lord, is Your valour; while Your exploits never go in vain; (29)
Unfailing is Your blessed sight; and singing Your praises too never goes in
vain; Those who are full of devotion to You will never be unsuccessful on
earth; (30)
Those who are devoted to You, the primeval and eternal Lord, the Supreme
Person (Purushhottam), likewise attain all their desired objects here as well
as hereafter. (31)
Discomfiture will never be the lot of those men who will repeat this hymn
sung by BrahmA and recount this ancient story” (32)
Besides this Lord Brahma, gods and other Maharshiis have sung the glory of
Lord RAmachandra at several places in Srimad Valmiki RAmAyaNa.
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perfect and complete in all respects; Parabrahm; the very import of Vedas,
i.e. Vedapurusha purushottam), who is hailed by the shrutis by such mantras
as—

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That Purushha has thousands of heads; thousands of eyes has He, and
thousands of legs. He manifests Himself in this world. He stands beyond the
count of ten fingers.
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Purusha alone is all of this, that which was, and that which is too be.
Moreover of immortality too is He alone the Lord. That which as food shows
itself, that too is Purushha.

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All that is here seen is His greatness. And then, beyond all this is that
Purushha, the great. All that was created in this world is but one part of Him.
The other three parts are (divi) in heaven, (amRtam) where they are eternal.
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That valorous Purushha who is, who has materialized all forms, and made all
names, and maintains all of these, that glorious sun-brilliant Purushha, who
is beyond (tamas) darkness, I know him.
The divinity or Aishwarya (s«) of RAma as upheld in Srimad VAlmiki

RAmAyaNa is altogether unique and unparalleled by any other scripture till
date—

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RAma is the illuminator of even the sun, cause of Agni, the Lord of the Lord
(Lord of even VishNu himself, i.e. sanAtan MahAvishNu), the Shrii (Lakshmi)
of Shrii (Lakshmi), the foremost glory of even the glory, the forbearance of
forbearance, the controller of even those who overpower all, i.e. Gods and
the foremost being of all the beings!!
Thus there is no room for any doubt or argument on the parabrahmatva

(4ॄBD) of RAma for a person who has faith in Valmiki RAmAyaNa and its
authenticity.
Although such is the divine aishwarya (s«) of RAma, still He is least

interested in it. Instead He is more delighted to remain engrossed in His
mAdhurya lila (
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Rama feels more proud in His being a human prince who is son of Dashratha,
rather than His being the GOD almighty who is the father of everyone!!
109
And that is why even after being eulogized by Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and
other gods as ‘THE GOD’, RAma just plainly replies—
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“I think of myself as (just) a human being, RAma (by name) the son of
Dasharath”
Appreciating this, GoswAmi TulsidAsaji has also sung about this amiable
disposition of His Lord in following words—

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“When great sages start narrating His “own real self” as the Supreme
Lord Himself, then He is rendered blushing with shyness, lowering
His head down humbly; but if someone calls Him a friend of Kevat (a
Boatman), then He derives a great pleasure and feels delighted; and in being
addressed as “the brother of monkeys”, assumes His great exalt ness!!”
In Srimad Bhagavata also, Sri Uddhava expresses his extreme surprise

visualizing the limit of 8* (accessibility) of the King of Kings,
RAjarAjeshwara Koshalendra-suunu! SAketa RAjakumAra! Srimad
RAmachandra in following words—
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Achyuta! If You have accepted those ananyasharaNa (one with no other

shelter) servants as Yours, then what’s so surprising about that? But yes
amazed we were indeed, when we found You wandering in forests in close
intimacy with monkeys and bears!! Those lowliest of all beings, animals as
they were, bereft of any manners or good qualities!!
In those times of TretA-yuga, such was Your divine speldour that even the
pedestal of Your foot-stool was worshipped by the most precious, effulgent
(ौ#" ) helmets of a great lot of greatest Ishwaras such as Lord Shiva and
Lord BrahmA!!
Even greatest Ishwaras also bowed down in front of the pedestal of Your
foot-rest and that too from a distance!! Oh! Inspite of possessing such a
majestic glory You wandered in close intimacy with mere wretched animals
such as monkeys, bears and vultures and that too bare-footed!! Those feet of
Yours adorable by even Ishwaras!!!
110
Oh! Great! In You alone resides the virtue of being extremely accessible even
)!!
to the lowliest (4-8* )
RAma is THE CLOSEST to us humans in appreciating human-emotions (for He

Himself derives pleasure in being a human more than being a GOD) as
compared to other deities and Incarnations. It is also said— /$ª 4
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That is why RAma has been hailed as the source of His all other incarnations
in various scriptures; few of them are quoted below—

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RAma, the best among the Raghus, is the original personality of Godhead,
among all the incarnations; in the same way as the divine river Sarayu is
most auspicious among the auspicious rivers!!

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Lord RAma, the source of all the other incarnations, transformed Himself in
His four-armed form!!

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It is being said that Sri Krishna is the very personification of Love, and upon
hearing the mesmerizing divine music flowing out of His divine flute, all the
GopikAs of Vrindavan felt driven towards Him during Rasakreeda of the Lord.
Also the name Krishna itself means “Ksharshhaytiiti Krishna:”, one who pulls
others towards Himself is Krishna. Some other devotees of the Lord even go
on to say that only Lord Krishna possess the divine flute and that is why only
He is the supreme personality of Godhead in that He is full of prem-ras or the
nectar of love.
Here I would just say that in a sense they are also not wrong, as it is their
devotion towards the lotus-feet of Lord Krishna, which makes them say these
remarks full of love and devotion.
But now coming to RAma ☺, what does the word RAma means,
,
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“Rasik devotees delight in RAma, the only abode of divine virtues and Rama
also delights in those devotees. That is why He is known as RAma”
The one who delights others, the one who makes others enjoy, in whom all
beings enjoy!!! So RAma doesn’t need to pull others by any sort of effort
whatsoever, He doesn’t need a flute or any other means to pull the devotees
towards himself; instead all beings, devotees, non-devotees as well as
enemies, are naturally driven towards Him effortlessly!!! Everyone revels in
His form.
The other interpretation of RAma is—that He who has a compelling charm

about Himself and He who is most Handsome- #
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RAma is the foremost among those who delight the minds of all people;

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He is known as RAma as He is filled with divya kalyANa guNa-s
Such are His noble, sweet, mesmerizing auspicious and enchanting qualities
that every one, be what he may, gets automatically pulled towards Him as if
tied by the rope of these qualities—
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“People loved the virtuous prince RAma and RAma was as if their
own soul moving outside!”

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The more RAma the son of Dasaratha, showed Himself to be faithful to His
duty, the more the people wished to have Him as their master.

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RAma accompanied by son of Sumitra, drew the people of the city,

who were weeping piteously, after Him as if tied and pulled with
cords!!
112

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“There is none indeed in this world, who is not (naturally) a follower

and devotee of RAma"
Thus it is clear that magnanimous Name RAma of the Lord encompasses the
virtues of His all other names including KrishNa.
RAmatva (
D), the quality of immersing everyone with delight, includes
KrishNatva (¦D@ ), the quality of attracting everyone, but reverse of it is not
necessarily true; as one cannot afford bliss to us if one doesn’t attract us;
but it might be possible that one attracts us but doesn’t afford bliss and
delight to us.
Maharshi Valmiki is declaring here that there is no one in this world who is
not a follower of RAma!!! Why so? Because RAma is the very life of even life
itself and ultimate beloved of all beings, either animate or inanimate. Be it
knowingly or unknowingly, but both believers as well as non-believers are
devotees of RAma. Everyone loves his own self, his own happiness and his
own life, which automatically leads us to the fact that everyone indeed loves
RAma also, because RAma is indweller of all souls, the very life of life itself!!
Infact in KrishnAvatar only ladies (GopikAs of vrindavan and other ladies of

MathurA) were mesmerized seeing the divine beauty of Lord Krishna, but in
RamAvatar, what to say of Ladies, which have such a tender heart full of
affection, but even men of all ages, i.e. child, young and even old brahmanas
were mesmerized by the divine beauty of the Lord RAmachandra, the prince
charming—
,
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With a moon-like face, RAma is an extreme delight to look at. By His

form, qualities and generosity He steals the vision and hearts of men!
What about women? What a futile question!
As it is RAma is favorite among women for being a confirmed monogamist,

unlike that dark enchanter of Gokul. Women not only lose their vision
and hearts, they just melt in His presence. Just one example of SoorpanakhA
will suffice in this regard.
RAma is the perfect male as per "Samudrika lakshana", i.e. an ancient Hindu
scripture which details out the ideal attributes (such as shape, size or
complexion) of various bodyparts of a Human-being and also various
auspicious body marks etc.
113
Going a step further, men were so enamored of His handsomeness that they
wished to be born as women to fully enjoy His company. These were not
your worldly men, slaves of the senses. These were men of awe-inspiring
austerity, almost masochistic in nature. They were the old dispassionate
sages and seers of DandakAranya (a dreaded forest), who lived on fruits and
leaves and had no attachment to this worldly existence.
They had gathered to complain to Him about their woes and loss of limbs at
the hands of the ogres. One was noseless and another had a gaping hole in
the thigh. One had lost his ears and another one his hands. They awaited
Him eagerly. His arrival was sensed by some perceptive rishi by the fact that
the woods were slowly taking on a darkish-bluish hue. All turned to see Him
and were bedazzled—
He was without any ornaments and was just wearing valkal cloths as to the
manner born. His shapely and huge shoulders bore the marks of the kingly
warrior. His arms were long and the hands extended up to the knees. Though
His coiffure was dusty and entangled it still pointed to His royalty. His huge
red-rimmed eyes were oceans of grace as He looked down upon the ill-
dressed motley crowd of ascetics from His great height.
As per various RAmAyaNas and Sri Krishnopnishad, even those high-souled

seers, men of superhuman control, lost their senses. They stood there gazing
at the Vision. They were so much enchanted towards this Prince that they felt
like embracing him tightly ☺ All had the same desire. "Wish we were born as
women to enjoy this Purushottama, the supreme among men". At that time
our Lord, sensing their inner yearning, gave them assurance that He would
surely fulfill their desires in His next incarnation as Krishna. These spartan
mahatmAs were born as Gopikas. That is why it is being said—

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“Sri Krsna is an enchanter of only women, and that too with the help of His
flute; but this RAma, with just His natural beauty, enchants women, men,
and even casual animals also!!!”
This is very much evident from Srimad Valmiki RAmayaNa—
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114
Even long after Rama became distant, no one was able to turn back
one's eyes and mind from Him, the best of men.
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The one who does not see RAma and the one whom RAma doesn’t
see, that unfortunate one is blamed and ridiculed in all the worlds
and by all the people and (to the extent that) that person’s own self
blames him of it.
Oh! What a beauty! Anyone who doesn’t see RAma and the one whom RAma
doesn’t see is blamed in all the worlds!! And even his own self blames him
for it!!!
Even Tara, the wife of Vali, while wailing at the death of Vali, rushed to RAma
wishing to hurl a mouthful of swears at Him in her anger; but on nearing a
pure being shuddha sattva, the serene RAmachandra, her normal human
traits, namely anger and stupidity, quietened in her and she became very
polite. When she advised Vali to not to confront this RAma, then also she
spoke about the attributes of RAma, but it is on hearsay information.
Now to be in His presence, she is rendered as a pure consciousness and

started to eulogize Him instead of cursing Him—
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"You are an indeterminable one, an inaccessible one, one with His self
conquered, the Supreme among righteous souls, Your glory is unmitigated,
and You are the one with clear discrimination, and in endurance earth-like,
and Your eyes are roseate reddish in hue like those of an emperor”
Going one more step further ☺, even the demoness Soorpanakha and cruel
demons Khara and Dushana, who fed on the flesh of sages and seers, those
wretches also felt enchanted by the unsurpassable beauty of Lord
RAmachandra.
She was so huge that her nails were as big as cane plates used to separate
chaff from rice. She was uglier than hell and her whole appearance was
frightening even to the agents of Death. She was besotted at the first
meeting itself and her ardour had to be cooled by cutting off her ears and
nose. That Surpanakha, in severe pain due to both injury and insult, couldn't
help praising the handsomeness of both the princes in front of her brother
Khar and Dushana and later on in front of Ravana also—
115

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"Both are youthful, physically well endowed, gentle but powerful with eyes
like huge lotuses and wearing bark and deerskin"
RAma in forest dweller’s attire

-the enchanter of demons
The self-utterances of Mareech, as already seen in forgoing chapters, are

also well famous in this regard.
The great Emperor Dashratha who was capable of steering the war chariots
in ten directions, whose help was sought even by the gods and who had seen
60000 summers, would become a 25 year old just by watching his Son walk.
He used to call RAma and as He came he would enjoy His anterior beauty. As
He left he would relish the form of His beloved Son from behind—
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"I, for one, rejoice by seeing my son RAma in the form of a divine boy,
adorned with ornaments coming in proximity to me. By seeing Him again and
again, I feel rejuvenated like a young man again"
116
When Kaikeyi called for RAma to let Him know of her two boons and
command Him to proceed to forests, that time the most affectionate father
King Dashratha was rendered to a most piteous condition. ‘Separation from
his dear RAma’, mere thought of this was burning His bosom. As soon as he
saw RAma in front of his eyes, bowing down at his feet with modesty, his
heart was overwhelmed with grief!
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Having barely uttered the word ‘Rama!’, the afflicted monarch could neither
cast a look at Him nor speak! His eyes blinded with tears!
Seeing such condition of His father, RAma who is ever soft and
compassionate by nature was filled with dismay due to apprehension about
the well-being of His father. He witnessed sorrow for the very first time in His
life, He had never heard of it before, yet, recovering Himself as the occasion
demanded, addressed His step-mother with joined palms, in polite words—

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“Tell me, dear mother, the cause of my father’s distress. What is this
unprecedented agitation in the mind of my father due to? With his face
downwards his eyes are overflowing with tears!”
Kaikeyi unhesitatingly narrated the whole thing to RAma and asked Him to
fix His future course of action as He wished. Lord RAmachandra accepted her
words bowing down to her feet. He said in sweet accent—
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“Mother! Its really unfortunate that you could not get to know my nature yet;
otherwise was there any need to escalate this small matter to my father?
For, commanded by you alone, I would myself joyfully part with, not only this
kingdom and my personal property but even SitA also as well as my life
itself.
At your command, though not directly enjoined by my revered father, I shall

live in a lonely forest on this globe for 14 years. I shall proceed to the great
forest of Dandaka, this very day”
117
The King was holding back the stream of his emotions within his bosom with
great patience. But hearing these words of RAma, his patience took leave of
him. That great monarch Dashrath, who never got impatient even in
gruesome battles, on whose firmness even gods had faith upon, in times of
emergency whose help was sought even by the gods, same Dashratha is
growing impatient today like an ordinary wretched mortal! Not only that but
he, weeping bitterly cried out at the pitch of voice, like a woman!!
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Why? Only reason for it is his extraordinary love for the prop of his life,
RAma!
He piteously pleads with his second wife Kaikeyi, trying different ways to
please her: "Don’t send Him into exile. I'll become blind, as my eyes will
follow Him to the jungle. They don’t heed my commands, they willfully follow
Him."
Same monarch Dashrath, at whose feet bowed humbly the head of great
many warriors and emperors, same Lord of Koshala kingdom, Dashrath is
begging Kaikeyi with his arms outspread! Clasping her feet the king
beseeched her and implored her to retain RAma, leaving obstinacy. He said—
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Supreme is my delight on seeing my eldest son; while my very consciousness

is lost if I fail to see RAma!!
The world may continue to exist without the sun or a crop may live without
water; life, however, cannot in any case continue in my body without RAma!!
What asylum is there for me other than RAma, in whom there exist
forgiveness, asceticism, self-denial, truthfulness, piety, gratitude, as well as
harmlessness towards all beings?
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O Kaikeyi! You ought to show mercy to me, an old and miserable man who
has reached his end and is making piteous entreaties to you again and again.
Here I join my palms before you, O Kaikeyi!, and also touch your feet. Be a
protector to RAma and let not unrighteousness (born of my failure to keep
my word) lay hold on me in this life.
That great warrior who never had had any occasion to say any piteous words
to anyone, same Dashrath is becoming a beggar of pity! Why? Only out of his
infinite affection for his dear son! His affection towards a son such as RAma,
is pulling his soul forcefully.
Afterwards when the trio, i.e. Lord RAmachandra, princess SitA and Sri
Lakshman, came to seek permission from him to depart to woods, the King
could no longer behold that piteous moment! Clasping his eyes he wept
bitterly! He decided that he would not be able to witness this sorrowful scene
with his eyes! But alas, his heart didn’t obey his commands!
RAma is leaving for the forest for 14 long years. Would I be able to again
behold Him again or not? Let me see the charming smiling face of my
beloved son with these eyes of mine. Thinking this he stood up with great
longing to witness his son who was leaving for woods—
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Meanwhile surrounded by his consorts—who were all feeling miserable—and

distressed in mind, the king sallied forth from his palace, saying “I shall see
my beloved son”
GoswAmi TulsidAsa has painted a very natural sketch of that moment in the
following pada of GeetAwali RAmAyaNa—

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[Seeing his beloved son departing to forest, MahArAja Dashratha started

wailing thus—] “Pray! Please let me see you moon-like face O RAma! O
LakshmaNa! Now this alone is my last meeting with you here! Please go,
wherever it might be, only after seeing me!!
119
Hearing those words of His father, the Lord of the Raghus clasped his feet!!
Then the king also, for his part, tightly pressed his beloved son to his
bosom!! Reminiscence of that moment, even today, makes this earth burst
apart with a crack!!!” [Geetawali 2/12]
What he saw in front of his eyes made him even more pathetic instead of
providing any solace. His heart skipped a beat beholding enormous ocean of
commoners of AyodhyA fathoming before the royal palace. All were full of
lamentation and tears and looked doleful in appearance. Tears flowing from
the eyes of women like drops of water from the shaken lotuses.
Sore stricken with agony, that city including youngsters as well as old people
rushed towards the chariot of RAma and clinging to the sides and back of the
chariot, with their faces turned towards RAma and bathed with tears, all
submitted to Sumantra in a most piteous voice—

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“Hold in the reins of the horses, O charioteer, and drive slowly and slowly.
We would behold the countenance of RAma, which is going to be durlabha
(very difficult to achieve) for us to behold henceforth”
The compassionate Lord could stand this scene no longer and thus asked the
charioteer, “Move on! Whereas the people likewise said to him, “Stop!” Urged
both ways on the road, the charioteer however could do neither.

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Seeing the whole city thus reduced to such a piteous state, the king fell down
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That RAma, the lord of Raghus, in the agony of whose separation, all men
and women, whether children or old, started following their Lord, that day no
one welcomed the evening, no lamps were lit in their houses, even animals
and birds didn’t eat anything; then would there had been any end to the
sorrows of the affectionate father such as MahArAja Dashratha?
Maharaj Dashrath was rendered lifeless in same way as a fish separated from
water! He cried out—
120
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Where is that RAma, the eldest brother of LakshmaNa, who has pearl-like
teeth and is possessed of a mighty bow? I can survive only if I am properly
able to see Him alongwith SitA!
If I am not able to see the might-armed RAma with reddish eyes and
adorned with earrings made of gems, I shall surely reach the abode of Yama
(the god of death)
Ah Rama! Ah LakshmaNa! Ah Vaidehi! You would not be knowing that I am

dying through agony, like a forlorn creature!!

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Ah RAghava! Mighty armed scion of Raghu! O reliever of my suffering! O

darling of your father! Ah my dearest Lord! Ah my son, are you really gone
out of sight?
O my benign master! You proceeded to the dense forest merely because I

have uttered a word! Proclaiming my intention to crown You as King I exiled
You to the woods but still You never even once questioned me “why?”
The wrong which has been done by me to You is not becoming of me; but
the act which has been done by You for me (by redeeming my promise) is
worthy of You alone, O Lord of Raghus!
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My dearest son! Putra RAma! Strong large shouldered king! May I be blessed
to be Your father in all my future births PLEASE!!
Is there any end to his sorrows? In those last few moments before leaving
for the divine abode, his last words are really worth visualizing again and
again with full attention and compassion. These are the last words of a
helpless father yearning for just the last sight of his noble son’s face, before
leaving this world—
121
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“They are not humans but gods indeed, who will be able to see again, in the
fifteenth year, the beautiful face of RAma, wearing His handsome earrings!!”
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“Really blessed and fortunate are they, who will look on the moon-like
countenance of RAma with eyes resembling lotus petals, shapely eye brows,
a comely row of teeth and a charming nose.”

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“Blessed and fortunate are they, who will see the sweat smelling face of my
RAma, resembling the autumnal moon and a full-blown lotus.”
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“The Happy alone will behold the celebrated RAma returned to Ayodhya on
His term of exile having expired, even as people see with delight the planet
Venus reverted to its usual course.”
Oh! The limits of pathos have been reached in these last few sentences of a
loving father, which cannot be described in words, only those with a
compassionate heart can truly appreciate it;
What does it really feel like to behold the moon-like face of RAma! It is only
MahArAja Dashratha who could truly appreciate the delight of seeing RAma.
I pay my most humble obeisance to the lotus-feet of this most loving father!!
I would even like to state that it was not only MahArAja Dashratha who was
blessed to have got such a son as RAma; but it was RAma who was even
greater blessed to have got such a loving father as Dashratha, the very
embodiment of fatherly affection!!
Although it is most difficult to proceed any further after having been drowned
in the ocean of MahArAja Dashratha’s emotions but still steadying myself I
would proceed further!
122
The moment when RAma set out to forests, there was a huge lamentation
and despondence all around AyodhyA among the citizens. Maharshi Valmiki
narrates the factual condition of that moment—

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The dust raised on the road even as the mighty-armed RAma drove out of
the city for forest, settled down due to tears that fell from the eyes of the
citizens!!
Why just talk of common people! Just see the condition of even those
brahmaNas of ripe old age, who were well versed in Vedic scriptures, the
very reservoir of knowledge and wisdom and the renouncer of worldly
chores, how they ran after RAma helplessly, why?
Because they can’t help but be automatically drawn towards RAma as though
tied through divine auspicious and noble qualities of RAma …..see their
conditions….Oh! what a rare sight….who is there in all the three worlds who
would not be drawn towards RAma hearing just once about his managalmay
charitra and gunas!!
They said—
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“Those brahmanas, who were triply revered for their learning, their age and
their spirituality, their heads shaking with advanced years, cried out:

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“Oh Noble Steeds, of speedy breed! You who are carrying RAma, do come
back! Do not proceed! Be friendly to your master (since by taking RAma
against our wishes, you will be doing a disservice to Him). Indeed all things,
which are endowed with ears, more so horses, stand appraised of our
entreaty. Therefore, you return. That hero of the pure soul, of virtuous and
auspicious firm resolve, that master, deserves to be brought back to the city
and not to be taken to the forest.”
123
Now see why RAma is known as RAma!! Perceiving those aged brahmaNas
uttering such plaintive words and following His chariot barefooted, the Lord
could not proceed any further and at once got down from the chariot and
started walking on foot along with them and that too taking close strides in
order to enable the aged BrAhmaNas to overtake Him!!!
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Perceiving those aged BrAhmaNas uttering such plaintive words, RAma

precipitately got down from the chariot!
Taking close strides (in order to enable the aged BrAhmaNas to overtake
Him), RAma now proceeded on foot with SitA and LakshmaNa.
RAma, who was affectionate by disposition and has compassion in His eyes,
could not abandon those BrAhmaNas walking on foot, far behind the chariot,
while continuing to be in the chariot Himself!!
What a sight!! What humility!! What a noble heart so considerate towards

others!! The same Lord who took 3 giant leaps to measure all the three
LokAs in his incarnation as Lord VAmana, the same merciful Lord is now
walking with such small steps!!!……O Lord! the very abode of auspiciousness,
may all auspiciousness be upon You!!!
Perceiving Rama still going towards the forest, those brahmanas perplexed in
mind and greatly distressed, spoke the following words—
“The whole of this brahmana community is following You, devoted (as You
are) to the brahmaNas. See, they are bearing the sacred fires on their
shoulders [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-45-21]
Look at these canopies (obtained by us while observing Vajpeya sacrifice3)

following at Your heals like clouds at the end of the rainy season [VAlmiki
RAmAyaNa 2-45-22]
With these canopies of ours, we shall give shade to You, who have got no
canopy and are being scored with rays (of the sun.)” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-
45-23]
3
It is laid down in the Vedas that he who performs a Vajpeya sacrifice must be supplied with a
white canopy-ñetCDÇI Évit
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“Oh, Dear child! The intellect of ours, which was forever engaged in perusing
the study of Vedic texts, has been now made to follow the course of exile to
the forest”
“We will carry the Vedas, which constitute our supreme treasure, in our
hearts and our wives too will remain at home alone, protected by their
character”
“We shall not revoke our decision. Our mind is fully determined to go along
with You (to the forest). If you do not pay attention to piety, what being will
remain devoted to the path of virtue?” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-45-26]
When they saw that the Prince of Ayodhya, their only treasure, is determined
to go to forest, then they most piteously start narrating the condition of all
animate and inanimate beings in His separation!!
Those who say,

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“Altough there are many divine incarnations of PushakanAbha (Lord from

whose navel a divine lotus blossoms), and all are auspicious; yet who else
other than Sri Krishna is such as one who bestows the shower of love on
mere plants and trees!!!”
They should study the following shlokas of Srimad Valmiki RAmayaNa, there
they might find the suitable answer—

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125
“Oh, prince of resolute conduct! We entreat You by our heads bent low--
heads having gray hair like the white color of the swans, and that are soiled
with dust as a result of their falling on the ground (in the course of our
prostration to You, whom we know to be none other than Lord VishNu)--
(pray) turn back.
Sacrifices have been commenced by many of those Brahmanas that have

come here. Their conclusion, oh dear child, depends on Your return.
All created beings--animate and inanimate, Oh, RAma, are indeed full of
devotion to You. (Pray) Show Your affection to such devotees, who are
imploring You to return.
Tall trees held by their roots, unable to accompany You, are weeping as it
were, hump-backed by the force of wind!!
Birds too, which sit motionless and are unable to go out in search of food and
which remain fixed at one spot on trees, solicit You to return, compassionate
as You are to all created beings”
More such shlokas for their consideration—
“RAma having departed to forest, my horses, however, even as I turned my

back (on RAma), did not proceed further on the way to AyodhyA and stood
there shedding warm tears of grief.
Oh great monarch! Even trees in your kingdom have withered, without giving
flowers sprouts and buds, having emaciated through intense suffering of
RAma’s separation.
The water of the rivers as well as of the ponds and lakes has got dried up.
The leaves in the wood and groves have got parched up.
Living beings do not move about nor do reptiles crawl (even in search of
food). The entire living creation being overwhelmed with grief born of
separation from RAma. That forest on the way is silent too as it were (though
full of birds)
Oh, emperor! The water in the rivers, again, has become turbid and the
leaves of the lotuses in them have fallen down. The lotuses in the ponds
have got dried up and the fishes and water fowls in them have perished.
Giving forth little fragrance, aquatic flowers and those growing on lands do
look very charming and fruits too are not so luscious as before.
Oh, best of men! The gardens in the city are desolate of men and the birds
have vanished. Nor do I see the gardens as pleasing (as before).
126
Nobody greeted me as I entered Ayodhya. Having not seen RAma, the people
are breathing their sigh of lamentation again and again.
Oh, emperor! Seeing from a distance the royal chariot returning here without
RAma, all the people along the royal high-way had their face covered with
tears.

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Seeing the returned chariot, women from their mansions, seven-storied

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distressed due to their not being able to see RAma.
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The ladies, who were sore afflicted, mutely gazed on each other indistinctly
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I do not see any distinction in their agony, whether they are non-friends,
friends or neutral people (with regards to RAma).
Oh, emperor! The city of Ayodhya with its joy-less people, with its elephants
and horses looking miserable, with sighing exhaustion due to cries of pain,
filled with sounds of moaning, cheerless and feeling anguish due to RAma’s
exile, appears to me, like Queen Kausalya bereft of her son.
It is for this selfless love and affection of His subjects, it is for this reason
why Lord RAmachandra gives so much importance to the Loka-mat or the
opinion of the common public. He would never violate His boundaries, not
because of any compulsions but out of his infinite compassion, not only for
the devotees but more importantly for the worst fellows, even to the extent
of that washer man, the calumniator of Sri Maithilly, the main culprit who
brought about her lifelong exile. There is hearing of that fellow also in the
reign of Lord RAmachandra. In his reign, the world renowned RAma-Rajya,
the state is not driven by majority, rather driven by sarva-mat.
127
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majority, pleasing to majority). But RAma-Rajya stands for “$
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and pleasures of Himself and His family.
Why is the Lord so concerned for the common folk and the citizens of his
kingdom? Why does He worry so much for their opinion? The answer is due
to pure love, which those folk have for Him and also the affection, which He
Himself possesses for these people. For this reason He feels himself so much
attached to these common people of Ayodhya
Just see how much the people of Ayodhya, love their Prince RAma. What is
their condition when RAma set out for forest?
“On the departure of RAma to the forest, the sacred fires were no longer
performed, no householder prepared food, the people did not do their acts
and even the sun went into eclipse. [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 2-41-9]
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Elephants threw out the morsels of food they had taken into their mouths.
Cows did not give suck to their calves. Mother did not rejoice, for
having got a son born for the first time. [2-41-10]
All the people of the city suddenly became apathetic. No one was interested
in either food or in pastime. All the people of Ayodhya, afflicted by grief in
succession, heaved profound and burning sighs and bewailed about the
departure of the Lord of the earth.
The people in the king's way were wearing distressed faces filled with tears.
No one appeared rejoicing. All were possessed by grief. The wind was not
blowing coolly. The moon did not appear beneficent. The sun did not give out
warmth to the earth. The entire world was in disorder [2-41-15 to 18]
Oppressed with sorrow and weeping, women in every house heaped

reproaches on their husbands who came home, with words as sharp as pricks
of the goad which attack an elephant. [2-48-6]
“What purpose of theirs who do not see RAma, will be served by their
dwellings, wife or wealth or sons or pleasures even? [2-48-7]
Lakshmana alone is a good man in this world, who was accompanying RAma
belonging to Kakutstha dynasty, along with SitA, duly rendering service to
them in the forest. [2-48-8]
128
Fortunate too are the rivers; lotus ponds and lakes for bathing in whose
sacred waters RAma entered into. Forests with beautiful row of trees, tracks
of land abounding in water, rivers and mountains with alluring peaks will
bring splendor to RAma.
Any mountain or forest, which RAma will visit, will not fail to respect Him like
a beloved guest who has arrived. Plants with many –colored flowers as their
chaplets, bearing copious clusters of blossoms full of bees exhibit themselves
at RAma.
Even in unseasonable ness, mountains in compassion will present principal

flowers and fruits to RAma, on his arrival. Mountains will show various
wonderful waterfalls again and again, duly streaming forth uncontaminated
waters. Trees on apex of mountains will enrapture RAma. Where there is
RAma, there is neither fear nor humiliation. [2-48-9 to 2-48-15]
That RAma the son of Dasaratha, the hero and the mighty armed will come
to our view not far from us. Let us run after Him. The shelter of the feet of
the Lord that high–souled RAma is in itself a joy. RAma indeed is the
protector of all of us, He is our only refuge as also our supreme asylum!
We shall serve Sita; while you attend on RAma.”—Thus, the citizen’s wives,
afflicted with agony, spoke in so many words to their husbands—“RAma will
secure the needs and interests of yours in the forest, while SitA will do the
same thing with regard to us womenfolk. [2-48-16 to 19]
RAma, whose face is like the full moon, of dark bluish complexion, whose
collar-bone is invisible (because of its being covered with flesh), a conqueror
of foes, whose arms descend to His knees, whose eyes resemble lotuses, the
elder brother of Lakshmana, who takes initiative in speaking and expresses
with sweetness, truthful of speech and possessed of extra ordinary strength,
is benevolent to all, delightfully charming as the moon, that tiger among
men, as mighty as an elephant in rut, that great car-warrior, will surely
adorn the woods, while roaming through them.” [2-48-29, 30, 31]
Those wives of citizens in the city of Ayodhya, lamenting as aforesaid, began

weeping, as though fear has cropped up for a forth-coming death. The sun
sank below the horizon and the night fell, while the women in the houses
were weeping in that manner about RAma. [2-48-32, 33]
The city of Ayodhya, in which the kindling of fires had ceased and the
chanting of Vedas and narration of sacred stories died out, looked as though
it was coated with darkness at that time. The city of Ayodhya, in which the
business of the trading class had come to a stand-still, in which joy had been
faded out, which had become (now) support less, looked dim as though stars
had disappeared in the sky. [2-48-34, 35]
The women whose minds became sick on account of RAma, as one would feel
on one’s own son or brother having been sent into exile, cried miserably
129
expressing their grief in various ways. To them, RAma was dearer than their
very sons!” [2-48-36]
This is the love and feeling of attachment, which subjects of Ayodhya have
for their RAma and for which reason RAma feels thoroughly indebted to His
people of Ayodhya.
The Lord always strives for meeting the expectation of even the last person
of the society; especially so, after His coronation as a King.
Such is their bond of love, which has bound Lord RAmachandra in such a way
that for the sake of Loka-ranjan He is ready to forgo His own self, SitA and
even Lakshaman—
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“Affection, friendliness, compassion and even if it were Janaki, the daughter

of King Janak, herself, for the sake of Loka-ArAdhan (pleasing the public), I
would have no pains to abandon them!!”
130

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It was for this reason that the All-merciful Lord addressed some reproachful
words to Her. On hearing them the demon ladies (who had accompanied Her)
began to lament. [RCM Lanka-kAnda-108]
The people today, put so much blame on SriRAma with regards to the fire-
ordeal episode of SrimadRAmayan and also the second exile of Bhagwati SitA
to forest, giving so much importance to the words of few citizens of AyodhyA.
Some tend to quote this incident as a failure of RAma in observing His

Dharma as Husband. Some are more harsh towards RAma and want to
present this incident as an injustice towards a woman (SitA).
While some others, mostly the modern so-called educated women of MahilA-
Mukti-Morcha even go on to the extent of criticizing RAma and try to portray
the benign Lord as the worst enemy of the women race! Now who can
explain to them? It is totally fruitless to argue with these people, but my
appeal here is to the sensible and pious readers.
Before evaluating any episode of Srimad RAmAyaNa and before making a

judgment on its ever spotless, magnanimous characters, one should first try
to elevate oneself above the ordinary petty levels—of hatred, jealousy,
anger; of men VS women; of mine VS yours; of trivial worldly pleasures.
Just first open your eyes and appreciate about whom are you talking about
before making any comments on them; otherwise you would only be
providing reflection of your own thoughts and personality in the form of your
words! (Read chapter-4 for a glimpse of RAma’s magnanimous personality)
131
Agni-Pariikshaa (fire ordeal) of Bhagwati SitA is not an isolated example;
rather whole life of RAma is full of such examples only, i.e. personal
sacrifices for the sake of His people and His country, for the sake of
upholding Dharma.
MahArAja Dashrath, bound by the pledge of his words, gave 14 years of exile
to his most beloved son, who was dearer to him even more than his own life;
why? Just for the sake of upholding highest Dharma which is Truth!
And also, how did Rama took it? Altough not directly commanded by His
father from his own mouth, but still appreciating the inner inclination of His
father, He cheerfully accepted to reside in forests to save him from doing an
Adharma of not fulfilling his pledge. So would any sensible person blame
MahArAja Dashratha for being a bad father!
Then why is it that RAma should be portrayed as the worst enemy of women
race for agni-pariiksha episode or the subsequent exile of Bhagwati SitA?
Why should these episodes be evaluated from the point of view of men
versus women? Just because here the victim is a woman, i.e. Bhagwati SitA!
This level of thinking is so much petty!
There was no injustice done to Bhagawati SitA Devi by Lord RAmacandra.

RAma could not do any injustice to even RAvaNa himself, whom, He killed for
the cause of rescuing His wife but still remained his well-wisher till the very
end. How can He be expected to do injustice to His wife SitA, to whom
perhaps He loved more than anyone including His mother? SitA also knew it
very well, as She has Herself told to HanumAna in Sunder-Kand.
Whenever situation demanded RAma sacrificed His personal pleasures to

uphold the cause of Dharma. In a way both, RAma & SitA paid the price or
atoned the sins committed by Praja (subjects) of AyodhyA by making all
sorts of personal sacrifices. This chapter takes up the fire-ordeal episode
while the next chapter talks about the fateful exile of Bhagwati SitA.
In order to fully appreciate this whole episode of fire-ordeal of Bhagawati

SitA, first of all we should see whether the Lord truly meant what He said to
Sri Maithily at that moment. The Lord had said to JAnaki—
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132
Let it be known to You that (all) this exertion in the shape of war, which has
been successfully carried through, thanks to the prowess of my friends (the
monkeys and Vibheeshan), was not undertaken for Your sake: may
prosperity attend You! (15).
This was, however, done by me in order to vindicate my good conduct and

wipe off the obloquy coming to me from all sides as well as stigma on my
illustrious House (16).
That object for which You have been won back by me, has been achieved by
me. There is no more attachment for You in my heart. You may go wherever
You like. (21)
Is this really correct? In foregoing chapters we have already seen how much
RAma loves SitA. Just see how He used to fulfill Her every desire, how He
wept like the most ordinary men when He did not find SitA in Panchavati,
returning after killing MAreecha. How badly He searched of Her whereabouts
& how He raised an army of Monkeys and bears to rescue SitA.
And also even if we leave all that aside and see His condition just before
RAvana was killed, i.e. when fight was ongoing with Indrajeet. At that time,
Indrajeet posingly killed a duplicate (illusory) SitA, in front of whole of the
VAnara force. This news when communicated to RAma, just see what was His
condition hearing that news—

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Hearing those words of him, the Lord of Raghus, became unconscious with
sorrow and immediately fell down on earth similar to a Tree whose roots
have been destroyed.
From this it is absolutely clear that RAma’s love for SitA was same as it were
before, but still the Lord made harsh comments on Her, such as— “The
current circumstances have given rise to doubts regarding your purity”.
In fact that Princess Herself never expected such harsh words from Her
loving and affectionate consort. She was almost shell-shocked upon hearing
that dreadfully vehement speech of Her husband, the like of which had not
ever been actually heard by Her before from Her RAma.

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Hearing that unpalatable speech from (the mouth of) He beloved, the proud
lady, who had been used to hearing pleasing words alone, thereupon shed
tears for long on that occasion, weeping bitterly and looking like a creeper
struck down by the proboscis of an elephant!!
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That princess of MithilA stood bent low with shame on hearing on that
occasion in the presence of a large gathering the (foregoing) vehement
speech of Her husband, the like of which had not been actually heard by Her
ever before!!
These verbal arrows of Her Lord pierced Her tender heart. Shrinking into Her
limbs as it were with shame, that daughter of Janaka shed profuse tears.
Then, wiping clean Her face, which was bathed in tears, She slowly
addressed in faltering accents the following reply to Her spouse—
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“My Lord, why are you telling such harsh words like an ordinary person? I
swear by my character. Have faith in me. Of course RAvana touched my
body while abducting me but at that time I was helpless. I cannot be blamed
for this; but my fate alone is to blame on that score, my Lord.
That which is under my control, viz., my heart, ever abides in you. O jewel
among the princes!
Only my appellation (JAnaki or Vaidehi) has been derived from King Janaka,
not that I owe my descent to him; since my birth took place from the surface
of this earth, this divine origin of mine was, however, not taken into account
by You. My exalted character was not prized by You either, O appraiser of
good conduct?
134
The fact that my hand was pressed by You in my childhood (during our
marriage) was not duly recognized by You! My devotion to You as well as my
chastity have all been ignored by You!!
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If I could not be fully known to You, O bestower of honour (on others) in

spite of our love (for each other) having simultaneously grown and
despite our having live together (for so many years), I am undone for
good, thanks to such ignorance.
Speaking as aforesaid in a voice choked with tears and weeping all the while,
SitA appealed as follows to LakshmaNa, who was absorbed in thought and
feeling sore distressed—

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“(Pray) raise for me a pyre, the only antidote against this calamity. I no
longer desire to survive, smitten as I am with false reproaches.
I will enter a fire, which is the only course appropriate for me, renounced as I
am in a public gathering by my husband, who is no longer pleased with my
virtues”
Thereafter while approaching the blazing fire, SitA, a princess of Videha

territory, offered circumbation around RAma. What is Rama’s condition at
this point—
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Walking clockwise (as a mark of respect) about RAma, who was standing
with His head bent low, SitA approached the blazing fire.
If we read this episode in Srimad Valmiki RAmayan, we find that from the
very starting of this whole episode to the very end of it, RAma has tears in
His eyes, in starting when Vibhishan seeks RAma’s permission to bring SitA
to His proximity, this is how RAma’s state has been described by Maharshi—
135
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“But RAma stood in pensive mood,

And gathering tears His eyes bedewed.
His sad looks sought the ground: He sighed
And thus to King VibhIshan cried!”
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The heart of RAma, (even) as He beheld SitA, the beloved of His heart near
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RAma, whose mind was set on virtue, thereupon became thoughtful for a
while, afflicted as He was in mind, His eyes blinded with tears!!
Moreover one most subtle point to observe here in following shloka 17 is the
import of what the Lord had said!!
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Standing before me, even though suspicion has arisen with regard to Your
character, You are extremely disagreeable to me even as light to one who is
suffering from sore eyes.
Hasn’t RAma conveyed everything in this single shloka for the discerned
ones?
His import is that as light is forever pure and blemishless but for a person
who is suffering with sore eyes it appears painful; similarly I know that You
are as pure as divine light itself, but the fault is of my eyes which are sore,
anticipating the public blasphemy!!
Hat’s off to the Lord who is upheld as “$!

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see how cleverly He has said harsh words towards His beloved SitA on one
136
hand but concluding it how He still manages to convey His internal feelings
also!!
RAma’s woeful condition is already known to us in absence of SitA, the most

beloved queen of His heart; the princess Herself has told to HanumAn in
Sunder-kanda that nothing else is dearer to RAma than Herself (SitA)—
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“Neither His own mother (KaushalyA), nor His father (Emperor Dashratha)
nor anyone else is equal, much less superior to me in the privilege of
receiving RAma’s affection!! I too wish to survive only so long as I continue
to hear the news of my beloved Lord”
In AyodhyA-kand, SitA tells Devi AnusuyA about the love of RAma for Her.
She says—"He is of a steady affection (not that which can change arbitrarily)
and that His affection for Her was like that of Her parents besides being that
of a husband and a lover—
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"What to say of a husband such as my Lord, who is renowned for His virtues,
compassionate, master of my heart, who is ever affectionate, a religious
person, manifests the tenderness of a mother and a father to me."
The separation from such a beloved SitA! Those days of His sorrows, His
cries, His silent tears and several of those unconsciousness during that
course of time. How would have He felt when He was seeing SitA after such a
long period of separation? His tender heart would have reached out for His
love, the poor princess of MithilA, who was not worthy of those hardships
which She had to undergo!!
But still RAma maintained His calm and considering those circumstances, and
the obvious questions posed by those circumstances, far-sighted Lord
RAmachandra could clearly make out that it is almost certain that—’The
questions which were raised by some of the people of Ayodhya later’, those
sorts of questions would be arising in the minds of the public in general. For
this reason, reading the impending situation, the wised RAma, Himself fully
aware of SitA’s love and Her unfathomable devotion, said such harsh words
towards the Princess, just for Her sake; His only motive was to prevent any
LokApvada (rumours) in the public in future. This is precisely the very reason
why the Lord openly expressed His remarks in front of the whole public
present there. He knew that hiding these matters would certainly raise
doubts in the minds of general public.
137
Moreover, RAma was fully aware that SitA by the power of Her devotion,
PAtivratya and austerities would prove Her purity, which is very clear from
His own speech afterwards as we shall see below.
Therefore by openly casting doubts on SitA, the Lord, by His wisdom and far-
sightedness, not only eventually succeeded in expelling all doubts and
rumors from their minds but also in fact created a deep heart-felt sense of
sympathy and compassion for the poor Princess!!
The Lord held His love and His tears within Himself and presented His
harsher self towards SitA, but only for Her sake and benefit, lest someone
else later casts rumor regarding Her purity.
This is RAma’s bridge between Neeti, Preeti, and loka-ranjan by which He

consecrated and enshrined the spotless and unmatched glory of Bhagwati
SitA in the hearts of all of those present there at that moment, which is what
He actually desired.
The Lord Himself stated in clear words the reason for such opposite
behaviour on His part, after the fire-ordeal (agni-pareeksha) of Devi SitA—
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Hearing the cries of those who were wailing as aforesaid, RAma for His part,
whose mind was set on virtue, thereupon became thoughtful for a while,
afflicted as He was in mind, His eyes blinded by tears (6-117-1).
RAma, the foremost of the eloquent, whose mind was set on virtue, felt
rejoiced in mind to hear the aforesaid speech, and reflected for a while, His
eyes blinded by tears of joy (11).
138
Spoken to as aforesaid (by the fire-god), RAma, the foremost of those
upholding the cause of virtue, who was endowed with extraordinary energy
and great valor, and was full of firmness, replied (as follows) to the god of
fire (the foremost of gods)—(12)
“SitA undoubtedly needed this ordeal in the eyes of the people inasmuch as
this blessed lady had lived for a long time in the gynaeceum of RAvan (13).
(If not so then) The world would murmur against me saying RAma, son of
Dashratha, was really foolish and that His mind was dominated by lust, if I
actually accepted the daughter of Janaka without proving Her chastity (14).
I too know SitA, the daughter of Janak and a princess of MithilA, to

be undivided in Her affection to me and agreeable to my mind (15)
RAvan could not violate this large-eyed lady either, protected as She
was by Her own moral power, any more than a sea would transgress
its bounds (16).
In order, however, to convince (the denizens of) the three worlds I,

whose sheet-anchor is truth, ignored SitA, the princess of Videha
territory, even while She was entering the fire (17).
The extremely evil-minded fellow (RAvan) could not actually lay his
violent hands even in thought on the princess of MithilA, who was
inaccessible to him like a flaming tongue of fire (18).
This virtuous lady could not give way to frailty in the gynaeceum of RAvan
inasmuch as SitA is non different from me even as sunlight is non-
different from the sun. (19).
The daughter of Janaka, a princess of MithilA, is absolutely unsullied

in (all) the three worlds. She can never be renounced by me, any
more than good name by a man of prudence (20).
Also at that very moment after the fire-ordeal of Sri Maithilly, King Dashrath
the father of RAma came there in Lanka from heavens. That moment itself is
so very heart-melting. But I would just quote what Sri Dashrath said to
Bhagwati SitA then—
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Having spoken as aforesaid to Lakshaman and accosting His daughter-in-law

(SitA), standing (before him) with joined palms as “My daughter”, the
(former) King gently and slowly instructed Her as follows—(34).
139
“No resentment, however, should be shown by You against this repudiation
(of yours by RAma), O princess of the Videha territory! This was
undoubtedly done by RAma, who wished well of You, in order to
demonstrate Your absolute purity (to the world) (35).
This act (of entering the flames) which has been done by You and which
reveals Your (true) character, my daughter, is most difficult to perform (for
others) and will undoubtedly overshadow the renown of other (virtuous)
ladies (36)
All these are the original shlokas from Srimad Valmiki RAmayaNa itself,
which clearly prove what I have stated above.
140
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Again, I bow to the men and women of the city (of AyodhyA), who enjoy the
affection of the Lord in no small degree. Even though they were damned as a
result of the heap of sins incurred my the calumniators of SitA (who were
instrumental in bringing about Her lifelong exile), still they were lodged by the
Lord in His heavenly Abode, out of His great affection on them, having being
divested of sorrow [RCM bAla-kAnda]
But indeed as it is said, fate is inexorable, the rumors which RAma intended
to be eliminated once and for all in the battleground of Lanka itself, same
rumors started spreading later on, after their return to Ayodhya and their
grand coronation on the majestic throne of SAket. See how correct was
RAma’s farsightedness, how true His anticipation turned out to be!
After His majestic coronation as the King of Ayodhya, the Lord spent some
time in divine bliss in the pleasing company of His beloved SitA.
Thereafter one day on seeing His consort, queen SitA bearing auspicious
marks of pregnancy, Lord RAmachandra became immeasurably happy and
asked Her about Her desire, which She wanted to be fulfilled on that
auspicious occasion. To this SitA, the princess of Videha territory, replied—“O
RAghava! I wish to visit the holy penance groves and to stay at the feet of
the sages, endowed with pious disposition, living on the banks of the GangA
and living only on the fruits and roots. The Lord assured Her that Her wish
would be fulfilled tomorrow itself.
What an irony! Who would have imagined that the wish of Bhagwati SitA
would come true in such a tragic manner?
Having addressed these words to Her, RAma, surrounded by His friends,

proceeded for the middle chamber of His palace.
141
In that assembly, the Lord asked His most secret and private spies, who
were also His close friends, about the news from His kingdom thus—
”Bhadra! (Spy and friend of RAma) What are the talks of the town and the
kingdom? What are the people of the town and the country talking about me
and about SitA, Bharata and LakshmaNa and what indeed about Shatrughna
and mother Kaikeyi? Leave nothing; tell me everything exactly as it is. Tell
me with confidence and without fear and mental anguish. I shall practice
what is good and refrain from evil actions”
On being thus questioned by RAma, Bhadra with his palms joined together
replied to Him, narrating about the talks in the public of AyodhyA in following
words—
“Having killed RAvaNa in battle and fetched SitA, RAma took Her into His
house again, renouncing anger. What must be the pleasure in His heart born
out of conjugation with SitA? Why does not RAma censure Her?
Such conduct of our wives shall have to be suffered by us also, since

whatever a king does, the subjects follow”
Each word of their narration was as if an arrow pierced through the heart of
RAma, that heart whose wounds were already fresh from a long separation of
His beloved SitA. Poet Bhavbhuti has described that unfortunate moment in
following words—
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As a heated red-hot iron shatters apart on the blow of a hammer, similarly

the already melted heart (due to hardships faced earlier during 14 years of
exile) of Janaki-vallabha was shattered into pieces (hearing this news)!!
The iron was red-hot!! What a soul-stirring simile!!
Having heard this statement of Bhadra, RAma, stricken with enormous grief,
also enquired with His other friends present there in this regard. All those
friends of RAmachandra, bending respectfully so low as to touch the ground
by the head, and saluting, all of them—each a picture of pity—replied on
their part to RAma— “this is so” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 7-43-22]
Those people are wrong which say that the RAma left SitA in forest just on
the mere comment of a single person (the washerman). It is quite clearly
mentioned in Srimad VAlmiki RAmayana that there was a group or section of
public, which expressed these views and it was not just an isolated incident!
RAma had to decide the future course of His actions, which should achieve
the following objectives—
142
1) To put a brake on the infamy of SitA spreading in the public, put an
end to the rumors, questions and doubts being cast on the purity of
His beloved queen.
2) To protect and vouchsafe the spotless glory of His ancestors and His
glorious Ikshvaku lineage.
3) To lay a solid foundation of faith with regards to Himself, deep inside

the heart of the dear citizens of His Ayodhya.
4) To protect the propriety and standards of Laukic Dharma and

behavioral conduct in public. To prevent the rule of svechchhachaar (to
act according to one’s own will) among the citizens of His Kingdom,
lest the people of Ayodhya forsake the path of dharma, citing the
example of King for an excuse, as “

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the public of His state). “
” (whatever a king
does, the subjects follow)
Let us see what were the options present before Him—
1) Forcefully subdue and suppress that minority section of the public,

which held blasphemous views against Devi SitA and Himself.
2) Use the state machinery for spreading the news of that event of “SitA’s
fire ordeal” which took place in Lanka so that even that minority
section of public could be convinced about the actual events, which
took place during the period of their exile.
3) Forsake the Kingdom of Ayodhya and resign to forest with SitA.
4) Quietly accept the public opinion, and as per their wish send SitA away
from the city of Ayodhya. At the same time send Her to the forest in
the vicinity of the sage’s hermitage (the most respected and
knowledgeable section of the society) and let them decide on their
own, without any favors, what is right and what is wrong; thereby take
the appropriate future course of action over this matter because a King
cannot be a judge over the allegations directed towards Himself.
[If you can think of any other option, which was available to RAma apart
from these 4, given above, then please let the author also know it, so that
we can evaluate that scenario also.]
Now let us see one by one, these four alternatives available to the Lord, also
keeping in mind the above mentioned four objectives.
For option (1), this is the action which most of the modern politicians would
have taken. But RAma-RAjya is not a state of anarchy, where no one can
hold a view against the King and His family.
143
If RAma had decided to forcefully curb the minority section of public’s
opinion, then although they would have kept quite for the fear of punishment
but internally their doubts would have deepened and their faith on the King
would have been totally lost forever. Moreover even greater number of
people would have started supporting their views in low voiced tone. With
this approach let alone the question of achieving the above-mentioned four
objectives, on the contrary it would have done exactly opposite of those.
For option (2), yes RAma could have used His royal powers to strongly
spread across the awareness among that minority section of the public about
the fire-ordeal event which took place in Lanka, but in that case public would
have thought of it as a mere royal propaganda, which no-one would have
believed. Also the citizens would have lost faith in their King, they would
have thought that the King is not impartial when it comes to issues regarding
Himself and His family.
As mentioned in option (3), the Lord could have also chosen to descend the
throne of Ayodhya and depart to forest with SitA. This way He would have
quietly voiced His own personal opinion to His public that He doesn’t agree
with the views of that minority section of people. But it would not have in the
least, served the primary purpose of the Lord, i.e. to stop the infamy of
Bhagwati SitA. As then the people would have thought that yes indeed RAma
doesn’t agree with our views but this is because of His intense love and
attachment for SitA. This was precisely what some of the common people
had earlier said about RAma, which alone triggered this whole episode.
Also it wouldn’t have done any good to the glory of His ancestors and His
lineage. I am hundred and one percent sure that same people who today
criticize Lord RAmachandra for abandoning Bhagwati SitA, same people
would have criticized Him saying that when the time came for respecting the
public opinion, when the fingers were pointed towards Him, RAma cowardly
ran away from His duties, being afraid of leaving SitA. He was so much
blinded by attachment to His wife, that He forgot His duty as a King. What
sort of Raghu Vamshi He was?
By this approach only His 3rd objective would have been fulfilled, that is,
people’s faith in Raghuvamsi Kings would have been strengthened that King
is ready to accept any sort of viewpoint against Himself. But all the other
objectives, including the most important one, i.e. objective no. (1), would in
no way have been achieved.
Now coming to option (4), which the Lord eventually chose. Let us one by
one test this approach on the benchmarks of those four objectives.
First of all, to start with, by honoring the opinion of even a minority section
of the public, RAma fulfilled His objective (3). One of the Democratic state’s
specialty is that the whole working of the state affairs should be driven by
the wish and opinion of its citizens. The state cannot over-ride the opinion of
common man for its own sake or for the sake of its kith and kin. These
qualities of a democratic state are also fully present in a Raja-tantra
144
governed according to rules and precepts of Dharma. RAma also expresses
similar essence in His vow—
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“For the sake of Loka-ArAdhan (pleasing the public), if I were to cast away
affection, friendliness, compassion and even if Janaki, the daughter of King
Janak, Herself, then also I would have no pains!!”
Only those silly rulers, tied down by their own self-interest and interests of
their family, only those foolish Kings favor the rule of punishments, ignoring
the sentiments of their subjects. A sensible ruler knows fully well that He
cannot shut the mouth of public just by levying punishments. And even if it is
tried to forcefully silence the public then thousands and thousands of voices
will roar in protest.
Thus RAma who is top-most of all Kings of all times, the very abode of
wisdom, by His neeti, instilled an unshakable faith and belief, deep within the
hearts of His dear citizens of Ayodhya, by allowing the lowliest person (a
mere washerman) of the society the right, to have his own viewpoint and, to
express his views, be it against the King himself, without any sort of fear
whatsoever. Even if that meant bestowing endless sufferings onto Himself
and His family members for the sake of respecting the public opinion!!
Secondly, He proved a point that He is not running away from His duties as a
King and He is ready to leave His dear wife if such is the wish of His citizens.
He is ready to forsake all His belongings and even His own life for honoring
the RAja-dharma.
This way He succeeded in creating a feeling of slight empathy and

compassion in the hearts of even those people who had earlier criticized His
decision of ascending the throne of Ayodhya alongwith SitA. Thus not only
was He able to protect His ancestral glory but also eventually multiplied it
manifolds. There is a famous saying in Sanskrit—

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“(If a situation is faced where one has to choose any one of the two options
as stated in this shloka, then for the sake of the better one, other one should
be left) To protect the interest of a family, its better to leave an individual; to
protect the interest of a village, its better to leave a family; similarly a village
should be left for the sake of a Janpad (city); and above all for one’s own
soul one should even leave this whole world;”
145
Thus to protect His forefather’s glory and in order to avoid their infamy,
RAma physically distanced Himself from SitA. With this approach the onus
now shifted on the public, thereby achieving His objective number (2).
Some of the readers may doubt here that in above Shloka it has also been
said that for the benefit of one’s own soul, one should forgo this whole world
if required. Then was SitA not the soul of RAma? For Her sake RAma should
have abandoned the whole world? Answer is that yes, SitA is indeed the very
soul and life-breath of RAma and for Her sake, for Her benefit RAma could
have done that, but the point here is that—was it really in the interest of
SitA? Would it have really benefited Her? Would it have stopped the cruel
hearted subjects of Ayodhya from uttering disgraceful words for Devi SitA?
No way certainly!
Thirdly, as a King, as a leader of a state, RAma nicely put forward an ideal of

Loukik-Dharma for His citizens. Even a King is bound by the boundaries and
social obligations. No one can be indifferent towards the opinion of the
society. Thereby by His own conduct and transparency, He comprehensively
achieved His objective number (4).
Now coming to His primary objective and goal, which is to eradicate

completely the infamy of Bhagwati SitA spreading in the public. Although the
section of people who were disgraceful towards Bhagwati SitA was not a
majority by any means; only a few people condemned the fact that SitA, who
resided in Lanka for months, should adorn the sacred throne of Ayodhya
alongside RAma.
Those foolish, stonehearted wretches were not aware that Bhagwati SitA is
the divine mother of infinite universes, the divine potency of Lord
RAmachandra, the ocean of bliss; She is the divine source of the Madhurya
potency of the Lord.
As RAma is the very essence of divine love and bliss, so is SitA the very
essence of divine beauty, charm and purity. SitA is inseparable from RAma,
as the rays of sun from the sun, moonlight from the moon and purity from
the holy Ganga!
The reddish-dust of the red-lotus-petal like tender feet of Vaidehi, the

mistress enshrined in the heart of RAma, adorns the foreheads of Shrutis
(Vedas) as a vermillion mark!! The couplets of Vedas get blessed with the
divine dust of Her Lotus-feet!!
They were not aware of the power of Her paativratya-dharma (4

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speldour of Her divine aura, due to which even after being all alone in a
distant island surrounded by a vast ocean from all sides, in the middle of
fierce demonesses, She could roar as a lioness in front of RAvana himself.
That world-renowned King of demons, the conqueror of the whole world and
even heavens, that Ravan with whom even gods were terrified, that very
RAvaNa was rendered speechless in front of an arya lady, deprived of his
146
valor and glory, as if a mere dog, when Bhagwati Sita Devi thrashed him
thus—
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[VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 5-21-15, 30, 31 and 5-22-20]
"I am not capable to be tempted by wealth or by money. I am not separate

with RAghava like the sun-shine with the sun." [5-21-15]
"O lowest one! When those brothers were gone out, entering hermitage
without them, I have been abducted by you. Like tiger by dog, smelling the
scent of RAma and Lakshmana it is indeed not possible by you to stand in
their view." [5-21-30,31]
"O ignoble one! Your these eyes which are cruel, crooked, which are black
and reddish brown, which are seeing me, for what reason are they not falling
down? Thus speaking about me who am the wife of virtuous RAma and the
daughter-in-law of Dasaratha how your tongue did not fall off?"[5-22-18,19]
"O Ravana! Although you deserved to be burnt into ashes by me, but,
not having the mandate of RAma and preserving austerity, I am not
reducing you into ashes with my glory." [5-22-20]
”- be cool to
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“If I have done any service to my husband, if I have performed a penance

and if I am a faithful wife, please be cool to Hanuman. If the wise RAma has
even a little of kindness to me and if I have still some good fortune
remaining to my credit, please be cool to Hanuman. If that virtuous RAma
recognizes me as one, who is endowed with a good moral conduct
and who is ardently desirous of meeting Him, please be cool to
HanumAna"
147
SitA who entered in the fire in front of all the demigods, sages, gandharvas,
siddhas, monkeys and demons. At that time fire-god himself appeared in
persona and declared the purity of SitA.
But promulgation of all these events from King’s side would have just been
dismissed as a mere state propaganda. Therefore RAma respecting even
minority’s opinion, decided to distance SitA from Himself physically and to
send Her in the vicinity of sage Valmiki’s hermitage. Thus He decided to
leave the whole thing to those neutral sages, who are beyond all
attachments, the knowledgeable thinkers of the society to clear things up, to
separate milk from water and bring forth truth before the subjects of
Ayodhya.
At that unfateful moment His heart was crying, His eyes were filled with tears
and His lotus-face seemed bereft of its enchanting charm. With heavy heart
He called for His brothers—

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Having heard that the princes have come, RAma, His senses agitated due to
anxiety, His mind distressed and His face downcast gave the following
command to the door-keeper
This is how Maharshi Valmiki describes the state of RAma, as seen by His
brothers—
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Having beheld RAma’s face like the eclipsed moon and like the evening sun
shorn of brilliance, having also seen the sagacious RAma’s eyes full of tears
and having glanced at His face looking like a withered lotus, they (Bharata,
LakshmaNa, Shatrughna) all hurriedly bowed down their head in salutation at
the feet of RAma and became transfixed attentively while RAma shed tears!
RAma with an emaciated face, spoke thus to them in a choked voice—

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O dear brothers, a great rumor related to SitA is circulating among the
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You know how SitA was taken away by RAvaNa from the lonely forest and
how I vanquished him.
At that time itself anticipating this infamy of SitA, it dawned upon me then
that how could I bring SitA, who had dwelt in Lanka, to this city? (Therefore
upon my addressing some reproachful words towards SitA, that daughter of
JAnaka), SitA, at that time, to convince me, entered the fire; fire-god as well
as VAyu (air-god) declared SitA to be pure of conduct—
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(All of this I did in spite of the fact that) my heart and my soul knows fully
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Then having accepted SitA, I have come to AyodhyA, but this is now the
people censure me, and it pains my heart. This terrible rumor is spreading in
the public. The subjects of Ayodhya are criticizing SitA as well as me.
My dear brothers! I can forsake everything, including SitA, the daughter of

King Janak, you all and even my own life itself for the fear of infamy—

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Dear Readers! I would like to bring your attention to this sentence spoken by
Lord RAmachandra. What great sorrows and losses has our tender Lord not
faced? One tragedy after another has continued to befall this royal IkshvAku
scion throughout His whole life; the loss of kingdom and a sudden directive
to exile in dreaded forests for 14 years…..after living in great pleasures and
comforts of AyodhyA’s palace, wandering here and there in terrible forests
full of thorns, beasts and demons….loss of such a loving father as Dashrath
whose death-bed He couldn’t visit…..the sorrow of separation from His
affectionate mother KaushalyA and Sumitra….the loss His most affectionate
mother Kaikeyi’s love and faith…..the loss of His most beloved JAnaki……the
loss of JatAyu, who was next to His father himself and separation from His
dearest brother Bharat!!
But still RAma is saying that all these sorrows were negligible in comparison
to the one currently facing Him, a likelihood of a life-long separation from His
very soul named SitA!!
Immersed in endless sorrow, when RAma was about to send Bhagwati SitA
away from Himself, how spot-on are poet BhavbhUti’s expression, uttered by
RAma about SitA—

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“SitA! From You alone all auspiciousness emanate, so much so that even this
whole world gets purified by Your auspicious character; those utterances of
people (about Your purity) alone are inauspicious and impure!
From You alone, all the worlds derive its merits, but alas! You would face
hardships as a forlone one!”
Finally pressing His heart against a rock, the Lord of AyodhyA, commanded
Lakshaman thus—

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O LakshmaNa, ascending the chariot driven by Sumantra, and made sitting

SitA therein leave Her beyond the confines of the kingdom (in the vicinity of
Sage VAlmiki’s hermitage as explained below--)
150
There is one major misconception among the people that Lord RAmachandra
left SitA to a deserted forest, all alone by Herself and Her fate. He didn’t even
once worried about Her safety and security in forest. Whereas the fact is that
RAma clearly instructed Lakshaman to leave SitA in the forest nearby the
hermitage of sage Valmiki, as—

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“On the opposite side of river Ganga, there is the divine hermitage of sage
Valmiki on the river TamasA. O Raghunandana! Leaving SitA there in the
vicinity of that hermitage, return back quickly”
Saying thus RAma felt a stab of pain plunge His heart: a numbing sense of
nameless loss.....His eyes started overflowing with tears and His heart
overwhelmed with grief—
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The very next day, bounded by the orders of the King, the helpless
Lakshaman took SitA towards the banks of holy river Ganga.
One more point to see here is the hapless condition of prince Lakshman. I
have seen in some films based on the incident of “SitA-Tyaga”….the portrayal
of Lakshman in such a way as to prove Him as a heartless person….how
could He leave SitA alone in a forest….etc. All these kinds of rubbish and
baseless things have been portrayed in films by our heartless and insensitive
filmmakers. Maybe either due to some malicious intent to defame RAmayaNa
and its divine characters or due to scarcity of their intellect, sensitivity and
knowledge of the epic or just to dramatize the story for their minor financial
gains!
Here is how sage Valmiki describes the state of Lakshaman, when the three
of them, i.e. SitA, Lakshaman and the charioteer and counsel Sumantra,
reached river Ganga—

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After spending half a day on reaching GangA and looking at the streams of
BhAgIrathI (GangA), the sorrow-stricken LakshmaNa bursted forth, crying in
a loud noise.
The well-composed SitA knower of good conduct seeing LakshmaNa uttered

thus:—“Why do you cry O LakshamaNa! (It seems because of the fact that)
You have always remained in the affectionate company of Your brother Sri
RAma, is it now that you are separated from Him for just two nights, you are
grieved?
Sri RAma for me too is dearer even than my life, but still no sorrow comes to
me; so please act not as a foolish one! We shall again return to the city of
Ayodhya having done homage to the great sages; for my heart too, urges me
on to see (RAma) that one of lotus-eyed, the lion breasted one, with a
slender waist, the best of those that please all”
Thereafter, LakshmaNa wiped off the tears from his eyes when thus pacified
by SitA. Then they boarded a boat to cross Ganga. When the boat reached
the other bank of Ganga, again the eyes of Lakshaman started overflowing
with tears. With folded hands He spoke to SitA thus—

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On reaching the other bank of GangA, LakshmaNa with folded hands and face
covered with tears uttered the following words—
My heart is pierced by a mighty dart as I have been entrusted to carry this

task so cruel and made worthy of censure by people. A death like torture or
even death would have been preferred by me; but I should not have been
employed in such a task deserving public condemnation.
Finally LakshmaNa, the hapless prince, fell before his mother Bhagwati SitA
weeping piteously and begging for Her pardon—
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I beg of You O auspicious one! Pray do not consider this as my fault—
152
Saying these words with folded hands LakshamaNa fell on the ground before
SitA!!
Seeing such a piteous condition of Lakshman, crying with folded hands and
wishing for his death, deeply perturbed SitA, the daughter of the lord of
MithilA, urged Lakshman to narrate everything clearly, giving Him a swear
over Herself—

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“I do not know what this is, speak out the truth. It seems you do not keep
well, nor is the king (RAma) happy. You are indeed sworn by the king as you
seem to be in agony, so narrate before me, this is my command”
Urged by SitA, the daughter of Videha, LakshmaNa on his part, with an

agitated mind, and face downward with tears choking his throat spoke out
against his wish—
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“O daughter of Janaka (SitA), hearing the most painful ill-report circulating

among the citizens and countrymen, in the presence of the courtiers, RAma
struck with grief, conveying to me the report, entered the inner apartment.
The shameful words that pierced the heart of the king are not indeed to be
uttered before You, and hence I refrain from uttering them.
You have been forsaken by the king, in my presence, only for the fear of
infamy circulating among the citizens, in spite of You being innocent!
153
(RAma has done this to check the circulation of this infamy of Yours and
Himself therefore), You should not take it otherwise!!
You are to be left near the hermitage by me. Bearing in mind the orders of
the king and the desire of the pregnant woman that has to be fulfilled.
Pray do not be dejected; here is that beautiful and holy penance-grove of the
Brahmarshis, where dwells the famous Brahmarshi VAlmiki, who was a close
friend of my father, king Dashratha and is the foremost among ascetics”
Hearing these terrible, hair-raising words of Lakshman, SitA was rendered

frozen and immediately She dropped down unconscious. For an hour She
couldn’t gain Her senses. Her large eyes continued overflowing with a flow of
tears!! Thereafter re-collecting Herself and recognizing the situation She said
following miserable words full of extreme pathos—
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[Valmiki Ramayan 7-48-1,2,3,5,8]
This body of mine was indeed created by the creator for sorrow alone, O
LakshmaNa, and hence seems today the very embodiment of sorrow.
Formerly (during the 14 years of exile), following the foot-step of RAma, I
had from my own side requested RAma for residence in the hermitages,
although I was in misery. Now then how can I live in the hermitage all alone?
I can not even give up my life drowning myself in the waters of the GangA,
for by that the royal family of my husband will be broken in succession; as
that way the descendant to be born will perish (alongwith me).
Saying thus Bhagwati JAnaki realized the sorrows of His beloved RAma,
which was even greater than Her own sorrows; and thus She asks
LakshmaNa to carry Her message back to Rama as—
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154
O son of SumitrA, do as you are ordered to do, forsake me the miserable
one, obey the orders of the king, but listen to what I say now—
“Ask after the welfare of the mother-in-laws, without discrimination and also
of the king with folded hands and courteously. Speak to all of them O
LakshmaNa with your head bent downwards and indeed communicate this to
the king, who is so well-placed in righteousness.“
In following most precious words, Bhagwati JAnaki has made so much clear
the fact that RAma and SitA are indeed two bodies but one soul! Her noble
sensitive heart, forgoing Her own sufferings has how rightly grasped and
fathomed the feelings of Her afflicted husband! How is She now trying to
comfort and console Her poor husband, rendered helpless and all alone—

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O scion of Raghu! (I know that) You know full well, how in fact SitA is pure
and full of devotion and always concerned about Your welfare!
I know that in spite of knowing me as such, still for the fear of infamy (of
mine), O RaghuvIra! You have forsaken me!
I also fully understand that the censure and curse that befalls You,
ought to be averted by me also, as You alone are the only supreme
resort to me!
Saying thus, Bhagwati SitA the most merciful mother, the very embodiment
of compassion and forgiveness, asked for RAma’s mercy for the citizens of
AyodhyA, who, even though damned by their deeds, nevertheless, were like
their children!
As a mother hides the bad deeds of her child in front of her husband and
tries to secure his love and affection on the child, similarly the universal
mother, Bhagwati JAnaki is seeking the forgiveness of Her husband RAma,
on behalf of the citizens of AyodhyA!!

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[Valmiki Ramayan 7-48-15,16,17,18]
“The citizens (of AyodhyA) ought to be treated by You (RAma) always like
Your own brothers. This is the supreme Dharma for You which will provide
You with unparalleled fame.
You ought to render impartial and rightful treatment to the citizens! (You
should not be worried about me as) I do not bother about my body, O best
among men!
Just as it was necessary for You to rectify the public censure, in the
same way, as Your wife, it is my responsibility also (to rectify this
infamy)! Husband is everything to a wife—a god, the family, the
preceptor.
Therefore, a wife has to propitiate her husband even at the cost of her life.
All this you (LakshmaNa) must tell briefly what I said.”
Oh! glory be upon mother SitA! Her noble disposition! Her incomparable love
and devotion towards Her beloved RAma! Her renounce! Her austerity! Her
benign character!
This is SitA!! The personified flag staff, the very epitome of our eternal Vedic
sanAtan Hindu dharma!! The crest-jewel of all the pativratAs!!
Our heart bleeds for this delicate Princess of MithilA, who though hitherto
unaccustomed to walk except on a path strewn with flowers, had to traverse
a path full of thorns in Her life. This timid, humble princess, who is in no way
deserving to even put Her bare tender-feet on earth, this noble arya lady
having already undergone terrible hardships wandering in forests with Her
husband for 14 long years, is now once again facing a possibility of life-long
exile, that too all alone this time, without Her soulmate RAma…..an endless
dark tunnel of despair, where there is not a single ray of hope either!! But
still holding back the flood of Her emotions, Her sorrows to Herself, She is
pouring out most precious words from Her heart!!
156
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This is the ideal of an arya lady, imbibing the values of sanatan dharma. But
how could poor modern women activists, drowned in western culture from
head to toe, mesmerized by the pomp and show of modern so called
progressive society, understand and appreciate this??? Through the borrowed
lenses of western influence, all they can see is the division of Men versus
Women. They try to evaluate everything on this benchmark only. Being
bereft of a sensitive-heart and feelings, which are characteristics of
womenfolk in general, they would immediately blabber out: “injustice to
whole women race!! Fie upon cruel RAma!! Fie upon cruel Lakshman!!”
157
They seemingly try to take the side of Bhagawati SitA, but don’t even
understand the very meaning of SitA!! Those poor souls bring RAma and SitA
to their own tiny thought-level and then try to judge their deeds!! For these
kinds of people, the ideals of RAma and SitA are unreachable even in
dreams, in the same way as the sky is unreachable for a drunkard lying
unconscious in a gutter.
What is the meaning of SitA and RAma, let’s see in the following words of
SwAmi VivekAnand—
“RAma, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of
morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, the ideal father, and above all, the
ideal king, this RAma has been presented before us by the great sage
VAlmiki. No language can be purer, none chaster, none more beautiful and at
the same time simpler than the language in which the great poet has
depicted the life of RAma.
And what to speak of SitA? You may exhaust the literature of the
world that is past, and I may assure you that you will have to
exhaust the literature of the world of the future, before finding
another SitA. SitA is unique; that character was depicted once and
for all. There may have been several RAmas, perhaps, but never more than
one SitA! She is the very type of the true Indian woman, for all the Indian
ideals of a perfected woman have grown out of that one life of SitA; and here
She stands these thousands of years, commanding the worship of every
man, woman, and child throughout the length and breadth of the land of
AryAvarta. There She will always be, this glorious SitA, purer than purity
itself, all patience, and all suffering. She who suffered that life of suffering
without a murmur, She the ever-chaste and ever-pure wife, She the ideal of
the people, the ideal of the gods, the great SitA, our national God She
must always remain. And every one of us knows Her too well to require
much delineation.
All our mythology may vanish, even our Vedas may depart, and our Sanskrit
language may vanish for ever, but so long as there will be five Hindus living
here, even if only speaking the most vulgar patois, there will be the story of
SitA present. Mark my words: SitA has gone into the very vitals of our race.
She is there in the blood of every Hindu man and woman; we are all children
of SitA. Any attempt to modernise our women, if it tries to take our women
away from that ideal of SitA, is immediately a failure, as we see every day.
The women of India must grow and develop in the footprints of SitA, and that
is the only way”
Whose heart would not be torn into pieces by hearing/reading these words of
Bhagvati SitA? She doesn’t even once question RAma!! Her soul knows fully
well that the sorrow of RAma is much greater than Her own. That’s why
neglecting Her own plight, She is instead worried about the welfare of the
subjects of AyodhyA, same cruel people who have criticized and raised
fingers on Her.
158
Blessed indeed, is Her noble character!! And blessed are those who are
devoted to Her in this age of Kali also!!
In the end, Bhagwati JAnaki, who is the most compassionate and merciful
mother being the daughter of mother earth Herself, gave blessing to
LakshmaNa with eyes filled with tears thus—

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Bhagwati SitA lifting LakshmaNa, who was lying in Her feet weeping and
begging for Her pardon, said to Him softly—
“O pleasant prince! I am very pleased with You!

O Son! May you live for long! For you have obeyed the command of your
elder brother in the same way as Lord VishNu (who was born as a younger
brother of Lord Indra in VAmanAvataara) obeys the commands of His elder
brother Indra”
She speaks on further to Lakshman, which can even melt the heart of a rock
itself—She asks LakshmaNa to have a departing look on Her body bearing
the auspicious signs of pregnancy, so that he would remain a testimony to
Her progeny later on—

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You have seen with your own eyes that I am on the family way!
Hearing these hair-raising words of SitA, Lakshman felt as if the earth would
tear apart and He would enter it! He could not speak even a word. Crying out
loudly He cirumbated His mother, Bhagavati SitA and then thinking for few
moments spoke to Her thus—
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The dejected, LakshmaNa on hearing SitA having said so, paid homage to the
earth by his head and failed to speak any word; going round Her, loudly
crying, contemplated for a moment, and with great effort addressed Her
thus—
159
“O auspicious one, O faultless one, Your body is not seen by me, as Your feet
alone were the object of my vision till now. Oh! how shall I behold You
separated from RAma dwelling in this forest”
Finally thus saying and bowing to Her, LakshmaNa approached and ascended
the boat. Having reached the other banks, burdened by the weight of sorrow,
went up the chariot in haste; bewildered as he was, again and again
LakshmaNa turned towards SitA langoring on the other banks who was
looking like an orphan!
Once the chariot of LakshmaNa set forth, sorrow, overpowered SitA, seeing
the chariot going away! She tried to catch a glimpse of LakshmaNa again and
again. After She could no more behold the chariot, buried in brief the noble
one, not seeing any protector She cried in the forest resounded by the sound
of peacocks!
At that time some disciples of sage Valmiki happened to reach there for the
purpose of collecting raw materials such as samidhA, kush grass used in
performing Yagya (sacrificial ritual) activities. They saw that divine lady SitA
and Her cries. Immediately rushing back to their hermitage, they narrated
this to their preceptor thus—
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A noble lady, never seen by us before, spouse of some noble one, resembling
to the Goddess of wealth (ौ#) cries loudly distorted face in despair near the
banks of the river, She is grieved.
We saw Her crying, overwhelmed by sorrow as She is. She doesn’t deserve
so much suffering sire, nor She should remain like an orphan. We do not feel
that She may be from humans.
Please sir, intertain Her in a befitting manner. She is not far from the
Ashrama seeking refuge from you, She is in need of guardian you behove to
protect Her.
Getting this news from his disciples, the all-knowing sage Valmiki came to
know of everything with the divine powers of his austerity. He immediately
came, with rapid steps, to that place where Devi SitA was seen—
160

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As the sage Valmiki strode forward, the disciples of the great wise sage
followed him. Walking bare-footed and carrying Arghya (auspicious water) in
his hands, the sage VAlmiki reached the shore of the GangA and beheld SitA
the consort and beloved of RAma, lamenting there helplessly like an orphan!
Sage VAlmiki, the foremost of the ascetics, who was glowing with his
effulgence, spoke these sweet and soft words to SitA pained by sorrow—

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[Valmiki Ramayan 7-49-11, 15]
You are the daughter-in-law of Dashratha and the beloved queen of RAma
and also the daughter of the king Janaka. Welcome! to You, O chaste lady!
I knew through my subtle eyes that You are coming. The causes also thereof
are known to me in my heart.
O fortunate one, Your nobility is known to me. All that exists in the three
worlds is known to me!
Yes, indeed, with my inner eye acquired through penance, I have perceived
that You are sinless. Be composed, O daughter of the lord Videha, You are
now in my care!
Not very far from the hermitage are the female ascetics engaged in
penances. They, O child, shall always look after You as a child.
Accept this abulation and be calm and free from all maladies. As if You are
entering Your own home, so do not be despondent.
161
Hearing these affectionate words of Sage VAlmiki, Bhagwati SitA doing
homage to him with Her head and with folded hands said—“Be it so”. She
then followed the sage as he went to the hermitage of the spouses of the
ascetics.
The compassionate sage appointed some sage-wives for the care taking of
SitA and thus handing over SitA to the female ascetics again and again, the
Rishi of great fame, VAlmiki, surrounded by his disciples returned to his
hermitage.
Lakshman also hadn’t left yet and he witnessed all this; seeing that Bhagwati
SitA has ushered into the hermitage of sage-wives, he fell into deep sorrow.
He spoke thus to the charioteer—
O charioteer, consider the great grief of RAma resulting from the

separation of SitA. What greater grief could there be for RAma than
that caused by banishing His own wife, the daughter of Janaka, so
pure of conduct.
This separation of RAma from SitA is truly the effect of destiny. Fate is
indeed inexorable at all times. [Valmiki RAmAyaNa 7-50-1 to 5]
Fathoming the heart of his elder brother RAma, he remarks—

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[Valmiki Ramayan 7-50-6,7]
In past, RAma, to obey the command of His father, has passed fourteen
years in the dense forest of DaNDaka.
But it seems to me, that it pained Him more to banish SitA once
again, hearing the cruel words of the citizens!!
Lamenting thus and after having seen with his own eyes that Bhagwati SitA
had entered the hermitage of sages, he finally return back to AyodhyA with
grieving heart. This clearly shows his deep concern for the safety of Bhagwati
SitA.
In due course of time, Bhagwati SitA gave birth to the famous twin brothers,
Luv and Kush, whose ritual-rights, education, fostering etc all happened in
the hermitage under the guidance of great sages.
The moment sage Valmiki gave shelter to SitA, at that very moment itself he
clearly understood his own responsibility and his duty in future. He was
determined to completely uproot the baseless criticism and infamy of RAma
and SitA.
162
Thereafter one day while going to river TamasA for his “sandhya-vandan”
(daily ritual rights), sage Valmiki saw a couple of lovely krouncha birds. At
that very moment a tribal hunter killed the male one of them the couple of
birds, while Valmiki was looking on. The female bird, on seeing her slain
husband whose body is blood-soaked, reeling on the ground in the anguish of
pain, bewailed with piteous utterances.
On seeing this unfortunate event, a great compassion was aroused in that

kind-hearted sage Valmiki. Thus seeing the wailing female krounchi bird, the
Sage’s thoughts were directed towards the heart-rending sorrows of SitA. His
heart was already filled with pity and now it over-flowed with sorrow. The
divine sage, apperceiving the killing of male bird as unjust, uttered this
sentence...as if his sorrow itself came out of his mouth in the form of a
shloka, for the benefit of all the world, “3+ ÊD
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"Oh! Hunter, by which reason you have killed one male bird of the couple,
when it is in its lustful passion, thereby you will get an ever-lasting
reputation for ages to come..." [1-2-15]
This is a celebrated stanza of Sanskrit literature manifested due to the divine

will of Lord Brahma and the grace of Goddess Saraswati. This is quite
controversial too, in deciphering its meaning, the first verse of human origin
with metrical rules and grammar. Earlier to this, only Vedic stanzas were
available with their complicated compositional rules. This is the verse where
the epic, RAmAyaNa is said to have triggered off. This verse is taken as
mangalAcharana (benedictory verse) to RAmAyaNa. The above given
meaning is just a dictionary meaning. The actual hidden comport is as given
hereunder—

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"Oh! RAma, the consort of Lakshmi!! By which act of Your killing one male
demon named RAvana, out of the couple of RAvana and Mandodari, and thus
You eradicated the vice from the earth and protected the Vedic Dharma and
samskriti, for that You get an everlasting divine sanctity for ages to come."
How rightly the following utterances of some poet, suit the first ever poem of
humankind by Adikavi Srimad Maharshi Valmiki—
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163
On saying thus, and pondering for a while in his heart, 'what is it uttered by
me…' thus he became cogitative of those lines uttered. He spoke this
sentence to his disciples, and said—"This utterance of mine has emerged out
of my sorrow, and it is well- arranged with letters metrically posited, tuneful
and rhythmical to be sung with string instrument.....”. Even the disciple
happily received what that is articulated by the saint.
Then that saint on performing his bathing in that ford according to custom,
and still thinking on the purport of his utterance, returned towards his
hermitage. At that time, the great resplendent Four-faced creator of fourteen
worlds, almighty BrahmA, arrived there on his own, to see that eminent saint
Valmiki. He encouraged and urged the sage to render the legend of RAma, in
its entirety—
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[Valmiki Ramayan 1-2-31 to 36]
"Oh, Brahman, that speech of yours sprang forth at my wish alone, hence
oh, eminent sage, you shall render the legend of RAma, in its entirety.
You shall narrate the legend of RAma, the virtuous, intellectual and an
intrepid one. Tell the story of that Hero as you have heard it from the lips of
sage NArada.
The adventures of valorous RAma along with Lakshmana, and the

misadventures of demons, known or unknown in every detail, and even the
plight of Vaidehi which is either revealed or un-revealed, and whatever
legend that has happened, all that will be revealed to you, even if it were to
be unknown, as yet.
No description of yours in this epic, that will be composed by you,

will prove false. Render the sacred and soul-ravishing story of RAma into
verses.
Finally Lord Brahma blessed the noble sage thus—
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"As long as the mountains and even rivers flourish on the surface of
the earth, so long the legend of RAmAyaNa will flourish in this
world... and as long as RAma's legend authored by you
flourishes...till then you will flourish in heavenly, in netherworlds,
and even in my abode...”
Now we ourselves are witness to the true efficacy of this blessing of Lord
BrahmA! Millions of years have passed away, but still the story of prince
charming of AyodhyA is flourishing in this world as ever!!
Thereafter with the divine inspiration of Lord BrahmA, that virtue-souled sage
sipping water (as a purification rite) and taking his seat with joined palms on
the blades of Kusha grass with their end pertaining to the east, sought to
discover the exploits of Sri RAma through yogic powers.
By dint of that yogic exaltation he was able to perceive directly and clearly in
reality and every detail in that state of absorption all that pertained to Sri
RAma, LakshmaNa and SitA as well as to Emperor Dashratha alongwith his
wives and kingdom—
Even how they laughed and talked and moved and whatever they did—
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Likewise he saw the whole life history of RAma and SitA, what all that has
happened earlier, by his yogic exaltation, as though it is a citric fruit in his
own palm.
Thus discerning all of RAmAyaNa in its actuality by his yogic insight and
prowess conferred by Lord BrahmA that highly intellectual Valmiki pioneered
to author all of the legend of RAma, in the form of first-ever epic-poem of
mankind, the “RAmAyaNa”, for RAma is a delighter of all in all worlds!!
After having composed the legend, the saint was pondering over thus 'to
whom should I impart this poem…who will render this epic, Srimad
RAmayan'. At that very moment Kusha and Lava touched the feet of the
Sage. On seeing that pair intellectuals virtue knowing princes, those who
were proficient in Vedas, and endowed with melodious voice, besides being
the residents of the same hermitage that self-reliant sage Valmiki made
those two to memorize the epic, as the epic RAmAyaNa is composed only to
reinforce the import of Veda-s, as an ancillary.
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[Agastya-samhitA; VAlmiki RAmAyaNa MangalAcharaNa shloka-10]
“When that Supreme Being which is to be known through Veda-s, is born as

the son of Dashrath, (that time itself), the holy Veda-s themselves
transformed into RAmayan through sage Valmiki, the son of Prachetus (Lord
Varun)”
Kush and Luv would sing the epic as schooled, being conversant with the art
of music and proficient with the pitch and pausing their voices. Having charm
in their appearance and melodiousness in their voice, they were like the two
reflections of one original object, as if they came out from the body of RAma,
separately.
Once those two brothers, endowed with musical talent and with all
remarkable features, sung this epic, well aware of its content and intent,
among the assemblages of sages, scholars and pious souls. On hearing that,
the eyes of all the sages filled with tears of happiness, and they appreciated
saying—
“Splendid, splendid is this...the melody of the ballad, especially the meaning

of verses, aha! Superb... though this has happened long-ago it is shown like
the one happening presently...surprising is this well-said rendering of
Valmiki... it is the subsistence for tomorrow's poets... and this is completed
sequentially, as well!!!” [VAlmiki RAmAyaNa 1-4-15-19]
Thus in ecstasy some pleased saint got up and bestowed a handy vessel to
them... another reputed sage, lauding them contributed a jute robe…
someone gave a water-pot and like that yet another a sacred thread to
singers.
Sage Valmiki was very pleased at heart to see his efforts showing results,
and now he was in search for an appropriate moment for presenting this epic
RAmayan in front of the citizens of Ayodhya.
Thereafter someday, the King of Ayodhya, Lord RAmachandra decided to

perform the sacred Ashvamedh yagya (ritual ceremony) for the benefit of His
subjects. On being invited with due respect, Sage Valmiki and all other
ascetics of his hermitage also went to NaimishAraNya (where the yagya was
being performed) to participate in the ritual ceremony. The pious sage noted
that this is the perfect occasion for which he had been waiting. The time had
come for the completion of his mission of uprooting all the false rumors and
accusations of those people of Ayodhya with unclear minds who were
opposed to Bhagwati SitA. He was determined to unite the two sons with
their father, a wife with Her Husband, thinking thus— “I shall restore and
bring forth the ever noblest and purest disposition of Sri Maithily SitA before
the eyes of the whole world”.
166
The noble sage had come with this sweet vow in his mind and had also
brought the two brothers Kush and Luv alongwith him.
The sage then asked those brothers to sing the tale of RAmayan wandering
everywhere in the streets of Ayodhya, on the king’s ways, in the vicinity of
Royal palace where the Brahmins were performing the Yagya. He also
instructed them not to take any food-items, water, money or any other gift-
items from the citizens of Ayodhya and also in case Lord RAma himself
enquires about their father then just to say that they two were the disciples
of Sage Valmiki.
Thus properly instructed by their preceptor, the two brothers started singing
the epic in front of the gatherings of general public of AyodhyA. Whosoever
listened to their narration would completely immerse in it….as if the very
scene of those old events, as had been seen by those people earlier,
manifested before their eyes. How true! How beautiful! How natural! How
simple! and how touching was that literary sketch! Everyone present there
was left wondering awe-struck…
People, impressed by their singing wanted to give something to those singers

but they didn’t accept anything. In this way, this news of two celestial-like
singers also reached in the court of the King. There also everyone was eager
to taste the nectar of RAmayan as distributed by the unknown singers. Those
elegant ascetic-singers, the son of Bhagawati Janaki, presented their
melodious rending there also and comprehensively impressed all the listeners
with their subject matter, voice, knowledge of music and their charming
appearance. Everyone was drinking in the nectar of their divine beauty—
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People present there started discussing among themselves about the

similarity of appearance of those ascetic-youths with Lord RAma Himself, as
if they were His mirror images!!
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They looked attentively and said to each other— ‘Both are similar to RAma as
a reflection from the original object. If they were not bearing matted hair or
not dressed in bark-garments, we could not differentiate between those two
singers and RAma, the descendant of Raghu.
Even RAma, Bharat, Lakshmanm Shatrughn, great sages such as Vasishthha

etc and other courtiers were also mesmerized.
167
After the completion of their singing of RAmAyan on that day, RAma asked
Lakshman to grant 18000 gold-coins and gems etc to the singers, but Kush
and Luv didn’t accept that. They were steadfast in their stance saying—
“We are forest-dweller, who survive on fruits & roots and wear tree-barks
and joot cloths. We don’t have any desire for gold. But yes if you wish to
hear the complete story of RAmAyaNa then we can narrate it in front of all of
you”.
Thus a special arrangement was made for the listening of RAmayan everyday
after the completion of day’s Yagya-related activities.
All the respected sages, great-sages (Maharshi), King-sages (RAjarshi), four

classes of public (chatur-varna), demigods, asur (demons) and gandharvAs
etc were all present there for listening to the divine story of RAma and SitA.
The two singers captivated the hearts of all with their divinely beauty,
wonderful intellect and knowledge of Veda shastras, their art of playing
VeeNa (string-instrument to play musical notes), charming voice and their
noble saintly disposition full of supreme detachment and renounce.
Even highest forms of virtues of an attached person, who wants something in

return, lose its lusture. His talks, howsoever good they may be, don’t derive
that much respect and faith from the listener. Only that speaker can
command suitable respect and faith and can impress upon the public, who is
completely detached from within and doesn’t have any personal interests.
More so, what to say here? The greatest epic of the caliber of Srimad
RAmayan, which is “satyam, shivam, sundaram (true, beneficial and divinely
beautiful)”, as seen himself by the divine intellect (Ø "
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renounciate and detached sage of the status of Maharshi Valmiki, and add to
it the melodious musical rendering of it by two detached ascetics such as
Kush and Luv!
Listening to it thus, everyone had complete faith and belief in the narrated
events. To start with everyone was assured of the truthfulness of the events
narrated in AyodhyA-kand, as they themselves were witnesses to these
events earlier. Thereafter hearing the as-it-is narration of the events of
AyodhyAkand, everyone was very eager to hear the story of Aranya,
KishkindhA and Lanka Kand.
The curiosity to hear the story of SitA was also there. All the public present
there kept on silently listening to that awe-inspiring narration, full devotedly
and attentively, at the same time tears kept flowing forth from their eyes on
remembering about the poor noble SitA, who was their queen but whom they
made a victim of their criticism and as a result who was residing in forests as
tribal.
At that time that assembly of people in the palace, looked similar to a forest
in early morning, where drops of mist are falling down from the trees—
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They all praised with open hearts the ever noble, pure and divine disposition
of Bhagwati SitA, which can even purify the purity itself!! Wretches also
regretted their dirty minds and deeds.
This narration was not a royal propaganda, not a mere poetic imagination of
some official patron poet; rather it was the “samAdhi-bhashA” (
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narration written in deep state of meditation, of a detached sage, living in
forests away from the state affairs, devoted to austerities, surviving on tree-
barks, fruits & roots, bestowed with divine vision of his Yogic SamAdhi and
which was being sung by the most beloved disciples of the sage himself, the
dual sons of VanvAsi Devi (SitA)!! In that situation why would it not have
established a firm faith in public?
The hearts of everyone melted, voice choked with tears, whole body
overwhelmed with emotions of joy as well as sorrows.
RAma, Bharat, Lakshman, Shatrughna, mothers and other family members

were also drowned in the ocean of love. Even sages such as Vasishthha etc
were also rendered deprived of their fortitude, in the ecstasy of love. The
most glorious and splendorous disposition of Bhagawati SitA, the
transcendental divine Madhurya potency, the very embodiment of divine
bliss, thrilled the innermost corners of their subconscious and souls.
That minor section of public of AyodhyA, which was opposed to SitA, also
bowed down in Her Lotus-feet as Her devotees and thus washed away all
their incorrigible sins with their tears of remorse!!
This was the divine efficacy of the divine nectarian creation of Maharshi
Valmiki! Thus he completed his vow and achieved his goal and this was Lord
Raghavendra’s Neeti, as a consequence of which all these events unfolded!!
That task which was never ever possible with any sort of punishments or with
any propaganda, was comprehensively achieved this way with RAma’s neeti.
In the end, appearance of Divine mother, Bhagavati SitA with all her
grandeur and opulence in the bosom of Bhagavati MadhavI Devi (Goddess
Earth) made those people cry out in remorse and made them plead Her for
forgiveness.
In reality, the separation of RAma and SitA was only outwardly, in internal
sense that separation was never possible, in the same way as sweetness is
inseparable from nectar. But that outwardly separation also was the subject
of unbearable pain for RAma.
169
What a pathetic condition the RAma is in, after the exile of SitA, is simply
unimaginable for us! SitA’s sorrows are RAma’s only! The same Janaki, in
whose separation, He was so much sorrowful that even rocks started
weeping seeing His piteous state, as described by Lakshman—
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“In that lonely Jansthana that dreaded DandakAranya abandoned by the

Humans, seeing the Heart-rending pathos and plight of Your distressed soul,
even rocks started weeping and even the heart of Vajra was torn to
pieces!!!”
That same JAnaki, He had to distance from Himself. What would have been
His mental agony? Why don’t people see this before inflicting criticism on
RAma? In exiling SitA, RAma inflicted on Himself a punishment much much
harsher than that of SitA, because the pain of separation was equal for both
of them but still the feeling of guilt was gifted to RAma only.
RAma used to call His hands as “NishhkaruNa” (deprived of pity and

compassion). His spirit would be consumed in a private hell of the His own
making, in a merciless world of silent self-flagellation, where one is one's
own prosecutor, jury, judge and hangman as well!!
On one hand this endless ocean of sorrows and on other hand He had to also
look after the state-affairs as a King, suppressing His emotions within His
own bosom, managing the Kingly duties one long day after another, those
magnificent shoulders would slump so desolately—like those of an unyoked
beast-of-burden collapsing pitiably in the stables at the end of another cruel
working day—simply unable to bear the crushing load of His own guilt.....
Who can fathom those tranquil moments of reminiscence of the blissful

period they (RAma and SitA) spent together in the silence of those forests of
Chitrakoot hill during 14 years of their exile?
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“Due to His natural inbuilt seriousness, RAma’s terrible grieves and sorrows
remain hidden deep inside His heart itself. With that sorrow, RAma’s Karuna-
Ras is similar to a Putpaak (as a medicine placed over fire in between two
lids, keeps burning internally unseen by an outsider, similarly RAma’s endless
agony of separation from SitA is burning Him internally but no one can notice
this sorrowful condition of His, due to his inbuilt seriousness)”
170
Sometimes His heart would rupture apart and He would pitiably call out for
His beloved queen SitA—

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“O JAnaki, the beloved daughter of Janak! As if I am seeing you here and

there…..but why are you not showing mercy on me….!!!
Ha Ha Devi! My heart is bursting apart…..the joints of my body, my limbs,

my whole frame is drooping away!!!……this whole world seems so much
lonely to me…..I am burning continuously from inside……My soul is engulfed
with sorrow and is sinking in darkness…..unconsciousness is surrounding
me……Oh! What do I, the unfateful one, do?”
But still in view of His four major objectives as I have enlisted above, i.e. to
put a brake on the infamy of SitA and make secure Her spotless glory, to
vouchsafe the glory of His ancestors, to lay a solid foundation of faith in King
within the hearts of His dear subjects of Ayodhya and to protect the propriety
and standards of Laukic Dharma and behavioral conduct in public, He
surpassed everything.
The fault neither lies with RAma and nor with SitA. Both of them did supreme
sacrifice of their Lives. But perhaps PrajA could not discharge its duties
perfectly; the praja (public) of Ayodhya could not do justice with SitA and
RAma. They could not fulfill their Dharma towards the King like RAma and
Queen like SitA perfectly; that is why they had to face the punishment of not
having SitA as their queen.
If we look this whole episode from another viewpoint, then we can compare
this with a small infant hitting his own mother with his foot. RAma and SitA
considered the people of Ayodhya as their own children, as has been
mentioned by Maharshi Valmiki at many places, such as—

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"RAma feels very sad towards afflictions of men; and feels delighted in all
functions celebrated by people on certain occasions, just as their own
father."
171

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Fondly gazing on the people (of Ayodhya) as though drinking with His eyes,
RAma lovingly spoke (to them) as though they were his own children.
Also as Goswamiji ji has also mentioned in Sri RAmacharitmanas—
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Again, I bow to the men and women of the city (of AyodhyA), who enjoy the
affection of the Lord in no small degree. Even though they were damned as a
result of the heap of sins incurred my the caluminators of SitA (who were
instrumental in bringing about Her lifelong exile), still they were lodged by
the Lord in His heavenly Abode, out of His great affection on them, having
being divested of sorrow. [RCM bAla-kAnda]
If a small baby kicks his own mother, then would that mother start punishing
him in the name of justice? Rather she would silently bear it, even if it hurts.
If the baby doesn’t stop on his own and goes on like that then to stop the
baby, mother would try to convey to the child that it hurts her. But how
would she do that if that child is not sensible enough to understand it. In that
case mother can convey it only in the universal language of emotions and
love, which is far more effective than any other language and a lengthy
lecture. She would start weeping aloud in front of the baby and the child
when he sees that his mother is crying would stop his actions. He would then
understand that somehow his actions are making his mother cry.
Similarly when the people of Ayodhya, whom RAma and SitA considered as
their own children, talked ill of SitA and RAma, then it was as if they have
kicked their own mother and father!! RAma and SitA also bore the pain of
their kicks (which was the physical separation of RAma and SitA, and that too
when Devi SitA was pregnant) similar to affectionate parents. RAma never
once questioned them because He knew that those infants themselves don’t
know what they were doing!
Therefore He decided to convey His feelings in a different manner. RAma

sent SitA away from AyodhyA to the hermitage of Sage Valmiki as per their
wish to please them.
But He also presented to them His weeping face full of tears and His broken
heart…..How??
….By keeping only SitA’s golden statue and none else by His side in various
YagyAs (sacrifices) which He performed!!
172
That one action of Him conveyed everything to His subjects!! This was more
effective than thousands of words. This one act conveyed to them His
unsurpassing love and unshakable faith in His dear SitA!!
RAma being a King, could have any number of wives as He wished, as per
Hindu scriptures and rules of society prevalent in those times. It was a very
common practice for the Kshatriya class to have multitude of wives. In fact,
it was considered to be beneath a King's dignity to have less than a dozen
wives.
After the exile of SitA, when Lord RAmachandra decided to perform

Ashwamedha Yagya on being requested by His counselors, then all the
sages, public representatives as well as ministers requested RAma to re-
marry because any ritual Vedic Yagya could only be performed alongwith a
wife only. But the Lord of JAnaki, firmly resolved that He would not re-marry
and decided to place a Golden statue of His dear SitA only by His side in all
the Yagyas!!
Now why can’t these women activists see this!! Or is it that they deliberately
don’t want to see it? Sensible Readers, especially females can themselves
decide whether RAma was atrocious towards women-folk….whether He was a
cruel husband as portrayed by these organizations, or He was, is and would
always be the most loving, affectionate and caring Husband any woman can
ever dream of!!
For this reason only when one friend of SitA, Vasanti, in the state of mental
agony seeing the sorrows of SitA, called RAma as “nishhThura” (bereft of
compassion), then SitA replied—
“O Sakhi (friend), RAma is not uncompassionate. Altough with regards to

external view I am away from RAma, yet in reality, I alone am the queen of
His heart!
Sakhi! RAma’s heart has not ever been touched by the breaths of any other
woman”
Bhagwati SitA, whom others criticized and talked ill of, whom people of
Ayodhya wanted to be dethroned as a queen of AyodhyA, same JAnaki’s
statue was enshrined by RAma in the sacred Yagya-vedikA (sacred seat on
the side of Yagya)!!! The unalloyed love of RAma for SitA remained as it is
unpartitioned;
The queen of RAma’s heart-throne always remained SitA only! See in what
beautiful words the author of Kundmala has portrayed the feelings of RAma—
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173
O Devi! You are the goddess (griha-lakshami) enshrined in my heart.
Wandering in my dreams, you alone are my sleep-companion. I have no will
whatsoever for any other wife apart from You. As it is, in Yagya-rituals only
Your golden idol is my Dharma-patni (vowfully wedded wife).
When the public of AyodhyA saw that Lord RAmachandra didn’t re-marry
after exiling SitA and has placed the golden statue of SitA by His side, then
they themselves realized that although “the King” has exiled “the Queen”
from the throne of AyodhyA to respect their wish, but “the husband” RAma
has not exiled “the wife” SitA from the throne of His heart.
They realized how good-natured are their King and Queen, how noble and
pure is their character…their sheel!! Their King ruined His own life to respect
their wish. They could then feel the internal sorrows and agony of RAma.
They realized how badly their ‘kick’ has hurt their parents, RAma and SitA!!
They could visualize the weeping faces of RAma and SitA profuse with tears,
in that piteous sight of RAma performing Yagya alongwith golden statue of
SitA!!
This was RAma’s way of showing silent protest to His people, whom He
regarded as His own children and this was His marvelous way of harmonizing
Preeti (Love) for SitA, affection for His subjects and Neeti as a King!!!
This is the unique quality of RAma-charitra, for which reason GoswAmi

TulsidAsji has declared in SriRAmacharitamAnas:
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(On one hand) Proprietary of behavior and (on the other hand, seemingly
opposite pole) Love, (similarly on one hand) the highest object of life and (on
the other hand seemingly opposite pole) worldly interests, no one knows
these aright as RAma does! [RCM-AyodyaKand-253-3]
Those people of Kosala who touched Lord RAmachandra, or even just saw
Him; whether they ate alongwith the Lord or slept alongside Him or just
followed Him for few steps even, all those supreme fortunate ones departed
to that supreme abode wherein all bhakti-yoga practitioners go to
[BhAgavata 9-11-22]
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In what manner do I offer in Your Lotus-feet, those feelings of mine brimming over my
heart? For these are just the words uttered in exuberance of this kid; bereft as they
are of any poetic charms such as Ras (emotions), shabd (elegant words) and chhanda
(poetic meter).
Knowing me as a miniscule servant of Your Lord (RAmachandra), pray! be pleased

upon me O master with this childish prattle of mine; this is my most humble prayer in
Your Lotus-feet O! ‘chaakara’ of Raghubir! (servant of that Hero of Raghu’s line,
RAma), GoswAmi TulsidAsa!
How can this small book on RAmAyaNa be complete without a brief talk on
RAma’s most humble devotee, the narrator of the legend of RAma in the
form of Grantha-ratna Srimad RAmachritamAnas, kalipAvanAvatAra, kavi-
kula-kamal-divAkar, Sri VaishNavAgragaNya GoswAmi TulsidAsa!!
This self-less servant of RAma, who only gave to this world and got nothing
(except criticism, disrespect, hunger and neglect) in return from it. Himself
drinking the terrible poison of sorrows throughout his life, he distributed only
sweetest nectar to others.
Just after his birth, GoswAmi TulsidAsa was deserted by his father (Shri
AtmArAma Dubey), due to his having been born during an unlucky
astrological conjunction, i.e. Abhukt-mool nakshatra
His mother Srimati Hulsi Devi also (due to fear of her husband) handed over
her just-born baby to her friend/maid ChuniyA and thereafter breathed her
last within 2-3 days of it.
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By the time he was barely 5 years old, his guardian maid ChuniyA also left
this world. Thereafter only sorrows were writ in his fate; his childhood days
a tale of untold miseries and hardships.
In several apparently autobiographical verses in the Kavitavali and Vinay

patrika, GoswAmiji refers to early abandonment by his parents and to a
childhood of loneliness, hunger, and pain. By studying the literature of
Goswami Tulsidas such as Vinay-Patrika, KavitAwali any sensitive reader can
very well appreciate how much deprived and full of sorrows His childhood
days were!!
He was apparently rescued by a group of Vaishnava sadhus including His

Guru, SriVaishNavAcharya NarharyAnanda (also known as Sri NarharidAsa)
who gave him his first lessons in devotion to RAm, the "purifier of the fallen."
Few of his own utterances are being presented below for the consideration of
compassionate hearts—

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I was born in a Brahmin caste and on my birth various celebrations were

made; but later (after his father came to know about the fateful time of his
birth) hearing it caused a lot of agony to my parents! (Thus after being
abandoned by my father and my mother’s demise, I, an orphan child) from a
very tender age itself, I, rendered to an utterly destitute condition, kept
wandering as a beggar from this door to that door, greedily beseeching food
here and there, crying as though a dog!!
(such was my state at that time that) I considered mere four grains (of
chane or chickpeas) as four ultimate goals of life (i.e. Dharma, Artha, Kama,
Moksha)!!
176
Same Tulsi is now counted among the servants of the greatest Master Lord
RAmachandra!! Knowing/seeing this even such an astrologer as BrahmA, is
also rendered wondering with jealously!!
O! RAma! I don’t know whether this Name of Yours is clever or mad, which
transforms such a destitute, lighter (trivial) than even a mere blade of grass,
into one, even heavier than a Mountain!!

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My mother and father abandoned me after giving birth to me in this world

and destiny also didn’t write anything good on my forehead! I was so lowly,
fit for ridicule and disrespect, coward, eager for even the leftovers of dogs!
Such a destitute I, TulsidAsa, was when I heard about the merciful

disposition of RAma, I went to His doorstep and narrated all of my sorrows,
all in and out about myself and rendered open my heart in front of my
RAma; and that’s it, the Lord of Raghus also, thereafter, has left nothing
unturned for this poor Tulsidas!!
At that time, would anyone, even in his dreams, have thought that this same
beggar, destitute, orphan child would one day write such a book on
RAmachandra, which would go on to gain much higher popularity than even
the best of all scriptures, AdikAvya VedAvatAra Srimad VAlmiki RAmAyaNa?
And would raise and resound the utterance of “mangal bhavan amangala
haari” in whole BhAratavarshha?
And more than that would anyone have imagined at that time that this same
child, one day, having entered the most personal entourage of the King of
the Kings, Lord of the Lords, chakravarti SamrAta, nay the one and only
Lord of this universe Sri RAmachandra, would proclaim thus—
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“WE ARE THE SERVANTS OF RAGHUVIR, the Hero of Raghu’s line, with our
name written on board in the divine court of RAma!
Would then (after being the courtier of that King of whole universe) we now
be the courtiers of mere men (the local kings of those times such as Akbar)?
177

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TulasidAsa, under the shelter of the might of RaghuvIr’s arms, is forever

unscarred and is least afraid of anyone whatsoever!!
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One time was that when I begged for mere pieces of bread wandering from
house to house and again one time is this when Kings worshipped my feet!
(Someone asks GoswAmiji that what is the reason behind this? To this he
replies—) That Tulasi (of earlier times) was without RAma; while this present
Tulasi is (blessed) with RAma’s favour.
That is why GoswAmiji while concluding his magnum-opus

SriRAmacharitamAnas, in the trance of overwhelming emotions, expressed
his own self–experience in following words—
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“If there is anyone who is all-beautiful, all-wise and all-merciful and who is
fond of the forlorn, it is RAma and RAma alone; who else can compare with
Him as a disinterested friend and bestower of eternal bliss? Nowhere can we
find a Lord like Sri RAma, by an iota of whose grace even this dull-witted
TulasidAsa has found supreme bliss!!”
Thereafter that poor child, as per the wish of His Guru, came to VArANasi
(Kashi/Banares) and underwent a period of traditional Sanskrit education,
from His sikshA Guru, said to be Sri SeshaSanAtana GoswAmi, a profound
scholar of those times in VArANasi.
After completing his education, he returned to his native village and marrying
Srimati RatnAwali entered the second order of Hindu religious life. Ratnawali
was the first person in the life of orphan Tulsi whom he could call as his own,
of course on the plane of worldly relations;
For the first time in his life full of miseries and loneliness, he got the affection
of his dear wife, Ratna and therefore became deeply attached to her. His
infatuation grew to such an extent that he was unable to bear her absence
even for a short period.
178
One day while she was visiting her parents, GoswAmiji is said to have braved
a rain-swollen river to reach his in-laws' house, only to receive, on arrival, a
stinging rebuke from Ratnavali in the form of a couplet that has become
proverbial.
This passion for my flesh-and-bone-filled body—

had you such for Lord RAma, you'd have no dread of death.
Hearing this GoswAmiji was filled with remorse. He thought what a big fool
he was to seek love and affection from these worldly relations! He realized
the truth of this illusory world as also that only one relation with RAma alone
is true and eternal. Rest all relations and belongings are transient and would
be leaving a person this day or the other!
Bowing down to Ratnavali, GoswAmiji at once exited from there and went on
in quest of his eternal relative, i.e. RAma, who would always uphold His
relation at any cost; who would not be deserting him like his parents; who
would never pierce his tender heart with stinging tantrums; who would
thoroughly comprehend the cravings of a destitute beggar, who has always
starved for few words of affection more than few grains of food!
This should be considered as the grace of the Bhakta-vatsala Lord alone that
He pulled His nija-jana (own devotee) back again to His Abhaya-charaNa-
kamala (Lotus feet, reliever of all fears)
His subsequent wanderings took him to Ayodhya, RAma's birthplace and

capital, and later to Banaras, where he settled and composed most of his
major works.
Sri RAmacharitmAnas is both the longest and earliest of the poet's major
works; its composition apparently began when GoswAmiji was in his early
forties.
The famous western scholar of the time when British ruled over India, Sir G.
A. Grierson has expressed his views on GoswAmi TulsidAsa and
SriRAmacharitamAnas in following words—
“Half a century later, contemporary with our Shakespeare, we find the poet
and reformer Tulasidas (died 1623). This extraordinary man, who, if we take
for our test the influence that he exercises at the present day, was one of the
half-dozen great writers that Asia has produced, deserves more than a brief
reference. He is commonly known to Europeans as the author of a history of
Rama, but he is far more than that. He occupies a position among the
singers of the Rama Saga, peculiar to himself. Unlike the numerous
religious poets who dwelt in the Doab, and whose theme was Krsna,
he lived humbly in Benares, unequalled and alone in his niche in the
Temple of fame. Disciples he had in plenty, -today they are numbered
by millions- but imitators, none. Looking back through the vista of
centuries we see his noble figure standing in his own pure light as
the guide and saviour of Hindustan. His influence has never ceased,
179
nay, it has ever kept increasing; and only when we reflect upon the
fate of Tantra-ridden Bengal or on the wanton orgies that are carried
on under the name of Krsna-worship can we justly appreciate the
work of the man who in Northern India taught the infinite vileness of
sin and the infinite graciousness of the Deity, and whose motto might
have been—
'He prayeth best who loveth best all things both great and small.'
But Tulasidas did not only teach this elevated system of religion—he
succeeded in getting his teaching accepted. He founded no sect, laid down no
dogmatic creed, and yet his great work is at the present day the one bible of
the ninety millions of people, and fortunate it has been for them that they
had this guide. It has been received as the perfect example of the perfect
book and thus its influence has been exercised not only over the unlettered
multitude but over the long series of authors who followed him, and
especially over the crowd which sprang into existence with the introduction of
printing at the beginning of the last century. As Mr. Growse says in the
Introduction to his translation of the Ramayana, of this author, "the book is
in everyone's hands, from the court to the cottage, and is read and heard
and appreciated alike by every class of the Hindu community, whether high
or low, rich or poor, young or old." In fact, the importance of Tulasidas in the
history of India cannot be overrated. Putting the literary merits of his work
out of the question, the fact of its UNIVERSAL acceptance by all classes, from
Bhagalpur to the Punjab, and from the Himalaya to Nerbudda, surely
demands more than a polite acknowledgement of his existence. Half a
century ago, an old missionary said to me that no one could hope to
understand the natives of Upper-India till he has mastered every line that
Tulasidas had written. I have since learned to know how right he was.”
[Sir G. A. Grierson in the "Linguistic Survey of India", Vol-I, Part Introductory 1927 Calcutta]
Similarly Mr. Edwin Greaves has paid his tribute to GoswAmiji as follows—
“The poet’s mind is engrossed in his subject, not in himself. His concern is to
direct the reader’s attention to RAma—his greatness and his goodness, and
not to the cleverness of the writer. His devotion to RAma simply floods all his
verses; they are saturated with his passionate affection for his Lord and
Master. He writes not to procure fame for himself but to make secure the
glory of RAmachandra and SitA.”
“Many poets have enriched Hindi Literature, but surely TulasidAs stands out
as the greatest of them all. Others may possess single excellences in a
slightly higher degree; but TulasidAs combines so many and so great
excellences and there is such a brave and gentle spirit permeating the whole
of his RamAyan. He is worthy not only of our admiration but also our love,
and he is loved; and certainly there is no Hindi book so widely found in
palace and in hut and so greatly treasured.”
['An Appreciation of the Tulasikrita Ramayana' - by Edwin Greaves]
180
Apart from Sri RAmacharitmAnas, GoswAmiji has also composed several
other Granthas, of which Vinaypatrika, GItAwali, KavitAwali and DohAwali are
most eminent.
Vinay-PatrikA, GItAwali and KavitAwali hold their unique specialty as

compared to his magnum-opus Sri RAmacharitamAnas, in that while we read
mAnasa we feel as if we are reading the descriptions of the events of Treta-
Yuga, which is far from us, we may find in mAnas, what was the relation
between RAma with Bharata, Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Hanuman; how
was the love between RAma and SitA; how did Dasharatha and Kaushalya
enjoyed the BAla-Leela of their RAmalalA; How did Shabari, NishAdarAja
Guha, Sugreev and several other innumerous devotees reached to the Lotus-
feet of RAghava!
But hearing this alone doesn't provide full satisfaction to us Jeevas, we are
also thirsty for the divine nectarian Rasa of the Lotus-feet of our Lord; and
ultimately we cannot be fully satisfied unless and until we also know what is
our own relation with our RAjeevaLochana Prabhu (Lotus-eyed Lord)!
For example, in MAnas when Goswamiji eulogies various characters of

SrimadRAmayana, he just praises and describes their glories and their
qualities, but in VinayPatrika, there is a slight change. Here he eulogies
Sri Lakshmana in a great detail, but see how beautifully he starts his
eulogy—

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"O darling Lakshmana!! You are the true benefit of your own people"
In MAnas, it has been repeated several times that Sri Lakshmana is the
serviceful devotee of RAma. But here Goswamiji starts itself with— "O darling
Lakshmana you are my true benefit!"
Then in a similar way he goes on to list Sri Lakshman's relation with all
others—

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"You are beloved of Bharata, you are loved by SumitrA and SitA as their own
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resembling a Lovely Cloud."
And how he ends it? Whenever he praises someone then after mentioning
all his relations, he doesn't stop without mentioning one most important
relation......and that is—
"You are like a treasure as well as treasury for this Nirdhan (poor) Tulsidas!"
181
See how cleverly this Deen Bhakta establishes his relation with none other
than SriLakshman, who is Shesha (The serpent on whose couch SriVishnu
rests) himself and who is known for his anger!
Next see how simply Goswamiji brings the RAma of Treta-Yuga in his
present. The RAma who plays in the Angan (courtyard) of MahArAj
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"May that home of bliss and Bane of woe, take compassion on me - he who
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The four darling sons of King Dashratha forever play in the heart-temple of
this TulsidAs.
This is the specialty of Vinay-patrika, Kavitawali, Geetawali that along with

the characters of RAmAyan, we also feel ourself associated with the
ever merciful Lord.
Vinay-patrika, as the name itself suggests, is a private letter of

Goswamiji, addressed to RAma! a Letter from a Jeev to Parameshar,
....from a Dasa (servant) to his Lord,
....from a Bhakt (devotee) to his Bhagwaan,
....and above all from a Son to his Mother/Father!!!
This divine letter, is only one of its kind, no-one else, prior to Goswamiji,
has sent such a sweet letter to Lord. This patrika is brimming with the purest
of the purest Bhakthi-Rasa. It is like a sangam (confluence) of three holy
rivers, i.e. Dainya (affliction) bhava of Goswamiji (which resembles the river
Yamuna), the underflowing current of Prem-Rasa (which can be compared to
the river Saraswati, and which is invisible to a casual reader), and finally the
Kripa showered by the Lord is the Ganga of this triveni (threefold) sangam.
This Sangam has such a charm that even if a stone-hearted soul,

baths in its divine waters, his heart will surely melt away in the purest and
spotless bhakti-rasa flowing out of the heart of its most-humble author!!!
This Patrika of Goswamiji was meant to be a private letter to his JeevAdhAra

(prop of his life), Lord RAmachandra, which he himself carried to his Lord's
Royal Court (DarbAr), and was seconded (forwarded) by all those present in
the court including Sri Bharata, Sri Lakshmana, Sri Shatrughna and Sri
Hanuman. While his affectionate mother, Bhagwati SitA had already
182
presented his case before Her consort privately as Goswamiji had previously
requested Her in the following pada of Vinay-Patrika—
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O Mother! When You e’er a time well-suited find,

Begin a piteous tale, and then of me remind:
A worthless destitute, unknown to pious means,
A soul unclean and full to brim with all the sins;
Your name repeats to fill the paunch, no other trade
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When ask He will of me, my name and plight relate.

His hearing ‘lone will turn the tide of my ill-fate.
O Mother of the world! thus with the help of these
Few words of Thine, in sooth, with God-speed and ease
I’ll go across the world by singing all along
The glories of Thy Lord in many a hymn and song.
-Translated by Madhav Sharan, MA LLB, from Kalyana Kalptaru Jan, 1952 issue
One fine day this poor beggar starving for the food of love and affection
reaches the door-steps of RAjAdhirAja, Lord RAmachandra and submits to His
merciful Lord in one of the most touching pada of Vinay-PatrikA, as—
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183
O Lord! Today I have come to Your doorstep since early dawn itself. I have
been continuously crying “rein rein”, beseeching again and again nothing else
but just one bite of food!
(If now You were to ask me that why are you begging; can’t you do any
work? Then this alone is my answer-) In this dreaded age of Kali, there is an
acute drought (of religious practices). Nothing can be completed without
hassles, so I have deemed begging from You alone, as the only option fit for
me.
The deeds of people (of today) are so lowly still their desire is enormous
(everyone wants happiness, peace etc but are ignorant of the fact that real
pleasure cannot be obtained without Your grace), in the same way as the
itchiness of ring-spots in the body (where one derives pleasure while rubbing
it, but later it gives enormous pain due to secretion of blood from it; similarly
when our senses are brought in contact with their respective subjects, i.e.
worldly pleasures, then although one initially experiences pleasure but later
on it proves out to be sorrowful in the end)
Understanding this, I, frightened in my heart, went to the ever

compassionate saint-assemblage and asked them, “Is there anyone
somewhere for such wretched people as myself?” They all answered (in one
voice) that such a Lord is only that Lord of Kosala, MahArAja RAmachandra,
who gracefully accepts such (utterly useless) people.
(Hearing about such a fame of Your highness, I have come to seek Your
refuge) O GareebnewAja (the respectful towards poor), I am a beggar who
has been hungry throughout his whole life since birth! Pray! Please feed me
to my heart’s content, the sweetest food of that nectar of devotion! (Bestow
me such devotion to Your Lotus-feet that there remains not any other wish
for me after that)
In one pada of KavitAvali, he declares that he knows not anyone else other
than RAma and pleads RAma to accept him—
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I don’t want to worship Lord Shiva, neither Lord GaNesha, nor Sun god, nor
Lord Kuber, nor Goddess PArvati, nor Lord BrahmA and nor any other
demigod!
I have but only one faith in Your name for crossing this dreadful ocean of
worldly existence and transmigration; whether I am sitting or standing,
whether awake or wandering, whether sleeping or in dreams!
184
(You might think that I am mad) then let me tell You Oh Rama! that yes, this
TulasidAsa is mad indeed but (howsoever I am), I am Yours only, and I
swear by You over this fact!!
Perceiving this through Your tender heart, pray! Please accept me as Yours!
O! my JAnakinAtha! If You would also turn Your face from me then there
would be no other destination left for me! Where would I go? All are
strangers for me (in this world accept You).
Sometimes he gets scared that he might be irritating his Lord by repeatedly

calling Him and thus he sings—
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O my Lord! If there were any other Master or any other place of refuge for
me then I would not have frustrated/displeased You like this by calling You
again and again in this manner!
O gracious Lord, Lazy and utterly unfortunate such as me, have been
pampered by You alone, therefore O Lord! King RAmachandra alone is my
King and AyodhyA alone is my city!
Hearing about Your ways, Your nature and disposition, I have faith and love
just for You alone; but I am afraid seeing the atrocities of this KalikAla, lest it
should turn me away from You (towards sensual pleasures)!!
O Rama! Pray, may all auspiciousness be upon You; my task would stand
accomplished only if, either You just say this or convey this through someone
else that, “TulsidAsa! You are mine! Don’t feel afraid in your heart with
dejection”
But when he sees that his Lord is still hesitant in accepting him then after
analyzing deeply within, he finally held himself responsible for this delay from
RAma’s side; still as a child becomes obstinate for getting anything from his
parents without worrying about any other factor such as cost etc. similarly
GoswAmiji in the mood of an obstinate child sat on the doorstep of RAma and
beseeched Him thus—
185
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O RAma! From this very day, I am lying at Your door in protest, having taken
a vow that I would not move from here for my whole life, unless and until
You say to me, “TulsidAsa! you are mine!”; this I am saying swearing by
You!!
I have become obstinate for it, and I swear that as a child, I will, in any case
whatsoever, take that for which I persist!!
I know how much full of mercy You are! Therefore bestowing this wish on me
would be befitting to Your nature! And anyway You have to give it sooner or
later, then why should there be any further delay in it….
Pray! Please do not delay it any further my Lord! With each moment I am
melting away with shame! (People would say that RAma is infinitely merciful
yet this sinner TulsidAsa has still not been accepted by Him even after so
many days have passed since He arrived at His door-step! Definitely this
Tulsi is the worst sinner that is why even RAma also is not able to accept
Him, same RAma who had pledged to accept such a sinner as RAvaNa
himself!!)
If You are feeling shy in openly saying this in front of all, knowing me to be
brimming with sins, then O RAma! just accept this TulsidAsa in Your heart
internally with Your grace (that way no one would come to know of it); I am
utterly frightened to behold this Kaliyuga O Lord!
But the very next moment reflecting upon the graciousness of Rama, he felt
so much embarrassed to have uttered such words in obstinence to such a
compassionate Lord. He again piteously starts narrating his feelings to his
Lord in following words—
186
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O Lord! I kept on wandering from this door to that door, humbly narrating
my miseries, pleading to everyone here and there, exposing my teeth and
bowing in their feet as a destitute beggar!
In this world there are numerous so-called merciful Lords, who are capable of
removing the sorrows and sins of all the ten directions, but none (of these
so-called merciful Lords of this world) took the pains to even talk to me (let
alone removing my sorrows).
(Why talk of others when even) my parents also, after giving birth to me,
deserted me like an arced worm (snake)! But why should I feel angry and
put blames to anyone? All this happened because of my fate alone!
(I am such a wretched that) people feel shy if they even happen to touch my
shadow!
Seeing me so much sorrowful, the saints said—“TulsidAsa! don’t you worry

the least in your mind….. On their being gone in His refuge even such
animals, fools and sinners such as yourself have also not be deserted by
Raghuvar, the Lord of Raghus; instead He has, from His own side, always
upheld the cause of love and affection till the very end (You also go in His
refuge)”
From that very day itself, this TulsidAsa became Your’s alone and since then
he has always been in extreme bliss, even though he is bereft of your faith
and love!
O Lord! The greatness of You Name and Your amiability have secured my
welfare (even after myself being undeserving of it), seeing this now I feel
very embarrassed (that I am such a cheater to have forgotten such a noble
Lord) and also praiseful of such a sublime affection of Your’s on the
devotees!!
187
These are just few of the couplets from Vinay-Patrika; singing several such
couplets, in the end, after having somewhat expressed the innermost
feelings of his heart in his petition/letter and overcoming his extreme
shyness GoswAmiji goes to the royal court of Lord RAmachandra carrying
this personal letter with him and requests RAma to read his letter—
२44
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O Lord! Please read this Vinay-PatrikA of this poor humble destitute (deen)
Yourself personally! (please don’t get it read by someone else)!
Fathoming the bottom of his heart, has this Tulasi written this letter to You.
(I have narrated the innermost feelings of my heart in this letter). Therefore
O merciful! Pray! As is Your compassionate nature, please first attest this
letter and then only ask for opinion from other judges (the courtiers present
in the royal court of the Lord) afterwards.
The divine court of Sri RAmachandra appears before his eyes. His Lord is
majestically seated on the royal throne! His benevolent lovely
eyes resembling the newly blossomed beautiful Lotus-petals are naturally
united with the lotus-face of His Consort, SitA devi who is gracefully adorning
His left side! HanumAna, while beholding the charming face of His Lord with
extreme love and devotion, is serving the lotus-feet of the Lord. As also
Bharata, Shartughna and LakshmaNa are rendering various services to the
Lord.
At that time itself, the letter of GoswAmiji reaches the divine court; Everyone
remembers the prayer of GoswAmiji, who had already requested them to put
forward his case before RAma, he being unable to himself directly submit his
letter to His Lord due to his in-built amiability.
The merciful HanumAn and Bharata whispered softly to LakshmaNa that this
is the right moment. We should bring forward the topic of TulasidAsa. Sri
LakshmaNa thus being urged by them presented the letter of GoswAmiji to
Lord RAmachandra—
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Reading the mind of HanumAna and perceiving the internal wish of Bharat’s
heart, LakshmaNa says to Lord RAmachandra thus—
O Lord! In this age of Kali also there is a servant of Yours, who has managed
to uphold the love (ू# ) and faith (ू # ) for You (see this true letter of his
has also arrived in Your service).
Hearing this, the whole assembly speaks out in one voice—Yes, this is totally
correct, we people also know his ways; [we also know that—] the bestower
of the poor, RAma has hitherto grace on him.
The Lord, in witness of everyone present there, came forward and held the
arms of that poor destitute (TulsidAs, and thus accepted him).
Smiling softly with grace, RAma said—“Yes! This is true! I have also got the
news about him!” (Mother SitA would have already told Him many a times,
as GoswAmiji had already prayed to Her beforehand in this Vinay-Patrika
itself)
That was it all, the Lord of the Raghus, with His own hands, attested to the
Vinay-Patrika (the letter of pleadings, petition) of this utterly destitute,
forlorn Tulsidasa; Seeing his case thus accomplished, this Tulsidas also
overwhelming with great joy, bowed down his head in the Lotus-feet of the
Lord RAmachandra. (Handed himself over to the Lord and took refuge in the
shelter of the Lord, forever, eternally)
We are really fortunate that we have at our disposal, such precious literature
of a devotee who has blessed this BhAratbhoomi just 400 years back. Who
has himself traversed the path of devotion and self-realization; who has
experienced our day-to-day problems of sorrows, worries and struggle and
who has realized the true nature of this world as also the blissful Lord of
AyodhyA.
We have his own utterances, brimming with the effulgence of his life-long
devotion. It is in our utmost interest that we pay attention to his words such
as given below and fructify this short life-span of ours, lest we feel cheated
by time later on in our lives;
Presented below are few lines which are enough for the discerning to get
assured that RAma is not a mere imagination or an abstraction; Although the
Lord may not be visible to us now in this present age but many fortunate
devotees have got the divine vision of the Lord in this present Kaliyug itself;
His divine name and his divine charitra are available to us mortal beings,
which would serve us as a bridge to cross this ocean of worldly existence.
189
Following few lines is an attestation of this fact by none other than
GoswAmiji himself—
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Each day these rises new enthusiasm which sweeps over the whole world!!
This is the tale of every house in AyodhyA;
This TulasidAsa also is signing the glory of RAma's birth, by recapturing that
moment, that atmosphere as also that assemblage of people in his heart!
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Those people who bath in the river of nectar of the deeds of Bharata, Rama,
Shatrughna and LakshmaNa even to this date, says TulasidAsa, take them to
be the residents of the city of Raghuvar (best among the Raghus), i.e.
AyodhyA, exactly similar to those fortunate people of TretAyuga, who lived in
AyodhyA in those times (when Lord Ramachandra had manifested on this
earth)

!
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This TulasidAs is recapturing with deep love, same bliss of AyodhyA, as was
there at that time (of RAma's birth in TretAyuga), to his heart's content!
This TulasidAsa, in all of his births, has always eternally sung the virtues and
glory of the Lord of JAnaki (the daughter of King Janaka)

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Appreciating the presence of His Guru Maharshi VishvAmitra. RAma is talking

to LakshmaNa with diffidence; He is just speaking few sweet words with
modesty.
Everyone present there in that assembly is feeling as though RAma is facing

only him; and although He is looking at everyone in a charming manner, but
(still the way He is looking at me is unique, how?) He is glancing towards this
poor TulsidAsa smiling softly, with His eyes full of grace!!
190
Thus singing the glories of Lord RAmachandra, GoswAmi TulasidAsa left for
the divine abode of the Lord at an advanced age—probably in 1623, on the
banks of GangA uttering the following verse—

-
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Having narrated the spotless glory of the divine Name ‘RAma’ of the Lord,
this body is about to become silent forever! Therefore this very moment
itself, please put the leaves of Tulasi (basil plant) into the mouth of this
TulasidAsa.
My humble salutations to this Bhakta-shiromaNi, ‘chaakara of RaghuvIra’

GoswAmi Tulasidasa, may he be pleased with these childish prattle of mine
and shower his graceful glances on the aspiring devotees of RAma such as
ourselves!!!

-
-
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Faith should I have only in Your Name, strength should I have only of Your
Name, so also love should I have only for Your Name; bestow this alone on
Tulsi, O Raghunandan! The delighter of the Raghu’s, not only in this birth of
mine but in all my re-births also!!

!%।

%॥
In all my births, wherever You give, whatever body to this TulsidAsa, in all
those places and in all of those bodies, O Lord! Pray! PLEASE always bear on
Your love and affection for me!!
191
CONCLUSION

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The dull-witted TulasidAsa has described only an iota of His (RAma’s) glory;
just as a fly wings the sky according to its own capacity! [RCM 6-101]
Reading above narrative the pious and discerning readers can themselves
visualize about the nature of RAmachandra, the prince charming; His
behaviour, His intellect, His deeds, His way of talking to others, overall His
whole personality.
This would result in such a firm faith (not blind-faith mind-it) that even if
some misguided person utters thousands of bad words against our RAma,
even if he may succeed in arranging a pile of arguments against our Lord;
still we would never ever be doubtful even in dreams as we would then be
fully appreciating the nature and character of RAmabhadra.
Even if we are in doubt regarding something about our scriptures (maybe

reading some article on net or hearing the talks of someone) then also we
must not accept our view of it as final; before doing that we must ask some
knowledgeable person, in the same way as we approach a knowledgeable
specialist doctor for curing any disease! If we are not seeing the Sun in
midday, then surely something is wrong with our eyes and it is not the fault
of Sun; in the same way if we are not able to appreciate some episode of
Srimad RAmayan or of other epics then it is for sure that fault is of our
thinking only. We need to enhance or purify our thinking in that case and not
blame the epics.
192
To summarize the whole thing I would say just one thing—“There is no one,
in all times and all places, who may be equal to RAma let alone greater than
Him.” Sometime back I used to get really perturbed seeing and listening
various critics of RAmAyaNa say baseless things on RAma.
I used to get enraged seeing these KaruNA-anidhis trying to besmirch the

glory of RAmAyaNa—“How dare they raise a finger on RAma? Who are they?
Mere nothings!! Where do these poor creatures stand in front of
RAmachandra?”
But then I did some pondering and re-thinking on this matter. Why is all this
happening? Why is it that these rascals are trying to malign RAma and
RAmayan just for their petty political or financial mileage? And then I
realized why not? Why would these Bastards (I would not say sorry for
this!!), not blabber out with venomous sarcasm, against RAma and
RAmayan!
If RAma has assumed a human-form and emotions, thereby rendering

Himself so very easily accessible to the humankind, then isn’t it so very
natural that wretches would try and find some fault in His ever-spotless
glory?
Isn’t it RAma only who has allowed Himself to be available for scrutiny of
Humans? Hadn’t He allowed His own subjects of AyodhyA to question Him
without any apprehensions?
Hasn’t Holy Ganga, by descending on this earth by Her own will, made
Herself so much accessible that now even a mere drunkard can spit in Her
Holy waters?
Similarly what is the surprise if some most unfortunate people try to throw
garbage on RAma!! But as Ganga is forever pure and holy, regardless of its
outwardly appearance to a casual onlooker, in the same way RAma is forever
residing in the heart-temples of His devotees and pious people, untouched by
all this garbage. RAmAyaNa would always be the most famous and most-
regarded of world-literature, what so ever these people may do to harm its
popularity.
It is not new that fingers have been raised on RAma. Earlier also starting
from the RAvan himself, many people have tried their level best to denigrate
RAmAyaNa, its popularity and its spotless ever-shining glory, but today no
one knows about them, where have they gone? (Similarly the sort of
KaruNA-a-Nidhis would also come and get lost in dark tunnels of time, even
their own relatives would forget about them the very next day). In words of
GoswAmiji—
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Men’s life is short, extending to not more than five or ten years; yet in their
pride they reckon on surviving the end of creation!!
193
But RAmAyaNa has flourished, is still flourishing and would always flourish as
ever, if not more. I heard one saint say that RAmAyaNa is so magnanimous
and enormous in its appeal that no one can ever harm it. Anyone including
its critics can only add to its popularity. Their criticism would only help it
flourish more and more.
RAmAyaNa has always withstood the test of times and surpassing everything
it has always emerged a winner each time!!
In the end I would request and rather urge as a well-wisher, to the sensible
reader to please reflect upon this whole book at least once. That’s all I can
say from my side.
Just try and give it a thought as to what is the reason that so many great
souls in the past (and in present also) have devoted their whole life just for
the sake of RAma! What pleasure did they get by this? There must be
something, which they got and which is more precious than these worldly
pleasures.
Starting from our great fore-fathers, those great selfless sages who having
left everything of this world spent their whole lives in forests all alone, who
gifted to us the unparalleled treasures of knowledge and wisdom in the form
of our great ShAstrAs, i.e. Agama, PurANa, Itihaas (RAmayan and
Mahabharat), Smritis, Brahma-sutra and many more, which contain their life-
long experiences.
Then our great philosophers and thinkers such as Sri AdyaShankarAcharya,

Sri RamAnujAcharya, Sri MadhvAcharya, Sri NimbArkAcharya, Sri
RamAnandAcharya, Sri VallabhAcharya and many other great preceptors and
guardians of our SanAtan Dharma.
Innumerous saints and devotees of the Lord starting from great Alwars, Sri
KabirdAs, GoswAmi Sri TulsidAsa the crest jewel of all the saints and
devotees, Sri SurdAs, Srimati MirAbai, Sri Chaitanya MahAprabhu, Sri
RAmadAs, Sri TyAgaRAj, Sri Annamayya and many other devotees of the
Lord spent all of their lives chanting just the holy name of RAma!!
Who are all these great souls, one following the other, a galaxy of stars of
the first magnitude? Are all these fools or are all these any less intellectuals
than we think of ourselves?
No Sirs! Absolutely not!! All these fortunate souls are the very embodiments
of wisdom and intellect. If you have by any chance studied or just had a
basic overview of the philosophical VedAnta doctrines of our great AcharyAs,
such as Advaita, VishishtAdvaita, Dvaita, ShuddhAvaita, DvaitAdvaita etc
then you can very easily realize that our modern day so-called intellectuals
whose only job now seems to be criticizing and throwing mud on SanAtana
Dharma on various news channels, these poor chaps stand no where near to
the intellect and wisdom of our great Acharyas.
194
But inspite of having such a sharp intellect and brain, they ignored
everything else and just aimed for RAma only. This is because they knew
that the ultimate goal of all beings is nothing but RAma only. Why so?
Maharshi Valmiki has provided the answer as we have already seen above—
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“The one who does not see RAma and the one whom RAma doesn’t
see, that unfortunate one is blamed and ridiculed in all the worlds
and by all the people and (to the extent) that person’s own self
blames him of it.”
What good is our beautiful handsome body, sharp intellect, various worldly
pleasures, affectionate relatives and even kingdom of the whole world, if we
could not get to know RAma, in this life-span of ours?
As GoswAmiji says in KavitAwali, pouring the essence of his life-long

experience in following immortal lines—

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195
“Even if one is equal to Cupid in beauty, Sun in glory, Moon in charming
personality, Lord Ganesha in respect, Harishchandra in truthfulness, Lord
Brahma in greatness, greatest of Kings as Indra himself surrounded by
worldly pleasures, as great a sage as Sri Shukadeva himself, as great an
orator as Goddess Saraswati Herself, and in long life equal to Sage Lomasha,
even then also, in my (Tulasidas) view-point, of what use is all this, if one
couldn’t get to know RAma, the one whose eyes resembles a full blown red
lotus!!
Being possessor of a large cluster of elephants and horses (in modern times
we may read this as Mercedes and aircrafts), being a great stud, having good
obedient wife and sons….possessing Land, riches, house and a nice (healthy,
young) body along with other heavenly pleasures, all of these are a mere
nothing….nothing counts in the end, nothing belongs to us, says Tulasidas,
everything is a mere dream of two-three days!! Let that life be burned to
ashes, O! Lord of JAnaki! which is lived in this world without being Yours!!
Everything as counted above would be leaving us some day (it’s all in the
very nature of this world, a stark fact of existence) if we do not realize
ourselves as devotees of Sri JAnakijeevan (the very life-breath of SitA, or
whose life-breath is SitA), Tulasidas is humbly saying thus with guileless
nature….
We are very proud of our knowledge and intellect, but if we haven’t acquired
the (supreme) knowledge of JAnakijeevan RAma, then even after being
addressed as intellectuals, what have we (really) learnt? (Means we have
learnt nothing if we haven’t learnt RAma), in my humble opinion, says
Tualsidas, we are (in that case) just big fools!!”
I know that to some, it may sound as rubbish and illogical! We have been
brought up in such a way. We are taught from our childhood itself to be
rationalist! By this I don’t mean that we should not be rationalist, but just
that being over-rationalist would lend us nowhere. In fact if we really are
rationalist then we should notice that so many great people in past have
walked on this path of self-quest, the path of devotion. And then if we indeed
are rationalists then we must question ourselves “WHY”? Why everyone is
going on this path? What is that they are getting there, for which they have
renounced every other so-called great pleasures of life? There must be
something….although we are unable to perceive it…..
As for a person, sitting in Delhi who has never been to Bombay earlier,
saying “there is no Bombay as I can’t see it”, is sheer irrationalism….there
are many people who are telling him that yes they have been to Bombay and
seen it themselves and that if you also want to reach there then sit in so and
so bus or train, this would take you to Bombay…..but still if that person
rejects their advices and standing there itself, keeps on saying that there is
no Bombay as I can’t see it, then would he be called a rationalist or what?
Similarly a true rationalist should not dismiss or ignore it as a mere nothing,

but should instead realize that although from my present location I may not
196
be able to perceive the destination of this path, but still something more
special is there for sure. And so thinking in this manner he should himself try
to tread this path shown by his predecessors just once out of curiosity to
himself ascertain the facts. Only difference in the path of devotion and in the
path of Bombay (for example) is that there are many persons who have been
to Bombay due to its ease but there are very few fortunate ones who have
stepped forth on the path of devotion as this path is not that simple!
That’s all I can humbly request and plead to the sensible readers as their
friend and well-wisher! Rest is up to them.
In the end I pray and bow down to the lotus-feet of Lord Sri SitARAma to
bless all of us with a pure intellect, which leads us to inculcate love and
devotion for them!
"
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197

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GirA GrAmya SiyA-RAma Jas

(The divine glory of SitA and RAma couched in vernacular-

1. My humble obeisance in the lotus-feet of his holiness anantshri-

2. My humble obeisance in the lotus-feet of his holiness anantshri-

3. Gita-Press, Gorakhpura, for the translations of the shlokas of

4. Sri RAmAnuja mailing-list archives which provided me some very

5. My friends and colleagues Mr. Nilanjan Samajhdar, Mr. Love

6. My friend and colleague Mr. Love Singhal for providing the

The Myth of Aryan Invasion 17

Yeh priya sabanhin jahAn lagi prANi

Tehi kArana KaruNAnidhi kahe kachhuka

Exile of Bhagwati SitA

All (the people of AyodhyA) were satisfied in their heart and

“I adore Bhagwati SitA, the divine fragrance of whose lotus-feet encaptures

    "   ।, ॄB C #"

Oh! On these pair of rows of small pearly teeth glowing as a freshly

  म  ?  z{ g !म"।

“Childhood memories” a phrase which triggers in us a mix of feelings and

TulsidAsa, this association of yours with RAma is not a recent one!!

Most of our young generation, especially the modern educated, IT-savvy

So called intellectuals (read fools), these boys, moustached babies, debating

Debates on such topics as “live-in relationships”, “Gay-marriages”, “Ravan,

This BhArat-bhoomi where once the Vedic-hymns were chanted, where

Poisonous seeds are being planted in tender unsuspecting minds of our

Following is the overall layout of this book—

Chapter-1, briefly touches upon the famous, rather infamous Aryan-invasion

Chapter-2, explains the concept of Apaurusheyatva (authored by none) in

Chapter-3, talks of RAma as paripoorNatam parAtpar brahm, renowned and

Chapter-4, provides just a glimpse of that uncomparable personality which is

Chapter-5, takes up the topic of ‘Historicity of Lord RAmachandra’, for those

Chapter-6 and 7 implores the reason as to why is Lord RAmachandra known

Chapter-8, discusses the all-loving nature of RAma’s personality; RAma, who

Chapter-9, takes up the much-debated fire-ordeal episode of RAmAyaNa.

Chapter-10, discusses the reasons and circumstances due to which Lord

Finally Chapter-11 serves as Tulsi-dal (Basil leaves) in this book; As any

“The virtuous will forgive my presumption and listen to my childish babbling

The British ruled India, as they did other lands, by a divide-and-conquer

What Western scholars have relied upon to substantiate the theory is

(b) Second, it gave the British an excuse in their conquest of India.

(d) Fourth, it allowed the sciences of India to be given a Greek basis,

Such a view is not good scholarship or archeology but merely cultural

It is unfortunate that this approach has not been questioned, more,

The modern Western academic world is sensitive to criticisms of cultural and

Interest of Europeans in Bharatavarsha and its ancient literature

Macaulay, a historian and a politician, and a staunch protagonist of English

(b) Max Muller grew so insolent and audacious that he started to

Remarks like those of McKenzie on the ethics of a country from whose

It is a matter of serious mistake on the part of a Government which is

We have sufficiently exposed the mentality of this type of Western scholars.

When we say that Columbus discovered America, we do not mean that he

Therefore, we ultimately have to depend upon a scriptural text to know the

Therefore, it argues that there is parsimony of assumption in envisaging that

Unauthored by even God:

This concept of apaurusheyatva is singularly absent in any other religion but

It is said that Apaurusheya Vedas give us an independent affirmation of our

This is where the Vedas, a preterpersonal, unoriginated authority, come in.

Faith in someone's teachings can only go so far. How do we know that

The consequences otherwise? If we consider VedAs as being authored by

For this reason alone GoswAmiji has said:

Therefore, the apaurusheyatva (preterpersonal) nature of the Vedas is an

VedAvatAra Srimad VAlmiki RAmayan:

All the smritis, epics (RAmAyan and MahabhArata), purAnas, Agama-shastra

" ।, ॄBC #"

म ? z{ g !म"।

Here the translation of ‘S$: