Ramayana Read online

  Table of Contents

  THE BOOK AND THE AUTHOR

  FOREWORD

  PREFACE

  BALAKANDA

  1. VALMIKI AND NARADA

  2. THE COMING OF BRAHMA

  3. VALMIKI COMPOSES THE GREAT POEM

  4. DASARATHA, AND HIS GRIEF

  5. THE ASHVAMEDHA YAGA

  6. THE DEVAS IN DISTRESS

  7. THE BIRTH OF RAMA

  8. VISHVAMITRA COMES TO DASARATHA

  9. VISHVAMITRA AND THE YOUNG PRINCES

  10. TATAKA VANA

  11. THE KILLING OF TATAKA

  12. SIDDHASHRAMA

  13. THE YAGA OF VISHVAMITRA

  14. TO MITHILA

  15. GANGA

  16. BHAGIRATHA’S PENANCE

  17. TOWARDS GAUTAMA’S ASHRAMA

  18. MITHILA

  19. VISHVAMITRA

  20. VASISHTHA HOSTS THE KING

  21. A FRUSTRATED KING

  22. THE POWER OF THE BRAHMIN

  23. TRISHANKU OF THE SOLAR RACE

  24. A NEW HEAVEN

  25. SUNASHEPHA

  26. KAUSHIKA’S LAPSES

  27. VISHVAMITRA, THE BRAHMARSHI

  28. THE BOW OF MAHADEVA

  29. DASARATHA LEAVES FOR MITHILA

  30. IN MITHILA

  31. SITA KALYANAM

  32. PARASURAMA, THE BHARGAVA

  AYODHYA KANDA

  1.RAMA

  2. THE DESIRE IN THE HEART OF DASARATHA

  3. "TOMORROW"— SAID THE KING

  4. PREPARATIONS

  5. THE MAID, MANTHARA

  6. KAIKEYI'S DECISION

  7. DASARATHA COMES TO KAIKEYI

  8. THE DAWN OF THE TERRIBLE DAY

  9. KAIKEYI TALKS TO RAMA

  10. LAKSHMANA'S ANGER

  11. RAMA'S FIRMNESS

  12. A MOTHER'S BLESSINGS

  13. RAMA AND SITA

  14. LAKSHMANA'S REQUEST

  15. IN THE PRESENCE OF DASARATHA

  16. KAIKEYI BRINGS THE VALKALAS

  17. A PAINFUL FAREWELL

  18. DASARATHA'S DESPAIR

  19. ON THE BANKS OF THE TAMASA

  20. THE JOURNEY

  21. GUHA, A CHIEFTAIN OF HUNTERS

  22. THE THIRD NIGHT OF THE EXILE

  23. THE ASHRAMA OF BHARADVAJA

  24. CHITRAKUTA AT LAST

  25. SUMANTRA RETURNS TO AYODHYA

  26. THE CURSE OF A RISHI

  27. THE DEATH OF DASARATHA

  28. BHARATA HAS BAD DREAMS

  29. BHARATA IN AYODHYA

  30. THE WRATH AND SORROW OF BHARATA

  31. BHARATA'S OATH

  32. THE LAST RITES FOR THE KING

  33. MANTHARA AGAIN

  34. THE THRONE IS YOURS

  35. BHARATA ON HIS WAY

  36. BHARATA MEETS BHARADVAJA

  37. LAKSHMANA IS WORRIED

  38. BHARATA'S QUEST

  39. BHARATA MEETS RAMA

  40. BHARATA'S APPEAL

  41. BHARATA ASKS FOR THE PADUKAS

  42. BHARATA'S RETURN

  ARANYA KANDA

  1. RAMA ABANDONS CHITRAKUTA

  2. ATRI AND ANASUYA

  3. THE DANDAKA FOREST

  4. THE KILLING OF VIRADHA

  5. THE SAGE SHARABHANGA

  6. THE SAGE SUTHEEKSHNA

  7. SITA'S ADMONITION

  8. THE GREATNESS OF AGASTYA

  9. AGASTYA'S ASHRAMA

  10. PANCHAVATI

  11. SHURPANAKHA

  12. KHARA, DUSHANA AND TRISHIRAS

  13. RAVANA IS TOLD ABOUT JANASTHANA

  14. SHURPANAKHA AND HER TALE OF WOE

  15. TO MARICHA'S ASHRAMA AGAIN

  16. THE GOLDEN DEER

  17. THE KILLING OF MARICHA

  18. RAVANA IN OCHRE ROBES

  19. JATAYU'S DEATH

  20. SITA IN RAVANA'S CITY

  21. RAMA'S LAMENT

  22. THE FRUITLESS SEARCH

  23. MEETING WITH JATAYU

  24. AYOMUKHI AND KABANDHA

  25. A RAY OF HOPE

  26. SHABARI'S ASHRAMA

  27. THE LAKE BY NAME PAMPA

  28. RAMA'S GRIEF

  KISHKINDHA KANDA

  1. SUGRIVA SENDS HANUMAN TO RAMA

  2. A FRIENDSHIP IS FORGED

  3. VALI AND SUGRIVA

  4. THE VALOUR OF VALI

  5. SUGRIVA HAS DOUBTS

  6. THE KILLING OF VALI

  7. VALI'S CENSURE

  8. RAMA JUSTIFIES HIS ACTION

  9. TARA'S GRIEF

  10. THE CORONATION OF SUGRIVA AND ANGADA

  11. RAMA AND LAKSHMANA IN PRASRAVANA

  12. RAMA'S IMPATIENCE

  13. THE FURY OF LAKSHMANA

  14. LAKSHMANA IS PACIFIED

  15. THE BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH

  16. THE SOUTH-BOUND VANARAS

  17. THE DESPAIR OF THE VANARAS

  18. SAMPATI, THE OLD EAGLE

  19. HOW TO CROSS THE SEA?

  20. THE GREATNESS OF HANUMAN

  SUNDARA KANDA

  1.THE MAGNIFICENT LEAP

  2. HANUMAN ENTERS LANKA

  3. LANKA

  4. HANUMAN SEES MANDODARI

  5. HANUMAN SEES SITA

  6. THE COMING OF RAVANA

  7. A RAY OF HOPE

  8. HANUMAN MEETS SITA

  9. SITA HEARS ABOUT RAMA

  10. SITA'S MESSAGE TO RAMA

  11. DESTRUCTION OF THE ASHOKAVANA

  12. THE BRAHMASTRA

  13. HANUMAN IN THE COURT OF RAVANA

  14. CONFLAGRATION IN LANKA

  15. THE RETURN OF HANUMAN

  16. SUGRIVA'S MADHUVANA

  17. THE NARRATION OF HANUMAN

  YUDDHA KANDA

  1. PREPARATIONS

  2. THE MARCH SOUTHWARDS

  3. RAVANA IS WORRIED

  4. RAVANA LOSES VIBHISHANA

  5. VIBHISHANA AND RAMA

  6. PREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR

  7. RAMA'S ANGER

  8. THE BUILDING OF THE BRIDGE

  9. SPECULATIONS

  10. RAVANA TRIES TO DISTRESS SITA

  11. IN THE COUNCIL HALL AGAIN

  12. RAMA WITH HIS MEN

  13. SUGRIVA'S IMPULSIVENESS

  14. ANGADA'S MISSION

  15. THE NAGAPASA

  16. SITA SEES RAMA ON THE FIELD

  17. THE RECOVERY OF THE PRINCES

  18. RAVANA SENDS PRAHASTHA

  19. RAVANA ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE

  20. KUMBHAKARNA IS WOKEN UP

  21. KUMBHAKARNA ON THE FIELD

  22. THE DEATH OF KUMBHAKARNA

  23. THE YOUNG HEROES

  24. THE VALOUR OF THE PRINCES

  25. INDRAJIT

  26. THE SANJIVINI

  27. KUMBHA AND NIKUMBHA

  28. INDRAJIT TO THE RESCUE

  29. MAYA SITA SLAIN

  30. YAGA AT NIKUMBHILA

  31. LAKSHMANA ACCOSTS INDRAJIT

  32. THE KILLING OF INDRAJIT

  33. RAMA'S JOY

  34. RAVANA'S GRIEF

  35. THE MOOLABALA OF RAVANA

  36. RAVANA SETS OUT TO THE FIELD OF BATTLE

  37. SANJIVINI AGAIN

  38. THE FINAL ENCOUNTER

  39. THE KILLING OF RAVANA

  40. WHEN RAVANA DIED

  41. THE LAMENT OF MANDODARI

  42. THE FUNERAL RITES

  43. RAMA SENDS HANUMAN TO SITA

  44. RAMA AND SITA

  45. THE RITUAL OF FIRE

  46. THE GODS SPEAK

  47. HOMEWARD-BOUND

  48. HANUMAN IN NANDIGRAMA

  49. THE HOME-COMING OF RAMA

  50. THE CORONATION OF RAMA

  PHALASHRUTI

  GLOSSARY

  THE BIRTH OF AN EPIC

  RAMAYANA

/>   By

  KAMALA SUBRAMANIAM

  Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.

  -Rigveda. 1-89-i

  BHAVAN’S BOOK UNIVERSITY

  RAMAYANA

  By

  KAMALA SUBRAMANYAM

  Foreword by

  SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA

  2018

  BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN

  Kulapati K. M Munshi Marg, Mumbai 400 007

  ©All Rights Reserved

  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

  K. M Munshi Marg,

  Mumbai 400007

  1st Print Edition, 1981

  2nd Print Edition, 1983

  3rd Print Edition, 1983

  4th Print Edition, 1988

  5th Print Edition, 1990

  6th Print Edition, 1995

  7th Print Edition, 1998

  8th Print Edition, 2003

  9th Print Edition, 2007

  10th Print Edition, 2009

  11th Print Edition, 2012

  12th Print Edition, 2014

  13th Print Edition, 2017

  Kindle Edition: 2018

  PRINTED INDIA

  By Atul Goradia at Siddhi Printers, 13/14, Bhabha Building,

  Khetwadi 13th Lane, Mumbai-400 004 and published by P. V Sankarankutty,

  Joint Director, for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati Munshi Marg,

  Mumbai-400 007.

  email: [email protected]

  website : www.bhavans.info

  THE BOOK AND THE AUTHOR

  Born on October 4, 1916, at Bangalore and educated in that city, the author had the privilege of studying under the distinguished Professor B.M.Srikantiah, Professor and Head of the English Department, Central College, Bangalore, and top litterateur in modern Kannada. She developed early in life an avid taste for English literature and particularly love for Shakespeare’s plays.

  In 1937, she married Dr. V.S. Subramaniam, the renowned E.N.T. Surgeon of Madras.

  Preoccupation with family affairs did not come in the way of her literary pursuit. She wrote a series of “Imaginary Conversations” on the model of Lando’s for the Triveni under the pen-name of “Ketaki.”

  Smt. Kamala Subramaniam’s condensations of the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam, both Bhavan’s publications, have won wide acclaim and with her Ramayana she successfully concludes her magnificient triad on the Epics and Puranas of India. This latest offering marks a distinct landmark in her great voyage of self-discovery on which she set off long years ago.

  The Epics and Puranas epitomize our culture. They are suffused with spiritual fervour, their heroes and heroines are exemplars of nobility, sublimity, valour, heroism, steadfastness and chivalry. And anyone reading them will find himself a little better, a little nobler. They have moulded our outlook, our way of life from times immemorial.

  It this priceless treasure of the spirit Smt. Kamala Subramaniam has tried to recapture for the benefit of the younger generation who, alas are deprived of this spiritual inspiration and nourishment.

  A master story teller, Smt. Kamala Subramaniam has retold the story of the “Perfect” man – the ideal man of the conception of the ageless Valmiki – lucidly, simply, elegantly.

  If her Mahabharata established her as a born narrator and in her Srimad Bhagavatam she has soared to ecstatic devotional heights, in her Ramayana she has excelled herself in retelling the story of Sri Ramachandra – a story so soul-stirring, so ennobling, so elevating. Each one of the characters stands out for the quality predominant in him/her, but the focal point is the intensely humane hero, the shinning symbol of dharma, Rama.

  Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmah

  FOREWORD

  After presenting to the English- reading public two great books of the Hindu tradition earlier, namely, The Mahabharatam and The Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimati Kamala Subramaniam is now offering to the readers a third great book of the Hindu tradition, namely, The Ramayanam of Valmiki. Like the two previous books, this one also is an abridged edition of the large epic, retaining, however, all the essential parts of the book and its inspirational flow of epic narrative.

  Eulogizing the two great epics of India, Swami Vivekananda says (Complete Works, Vol. IV, p. 96):

  “In fact, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the two encyclopedias of the ancient Aryan life and wisdom, portraying an ideal civilization, which humanity has yet to aspire after.”

  The Ramayana has been the perennial source of spiritual, cultural, and artistic inspiration for these thousands of years, not only to the people of India but also to the peoples of South-East Asian countries. It has enriched the national literatures of these countries, and has also provided themes for every form of their art – dance, drama, music, painting and sculpture. Its heroic characters have helped to mould the Hindu character; and its three great personalities, namely, Rama, Sita, and Hanuman, have inspired millions of her people, high or low in the socio –economic scale, with the deepest, tenderest and holiest love, reverence, and devotion.

  All Hindu spiritual teachers, ancient and modern, have responded ecstatically to this great book and its heroes. Says Swami Vivekananda in the course of his lecture on The Sages of India (Complete Works, Vol. III, p. 255-56):

  “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 had 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’s 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 Arya varta (India). There she will always be, this glorious Sita, purer than purity itself, all patience, and all suffering.”

  Rt. Hon. the late V.S. Srinivasa, Sastry, India’s distinguished scholar and statesman, in his famous Lectures on the Ramayana delivered in Madras in 1944 and published by the Madras Samskrit Academy, invited the Indian youth to benefit from this great and immortal epic of their country. (p.2):

  “Perhaps, The Ramayana is not quite as familiar to the younger generations that are coming up, as it was to us of an older day. Is it not true, alas, that great numbers of our youth at school and college are being brought up without adequate knowledge of the very springs of our civilization and culture? …. Is it an exaggeration to say that a student of the Ramayana, not out of touch with its sanctity and its unequalled importance to the study of our civilization, can talk to an audience largely composed of the younger generation with some hope of profiting them? I believe there is, and in the coming years there is going to be, a greater need than ever of our going back with reverent hearts to this most beautiful and moving of all stories in literature.”

  I cannot conclude this Foreword better than by quoting the two popular verses which salute, in highly elevating poetic imageries, the greatness of the intensely human sage –poet Valmiki and the heroic and self –effacing devotee Hanuman:

  Kujantam rama rameti madhuram amdhuraksaram;

  Aruhya kavita sakham vande valmiki – kokilam

  “I salute Valmiki, the cuckoo, who, perching on the tree of poesy, melodiously sings the sweet syllables – Rama, Rama!”

  Sita –rama guna –grama punyaranya viharinau

  Vande visuddha –vijn anau kavisvara – kapis varau