Essence of Chapters 3,4; Book 1 and Lava, Kusa - Twin sons of Rama

              In the last post, I presented my personal example of how powerful this epic is, in giving direction to our lives. Such stories emanate from many a countless places and people who have experienced the divinity, beauty, purpose and direction in their lives. The epic works inherently, under the carpet to shape the personality of past, present and future individuals. Leave the country of origin and let us consider how the story of Ramayana is upholding the cultural fabric of an Indo-Pacific country - Fiji. Ramayana, without any doubt, has a huge impact in shaping the lives of Hindus in Fiji. The first of these who came to Fiji in 1879 had also brought a small book of Ramayana along with them. These people were taken as indentured labourers to Fiji and had a practice of reciting Ramayana after a hard day's job which gave them joy. Thus established the practice of Ramayana becoming the most important cultural instrument among the people of Fiji.

             Today more than 2000 Ramayana mandalis operate in Fiji, the values of the epic have shaped the character and personality of a substantial proportion of Fiji’s population. Ramayana and Ramayana Mandalis in Fiji have played a constructive role in the social fabric of Fiji for more than 130 years. Such groupings known as ‘mandalis’ are a source of inspiration for the youth. Every settlement in the country has unique Ramayana Mandalis and their recitations on a weekly basis is to educate and preserve religion, culture and heritage in Fiji. This will have a huge impact in shaping the youth to be the future citizens of that country. In these turbulent, testing and tiring times, hanging on to the story of Rama gives immense joy just like the laborer’s experienced it at the end of every hard day.

            After knowing about the people who practice and get elevated by the story in their daily lives, let us move on to learning the Sanskrit scripture chapter 3 and 4 of Balakanda. We are still yet to enter the story of Ramayana but dealing with the phases which lead to it. The sage Valmiki has a divine assembly with Narada and Brahma who initiates him to write the epic in grammatical verses of poetry.            

              Having heard the entire theme of the poem to be composed from Sage Narada, Vamiki sought to discover directly through intuition a detailed life – account of Purushothama, Sri Rama. After doing ‘aachamanam’ to purify himself, and taking his seat, with joined palms, on Kusa blades pointing to the east, the sage sought to discover the exploits of Sri Rama through Yogic power, conferred on him by Lord Brahma. As a result, 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 Seeta as well as to Emperor Dasaratha along with his wives and kingdom. Having seen all that in reality by dint of yogic power, Sage Valmiki rendered the whole story of Sri Rama in twenty-four thousand verses; and made from them six Kandas consisting of five hundred and odd Sargas, and an Uttara Kanda, the epilogue. 

            He wrote of events and their consequences, that wove the life and saga of an embodiment of dharma, that the world would one-day revere as a god. He saw Rama the holy one, bound by truth and righteousness, his trials and tribulations, his entry into Dandakaranya followed by his beloved wife Sita and faithful brother Lakshmana. Ecstatic at the glorious visions of Sri Rama's life, possessed by divinity he launched on the saga of Rama and the world came to see the birth of the Ramayana, in the same form as told by Narada. Valmiki went on to describe the birth of Rama, of his benevolence, compassion, forbearance, and his attachment to truth and righteousness. His physical beauty combined with self-effulgence was stunning.

             While Rama ruled Ayodhya, sage Valmiki began the composition of the story of Rama, in his inimitable style. The past events are all visualized and made part of the itihasa. Thus the great epic Ramayana, consisting of events subsequent to Asvamedha yaga, the legendary story of Sita, the destruction of Paulastya and many other events was composed. Having duly completed, the sage contemplated as to who could recite it with memory before audiences. While the sage was pondering about it, Lava and Kusa - the two sons of Sri Rama brought forth by Seeta during her exile at the hermitage of Valmiki, appeared in the garbs of hermits and caught hold of his feet. Valmiki cast a glance in appreciation at Kusa and Lava, who were twins.

           Valmiki instantly perceived their tremendous competence who looked like gandharvas, in human form. Blessed with good looks and auspiciousness, they were like twin images of Rama. The venerable sage accepted them as students of Vedic knowledge and initiated them for the purpose of nourishing the Vedas and the rendition of Ramayana. This charming poem of Ramayana, which could be applied to the three measures of time, with notes synchronized to stringed instruments was replete with all the poetic sentiments - the humorous, amorous, compassionate, wrathful, heroic, loathsome, fearful and the violent.

             Lava and Kusa faultlessly chanted the captivating story, the greatest one ever based on dharma, in the presence of great ascetics and seers. The enthralled learned Brahmins and saints lauded and blessed them. On one occasion at the assembly of great sages, who heard the mesmeric rendering in awe and wonderment at the singular presentation, which they could almost visualize. Overcome with joy, they chorused their approval of its excellence, showering praise and blessings upon them. One amongst them presented a water pitcher and another gifted bark robes to the outstanding singers. This alluring poem written with surprisingly specific rules would be an inspiration and a firm foundation to future poets, made more beautiful by the rendition of it by the celestial twins, who had knowledge of all musical notes. It bestowed longevity and prosperity on whosoever listened to it.

            Their singing attracted the attention of King Rama, who invited them to the royal palace. He told Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna, to listen to the poem par excellence and that the boys had the qualities of royalty though they looked like ascetics. At a nod from Rama, seated on his majestic golden throne, Lava and Kusa begin to sing the poem of Rama himself, in the 'Marga' mode. The listeners were immersed in the sheer melody of the song and Rama profoundly moved, drifting into a peaceful and meditative mood. The twins sang for thirty two days continuously. It touched the heart and soul of one and all. The story of Ramayana is put forth by Valmiki from the perspective of what Lava and Kusa sang before Sri Rama. This concludes chapters 3 and 4 of the first book. The detailed story will start from Chapter 5 of the BalaKanda which we will learn in subsequent posts.

Essence of Chapter 2, Book 1 and Foundation for the Poetic Epic

                  Let us continue this divine exercise from where we left in the last post. It is my firm belief and also experience that whoever writes on this subject will become better, refined, elevated and upgraded. I feel I am immensely fortunate to take up this subject, writing on this and at the same time learning the epic. Just to give you an example of how powerful this epic is – during my engineering studies, I sang a song on Lord Rama – a beautiful Telugu song by the great SPB from the film Devullu – in a singing competition in front of a few judges. The song was divine but my attempt was pathetic and not up to the mark. I was low on confidence and don’t know why I attempted. But just this attempt on this divine subject gave me an experience which portrayed me as a better singer next time. Subsequently, I chose another song in a packed auditorium and got a big applause after the song with requests for ‘Once more’. I obliged and went on again. Everyone I knew was stunned by this. I very firmly believe, this good experience would not have happened if not for the earlier effort on the great subject in front of a few people. Just the opportunity to be in service to him will make you a better person.

                 We picked most of the essence from the first chapter of the Bala Kanda – which is the beginning of the Ramayana. To recap, there are a total of around 500 chapters divided into 7 kandas. Each chapter in turn has many verses and there are 24000 verses in the entire book. The complexity of the book lies in the fact that the story is portrayed in the form of poetic verses in Sanskrit language. Verses in Ramayana are written in a 32-syllable meter called anustubh. The epic was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry, primarily through its establishment of the shloka meter. We live in an ocean of prose these days but the poetic narration of a great story in the form of shlokas is an ancient practice. The structure of these verses in the entire book had its foundation discussed in the second chapter when sage Valmiki gets the direction from Brahma.

               After the Narada’s departure, Valmiki goes on to the banks of River Tamasa which flowed near River Ganga. As Valmiki is strolling through the natures manifold splendors, he notices a frolicking pair of Krauncha birds, oblivious of the world and blissfully reveling in each other. A hunter stalks them and kills the male bird with an arrow. Beholding her mate lying lifeless on the forest floor, the female bird crooned in great distress. Valmiki, who watched all of this, involuntarily burst into a poetic verse of versified curse on the hunter – “O Fowler! Thou hast so cruelly killed the male of a pair of Krauncha birds while they reveled. On that account you will be discredited forever. Just as you ended the bird's life before its time, so too shall wilt your life before its time”. The words have escaped him without conscious effort which are so arranged perfectly as to follow a meter and are viable for rendition in the form of a song, to the accompaniment of string instruments, hence let it be known as a 'sloka'.

                Reflecting on the events and contemplating on the poetic words, Valmiki reached his hermitage. As he sat with his disciples engaged in the study of the holy texts, there appeared before him the most effulgent form of Brahma. The creator of the worlds and knower of the Vedas was endowed with four heads, whose four faces facilitated the chanting of the four Vedas. Controlling his joyous soaring mind bedazzled and awe struck at the glorious presence of the great Brahma, Valmiki bowed in reverential homage and performed all the traditional rituals, worshipped him. The omnipotent Brahma seating himself asked Valmiki also to be seated. Even as the sage sat, his mind was still lost to the thoughts of the death of the Krauncha bird. Unbidden, flowed thoughts of his own reaction to that tragedy and he softly hummed the sloka which escaped his lips.

                Lord Brahma smilingly addressed Valmiki saying, "What you have composed is undoubtedly a sloka, and those words emanated from you, at my will. Compose the history of Rama, who is famed for righteousness, virtue wisdom and for his unshakable resolution, in the manner made known to you, from Narada. In the epic that you are about to compose there will be neither error nor falsehood. So, do embark on the story of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Bharata and the rakshasas; their deeds and thoughts will all be made known to you, by my grace. The story shall be composed in slokas of the same meter, which so haunt your mind. As long as the mountains and rivers remain on this earth, so long will the story of Rama, the Ramayana, endure. So long as the history of Rama lives on, that long will you abide in the higher regions, and as long as the Ramayana authored by you is remembered in this world”. The Lord Creator then vanished, leaving Valmiki and his disciples in a daze.

               This couplet of four parts, each part consisting of an equal number of syllables, attained a greater glory, because of its repeated rendition. Valmiki, profoundly intelligent and capable of putting thoughts into action, resolved on the composition of the epic poem, Ramayana, entirely in the meter that had divinely occurred to him. He then composed hundreds of charming verses; each containing an equal number of syllables most excellently worded. Meaningful and according to meter, with melodious 'Sandhis' and sentences, composed of lucid meaningful phrases, tells the story of Rama and the slaying of the ten headed Ravana, the sound of which would delight the ear and the meaning of which would mesmerize the heart.

                Thus concludes the second chapter where we learnt the background of the shloka or verse tone for the entire Ramayana. There will be an instrument through which great works are authored and the sage Valmiki is merely an instrument to write Ramayana since Brahma clearly stated that ordered words of versified curse came out through Valmiki at the will of Brahma. He gave the direction to author Ramayana to Valmiki where there will be no error nor falsehood. This laid the foundation and direction for this poetic epic. When the Paramapurusha, who is known through the Vedas, was born as Rama, the Vedas themselves took upon the form of Ramayana and were written by Valmiki Maharshi. Thus composed the 50000 poetic lines of Ramayana with lessons, morals in beautiful Sanskrit language, poetry, grammar. We will come to the learnings in the next chapters of Bala Kanda in subsequent posts.