We had concluded Yuddha Kanda in last post and with that we had briefly studied all the six books of the epic Ramayana over the effort started in May 2022, since I arrived in U.S. There is a need to improve the posts which can be taken up in the future as part of improving the readability and hosting the blog as another place where anyone can find useful content on the epic. There aren’t many blogs written in a similar vein and this blog will serve the purpose in this space. There are around 500 chapters in Ramayana and 100 posts are written in this blog to cover all these chapters in the six books. I briefly touched upon five chapters in a post every week. I am thankful to various authentic sources which provided as references for my posts. I am thankful to the almighty for giving me strength every week to take up this task and fulfilling rendering the story in its entirety in a little over two years of grueling routines. No one will take up this task in the prime of their career but rather opt it as a retirement activity when it is a good time to live with this subject. But to write about it catering to prime-time audience is a bid towards a better world where timeless values from the epic should propagate all around us, in our homes, societies, cities and nations. This should be the takeaway and a fruitful result emerging from this activity. Once again, I am very grateful to one and all for fulfilling this daring step of writing on all six kandas of the Ramayana.
With that being said, I would like to remind that when there is a great subject and virtues at our disposal, we have to reminisce it every month, every week and every day to travel in its path and protect us from any fallacies we may commit. We have reminded ourselves of Ramayana and its virtues every week for the past 27 months. We have chanted on Rama and read through his story which served as a great moral, binding our lives within its realm. After repeating for this lengthy stretch and to repeat for the duration of our lives, we have to live in the consciousness of Rama. On the occasion of completing the six kandas and living in His memory for so long, I hereby propose the movement of ‘Rama consciousness’ to take us into the future. Whatever I worked, it should be in His name and whatever movement it might have ignited, it should be for His cause. The epic concludes by the beginning of Rama’s rule from Ayodhya. Similarly, we should live for the rise of Rama’s rule on Earth, presided over by Rama overlooking his kingdom. That should be the desired state of arrival and this consciousness by everyone of us should take us in that direction. How good it would be if there is Rama rajya (kingdom) and Rama’s rule on this earth for the next 1000 years. On the auspicious occasion of Krishnastami, let us rededicate to channelize our inner selves into His being by living in his consciousness and bringing out His rule in our world. Living in Rama consciousness involves embodying the virtues and qualities of Lord Rama, such as righteousness, compassion, and devotion. A powerful mantra to help align with these qualities is the Rama Taraka Mantra:
Shri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama, Shri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama
This mantra translates to “Victory to Lord Rama” and is believed to bring peace, strength, and spiritual upliftment.
The epic also ends with the slaying of Ravana and emergence of Rama in full powers. The conclusion of the story in this space should also symbolize the same - the qualities of Ravana within all of us are killed completely and the virtues of Rama have emerged within all our hearts. Practice of reading, practice of devotion and practice of worship will refine our inner qualities and we practiced the reading on His subject for a very long time. This should symbolically and really propagate all His virtues and kill the bad qualities within us. Let us really believe that Ravana has been killed in this world and Rama has emerged.
Here are some of the key qualities that are symbolically “killed” with Ravana’s death:
Ego and Arrogance: Ravana’s immense pride and arrogance are central to his character. His downfall illustrates the consequences of unchecked ego.
Lust and Desire: His abduction of Sita represents uncontrolled desire and lust, which ultimately lead to his demise.
Greed and Ambition: Ravana’s insatiable ambition and greed for power and control over every living being in this world are key aspects of his character.
Deception and Treachery: His deceitful actions, including the abduction of Sita, highlight the destructive nature of treachery and spectral qualities of a demon.
Disrespect for Dharma: Ravana’s actions consistently go against the principles of dharma (righteousness), and his defeat underscores the importance of adhering to moral and ethical values.
On the other hand, these are the five qualities that have manifested in the world with the emergence of Rama and his rule.
Righteousness (Dharma): Rama is the epitome of dharma, always adhering to moral and ethical principles. His actions are guided by a strong sense of duty and justice, even when faced with personal hardships.
Compassion and Kindness: Rama’s compassion is evident in his interactions with others, including his treatment of allies and adversaries.
Loyalty and Devotion: Rama’s loyalty to his family, friends, and subjects is unwavering. His devotion to his wife Sita and his respect for his father Dasharatha’s wishes are prime examples of his steadfast loyalty.
Courage and Valor: Rama’s bravery is showcased in his battles against formidable foes like Ravana. His courage in the face of danger and his ability to protect the innocent are central to his character.
Humility and Modesty: Despite his divine nature and extraordinary abilities, Rama remains humble and modest.
The finest qualities are always less attractive in this world but they always win ultimately.
As we studied the story of all the 500 plus chapters briefly, let us quickly summarize the story of each of the six books in this post.
The Ramayana, attributed to the sage Valmiki, consists of 24,000 verses divided into six books (Kandas) and 500 cantos (Sargas).
Bala Kanda (Book of Childhood)
King Dasharatha of Ayodhya has three wives but no children. After performing a sacred ritual, he is blessed with four sons: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. Rama, the eldest, is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to protect his yagna (sacrifice) from demons. Rama’s valor is proven when he breaks the bow of Shiva and wins the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka, in marriage.
Ayodhya Kanda (Book of Ayodhya)
Dasharatha decides to crown Rama as his successor. However, Queen Kaikeyi, influenced by her maid Manthara, demands that her son Bharata be crowned instead and that Rama be exiled for 14 years. Bound by his promise to Kaikeyi, Dasharatha reluctantly agrees. Rama, accompanied by Sita and Lakshmana, leaves for the forest. Dasharatha dies of grief, and Bharata, upon returning, refuses to take the throne, instead ruling as Rama’s regent.
Aranya Kanda (Book of the Forest)
In the aranya, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana encounter various sages and demons. The demoness Shurpanakha, Ravana’s sister, tries to seduce Rama and Lakshmana but is thwarted. In revenge, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, abducts Sita with the help of the demon Maricha, who disguises himself as a golden deer to lure Rama and Lakshmana away.
Kishkindha Kanda (Book of Kishkindha)
Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman and Sugriva, the exiled monkey king. Rama helps Sugriva defeat his brother Vali and regain his kingdom. In return, Sugriva promises to help find Sita. Hanuman, with his extraordinary abilities, leaps across the ocean to Lanka, finds Sita in Ashoka Vatika, and reassures her of Rama’s impending rescue.
Sundara Kanda (Book of Beauty)
Hanuman’s journey to Lanka and his exploits there form the core of this book. He delivers Rama’s ring to Sita as a token of his visit and sets Lanka ablaze with his fiery tail after being captured and humiliated by Ravana’s forces. Hanuman returns to Rama with news of Sita’s whereabouts.
Yuddha Kanda (Book of War)
Rama, with the help of Sugriva’s army, builds a bridge (Rama Setu) across the ocean to Lanka. A fierce battle ensues between Rama’s forces and Ravana’s army. Key events include the deaths of Ravana’s son Indrajit and brother Kumbhakarna. Rama finally confronts Ravana and kills him with a divine arrow. Sita is rescued, but Rama asks her to undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. Agni, the fire god, testifies to her purity, and they return to Ayodhya where Rama is coronated as the ruler of his kingdom.
The Ramayana’s influence extends beyond a story or literature into art, culture, and religion, shaping the moral and ethical framework of every society. It is not just a story but a guide to living a life of virtue and righteousness. Every devout person should pray upon Rama, live in his consciousness and personify his virtues, which forms the bedrock of a great culture across the land. With this, let us initiate ourselves into His consciousness and herald His rule on this land. From the subsequent post in this space, we will delve into the Uttara Kanda or the last known book or the last addition of the Ramayana.
