HISTORICITY OF RAMAYANA

            HISTORICITY OF RAMAYANA

We, Indians, are the products of one of the oldest civilisations in the world as her history can be traced to the beginning of human evolution. We need to be really proud of our ancient history and cultural heritage. However, during the British Rule, we developed an inferiority complex, which adversely affected our quest to unearth facts relating to our glorious past. But our young and educated men and women, being born and brought up in independent India, are capable of unearthing the true facts and are confident enough to evaluate these objectives. Since Rama is most basic to Indian ‘ethos’, it is necessary to know who Rama is? Was he really born? If yes, when and where? As is believed by crores of people did he really put his feet on the territory of India from North to South, reducing the sufferings of mankind and ensuring victory of good over evil? Let us have a look at historical facts. The story of Rama’s life was first narrated by Valmiki in the ‘Ramayan’ which was written after Rama was crowned as the king of Ayodhya. Maharishi Valmiki was a great astronomer as he has made sequential astronomical references on important dates related to the life of Rama indicating the location of planets vis-a-vis zodiac constellations and the other visible stars (nakshatras). Needless to add that similar position of planets and nakshatras vis-a-vis zodiac constellations is not repeated in thousands of years. By entering the precise details of the planetary configuration of the important events in the life of Rama as given in the Valmiki’s Ramayan in the software named ‘Planetarium Gold’ corresponding exact dates of these events according to English calendar can be known.

Date of Birth of Rama

Valmiki has recorded that Rama was born on 9th tithi of Chaitra month during day time when the position of different planets vis-a-vis zodiac constellations and nakshtra was as under:

(i)                Sun in Aries

(ii)             Saturn in Libra

(iii)           Jupiter in Cancer

(iv)            Venus in Pisces

(v)             Mars in Capricorn

(vi)           Lunar month of Chaitra

(vii)        Ninth day after no moon

(viii)      Lagna as Cancer (Cancer was rising in the east)

(ix)           Moon on the Punarvasu (Gemini constellation and Pollux star)

This data was fed into the ‘Planetarium Gold’ software, the results indicated that this was exactly the location of planets/stars vis-a-vis zodiac constellations on the 10th of January noon time in the year 5114 BC if viewed from latitude/longitude of Ayodhya (25°N 81°E). Thus Rama was born on 10th January in 5114 BC (i.e. 7117 years back). By making use of software to convert solar calendar into lunar calendar, it was found that this date also happened to be the 9th day of Shukla Paksha in ‘Chaitra’ month and the time was around 12 to 1 noontime. This is exactly the time and date when Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India till date.

Date of Exile of Rama

In Valmiki’s Ramayan it is mentioned that Dashratha wanted to make Rama the king because Sun, Mars and Rahu had surrounded his nakshatra and normally under such planetary configuration the king dies or becomes a victim of conspiracies. Zodiac sign of king Dashratha was Pisces and his nakshatra was Rewati. This planetary configuration was prevailing on the 5th of January 5089 BC and it was on this day that Rama had to leave Ayodhya for 14 years. Thus he was 25 years old at that time (5114-5089) and there are several shlokas in Valmiki’s Ramayan which indicate that Rama was 25 years old when he left Ayodhya for his 14 years of exile.

Solar Eclipse during War with Khar-Dushan

Valmiki’s Ramayan refers to the solar eclipse at the time of war with Khar-Dushan in later half of 13th year of Rama’s living in forests. Valmiki has also mentioned that it was Amavasya day and planet Mars was in the middle. When this data was entered, the computer software indicated that there was a solar eclipse on 7th October, 5077 BC (Amavasya day) which could be seen from Panchvati. Only six of the twelve constellations remain above the horizon at the same time. Valmiki’s Ramayan contains graphic and poetic details of eight constellations during Hanuman’s return journey from Sri Lanka to Sunaabh Hill in the middle of the sea which apparently took about four and a half hours from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. All these details of planets and nakshtras with reference to eight constellations described in Sarga 57(1,2,3) of chapter 5 tally exactly with the sky view generated by the software for the morning of 14th September 5076 BC. On the basis of planetary configurations described in various other chapters of Valmiki’s Ramayan, the date on which Ravana was killed works out to be 4th December 5076 BC and Rama completed 14 years of exile on 2nd January, 5075 BC and that day was also Navami of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month.

Sequential Details of Places Visited by Rama during 14 Years of Exile

Many researchers have researched on places visited by Rama during 14 years of exile. They sequentially moved to the places stated as visited by Rama in the Valmiki’s Ramayan. Starting from Ayodhya, they went right upto Rameshwaram. They found 195 places which still have the memorials connected to the events relating to the life of Rama and Sita. The locals believe that Rama had actually visited these places. Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkindha Kanda and Sundera Kanda give sequential and graphic details of these places which mostly included Rishi ashrams located along several river banks. These details can be divided into 5 phases.

       i.            1st Phase – Gangetic Belt

They went to Tamsa Nadi Tal (Mandah) – 20 km from Ayodhya, thereafter crossed Gomti River. Then they reached Ganges and entered Shringverpur (Singraur) which was kingdom of Nishadraj Guh and is famous for Kewat prasang (20 km from Allahabad). After crossing Yamuna near Sangam they reached Chitrakoot on UP and MP borders - memorials include Valmiki Ashram, Mandavya Ashram, Bharat Koop etc. still exist. After Bharat Milap they left Chitrakoot and went to Atri Ashram located in Satana in MP.

    ii.            2nd Phase in Dandak Van

Along with Laxman and Sita, Rama extensively travelled through this land of rivulets and water bodies and dense forests around MP and Chhatisgarh. They roamed around in Dandaka Aranya area and visited Sharbhanga and Sutikshana Muni ashrams in Satna. Thereafter, after crossing many rivers, lakes, hills and forests they went to Agastya ashram in Nasik. As per Valmiki, weapons made in Agnishala were given to Rama by Agastya Muni in this ashram.

 iii.            3rd Phase along Godavari

Rama, Laxman and Sita travelled along Godavari. From Agastya ashram they went to stay in Panchvati – a place with 5 Vata trees located on banks of Godavari in Nasik. This place is famous for Surpanakha episode and war with Khar and Dushan. There are memorials at the place where Mareecha was stated as killed; these include Mrigvyadheshwar and Baneshwar. Infact, Nasik area is full of memorials, e.g., Sita Sarovar, Ram Kund and Triambakeshwar and Janasthan etc. After this incident, Sita was abducted by Ravana, who also killed Jatayu— memorial ‘Sarvatiratha’ in Taked Village, 56 km from Nasik, is still preserved.

   iv.            4th Phase along Tungbhadra and Kaveri

Rama and Laxman extensively travelled through these areas in search of Sita. After meeting Jatayu and Kabandh they moved towards south to reach Rishyamook Parbat. On way they visited Shabari ashram in Pampasarovar area which is now known as Sureban in Belgaon and is still famous for Ber trees. After crossing forests of Sandalwood, many gardens and water bodies, they went towards Rishyamook. Here they met Hanumana and Sugreeva, and were shown Sita’s ornaments. Rama killed Vali in this area. Rishyamook and Kishkindha are located in Hampi, The District of Ballari of Karnataka.

      v.            5th Phase on the Banks of the Sea

Rama with sena marched towards the sea. After crossing Malay Parbat, Chandan forests, many rivers and ponds they went along Kaveri River. Details of travel narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayan tally with the existing memorials.

Ancestors of Rama

Indian history has recorded that Rama belonged to Surya Vansh and he was the 64th ruler of this dynasty. Most of the names and other relevant particulars of previous 63 kings are listed in ‘Ayodhya Ka Itihasa’ written about eighty years back by Shri Rai Bahadur Sita Ram. In fact most of the names of these ancestors of Rama have been listed in Valmiki Ramayan itself as narrated by Vashistha Muni to Raja Janak. Professor Subhash Kak of Lousiana University (USA), in his book “The Astronomical Code of the Rigveda” has also listed 63 ancestors of Rama who ruled over Ayodhya. The ancestors of Rama have been traced out as under: –

Rama, s/o King Dashratha, s/o King Aja, s/o King Raghu, s/o. Dirghabahu, s/o King Dilipa-II, s/o. King Visvasaha and so on) ............... (All listed)...............

King Sagar (40th Ruler)............... Satyavadi Harish Chandra (33rd King)...............

Professor Subhash Kak has also traced out 29 descendants of Rama starting with his son Kusa F/O Atithi, F/O Nisadha, F/O Nala............... (All listed) ............... 94^th Ruler of Ayodhya being Brihatksaya.

{“ Manu , Iksvaku ,Vikuksi-Sasada ,Kakutstha ,Anenas ,Prithu,Vistarasva Ardra ,Yuvanasva (I) ,Sravasta ,Brihadasva ,Kuvalasva ,Drdhasva Pramoda ,Haryasva (I) ,Nikumba ,Samhatasva ,Akrsasva ,Prasenajit Yuvanasva (II) ,Mandhatr ,Purukutsa ,Trasadsyu ,Sambhuta ,Anaranya Trasadsva ,Haryasva (II) ,Vasumata ,Tridhanvan ,Trayyaruna ,Trishanku Satyavrata ,Hariscandra, Rohita ,Harita Cancu ,Vijaya ,Ruruka ,Vrka Bahu (Asita) ,Sagara ,Asamanjas ,Amsumant ,Dilipa (I) ,Bhagiratha ,Sruta Nabhaga, Ambaries, Sindhudvipa, Ayutayus, Rtuparna, Sarvakama Sudasa ,Mitrasaha ,Asmaka ,Mulaka ,Sataratha ,Aidavida ,Visvasaha (I) Dilipa (II) ,Dirghabahu ,Raghu ,Aja ,Dasaratha, Rama, Kusa, Atithi Nisadha, Nala, Nabhas ,Pundarika ,Ksemadhanvan ,Devanika ,Ahinagu Paripatra ,Bala ,Uktha ,Vajranabha ,Sankhan ,Vyusitasva ,Visvasaha (II) Hiranyabha ,Pusya ,Dhruvasandhi ,Sudarsana ,Agnivarna ,Sighra ,Maru Prasusruta ,Susandhi ,Amarsa ,Mahashwat ,Visrutavant ,Brihadbala Brihatksaya”}

In Valmiki’s Ramayana, it is mentioned that Rama’s army constructed a bridge  over the sea between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka. After crossing this bridge Rama’s army had defeated Ravana and liberated Sita from his captivity. Recently NASA had put pictures on internet of a bridge, the ruins of which are lying submerged in Palk Strait between Rameswaram (Dhanushkoti) and Mannar (Thalaimannar). The bridge is composed of a series of islands, rocks, and shoals and it is stated to be 30 kilometres long.

It is found exactly at the location narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayan.The Bridge is contradicted wrongly as a coral formation naturaly. After carrying out the survey, it declared that a bridge can indeed be constructed at the identified location. The armymen of Rama utilized various tools and implements for uprooting trees like Taar, coconut, mango, ashoka, bakul etc., and with the help of various yantras transported these trees, stones, and rocks to the seashore. Shilpakar Nal directed the armymen to stand with long ropes/chains on either side and filled the space in between with creepers, trees, stones and rocks and bound them together. The construction of Ramsethu was completed.

Use of Ramsethu as Land Route between India and Sri Lanka

This bridge was being used as land route between India and Sri Lanka for thousands of years, though sometimes part of it was submerged under the seawater. The website Google Earth contains interesting as well as authentic pictures of submerged Ramsethu whereas the Website of Chicago University displays most authentic historical atlas of South Asia and has placed pictures of Ramsethu for the period starting from Vedic era and 5th century BC to 19th century AD along with nomenclature of Ramsethu prevailing at the relevant times. In the ‘Historical Atlas of South Asia’ prepared by Joseph E. Schwartzberg (1978) and placed on its website by the university of Chicago, there are more than 20 maps giving historical as well as geographical evidence about the existence of this Ramsethu and its use as land route between India and Sri Lanka during last more than 2500 years. In some of the maps it is shown as a complete bridge used as land route and in some others a part of it is shown as submerged.

The Essence

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bengal to Gujarat, everywhere people believe in the reality of Rama’s existence, particularly in the tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and the North East. Most of the festivals celebrated in these tribal areas revolve around the events in the life of Rama and Shri Krishna. The events and places related to the life of Rama and Sita are true cultural and social heritage of every Indian irrespective of caste and creed and therefore it is common heritage. After all, Rama belonged to the period when Prophet Mohammed or Jesus Christ was not born and Muslim or Christian faiths were unknown to the world. India was also known as Bharat which means—land of knowledge and Aryavarta i.e.where Aryans live. During Rama Rajya, the evils of caste system based on birth were non-existent. In fact, Valmiki is stated to be of Shudra class (lower in cast cadre) still Sita lived with him as his adopted daughter after she was banished from Ayodhya and Rama’s children Luv and Kusha grew in his ashram as his disciples. The scientific details narrated about to indicate that Rama was actually born 7000 years back. Hence, discovering the details relating to Rama’s life would be lot more difficult as destruction caused by floods, earthquakes and invasions etc.

STUDY OF ETHICS IN THE RAMAYANA

STUDY OF ETHICS IN THE RAMAYANA

Without fear of contradiction or challenge, we may confidently say that among the classical literature of the world, the Ramayana stands as a major and important work. It has influenced the life, the thought and the culture of millions of Hindus all over the world. Ramayana has played a major role in evolution of Indian civilization. Not only the Hindu religion but also Hindu culture has been inspired by it.

Valmiki describes Rama as the ideal man or maryada purush, though he does accept him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The divinity of Rama is kept in the background. Rama was the son of Dashrath of Ayodhya born to queen Sumitra. At the very beginning of the ‘Bala Kanda’, Valmiki asks Narada: ‘Who in the world today is a great personage endowed with all virtues, who is courageous, who knows the secret of dharma, who is grateful, who is ever truthful and who is established in sacred observances, who has great family traditions, who has sympathy for all creatures, who is most learned, who is skilful and whose outlook is very kindly, who has subdued anger, who is endowed with splendour, who is free from jealousy, who is a terror even to the devas when angry?’ Narada replies that such a person is a rare one indeed, and then names Rama as that one. Thus, the object of this epic is to give us a picture of human perfection. The Rama of Sri Tulsidas is the ideal man, ‘Maryada-Purusha’. He is perfect within human limitations.

The Ramayana is probably the most read and preached book in the Hindu society. The Ramayana is in brief the story of how Lord Vishnu came to earth in his Rama avatar to rid the earth of evil. The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon, considered to be itihasa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata. It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal Son, ideal father, ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife, the ideal king and the ideal guru. 

Verses in the Ramayana are written in a 32-syllable meter called anustubh. The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture. Like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages (Vedas) in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and devotional elements. The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanumana and Ravana have become so deeply embedded in the Hindus psyche that their story has found expression in the form of Ramayana and are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma and many South-East Asian countries. 

While, the original epic was composed by Valmiki, there is the Adhyatma Ramaya whose authorship is unknown. Then there is perhaps the most popular of all the versions, the Ramacharitamanas of Goswami Tulsidas. Other texts include: Agastya Ramayana in Sanskrit, Kamban Ramayan in Tamil, Kirtivasa Ramayana in Bengal. Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is an epic poem of India which narrates the journey of Virtue to annihilate vice. Rama is the Hero and aayana His journey. We in India believe that Rama lived in Treta Yug, millennia BC and we are presently concerned with what Srimad Valmiki Ramayana tells us, rather than when it was told.

This epic poem Ramayana is a smriti which is translated as "from memory". Given the antiquity of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, there have been some interjected verses. Sometimes these verses can be contradicting. However, scholars, grammarians, historians have put lot of effort to standardize the original text, by verifying various manuscripts available from various parts of India, thus trying to stabilize and save the text from further contradictions. An example of this effort is the critical edition of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana. This paper work aims to study versions of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana. 

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is composed of verses called Sloka, in Sanskrit language, which is an ancient language from India and a complex meter called Anustup. These verses are grouped into individual chapters called Sargas, wherein a specific event or intent is told. These chapters or sargas are grouped into books called Kaandas where Kaanda means the inter-node stem of sugar cane, or also a particular phase of the story or an event in the course of storytelling. Thus the structure of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana is arranged into six Kaandas or Books, and they are:- 1. Bala Kanda: That is Book of Youth,  2. Ayodhya Kanda: That is Book of Ayodhya, 3. Aranya Kanda: That is Book of Forest, 4.Kishkindha Kanda: That is the Empire of holy Monkeys, 5. Sundara Kanda: That is Book of Beauty, 6.Yuddha Kanda: That is Book of War. 

While stabilizing the original text of Ramayana, historians surmised that portions of two Books i.e. Kaandas, namely Book I, Bala Kaanda and  Uttara Ramayana i.e.Book VII, are later additions - "The first and the last Books of the Ramayana are later additions. The bulk, consisting of Books II--VI, represents Rama as an ideal hero. In Books I and VII, however Rama is made an avatara or incarnation of Vishnu, and the epic poem is transformed into a Vaishnava text. 

However Book I, Balakanda is considered to be an original version except for some injected stories. Story starts from the fifth chapter of Book I, and tradition demands it to be read with the others. This stipulation is not obligatory to Uttara Kaanda, a later kaanda, wherein Sita's expulsion and confinement to forest takes place. The epic is now divided into seven sections or kandas that deal chronologically with the major events in the life of Rama stated as follows:-

1. The ‘Bala Kanda’ describes the birth of Rama, his childhood and marriage to  Sita.

2.The ‘Ayodhya Kanda’ describes the preparations for Rama’s coronation and his       exile into the forest. 3.The third part, ‘Aranya Kanda’, describes the forest life of Rama and the kidnapping of Sita by the demon king Ravana 4.The fourth book, ‘Kishkinda Kanda’, describes the meeting of Hanuman with Rama, the destruction of the vanara king Vali and the coronation of his younger brother Sugriva to the throne of the kingdom of Kishkindha. 5.The fifth book is ‘Sundara Kanda’, which narrates the heroism of Hanuman, his flight to Lanka and meeting with Sita. 6.The sixth book, ‘Yuddha Kanda’, describes the battle between Rama’s and Ravana’s armies. 7.The last book, ‘Uttara Kanda’, describes the birth of Lava and Kusha to Sita, their coronation to the throne of Ayodhya, and Rama’s final departure from the world.

Theologists worship Rama as a God incarnate, philosophers make him the philosophical Absolute, while at the same time, materialists, condemning the above, appreciate the lyrical values of Ramayana, but as a great devotee-singer said "Whoever calls you in whatever way, you are that One". A study of the Ramayana can certainly contribute to our social and cultural fields as well as our inner evolution and spiritual development.