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SPOTLIGHTS

THE RAMAYANA

Sri Swami Premananda

Sri Swami Sivananda

Founder of

The Divine Life Society

SERVE, LOVE, GIVE,

PURIFY, MEDITATE,

REALIZE

So Says

Sri Swami Sivananda

Sri Swami Premananda

A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION

First Edition: 1980

Second Edition: 1995

(2,000 Copies)

World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 2001

WWW site: http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/

This WWW reprint is for free distribution

Published By

THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY

P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192

Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,

Himalayas, India.

Dedicated

MY HOLY MASTER

SATGURU SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ

PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE

Instruction by way of narration through heroic poems written in stimulating language has

been in all countries an effective medium of awakening the drooping spirits in man to a vision of the

forces that operate in the universe. The Ramayana of sage Valmiki, which had its immortal

successor as the great work of Sant Tulsidas and several others in the languages of India, is regarded

as the first Sanskrit poem ever, which recounts the deeds of Rama, his exploits, forming the various

scenes of his life.

The work is a reservoir from which flowed countless streams of powerful poetic works

touching upon some one or the other of the incidents and episodes of the epic. The importance of the

Ramayana is in its perennial appeal to the spirits of humanity in general, whose different sides are

ably touched by the deft imagery of Valmiki, and the line of poets who followed in its wake.

The present publication throws some light on certain aspects of the Ramayana, which

presents an interesting reading to students and the public who are devotees of the valuable scripture.

The approach departs markedly from the usual devotional and religious reading common among

the Ramayana circles, not because the holy epic is not a superb masterpiece of religious literature,

which it really is beyond doubt, but because the supernatural features of the epic seem to call for a

novel study these days in the light especially of western thinking for which a natural interpretation

might provide a diversion well expected. The work also includes a few pages on questions and

answers on different themes.

Shivanandanagar,

27th August, 1980 The Divine Life Society.

FOREWORD

Salutations to Holy Master Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.

Worshipful homage unto Lord Rama, divine incarnation of the Supreme Deity, Bhagavan

Narayana. May His perfect personality representing the perfect ideal human individual, inspire all

beings to strive to improve their own character and conduct and to emulate the noble behaviour of

Maryada Purushottama, Bhagavan Sri Ramachandra.

When I was approached with a request to give a brief foreword to this present work, I was

somewhat nonplussed and a bit puzzled as to what I could write about a scripture that is being read

by millions of people all over India and many other parts of the world and which has been translated

into numerous languages and upon which very many writers have written numerous books over the

past centuries. I felt as one would feel if he was asked to give a foreword to a book like the “Old

Testament” or the “Illiad” or the “Odyssey”.

However, after reading the Publisher’s Preface and the author’s own statements in the first

ten or twelve opening pages, I became aware of the very special approach and the analytical nature

of this present work. This made me aware that it has a unique value as a manual of human conduct

and a guide to righteous living to every individual in general and to aspiring spiritual seekers who

are striving for a higher inner unfoldment, in particular.

The narrative has also been interpreted as an allegorical work, somewhat similar to

Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” Vedantic Wisdom is also to be found within its pages in such

versions that contain most illuminating and instructive dialogues as in the conversation between

Lord Sri Rama and his brother Sri Lakshmana in the “Rama Gita”. Revered Sri Swami

Premanandaji has done a valuable service in culling together, within the covers of this present

work, all these precious aspects of the great divine drama of the “Ramayana” for the benefit of the

English-knowing public who may not have access to the original versions either in Sanskrit

“Valmiki”, or in the other Indian vernaculars like Hindi “Tulsidas”, Tamil “Kamban”, etc.

Readers will find a rich treasure in this work, “Spotlights On The Ramayana”, by Sri Swami

Premanandaji who has himself delved deep into the well-known “Sri Ramcharitmanas” and who is

himself a great Ramayana-Premi. I wish the book wide circulation and careful study.

May the abundant Divine Grace of adorable Lord Sri Rama ever be upon Sri Swami

Premanandaji and may the Lord’s blessings make him shine as an ideal person adorned with all

sublime virtues and Divine spiritual qualities. May the Lord’s Grace grant unto all the readers joy,

peace and spiritual illumination. Salutations, again, to Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda. Victory to

worshipful Lord Rama.

Sivanandashram (Rishikesh)

Dated: 11th September, 1980 Swami Chidananda.

INVOCATION

Salutations to Lord Ganesha who removes all impediments and ensures blessedness and

success.

Reverence to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and learning, and Parvati, consort of

Lord Siva, bestower of strength and energy.

Prostrations to my Satguru Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, an ocean of benevolence and

compassion, who removes defects of vision and purifies the eyes of understanding and guides on

the path of spirituality, wisdom and devotion and protects his humble disciples from all sides.

Adorations to Lord Mahadeva, over whose divine body the holy ashes are auspicious and

ecstatic and who narrated the sacred Sri Ramacharitmanas (Ramayana) to his holy consort Uma.

Veneration to Lord Rama and Janaki Sita, incarnations of Lord Hari and Goddess Lakshmi

respectively, who remove illusion and illumine the heart & mind with devotion and truth.

Obeisance to Hanuman, an ideal and faithful servant-cum-devotee of Sita Rama, by whose

blessings truth is made manifest and the Yugal-sarkar grant their darshan to a devotee.

Benedictions be from great sage Valmiki, the first author of Ramayana, and Sant Goswami

Tulsidas, an incarnation of Valmiki, who composed Sri Ramcharitmanas in Hindi for the

redemption of mankind, in this perverse Kali Yuga.

MY SUBMISSION

The holy Ramayana, a masterpiece in Sanskrit classics of the great sage Valmiki, the

Adi-kavi, is the first and foremost specimen of exquisite poetry. There are other Ramayanas viz.

Adhyatma Ramayana, Anand Ramayana, Maha-Ramayana, Adbhuta Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas

and several others in different languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Marathi, South Indian

languages like Tamil and others.

The Valmiki Ramayana and Sri Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Sant Tulsidas, enjoy a unique

place among the classics of the world’s literature. Valmiki Ramayana has since been translated,

both in prose and poetry, in English, French, Italian, Latin and some other languages. Almost

similar is the case with Sri Ramcharitmanas of Sant Tulsidas.

Someone told me that Ramayana has also been translated into Russian language and they

are now staging and screening some of the important scenes of the same—of course in their own

way and style. In fact, in India and the Far East, the great epic of Lord Rama, Jagatjanani Sita and

celibate Hanuman is not just an ancient classic; its mystique and mythology based on some facts as

well as history have inspired and influenced the entire cultural framework of South-East Asia for

four millennia.

As ancient Greece had two famous epics Odyssey and Illiad, ancient India had the

Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Ramayana, which describes the wanderings of Prince Rama

banished from his kingdom, has something in common with the famous Odyssey. The Ramayana

and the Mahabharata together comprise the whole of the epic literature of ancient India, and they

present a most graphic and life-like picture of the civilisation and culture, customs and traditions,

the social and political life, the religious and spiritual thoughts of ancient India, which cannot be

ignored in any way.

The races which flourished in the Northern region of India, approximately one thousand

years before Christ, amongst them the Kosalas of Oudh, now in the province of Uttar Pradesh and

the Videhas of Bihar (now it is a province), were considered the most cultured races and their kings,

monarchs and priests were famous for their administration, bravery, learning and prowess. They

were glorious, righteous and truly Dharma abiding.

The great sages and distinguished priests in those times founded schools of arts and learning

which were well-known all over India and several students joined from surrounding countries for

study and research.

Our ancestors those days did a lot of research on several subjects including the mysteries of

the soul and into the nature of the One Universal Soul which pervades the entire creation, which are

still preserved in the holy and marvellous Upanishads. Besides the Vedas, the Upanishads,

Ramayana and Mahabharata and some other wonderful legacies are a most valuable heritage left by

the ancients to us.

Historical Facts

Time lent higher and greater lustre to the achievements of these gifted races and the age in

which they flourished appeared to their descendants as the Golden Age of Bharatavarsha.

Dasaratha, the king of the Kosalas, is considered as an ideal king, who laboured for the good of his

subjects. His capital was Ayodhya on the bank of the river Saryu. The ruins of his fort and palaces

and Hanuman Garhi are still there, approximately six miles from Faizabad, in Uttar Pradesh.

The king of Videhas, Raja Janaka is accepted as a monarch and a saint of high order. Lord

Rama, the eldest son of Dasaratha is the hero of epic Ramayana, whereas Sita, the daughter of Raja

Janaka is the heroine.

Three brothers of Lord Rama are Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna and they were

married with the daughters of the Videhas, namely Mandavi, Urmila and Srutakirti respectively.

Their sons were founders of great cities and kingdoms as stated under, which flourished in the

fourth, fifth and sixth centuries before the Christian era.

i. Lava and Kusa, the two sons of Rama, ruled in Sravasti an old and famous historical town

which was the capital of Oudh for sometime during the days of Lord Buddha and the latter founded

Kusavati at the foot of the Vindhya mountains. I have personally visited this place, which is now in

the Behraich district of Uttar Pradesh.

ii. Bharata’s two sons—Taksha and Pushkala—founded famous and flourishing kingdoms

on either side of the river Indus, now in Punjab. Its Western part is now in Pakistan. On the East of

the Indus river Taksha-sila (known to Alexander the Great and the Greeks as Taxila) was founded

by Taksha. Pushkala founded his kingdom known as Pushkalavati to the West of the Indus.

(Alexander and the Greeks called the same as Peukelaotis.)

iii. Lakshmana’s two sons, Angada and Chandraketu, funded the kingdoms of Karupada

and Chandrakanti respectively in the Malwa region.

iv. Shatrughna’s first son, Subahu, ruled Mathura and the second son named Shatrughati

became the king of Vidisha.

Sri Ramcharitmanas is considered to be the best work on Devotion by the Father of the

nation, Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest men of the modern world. This immortal poem has an

universal appeal and is accepted by all classes of people from Bihar to Punjab and from the

Himalayas to the Narmada. The characters shown in it are the characters of flesh and blood, virtues

and vices, ideals of devotion and truth, bravery and duty, sacrifice and greatness, struggle and

success, womanly faithfulness, love for domestic life based on Dharma, respect for the values of

vii

higher life and the goal of human life in the end. The exemplary government is known as

‘Ram-Rajya’ in the historic world.

There is something indescribably touching and tender in the description of these characters.

Deeper than all the other characteristics is the sense of Rama’s duty towards his father, his consort

and brothers, his mother and step-mothers, towards his subjects, his foes and friends and others,

including even birds and beasts. For the pious Hindus, Rama is Lord Rama, whose life in the form

of a man and king is the ideal life in all respects. His life exemplifies triumph of good over evil

forces. It is a life of submission and service to sages and saints.

It is the truthfulness, power of endurance and sincerity of Rama under suffering and

privations which impart the deepest lessons to man’s character. This holy book is also a treasure of

higher philosophy of wisdom, devotion and Karma-yoga. The ancient ideal may seem to modern

man far-fetched in these days, but one can never fully comprehend this great moral epic of the

ancient Hindus unless one develops the requisite sincerity to know the Reality behind things.

According to an old and respected Christian missionary “no one could hope to understand

the people of Upper India till he had mastered every line that Tulsidas had written.” This Ramayana

is deep like an ocean, vast like the infinite space, full of moral and ethical teachings and

soul-illuminating treasures. In order to reap the benefit, one has to dive deep to bring out the pearls

and to rise higher and higher in the realm of spirit with devotion and faith.

Difference Due To Ages

It is not just a facetious novel but contains within itself the novelty of human life, lofty

ideals and a record of the meritorious deeds of Raghuvansmani Rama, based on facts—as the

popular saying goes, “there is no smoke without fire.” The variance in the different Ramayanas

seems due to Kalpa-bheda (difference of age-cycles) according to mystagogues and mythologists

and religious pandits, and the varied approach by various authors at different times.

While concluding Sri Ramcharitmanas, Sant Tulsidas has warned;

This story however should not be repeated to a perverse knave, who does not listen

attentively to the story of Hari, nor should it be recited to a greedy, or lustful man who worships not

the Lord of all animals and inanimate creation.... They alone are qualified to hear Sri Rama’s

narrative, who are extremely fond of communion with holy men. They alone are fit to hear it, who

are devoted to the feet of their preceptor and are lovers of propriety and votaries of the Brahmans.....

So, generally, whenever I happen to talk on Sri Ramcharitmanas, I mostly touch upon the

philosophy and teachings of Ramayana and the beauty and meaning of the words and phraseology

rather than a narration of the mere story, events or exploits of Rama or other characters. I never

thought of writing a commentary on the Ramayana but this book has come up suddenly on its own.

Thus, my purpose of writing this “Spotlights On The Ramayana” is somewhat strange and may be

construed as a new approach.

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SPOTLIGHTSONTHERAMAYANABySriSwamiPremanandaSriSwamiSivanandaFounderofTheDivineLifeSocietySERVE,LOVE,GIVE,PURIFY,MEDITATE,REALIZESoSaysSriSwamiSivanandaSriSwamiPremanandaADIVINELIFESOCIETYPUBLICATIONFirstEdition:1980SecondEdition:1995(2,000Copies)WorldWideWeb(WWW)Edition:2001WWWsite:http://www.Sivana...

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