Ramayana: Encyclopedia II - Ramayana - Synopsis

Ramayana - Synopsis

According to Hindu tradition, Rāma is an Avātara, an incarnation of Vishnu or God. The main purpose of his incarnation is to demonstrate the ideal human life on earth. Ultimately, Rāma slays the rākshasa king Ravana and reestablishes the rule of religious and moral law on earth known in Hinduism as dharma. It has been said that Brahma promised Valmiki, so long as the mountains and seas endure, so long shall the Rāmāyana be read by men.

Gaudiya Vaishnava achary Rupa Gosvami writes in his Laghu Bhagavatamrta that Ramayan (Rāma-lilā) manifests in the 24th chaturyuga while Krishna and Chaitanya lived in the 28th. Thus the time difference would be around 19 million years.

"Splendid as a new blade of dhruva grass, and accompanied by Sumitra's two sons and by Bharata, He appeared in the Treta-yug of the 24th chaturyug, as the son of Kausalyā and Dasharatha". (Laghu Bhagavatamrta 1.3.78).

Ramayana - Book I: Bal Kand or The Book of Youth

When King Dasharatha of Ayodhya performs a Putrakameshti Yagna, the sacrifice for progeny, a purusha (a divine being) emerges from the holy fire and offers a pot of payasam milk sweet and instructs Dasarath to distribute the dessert to his three wives, the Queens Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi, in accordance with the status of each. However, there wasn't enough payasam for Sumitra , so Kausalya and Kaikeyi give portions of their dessert to her. As a result, Queen Kausalya gives birth to the oldest son, Ram. Bharatha is born to Queen Kaikeyi, and twins, Lakshman and Shatrughna, are born to Queen Sumitra. When the princes are young boys, the sage Vishwamitra visits King Dasaratha and asks him to send Ram and Lakshman to protect him from demons who have been disturbing his sacrifice ritual. Reluctantly, King Dasaratha agrees, and Ram and Lakshman are sent to live with Vishwamitr for the latter's protection. The brothers meet with many an adventure, and the sage trains them in the dharm, or path, of the prince-warrior. As the brothers fulfill their duties, the sage is pleased with them and bestows upon them various heavenly weapons.

Toward the end of their stay with Vishwamitra, they receive an invitation to King Janaka's kingdom of Mithila on the occasion of his daughter Sita's Swayamvara, in which she will choose her future husband. A competition is held in which princes and heroes from numerous kingdoms vie to display their prowess and win her hand. For many years, the unwieldy divine bow Shiva Dhanush has been idle because no one was strong enough to lift it, and King Janaka challenges the suitors to bend and string it. After all the suitors fail, Rama succeeds in mastering the bow, not only effortlessly bending and stringing it, but also breaking it into two pieces. He wins the hand of Sita, and after a sumptuous wedding attended by the illustrious from both heaven and earth, he returns with her to Ayodhya. Sita is the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi and, in her worldly form, becomes the ideal helpmate and consort to Rama. Together they live the life after which all persons on earth model their own.

Ramayana - Book II: Ayodhya Kanda or The Book of Ayodhya

After some time, Dasaratha, feeling his advancing years, decides to abdicate and retire to the forest. He designates his first-born son Rama to succeed him as King of Ayodhya. Astrologers are consulted and a date is set for the coronation. Just before the fateful day, Kaikeyi, one of Dasaratha's three wives, falls under the influence of a malicious servant, Manthra, who awakens Kaikeyi's jealousy toward her co-wife, the mother of Rama. Kaikeyi goes before the king and demands to redeem the two boons he had granted her long ago after she saved his life in war by her expert charioteering. Exploiting this promise, which the helpless Dasaratha is honor-bound to fulfill, she asks for the two boons as follow:

1. Her own son, Bharata, should be crowned instead of Rama;
2. Rama should be exiled from the Kingdom for 14 years.

Ramayana - Book III: Aranya Kanda or The Book of the Forest

Rama, being an obedient son, leaves for the jungle with Sita and Lakshmana, who in spite of repeated requests, decides to shun the kingdom and follow his older brother devoutly in his time of crisis. Meanwhile, Bharata returns to Ayodhya and, being also devoted to Rama, becomes furious with Kaikeyi for her malicious deeds committed in his absence. He travels to the forest and tries to persuade Rama to return to the kingdom and assume the throne. Rama politely refuses, saying that he is duty-bound to see that his father's promise is fulfilled. Reluctantly Bharata agrees to return to the kingdom, requesting Rama to present to him his sandals. He formally treats Rama's sandals as the reigning entity, and ascribes himself as the representative ruler of the rightful king Rama in his absence. Bharata also vows to end his life, if Rama did not return after the 14 years in exile. Dasharatha meanwhile dies of sorrow from having to be separated from his son.

While in the forest, Rama befriends the ancient vulture-king, Jatayu.

The demoness Surpanakha, sister of the demon king Ravana, becomes enamored of the handsome Rama and tries to seduce him during his stay in the jungle. Rama, renowned for his practice of Ekapatnivrata, the vow to practice unassailable loyalty to one's wife, is unresponsive. But Rama's brother Lakshmana, infuriated by Surpanaka's act of willful lasciviousness, cuts off her nose. Surpanakha runs home crying to her brother Ravana. To avenge his sister's loss of nose, Ravana uses the demon Maricha to lure Rama and Lakshmana away, leaving Sita alone. Lakshmana draws a circle in the dirt saying that she will be safe as long as she stays in the circle. At one point she hears a cry that she thinks is her husband Rama suffering, so she steps out of the circle to find him. At her moment of vulnerability, Ravana abducts Sita in his airborne vehicle, the Pushpaka Vimana. Jatayu, seeing them fly, attempts to save Sita, but Ravana, leaving his chariot - and Sita in it - behind (presumably he can fly!!) engages Jatayu in combat, and cuts off his wings. Jatayu narrates the incident to Rama, who subsequently finds him in the forest, dying of his wounds and his fall from the sky. He breathes his last in Rama's arms.

Ramayana - Book IV: Kishkindha Kanda or The Book of Kishkindha the kingdom of monkeys

Rama searching for Sita meets Sugriva, who believes he had been unjustly dethroned by his brotherVali. Vali had also married Sugriva's wife, but it was actually a misunderstanding between the two. Sugriva's followers include Hanuman and Jambuvanta (wise bear). With Rama's help, Vali is tragically slain and Sugriva realizes his mistake. Sugriva is crowned king of Kishkindha, and agrees to help Rama in his search for Sita.

The monkey-soldiers of Sugriva search in various directions, their efforts coming to naught, till they meet another ancient vulture, Sampati, revealed as the brother of Jatayu. Sampati's wings were burnt when he flew too close to the Sun, his brother having saved him from falling to his death. He, however, possessed an incredibly powerful sense of vision, being able to see farther than any living thing. Upon hearing of Ravana's killing his brother, he readily helps the monkeys. From his perch, he is able to see Sita. She is imprisoned in a garden of Ashok trees on the island of Lanka, beyond the Southern sea. The monkeys now know where to proceed. Miraculously, Sampati's wings grow back, as he narrates this information to the monkeys - his helping them (and thus Rama) has made him whole again. The team(Ram, Lakshamana, Hanuman, Sugriv and his army) head further south until they reach the Indian Ocean.

Ramayana - Book V: Sundara Kanda or The Book of Sundara another name of Hanuman

Sugriva sends his loyal follower Hanuman on a reconnaissance mission to discover the whereabouts of Sita. Each of Sugriva's messengers are sent in different directions. Hanuman heads south and hits the Indian Ocean. Everybody else is unable to cross. The only person who has the ability to cross is Hanuman. However, due to a curse by rishis, Hanuman cannot remember his own strength unless he is reminded of it. Everyone encourages Hanuman, who finally remembers his strength. He then flies to Lanka to find Sita.

Hanuman finds Sita imprisoned in Ravana's palace garden and says that he is there to save her. She says that her savior must be her husband Rama. Hanuman then assures her that help will be coming. He then proceeds to destroy Ravana's Asoka Grove. Ravana's demon soldiers rush in to capture him, and he then lets himself be captured by them. Viewed as a spy, Hanuman who has killed Ravana's younger son Aksa in battle, is delivered to Ravana for retribution. Impressed with Ravana's charm, nobility, heroism, and splendor, Hanuman notes the fact that Ravana is, however, "devoted to unrighteousness." Similarly struck by Hanuman's "majesty of appearance and strength," Ravana attempts to ascertain the purpose of Hanuman's visit and his reason for laying "Asoka-grove to waste." Proclaiming that he is a messenger for Sugriva, Hanuman states that he acted in self defense and pleads with Ravana to restore Sita to Rama or to fall victim to Rama's wrath. Furious at hearing Hanuman's words, Ravana orders Hanuman's death.

Vibhisana, Ravana's righteous brother, intervenes at this point and counsels Ravana to follow the scriptures. He reminds him that it is improper to execute a messenger, and instead tells him to exact the appropriate punishment for Hanuman's crime. Ravana appreciates the counsel and accepts it. He chooses, instead, to order his demons to set fire to Hanuman's tail in an effort to show that such mischief is intolerable. Enduring the punishment, Hanuman seizes the opportunity to observe Lanka during the day in an effort to gather military information for the future. Hanuman is "intrigued" that the fire does not burn or hurt him and concludes that it is Sita's grace and Rama's glory that prevent injury to him. Hanuman frees himself from his bonds, and with his tail ablaze, flies around Lanka, destroying the town. After which, he returns to Rama with news about Sita.

Thus, Hanuman finds Sita imprisoned in the island of Lanka and flies back to give Rama the news. Hanuman, with Rama and Lakshmana head South to free Sita from the bondage. Sundara Kanda not only deals with the Hanuman finding Sita (and subsequently informing Rama), but it has a lot to say about the behaviour of a man in difficult situations. Here, every step of Hanuman teaches us how to overcome our difficulties.

Ramayana - Book VI: Yuddha Kanda or The Book of War

Rama, overjoyed at the news of the welfare of Sita, sends a peacekeeping mission, which Ravana rejects. Rama prepares for war and, ably helped by his Vanara army, builds a bridge across the water.

Having reached Lanka, Rama is left with the choice of slaying Ravana, which he does to get back his wife Sita. Rama, in an act which is often debated for the ethical aspects, asks Sita to prove her celibacy through a test by fire. Sita passes the test successfully and is reunited with Rama. Rama, having finished the fourteen years in exile, gets back to Ayodhya and assumes the throne from Bharata and rules his kingdom with rigor and ensures justice for all his subjects. This period is often called Ram Rajya (The reign of Rama), a phrase often used in modern Indian society, as a metaphor for the ideal rule of law.

Ramayana - Book VII: Uttara Kanda or The Book Beyond

The Uttarakanda is the most controversial book, as it contains the story of Rama banishing Sita from Ayodhya, and of his beheading a shudra named Shambuka for performing religious worship not appropriate for his varna. To many, both these actions seem to detract from Rama's reputation as a model of ideal conduct: when he banished Sita in spite of her innocence, merely because the people were gossiping, he is said to have preferred falsehood to truth; and by attacking Shambuka in a state of helplessness (i.e. while he was meditating), Rama violated the Kshatriya code of honour.

Significantly, these episodes are not found in any early version of Rama story. The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha, and the Vayu, Brahmanda, Kurma, Garuda and Vishnu Puranas all give more or less detailed versions of the story, but none of them mention either the banishment of Sita, or the slaying of Shambuka. Some consider the entire Uttara Kanda to be an addition, not written by Valmiki.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Synopsis", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki