In my previous article - Sanatana Dharma, Brahmavartam, Brahma's Family Tree - Sri Ramanin Padhaiyil, the significance of Bithoor was covered through brief introduction on Sanatana Dharma, Vedas, Vedantas, Itihasa puranas etc.
Sri Rama Rama Rameti, Rame Raame Manorame
Sahasra Nama Tat Tulyam, Rama Nama Varanane.
With reciting the above sloka, Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami started with explaining the significance of Valmiki Ashram located in Bithoor, Kanpur.
There is a small shrine for Valmiki rishi who had written the Ramayanam. A small Shivalinga is placed in front of the rishi.
STORY OF VALMIKI RISHI:- Prior to his transformation, he was an illiterate hunter who committed innumerable sins by waylaying travelers and looting their wealth. It so happened that saptarishis were passing through that way and were stopped by this hunter. When he threatened them to part with whatever they had, they parted with the imperishable knowledge and advised him to abstain from these activities as he was accumulating innumerable sins. He was justifying his act that he was taking care of his family. When the rishis asked him to find out from his family whether they would share his sins, he bound the saptarishis to a tree and left the place to find out his family's intentions in sharing sins.
Wisdom dawned on him when they replied negatively saying that it was his duty to take care of them and were not prepared to get bound by his sins. He immediately rushed back to the saptarishis repenting for all his misdeeds and asked for forgiveness. As he could not even pronounce properly, the compassionate rishis pointed towards a tree and instructed him to keep on uttering “MA RA” (which means tree) till they returned. Thus unknowingly, he was uttering “RA MA”, the most auspicious name as proclaimed by Shiva in Vishnu Sahasranamam and gained enlightenment.
In due course of time, an ant hill had grown over him. The saptarishis sprinkled holy water and there emerged an effulgent enlightened person from the ant hill who was none other than Valmiki rishi, who composed an epic poem of about 24,000 verses known as Ramayan. Thus the worst sinner was turned into a great devotee by the grace of "RAMA" naamam.
Koojantham Rama Ramethi maduram madsuraksharam,
Aaroohya kavitha shakhaam vande Valmiki kokilam.
Valmike muni simhasya kavitha vana charina,
Srunvan Rama kadha naadam ko na yathi paraam gathim.
Meaning: Salutations to The nightingale Valmiki, Who sits on the poem like branch, And who goes on singing sweetly, “Rama”, “Rama” and “Rama”.
Who in this world will not attain salvation, Who happen to hear the story of Rama, Composed by the lion among poets Valmiki, Who always lived in the forest.
The above sloka was played in the television, while having the darshan of Valmiki Ashram.
Divine sage Narada arrives at the hermitage of Sage Valmiki:
Devarshi Narada was that kind of tapasvi. He had the knowlege of past, present and future. He was always blissful because he knew the true nature of this world and universe and because he was one with the supreme Brahma. Which means that his words were always truthful. If he said something it would become true.
That Narada came to meet Valmiki. Valmiki was also a tapsavi. He also had vrats and regularly meditated. Before I continue, one more thing, the time when Narada came to meet Valmiki, Sitadevi was living in Valmiki's ashram. That means Sitadevi had already gone to Lanka, cameback, and then Rama sent her to forest, where Valmiki found her and gave refuge in his Ashram along with his numerous disciples and their wives. So, in short, the Ramayanam had already happened, in fact it was at its fag-end. Now, Devarishi Narada who was a tapasvi had come to meet tapasvi and Rishi Valmiki.
When Narada came Valmiki prayed to him, welcomed him and asked him a question. which goes as below:
'tapah svaadhyaaya nirataam tapasvii vaagvidaam varam |
naaradam paripapraccha vaalmiikih muni pumgavam
{tapasvii= sagacious thinker; vaalmikih= Sage [Poet] Valmiki; tapah= in thoughtful-meditation; and; sva adhyaaya= in self, study [of scriptures]; nirataam= always - who is eternally studious in scriptures; and; vaag= in speaking [in enunciation]; vidaam= among expert enunciators; varam= sublime one - with Narada; muni pungavam= with sage, paragon, with such a paragon sage Naarada; naaradam= with [such a sage] Naarada; pari papraccha = verily [inquisitively,] inquired about; [ellipt. sarva guna samisti ruupam purusam= all, merited endowments, composite, in form - about such a man. }
Meaning: A thoughtful-meditator, an eternally studious sage in scriptures about the Truth and Untruth, a sagacious thinker, and a sublime enunciator among all expert enunciators is Narada, and with such a Divine Sage Narada, the Sage-Poet Valmiki is inquisitively inquiring about a man who is a composite for all merited endowments in his form and caliber.
This question is the root for the birth of the epic named Ramayana. This question gave birth to the great Indian epic which was written 1000's of years before yet is popular even today. What is this question?
Is there any person in my lifetime who has auspicious desirable 16 qualities?
If there is such a person, please tell me who he is.
Then the Devarishi Narada replied as follows, which goes as below:
"iksvaaku vamsha prabhavo raamo naama janaih shrutah"
{ ikshvaaku vamsha prabhavo= Ikshwaku, dynasty, as his birthplace [emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty]; raamo naama= Rama, named; janaih shrutah = by people, heard [by that name]. }
Meaning: One emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty and known to people as Rama by his name.
Narada replied in the affirmative citing Rama, the Emperor of Ayodhya, belongs to Ikshavaku kula(dynasty), who is the son of King Dasharatha, who was presently ruling the world. Sage Narada conceded the Rishi’s request and narrated the life history of Sri Rama in brief manner and left the place.
Sometime after Narada left, Sage Valmiki went to the river Ganga to bathe. A disciple by name Bharadwaja was with him carrying his clothes. On the way they came across the Tamasa Stream. The water in it was very clear. Sage Valmiki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today."
Sage Valmiki was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, when he heard the sweet chirping of birds. Looking up he saw two crane birds (kokku paravai) sitting on a tree merrily. Sage Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy bird couple.
Valmiki describes River Tamasa as follows:
"Akardhamam idham thirtham bharadhvaja nishamaya
Ramaniyam prasannambu sanmanushyamano yatha"
Meaning: O Bharadwaja, these waters are clear, beautiful and calm just as is the mind of a good person.
[Valmiki, the author of the Indian epic Ramayana, describes the river Tamasa to his student in this verse.]
Just then one of the birds fell down hit by an arrow. It was the male bird. Seeing the wounded one, its mate was screaming in agony. Sage Valmiki's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. The hunter had shot the bird for food. Sage Valmiki was very angry. His lips opened and words came out: "You, who have killed one of a happy couple, may you not yourself live long!".
A shloka was born out of his sorrow.
"manishada pratishtatum samagah ssashvatissamah
yat krouncha mithunadekam avadhim kama mohitam"
Meaning: You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity. For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting.
This slokha is the seed for the birth of epic Sri Ramayana and it is the first slokha writter by Sage Valmiki.
The sad plight of the birds had moved Sage Valmiki to curse the hunter, but yet he felt very unhappy, because he had cursed him. He expressed his sorrow to Bharadwaja who was with him. He was equally surprised that a shloka should have come from his lips. As he walked back to his ashram and also later, he thought only of the shloka. He however could not reconcile with himself as to why he lost his cool for such a small incident and was regretting for the curse. At that time, Brahma appeared and said that it was not a curse but indeed a mangala slokam. He split the words and highlighted the meaning to the rishi and pacified him. He said to Sage Valmiki, "O great sage, the shloka which came from your lips was inspired by me. Now you will write the 'Ramayana' in the form of Shlokas. Narada has narrated to you the story of the 'Ramayana'. You will see with your own eyes all that happened. Whatever you say will be true. Your words shall be truth. As long as there are rivers and mountains in the world, people will read the 'Ramayana'.
Sage Valmiki questions Lord Brahma, Where is the glorification of the great Lord in these words?
Valmiki never knew that within the words of curse that he uttered there was a prayer to the Almighty Lord Narayana hiddenly present, unwittingly made present inside in the form of a systematic verse of thirty-two letters. Though the obvious meaning of this verse of thirty-two letters is a curse, it had another meaning altogether which was a glorification of Lakshmi-Narayana.
Manishada: O abode of Mahalakshmi, is another meaning of these words. Ma means Lakshmi, nishada is one who is abode. Pratishtatum samagah: May your glory be forever and ever.
This is the meaning of this Sanskrit style. You can juxtapose the words this way or that way. In one way it is a death-bringing curse, and arranged in another way the very same words mean glory to Adinarayana. O abode of Mahalakshmi, may you be glorified forever and ever. Why? Yat krouncha mithunadekam sokam avadhim kama mohitam: Because you have been a conduit for bringing an end to Ravana, who was attached in a sensuous manner to objects. You brought an end to this crude way of living. May you live long. May you live long. May your glory be immortalised, O Narayana, the abode of Lakshmi.
“O, you have uttered these words?” Brahma immediately said, “You have started the glory of Rama, incarnation of Narayana, who came to end this tyranny of Ravana. I ordain you to write the whole epic Ramayana story from now onwards, commencing with this great glorification of Narayana.
Lord Brahma's verse in sanskrit:
"Yaavat sthasyanti girahay, Saritah cha mahita le, Taavat ramaayama katha, Lokesu prachyansiyat"
Meaning: As long as mountains and rivers flourish on the surface of the earth, so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world.
There is also a secret behind the Adi Kavya Ramayana, which is for every thousand verses, the first verse commences with one letter of the Gayatri mantra. Tapah svadhyaya nirataam tapasvi vagvidam varam, naradam paripapracha valmikih muni pumgavam is the first verse. ‘Ta’ is the first letter. Tat savitur varenyam is how the Gayatri commences; and the next one thousand verses starts with the next letter of Gayatri. The twenty-four thousand verses of the Valmiki Ramayana have hiddenly, within them, at every thousandth verse, a letter of the Gayatri mantra. These verses are sometimes culled out separately as Gayatri Ramayana, and devotees recite it every day.
Valmiki Ramayana is a wondrous, immortal epic with a wondrous, immortal message. Valmiki composes the Ramayana and teaches Lava and Kusha to sing it.
The term "Sri Ramanin Padhayil" Means:
01. We should speak truth always.
02. We should not steal.
03. We should not any kind of desires on other's property.
04. We should be kind and nice with all beings.
05. We should always use sweet words while speaking and avoid using harsh words.
If we follow all these as basics in our life, we will sure reach greater heights. Sanathana Dharmam is all about following these.
Sahasra Nama Tat Tulyam, Rama Nama Varanane.
With reciting the above sloka, Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami started with explaining the significance of Valmiki Ashram located in Bithoor, Kanpur.
There is a small shrine for Valmiki rishi who had written the Ramayanam. A small Shivalinga is placed in front of the rishi.
STORY OF VALMIKI RISHI:- Prior to his transformation, he was an illiterate hunter who committed innumerable sins by waylaying travelers and looting their wealth. It so happened that saptarishis were passing through that way and were stopped by this hunter. When he threatened them to part with whatever they had, they parted with the imperishable knowledge and advised him to abstain from these activities as he was accumulating innumerable sins. He was justifying his act that he was taking care of his family. When the rishis asked him to find out from his family whether they would share his sins, he bound the saptarishis to a tree and left the place to find out his family's intentions in sharing sins.
Wisdom dawned on him when they replied negatively saying that it was his duty to take care of them and were not prepared to get bound by his sins. He immediately rushed back to the saptarishis repenting for all his misdeeds and asked for forgiveness. As he could not even pronounce properly, the compassionate rishis pointed towards a tree and instructed him to keep on uttering “MA RA” (which means tree) till they returned. Thus unknowingly, he was uttering “RA MA”, the most auspicious name as proclaimed by Shiva in Vishnu Sahasranamam and gained enlightenment.
In due course of time, an ant hill had grown over him. The saptarishis sprinkled holy water and there emerged an effulgent enlightened person from the ant hill who was none other than Valmiki rishi, who composed an epic poem of about 24,000 verses known as Ramayan. Thus the worst sinner was turned into a great devotee by the grace of "RAMA" naamam.
Aaroohya kavitha shakhaam vande Valmiki kokilam.
Valmike muni simhasya kavitha vana charina,
Srunvan Rama kadha naadam ko na yathi paraam gathim.
Meaning: Salutations to The nightingale Valmiki, Who sits on the poem like branch, And who goes on singing sweetly, “Rama”, “Rama” and “Rama”.
Who in this world will not attain salvation, Who happen to hear the story of Rama, Composed by the lion among poets Valmiki, Who always lived in the forest.
The above sloka was played in the television, while having the darshan of Valmiki Ashram.
Divine sage Narada arrives at the hermitage of Sage Valmiki:
Devarshi Narada was that kind of tapasvi. He had the knowlege of past, present and future. He was always blissful because he knew the true nature of this world and universe and because he was one with the supreme Brahma. Which means that his words were always truthful. If he said something it would become true.
That Narada came to meet Valmiki. Valmiki was also a tapsavi. He also had vrats and regularly meditated. Before I continue, one more thing, the time when Narada came to meet Valmiki, Sitadevi was living in Valmiki's ashram. That means Sitadevi had already gone to Lanka, cameback, and then Rama sent her to forest, where Valmiki found her and gave refuge in his Ashram along with his numerous disciples and their wives. So, in short, the Ramayanam had already happened, in fact it was at its fag-end. Now, Devarishi Narada who was a tapasvi had come to meet tapasvi and Rishi Valmiki.
When Narada came Valmiki prayed to him, welcomed him and asked him a question. which goes as below:
naaradam paripapraccha vaalmiikih muni pumgavam
{tapasvii= sagacious thinker; vaalmikih= Sage [Poet] Valmiki; tapah= in thoughtful-meditation; and; sva adhyaaya= in self, study [of scriptures]; nirataam= always - who is eternally studious in scriptures; and; vaag= in speaking [in enunciation]; vidaam= among expert enunciators; varam= sublime one - with Narada; muni pungavam= with sage, paragon, with such a paragon sage Naarada; naaradam= with [such a sage] Naarada; pari papraccha = verily [inquisitively,] inquired about; [ellipt. sarva guna samisti ruupam purusam= all, merited endowments, composite, in form - about such a man. }
Meaning: A thoughtful-meditator, an eternally studious sage in scriptures about the Truth and Untruth, a sagacious thinker, and a sublime enunciator among all expert enunciators is Narada, and with such a Divine Sage Narada, the Sage-Poet Valmiki is inquisitively inquiring about a man who is a composite for all merited endowments in his form and caliber.
This question is the root for the birth of the epic named Ramayana. This question gave birth to the great Indian epic which was written 1000's of years before yet is popular even today. What is this question?
Is there any person in my lifetime who has auspicious desirable 16 qualities?
If there is such a person, please tell me who he is.
Then the Devarishi Narada replied as follows, which goes as below:
{ ikshvaaku vamsha prabhavo= Ikshwaku, dynasty, as his birthplace [emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty]; raamo naama= Rama, named; janaih shrutah = by people, heard [by that name]. }
Meaning: One emerged from Ikshvaku dynasty and known to people as Rama by his name.
Narada replied in the affirmative citing Rama, the Emperor of Ayodhya, belongs to Ikshavaku kula(dynasty), who is the son of King Dasharatha, who was presently ruling the world. Sage Narada conceded the Rishi’s request and narrated the life history of Sri Rama in brief manner and left the place.
Sometime after Narada left, Sage Valmiki went to the river Ganga to bathe. A disciple by name Bharadwaja was with him carrying his clothes. On the way they came across the Tamasa Stream. The water in it was very clear. Sage Valmiki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today."
Sage Valmiki was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, when he heard the sweet chirping of birds. Looking up he saw two crane birds (kokku paravai) sitting on a tree merrily. Sage Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy bird couple.
Valmiki describes River Tamasa as follows:
Ramaniyam prasannambu sanmanushyamano yatha"
Meaning: O Bharadwaja, these waters are clear, beautiful and calm just as is the mind of a good person.
[Valmiki, the author of the Indian epic Ramayana, describes the river Tamasa to his student in this verse.]
Just then one of the birds fell down hit by an arrow. It was the male bird. Seeing the wounded one, its mate was screaming in agony. Sage Valmiki's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. The hunter had shot the bird for food. Sage Valmiki was very angry. His lips opened and words came out: "You, who have killed one of a happy couple, may you not yourself live long!".
A shloka was born out of his sorrow.
yat krouncha mithunadekam avadhim kama mohitam"
Meaning: You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity. For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting.
This slokha is the seed for the birth of epic Sri Ramayana and it is the first slokha writter by Sage Valmiki.
The sad plight of the birds had moved Sage Valmiki to curse the hunter, but yet he felt very unhappy, because he had cursed him. He expressed his sorrow to Bharadwaja who was with him. He was equally surprised that a shloka should have come from his lips. As he walked back to his ashram and also later, he thought only of the shloka. He however could not reconcile with himself as to why he lost his cool for such a small incident and was regretting for the curse. At that time, Brahma appeared and said that it was not a curse but indeed a mangala slokam. He split the words and highlighted the meaning to the rishi and pacified him. He said to Sage Valmiki, "O great sage, the shloka which came from your lips was inspired by me. Now you will write the 'Ramayana' in the form of Shlokas. Narada has narrated to you the story of the 'Ramayana'. You will see with your own eyes all that happened. Whatever you say will be true. Your words shall be truth. As long as there are rivers and mountains in the world, people will read the 'Ramayana'.
Sage Valmiki questions Lord Brahma, Where is the glorification of the great Lord in these words?
Valmiki never knew that within the words of curse that he uttered there was a prayer to the Almighty Lord Narayana hiddenly present, unwittingly made present inside in the form of a systematic verse of thirty-two letters. Though the obvious meaning of this verse of thirty-two letters is a curse, it had another meaning altogether which was a glorification of Lakshmi-Narayana.
Manishada: O abode of Mahalakshmi, is another meaning of these words. Ma means Lakshmi, nishada is one who is abode. Pratishtatum samagah: May your glory be forever and ever.
This is the meaning of this Sanskrit style. You can juxtapose the words this way or that way. In one way it is a death-bringing curse, and arranged in another way the very same words mean glory to Adinarayana. O abode of Mahalakshmi, may you be glorified forever and ever. Why? Yat krouncha mithunadekam sokam avadhim kama mohitam: Because you have been a conduit for bringing an end to Ravana, who was attached in a sensuous manner to objects. You brought an end to this crude way of living. May you live long. May you live long. May your glory be immortalised, O Narayana, the abode of Lakshmi.
“O, you have uttered these words?” Brahma immediately said, “You have started the glory of Rama, incarnation of Narayana, who came to end this tyranny of Ravana. I ordain you to write the whole epic Ramayana story from now onwards, commencing with this great glorification of Narayana.
Lord Brahma's verse in sanskrit:
Meaning: As long as mountains and rivers flourish on the surface of the earth, so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world.
There is also a secret behind the Adi Kavya Ramayana, which is for every thousand verses, the first verse commences with one letter of the Gayatri mantra. Tapah svadhyaya nirataam tapasvi vagvidam varam, naradam paripapracha valmikih muni pumgavam is the first verse. ‘Ta’ is the first letter. Tat savitur varenyam is how the Gayatri commences; and the next one thousand verses starts with the next letter of Gayatri. The twenty-four thousand verses of the Valmiki Ramayana have hiddenly, within them, at every thousandth verse, a letter of the Gayatri mantra. These verses are sometimes culled out separately as Gayatri Ramayana, and devotees recite it every day.
Valmiki Ramayana is a wondrous, immortal epic with a wondrous, immortal message. Valmiki composes the Ramayana and teaches Lava and Kusha to sing it.
The term "Sri Ramanin Padhayil" Means:
01. We should speak truth always.
02. We should not steal.
03. We should not any kind of desires on other's property.
04. We should be kind and nice with all beings.
05. We should always use sweet words while speaking and avoid using harsh words.
If we follow all these as basics in our life, we will sure reach greater heights. Sanathana Dharmam is all about following these.
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