Contribution Of Squirrels & Monkeys In Building Rama Setu - Sri Ramanin Padhayil

Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami speaks on the contribution of squirrels and monkeys in building Rama Setu bridge in 32nd Episode of Sri Ramanin Padhayil.


While addressing, Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami made reference of below verse from Thirumalai Pasuram by Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar.

“Kurangugal malaiyai noka kulithadam purandit odi”
“Tharanga neer adaikal utra salamila anilum pole”
“marangal poye valiya nanje vanjanen nenju thannal”
“Aranganarku aat seyadhae aliyathen ayarkindrenae”

Meaning: Lord Rama decided to construct a bridge to enable him to travel to Sri Lanka to wage a war against Ravana. He summoned Sugreeva and all the monkey clan. Lord Rama was standing on a hillock and was overseeing all the arrangements and all the monkeys in different statures started to lift the boulders by breaking the mountains. Nalan was the architect for the bridge and is considered to be an incarnation of Vishwakarma himself. Sugreeva was leading the whole effort and was the impetus to the timely construction of the bridge. The monkeys on seeing Lord Rama in the hillock were overjoyed to have Rama’s darshan on them and so they started to lift more than one boulder with them. There was a squirrel in one corner witnessing the mammoth tasks the monkeys were doing with awe and excitement and also wanted to be of some help. The monkeys used to drench themselves in the ocean waters since the service they render was verily the service to the Lord. The squirrel also went to the waters and took a dip in the raging waters of the ocean. They completely drenched amidst the raging waves [Tharanga neer adaikal utra] for two reasons. Firstly they wanted to purify their body before doing service to the Lord and secondly they wanted to bring sand and deposit it in between the rocks. It would not suffice if they carried it by hand and hence they swirled their wet bodies in sand and then took that sand and deposited it in between the rocks. The squirrel was so enthused to do service to the Lord and they did not bother about their lives.

There once a lived a great Mahatma called Embar. One day circumstances led him to put his hand in an ant hill in which a snake was dwelling. The devotees witnessing this cautioned him since it was dangerous and Embar replied that it is the Lord who is destines his fate. He said that it is verily the Lord’s wish to decide if he has live or die. He further added that if he was alive in this earth, he would do service to the Lord in this world and if it was otherwise, he told his devotee that he would do service to the Lord in Vaikunta.

Akin to Embar were the squirrels since they did not pay any heed to their lives and jumped into the water to carry sand and placed it between the rocks. One can interpret the service rendered by the monkeys as a gratitude to the Lord. They were over-powered by Vali, a tyrant and the Lord killed Vali and crowned Sugreeva as the king and thus peace was restored. However, there is no reason [salam] for the squirrel to help Rama in bridge construction thereby depicting the path of Bhagavatha Dharma. Lord Rama’s vision fell on the squirrel as he was sedulously doing service to the Lord to help in bridge construction. He immediately summoned Lakshmana and requested him to bring the squirrel to him. When Lakshmana tried to carry the squirrel, he did not want to come since he was totally involved in rendering the service. He then carried him the squirrel by force and summoned him in front of Lord Rama. The Lord, who is personification of compassion, placed him on his lap and gently caressed him. The squirrel was kind of restless since he wanted to go and continue his service and at that instant of time, the squirrel was informed that the bridge construction was completed. It was not due to the monkey’s gargantuan task or due to Nala and Lord Rama that the bridge was completed. It was due to the sheer craving of the squirrel; a Mahatma for the bridge to be completed and his true weeping for an opportunity to render service to the Lord hat aided in the construction of the bridge.

Such is the glory of ‘Kainkarya’.


Lord Rama traveled from one side to the other side, Hanuman carried Lord Rama, Angada carried Lakshmana over their shoulders. They traveled as they built the bridge and reached the shore. They spent 1 day in discussion and next 7 days the war happened.

Verse from Sundara Kandam : Sargam 38 : Slogam 67

jiivitam dhaarayiShyaami maasam dasharatha aatmaja |
uurdhvam maasaan na jiiveyam satyena aham braviimi te

Meaning: "O Rama! I shall hold my life for a month. I cannot survive after a month I am telling you the truth."

Hanuman asks Seetha to give him a token of remembrance, which Rama can recognize. Seetha then narrates the episode of a crow which occurred on the Chitrakuta mountain and requests Hanuman to repeat it before Rama by way of a token of recollection. She further sends greetings to both Rama and Lakshmana, conveys her enquiry about their welfare and conveys to them her resolve to survive only for a month after the expiry of the time-limit given by Ravana. Thereupon, she hands over to Hanuman her jewel for the head as a token of remembrance.

Let us see, How Lord Rama achieved the deadline of one month given by Sita?

After Hanuman came back from Lanka

01 day - Discussion at Mahendragiri on how to proceed with Angada on whether they should go and inform Rama or fight themselves.

03 days - Entire monkey clan ran and reached Kishkindha.

03 days - Then they had to inform Rama and fix a date and start with the troops.

05 days - For the entire troop to reach the shore at Rameshwaram it took 5 days.

01 day - Vibhishana Saranagathi.

03 days - Rama did Saranagathi to King of the oceans.

05 days - Bridge was built in 5 days.

01 day - Discussion at Lanka on how to proceed and fight. Angada was sent as a messenger to Rama.

07 days - Fight between Lord Rama and Ravana.


Till now totally 29 days got over. On 30th day Rama rescued Sita and within a day they reached Bharadwaja Ashram in the pushpaka vimanam on the way back to ayodhya.