Baala Kaanda - Sarga 1

Rmyaa is the epic poem of the richest and longest surviving civilization on the face of the planet. The
essence of Rmyaa can be boiled dow n to tw o w ords: Plurality and Righteousness.

Plurality: Rmyaa presents a w ide variety of personalities, w ithout holding any one of them specifically
ideal or advocating one as better than the other. Everyone in Rmyaa chooses his ow n life path and style
reflecting his ow n personality. Daaratha has three w ives, w hereas Rma chooses to be w edded to only
one w ife for life and Hanuman chooses to remain a bachelor for life. Lakshmaa chooses to be w ith his
brother and protect him all the time, w hereas Vibheeshaa chooses to differ w ith his mighty brother.

Kaikyees people involve themselves in her life even after her marriage, w hereas Seet's people do not
interfere in her life after marriage. Vasishha and Viw mitra choose to lead an ascetic life all through,
w hereas Rvaa, in spite of being a Brhmaa, chooses to dominate the w orld at all costs. Vlmeeki, the
poet, stays behind the scenes and does not patronize any one of these characters over the other. He
presents each character in its full force. He doesn't become judgmental about any one of them. He lets the
characters speak for themselves.

Righteousness (Dharma): Rmyaa presents various challenging situations. Each one of the personalities
succeeds or fails in those situations. The situations illustrate w hether the personality a) could maintain its
core nature, w ithout w avering and b) could stay on the right side of the ethical, moral and socially
agreeable side of the equation. Vlmeeki continues to stay behind the scenes and does not come out to
laud or denounce their choices. The choices speak for themselves.

These tw o aspects make up the framew ork of Rmyaa. It is much more than a simple 'good over the evil'
story. You w ill enjoy and appreciate Rmyaa much more deeply, if you keep this framew ork in mind.
Rmyaa, then, w ould help you in reflecting on your ow n life and the happenings in society. That is the
benefit of reading Rmyaa.

The imagination of an entire civilization held the central characters of the story, Rma, Seet, and Hanuman
as ideal, because each one of them chose to lead a noble life of their choice and preserved their character
even under the most trying circumstances. They stayed on the right side of the equation, w ithout regard to
personal difficulties and sacrifices that their choices called upon.

Reading Rmyaa: Rmyaa interw eaves these personalities, situations and choices into a beautiful
narrative. Vlmeeki is the master poet that the w orld has ever know n. He opens up vistas and scenes of
human emotions, w ith all the drama and action in front of you. He paints a beautiful visual picture through
his mastery of w ords and style of narration.

Reinvent the child in you to enjoy this epic w ith all its magic and inspiration. Read it as if you w ere reading it
for the first time. The scenes and the magic w ill open up in front of your eyes w ith all their beauty and glory.
Pay attention to each w ord and phrase, to fill your mind w ith the essence of human emotions, high as w ell
as low . Add your imagination throughout this epic poem to see it like a movie imagining all the visuals
portrayed by the author.

This first Sarga of Bla Ka gives a summary of the Rmyaa, similar to the 'Introduction' in many
modern books and similar to the 'Executive Summary' of a business document. Also, notice that Uttara
Ka is not included in this summary.

Poem:Vlmeeki gives aw ay the entire story right in the first Sarga. He doesnt seek to maintain any
suspense. W hy? Because he meant to w rite a poem, a song, that can be read and sung many a time, not
just once. And for sure, he does a phenomenal job at that, taking you through the gyrations of human
emotions. And the story, for him, seem to be no more than an excuse.

So, read Rmyaa to enjoy the beauty, to immerse yourself in the narration and not to know the story or
its nuances. Enter into each character and each scene just being w hat you are, the human, and let the
divine in you pop out now and then, just as it does in this poem. Blur the lines betw een human, nature and
divine. And, in this poem, you w ill see a reflection of yourself and the reflection of eternal human nature.
And if you do not, take off one more garb that you have put on your original self, and one more and one
more, till you become a naked human. Surely and certainly, the glory of the poem w ill descend on you. Then
you w ill read it multiple times, as it is intended to be.
 All Segments:Vlmeeki w rote the Rmyaa for all segments of the population. Notice the mention of
Brhmaa, Kshatriya, Vaiya and dra in the last lka of this Sarga. It simply means all segments of the
society.

W riters, politicians and business people have to be, or at least appear as, universal and inclusive. They
have to mention all the segments of society, all the time. They should not and w ould not 'leave out' any
one.

For example, smart phone advertisers try to say that it is useful for w orkers, housew ives, students,
businessman, young people and old people alike. A politician w ould try to say that his/her policy w ould
benefit everyone, business people, the employed, the unemployed, w idow s, farmers, and so on.

Businessmen and politicians use some segmentation or the other that is in vogue in the given time and
place. Vlmeeki, w ho is w riting a poem that is meant to last for eternity, on the other hand, needs a
segmentation that transcends time and place. He needs to use a segmentation that makes sense in Kali
Yuga, just as it did in Trt Yuga. He needs a segmentation that is applicable as much in every part of the
w orld, as it is in India.

Vlmeeki uses a celebrated segmentation of humanity that is purely based on the four enduring urges:
Know ledge, Pow er, W ealth and Comfort. Before the caste system caused the confusion by tightly coupling
the Varnas w ith lineages, the system w as much simpler and cleaner. These four urges of people are natural
and universal and eternal.

Any person, w ho has a lifelong interest in acquiring know ledge (arts and sciences), and feels good in
identifying himself/herself w ith his know ledge, is considered a Brhmaa, regardless of lineage. Any person,
w ho has a lifelong interest in acquiring pow er, and feels good in identifying himself/herself w ith the pow er
and position is recognized as a Kshatriya. Any person, w ho has a lifelong interest in creating and pursuing
w ealth, and feels good in identifying himself/herself w ith it, is called a Vaiya. Any person, w ho seeks
comfort and happiness in life, and has the necessary w illingness to w ork for it, is know n as a dra.

Indic Civilization identified these four urges as not only fundamental, but also legitimate. They realized that
these four interests are complementary and vital building blocks of society. Hence their vision is that these
four segments w ill last forever. And, history continues to handsomely vindicate that vision.

1.1.1 If you are a w riter and if you w ant to w rite

a book that lasts as long as humanity
lasts, w hat w ould you w rite about?

Vlmeekis answ er is to w rite about a
great person, w hose illustrious life w ould
inspire and set an example for ages to

come.
In the first lka, he asks Nrada w hether
Vlmeeki, a Tapasvi, earnestly inquired w ith Nrada, one such person exists.
the most accomplished among scholars in all subjects,
the one constantly focused on pursuing them w ith Tapa In lkas 2-4, he outlines sixteen
and the one that stands tall among all the Munis: characteristics, in the form of questions,
that w ould describe such a great person.
Muni is someone who is focused on pursuing his quest,
especially on the nature of Universe, These characteristics speak volumes about
breathing and living it every moment. the advances made in the times and lands
Tapa is straining, stretching and training the body and mind, w here this epic poem w as w ritten, in
to perform at their best. understanding the heights that a human
Tapasvi is who has done Tapa for many, many years. can possibly achieve.

1.1.2







W ho, in this w orld, is a person:
1) of great qualities,
2) of great valor,
3) of acute discernment about right and w rong,
4) w ho appreciates, remembers and is grateful
for the help received from everyone,
5) w ho stands by his w ord all the time,
6) and pursues his goals to their completion, unsw ervingly?
1.1.3







7) W ho is a man of great character,
8) w ho alw ays w ishes and does good to all beings,
9) w ho is w ell read about all aspects of life,
10) w ho is capable of getting the most challenging things
done,
11) w ho is also approachable, personable and
pleasing to all alike, at all times?

1.1.4








W ho is a person
12) of exemplary courage,
13) in complete control of his temperament,
14) of great intellect,
15) w ho is unbiased and doesn't indulge in slander,
16) and w hose displeasure w ould be
taken note of by even the gods?

1.1.5







O Maharshi, you w ould assuredly be aw are of
such a person if one ever existed.
I am very curious and long to know about him from you.

1.1.6







Nrada, w ho w as know ledgeable about everything
that happens in any of the three w orlds,
w as delighted w ith the inquiry of Vlmeeki and said:

1.1.7







It is indeed difficult to find a person w ith the
admirable and rare qualities that you mentioned.
How ever, there is one such person that I know .
Let me tell you about him.
1.1.8 Nrada is describing Rma in these lkas.
His description indicates the characteristics
that are held in high esteem by the society
of the times.

Modern paintings and movies depict Rma
as soft-spoken and a gentle personality
w ith an almost feminine face and features.

This is very different from the depiction of
He is know n to all by the name Rma.
Rma by Vlmeeki as the magnificent,
He is born into the lineage of Ikshw ku.
strong but pleasant personality that he is.
He is w ell balanced and in complete control of
his w ords, thoughts and deeds. I hope artists in the future, in their
He is a man of great valor. depictions, w ould try their best to bring
And he is a person of steadfast character out the magnanimity and grandeur of
and radiant countenance. Rma as depicted here. They ow e it to
their audience, the trusting general
1.1.9 populace, a truthful depiction of Rma.







He is a man of tow ering intellect.
He is judicious. He is learned.
His bearing is rich. He is the terror of his foes.
His shoulders are broad, arms are strong and long,
neck is straight, strong and elegant like a conch,
and his cheek bones are strong.

1.1.10







His chest is mighty. The bow in his hand is impressive.
Bones at his shoulder joints are covered by thick muscles.
He keeps his detractors under tight control.
His long hands stretch to his knees.
His head is imposing and his forehead is lofty.
His majestic gait is like that of a lion.

1.1.11







His body has the perfect dimensions and is symmetric all over.
His skin radiates w ith translucent sheen.
His chest is strong, his eyes are w ide.
His features are majestic and reassuring.
He is endow ed w ith riches and virility.
1.1.12







His sense of right and w rong is acute and unfailing.
He honors his w ords alw ays.
He is constantly engaged in the w elfare
and w ellbeing of the people.
His unblemished reputation reached far and w ide.
He has gained a w ealth of know ledge from many sources.
He is pure w ithin and w ithout.
His focus is alw ays on the w elfare of people under his protection.

1.1.13







He is comparable w ith Prajpati, endow ed w ith every opulence.
He sustains and nourishes all life.
He is the destroyer of enemies.
He protects all that lives.
He guards the norms of Dharma against trespass.
Prajpati is a variant depiction of Brahma, the creator, as well as a term
used for one of the many
Prajpatis that descended from Brahma.

1.1.14







He is scrupulous in discharging his responsibilities.
He protects everyone under his care.
He has a thorough know ledge of all Vdas and Vdngas.
He is an expert in the art and science of archery.
Vdas are four - g, Yajuh, Sma and Atharva.
Vdngas are six - iksha, Vykaraa, C handas,
Nirukta, Jytishya and Kalpa.

1.1.15







His know ledge of the stras is deep.
His attentive memory is amazing.
He is very capable of getting things done.
He is liked by everyone.
He alw ays bears a pleasant disposition.
His spirit is dauntless and he is very discreet.
1.1.16







Noble people from all over the w orld are draw n to him
like rivers w ould find their w ay to the ocean.
He conducts himself equably at all times.
And he is alw ays charming.

1.1.17







In summary, he is the person
endow ed w ith all the great qualities one can ask for.
He is as composed as the great oceans
and as confident as the Himalayas.
He is the delight of Kousalyas heart.

1.1.18- At times, a sentence may span multiple

19a lkas. In such cases, it is a general
practice for translators and commentators
to group the contiguous lines from multiple
lkas into one single block.








He is as valorous as Lord Vishu.
He is as pleasing as the full moon.
His w rath is as unbearable as the heat of burning stars.
He is as patient and forbearing as Mother Earth.
W hen he gives, he gives like Kubra, the god of w ealth.
There is no one like him established
in Truth like the god of Dharma.

1.1.19b- Outline of Aydhy Ka starts.

21a














Daaratha, the king, thought of crow ning
that Rma, his beloved eldest son,
w ho w as endow ed w ith such admirable and befitting virtues,
w ho w as a person of true valor and great character,
w ho w as immensely interested in the w elfare of the people,
as the crow n prince, for the care and protection of his people.
1.1.21b-
22










Kaikyee, w ife of Daaratha, upon learning
about the planned coronation,
demanded from him the tw o boons
that he promised her far in the past, that
Rma be sent in exile, and Bharata be crow ned as the prince.

1.1.23







Daaratha, bound by his w ord
and constrained by the bonds of Dharma,
ordered his dear son Rma to live in exile.

1.1.24 The w ord Vana is generally translated as

forest into English, for lack of a better
w ord. The connotation of forest in English
and Vana in Sanskrit are, how ever,
different.

The dictionary meaning of 'forest' in English
is, "a large area of dense vegetation w ith
trees and undergrow th", w hereas Vana in
Rma took a vow to abide by the w ord of his father, Sanskrit has a different connotation. It is
that w ould make Kaikyee happy, and left for the Vana. not just the vegetation, but a place aw ay
from 'civilization' and w ith undisturbed and
pristine nature. It is an abode for various
1.1.25- species of animals and other beings.
26a It is a place for shis, w ho befriend nature
and the w ild animals and pursue their
studies and research about the universe.
It is a place for the kings to take a holiday
hunting animals, taking inspiration from
the majestic beasts, and also to pay a visit
to the shis.

It is a place w here the tribal people live
close to nature w ithout the constructs of
an organized society.
His loving and modest brother, It is w here people embed themselves in
Lakshmaa, in w hom Sumitr rejoiced,
nature, rather than subdue it, as it
follow ed him to the Vana, happens in cities.
out of affection and brotherly devotion.
It is a vibrant and beautiful place in its ow n
w ay. lkas 1.1.31-32 describe the
w onderful and joyful experiences of Rma
and Seet living in the 'forest'.

It is essential for the reader of Rmyaa

to know this rich meaning of 'forest' in
order to appreciate multiple aspects of
Rmyaa - especially in understanding
the main event of Uttara Ka, w here
Rma sends Seet to the Vana w here
shis live, not to a w retched forest, as
most people mistake it to be. W e w ill learn
that detail w hen w e get there.
1.1.26b-
28a















Seet, the beloved w ife and life of Rma
and his w ell-w isher at all times,
born into the lineage of Janaka
w hose lovely and perfect features and curves
seemed to be chiseled by heavenly hands
to make her the paragon among w omen,
follow ed Rma, just as moon light w ould follow the moon.

1.1.28b-
30a














Denizens of Aydhy and king Daaratha saw him off
after accompanying him for a long distance.
Rma, the embodiment of Dharma,
met the Nishda king, Guha in the tow n of gabrapura,
on the banks of river Gag.
Rma, along w ith Guha, Seet and Lakshmaa
bade farew ell to the charioteer w ho dropped them there.

1.1.30b-
32a














After going through one Vana after another,
and after crossing many rivers that w ere full,
they met shi Bharadw ja and upon his advice,
they built a beautiful house for themselves
in the middle of the beautiful Vana upon Mount Citrakta,
and enjoyed themselves like Dvas and Gandharvas.
1.1.32b-
33a






King Daaratha, unable to bear the separation
from his dear son, w ho w as aw ay in Citrakta,
w as taken over by grief and left his
mortal body to reach the heavens.

1.1.33b-
34










Upon the death of Daaratha,
the elder Brhmaas like Vasishha
asked the valorous Bharata
to take upon the regal responsibilities.
Bharata, how ever, w as not at all interested
in taking over the kingdom
and w ent to the Vana to meet Rma.
The spelling 'Brhmaa', rather than 'Brahmin',
will be used, to more accurately represent
the original Sanskrit word.

1.1.35-
36a










Bharata, having reached there,
spoke to his truly valorous brother Mahtma Rma:
in a humble, reverential and noble manner:
'O the know er of all Dharma, you alone must be the king!

1.1.36b-
37a






But Rma, mighty as he w as,
and renow ned as he w as
for being generous and pleasing,
w as not inclined to be the king,
in deference to the command of his father.
1.1.37b-
38a






Rma, the elder brother persuaded Bharata,
to rule the kingdom by keeping his sandals
as the symbol of his consent and
sent him back after repeated exhortations.

1.1.38b-
39a






Having failed in his effort to convince Rma,
Bharata touched the feet of Rma in obedience
and w ent back to rule the kingdom
from Nandigrma w hile w aiting for the return of Rma.

1.1.39b-
40










Thus, Bharata left. Rma, shining w ith the glory of
keeping to his w ord w ithout yielding to temptation
left Citrakta for the far off and secluded Vana called Daaka
to avoid the possibility of coming in contact
w ith the people of the kingdom, w ho might call
upon him if he w ere to stay at nearby Citrakta.

1.1.41- Outline of Araya Ka starts.

42a










Rma, w ith his w ide, radiant and pleasant eyes, entered Daaka.
There, he killed the Rkshasa called Virdha.
He paid courteous visits to the shis
arabhaga, Suteeksha, Agastya and his brother.

1.1.42b-
43a






Rma gratefully accepted a bow , a sw ord and
self-replenishing quivers of Indra from Agastya.
1.1.43b-
44a






The shis, along w ith all the people dw elling in the Vana
came to Rma to request him to put an end to the Rkshasas.

1.1.44b-
45










Rma promised the shis,
w ho w ere as clean and radiant as Agni,
that he w ould fight and slay the Rkshasas.
Agni is the god of fire.

1.1.46







A Rkshasi by name rpaakh,
that lived in the Janasthna,
capable of changing her form at w ill,
w as disfigured by him.
Rkshasi is a female daemon.

1.1.47-
48a










Then, Rma slew in a bitter fight, all of the Rkshasas like
Khara, Trisirasa, Dshaa and all their henchmen,
w ho took arms against him, instigated by rpaakh.

1.1.48b-
49a






Fourteen thousand in number w ere the Rkshasas
resident in Janasthna, w hom he thus killed,
w hile he lived in that Vana.
1.1.49b-
50a






On hearing of the slaughter of his kinsmen,
Rvaa, lost himself in rage.
He sought the help of another Rkshasa by name Mreeca.

1.1.50b-
51a






Mreeca tried his best to dissuade him saying:
"O Rvaa! It is not good to provoke
the enmity of one w ho is stronger!"

1.1.51b-
52a






Driven by evil destiny, Rvaa thrust aside
Mreecas caution and w ent to
Rma's rama, taking Mreeca along w ith him.

1.1.52b-
53a






Mreeca tricked the royal sons aw ay from Seet.
Rvaa abducted Rma's w ife,
beating Jatyu, the eagle w ho tried to stop him, to death.

1.1.53b- Rma is born into Ikshw ku dynasty.

54a Raghu is a great king of the same dynasty

and is the ancestor of Rma. The dynasty
is also know n after the name of Raghu.
Rma is often referred to as, Rghava, i.e.,
the prince of Raghu dynasty.



W hen the prince of Raghu dynasty saw
the eagle, w hich w as at the point of death
and heard about the abduction of the princess of Mithila,
He sobbed uncontrollably w ith his senses in a turmoil.
1.1.54b-
55










Grief stricken, he cremated the eagle Jatyu
and w ent searching for Seet.
Then, he saw a monstrous and disgusting
Rkshasa, by name Kabandha.

1.1.56-
57a










Rma, the mighty armed, killed him
and performed the last rites for him.
The Rkshasa, bound for heaven,
told about a w oman that Rma should visit.
She belonged to one of the Vana
dw elling communities called Sabara.
She w as in Samnyasa rama,
w as conversant w ith all Dharmas and
w as leading her life accordingly.

1.1.57b-
58a






Rma, the radiant and the nemesis of foes
w ent and met abari.
abari received the son of Daaratha
w ith due respect and hospitality.

1.1.58b- Outline of Kishkindh Ka starts.

59a
Vnara is a monkey or one of the primate
species. Rmyaas account of extensive
collaboration and interactions betw een
Humans and Vnara's gives a pause and
puzzle for the anthropologists, biologists
and the like to crack, w hile it causes
intrigue, aw e and gives a sense of
Rma met Hanuman, the Vnara harmony among all species, for the
on the banks of the lake Pampa. common man.
Hanuman introduced Rma to Sugreeva.
1.1.59b-
60a






Rma, the mighty strong, told Sugreeva
everything from the beginning
concerning himself and especially
w hat had befallen Seet.

1.1.60b-
61a






The Vnara Sugreeva listened to him intently and empathetically
and courted his friendship ,w ith Agni, the God of fire, as a w itness.

1.1.61b-
62a






Sugreeva, the Vnara king,
asked about how he had come to incur the enmity
told Rma all about it, moved by affection
and overcome by grief w ith the recollection.

1.1.62b-
63a






Then Rma vow ed to kill Vli.
Sugreeva then cautioned Rma about
the mighty strength of Vli.

1.1.63b-
64








Sugreeva w as doubtful of Rma's abilities.
Sugreeva show ed Rma the mountain like remains of Dundubha,
a Rkshasa that w as killed by Vli.
1.1.65







Rma the mighty armed and the mighty strong
looked at those bones w ith a faint smile and
tossed them a full ten Yjana's aw ay w ith a jerk of his toe.

1.1.66







And w ith a single shot of a formidable arrow ,
he ripped seven Sla trees,
and a mountain and the Rastala.
Indian mythology and cosmic sciences speak of fourteen worlds,
seven above and the seven below.
The seven above are Bhoo, Bhuvah, Svah,
Mahah, Janah, Tapah, and Satya.
The seven below are Atala, Vitala, Sutala,
Taltala, Mahtala, Rastala and Ptla.

The reference here is to Rastala one of the seven worlds below.

1.1.67







Thus, the reassured Sugreeva, the great Vnara
w ent to the cave of Kishkindh along w ith Rma.

1.1.68







Sugreeva, the best among the Vnaras,
w ith his body glow ing in a golden hue, roared a mighty roar.
Vli, the king of Vnaras came out,
upon hearing the mighty sound of that roar.

1.1.69







Vli, after reassuring his w ife Tra,
came to Sugreeva and w as killed by
a single shot of arrow by the prince of Raghu dynasty.
1.1.70







Thus, after killing Vli per Sugreevas intent,
the prince of Raghu dynasty established Sugreeva
as the ruler of that kingdom.

1.1.71







Then the mighty Sugreeva,
summoned all of the Vnaras and
sent them in every direction
in search of Janaka's daughter.

1.1.72 Outline of Sundara Ka starts.

After learning from Sampti, an eagle,
about Rvaa's w hereabouts,
the mighty Hanuman leaped over the salty ocean
that w as one hundred Yjanas w ide.

1.1.73







Reaching the city of Lanka
that w as under the control of Rvaa
he found Seet in the Aka Vana,
w ith her mind w holly intent on Rma.

1.1.74







Hanuman, after properly identifying himself,
told the princess of Vidha everything
that had happened since, and reassured her.
He then w ent on to destroy the outer gate of the garden.
Seet is the princess of Vidha kingdom.
1.1.75







After killing five army chiefs and seven sons of ministers,
and after smashing the great w arrior
Aksha into a pulp of meat,
he himself suffered capture.

1.1.76-
77














Know ing himself freed from the Brahmstra instantly,
by virtue of the boon he had from Brahma,
the heroic one bore, for his ow n reasons, w ith the
treatment the Rkshasas w ho held him bound, meted out to him.
He, later set the entire Lanka, except Seet,
the princess of Mithila, on fire.
Then the great Vnara returned
to pass on the good new s to Rma.
Seet is the princess of Mithila, the capital of Vidha kingdom.

1.1.78







Hanuman, the one w ith limitless abilities,
reached Rma, the one w ith great qualities.
After doing Pradakshia to Rma, Hanuman
told him about his sighting of Seet, in all detail.
Pradakshia is going around a person or object as a mark of respect.

1.1.79 Outline of Yuddha Ka starts.

Then, Rma along w ith Sugreeva w ent to
the shores of the ocean and stirred it into turmoil
w ith his arrow s that w ere as pow erful as the blazing sun.
1.1.80







Then, the ocean, the destiny of rivers,
appeared in front of Rma in the original form.
Rma, upon the advice of the ocean,
got a bridge built over the ocean by Nala.

1.1.81







Rma w ent over the bridge to Lanka
and killed Rvaa in the w ar.
He secured Seet back, but felt very ashamed.

1.1.82







Rma spoke harshly to Seet in front of everyone.
Chaste Seet could not bear
the w ords and entered into fire.

1.1.83







Rma felt happy and gay,
w hen Agni vouched that Seet w as untainted
and all the Dvas applauded and honored him.

1.1.84







Every being in all the three w orlds,
the animate and inanimate,
including all the Dvas and shis
felt relieved and happy for the
great deeds of the great Rma.
1.1.85







Crow ning Vibheeshaa as the king of all Rkshasas in Lanka,
he felt happy having thus brought a proper closure
and putting the bad times behind him.

1.1.86







The pleased Dvas gave him boons
and raised the Vnaras from the slain.
Rma started his journey back to Aydhy
in the Pushpaka Vimna along w ith
all the good hearted friends around him.
Pushpaka Vimna is the private jet of Rvaa.

1.1.87







Rma, the person of unfailing valor
stopped at Bharadw jas rama
and sent Hanuman to Bharata.

1.1.88





Rma proceeded to Nandigrma on Pushpaka
along w ith Sugreeva reminiscing
all that had happened thus far.

1.1.89







Rma, having conducted himself flaw lessly thus far,
and having successfully regained Seet
took the reins of his kingdom
after shaving off his matted locks at Nandigrma.
1.1.90 W hat do the people and w orld expect from
a ruler? In this lka, Vlmeeki expresses
it more succinctly and clearly than any
modern constitution or movement or social
leader does.
In a w ay he echoes the standards set for

a king by this civilization.
Future tense is used from this lka
The w orld is filled w ith contentment and delight, onw ards, suggesting that this
enjoying everything in plenty, conversation took place betw een Nrada
and conducting itself righteously in every aspect, and Vlmeeki w hile Rma w as still alive
freed from any kind of dissonance, disease and fear. and ruling the kingdom.

1.1.91





No man w ould w itness the death of
his progeny w hile he w as still alive.
No chaste and devoted w oman
w ould have to live a life of w idow hood.

1.1.92











Under his rule, no one w ould be afraid of fires.
No one w ould be w orried about being drow ned by floods.
No one w ould be afraid of high w inds.
Neither w ould anyone be w orried about diseases.
Nor w ould anyone be w orried about hunger or thieves.

1.1.93b Rma, under his rule, brought back the

standards of living to that of Kta Yuga.

The granaries and coffers of cities and states w ere full.
Everyone w as invariably happy as they had been in the Kta
Yuga.

1.1.94b- Brhmaas, during the time of this epic are

95
pursued studies of higher order and
The illustrious and highly principled Rma
w ill ascend to the abode of Brahma
after performing hundreds of Aw amdha Ygas,
countless number of Suvaraka Ygas
and giving an immeasurable amount of money
and crores of cow s to Brhmaas.
characterized as people w ho diligently
upheld the universal truths (inconvenient
or otherw ise) that should guide human
conduct.
Giving provisions to them in abundance,
w as held as one of the highest ideals of
the society so that they never had to
deviate from their focus and indulge in
mundane matters for making a livelihood.
Speaking in modern terms, the best of
scientists, philosophers, sociologists and
the like w ere w ell-funded.
1.1.96 The w ord Varna, rather than caste, w ill be
used throughout this translation.
The w ord caste makes us think about it in
the modern, narrow er, controversial and
political context.
W hereas, I hope, the w ord Varna w ill bring

our attention to the larger sense of this
social system, that is unique to India.
The prince of Raghu dynasty
w ould increase the ruling clans hundred-fold
and ensure that the people of all the four Varnas
discharge their respective responsibilities dutifully.

1.1.97







After serving the kingdom as the ruler
for another eleven thousand years,
Rma w ill ascend to the abode of Brahma.

1.1.98 There are no good equivalents for w ords

Ppa and Puya in English. Most people
borrow the w ord 'sin' from Abrahamic
tradition as equivalent of Ppa. But there
is a difference. Sin in Abrahamic tradition is
original. Ppa of Indic tradition is acquired
over time and in many births. One can
acquire not only Ppa, but also Puya over

time and in many births. In the Abrahamic
He w ho reads this sacred story of Rma, tradition, there is no opposite of sin.
w hich is comparable to the Vdas and
capable of removing Ppa and creating Puya I w ill use the w ords Ppa and Puya as
w ill be relieved of all the Ppas. they are, w ithout trying for an equivalent
English w ord or phrase.
1.1.99







W hoever reads this Rmyaa,
a story of practical and real significance
w ill enjoy a long and prosperous life
along w ith his kith and kin
and w ill be honored in heaven after death.
1.1.100

:



:

Reading Rmanaya w ill make
a Brhmaa best at all subjects of study,
a Kshatriya ruler of lands,
a Vaiya prosperous w ith riches and
a dra, a great individual.

: :



: :
Thus concludes the very first Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 2

People see apples falling from trees all the time. Even New ton, perhaps, w ould have seen it happening
many times. But only w hen he saw on that specific day did the concept of gravity occurr to him. Everyone
experiences such a moment of epiphany in their lives.

One day, an experience on Chamundi Hill near Mysore turned a motorcycle riding young businessman into
the mystic know n as Juggy Vasudev, w ho realized that there is nothing like 'me and the rest'. The Nataraja
tatvam descended upon Fritjof Capra, w hen he w as w atching the w aves on a beach. A sense of
discrimination w ith all its implications hit Mahthma Gandhi, w hen he w as throw n out of a higher class
compartment in a train. A deep sense of how the entire universe reflects itself in every individual daw ned
upon me w hen I w as w alking in the w oods, listening to the sound of crickets in my village on one moonlit
evening w hen I w as in my early thirties.

In this Sarga, Vlmeeki describes his ow n experience that deeply affected him w hen he w atched one of tw o
birds in love being shot by a hunter. The impact of this event on Vlmeeki echoes throughout Rmyaa,
especially in the descriptions of Rma going through bouts of grief and sobbing, time and again, after Seet
w as separated from him.

Indic tradition holds love betw een male and female as the most fundamental, most cherishable and most
beautiful aspect of not only life, but also of the entire universe. Being in love deeply is, forgetting one's self
and giving up one's identity. Love is celebrated by the Indic culture through the Ardha Nareesw ara Tatva,
Rdha Krishna Tatva and many other stories and rituals, permeating and enriching all and art forms.

This deep affection for love is also manifested in the innocent gestures of common people in India. People
across India follow the tradition of not w alking in the middle of a husband and w ife. I grew up in an
agricultural village, w here snakes w ere routinely killed upon sight. How ever, if tw o snakes w ere sighted
copulating w ith each other, villagers used to leave them alone w ithout doing any harm. In fact, such
sighting is considered auspicious. It is considered a 'no, no' to harm any couple, not necessarily humans,
w hen they are enjoying the deep love for each other.

'How did this occur to you? W hat prompted or moved you in this direction?' are the common questions an
interview er w ould ask any person that has significantly contributed to public life. In this Sarga, Vlmeeki is
essentially answ ering those questions.

The answ ers from Nrada, in the first Sarga, gave him the outline of the story. The impact of the bird in love
that w as shot, narrated in this Sarga, gave him the tone of the story. Brahma Dva's w ords, narrated in this
Sarga, laid the purpose for w riting the story.
1.2.1







Having heard that apt discourse of Nrada,
along w ith his ishyas,
the great Muni Vlmeeki, and a man of letters,
w hose mind w as anchored in Dharma, w armly eulogized it.
The connotation of ishya spans the
meanings of terms like disciple, student, pupil,
ward, apprentice, follower and protg.
Hence, we will use the word ishya in this translation.

1.2.2







Duly honored by him, the Dvarshi Nrada,
after completely satisfying him,
took leave of him and rose into the skies.
Dvarshi is a shi of Dva Lka, the world of Gods.

1.2.3







After Nrada left for Dva Lka,
the Muni left for the banks of river Tamas,
w hich w as not far from the Jhnavi.
Jhnavi is another name for river Gag.

1.2.4







Upon reaching the banks of river Tamas
and seeing its clear w aters, the Mah Muni
said to his ishya w ho w as standing by him:
1.2.5
Look, my dear Bharadw ja!
These w aters, clear of any suspensions,
are lovely, pleasing and placid
reminding the heart of a noble person!
Bharadwja referred to here is a ishya of Vlmeeki,
considered to be different from Bharadwja, the
great Muni, mentioned in Sarga 1 (1.1.13 and 1.1.87).
In this lka clear w aters are compared
w ith the heart of a noble person, rather
than the other w ay around.
Meeting even one such noble person in our
life time makes this life w orth living.
Vlmeeki must have been fortunate to
meet many such noble people, to be
reminded of them by the clear w aters,
instantaneously.
Next time w hen you pass by clear w aters,
think of a person that you know , w hose
mind can be compared to those w aters. If
you can not think of such a person, try to
meet as many people as possible, till you
come across at least one such person.

This lka also indicates the pure and

1.2.6 serene state of mind of Vlmeeki on that
day, w hich became extremely disturbed by
the sighting of one of the pair of the birds
being killed.





Please keep this Kalaa aside, my son!
and give me my garment of bark.
I shall bathe in this Tamas itself, at this excellent spot!
The word Kalaa refers to a small container or pitcher of water.
It may be thought of as equivalent to a
water bottle of modern times with the important difference that,
the water in it also contains the spiritual energy of the Muni or shi.

1.2.7







Thus told by the Mahtma and Muni Vlmeeki,
Bharadw ja, the attentive ishya
handed the garment over to his Guru.
1.2.8 Everyone of us goes through a three step
process in interacting w ith the w orld.
1) W e get stimulated by our inbound
senses. (Jna Indriyas) 2) W e process
the inputs and decide upon an appropriate
action. 3) W e act through our outbound
senses (Karma Indriyas).

W hen w e receive highly stimulating input
He, w ho had full control of his senses,
(such as the aroma of good food or an
strolled around the big and w ide Vana,
insulting invective), the step 2 shrinks to
enjoying every part of it.
near zero and w e directly proceed to step
3.
1.2.9
Indic literature often refers to this
phenomenon as 'not having control of the
senses'. On the other hand, if step 2 is
vivid and clear, it is called as ' having
control of the senses'.
Vlmeeki is referred to as 'Niyata Indriyah',

one w ho has complete control of senses.
'Controlling the senses' is a recurring
Bhagaw an Vlmeeki, then saw in that neighborhood,
theme in Indic thought in the context of
a pair of Krounca birds chirping melodiously and
personal and spiritual development. It
flying around together as if they w ere one.
simply means developing an acute sense
The word Bhagawan is not only used for Dvas, of discretion and judgment and exercising
but also for any one having divine and extraordinary powers. it before acting or reacting.

Sometimes, w e hear this phrase

1.2.10 'controlling the senses' mistakenly
interpreted as renunciation. Controlling the
sense does not imply w ithdraw al from
enjoyments, but enjoying w ithout losing
ones mind. The message is, rather, "get
involved in life, but do not get indulgent"!



As he w as w atching, a hunter, nemesis of the birds,
w ith that very evil intention, shot dow n the male of the pair.

1.2.11















Seeing that bird, of copper colored head,
thus shot dow n and w rithing on the ground,
w ith the body in a w elter of blood,
his w ife cried pitifully,
separated from her beloved
friend, companion and husband
still recovering from the hangover of the deep love
that she w as enjoying only a moment ago.
1.2.13







Seeing the bird in that state,
thus brought dow n by the hunter,
the heart of the shi, the Dharmtma,
w as filled w ith pity and compassion.

1.2.14





Filled w ith compassion, at the sight of
that pitiful cry of the female bird
he felt that the bird w as w ronged and said:

1.2.15







O w retched hunter!
May you know no rest for endless years,
having killed one of the Krounca birds
that w ere intoxicated in a spell of love!

1.2.16







Having thus spoken, he w ondered
about the w ords that came out of his mouth,
upon being moved by that
deep compassion tow ards the birds.

1.2.17







Then, that best among the Munis,
the w ise, the brilliant and the thoughtful
brooded over it and remarked to his ishya:
1.2.18







It has four symmetrical quarters
w ith equal syllables in each quarter.
It bears the rhythm of a stringed instrument.
It must be nothing but a lka,
that came out of my ka, w renching grief.

1.2.19







The ishya reverently recorded, in his mind,
those unique and unparalleled w ords
w ith elation, making the Guru happy.

1.2.20







Having taken bath in
those w aters in a customary manner,
The Muni turned back (to his rama)
pondering over its significance.

1.2.21







Bharadw ja, the Muni, the scholar in stras
and his attentive ishya, follow ed him
taking the Kalaa filled w ith w ater.

1.2.22







Upon entering the rama, he, the master of Dharma
sat along w ith his ishyas, in deep thought
discussing many topics.
1.2.23







Then, the supremely radiant four headed Brahma
w ho creates and commands all the w orlds,
himself came there to see that prominent Muni.

1.2.24







The pious Vlmeeki sprang up
in speechless w onder upon seeing him,
and stood by him w ith folded hands.

1.2.25







He honored Brahma Dva according to custom,
giving w ater for cleaning the feet,
and for quenching his thirst,
and offering a seat to sit upon.
He enquired about his w elfare
after duly paying obeisance.

1.2.26







After being thus exceptionally honored
and after taking the seat,
Brahma Dva asked Maharshi Vlmeeki
Also to take seat.

1.2.27











Prodded by Brahma Dva, Vlmeeki took the seat.
His mind w as still completely
absorbed by the past incident,
and w as unable to focus on the very creator
and father of the w orlds w ho
w as sitting right in front of him.
1.2.28 How did this misery befall upon the bird
from now here, for no fault of hers?

Vlmeeki w as deeply bound in thought.





The melodiously chirping poor bird
w as killed by the nemesis of the birds
w ith that very evil intention
for no fault of hers and for no apparent reason.

1.2.29







W ith mind elsew here and consumed by boundless grief,
he repeated the lka to himself many a time.

1.2.30







Then, Brahma Dva said w ith a smile to that great Muni:
'indeed, it is a lka that you have composed.'

1.2.31







It is by my w ill, O Brahman, that
these great w ords came out of you.
O the best of the shis,
You w ould w rite the story of Rma in its entirety.

1.2.32







Please tell the story of Rma,
the righteous, the brave,
the virtuous and the intelligent
as you have heard it from Nrada.
1.2.33-
34














You shall know everything
that had happened in public and in private
w ith Rma, Lakshmaa, Seet and others
including all the Rkshasas,
You shall know w hatever is
know n and unknow n hitherto.

1.2.35







Your poem w ill not contain
a single w ord that is not true.
W rite the sacred and w onderful
story of Rma set in lkas.

1.2.36







As long as the hills abide and streams flow on the earth,
so long shall the story of Rma prevail.

1.2.37







So long as the story of Rmyaa w ritten by you prevails,
shall you be able to move freely, at w ill, everyw here,
in the upper w orlds, nether w orlds and in my w orld.

1.2.38







Saying thus, Bhagaw an Brahma, disappeared instantly
as the Muni and his ishyas w ere w atching in aw e.
1.2.39







The ishyas chanted the lka
again and again in delight.
They kept reminiscing on all that happened, in aw e.

1.2.40







As they kept reciting the w ords sung by the Maharshi,
w ith the four symmetric quartets of equal syllables,
it, indeed, felt like a lka.

1.2.41







The Maharshi contemplated that he w ould compose
the entire poem of Rmyaa in the same meter.

1.2.42


:



:
The renow ned and noble minded Muni
of great intellect, then w rote the
celebrated story of celebrated Rma
in hundreds of lkas w ith symmetric meter
filled w ith charming and noble w ords and meaning.

1.2.43







Now , you w ill be feasted w ith that story
of the prince of Raghu dynasty
including the annihilation of the ten headed Rvaa,
full of lucid phrases and flow ing syllable conjectures
contained in symmetrical and sw eet sentences
filled w ith deep meaning, thus w ritten by the Muni.






Thus concludes the second Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 3

A repetition in prose feels redundant and annoying. But repetition in poetry and songs is enjoyable and
reinforcing. Vlmeeki's Rmyaa is know n as a poem and a song. It is as much about the beauty of
narration as it is of the story. You w ill see many repetitions through out Rmyaa. As you get aligned w ith
the characters and the story, you w ould like to hear it again and again. That, simply, is how celebration of
goodness goes.

This Sarga, in a w ay, gives the summary of Rmyaa just as Sarga 1 did. But if you read it from the
perspective of Vlmeeki, w ho just received the blessings from Brahma Dva (in Sarga 2), you w ould identify
yourself w ith the elation he is experiencing in envisioning the sequences in the story.

1.3.1 It can be said that the entire w orld now

know s the Sanskrit w ord Mahtma,
That Dharmtma (Vlmeeki), having heard the
story of Rma in its entirety,
that is full of deliberations on Dharma,
sought for more detail that there could be.
1.3.2
The Muni touched w ater and
contemplated on the flow of events of the story
sitting w ith folded hands
on strands Darbha w ith their ends pointing to east.
Darbha is a type of grass, with long strands.
It is widely used in Vedic rituals of India for many symbolic purposes.
because Gandhi, the apostle of non-
violence, w as honored w ith that title by
Ravindranath Tagore.
Dharmtma is a similar w ord. It is a
composite of tw o w ords Dharma and tma.
It refers to a person for w hom righteous
behavior, righteous thoughts and focus on
the nuances of righteousness is second
nature.
W e w ill use the w ord Dharmtma, as is, in
this translation, since it is difficult to find an
equivalent w ord in English.
1.3.3-4















He perceived objectively, through his mystical pow ers,
the course of the lives of Rma, Lakshmaa, Seet,
Daaratha and the kingdom, as it happened.
He perceived all the conversations, activities
and fun times that w ere part of their lives.

1.3.5







He perceived all that had happened to
Rma, the one committed to his w ord,
w hen he w as in the Vana
along w ith Seet, a female in a party of three.

1.3.6







The Dharmtma (Vlmeeki), established in Yoga,
then perceived everything that had happened in detail
as clearly as an malaka fruit held in the palm.

1.3.7-8 Indic tradition is multi-dimensional. The

prevalence of w hite and saffron robed
unmarried Gurus and Sw amis, and the
popularity of Bhagavad Geeta and Yoga, in
the recent decades, caused many people
to think of Indic tradition as uni-
dimensional, as if it is all about spirituality.
That is certainly far from truth. Indic
tradition is a balanced and multi-
dimensional outlook of life. It covers the
entire gamut of life, by dividing it into four
aspects: 1) the aspect of Dharma
(responsibilities and righteousness), 2) the
aspect of Artha (purpose and w ealth), 3)
the aspect of Kma (desires, enjoyment
and fancies) and 4) the aspect of Mksha
(self-inquiry and liberation).
Having perceived everything that there is and as is,
the brilliant Vlmeeki set himself to w rite the Since the w ords Dharma, Artha, Kma and
story of Rma, the beloved of all peoples, Mksha are popular enough now a days,
that delves into innumerable aspects of w e w ill use them w ithout translating.
the pursuit of Dharma and the pursuit of Kma, Note that only Dharma, Artha, Kma are
filled w ith gems like an ocean and mentioned here, but not Mksha. That is
flow ing like sw eet music to everyones ears. because the main focus of Rmyaa is
about describing the life here, rather than
the life beyond.
1.3.9







Bhagaw an and shi Vlmeeki
then composed the story of the prince of Raghu dynasty
as w as given to him by Maharshi Nrada.

1.3.10 This entire block of ~30 lkas here is

actually one long sentence consisting the
outline of all that Vlmeeki incorporated
into the poem.





In the poem, he expounded on Rma's life
that can be held as a great example of
forbearance, humility and truthfulness
and that became acceptable to everyone
and appreciated by everyone.

1.3.11







And on the captivating and exciting
episodes of and heard from Viw mitra,
and about the breaking of the bow and w edding w ith Jnaki.
Seet is the daughter of King Janaka and hence called Jnaki.

1.3.12







And about the encounter betw een Rma and Rma,
about the many virtues of Rma,
about the coronation of Rma
and about the evil plans of Kaikyee.
The second Rma in 'Rma and Rma' is referring to Parau Rma.

1.3.13







And about how the prince of Raghu dynasty
w ent in exile after the coronation w as disrupted
and about the king dying out of grief.
1.3.14







And about the grief of the people,
about taking leave of the people
about meeting the Nishda king and
about prodding the charioteer to take leave.
Guha is the Nishda king referred to here.

1.3.15







And about crossing the river Gag,
about visiting Bharadw ja,
and taking leave of him to proceed to Citraka.

1.3.16







And about building a house to live,
about the arrival of Bharata to reconcile w ith Rma and
about the customary w ater oblations to the deceased father.

1.3.17







And about the coronation of Rma's footw ear
symbolizing the sovereignty of Rma,
about the stay of Bharata in Nandigrma,
about moving to Daaka Araya and
about killing Virdha.

1.3.18







And about meeting arabhaga and Suteeksha and
about spending time w ith Anasy and
receiving a skin cream or lotion called 'Aga Rga' from her.
1.3.19







And about visiting Agastya, about meeting Jayu,
about going to Pancavai and about seeing rpaakh.
Pancavai is a place in Daaka Araya,
so named because of the five banyan trees there.

1.3.20







And about the conversation w ith her and defacing her and
about killing the Rkshasas Khara and Triira,
triggering Rvaa onto the scene.

1.3.21







And about the killing of Mreeca,
about the abduction of Seet,
about the grief of the prince of Raghu dynasty and
about the death of Jayu, the king among eagles.

1.3.22







And about seeing Kabandha, about reaching the river Pampa
about visiting abari and about meeting Hanuman.

1.3.23







And about going to Mount shyamka,
about meeting Sugreeva and earning
his confidence and friendship
and about the feud betw een Sugreeva and Vli.
1.3.24







And about killing Vli and establishing Sugreeva as the king,
about the grief of Tra, about the agreement and
about getting through the rainy season.

1.3.25







And about the w rath of the lion of Raghu dynasty,
about consolidating of forces and sending them in all directions
and about describing the places on the earth.

1.3.26







And about the passing of the ring,
about seeing the ksha cave
about fasting unto death and about meeting Sampti.

1.3.27







And about climbing the mountain and jumping over the ocean and
about meeting Mainka per the w ord of the god of ocean.

1.3.28







And about the killing of Simhika,
about seeing the mountains of Lanka,
about entering Lanka in the night and
about thinking through everything alone.

1.3.29







And about seeing Rvaa and his Pushpaka Vimna and
about the drinking bar in the inner quarters.
1.3.30







And about entering the Aka Vana,
about seeing Seet, about giving the
identifying ring and about seeing Rvaa.

1.3.31







And about Rkshasis scaring (Seet),
about the portending dream of Trijaa
about the giving of the diamond by Seet (to Hanuman) and
about smashing the trees.

1.3.32








And about the fleeing of Rkshasis,
about killing of the henchmen,
about the capture of Hanuman and
about the burning of Lanka.

1.3.33 The reference to liquor in this lka is

about the episode w here Vnaras enter
into the guarded storehouse of the finest
liquors and drink w ildly in celebration of
the success of their mission.




And about jumping back over the ocean,
about the grabbing of the liquor
about consoling Rma and about giving the diamond to him.

1.3.34







And about going to the ocean,
about the bridge built by Nala,
about crossing the ocean and
about descending upon Lanka in the night.
1.3.35







And about the rendezvous w ith Vibheeshaa,
about the strategy to kill and
about the killing of Kumbhakara and Mghantha.

1.3.36







And about destroying Rvaa, about securing Seet,
about crow ning Vibheeshaa in the city of the foe and
about seeing the Pushpaka.

1.3.37











And about going to Aydhy, about meeting Bharata
about the emergence of Rma as the king,
about dismissing the army,
about the glorious rule of the kingdom and
about giving up the princess of Vidha.

1.3.38







And then, Vlmeeki, the Bhagaw an and the shi
w rote as an appendix to the poem
all that w ould happen hence,
in the rest of Rma's mortal life.

Thus concludes the third Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.
 Baala Kaanda - Sarga 4
Rmyaa is know n as the first poem (di Kvya) in the w orld. It w as composed eons ago. It is know n over
a large part of the w orld. It is adapted by people speaking multiple languages. It is handed dow n from
generation to generation orally and through w ritten versions on palm leaves.

So, naturally, there bound to develop variations in the text over time, as it did. In the last couple of
centuries, scholars (both Indians and others) grappled w ith all the variations they found and struggled to
establish an 'authentic' version.

As you can imagine, it is a complex and challenging exercise calling for tedious w ork and also judgment to
some extent.

By the mid 20th century, tw o 'authentic' versions emerged out of those efforts. One came to be know n as
Baroda or Eastern Edition. The other came to be know n as Southern Edition. The Eastern Edition seems to
have taken the approach 'w hen the authenticity is in doubt, exclude it'. The Southern Edition seems to have
taken the approach 'w hen the authenticity is in doubt, include it'. As a result, Southern Edition has more
Sargas in each Ka, and more lkas in each Sarga, and hence also more repetition. The lka numbers
also differ betw een the Editions as a result.

The second lka in this Sarga says that there are a total of 500 Sargas in Vlmeeki Rmyaa excluding
Uttara Ka. But, Eastern Edition has 506 Sargas and Southern Edition has 534 Sargas. W e may w ish that
w e had one 'authentic' edition. But that is almost impossible given the thousands of years that passed
betw een the time of the original poem w as penned dow n and now .

[In the w estern w orld, the Bible has gone through similar evolution of changes and variations. Contrary to
w hat most people think, the Bible is not a single book. It is a collection of books. Some versions of the Bible
contain as few as 50+ books in it. Some versions contain as many as 70+ books. The most popularly used
version is know n as King James version. But there are many denominations of Christianity that do not use
this version.]

W e know that History sometimes w ipes out entire civilizations, cultures and languages. Given that, it is
remarkable that Vlmeeki Rmyaa survived many millennia, many generations, and many historical
changes, w ith only ~20% variation among the various versions.

W e must realize that w e are greatly indebted to many of our ancestors w ho preserved and passed this epic
poem on to us. W e must also be grateful to the many scholars from many countries outside of India, w ho
did phenomenal w ork in the past couple of centuries, in collecting and sorting out the various versions w ith
scholarly zeal.

For this Read Rmyaa initiative, I had to make a choice betw een the Eastern and Southern Editions of
Rmyaa. I chose the Southern Edition, w ith the risk of reading some additional and, at times repetitive,
lkas. You w ill see it becoming evident to some extent in this Sarga.

Please see http://w w w .readramayana.org/?p=resources w ith links to various editions of Rmyaa.

1.4.1







Bhagaw an, shi and self-realized Vlmeeki,
w rote the entire story of Rma, w ho thus regained his Kingdom,
w ith dramatic and enchanting narrative.

1.4.2







The shi told it in 24,000 lkas, spread over
500 Sargas in 6 Kndas plus Uttara Ka.
Some translations use the word Book for Ka
and the word C hapter for Sarga.
1.4.3





The great scholar Vlmeeki w ondered as to
w ho could take this poem to the public at large in full
including the portions after Rma's coronation and beyond.

1.4.4







Then Kua and Lava, w ho w ere in their ascetic attire,
touched the feet (in reverence) of the contemplating Maharshi.
1.4.5
Vlmeeki greeted the w ell-estimated
brothers Kua and Lava, the princes and rama dw ellers,
w ho are endow ed w ith musical voices and w ho knew Dharma.
1.4.6
W here as it gets aw kw ard in English if w e
Seeing them to be intelligent and eloquent in Vdas
he, the privileged one, passed it on to them
in order to reinforce the Vdas.
1.4.7
'Milk drank quickly Rma hot', the meaning
That beautiful poem, Rmyaa,
composed by that accomplished soul
also came to be know n as
Paulastya Vadha as w ell as Seet Carita.
Rvaa is referred to as Paulastya, because he is a descendent of
Paulastya Brahma.
The biggest challenge in translating
Sanskrit lkas into English is in preserving
the lyrical beauty from getting lost.
There are multiple issues in translation. I
w ould outline three primary ones here.
1) Sanskrit is highly conducive for adding
as many adjectives as needed, w ithout
disturbing the flow , and even enhancing
the flow , if done w ell. It allow s adding any
number of adjectives to the subject, or
object or to the activity in any order and
anyw here in the lka, w ell before,
immediately before, immediately after or
much later w ith little or no ambiguity.
add too many adjectives. For example,
"India, the largest democracy, ..." or "USA,
the w orlds largest economy, ...". have one
adjective to the subject. But if more than
one adjective is added, the readability
gets compromised.
2) English has positional grammar. If w e
take a sentence like 'Rma quickly drank
hot milk', and change the position of the
w ords by transposing it to something like
changes and the sentence becomes
absurd, as it happened in this case.
W hereas Sanskrit has position-free
grammar by employing Vibhaktis (w hich is
true w ith other Indian languages also, to
some extent), and transposing w ords do
not change the meaning.
3) Active voice reads more straightforw ard
and passive voice sounds a little bit
convoluted, in English. W hereas in
Sanskrit, both active and passive can be
rendered w ith equal ease, equal
readability and equal elegance. One can
be substituted w ith the other to facilitate
meter, melody and emphasis, as needed.
This lka 1.4.4 is a good example to
illustrate the difficulty of translation. It has
one verb, one object, and an implicit
subject and the rest are adjectives to the
object. You can obviously feel that the flow
of the translation into English w ould not be
as good. Every translator struggles w ith
this issue. I tried to do my best. May be,
there comes someone over the time, w ho
can do a better job.
1.4.8-11































The brothers, w hose features seemed
to be a perfect reflection of those of Rma,
w ho w ere gifted w ith melodious voices, sw eet disposition,
perfect features and great virtues,
w ho reminded everyone of Gandharvas,
and w ho w ere w ell versed in music and the pitching
sang that poem w hich is enthralling to recite and sing,
set in Seven Jtis w ith three Pramas,
in tune w ith the sounds of string instruments
evoking a multitude of emotions like
romance, compassion, amusement, chivalry, fury and terror.
Gandharvas are referred in Rmyaa, Mahbhrata
and other stories of India. Gandharvas are known for their
prowess in music and for their invincible valor.

Three Pramas - Duta, Madhya, Vilambita.

Seven Jtis - Sa, ni, da, pa, ma, ga, ri.

1.4.12-
13














That duo of princes mastered the poem
that is full of great aphorisms, in its entirety.
They sang it, as they had been instructed,
at the gatherings of shis, Brhmaas and Sdhus,
w ith full appreciation of its meaning.
Sdhu is a person who is gentle in behavior and noble in thoughts.
However, of late, this word is being used to denote an ascetic.
1.4.14











One day, those tw o great, virtuous and fortuitous souls,
sang the poem to an assembly of contemplative shis.

1.4.15







All the Munis w ere exhilarated at the rendition.
Their eyes filled w ith tears of joy.
They show ered plaudits and kudos.

1.4.16 The phrase 'Dharma Vatsalau' gives me

goose bumps. I read Rmyaa, expecting
and enjoying these kind of highs!

Dharmaja - to be fully aw are of Dharma -
is one thing. Dharmtma - to be
contemplative of it - is another thing.
Dharma Vatsalau - to w ish it w ell w ith the

affection and love that w e usually show er
on a tender, dearer and young person - is
All of those pleased Munis,
quite another thing. Dharma is nuanced
w ho had affection and love for the tender Dharma,
and hence 'tender' and can hence be
show ered praise on the praisew orthy singers, Kua and Lava.
easily overlooked.

1.4.17 Phrases like these make Vlmeeki a great

poet, Sanskrit a great language and Indic
culture a great civilization.






"W hat a melodious rendering!
And how mellifluous are the lkas!
W hat had happened quite a w hile ago,
has been brought to life again!"

1.4.18







"They rendered it in unison, w ith all the richness and melody
imparting the full sense of its depth and meaning in it."
1.4.19







The duo sang the poem in a captivating and entrancing manner.
as the Mahtmas of laudable Tapa praised them.

1.4.20







One of the pleased Munis got up and gave a Kalaa to them.
Another enchanted Muni, gave them Valkalams in
appreciation.

1.4.21 Vlmeeki Rmyaa should be sung and

heard, but not read, as w e are doing now .
How ever, that is the best w e can do and it
is better than nothing.

The emotional component of the story and
narration gets accentuated w hen sung.
The point of Rmyaa is not to think
about Dharma using logic. It is about
Thus the illustrious rendition w as properly concluded experiencing the commitment to Dharma.
in a manner that the Muni Vlmeeki intended.

1.4.22-
23














The praisew orthy singers,
gifted w ith the skill to render all variations,
sung this song everyw here,
in the streets and in the main avenues.
Rma, the elder brother of Bharata
happened to see them one day.
1.4.24 A Kshatriya, be it a manager, a leader or a
king, sees his w orld in three segments. His
party (supporters that are firmly behind
him), opposition (people w ho are opposing
him and ready to pounce to seize the
pow er aw ay from him)and the people at
large w ho form his department or
constituency or country.

Rma, the destroyer of foes, A successful and w orthy Kshatriya, w ill be
brought the tw o honorable brothers, Kua and Lava able to lead his supporters and keep their
to his palace and paid due honors and respects. confidence, keep making moves to trounce
the opposition and provide protection and
1.4.25 justice for every one of his subjects.
The adjectives used for Rma, and other
Kshatriyas throughout Rmyaa, extol
their prow ess in doing all the three of
them w ell.

In this lka 1.4.24, Rma is referred to as
atru Nibarhaa, alluding to his ability to
destroy his enemies.
The tormentor of foes,
surrounded by his brothers and ministers,
w as seated on a splendid golden throne.

1.4.26







Rma, completely in charge of everything,
saw the charming and w ell-endow ed brothers
and said to Lakshmaa, Bharata and atrughna:

1.4.27



"Please listen to the story
w ith its intriguing style and meaning
sung by these tw o splendid brothers".
Then he asked the tw o brothers to sing.

1.4.28







Both of them rendered it engagingly
w ith their melodious, full and ample voices
w ell in tune w ith their string instruments
echoing the distinct and deep meaning.

1.4.29







Their rendering illuminated the air,
delightful and enchanting to the hearts and minds,
comforting and pleasing to the ears and
touching every inch of the body and soul.
1.4.30







"Please enjoy this story, full of meaning
that is also good for my w elfare,
from these great Tapasvis, Kua and Lava
w ho shine w ith ascetic as w ell as princely qualities."

1.4.31







At the request of Rma, they sang the poem, in the Mrga
style.
Rma also listened to it intently to find peace of mind.
Two styles of singing known as Mrga and Dsi
are mentioned in Indian literature over multiple periods of history.
They can be interpreted as the
'classical' and 'folk' styles, respectively.

Thus concludes the fourth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 5

The previous four Sargas gave the background of how Rmyaa got to be w ritten and how it w ent to the
people.

The actual story of Rmyaa starts w ith this Sarga. It gives a splendid description of the city of Aydhy,
including its physical layout, its people and their activities. It is surprising how closely this description
matches w ith any modern city that is doing exceptionally w ell.

1.5.1 The origin of the earth has been imagined

and conceived in many w ays by many
peoples on the face of the earth. Even
w ith all the advances in sciences today
there are still gaps in our understanding of
the origin of earth and there are many
imaginations to fill those gaps in the
folklore of science.

This earth, in all its entirety and fullness Poems like Rmyaa (and their
has been under the care of counterparts in other parts of the w orld)
many successful kings starting from Prajpati. record the legend of the origin of earth as
know n at that time.

But the most important aspect that needs

to be appreciated from these starting
lkas, is that the longing of humans to
trace back to their origins is eternal and
persistent.
1.5.2







One among them is know n as Sagara
W ho had sixty thousand sons.
He dug the earth to create oceans
and hence oceans are know n as Sgaras.

1.5.3







This glorious story know n as Rmyaa
emerged from the descendents of
the dynasty of great king Ikshw ku.

1.5.4 This lka, perhaps, is the most important

lka about Rmyaa. It tells w hy and
how one should care about Rmyaa.






I w ill spread this in the entire w orld.
This story, w hich delves into the
aspects of Dharma, Artha and Kma
is w orth listening to from end to end
w ithout apprehensions and prejudices.

1.5.5 Of late, w e are recognizing that a country

should not be measured by its GNP (Gross
National Product), but by its happiness
index.

It is interesting that,that is exactly the
measure mentioned in this lka,

regarding the country Ksala, in addition
to the GNP (Dhana, Dhnya).
The great and vast country know n as Ksala,
on the banks of the river Sarayu,
is replete w ith food and riches
and is full of happiness.

1.5.6







The w ell know n city called Aydhy is in that kingdom.
It is built by Manu, the lord of peoples, himself.
1.5.7







It is a rich and big city that spans an area of
tw elve Yjanas in length and three Yjanas in w idth,
divided and connected by w ell laid out grand avenues.
Yjana is a measure of distances in those days.
It is interpreted to be equivalent to
5 miles by some scholars and 8 miles by others.

1.5.8







It is resplendent w ith w ell divided royal pathw ays
that are w ashed daily and decorated w ith flow ers strew n around.

1.5.9







King Daaratha, the developer of mighty kingdoms,
made this city as his abode
just as the chief of Dvas made the heaven as his abode.

1.5.10







It is a gated city w ith arched entrances.
It has w ell laid out market streets.
It is full of machineries and armories.
People w ith skills in building every type of artifact lived there.

1.5.11 W hen things are in abundance, skills and

arts of every sort, even those of obscure
value, flourish. People can make a living
even by singing eulogies and praising
genealogies. A city bristling w ith them
speaks for its prosperity.



It is teeming w ith eulogists and genealogists.
It is shining w ith abundance,
surrounded by stately edifices decorated w ith flags,
and hundreds of cannons mounted on them.
1.5.12 The grandeur of the city of Aydhy
matches our imagination of any great
modern city.
How ever, today's riches are built on top of
painful damage to the environment.
This description of Aydhy gives the hope

that it is indeed possible to build great
cities w ithout damaging the environment.
It is w ide and big. It is full of mango orchards.
It is skirted by the majestic Sla trees.
It is surrounded by many great suburbs.
It has many female performing artists.

1.5.13







It has fortifications and impassable moats
to protect it from invaders.
It boasts of numerous
horses, elephants, cow s, camels and donkeys.

1.5.14







It is filled w ith provincial kings w ho
arrive there to pay their dues and tributes.
Its splendor is accentuated by the presence of
businessmen w ho arrive from a w ide variety of lands.

1.5.15 There is a natural beauty to the

mountains. Bringing the same beauty out
of artificial buildings is not easy.
But the aesthetic finish and facades of the
palaces and mansions of Aydhy make
them comparable to mountains in beauty
and splendor.

It is like Amarvati, the city of Indra
filled w ith palaces and mansions
adorned w ith precious stones and
rising like beautiful mountains.

1.5.16








The amazing city w ith its octagonal layout
shines w ith high rise buildings,
varieties of precious stones and
the best of w omen folk.
1.5.17







It is filled w ith residences built
on leveled ground abutting each other densely.
Food grains like rice are aplenty and
the w ater is sw eet like sugar cane juice.

1.5.18







That exceptional city echoed w ith
the sounds of musical instruments like
Veena, Mdangam, Dundhubhi and Panava.

1.5.19







Like an abode afloat in paradise
w ith souls that arrive there through Tapa
it is filled w ith exquisitely built dw ellings
full of the best of people in the w orld.

1.5.20-
22























That city, w here Daaratha lived,
has thousands of highly skilled and great w arriors,
capable of killing the roaring and virulent
lions, tigers, boars in a jungle w ith or w ithout w eapons,
yet principled enough not to aim their arrow s at
people w ho are found lonely or fleeing aw ay in fear,
or not having reasonable support in their defense,
or not being seen, but only heard.
1.5.23 It is interesting that Brhmaas of the city
are mentioned at the end, after everything
and everyone else.
Brhmaas in cities are like scientists
employed by the industry, w ith focus on
'applied research'.

Brhmaas in the Vanas are like scientists
The Brhmaas of the city are Mahtmas, in the laboratories, w ith focus on
virtuous, established in upholding truth, and 'fundamental research'. Nature is their
w ell versed in Vdas and the six Vdngas laboratory.
performing the Agni rituals as per the custom. This lka describes the Brhmaas w ho
Many of them are comparable to Maharshis live in the cities. Note that this lkas
and others can be called shis in their ow n right. compares them w ith shis, but doesn't call
Six Vdngas: iksha, Vykaraa, C handas, Nirukta, Jytisha and Kalpa. them quite so.

Thus concludes the fifth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 6

The previous Sarga described the city of Aydhy. This Sarga describes the virtuous people of the city and
the riches, abundance and order they w ere enjoying.

W hat leads to riches and abundance? Rmyaa's answ er is very simple. People committed to a just and
equitable society automatically enjoy riches and abundance. W hen the environment is just and stable and
offers a level playing field, the society automatically flourishes.

Rmyaa is the story of people and leaders w hose primary commitment is to maintain Dharma, a just and
stable environment. It is the story of Rma w ho set an example, by making enormous personal sacrifices
w hen called for, in the course of protecting Dharma and adhering to truth.

To honor a w ord given years earlier by someone to someone in the family, he sacrificed all the pow er, riches
and comfort.

In deference to an undercurrent of public sentiment against having a queen w ho w as under the protection
of a sex-thirsty enemy for almost a year, he sacrificed his marriage.
1.6.1-4 shi is a visionary and an architect. In this
lka Daaratha is referred to as Rjarshi,
a composite w ord of Rja (King) and shi
(Architect). He is a visionary king.





























King Daaratha, the celebrated w arrior of Ikshw ku dynasty
w ho w as w ell reputed in all the three w orlds,
ably ruled the earth from that great city of Aydhy
follow ing the tradition of the brilliant and great Manu,
w ho protected the entire w orld.

Daaratha w as brilliant and know ledgeable in all Vdas.

He w as completely in control of all sections of people.
He alw ays had his eye on the long term aspects.
He w as liked by the denizens of both the cities and rural areas.
He had performed many Yajas.
He had keen interest in the nuances of Dharma.
He had complete control of his senses.
He had many friends w ho w ere aligned w ith him.
He had the strength to destroy his foes.
He had money, possessions and other riches
comparable to those of akra and Vairavaa
He w as renow ned in all the three w orlds
as a Rjarshi comparable to Maharshis.
akra is another name for Indra.
Vairavaa is another name for Kubra.

1.6.5 Rmyaa's focus is on Dharma, Artha and

Kama (the fourth being Mksha). This is
asserted many a time, as you have already
seen in the previous Sargas.





That great city w as governed by Daaratha,
w ho had alw ays stood firmly by his w ord and
invested equally in realizing all the three Vargas,
as w ell as Amarvati w as governed by Indra.
Three Vargas: Dharma, Artha, Kma.
1.6.6





The denizens of that great city w ere w ell read, happy and
contented w ith their respective riches.
They firmly stood by the side of Satya and Dharma.
Satya is a well known Sanskrit word.
Hence we would use it as is.

1.6.7

-



-

Not even a single household could be found in that city
that w as not contented or not having enough of
cow s, horses, food grains or money.

1.6.8







It w as difficult to find any one in Aydhy
w ho w as rude or Nstika or sexually perverted or menacing
or exploiting or causing distress to ow n kith and kin.
The word Nstika has multiple connotations.
It could mean someone not accepting the authority of Vdas
or not accepting the invisible universal forces.

1.6.9 Having complete control of mind is extolled

all through Rmyaa and is a common
theme in all Indic literature.
This simply means exercising good
judgment and being discreet at all times
and avoiding knee-jerk and ill-considered
reactions.

Every man and w oman prospered.
Everyone conducted himself fully in tune w ith Dharma
Their minds w ere fully in their control and
w ere as clean as that of Maharshis.

1.6.10







None could be found in Aydhy
w ho fell short in enjoying fanciful luxuries.
Everyone had oil bath regularly and
decorated themselves w ith perfumes, creams, lotions,
and ornaments on their ears and head.
1.6.11 The many double negatives as used in the
lka Does not flow w ell in English prose.
But they are very poetic in Sanskrit.





None could be found over there,
w ho did not have enough food to eat,
w ho w as not fully aw are of oneself,
w ho did not have enough decorations on hands, arms and neck
and w ho w as not generous.

1.6.12







No one there w as w retched and mean or a thief,
nor trespassed the line of probity
nor had not done Yajas and daily fire rituals.

1.6.13







The Brhmaas had full mastery over their senses.
They pursued their activities w ith full zeal.
Being generous and being studious w as in their very nature.
They w ere very restrained in accepting gifts.

1.6.14







There w as no one w ho w as dishonest
or found fault w ith everything for no reason
or did not believe in Providence
or inherently incapable,
or not w ell read in multiple texts.

1.6.15







There w as no one w ho did not know the six Vdngas
or did not perform the customary Vratas
or had not been charitable.
There w as no one there w ho felt helpless
or had undergone hardships or w ith disturbed mind.
Vratas are rituals performed over many parts of the year
based on celestial events, cycles of nature and for many other purposes.
1.6.16







No man or w oman could be found in Aydhy
w ho did not trust the king
or w ho w as not handsome or beautiful
or w ho w as not endow ed w ith riches and possessions.

1.6.17-
18














Members of all the four Varnas w orshipped the
gods and honored their guests.
They w ere grateful, generous, accomplished and valiant.
They w ere steadfast in their adherence
to Dharma and in upholding the truth.
All of them w ere blessed w ith long lives along w ith
children, grandchildren and chaste w omen.

1.6.19 The system of Varnas is foundational in

Indic civilization. It is a social system, w ith
no parallel anyw here in the w orld. It gives
the simple formula for success of a society
and w ell being of everyone.

Rulers (Kshatriyas) should follow thinkers,
scientists and philosophers (Brhmaas)
but not subdue them. (Think of politicians
Kshatriyas w ere follow ing Brhmaas. telling scientists w hat to do!) Businesses
Vaiyas w ere follow ing Kshatriyas. (Vaiyas) should operate w ithin the
Sdras w ere pursuing their ow n activities governance framew ork set by Rulers, but
and also helping the other three. not subvert it. (Think of business people
dictating law makers on w hat law s to
1.6.20 make!) W orkers (Sdras) should enable all
those three functions.

The Varna system is a more intricate topic
than it appears. The four Varnas are not
unique to Indic Civilization. They are there
in every society and in every part of the
w orld w ithout exception. Scientists,
Politicians, Business People and common

folk, are not specific to India. Indic
Thus that city w as governed and protected w ell by Civilization formally recognized the four
the descendent of Ikshw ku, just as it w as done by the types of people and provided the
highly intelligent and capable Manu, the lord of people. governance structure for their interactions.

1.6.21 In the absence of such a system, no one is

responsible for anything and everyone is
driven by selfish ends, w ithout concern for
the overall w elfare of the society and the
result is 'dog eat dog' w orld, w hich w e see
today.
Modern India is a communal society, w hich
is far different from the Varna system

described here. Every community today is
Aydhy resembled a cave full of lions, set to fight for its ow n good, w ithout
replete w ith w ell trained, highly skilled and regard to the good of overall society.
proud w arriors that w ere as pow erful and fierce as fire.
1.6.22







Aydhy w as resplendent w ith horses comparable
to the legendary horse of Indra
bred in various countries
like Kmbhoja, Bhlika, Vanyu and Sindhu.

1.6.23-
24














It w as resplendent w ith
muscular and braw ny elephants of enormous strength
w ith rut flow ing from their temples
and looking like mountains
bred in the mountainous ranges of Himalayas and Vindhyas
from the blood of celestial elephants like
Airvata, Mahpadma, Anjana and Vmana.
The word 'blood' here is used figuratively to mean 'lineage'.

1.6.25











Aydhys inebriated elephants that resembled mountains,
w ere a mix of three types: Bhadra, Mandra and Mga.
Some w ere Bhadra type, some w ere Mandra type
and others w ere Mga type.
Some w ere a mix of Bhadra and Mandra types.
Some w ere a mix of Bhadra and Mga types.
Some w ere a mix of Mga and Mandra types.
And others w ere a mix of all three types.

1.6.26







That city of Aydhy,
the abode of the ruler of the kingdom, Daaratha,
true to its name, w as impregnable
even w ithin tw o Yjanas of its perimeter.
The literal meaning of Aydhy is ' impregnable'.
1.6.27







Having subdued all his foes and shining like a moon among stars,
the brilliant King Daaratha ruled over that city.

1.6.28







The king, comparable to akra, ruled over
the auspicious city of Aydhy
resplendent w ith an assortment of dw ellings
housing thousands of people
fortified by hefty gates w ith strong locks, true to its name.

Thus concludes the sixth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 7

Success may have only one face. But it has many brains, eyes, hands and legs behind it. The CEO gets
projected, but there are several smart and hardw orking executives and experts behind the scenes. The
leader gets projected, but there w ould be several lieutenants behind him, that contribute to the success.

This Sarga sings the glory of the ministers that w ere behind the successful and ideal rule of king Daaratha.
Vlmeeki makes it a point to give credit w here it is due.

1.7.1







That king from Ikshw ku dynasty w as
assisted by highly qualified ministers
capable of assessing his intent and forging a strategy
that furthered his best interests.
1.7.2







The w ell reputed Veera (Daaratha)
had eight ministers w ho w ere completely vested
in providing clean administration consistently.
(Why is there no good word in English equivalent to 'Veera'?)

1.7.3 Interestingly, of the eight names, four are

evergreen and sound as modern as any
other name.
And it is interesting to know that both the
w ords Aoka and Siddhrtha w hich w ere
popularly associated w ith Buddha are also
names of Daaratha's ministers.

Their names w ere: Dshi, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhrtha,
Artha Sdhaka, Aoka, Mantrapla and Sumantra.

1.7.4







Daaratha had tw o great shis, Vasishha and Vmadva.
as his tviks w hom he especially liked.
He also had many other ministers.

1.7.5-6















His ministers w ere trained in many skills
and know ledgeable in many stras.
They w ere humble and had full mastery of their senses.
They w ere tactful and had a pleasant disposition.
They w ere stead-fast in their prow ess.
They w ere discerning and judicious.
They w ere know n for their brilliance and forbearance.
They w ere Mahtmas and they alw ays stood by their w ord.
They w ere all w ell to do and w ell-regarded.
1.7.7











They did not lie, even in a moment of anger or desperation.
They did not involve in dubious activities
to fulfill their desires or for gaining riches.
Their spies and informants w ere everyw here and
there w as nothing they did not know about
their people and other people,
that w as happening, had happened or w ould be happening.

1.7.8







Their loyalty w as time-tested.
They w ere tactful in dealing w ith all manners of issues.
They brought everyone to justice, as needed,
even if it w ere their ow n children.

1.7.9







They w ere experts in keeping the treasury full
and the army filled w ith the strongest of people.
They never gave trouble w ithout reason even to adversaries.

1.7.10







They w ere Veeras in their ow n right.
They w ere alw ays lively and motivated.
They adhered to sound principles of administration.
They avidly protected the good people w ho lived in the kingdom.

1.7.11





They managed the treasury w ithout laying
undue burden on Brhmaas and Kshatriyas.
The punishment they meted out to various offenders
w as w ithin the limits of the offender's ability to bear.
1.7.12







They w ere clean and united in matters of the state.
Under their w atch, no one in the cities
or in the entire kingdom dared to lie.

1.7.13





There w ere no evil or mean people,
and no one w ould seduce others' w omen.
The entire kingdom and its capital w ere peaceful.

1.7.14







The ministers w ere w ell dressed and w ell mannered.
They ensured the best for the king by
being politically alert at all times.

1.7.15







They w ere eager to learn from their elders.
They w ere renow ned for their prow ess.
They w ere know n for their smartness
not only at home but also abroad.

1.7.16-
17










They knew w hen and how to make peace
and w hen and how to press on.
They w ere naturally opulent. They w ere of fine intellect.
They w ere good at guarding their strategies from others.
They w ere extremely good at the principles of statecraft.
They alw ays spoke in a pleasant manner.
1.7.18







Accompanied w ith such of those virtuous ministers
the exalted king Daaratha ruled the earth.

1.7.19-
20














King Daaratha, tiger among men,
w ith full grasp of the kingdom through informants and spies
governed the people according to Dharma,
keeping them off unethical and w rong behavior,
earning a name in all the three w orlds
for his generosity and his adherence to truth.

1.7.21











W ith no foe equal or superior,
W ith good allies, subdued provincial kings,
W ith pow er that destroyed all troublemakers,
King Daaratha ruled the earth
just as Indra ruled the heaven.

1.7.22







W ith the help of those able, talented
w ell-w ishing and strategic ministers
the king shone gloriously like
the sun rising in the east spreading bright rays.






Thus concludes the seventh Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 8

The backdrop of Ksala kingdom and the city of Aydhy w ere described in the previous Sargas.

This Sarga focuses on a problem faced by the King Daaratha and the action he plans to take to address it.

1.8.1







That radiant Mahtma and expert in Dharma (Daaratha)
how ever, w as bereft of offspring to continue the dynasty.

1.8.2







He w as w orried about it and it occurred to him:
"W hy not I perform the Aw amdha Yga,
to be blessed w ith offspring!"

1.8.3-4















The king, the Dharmtma and the prudent,
having made up his mind to perform the Yga
in conjunction w ith the noble minded ministers,
called upon the chief minister Sumantra
and requested him to arrange for the presence of
all his Gurus along w ith all the priests.
1.8.5-6















The expedient Sumantra, immediately arranged
for the presence of all the Gurus, w ho w ere w ell versed in Vdas:
Suyaja, Vmadva, Jbli, Kyapa and
other great Brhmaas including Vasishha, the Purhita.

1.8.7 Every act w e perform can be dissected as

serving one or more of the four purposes,
Dharma, Artha, Kma or Mksha.

This lka says that having offspring
serves the purposes of Dharma and Artha.




Receiving them w ith all honour,
King Daaratha, the Dharmtma
said the follow ing w ords, that w ere
in pursuit of Dharma and Artha:

1.8.8







I am not happy. My heart is yearning for offspring.
Hence I am thinking of performing the Aw amdha Yga.

1.8.9







I w ould like to perform it in strict conformance w ith the stras.
Please help me w ith the best of your ideas
on how I can go about it.

1.8.10







Vasishha and other Brhmaas,
praising w hat had fallen from the kings lips
responded saying that it is, indeed, a good idea.
1.8.11







In full appreciation of Daaratha's idea, they said,
"Let all the arrangements be made
and let the horse be released!"

1.8.12







"You w ill, indeed, be blessed w ith lovable sons.
Your desire to have offspring is very much
natural, appropriate and in accordance w ith Dharma.

1.8.13







The king w as happy hearing the w ords of Brhmaas
and w ith eyes full of joyful tears, said to the ministers:

1.8.14







"Let all the preparations be made according
to the instructions of our Gurus.
Let the horse be released guarded by able w arriors
and follow ed by teachers of stras."

1.8.15







"Let the ground be prepared on the
northern banks of river Sarayu for performing the Yga.
Let invocations be made for peace
as per the traditions and stras."
1.8.16 Yajas are performed to create certain
specific spiritual energies. Any errors or
faults in the process w ill earn the criticism
of the learned on the one hand, and give
scope for the w rong energies (Brahma
Rkshasas) to be generated, on the other
hand. Hence, only the very capable, the
very meticulous take on the task of

performing an Yaja.
"This Yga, one among the best,
is very demanding and difficult to Think of the process of synthesizing a
perform through to the end, w ithout committing any errors. chemical product. Even a simple error in
Otherw ise, every other king w ould have performed it." the process can result in w rong or
potentially dangerous product (molecule).
1.8.17 Or think of making a spaceship. A single
error in its making is all that it takes to
result in disaster. The same is true w ith
Yajas. If something goes w rong, the
consequences can be highly adverse.




"The learned as w ell as the Brahma Rkshasas
w ill only be eager to find any violations.
A failed Yga w ill also
take dow n the performer, for certain."

1.8.18







"Hence, you, the able individuals,
please plan on ensuring that the Yga
is performed to its full completion
strictly in accordance w ith the stras."

1.8.19







The ministers acknow ledged the king's w ords in deference
and said that they w ould do as commanded.

1.8.20







Brhmaas, the savants of Dharma
w ished the king w ell, took proper leave and left.
1.8.21







After seeing off the Brhmaas,
Daaratha turned to the ministers and said:
Please perform the Yga as per the instructions of the tviks.

1.8.22







Saying thus, the radiant tiger among men (Daaratha)
dismissed the assembly of ministers and returned home.

1.8.23







Upon reaching home, he told his dear w ives about the
plan to perform a Yaja that w ould bless them w ith offspring
and asked them to take Deeksha.
Deeksha is a formal act of commencement
and commitment to a certain ritual with all the
accompanying practices and routine that may last from
a few hours to a few months to a few years to a life time.

1.8.24







Upon hearing those cheerful w ords, their faces
shone like lotuses at the end of w inter.

Thus concludes the eighth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.
 Baala Kaanda - Sarga 9
This Sarga starts w ith the story of yaga, the first of many sub-stories that fill Bla Ka.

W hat do children like? Among many other things, they like to hear stories. So it is only appropriate to have
Bla Ka filled w ith stories, isn't it?

Throughout Bla Ka, w e w ill read many stories w hich may or may not be directly related to the main
story of Rmyaa. But they are the stories Rma heard grow ing up.

1.9.1







Hearing w hat had been said, the charioteer (Sumantra)
told the king in private:
There is an ancient legend, w hich I
have also heard from the tviks

1.9.2







Bhagaw an Sanat Kumara, had predicted to the shis
about the offspring that you w ould get in the future.

1.9.3







Kyapa has a son by name Vibhanaka, w ho is w ell know n.
He is going to have a son by name yaga,
w ho w ill be w ell-know n in his ow n right.

1.9.4







That Muni, one of the best Brhmaas
w ould live in the Vana along w ith his father
and w ould not happen to come in contact w ith anyone else.

1.9.5 Phrases like 'know n by everyone in the

w orld', obviously should not be taken
literally. It is the poetic 'everyone',
meaning 'everyone indicated by the
context'.




He w ould be losing his innocence and serene celibacy
that is praised by many Brhmaas
and noted by everyone in the w orld.
1.9.6







He w ould be celibate for a long time
spending time serving his renow ned father
and performing fire rituals.

1.9.7







There w ould be, at the same time, a valorous and strong king
by name Rmapda, ruling the land of Aga.

1.9.8







It w ould happen that he transgresses the boundaries of Dharma
and his kingdom w ould experience dreadful and devastating famine
that grips every being in fear and despair.

1.9.9







The famine w ould make the king w orried
and he w ould request the presence of
Brhmaas, w ho are experts in Vdas, and w ould ask:

1.9.10







"You are aw are of many Dharmas and about the w ays of the w orld.
Please tell me if there is any remedial measure for this (famine)."

1.9.11







The Brhmaas, experts in Vdas, w ould advise the King,
"Please bring the son of Vibhanaka here by some means."
1.9.12







"After giving him due respect, and w ith full trust,
give your daughter, nta, to him in marriage
in a customary manner."

1.9.13







Upon hearing those w ords, the king w ould think
about the means to bring that great person to his kingdom.

1.9.14







After consulting his ministers, the king w ould
ask the Purhitas and the ministers to do accordingly.

1.9.15







They, being apprehensive and fearful of approaching Vibhanaka
w ould beg their inability to carry on the task.

1.9.16







Then, they w ould think it through and tell the king
that they w ould bring the Brhmaa, w ithout any problem.

1.9.17







W ith the help of courtesans, the king of the land of Aga
w ill succeed in bringing the son of the shi.
nta w ould be given to him in marriage,
and the god of rain w ould send show ers.
1.9.18







yaga, that son-in-law ,
w ill help you w ith having sons.
So I heard as told by Sanat Kumara.

1.9.19







King Daaratha, felt very happy on hearing w hat Sumantra said,
and asked him to expand on the details of
how yaga w as brought (to the kingdom of Aga).

Thus concludes the ninth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 10

In this Sarga, King Rmapda succeeds in bringing the Muni yaga to his palace and marrying his
daughter nta off to him.

W hat w e call inter-caste marriages today, seems to be common in those days.

This Sarga moves at a simple and smooth pace, making it a nice story that you can read to your children at
bed time. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to read out the 'meaning' part to them.

The lka 1.10.28 w ill make a subtle impression on them and they w ill remember it in one form or the other,
throughout their life. It gives them the hope of good times, w hich is really w hat carries all of us through
tough times.

1.10.1







Prompted thus by the king, Sumantra said:
"Certainly, I w ill relay to you the details of
how the ministers brought yaga"
1.10.2







Purhitas, along w ith the ministers, told Rmapda
that they had a plan that w ould be safe to pursue.

1.10.3 Tapa and Svdhyya: These are the tw o

w ords w ith w hich Rmyaa started. In
simple terms, these w ords mean Pursuit
and Study respectively. These are the tw o
things that characterize a Muni, or a
scientist in modern times. The only
difference is that the focus of modern day's
scientists is on the physical w orld,
w hereas the focus of the Munis is on the
yaga lives in the Vana. inner realms and the universe.
His life is limited to Tapa and Svdhyya.
He does not have any idea of pleasure from a w oman
or, for that matter, any sensual pleasure.

1.10.4







W e w ill lure him to the city right aw ay,
w ith sensual pleasures that w ould make
any man lose his mind.

1.10.5







Let beautiful, bedecked and w ell-treated courtesans go there.
They w ill lure him by various means and bring him here.

1.10.6







Hearing this, the king told the Purhitas:
May it be done so.
And the Purhitas told the ministers
and the ministers did accordingly.
1.10.7- In contemporary language, the w ord
8a 'Dheera' is used synonymous w ith 'Veera',
indicating valor and heroism.
But in classical literature, the w ord
'Dheera' implies acute discernment
combined w ith courage of conviction.

A Dheera is open to ideas, facts and not

perturbed in the face of situations that
w ould challenge established notions or
assumptions. A Dheera w ould be able to
stick to the truth w ithout regard to
consequential personal gain or pain. A
Accordingly, the best of the courtesans w ent to the great Vana Dheera w ould possess the courage of
and moved around in the vicinity of the rama conviction.
w here the shis son, the Dheera lived
and tried to get w ithin sight of him. This w ord 'Dheera', in this sense, is used
all through in Rmyaa, Mahbhrata
including Bhagavad Geeta and in
Upanishads.

1.10.8b- Just as people in modern times use the

9 w ords Urban, Suburban, Rural and
Countryside to refer to various areas of
dw elling, people in the days of Rmyaa
used the w ords like: Nagara for urban
areas, Janapada for rural areas, Rshra
for countryside and Vana for forest areas.






The Tapasvi, having been alw ays content w ith his life,
and having never veered aw ay from the rama area,
never came in contact w ith a w oman or for that matter,
w ith men or any other creatures from the cities or countryside.

1.10.10 Imagine someone in a remote tribal area,

suddenly happening to see visitors from a
foreign land, w ith a different skin color,
different attire, different w ay of w alking
and talking. That is the situation that
yaga is in.



One day, that son of Vibhanaka,
accidentally came to the area w here the courtesans w ere,
and happened to see them.

1.10.11







Those w omen w ith interesting attire,
humming tunes in their sw eet voices,
approached the son of the shi and said:

1.10.12 If you are interested in spoken Sanskrit,

these w ould be good lkas for you to
learn.

You can use lka 1.10.12, w ith simple
modifications, to enquire about any person
that you meet for the first time.

And you can use lka 1.10.14, w ith simple
modifications, to tell about yourself.
O Brhmaa, may w e know w ho you are
and w hy you are moving around in this
desolate and dreadful forest?
1.10.13







To be nice to those magical beings,
w ho w ere like none he had ever seen,
he felt like making a conversation
by talking about his father.

1.10.14







Vibhanaka is my father. I am his son.
I am know n as yaga in this w orld.

1.10.15 This is another lka that gives me goose

bumps. The tradition of inviting people to
one's home upon the first meeting, is w ell-
rooted in India, surviving to this day. It is
still a living tradition. W hether 100% of
people follow it or not, it can be said,
100% of people respect it.


O Ye pleasant souls! My rama is nearby.
Please, all of you, come over to receive
my hospitality, in full accordance w ith custom.

1.10.16







Hearing those w ords of the son of the shi
all the w omen thought of seeing the rama and
and w ent there w ith him.

1.10.17







The son of the shi paid respects to them
and offered w ater to w ash their feet,
w ater to drink and roots and fruits to eat.

1.10.18







They all enjoyed the hospitality zestfully
and made up their minds to leave as quickly as possible
as they w ere afraid of the shi (Vibhanaka).
1.10.19







"O Brhmaa! Here are some great fruits w e got for you.
Please take them w ithout delay. May all bode w ell for you!"

1.10.20







They all felt very happy and fondly embraced him.
They gave him many sw eets and a variety of delicacies.

1.10.21







The radiant shi thought them all to be fruits
having never know n any food items other than fruits,
living in the Vana.

1.10.22







The w omen, apprehensive of being seen by the father,
left the place, saying to the Brhmaa that
they had to attend to their daily chores.

1.10.23







Once all the w omen left, the Brhmaa,
the grandson of Kyapa w as troubled at heart and felt restless.

1.10.24







Next day, that spirited soul,
w ent to the place w here he had first seen
the lovely, beautiful and bejew elled courtesans.
1.10.25







They all felt excited to see him coming to them.
They approached him and said:

1.10.26







Dear genteel soul, please come and visit our rama.
You w ill be received w ith splendid hospitality.

1.10.27







He agreed, hearing those w ords
filled w ith w armth from all of them.
Then, they led him to their place.

1.10.28







As that Mahtma, the Brhmaa, w ent along w ith them,
Dvas show ered rains immediately, pleasing the w orld.

1.10.29







Having seen the Brhmaa, the Muni,
w ho came to his country bringing rain along w ith him,
the king prostrated on the ground.

1.10.30







W ith all his heart and mind,
the king offered him Arghya, as per tradition
and begged for his kindness and blessings
and hoped that he w ould not be angry.
Arghya is water offered for drinking, often cleansed with Mantras.
1.10.31 I heard from a feminist 'how is it that nta
w as not involved in making decisions
about her ow n marriage?'
That is a good question. The answ er is
that the social ethos of those days (and in
some fortunate families even in these
days) w as different from those common to
our times.
He took the Brhmaa to the palace,
and gave his virgin daughter nta to him The members of the family, in those days
in marriage, w ith all the traditional had full trust in the head of the household
ceremonies and celebrations. that he w ould do the best for everyone
considering all factors and w ithin the
constraints of the context. This happens
1.10.32 even today, not only in good families, but
also in good organizations, w here leaders
gain everyone's respect and everyones
trust in their judgment.

It, perhaps never occurred to people in

those days that a father w ould do
something that is not good for the
daughter, unlike in the current days,
yaga lived there forever, w here there certainly are fathers that
w ell regarded and w ell respected, w ould, indeed, take reckless decisions not
w ith all his needs w ell taken care of. only about themselves, but also about
their family members, w arranting the voice
of feminists.





Thus concludes the tenth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 11

In this Sarga, King Daaratha goes to the kingdom of Aga and requests Rmapda to send nta and
yaga to Aydhy. Rmapda sends nta and yaga accordingly. And everyone in Aydhy receives
them merrily.

See the contrast betw een this Sarga w ith the previous Sarga. In the previous Sarga, yaga is enticed to
the kingdom of Aga in a friendly manner and w ithout the permission of his father. In this Sarga, yaga
is invited to the kingdom of Ksala w ith full process and protocol and w ith the permission of his father-in-
law . After all, success has many roads. It all depends on the context.

1.11.1







O king, let me continue w ith the good w ords
I heard from the distinguished Dva (Sanat Kumara).
1.11.2







A w ell-endow ed, Dharma-follow ing king
w ith firm allegiance to truth, by name Daaratha
w ould be born in the lineage of Ikshw ku.

1.11.3







He w ould become a friend of the king of Aga,
w ho w ould have a daughter by name nta.

1.11.4







The famous King Daaratha w ould go to the
king of Aga, know n as Rmapda and w ould ask:

1.11.5







"O Dharmtma, I am devoid of offspring.
Please send the husband of nta
to help me perform a Yga that w ill
bless our lineage w ith offspring."

1.11.6







The considerate Rmapda, w ould think about the request
and w ould send the husband of nta.

1.11.7







Feeling relieved, the king w ould take that Brhmaa
w ith him and w ould perform the Yaja w ith a cheerful heart.
1.11.8















The Dharma-follow ing ruler of people, king Daaratha,
desirous of performing a Yaja w ould request
yaga, the eminent Brhmaa, w ith folded hands
to perform the Yaja that w ould bless him
w ith offspring now and ascent to heaven at the end.
And his w ishes w ould be fulfilled
by the distinguished Brhmaa.

1.11.10







Four sons of immense prow ess w ill be born to him
w ho w ould be w ell regarded in all the w orlds,
and w ould bring glory and fame to their lineage.

1.11.11







Thus foretold Bhagaw an Sanat Kumara,
the distinguished among Dvas,
during the times of Dva Yuga.
Rma lived in Trt Yuga, the second of the four Yugas (ages).
The first Yuga is known as Kta Yuga or Dva Yuga.

1.11.12 The lives of kings, administrators,

managers, diplomats and such are
regularly laden w ith protocols and
processes.

lkas like these, w hich are about
protocols and processes, w ill resonate
easily w ith people w ith similar bent of
mind. But for others, it feels artificial and
O tiger among men! You should go in person heavy.
along w ith fitting vehicles and retinue and
invite him (yaga) w ith full honors.
1.11.13







On that advice from Sumantra and
after receiving due consent from Vasishha,
the king departed to the Brhmaa's place
along w ith ministers and confidants.

1.11.14







After crossing many rivers and forests,
he reached the kingdom in w hich the Brhmaa lived.

1.11.15







Immediately, he visited the distinguished Brhmaa,
and the son of the shi, w ho w as glow ing w ith fiery brilliance,
seated next to the king Rmapda.

1.11.16







That king rejoicing on seeing him, received him
w ith all ceremonial honors and
paid obeisance and respects
in excess of w hat custom demanded,
to his good friend and the visiting dignitary.

1.11.17







Rmapda told about their friendship and relationship
to the sagacious son of the shi w ho greeted him respectfully.
1.11.18







Daaratha felt very happy w ith the hospitality of Rmapda.
After staying there for seven to eight days,
he said to Rmapda:

1.11.19







O king, the ruler of people!
I have set out on a great endeavor.
Can I have your daughter nta
along w ith her husband in my city?

1.11.20 It is w orth recalling my commentary about

the feminists tow ards the end of the
previous Sarga. Just as nta's consent
w as not sought before marrying her off to
yaga, yaga's consent w as not
sought about his w illingness (or
otherw ise) to go w ith Daaratha.

W ho should seek w hose consent? In a
Rmapda agreed to send the sagacious Brhmaa democratic model, everyone should seek
and asked him to go along w ith his w ife. everyone's consent. But in a hierarchical
model, such as in a business division, in a
1.11.21 military unit or in a large joint family, the
person in-charge decides. And it is in his or
her ow n best interest to make meaningful,
respectful and judicious decisions.





The son of the shi agreed and
w ith the permission of the king,
departed along w ith his w ife.

1.11.22 "A friend in need is a friend indeed." goes

the saying. Both giving help and receiving
help renew s and rejuvenates long lasting
friendships. It is indeed a moment for
celebration and exhilaration.
W ish you had some moments like these in
your life and I w ish you more of them!


Daaratha and the valorous Rmapda
held each other in a tight embrace
w ith each one's heart touching the other's
in celebration of their long friendship.
1.11.23- The instinct to celebrate successes w ith
24 decoration is universal and defies the
constraints of time and place.
The description in these lkas feels like
that of a home coming ceremony in honor
and celebration of w inning sports teams.
Or perhaps, more.










The descendant of Raghu (Daaratha)
bid farew ell to his friend and started on his return journey.
He sent sw ift messengers ahead of him,
to tell the people of his city
to w ash and clean the city and
fill it w ith scented vapors and decorate it w ith flags.

1.11.25 Vlmeeki's style is interesting. He moves

the story in only sketchy detail, but seems
to pause to describe the moods (ups and
dow ns) of the people in great detail and in
a beautiful manner. This style is in common
w ith that of many art forms like Kcipdi
and the musicals of Broadw ay.

And there is a reason. Events are
The people of the city w ere excited incidental and experience is real. That is
about the return of the king w hat is called 'Rasa', in the Indic tradition.
and did all that the king told them to do.
Kvyam Rasa Pradhnam - the essence of
a Kvya is Rasa - the experience of human
1.11.26 emotions. The question in and about life is
not how you got here, but w hether or not
you are able to experience it in its fullness.





The king, then, entered the w ell-decorated city,
w ith that eminent Brhmaa in front of him,
amidst blares of conches and blasts of drums.

1.11.27







All the people of the city merrily greeted the Brhmaa
w ho w as duly honored and introduced by
the king in a manner befitting the king of Dvas.

1.11.28







He took him to the inner quarters of the palace
and did Pja according to customs and tradition.
He felt accomplished w ith the arrival (of yaga).
1.11.29







The w omen of the palace felt very happy to see
the w ide-eyed and endearing nta
w ho came along w ith her husband.

1.11.30







nta, along w ith the tvik (yaga)
lived there for a w hile, enjoying the hospitality
given by them, and especially by the king.

Thus concludes the eleventh Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.