Rama, the best of men

A few words on the poem.


The Ramayana, an epic poem, was originally written by a hunter turned sage named Valmiki, in Sanskrit, an Indian classical language. Legend has it that the poem was born out of the strong emotion of pity, when Valmiki killed a bird and its mate started mourning its death. Its anguish and grief turned him a into saint-mendicant.

The characters of the Ramayana are all symbols of virtues and vices. Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and Hanuman, stand for truth, devotion, chastity and service mindedness respectively.
Similarly, Ravana, his army, his brothers and sons represent vices like lust, anger, arrogance and covetousness.

The epic depicts with the help several subplots and short episodes, the eternal battle between the forces of darkness, and those of light.
The Ramayana is many things to many people. For children, it is a story of adventure and fantasy. The demons, their magic, powerful arrows that rain fire and thunder on the enemy, sages and their yogic power, Hanuman enlarging himself by a hundred fold to cross the mighty ocean by flying, his adventures in Lanka, continue to provide great enjoyment and inspiration for children and adults alike.

For young people it is an imitable romance. For the middle aged, it shows the way to make life fruitful by following the life style of Rama. For the old, it is a solace to read and enjoy its inherent philosophy, in the evening hours of life, when shadows lengthen and death closes in.

All I could do to is to tell the basic story. I ask to be forgiven for any inadvertent errors in its course.


Sri Rama, the best of men

Invocation

Mother Saraswathi, the presiding Deity
Of Muse and Music,
Bless me mother, with the wherewithal
Of fluency, force, and fortitude
In bringing to light, the life and conduct
Of Sri Rama, the Avatar of Lord Vishnu.



Part-1

The kingdom of Kosala with Ayodhya as the capital
Was once ruled by king Dasaratha of the Sun dynasty.
Wives he had three, yet remained childless and morose.
Religious practices and the worship of Gods with constancy

Yielded him finally, his heart’s desire, was gifted with sons four.
Rama, the first son was born to Kausalya, his chief consort.
Lakshmana and Shatrghnu, the twin sons of Sumitra, the second queen,
Bharata, the valiant son of the king’s best-loved third wife, Kaika.

It was a golden era of blooming prosperity
Nature blessed the great land with her plenty.
Health and happiness, in the kingdom overflowed
The citizens, time honored values, faithfully followed.

The old king Dasaratha loved his eldest son Rama
With his heart and soul, delighted in spending
His days and nights watching him grow into
A handsome warrior prince of youthful effulgence.

A sage once, from a forest thick, came to the king,
Seeking the valor and protection of Rama, to guard
The sages’ holy worship of the elements, for world peace,
From the demons raining blood on the sacred place.

The king’s heart sank under the burden of remorse
At the thought of sending young Rama to the copse.
The mendicant however, wouldn’t relent his desire
Rama and Lakshmana hence, went with the holy sire.

The sages made a pyre of holy fire for sacrifice,
The brothers two, were ready with weapons
To foil the frolic of the blasphemous demons
That loomed above the altar, looking for a chance.

Soon began, the devilish sports with searing screams.
The monsters did their best to decry the holy chants
Of the assembled sages, to defile the sacred rites.
But the brothers defended the worshipping priests,

By raining fire arms strengthened by powerful mantras,
Chased away the legions of death, and restored peace.
Before joining their father who waited for them in pain,
The sage in charge planned the return trip via Vidarbha,

A flourishing state ruled by Janaka, of humanitarian values.
He hosted a contest for the young and old of princely clans
Who sought to wed his daughter Sita, of matchless grace.
The sage desired young Rama to rank first among equals.

It was a challenging task for the rivaling princes,
To lift the bow of none less than Shiva the Mighty,
To string the cord, and show their prowess and virility.
Many failed even to move the bow, a blow to their vanity.

People gaped in wonder, when Rama, the invincible,
Lifted the mighty bow with just but one hand,
And, lo! Before he could string the instrument,
It broke into two, and vanished from sight.

Sita, the delicate darling of a loving father,
Gave handsome Rama, a sidelong glance,
Fell anon, into a spell of awe and wonder
At his bright demeanor, and delightful stance.

Grand and spectacular was the royal marriage,
The bonding of two worthy clans for future good.
Dasaratha, riding the crest of contented happiness
Fixed the hour of anointing his eldest son as the king.

The whole people welcomed their king’s decision
And, waited in bated breath, to see their beloved Rama
On the throne, for his prospective, and peaceful reign.
Things worked not as planned, for, tables suddenly turned.

The night before the big event, struck the gong of fate.
Kaika, the youngest and much petted last wife of the king,
Demanded, her son be made the king, and Rama banished
To anonymity, to spend fourteen long years in exile.

The state wept, as did the unfortunate Dasaratha
At the unexpected insistence of his adamant queen.
A favor he must return for a life-saving defense
She launched long ago, when his life was in peril.


Part- 2

Rama, unaffected by the turn of events, prepared to exit,
To honor his father’s pledge; to all, he bid his last good bye.
Wife, Sita, and Lakshmana, the most devoted of his brothers,
Followed him into the forest, clad in rafia, shedding regalia.

Lakshmana, built a neat thatched hut, an ideal hermitage,
For his brother and sister-in-law, in the tranquil foliage.
Nature trembled in pleasure to have Rama, the best,
Glorifying flora and fauna, by reposing in the forest.

Days went by in meditation and religious austerities.
For the couple and the brother, in the pretty precincts.
A demoness, on a fateful day, found Rama irresistible,
Neared him in a damsel’s guise, her desire indefatigable.

Rama shooed her away to his younger brother.
Lakshmana, wrathful, disfigured and chased her
Away; screaming in pain and injured dignity.
She complained of her state of humbled pride

To her elder brother, Ravana, of ten- headed fame,
A demon king that terrorized the beings of three worlds;
Heavens, the earth, the Hades and even those beyond.
The ruler of Lanka listened to the story of mere humans

Heaping insult and injury on his sister, Surpanaka.
She told him of the warrior-like two brothers
Residing in the woods and Sita of fresh beauty,
Tantalizing thus, the passion of the ferocious demon.

Stealing Sita, to the lawless lord of Lanka, looked
right step in revenging his sister’s tormentors.
He sent his aides to lure her in the form of a golden
Deer that jumped in frolic, making her urge

Her husband to go get the pretty animal for a pet.
Rama went to net the magical deer that took him
Away from the hermitage, and at his arrow died,
Revealing the demon in disguise, crying out “Oh Sita!”

“Oh Lakshmana!” imitating the voice of Rama.
Forced by an alarmed Sita, Lakshmana went searching
For the elder brother, who they thought was in danger.
Seizing the chance, the deceitful Ravana in a sage’s guise

Begged for alms at Sita’s door, and as she crossed the threshold
With some grain to give away, Ravana, in his real form loomed,
Took to the sky, with Sita screaming for brother and husband
Clutched in his arms, like a streak of light in a huge black cloud.

The brothers returned to the deserted hermitage.
With Sita gone mysteriously, they in agony
Searched the forest for clues to know her whereabouts.
They saw a large bird, their father’s friend that fought

Bravely with the villainous demon and fell defeated.
Held on to life till Rama came, told him of the abductor
Flying away with his wife to Lanka, he then died.
His funeral, Rama performed with love and gratitude,

For, he now knew how his poor wife had disappeared.
A while later, Hanuman the a monkey king’s minister,
Found a bundle of jewels on the mountainside.
He saw Rama and his brother traversing the woods,

Looking anxious, worried like lost men.
Hanuman’s heart felt strangely moved
When he from far, gazed on Rama.
With devotion strongly taking hold,

He greeted them hesitating, told them his name
Enquired after their wandering on the hillside
Informed them of his own exiled king, Sugreeva.
Showed the jewels thrown by a woman air bound.

The sight of the gold ornaments, filled Rama’s eyes
With wishful tears at chasing the mirage, the deer that
Brought the sad fate of separation, on him, on her.
Hanuman took them to his king, robbed of his rights

He too lost his wife and his kingdom, to his own brother.
They made a pact to see one another out of straits.
So, Rama killed the wrongful brother and restored
His land; the monkey army under their king’s command

Reciprocated by started building a bridge
Across the sea to Lanka, an island
That shone like a jewel in the sea,
Under the rich rule of Ravana.

While the bridge was in the making
Hanuman was sent as a harbinger
To scan Lanka, and search for Sita.
With his heart dedicated to the mission,

He grew enormously big and flew across the mighty sea
To Lanka; with his yogic power and devotion to Rama,
Overcoming the magic and misery of every witch, demoness
And supernatural elements that resided in the bowels the sea,

The Son of the wind, Hanuman, landed in Lanka.
Searched every nook and corner of the island empire
Saw Sita under the Asoka tree, in the middle of a garden.
Hanuman perching like a small bird in the branches,

Spoke the name of Rama, surprising the sorrowful Sita suddenly.
Sita stopped in her attempt at suicide, for Ravana threatened
That he would marry her by force in three days time,
If she did not agree to be his queen, willingly.

Slowly did Hanuman descend from the tree,
Standing with his hands folded in respect
Told her of the events, and her dear Rama’s project
To arrive in Lanka in the near future, for her rescue.

Sita, incredulous at the news of her Rama
Blessed Hanuma and gave him, her ring
a token of recognition to her husband.
His mission done, the powerful messenger

Was caught by the demon guards, shackled and ridiculed
At his monkey form; Ravana ordered that the animal
Be burnt, the guards regaled at the chance of a vulgar
Sport and bound Hanuman’s tail in oil drenched cloth.

They lit the tail and the divine monkey went about
The land and burnt everything in sight, thus turning
The resplendent Lanka into heaps of ashes and mourning.
Tormenting the enemy thus, Hanuman took his leave

From Sita, whose refuge he made sure was safe.
He then, flew all the way back across the Deep.
Rama sighed in relief to know the news of his beloved wife
That reinforced his resolve to free her from the demon’s grip.


Part - 3

The monkey force slogged day and night
Spared no effort, put boulder upon boulder
And achieved the impossible, lo! the bridge
Stood ready for Rama, and his unusual army

They crossed the sea and reached the distant shore.
Camping on the outskirts of the island,
Rama sent an emissary to the demon lord
Informing him of his intent of killing him

If he did not return his wife with respect and dignity.
The arrogant Ravana slighted the army of monkeys
And men, threw the norms of embassy away
by trying to kill the messenger who fought like

A true soldier and returned to Rama.
Ravana’s younger brother, Vibhishana
Counseled his brother not to fight a war of blame
And return Sita to her rightful husband.

Ravana drove him away in cold contempt.
Thereupon, the good brother sought refuge
Under Rama’s protection, stayed till the end.
When the peaceful means to end the strife failed,

Rama readied his army for the battle unavoidable.
Days and nights it stretched on to, with warriors
Dying in large numbers, on both sides
Falling to ground like autumn leaves.

Finally came the hour of fight between the forces of good and evil
Between the legions of dishonorable minds and the forces of nobility.
Rama with his bow and arrow looming like thousand suns,
Was raging and raining arrows and disarming the enemies

By the score, helped by the tireless armies of monkeys and
A fearless and ferocious Lakshmana, and with Gods watching.
When Lakshmana fell of a sudden, by the weapon of Indrajit,
The valiant son of Ravana, Hanuman brought the life reviving

Sanjeevani , a mountain of medicinal herbs and helped
Rama’s beloved brother breathe again and come alive.
The battle continued unabated till Ravana himself took upon
The war gear and faced the matchless archery of Rama.

Alas! Ravana’s ten heads came alive
Even after beheading, confusing Rama. 
Vibhishana who knows the secret
Of his ten headed brother’s immortal life,

Told Rama to hit him at the solar plexus.
For, here was the hidden pot of nectar
Stolen from the Gods, he controlled.
This time there was no failing of the arrows.

Rama did as per the demon brother’s advice.
Ravana fell at last, like a devil exorcised.
All’s fair in love and war being the way
Of the rulers to protect their people,

And to protect themselves to sustain good.
With the death of Ravana, and his innumerable sons
With order and good life thus restored,
Rama made Vibhishana the king of Lanka.

Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and the monkey army
Returned to their places, celebrating victory.
Their arrival coincided with Rama’s
completed exile of years fourteen.

The people of Ayodhya were ready to receive their lawful
Heir and the future King with open arms and eyes full
Of joyful tears. Rama was anointed the King of Kosala
With waters brought from the rivers and oceans of the earth.

With the whole people shouting “Jaya ho! To Rama” (victory to Rama!)
The land once again smiled in splendor, flourished in joy forthwith.


The End.
Om tatsat