Is Ramayana a myth?
Researchers have found out that all 182 plants (including flowers, trees, fruits) mentioned in the Ramayan have been found to be true. The epic is dated 500-100 BC, but the same flora and fauna exist in the same places as written in the epic, even today.
The first Ramayana was composed by Sage Valmiki. All of us know the story of 'Valia Lutara', how a robber Ratnakar, moved by a word of Sage Narada, recited 'Mara' (kill-death) mantra for several years and the mantra became Rama (life). The question on principle of Karma is still valid because those who enjoy the fruits of our wrong doing are not going to share the responsibility and punishment derived out of the karmas. The doer of the wrong karma will only be punished.
It is interesting to note that Narada declared him Brahmin, though he was born in a lower caste. It is a proof that the castes were interchangeable depending upon the act of individual, those days. Four Varnas are four Karmas, it has nothing to with a birth of an individual. The Sun makes the colour of the skin (varna) as per the act of an individual (how much time he spends and does labour under the Sun). He was contemporary of Lord Rama. Rama was born in Treta, but the epic Ramayana is dated from 500-100 BC.
The story of Ramayana (maryada Purushottam, how to become a perfect human being) was first told to Valmiki by Narada. Do you remember the first sloka of Ramayana?
मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
(You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity for you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting)
Valmiki went to the Tamasa stream of river Ganga, where he saw a crane couple mating. Suddenly, hit by an arrow of a hunter the male bird died. Filled with sorrow, he became angry, and with melted heart he cried out the first sloka.. ma nishad... The story told by Narada was in his mind, he composed the epic. It came out of his imagination. It is said that it was composed before it happened. However, it is mentioned that Rama once met him during the exile and Valmiki gave shelter to Sita in his ashram when Rama banished her. Lava and Kusha, the twins sons of Sita were born in his ashram.
If a writer or composer is writing an epic/book, he has to have the knowledge of the topography and geography of the area. The statement “Unless he was thorough about the topography, geography and ecology of the region, he could not have provided such sharp and precise observation of the time, place and location,” is right. It suggests that Valmiki either travelled all through the areas of event, met people, listen the events and composed the epic or he was knowing the geography and topography of the entire area well before composing the epic, use the story and composed. Was it a story of the King of Ayodhya, Rama, or a spiritual message explained through a story (Panchatantra, Hitopdesh) in imagination can be debated even today. Or it was an epic that has been composed to guide/teach the society a lesson to understand the role of father, Son, brother, king, friend, enemy, etc. Ramayana is a way of Hindu life, living for centuries. Ramatva is Hindutva.
Punamchand
24 January 2017
Researchers have found out that all 182 plants (including flowers, trees, fruits) mentioned in the Ramayan have been found to be true. The epic is dated 500-100 BC, but the same flora and fauna exist in the same places as written in the epic, even today.
The first Ramayana was composed by Sage Valmiki. All of us know the story of 'Valia Lutara', how a robber Ratnakar, moved by a word of Sage Narada, recited 'Mara' (kill-death) mantra for several years and the mantra became Rama (life). The question on principle of Karma is still valid because those who enjoy the fruits of our wrong doing are not going to share the responsibility and punishment derived out of the karmas. The doer of the wrong karma will only be punished.
It is interesting to note that Narada declared him Brahmin, though he was born in a lower caste. It is a proof that the castes were interchangeable depending upon the act of individual, those days. Four Varnas are four Karmas, it has nothing to with a birth of an individual. The Sun makes the colour of the skin (varna) as per the act of an individual (how much time he spends and does labour under the Sun). He was contemporary of Lord Rama. Rama was born in Treta, but the epic Ramayana is dated from 500-100 BC.
The story of Ramayana (maryada Purushottam, how to become a perfect human being) was first told to Valmiki by Narada. Do you remember the first sloka of Ramayana?
मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
(You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity for you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting)
Valmiki went to the Tamasa stream of river Ganga, where he saw a crane couple mating. Suddenly, hit by an arrow of a hunter the male bird died. Filled with sorrow, he became angry, and with melted heart he cried out the first sloka.. ma nishad... The story told by Narada was in his mind, he composed the epic. It came out of his imagination. It is said that it was composed before it happened. However, it is mentioned that Rama once met him during the exile and Valmiki gave shelter to Sita in his ashram when Rama banished her. Lava and Kusha, the twins sons of Sita were born in his ashram.
If a writer or composer is writing an epic/book, he has to have the knowledge of the topography and geography of the area. The statement “Unless he was thorough about the topography, geography and ecology of the region, he could not have provided such sharp and precise observation of the time, place and location,” is right. It suggests that Valmiki either travelled all through the areas of event, met people, listen the events and composed the epic or he was knowing the geography and topography of the entire area well before composing the epic, use the story and composed. Was it a story of the King of Ayodhya, Rama, or a spiritual message explained through a story (Panchatantra, Hitopdesh) in imagination can be debated even today. Or it was an epic that has been composed to guide/teach the society a lesson to understand the role of father, Son, brother, king, friend, enemy, etc. Ramayana is a way of Hindu life, living for centuries. Ramatva is Hindutva.
Punamchand
24 January 2017
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