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| ABOUT THE RAMAYANA | ABOUT THE RAMAYANA | ||
| Bhagwan Valmik’s Ramayana is one of the great epic poems of India. The Ramayana tells a story unparalleled in qualities and attributes of a literacy work. It is a unique combination of scripture, literature and ethics in one. The Ramayana foretold the fortunes of Rama. The Ramayana was written in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The appeal of the Ramayana inspired one of India’s greatest poets Rabindranath Tagore to write his first play “The Genius of Valmiki.” | Bhagwan Valmik’s Ramayana is one of the great epic poems of India. The Ramayana tells a story unparalleled in qualities and attributes of a literacy work. It is a unique combination of scripture, literature and ethics in one. The Ramayana foretold the fortunes of Rama. The Ramayana was written in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The appeal of the Ramayana inspired one of India’s greatest poets Rabindranath Tagore to write his first play “The Genius of Valmiki.” | ||
Revision as of 22:12, 11 December 2006
Maharishi Valmiki (Sanskrit: वाल्मिकी, vālmikī) is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Benjamin Walker in “HINDU WORLD” an Encyclopedia Survey of Hinduism believes that Bhagwan Valmik was of the Naga or Pre-Aryan birth. The Nagas were the indigenous population of India. Valmikis believe that they are the decendents of Nagas.
Bhagwan Valmik wrote the first version of the Ramayana in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Astronomical analysis place Bhagwan Valmiks work as pre 3000BC, it’s final shape may have been acquired by about 250A.D. He was also the first to codify music.
He also wrote the Maha-Ramayana which is also known as the Yogavasistha. The Yogavasistha consists of 32,000 verses. The Yogavasista is a philosophy of life and the means of salvation( Jiwan Mukti). The Yogavasista is popular with Yogis, Monks or ordinary people who seek salvation, piece of satisfaction in their lives.
The word Bhagwan has come to mean a man of great religious wisdom. The Ramayana is divided in to seven books and contains 24,000 couplets. The first and last books were added later to the original version of Valmiks Ramayana.
Through-out Valmiks Ramayana, Rama is portrayed as a unique man but above all a human king. But this was to change when according to later additions the status of King Rama was to become the god Vishnu in human form.
The perspective of the Vamiki community is one which believes that indeed Rama was a king and therefore differs from the vast majority of Hindus.
Bhagwan Valmik was believed to be a great man of wisdom, a sage who could visualise the past, the present, and the future as was clearly demonstrated in the Ramayana.
The Ramayana of Bhagwan Valmik is called the Adikavya( The first poem ) and Bhagwan Valmik( The first poet ).
At his hermitage he taught both males and females. He was a man who had great instinct for pure moral living, he was kind and humane and gave shelter to Sita on her banishment.
Maharishi Valmik is accepted by many indian comunities as the author of the Yoga Vasistha, this particular piece of work was taught to Rama when he was disillusioned with the world in large . The Yoga Vasistha is an incredible piece of text which discusses a wide array of philosphical issues. Moreover, it appears to have been written over 5000 years ago. Further information can be found in Dr Julia Leslies book called "Authority and meaning in indian religions and the case for Valmiki".
ABOUT THE RAMAYANA
Bhagwan Valmik’s Ramayana is one of the great epic poems of India. The Ramayana tells a story unparalleled in qualities and attributes of a literacy work. It is a unique combination of scripture, literature and ethics in one. The Ramayana foretold the fortunes of Rama. The Ramayana was written in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The appeal of the Ramayana inspired one of India’s greatest poets Rabindranath Tagore to write his first play “The Genius of Valmiki.”
For Valmikis in India the Ramayana has served to provide a cultural and religious foundation and was the link during colonial rule which labourers took with them when they went from India.
The Ramayana is divided into seven books called Kandas. Each Kanda is divided into several( cantos). The books( Kandas ) are called : 1. Balakanda (Interpolation) 2. Ayodhyakanda 3. Aranyakanda 4. Kiskindhakanda 5. Sundarakanda 6. Yuddhakanda 7. Uttarkanda (Interplotation)
Essentially the Ramayana is the story of the Rama and his endeavour to win the hand of Princess Sita. After successfully competing for the hand of Sita in marriage Rama returned to Ayodha. However, at his Kingdom of Ayodha Rama’s step-mother plotted against him and as a result, he was exiled to live in the forest, with Sita and Lakshman Rama’s half brother.
During their stay in the forest the demon King of Lanka, Ravana, sent a beautiful golden deer into the forest. Sita asked Rama to catch it for her. When Rama failed to returned, Sita asked Lakshman to look for him. Rama had instructed Lakshaman to guard Sita, but on this occasion he disobeyed Rama’s instruction.
Sita was left alone King Ravana appeared before her and he seized her and returned to Sri-Lanka. When Rama and Lakshman returned and found Sita gone, they prepared to rescue her and in doing so inlisted the help of Hanuman. Hanuman, helped Rama to find Sita on returning to Ayodha Rama was crowned King.
However, all was not well in Rama’s kingdom as some of Rama’s subjects suspected Sita of being unfaithful for accepting Sita after her living in Ravana’s kingdom. In order to prove himself the ideal King who respects the sentiments of his subjects Rama banished her to the forest. There she was looked after by the hermit Bhagwan Valmik and in his hermitage she gave birth to Luv and Kush.
Rama to prove himself the mightiest of Kings released a horse the capture of which would result in battle with King Rama and his forces.
Luv and Kush disciples of Bhagwan Valmik, captured this horse, King Rama’s army led by his half brother Lakshman was defeated by the two brothers.
On discovering that Luv and Kush had destroyed members of their own family Bhagwan Valmik sprinkled holy water called ‘Amrit’ onto the whole army and brought them back to life again.
Valmikis have a close link with the Sikh Golden Temple. Bhagwan Valmik’s role in the foundation of the Golden Temple in Amritsar is commemorated by him burying the pot of healing ‘Amrit’ that would give rise to the holy lake on which the Golden Temple would be built.
ASHRAMS
For Valmikis the place of worship is known as the Ashram. The Ashram means a hermitage or monastery. It is the communal house for devotees of the Bhagwan. The function of the Ashram is to serve as a centre for building up the commitment of devotees and for transmitting the Bhagwan’s message and furthermore, it is the focal point for the whole community and preserves the culture and traditions which inspire children to keep their faith.
All Valmiki Ashrams have a special flag outside to show that it is a place of worship. The bows and arrows represent Bhagwan Valmiks disciples Luv and Kush. For Valmikis prayer is not restricted to the confines of the ashrams, but can infact take place anywhere as long as the Ramayana is present.
However, when an Ashram is not within travelling distance many Valmiki families will have a copy of the Ramayana in a special room at their house which can be used for worship.
Valmiki Ashrams welcome all who wish to come, anyone who comes to the Ashram is welcome to stay as long as they wish and all are welcome regardless of race, gender, caste or creed.
In Britain Valmiki Ashrams can come in various sizes. Some tend to be specially constructed, whilst others tend to be renovated buildings designed to enable the purpose of worship.
However, when worship is not possible in an Ashram, occasionally Valmikis will hire a public building or use an individuals house as a Ashram. All Valmiki Ashram have common features. For instance, the place of worship is always a special room and as well as this there are a number of other rooms set aside for special services. There is a Langer hall where all devotees congregate for a meal, the community kitchen where devotees help to prepare food for the Langer. A classroom/library where the Ramayana is stocked for study and is used for teaching children.
A music room where musical instruments i.e. Tabla, Dholki etc are taught and hymns are practiced for worship. Finally, there is a special area for shoes and washing. All Valmikis follow certain rules of conduct and before entering the worship room everyone is expected to remove their shoes as a sign of respect and also because shoes are considered to collect dirt and since the Ashram is a place of cleanliness they must be removed.
Furthermore as devotees enter the worship room they approach the Ramayana . Each devotee kneels and makes their offering of prayer. The devotees then retreat to find a place to sit down. Everyone sits on the floor to show that everyone is equal in the eyes of God, regardless whether they are from a poor or rich background. Devotees are at liberty to come and go at any time during the Puja service which usually lasts about three hours. The Puja begins by everyone standing up to say a prayer which is called the Ardas, then the Pujari( Preist) begins to read sections of the Ramayana and the Yogavasista. At the end of the Puja the whole congregation will stand up and say a prayer called the Arti.
The Arti is followed by the distribution of Karah Prashad. Karah Prashad is given to each devotee which is taken from one bowl only and is a symbol of unity.
Eventually all the devotees congregate in the Langer Hall, for a meal, which none has to pay for. This sharing of food together is designed to unite people from all sections of society and to promote equality between all human beings.
Finally, Valmikis in their endeavour to promote peace and equality between other religions will on occasions keep a copy of other holy books in the Ashram. For instance, in Coventry the Valmiki Ashram has a copy of Bhagwan Valmik’s Ramayana as well as a copy of the Sikh holy book the Guru Granth Sahib. Here Valmikis and Valmiki Sikhs called Majbi Sikhs, worship side by side under one roof.
ARDAS
Oh Lord we stand before you and pray, we beg for your protection.
Bless us to call upon you with every breath we take and beg you to protect us from all sins, guide us so that we always pray to you.
Bless us that we always do good deeds oh Lord and Creator of all things.
Bless us with peace of mind and infinite wisdom, show us the way of righteousness so our sole be cleansed.
Bless us so that we never forget your teaching oh Lord and that we shall sing your praises, light candles and incense, oh Lord those who pray to you with all their heart shall go and meet you in Heaven.
Oh Lord those who read and listen to your holy scriptures, you are so merciful upon them.
Oh Lord we beg you to show us the way so that we can be spared from evil.
FESTIVALS
There are a number of religious festivals that Valmikis celebrate. Dussehra is celebrated in September. Often the celebrations will take place over several days and Bhagwan Valmik’s Ramayana is dramatised to commemorate the occasion.
Diwali is of equal importance for Valmikis and is celebrated in November. The word Diwali means groups of lights. It signifies the return of King Rama to his Kingdom of Ayodha after his banishment. Diwali is celebrated by displaying lights in and around the house and fireworks are let off. Celebrations may also be dramatised by enacting the Ramayana.
Sisters day called Rakhi is celebrated in August and this is when sisters tie a thread around their brothers wrist and wish them a long and successful life, in return the brothers will give their sisters presents and promise to protect them. The thread is meant to represent the special bond between brothers and sisters.
The Flag Ceremony, this takes place once a year. During this ceremony devotees take down the old flag and replace it with a new flag, while other devotees sing hymns and chant prayers. Basically this ceremony denotes the renewal of ones faith in Bhagwan Valmik.
But perhaps the most important event of the year for Valmikis is the birthday celebrations of Bhagwan Valmik. This tends to take place during October, the actual date of the birthday celebrations varies from year to year and is determined by astrological configurations.
Often in India celebrations take place over several days and the whole event is marked by large processions through towns and cities. Once again celebrations are dramatised by enacting the Ramayana of Bhagwan Valmik as well as prayer and devotional hymns. However, in the U.K. celebrations are restricted to one day because of the constraints of work. It is usually celebrated on Sunday. Events in the U.K. tend to be similar to those in India but on a much smaller scale.
There is a popular misconception amongst Hindus that Bhagwan Valmiki was a dacoit (robber)who lived a low life and later achieved enlightenment when he tried to rob some Brahmin Rishis. Many publications still continue to convey this false message. On the 21st February 2000 a similar claim was made by a presenter on Radio XL (Birmingham, UK). The long and short it is that Radio XL was taken to the Radio Authority, the complaint against Radio XL was upheld and the case eventually reached the High Court (UK) with a decision in favour of the Valmiki community. I would like to suggest that those who take an interest in the Ramayana and Hindu culture read “Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions” by Dr Julia Leslie where details of the case are explained in more elaborate terms. For more information about Bhagwan Valmiki please visit the following website: www.bhagwanvalmiki.com
References
For more information about the Valmiki community please visit the following website:www.bhagwanvalmiki.com
External links
- True version of Valmiki's story according to Puraanas
- www.valmikiramayan.net - Site has the Ramayana text with meaning.
- Works by Valmiki at Project Gutenberg
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